Announcing the 2011 Industry Appreciation Award Nominees
ComicsPRO Announces Nominees for 2011 Industry Appreciation Award
Retailer Group Seeks to Honor Individuals Who Improve the Comics Specialty Market
The direct market remains the way most comic-book stories get from creator to fan. ComicsPRO wants to honor those people who stand in that gap and help smooth the process. From publishers, distributors, marketers, creators and more, a lot of people are involved in bringing the stories we all love to market. ComicsPRO would like to stand up and recognize those who have been simply the best at what they do, making the comic-book direct market more successful for all of us.
ComicsPRO has created The ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation Award to honor these individuals, and the winners of the 2nd annual award will be announced at this year's ComicsPRO Annual Membership Meeting in Dallas, Texas, from February 10-12.
There are two categories for the Industry Appreciation Award, one for professionals who are still active in the business of comics and a Memorial Award one for those who have passed away and left an indelible mark on the profession of comic book specialty retailing. After a period of accepting nominations from members, the ComicsPRO Board of Directors presents this final ballot. Members will vote for one Award recipient from each category.
The 2011 nominees for the ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation Award:
Steve Geppi
Denis Kitchen
Stan Lee
Bill Schanes
Bob Wayne
The 2011 nominees for the ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation Memorial Award:
Will Eisner
Jack Kirby
Julius Schwartz
Phil Seuling
The 2010 Industry Appreciation Award recipient was Paul Levitz, former president and publisher of DC Comics. The 2010 Industry Appreciation Memorial Award was presented in memory of Carol Kalish, a former Direct Sales Manager at Marvel Comics.
"The Industry Appreciation Award gives ComicsPRO members the opportunity to express gratitude to those who have contributed significantly to the business of selling comics in general and the Direct Market in particular," said ComicsPRO Director Carr D'Angelo, co-owner of Earth-2 Comics, CA. "It's our 'Hall of Fame' for those whose efforts make the world better for retailers."
"ComicsPRO members are proud to highlight the achievements of the many people who have made this industry a better and more successful place to work," said Amanda Emmert, ComicsPRO Executive Director. "The Board of Directors has a difficult time narrowing the ballot each year."
ComicsPRO is the retailer trade and advocacy group representing comic book retailers across the U.S. and Canada. 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 at www.ComicsPRO.org.
Brief biographical notes that accompany the ballots for the award can be found below.
2011 Industry Appreciation Award Nominees
Steve Geppi
As the founder and owner of Diamond Comic Distributors, for 27 years, he has provided an even hand in guiding the comic specialty market through good times and challenging times alike. Diamond Comic Distributors became the successor to direct market pioneer Phil Seuling's distribution dream when Geppi took over New Media/Irjax's warehouses in 1982. He bought out distributor Bud Plant in 1988 and main rival Capital City in 1996. Steve Geppi is also a former comic book retailer. Geppi has served on the board of the CBLDF, is the founder of Geppi’s Comic Museum, owner of Gemstone Publishing and is still an avid comic book collector.
Denis Kitchen
With a career that spans five decades and encompasses many of the roles that comprise the comics specialty market, Denis Kitchen is a cartoonist, writer, editor, publisher and businessman. From 1969-1999, under the Kitchen Sink brand, Denis was a publisher for a smorgasbord of classic and underground artists, including Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Art Spiegelman and more. In 1986 Denis Kitchen founded the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, dedicated to defending the industry's First Amendment rights. Kitchen has also chaired the Harvey Awards Committee since 2000. He is a member of the Board of Advisers of MOCCA (Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art) in New York City.
Stan Lee
At 88 years young, Stan Lee continues his one-man assault on all media. As a writer and editor starting in the Golden Age of Comics, Lee has been one of the industry’s most important figures for nearly 70 years. With artists including Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, Lee co-created many of Marvel Comics’ best-known characters. His “Amazing Spider-Man” story in issues 96-98 caused the Comics Code Authority to rethink its policies. And long before the blockbuster big screen successes of Spider-Man and X-Men, Lee, as president and chairman of Marvel Comics, pushed Marvel’s expansion from being solely a publishing house to a becoming a large multimedia corporation.
Lee is now creating new characters for BOOM! Studios and Archie Comics. He is also the head of POW! Entertainment, an advanced media and entertainment company that encompasses the creation, production and licensing of original intellectual properties. Stan Lee was inducted into the comic book industry's Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1995.
Bill Schanes
Bill, along with his brother Steve Schanes co-founded Pacific Comics in 1971. Pacific Comics was among the early direct market comic book retailers. In 1981, Bill co-founded Pacific Comics as a publisher of mostly creator-owned properties, including those from hallowed veterans of the comic book business like Neal Adams, Jack Kirby and Sergio Aragones. After Pacific folded in 1984, Schanes joined Steve Geppi's Diamond Comic Distributors company in 1985. He has served as a National Account Representative, before ascending to Diamond’s Upper management Team as the Vice President for Purchasing.
Bob Wayne
Wayne, a former comic book retailer in the Dallas/Fort Worth TX area, joined DC Comics in the mid ‘80s as a Direct Sales manager and has been on the forefront of the changes in the comics business ever since. Currently serving as DC’s Senior Vice President of Sales, Wayne has always maintained his loyalty to the field of comics specialty retailing and has been responsible for many of DC’s retailer-friendly best practices, including support of ComicsPRO. Wayne is a recipient of the Inkpot Award, commemorating his years of service to the comics industry and his work with Comic-Con International.
2011 Industry Appreciation Memorial Award Nominees
Will Eisner
A true visionary and comics industry pioneer, Eisner’s touch has been felt in all aspects of the comics community. On the creative side, Eisner’s breadth of material spans the eight decades of American comics history, veering from his earliest efforts in adventure and superhero comics while the medium was in its infancy, to 35 years of more mature work best exemplified by the standard-bearer for all graphic novels, A Contract With God. His impeccable design sense raised the bar for every artist that came with and after him. On the business side, Eisner understood the unique relationship between creator and retailer, founding the “Spirit of Comics” award that recognizes the work of the industry’s brightest retailers. Eisner passed away in January 2005 at the age of 87.
Jack Kirby
Perhaps the most important comic book artist to those of us working in the comics specialty market. Kirby entered the fledgling comics industry in the 1930s. With writer and business partner Joe Simon, Kirby created the highly successful superhero character Captain America for Timely Comics in 1941. During the 1940s, Kirby would create a number of comics for various publishers, often teaming with Simon. After serving in World War II, Kirby returned to comics, and in the 1960s, Kirby co-created many of Marvel Comics' major characters, including the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and the Hulk, along with writer-editor Stan Lee. Kirby left Marvel in 1970 to create new work for DC Comics, which included his Fourth World saga, including The New Gods, Mister Miracle, and The Forever People. Kirby returned to Marvel in the mid-to-late 1970s, then moved into TV animation and independent comics.
Julius Schwartz
Schwartz started his career in 1932 as the co-publisher of Time Traveller, among the first science fiction fanzines. Schwartz, along with Mort Weisinger, founded the Solar Sales Service literary agency in 1934, where Schwartz represented such noted authors as Alfred Bester, Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, and H. P. Lovecraft. Schwartz also helped organize the first World Science Fiction Convention in 1939. In 1944 he went to work as an editor for All-American Comics, which soon merged with National Periodical Publications to form DC Comics. Schwartz was best-known for his work at DC Comics, which reinvigorated the superhero genre in the comics industry. His updating of 1940s characters for the modern era revolutionized DC Comics. He died in February 2004 at the age of 88.
Phil Seuling
The organizer and founder of the New York Comic Art Conventions of the ‘70s, Seuling is the founder of the direct-market form of comic-book distribution. Seuling, a school teacher with a passion for comics, arranged distribution deals to buy DC and Marvel Comics direct from the publishers. In 1974, Seuling founded Seagate Distribution, which sold comics non-returnably, and the Direct Market was born. In an age where comic shops were merely second-hand collectors’ stores, Seuling saw the potential for making a direct connection between comic publishers and their most rabid fans. In a real sense, our livelihoods are possible because of Seuling’s foresight more than 35 years ago. Phil Seuling passed away in 1984 at the age of 50.
Retailer Group Seeks to Honor Individuals Who Improve the Comics Specialty Market
The direct market remains the way most comic-book stories get from creator to fan. ComicsPRO wants to honor those people who stand in that gap and help smooth the process. From publishers, distributors, marketers, creators and more, a lot of people are involved in bringing the stories we all love to market. ComicsPRO would like to stand up and recognize those who have been simply the best at what they do, making the comic-book direct market more successful for all of us.
ComicsPRO has created The ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation Award to honor these individuals, and the winners of the 2nd annual award will be announced at this year's ComicsPRO Annual Membership Meeting in Dallas, Texas, from February 10-12.
There are two categories for the Industry Appreciation Award, one for professionals who are still active in the business of comics and a Memorial Award one for those who have passed away and left an indelible mark on the profession of comic book specialty retailing. After a period of accepting nominations from members, the ComicsPRO Board of Directors presents this final ballot. Members will vote for one Award recipient from each category.
The 2011 nominees for the ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation Award:
Steve Geppi
Denis Kitchen
Stan Lee
Bill Schanes
Bob Wayne
The 2011 nominees for the ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation Memorial Award:
Will Eisner
Jack Kirby
Julius Schwartz
Phil Seuling
The 2010 Industry Appreciation Award recipient was Paul Levitz, former president and publisher of DC Comics. The 2010 Industry Appreciation Memorial Award was presented in memory of Carol Kalish, a former Direct Sales Manager at Marvel Comics.
"The Industry Appreciation Award gives ComicsPRO members the opportunity to express gratitude to those who have contributed significantly to the business of selling comics in general and the Direct Market in particular," said ComicsPRO Director Carr D'Angelo, co-owner of Earth-2 Comics, CA. "It's our 'Hall of Fame' for those whose efforts make the world better for retailers."
"ComicsPRO members are proud to highlight the achievements of the many people who have made this industry a better and more successful place to work," said Amanda Emmert, ComicsPRO Executive Director. "The Board of Directors has a difficult time narrowing the ballot each year."
ComicsPRO is the retailer trade and advocacy group representing comic book retailers across the U.S. and Canada. 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 at www.ComicsPRO.org.
Brief biographical notes that accompany the ballots for the award can be found below.
2011 Industry Appreciation Award Nominees
Steve Geppi
As the founder and owner of Diamond Comic Distributors, for 27 years, he has provided an even hand in guiding the comic specialty market through good times and challenging times alike. Diamond Comic Distributors became the successor to direct market pioneer Phil Seuling's distribution dream when Geppi took over New Media/Irjax's warehouses in 1982. He bought out distributor Bud Plant in 1988 and main rival Capital City in 1996. Steve Geppi is also a former comic book retailer. Geppi has served on the board of the CBLDF, is the founder of Geppi’s Comic Museum, owner of Gemstone Publishing and is still an avid comic book collector.
Denis Kitchen
With a career that spans five decades and encompasses many of the roles that comprise the comics specialty market, Denis Kitchen is a cartoonist, writer, editor, publisher and businessman. From 1969-1999, under the Kitchen Sink brand, Denis was a publisher for a smorgasbord of classic and underground artists, including Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Art Spiegelman and more. In 1986 Denis Kitchen founded the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, dedicated to defending the industry's First Amendment rights. Kitchen has also chaired the Harvey Awards Committee since 2000. He is a member of the Board of Advisers of MOCCA (Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art) in New York City.
Stan Lee
At 88 years young, Stan Lee continues his one-man assault on all media. As a writer and editor starting in the Golden Age of Comics, Lee has been one of the industry’s most important figures for nearly 70 years. With artists including Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, Lee co-created many of Marvel Comics’ best-known characters. His “Amazing Spider-Man” story in issues 96-98 caused the Comics Code Authority to rethink its policies. And long before the blockbuster big screen successes of Spider-Man and X-Men, Lee, as president and chairman of Marvel Comics, pushed Marvel’s expansion from being solely a publishing house to a becoming a large multimedia corporation.
Lee is now creating new characters for BOOM! Studios and Archie Comics. He is also the head of POW! Entertainment, an advanced media and entertainment company that encompasses the creation, production and licensing of original intellectual properties. Stan Lee was inducted into the comic book industry's Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1995.
Bill Schanes
Bill, along with his brother Steve Schanes co-founded Pacific Comics in 1971. Pacific Comics was among the early direct market comic book retailers. In 1981, Bill co-founded Pacific Comics as a publisher of mostly creator-owned properties, including those from hallowed veterans of the comic book business like Neal Adams, Jack Kirby and Sergio Aragones. After Pacific folded in 1984, Schanes joined Steve Geppi's Diamond Comic Distributors company in 1985. He has served as a National Account Representative, before ascending to Diamond’s Upper management Team as the Vice President for Purchasing.
Bob Wayne
Wayne, a former comic book retailer in the Dallas/Fort Worth TX area, joined DC Comics in the mid ‘80s as a Direct Sales manager and has been on the forefront of the changes in the comics business ever since. Currently serving as DC’s Senior Vice President of Sales, Wayne has always maintained his loyalty to the field of comics specialty retailing and has been responsible for many of DC’s retailer-friendly best practices, including support of ComicsPRO. Wayne is a recipient of the Inkpot Award, commemorating his years of service to the comics industry and his work with Comic-Con International.
2011 Industry Appreciation Memorial Award Nominees
Will Eisner
A true visionary and comics industry pioneer, Eisner’s touch has been felt in all aspects of the comics community. On the creative side, Eisner’s breadth of material spans the eight decades of American comics history, veering from his earliest efforts in adventure and superhero comics while the medium was in its infancy, to 35 years of more mature work best exemplified by the standard-bearer for all graphic novels, A Contract With God. His impeccable design sense raised the bar for every artist that came with and after him. On the business side, Eisner understood the unique relationship between creator and retailer, founding the “Spirit of Comics” award that recognizes the work of the industry’s brightest retailers. Eisner passed away in January 2005 at the age of 87.
Jack Kirby
Perhaps the most important comic book artist to those of us working in the comics specialty market. Kirby entered the fledgling comics industry in the 1930s. With writer and business partner Joe Simon, Kirby created the highly successful superhero character Captain America for Timely Comics in 1941. During the 1940s, Kirby would create a number of comics for various publishers, often teaming with Simon. After serving in World War II, Kirby returned to comics, and in the 1960s, Kirby co-created many of Marvel Comics' major characters, including the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and the Hulk, along with writer-editor Stan Lee. Kirby left Marvel in 1970 to create new work for DC Comics, which included his Fourth World saga, including The New Gods, Mister Miracle, and The Forever People. Kirby returned to Marvel in the mid-to-late 1970s, then moved into TV animation and independent comics.
Julius Schwartz
Schwartz started his career in 1932 as the co-publisher of Time Traveller, among the first science fiction fanzines. Schwartz, along with Mort Weisinger, founded the Solar Sales Service literary agency in 1934, where Schwartz represented such noted authors as Alfred Bester, Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, and H. P. Lovecraft. Schwartz also helped organize the first World Science Fiction Convention in 1939. In 1944 he went to work as an editor for All-American Comics, which soon merged with National Periodical Publications to form DC Comics. Schwartz was best-known for his work at DC Comics, which reinvigorated the superhero genre in the comics industry. His updating of 1940s characters for the modern era revolutionized DC Comics. He died in February 2004 at the age of 88.
Phil Seuling
The organizer and founder of the New York Comic Art Conventions of the ‘70s, Seuling is the founder of the direct-market form of comic-book distribution. Seuling, a school teacher with a passion for comics, arranged distribution deals to buy DC and Marvel Comics direct from the publishers. In 1974, Seuling founded Seagate Distribution, which sold comics non-returnably, and the Direct Market was born. In an age where comic shops were merely second-hand collectors’ stores, Seuling saw the potential for making a direct connection between comic publishers and their most rabid fans. In a real sense, our livelihoods are possible because of Seuling’s foresight more than 35 years ago. Phil Seuling passed away in 1984 at the age of 50.
posted by Amanda Salmons @ 10:57 AM
