ComicsPRO.org

ComicsPRO is the only trade organization dedicated to the progress of direct market comic book retailers.

Monday, October 27, 2008

ComicsPRO Auction Raises $4650 for Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

October 27, 2008
For Immediate Release

Concord CA-based Flying Colors to Host Jeff Smith Appearance

Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff of Concord, CA will host Jeff Smith, creator of the best-selling BONE and RASL series, in his only North American book store appearance of 2008 & 2009 on Saturday December 6.

The exclusive appearance was bid on as part of a fund-raising auction available only to members of ComicsPRO, the trade association for comic book specialty retailers. The winning bid amount of $4650.00 will be donated in its entirety to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

"I’ve known Jeff Smith and both admired and been an enthusiastic retailer of his work for more than 15 years, but this will be the first time his legions of fans will be able to come meet him at Flying Colors Comics," said Field. "Knowing Jeff has also admired the work ComicsPRO does on behalf of all comics specialty retailers coupled with the splash this makes for the CBLDF makes this even more special."

The auction idea was conceived at the 2008 ComicsPRO Annual Meeting, of which Cartoon Books, publisher of BONE and RASL, was a sponsor. After praising the effort of comics specialty retailers in selling out the initial 20,000 print run of RASL #1, Smith offered to make his only comic book shop appearance this year a benefit for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund via the ComicsPRO auction.

"I owe everything to the comic shop owners who continue to believe in Cartoon Books and my work. The membership of ComicsPRO are among the best of the best," said Jeff Smith. "Any retailer dedicated to selling comics in the specialty market needs to seriously consider joining ComicsPRO, as well as support the important work of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. I’m also excited to finally do an event at Joe Field’s Flying Colors Comics."

"The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is moved by the generosity of Joe Field and all the other ComicsPRO members who bid on this unprecedented auction," said Charles Brownstein, executive director of CBLDF. "We’re also grateful to Jeff Smith, Vijaya Iyer, and the team at Cartoon Books for going above and beyond to support the Fund and the membership of ComicsPRO. This effort will go a long way towards helping us perform our important work in this season as we support the defense of Iowa collector Christopeher Handley."

Jeff Smith is the award-winning creator of the beloved BONE series, originally published by Cartoon Books and now being published in color by Scholastic Books. Time magazine selected BONE as one of the 10 greatest graphic novels of all time. Cartoon Books will publish the first collection of Smith's new sci-fi series RASL, titled "The Drift," this winter. Recently for DC Comics, he wrote and drew SHAZAM! Monster Society of Evil.

Joe Field of Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff of Concord, CA is a proud recipient of the Will Eisner "Spirit of Comics" Award for Retailing Excellence, a "Hall-of-Fame" award recognized internationally among comic book professionals. He is also President of ComicsPRO and the founder of Free Comic Book Day, the comic industry’s only concerted outreach event.

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund was founded in 1986 as a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of First Amendment rights for members of the comics community. They have defended dozens of Free Expression cases in courts across the United States, and led important education initiatives promoting comics literacy and free expression. For additional information, donations, and other inquiries call 800-99-CBLDF or visit http://www.cbldf.org or http://www.myspace.com/cbldf.

ComicsPRO is the only retailer trade and advocacy group for comic book specialty retailers, providing group benefits and an industry voice for its constantly growing membership. Information and applications for membership are available at http://ComicsPRO.org. For further inquiries, please contact ComicsPRO's Communications Coordinator Amanda Emmert at info@comicspro.org.

Friday, October 17, 2008

24HCD Approaches!

ComicsPRO took over administration duties of 24-Hour Comics Day this year, and our team of volunteers has kept very busy this summer and fall with the sponsorship deals, venue registration, 24HCD questions from around the world, hundreds of press releases, mailers to over 100 24HCD venues, and many, many website updates. We've learned a lot about making next year's event run more smoothly, too!

(If you're interested, check out www.24hourcomicsday.com for a list of participating sites, and http://24hcd.blogspot.com/ for details about the event. Some of the event hosts are already starting to post pictures and participant lists!)

The 24HCD event surrounds October 18th, this year, and as long as the host venue includes that date in their 24 hours, they can start or end at any time. Good luck to all of the artists around the world who have already started, or who will start tomorrow, on their 24 pages of comics!

I'd like to thank our main ComicsPRO volunteers for their help this year. They all took time off from their stores and jobs to help build this year's event, and build the foundation for how we're going to improve next 24HCD!

Many thanks to:
Thomas Gaul, of Corner Store Comics, CA
Rick Lowell, of Casablanca Comics, ME
Atom Freeman and Portyln, Brave New World Comics, CA
Gary Dills and Norah Curry, Laughing Ogre Comics, OH & VA

I'd also like to thank Nat Gertler of About Comics, founder of the original 24-Hour Comics Day event, who provided a lot of advice and help this year!

Thanks, also, to the suppliers who provided great discounts and freebies to the 24HCD venues:

BAWLS energy drinks
Blue Line Pro art supplies
Diamond Comic Distributors

Good luck with 24-Hour Comics Day, everyone!

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

ComicsPRO Member caught on film

Shannon Outlaw, of Comicopia in Boston, was caught on film at Terry Moore's blog (you have to click on the blog once you're there) getting an update to her personal collection of comic book advertisements. Terry drew this for her at the Diamond Retailer Summit in Las Vegas in September.

We salute your dedication, Shannon!

Notes from the Dillon tour 3.5

From a press release by Captain Blue Hen comics:

Comic book artist Steve Dillon (Preacher, Wolverine Origins) and Captain Blue Hen Comics raised over $1100 for charity this Wednesday, September 24.