By Action Figure Insider » Diamond Comic Distributors Welcomes Ryan Shelkett as Executive Director of Vendor Development, Toys & Merchandise
Diamond Comic Distributors Welcomes Ryan Shelkett as Executive Director of Vendor Development, Toys & Merchandise
(Baltimore, MD) — (Sept 13, 2023)
– Diamond Comic Distributors, the leading distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop-culture merchandise, is proud to announce the appointment of Ryan Shelkett as the Executive Director of Vendor Development focusing on toys and merchandise. In this crucial role, Shelkett will play a pivotal part in advancing Diamond’s presence in the marketplace.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Ryan to our Purchasing Team,” said Tim Lenaghan, Chief Purchasing Officer with Geppi Family Enterprises. “The expertise that Ryan brings from his years with Bandai, coupled with his enthusiasm for growing Diamond’s position in the overall marketplace make this a truly exciting hire for us!”
Shelkett is no stranger to Diamond Comic Distributors, having been a valued member of the company from 2007 to 2016. During his initial tenure, he contributed significantly to the company’s growth. After leaving Diamond, he joined Bandai America, Inc, where he excelled in various roles, including Regional Sales Manager, National Sales Manager, Director of Sales, and ultimately, Director of Sales – Mass and Digital.
Shelkett brings with him a wealth of experience in new business development, sales growth, inventory management, and team leadership. His profound knowledge of the toys and collectibles industry further enhances his ability to drive success in his new role, “I’m truly excited to return to Diamond Comic Distributors and collaborate closely with our valued vendors to drive growth and success for all our businesses,” said Shelkett. “I’m eager to work with the talented team here and further solidify our position in the market.”
Diamond anticipates that Ryan Shelkett’s return will strengthen the organization’s strategic partnerships, expand its reach, and contribute to its continued success within the industry.
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ABOUT DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS — Diamond Comic Distributors (DCD) is the world’s largest distributor of English-language comics, graphic novels, and related pop-culture merchandise. Based in Baltimore, MD, Diamond serves thousands of specialty retailers worldwide. For more information, visit diamondcomics.com.
© 2023 Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. All rights reserved. Diamond and the Diamond logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective copyright owners.
Daniel Pickett
AFi founder and Editor-In-Chief Daniel “Julius Marx” Pickett has been around toys his whole life. The first line he ever collected was Mego’s World’s Greatest Super Heroes line back in the 70s. He has been surrounded by collectables ever since.
In 1999 he was confounded by a lack of information and news about some of his favorite toy lines he was collecting. Since he couldn’t find the information he decided to pursue it himself thinking other people might also be interested in the same news. He started writing a weekly column on the toy industry and action figure for a toy news site and in a years time he tripled the sites daily traffic with his updates, reviews and product features.
He built relationships with every major toy manufacturer and many sculptors, painters and mold makers. He grew his hobby into a world wide expertise that the industry has embraced.
In 2004 he teamed up with his toy buddy Jason “ToyOtter” Geyer and they created their own website www.ActionFigureInsider.com.
Daniel has been quoted in both industry and mass media press outlets. Over the years Daniel and AFi have been sought out as experts in the field. Daniel was regularly featured on “Attack of the Show” on the G4 network as the primary contributor to their “Mint On Card” segment, and our front page has been linked to from USA Today’s
“Pop Candy” Blog twice. Daniel’s content has also been featured on Bloomberg News, MSNBC.com, Time.com, The Wall Street Journal, The Saturday Evening Post, CNN.com, AssociatedPress.com
Wired.com, Fark.com, Boing-Boing, Gizmodo.com, Ain’t It Cool News, the Official
Star Wars blog, Geekologie, G4, CNet and Toy Fare magazine, among many
others. He has consulted on toy lines, books, documentaries and TV shows.
But all of that really just sounds snooty and “tootin’ his own horn” – the long and short of it is that Daniel loves toys and he LOVES talking about them.
