ComicsPRO announces nominees for 2011 Industry Appreciation Award
ComicsPRO, the direct-market comic-book retail trade organization, has announced its nominees for the 2011 Industry Appreciation Award, to be given at the organization’s annual membership meeting in February.
The award is for those who have had an impact on the business of comic-book retail. There are two categories: one for active professionals, and the Memorial Award for those who have passed away.
ComicsPRO sets retailer meeting in Dallas; Todd McFarlane, Ted Adams to attend
ComicsPRO has announced that IDW’s Ted Adams will be the keynote speaker at the direct-market comic-book retailer organization’s annual meeting. Image co-founder Todd McFarlane will also speak. The meeting, which discusses trends, initiatives and publishing plans focused on the direct market, will be held in Dallas, Texas from Feb. 10-12, 2011.
DC Comics is once again sponsoring a full day of programming with management and senior staff. Meal sponsors include BOOM! Studios, Diamond Comics Distributors, Dynamite Entertainment, IDW Publishing, and Image Comics. Scheduled to attend are Marvel Comics and Top Shelf Productions.
Click past the cut for the full release.
ComicsPRO promotes Amanda Emmert to executive director
ComicsPRO, the direct-market retailer organization, has announced the promotion of Amanda Emmert to Executive Director of the organization. Emmert has been a member of the board of directors of the organization since its inception, and provided much of the critical groundwork to get the organization off the ground.
President Joe Field of Flying Colors Comics in Concord, Calif., announced the promotion via a news release from the
Amanda Emmert, ComicsPRO executive director
organization.
“This is a great move forward for ComicsPRO,” Field said in the release. “In many ways, ComicsPRO would not have happened without Amanda Emmert’s vision and determination to develop a sustainable trade organization for comic book specialty retailers.”
Emmert will step down from the board of directors to take this position; the number of board members going forward will be seven. Current board members are President Joe Field, Vice-President Gary Dills (Laughing Ogre, Fairfax VA and Columbus OH), Recording Secretary Carr D’Angelo (Earth-2 Comics, Sherman Oaks & Northridge CA), and Directors Brian Hibbs (Comix Experience, San Francisco CA), Calum Johnston (Strange Adventures, Halifax Nova Scotia), Eric Kirsammer (Chicago Comics, Chicago IL) and Rick Lowell (Casablanca Comics, Portland ME).
“I am grateful for the opportunity to help ComicsPRO continue to be a successful and lasting trade association for comic book retailers,” Emmert said. “I’m proud of the work comic book retailers are willing to do to improve our industry, and to help each other improve our profession,” Emmert added. “I appreciate being a part of this progress and for the opportunity to improve the efficiency of our operations.”
Click past the cut for the full release from ComicsPRO.
- Matt Price
ComicsPRO announces 2011 meeting dates in Dallas, plus “Backer” program
Joe Field, ComicsPRO president (photo by Annette Price)
SAN DIEGO — At the ComicsPRO breakfast at 2010′s Comic-Con: International, the dates for next year’s ComicsPRO annual members’ meeting were announced by the organization’s president, Joe Field.
The meeting, the largest retail-focused direct market comics meeting in the industry, will be held Feb. 10-13, 2011, in Dallas, Texas. Complete details on the event location and reservation process are upcoming.
Also, Field announced the “ComicsPRO Backer” program. This will allow anyone in comics to support ComicsPRO, from executives to creatives to fans. Full membership in ComicsPRO is for direct-market, brick-and-mortar comic book shops. But the “Backer” designation will allow fans and others to support the organization through an annual membership that will confer certain privileges. More information about this program will be released in the coming weeks.
- Matt Price
Robert Kirkman keynote address from ComicsPRO annual members meeting
ComicsPRO 2010 Keynote Address by Robert Kirkman from BSIComics on Vimeo.
From ComicsPRO comes the video of Robert Kirkman’s keynote address at the recent annual members’
Robert Kirkman speaks at the ComicsPRO meeting, left. Carr D'Angelo and Gary Dills look on. (Photo by Annette Price.)
meeting of the direct-market organization. Kirkman, a partner at Image Comics, reiterated the importance of print and of direct-market retailers to Image and to his comic book series, even as Image and other companies experiment with digital distribution.
Kirkman is the creator of “Invincible” and “The Walking Dead.” A television adaptation of “The Walking Dead” is scheduled to air on AMC beginning in October.
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.
- Matt Price
Top Cow’s Filip Sablik talks Artifacts at ComicsPRO [video]
Filip Sablik, publisher of Top Cow, talks about positive retail interaction and the upcoming 
“Artifacts” series at the ComicsPRO annual members meeting in Memphis.
Robert Kirkman talks The Walking Dead, Invincible at ComicsPRO [video]
Matt Price interviews Robert Kirkman about Image Comics’ The Walking Dead, Invincible, Haunt
Robert Kirkman speaks at the ComicsPRO meeting, left. Carr D'Angelo and Gary Dills look on. (Photo by Annette Price.)
ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation Award [video]
ComicsPRO 2010 Industry Appreciation Award from BSIComics on Vimeo.
As seen at the ComicsPRO blog and at Robot 6, here is the video of the first ComicsPRO Industry Awards, presented by ComicsPRO president Joe Field. Winners were Paul Levitz and the late Carol Kalish. The ComicsPRO Industry Award celebrates those who help bring comic books to market.
Boom! Studios on Cold Space, Darkwing Duck in the Boom RV at ComicsPRO
Samuel Jackson's Cold Space from Boom! Studios
Take a peek inside the Boom! RV at the ComicsPRO annual members meeting in Memphis, as Marketing Director Chip Mosher shares Boom!’s plans on Samuel L. Jackson’s Cold Space and Darkwing Duck.
- Matt Price
Archaia’s Mel Caylo on 2010 plans [video]
Archaia’s Mel Caylo shared a look ahead at the company’s 2010 plans, talking about upcoming books including “Tumor,” “Fraggle Rock,” and “Mouse Guard: Legend of the Guard.” Caylo was an attendee at the recent ComicsPRO annual members meeting, where sponsoring publishers can meet with dozens of the nation’s top comic-book retailers. Video shot by Annette Price; edited by Kyle Roberts.
- Matt Price
