Check today's Diamond Daily

Retailers, log in to the Diamond Comic Distributors website today to get more information about ordering incentives for multiple store accounts.

From Diamond Daily:

"In response to feedback received from retailers during the annual ComicsPRO meeting in early February, Diamond will modify the way that incentives are calculated for retailers who have Diamond accounts for multiple stores."

Dynamite thoughts on working with ComicsPRO

From Nick Barrucci, president of Dynamite Entertainment:
“The opportunities presented at ComicsPRO are unrivaled in today’s business environment for direct market specialty retailers. The chance to sit down, one-on-one, both formally - in terms of the round-tables and panels, and informally - after hours, was an invaluable experience. The constructive dialogue between us as a publisher/supplier and our retail partners has already had a positive effect in terms of our calendar for the year. The critiques of line expansion in particular was a common theme, but because of the one-on-one opportunities, both sides came away with a better understanding of why things were done the way they were done.

We look forward to working more and more closely with all our retail partners and ComicsPRO and encourage direct market shops, who may not be members, to get more info on this organization.”

Diamond Feedback from the 2011 meeting

Several companies are sending notes of what has been accomplished, reiterated, or created as a result of the ComicsPRO Annual Membership Meeting. Diamond Comic Distributors worked with retailers on many issues at the meeting and has sent this update:

Diamond has reaffirmed that it will make every effort to prevent FOC lists from changing between the time publishers' emails are sent out and FOCs are due on Monday. Baring unforeseen/exceptional circumstances, items will not be added to the lists. They also will not be deleted from the list in the event that a FOC date is being extended. Such items will reappear on subsequent lists as needed.

ComicsPRO would like to thank Diamond Comic Distributors for their sponsorship at the meeting and for listening to and addressing retailer concerns.

Marvel Feedback from the 2011 meeting

David Gabriel of Marvel Entertainment shared with ComicsPRO that the small group and one-on-one discussion with member retailers at the ComicsPRO Annual Membership Meeting was very productive, and will be very helpful to Marvel going forward.

Following up on retailer discussions with ComicsPRO members at the Dallas membership meeting, Marvel Comics has announced some adjustments that should benefit direct market retailers:

Marvel Mailer
The Marvel Mailer with information about Marvel comics that comes to direct-market retailers will become much more dynamic.

As a result of hearing from so many retailers, Diamond will be able to create something more closely resembling Diamond Daily, with images and links, making it much more efficient.

Movie Bundles
In order to serve customers with the trade paperbacks and graphic novels that will most closely tie to Marvel movies, Marvel has created a Thor bundle of trades that will be announced in the Marvel Mailer that can serve as add-on sales to fans interested in the Thor movie, or new fans created from the new interest in the property.

Target goals for incentives
Many retailers at the ComicsPRO meeting asked if the individual order goals they need to hit to get Marvel sales incentives could be sent directly to each store. This would help stores as they order and make it easier to hit the incentive. David Gabriel spoke with Diamond and has asked them to make this a top priority.

Gabriel said to ComicsPRO, "thanks, without you, this would not have been brought to our attention."

ComicsPRO would like to thank Marvel for their attendance at the meeting and for their willingness to listen and respond to member concerns.

We have received positive feedback from several of the vendors and retailers who have attended the meeting and we are happy to share it. If you attended our Annual Membership Meeting and have something you'd like to add, contact us through the ComicsPRO website!

Diamond Comic Distributors has also allowed us to continue our partnership by presenting a panel at the upcoming Diamond Summit in Chicago. Executive Director Amanda Emmert will discuss many of the topics that were covered at our annual meeting and how those can help retailers in the upcoming year. We look forward to working with you in March!

ComicsPRO Annual Meeting Wraps in Dallas

The photo here was taken at Lone Star Comics & Games in Arlington TX, the final stop on ComicsPRO's tour of Dallas area comic book stores.

The annual meeting was an amazing three-plus days of diving deep into the business of comics with productive discussions among more than 150 retailers and suppliers including most of the industry's top publishers.

As president of ComicsPRO, I can say without equivocation this was the most dynamic and successful business-focused event I've been a part of in my nearly 25 years in the comics' biz.

I thank each and every one of my fellow retailers and all the publishers, distributors and other suppliers for bringing their energy, enthusiasm and ideas to Dallas in an effort to markedly move the business of comics forward.

Best!

Joe Field
ComicsPRO President

Stan Lee, Jack Kirby honored with ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation Awards

DALLAS, Texas -- Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were honored by ComicsPRO at the 2011 Annual Membership Meeting as the recipients of the ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation Award.

ComicsPRO created The ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation Award to honor the individuals who help get comic books from creator to fan via the direct market.

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.

Bob Chapman of Graphitti Designs accepted the Memorial Award on behalf of the Kirby family.

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. After a stint at DC and another with Marvel, Kirby was one of the first to sign with the publisher Pacific, a company focused on the nascent direct market.

Chip Mosher at Matt Gagnon of Boom! Studios accepted the active award on behalf of Stan Lee, who shared a video message with the ComicsPRO retailers.

Lee began as a writer and editor starting in the Golden Age of Comics. With artists including Kirby and Steve Ditko, Lee co-created many of Marvel Comics’ best-known characters. 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 and is the head of POW! Entertainment.

- Matt Price
Nerdage

24 Hour Comics Day is Oct. 1, 2011

Amanda Emmert, executive director of ComicsPRO, announced that this year's 24 Hour Comics Day will be held on Oct. 1, 2011.

24 Hour Comics Day is an annual challenge for cartoonists to produce a 24-page comic book written, drawn, and completed in 24 consecutive hours. ComicsPRO, the comic book specialty retailer trade organization, handles the organization of the event.

"It is another way we can reach out and bring people in to the excitement of comics," Emmert said at the ComicsPRO Annual Members Meeting in Dallas, Texas.

More information about the event is available at 24HourComicsDay.com.

- Matt Price
Nerdage

ComicsPRO exclusive cover to Walking Dead 81 revealed

ComicsPRO has revealed this ComicsPRO exclusive cover to Image Comics' "The Walking Dead" #81. The issue was given to attendees of the Annual Members Meeting in Dallas, Texas.

"The Walking Dead" is a survivalist horror series by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard, set in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse.

- Matt Price
Nerdage