Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Nominees Named

Press Release

Comic-Con International (Comic-Con), the largest comic book and popular arts event in the United States, has announced its list of nominees for the prestigious Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award (The Eisner Spirit Award). This year organizers are happy to note that Baby Tattoo, publishers of books for kids and adults, is the official sponsor of the Award.

Since 1993, The Eisner Spirit Award as been presented to an individual retailer who has performed an outstanding job of supporting the comics art medium both in the community and within the industry at large. Any retailer established in business for at least two years is eligible for nomination, and retailers, professionals, or fans may place a name in nomination. A panel of industry judges select a group of finalists to be subjected to an in-depth examination based on award criteria. These criteria include:

Support of a wide variety of innovative material: Providing opportunities for creators’ material to reach buyers; stocking a diverse inventory.

Knowledge: Working to stay informed on retailing as well as on the comics field.

Community activity: Promoting comics to the community; maintaining relationships with schools and libraries; keeping active in social, business, and arts community organizations.

Quality of store image: Innovative display approaches; using store design creatively.

Adherence to standard ethical business practices.

This years nominees are:

Acme Comics, Greensboro, NC; Big B Comics, Ontario, Canada; Comic Book Ink, Tacoma, WA; Comic Oasis, Las Vegas, NV; Comics & Vegetables, Tel Aviv, Israel; Comicopia, Boston, MA; Cosmic Monkey Comics, Portland, OR; Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy, Austin, TX; Drawn To Comics, Glendale, AZ; Happy Harbor Comics, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Krypton Comics, Omaha, NE; Legends Comics, Victoria, BC Canada; OK Comics, Leeds England; Phantom of the Attic, Pittsburgh, PA; Tate’s Comics, Fort Lauderdale, FL; The Comic Vault, Chicago, IL; and Up, Up & Away, Cincinnati, OH.

Past winners are not eligible for nomination.

The Eisner Spirit Awards are part of, and underwritten by, Comic-Con International: San Diego, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of and appreciation for comics and related popular art forms, primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contributions of comics to art and culture.

More information about Comic-Con can be found at http://www.comic-con.org