Pittsburgh, PA, February 23, 2024 – ComicsPRO, the Comics Professional Retail Organization, kicked off its 2024 Annual Meeting with an acknowledgement of its Charter Members, comic book retailers who joined the trade association at its establishment in 2004.
ComicsPRO President Jenn Haines welcomed attendees to the 18th annual meeting since the very first meeting in 2007. “We are so indebted to this incredible group of forward-thinking retailers, who saw an opportunity to create a community within which we can have the kinds of conversations that are the foundations for real industry change,” Haines said. “There’s no doubt that the industry is better for the existence of ComicsPRO, and that’s thanks to these stores.”
To honor the Charter Members who joined at the organization’s inception and have faithfully maintained membership for two decades, Haines read a list of those member stores:
Alakazam Comics
Alter Ego Comics
Alternate Reality Comics
Big Planet Comics
Brave New Worlds
Captain Blue Hen Comics
Chicago Comics
Comicopia
Comix Experience
Crush Comics
Dr. No’s Comics and Games
Earth-2 Comics
Flying Colors Comics
Heroes Comics
Main Street Comics
New Dimension Comics
Painted Visions
Phantom of the Attic
Samurai Comics
Speeding Bullet Comics
Splash Page
Tangled Web
Time Warp
Titan Comics
Tate’s
Representatives of the Charter Member shops who were in attendance were invited to the stage to receive a ribbon commemorating their 20-year memberships. Significantly, ComicsPRO is the longest-running trade association for comic book specialty retailers. The organization boasts retailers from across the country and around the world, many who have been honored by the Comic Con International Eisner Awards as the most outstanding comic shops.
The first annual meeting was held in Las Vegas in 2006, with later meetings hosted in Memphis, TN, Dallas, TX, Atlanta, GA, Portland, OR, Raleigh, NC and two online meetings in 2021 and 2022. The meetings serve as a meet up for retailers with comic book publishers, distributors and vendors for products and services that are vital to the success of local brick-and-mortar comic book shops. As the retail culture rapidly evolves in a changing world, the role of ComicsPRO to the comic book retail community is as essential as ever.
ComicsPRO is a not for profit trade organization dedicated to the progress of direct market comic book retailers. ComicsPRO is the only trade organization for direct-market comic book retailers. ComicsPRO’s goals are not that different from trade organizations in other industries: to promote advocacy, education, and opportunity for their members and for other storefront comic book retailers.
PICTURED: LEFT TO RIGHT Standing: Peter Cassaza, Eric Kirsammer, Robert Lefevre, Tate Ottati, Moryha Banks, Dan Palomares, Mike Banks, Brian Hibbs, Carr D’Angelo, Peter Dolan, Christopher Lloyd, Roy Thompson, Regan Clem. KNEELING: Marco Davanzo, Joe Murray, Marc Bowker, Jeremy Shorr.
