ComicsPRO San Diego Retailer Programming

Once again, ComicsPRO will present a slate of programming for professional comic book retailers at Comic-Con International: San Diego on Friday July, 2009.

Full details of each seminar can be foundHERE!

Please note: Retailer programming has been moved to rooms 12 and 13 on the mezzanine level the San Diego Convention Center.


10:30 Night Flight Presents!
With Mimi Cruz-Carroll of Night Flight Comics (Salt Lake City UT), Dr. Robyn Hill and noted author Frank Beddor (Looking Glass Wars).

11:30 Selling More Comics & Graphic Novels: A Forum for Publishers
With ComicsPRO President Joe Field (Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff, Concord, CA), and board members Phil Boyle (Coliseum of Comics, FL) and Carr D'Angelo (Earth-2 Comics, Sherman Oaks and Northridge, CA).

12:30 ComicsPRO Update and Cookie Break!
With board members Joe Field, Carr D'Angelo, and Phil Boyle.

1:00 Eisner "Spirit" Video Viewing
"Spirit" Award facilitator and award recipient Joe Ferrara (Atlantis Fantasyworld, Santa Cruz, CA) shows the video presentations for this year's award finalists.

2:00 Comic Book Store Marketing
With Matt Price (Features Editor at The Oklahoman newspaper) and Annette Price, co-owners of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman, OK.

3:00 Cutting Without Hitting Bone
Presented by Phil Boyle of Coliseum of Comics, a chain of comic & game specialty stores in Florida.

4:30 - 6:00 So You Want to Be a Comic Book Retailer?
With ComicsPRO president Joe Field (Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff, Concord, CA), Carr D'Angelo (Earth-2 Comics, Sherman Oaks and Northridge, CA), Chris Powell (Lone Star Comics, TX), Scott Proulx (Double Midnight Comics, Manchester, NH) and Diamond Comic Distributors field sales manager Dave Hawksworth.

Please join us!

A new member of the ComicsPRO family!

Amanda Emmert, ComicsPRO's Communications Coordinator, and her husband Todd have welcomed a new addition to their family --- Antonio "Tony" Leon Emmert was born Saturday June 13!

All of us involved with ComicsPRO would like to extend our very best wishes the Emmert family!

Calum Johnston Appointed to ComicsPRO Board

Retailer Organization Announces More Board Changes

ComicsPRO, the trade organization for comic book specialty retailers, is announcing changes to its board of directors. Calum Johnston, owner of Strange Adventures in Halifax, Nova Scotia has been selected to fill the spot vacated with the resignation of Chris Powell, general manager of the Lone Star Comics’ chain in the Dallas metroplex, effective immediately. Gary Dills, co-owner of The Laughing Ogre, with stores in Virginia and Ohio, has been named Vice-president of ComicsPRO, taking on the post left vacant with Powell’s departure.

"It’s great to welcome Calum Johnston to our board as the first ComicsPRO director from north of the border, " said Joe Field, ComicsPRO President and owner of Concord CA’s Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff. "I’ve known and admired Calum’s work as a retailer for many years and I’m sure he’ll bring new energy and a fresh perspective to the ComicsPRO board. This should also send a message to comic specialty retailers everywhere that ComicsPRO is serious about about representing the interests of all our retailing brethren."

"I'm very honoured to be asked to join the board," said Johnston. "The aims of the group are to help comic book retailers and I will do my best to help the board and the membership anyway I can."

Buying, selling and trading comics since high school, Calum knew at an early age that he wanted to be in the comic book business. After years working as a disc jockey, pressman, graphic designer, bartender among other jobs, in 1992 Calum took the plunge and started his own business, Strange Adventures, in Fredericton, New Brunswick, with a second location added in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1995. Operating on the premise that "comics are good and people should read them", Calum and his staff at Strange Adventures have enjoyed some measure of success in sharing that philosophy. Calum received the prestigious Will Eisner "Spirit of Comics" Award for retailing excellence in 2001.

Outgoing board member Chris Powell served on the ComicsPRO Board of Directors for the last four years and was recently named President of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. He said in a statement "It’s become clear in the weeks since I ran for re-election that the stresses of running seven stores and a mail order business during ‘interesting’ economic times, plus being on the Boards of Directors of two non-profit organizations is just too much for me. I will remain an active member of ComicsPRO, available to help out on the mentoring forum and other projects. I love what this organization has done, and am very optimistic about what it will accomplish in the future."

ComicsPRO is the retailer trade and advocacy group comprising 140 members and 180 storefronts. The goals of ComicsPRO are to be the united voice of advocacy for direct market retailers, to provide educational and mentoring opportunities to current and future retailers, and to offer opportunities to reduce some of the mutual fixed costs retailers incur. Information and membership applications are available
HERE!

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FREE Obama variant incentive for New Members!

Contact Amanda Emmert info@comicspro.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Marvel supports new ComicsPRO members with variant Obama comic

Retailers who join ComicsPRO as Full Members can get a hand from Marvel. Marvel made available some first printing variant covers of "Amazing Spider-Man" No. 583, featuring President Barack Obama, This hot, sold-out issue has gone for more than $100 at auction, and retailers who join now can get one for free while supplies last!

Marvel Comics showed their strong support with these books of ComicsPRO, the association of direct market comic-book retailers. ComicsPRO, founded in 2005, has grown to more than 140 members with more than 180 storefronts.

"Amazing Spider-Man" 583 topped the sales charts for an unprecedented
two months in a row, and this in-demand variant was a minuscule part
of the print run, causing high demand at stores across the country.

Carr D'Angelo, ComicsPRO board member, said more than 100 people
jammed into his store on the day of release seeking the in-demand
comic book.

"The inaugural edition of Amazing Spider-Man #583 was wildly popular
at our store and we still get requests so it's great to see Marvel
donating a bunch of these to our membership drive," said D'Angelo,
owner of Earth-2 Comics in Sherman Oaks, CA. "This is a terrific
opportunity for new members to join ComicsPRO and get a highly
desirable product in return. It's just another great way that
ComicsPRO generates benefits to offset the costs of membership."

Marvel is also offering an additional promotion for ComicsPRO members.
"It was a long time coming, but an organization was greatly needed by
comics retailers to help support and grow the industry. We're happy
to show our support for such an important group," said Marvel's Senior
Vice President of Sales David Gabriel. "To further help out ComicsPRO
retailers, Marvel is please to offer an extra $10 discount off the
Marvel Retailer Resource Center, a service that not only provides
retailers with inexpensive websites and marketing tools, but actually
does all the work of updating the site for them. Check out those
details at www.marvelretailers.com."

New full members will receive an Obama variant cover along with their
ComicsPRO Welcome Kit, after ComicsPRO processes their payment and
membership. Stores can get more details about a Full Membership here
http://www.comicspro.org/apply.html#fullmem

Existing Full Members can get a free Obama variant copy with an early
renewal of 2009-2010 dues. Contact info@comicspro.org for details.

ComicsPRO, the Comics Professional Retail Organization, is the
retailer trade group for comic book specialty retailers. The goals of
ComicsPRO are to allow comic retailers to speak with one unified voice
on important industry issues, to mentor new and future retailers, to
work for growth in the comics specialty market and to help reduce the
risks associated with being independent business owners. More
information is available at http://www.ComicsPRO.org.

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ComicsPRO Announces Board Appointment for Chicago Comics’ Eric Kirsammer

ComicsPRO President Joe Field announced today the appointment of veteran retailer Eric Kirsammer of Chicago Comics to the organization’s board of directors.

Kirsammer has owned Chicago Comics since 1991 and his store is widely hailed as one of the best in the business.

Kirsammer received the Will Eisner "Spirit of Comics" Retailing Award in 1997 and Chicago Comics has received numerous other awards, including "Best Comic Book store" from Chicago Magazine, The Reader and NewCity newspaper. Kirsammer purchased Quimby’s bookstore in 1997.

He is regarded as one of the staunchest supporters of independent comics, ‘zines and alternative literature.

"Eric was someone I always hoped would run for one of our open director’s positions, as I’ve known him for years to be a progressive retailer of the highest caliber. I am sure all ComicsPRO members will benefit from Eric’s addition to our board of directors," said Joe Field, ComicsPRO President and owner of Flying Colors Comics in Concord CA.

"I believe every professional comic book specialty retailer should also be a member of ComicsPRO," said Kirsammer. "I look forward to helping ComicsPRO continue its growth in influence and membership."

Kirsammer’s appointment follows Ben Trujillo’s (Star Clipper, St. Louis MO) resignation from the board effective March 23, 2009, a year before the expiration of his term.

"The growth of Star Clipper and MOBY™ led me to make this difficult decision," said Trujillo. MOBY™ is the retailer point-of-sale (POS) software system co-designed by Trujillo for Bitter End Systems. "I am proud of the organization's many accomplishments and look forward to serving ComicsPRO in a new capacity. I am confident Eric will be an asset to the Board."

ComicsPRO is the retailer trade organization with 140 member-retailers with approximately 180 storefronts.

ComicsPRO membership is open to all comic specialty storefront retailers with the goals of creating a unified voice for the concerns of specialty retailers, the mentoring of new retailers and the expansion of the entire comics specialty market.

ComicsPRO in Memphis: A look back, a look ahead

From: Joe Field
ComicsPRO President
Flying Colors Comics
Concord CA


The last official event at ComicsPRO’s Annual Members Meeting was the Saturday night tour of Diamond’s new mega-hub distribution facility in Olive Branch MS and the BBQ dinner that followed. I was seated at a table with retailer Ed Greenberg of Collector's Paradise in Winnetka CA, BOOM Studios publisher Ross Richie and CBLDF director Charles Brownstein.

Charles asked a simple question that required more thought than I could really muster at that point, but I told him a few rambling things. The next day, flying back from Memphis TN to Oakland CA, I jotted down these thoughts, expanding on Charles original question (the first one below).

What are the two most important things I’ll remember from this event?

1) The specialty business of comics is on a solid foundation. With much of other traditional publishing industry experiencing game-changing downturns, the periodical-to-book format model is still a profitable one, especially for our larger suppliers. This places my concern for the "threat or menace" of digital publishing into a much less alarming spot.

Couple that with the realization that our base of readers (buyers, collectors, consumers, fans, use whatever positive term you like) is very dedicated. Comic book lovers---and I happily include myself in that category--- continue to keep printed comics and books in their media diets, even when there are so many other choices and delivery systems.

Market research has shown that many regular comic book readers are also "early adopters", those who want to be the first to buy into new technologies. One of the keys to helping our industry find new consumers for what we make and sell is to better understand what makes early adopters still eager to embrace the "old" medium of printed comic books.

2) The huge task Diamond has with its operations. After seeing their 600,000 square foot facility, I came away impressed with the company’s desire to make things run smoother than ever before. The transition pains are still there, but there is much light at the end of the warehouse (which was way too far for me to go and find!).

Two biggest challenges for ComicsPRO?

1) Getting the message out to every dedicated professional retailer that ComicsPRO membership has the internal strength and resolve to make it work where other comic retailer trade groups previously came up short. Tied with that is showing otherwise non-joiner types among our retailer colleagues that there is substantial value by investing in a ComicsPRO membership.

2) Continuing to meet the three main objectives we’ve laid out since Day One. First, to be the united voice of the professional comic specialty retailer. Also, to help mentor new and prospective specialty retailers and give continuing education to current retailers. And to grow the overall size of the market for all comics-related material to keep this a vital and profitable venture for our member retailers.

Two most important ‘take-aways’ for retailers from this event?

1) The move to Point-of-Sale (POS) by so many retailers is a move away from unnecessary risk. It’s also a move to better information that can be channeled to fuel a lasting healthy comic specialty market.

2) The openness of our suppliers to help ComicsPRO grow. All of the company execs we talked with in Memphis want ComicsPRO to be a viable and positive force for specialty retailers because it will help the entire market with better information, better promotional opportunities and more direct feedback from professional comic book retailers.


Two thoughts after the meeting related to the future of ComicsPRO?

1) The need for all members to pitch in with some volunteer hours. ComicsPRO will go as far as our membership is willing to take us. Committee assignments can’t die at the Memphis Hilton check-out desk. Attending retailers were almost unanimous in their response to give a couple of hours a week to making ComicsPRO better--- that volunteerism, if maintained, would be like adding two or three more full-time staff members to the organization.

2) There is strength and stability in ComicsPRO. Our organization has continued to grow during the last year, with lots more room for additional growth. More than that, ComicsPRO is providing a true business forum for professional comic specialty retailers. Our benefits continue to give real value to our members, which will hopefully spur more retailers to join.

ComicsPRO already has an important voice--- it’s the fiercely independent voice of the professional comic book retailer. ComicsPRO has a knowledge and skill base that should keep us growing and vital for years to come.

If you have already joined ComicsPRO--- thank you for your support!
If you haven't joined, get with it, 'cause we're not going away! Membership applications can be downloaded HERE!

Peace & Success!

Joe Field

ComicsPRO moving forward in tough economy

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- ComicsPRO President Joe Field said banding together will help retailers survive tough economic times at his opening remarks to members at the Annual ComicsPRO meeting.

The theme of this year's meeting is "Rising to the Challenge."

"You're part of a retailer base that's moving the profession of comic book retailing forward," Field said. Field said publishers are growing more receptive to and interested in ComicsPRO each year.

While ComicsPRO didn't meet its original goal of doubling membership from last year, Field said the membership base did grow by more than 30 percent in a down economy.

"If the economy weakens ... we have to remain strong," Field said. "While there are things we can't control, we have to work on the things we can control."

Field said ComicsPRO was continuing to work on initiatives to save members money and to promote the organization and comic books in a positive way.

-- Matt Price
blog.newsok.com/nerdage

Notes from Day 1 of the ComicsPRO Annual Members Meeting

It's a day of DC Comics-sponsored programming at the ComicsPRO Annual Members Meeting, held this year in Memphis, Tenn.

A few highlights from the early programming include:

- First looks at the graphic novels in Vertigo's upcoming crime line, including one written by Brian Azzarello.

- Announcements of three new Vertigo launches this year, which will be kicked off with $1 first issues.

- A look at some of the upcoming DC Direct products, including a David Mazzuchelli "Batman Black & White" statue and the "DC Dynamics" line, which feature translucent bases giving the appearance of action.

- Tom Strong will return in a miniseries by Peter Hogan and Chris Sprouse.

- Several new creator-owned properties are planned for WildStorm

- The Jim Lee/Grant Morrison Wildcats story will come out as a graphic novel; it will be solicited when it is done.

- Matt Price
http://blog.newsok.com/nerdage