TAMPA, FL., May 31, 2001 - Thursday, May 31 is a landmark for CrossGen Comics and a landmark for the comics industry as a whole. With the release of Meridian #12, CrossGen has completed one full year of fulfilling its pre-publication promise of never missing a scheduled ship date.

In an industry where late comics have become the norm, this is a major feat. According to data compiled from Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc., in just the six months between June and December 2000, there were a reported 1,163 missed ship dates. Not one of those was a CrossGen comic.

In a message to CrossGen’s creative staff, Art Director Brandon Peterson had this to say about the landmark.

“No other major publisher in the entire industry for the last five years has been able to accomplish what we have done since our start in May 2000,” Peterson said. “With new books being added almost every month to our growing line-up, this sustained level of output and commitment we have established for ourselves will be difficult, but we have shown ourselves capable of doing it. I know everyone here is committed to making this streak continue for as long as is possible, and I for one am thankful of everyone's efforts up to this time."

CrossGen’s Publisher Mark Alessi echoed Peterson sentiments.

“When CrossGen was formed, one of the first items I listed in our Mission Statement was ‘To Deliver Product in a Timely and Consistent Manner,’” Alessi said. “It is unfair to mistreat the fans the way they have been mistreated for years. They are our customers. We work for them. If we want them to believe in us as a company, we have to honor our commitments to them. The most important of those is to get them the product when we say we will. Comics are a monthly business, not a seasonal one. Of course we realize that inevitably something will force us to be late. But in this case it is not missing a ship date that’s relevant, it’s our commitment to not missing one that’s important.”