ComicsPRO Letter to DC's Paul Levitz

September 10, 2009

Paul Levitz
DC Comics Inc
1700 Broadway
New York NY 10019


Dear Paul:

With the announcement of you stepping away from the positions of President and Publisher at DC Comics, the Board of Directors and retailer members of ComicsPRO wish to extend our hearty congratulations to you on a job most excellently done!

As many of us are also RRP members, our associations with you go back many years during which we’ve seen great changes in the comic book business. As fans of comics for even more years than we’ve been retailing professionals, many of us have been associated with your work since The Comic Reader days, through your engaging work as a writer, and always as someone who has shown great care in taking the comics’ medium in new directions and to new heights.

Your open-minded and visionary leadership as a DC executive has helped to foster a dynamically creative market that not only includes the work of many artists, writers and other creative professionals, but also incorporates the ideas and energy of thousands of comic book specialty retailers. In addition, you have assembled a team of business professionals at DC Comics that have the trust of your retailing partners.

We can only hope that your tenure will remain the model for the delicate balancing act of the art and commerce in comics, working with creative and editorial pros while also keeping in mind the concerns of specialty retailers helping to further grow the comics’ business.

This is no farewell as we look forward to seeing your byline in upcoming comics and graphic novels and in more published works and other endeavors, if that’s what you desire.

This is a time for gratitude, Paul, and we thank you for your tireless contributions to comics, to our field, to our livelihoods. We look forward to our continuing work with the DC Team in making sure that we all honor the work you’ve done.

On behalf of ComicsPRO, we send our very best wishes for your continued success!

With deep respect and many thanks---

Joe Field
ComicsPRO President

ComicsPRo Board of Directors
Phil Boyle
Carr D’Angelo
Gary Dills
Amanda Emmert
Brian Hibbs
Calum Johnston
Rick Lowell
Eric Kirsammer

24HCD: BAWLS Sponsorship press release

Contact: Amanda Emmert
info@comicspro.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

24 HOUR COMICS DAY SET FOR OCT. 3

BAWLS Guarana returns as sponsor

ComicsPRO invites comic book artists of any caliber to bounce into a local comic-book store on Oct. 3 to take part in the 6th annual 24 Hour Comics Day. The event will again be sponsored by energy drink BAWLS Guarana.

The idea behind 24 Hour Comics Day is for artists to set aside 24 consecutive hours to create a 24-page comic book. It’s a test of skill, and of endurance.

"We are thrilled to be the Official FUEL of 24 Hour Comics Day for the second year in a row and are excited to provide that needed boost to keep comic book artists all over the country working through the night!" said Marie Navarro, senior marketing manager for BAWLS.

24 Hour Comics Day was created by Nat Gertler, publisher of About Comics. ComicsPRO took over administration of the event in 2008. In 2008, more than 2000 people participated in the event in 34 U.S. states and 20 countries.
Host sites should register at www.24hourcomicsday.com. U.S. host sites can pick up 2 cases of BAWLS energy drink for their event.

ABOUT COMICSPRO: ComicsPRO is a 501(c)6 non-profit trade organization uniting independent comic book storefront retailers to share resources and to promote comics as an important part of popular culture and literature.
Further information may be found about ComicsPRO at http://www.ComicsPRO.org.

ABOUT BAWLS: Named for the “bounce” the drink packs, BAWLS Guarana is a refreshing, high-caffeine soda infused with guarana – a naturally-caffeinated berry harvested in the Amazonian rainforest. Since 1996, the guarana goodness of BAWLS – smooth, citrus crème soda taste, eye-catching packaging and naturally-caffeinated kick – has fueled the days and nights of millions of heavy-eyed students, techies, gamers and comic book fans everywhere!

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