Skip to main content
Add Me To Your Mailing List

COMICSPRO ONLINE OPEN HOUSE
THU OCT 23 - FRI OCT 24

The ComicsPRO Open House is open to all Comics Industry Professionals.  If you would like to attend, please fill out this form here.

SCHEDULE

HOLIDAY.jpg
Friday_finally.jpg

PANEL DESCRIPTIONS

THURSDAY, OCT 23

GOODWIN_UPLOAD.jpg

Keeping Good Books: Tips and Tricks for Proper Record Keeping and More with Bookkeeper, Goodwin Bussie


Turns out running a comic shop isn’t just reading comics and making bags and boards. There’s a lot that goes into running a business, and having proper bookkeeping can be the key to minding your bottom line and building year over year growth. Join Good Books Owner, Goodwin Bussie, in conversation with ComicsPRO President, Joe Murray, for a Q&A to help guide you through the world of small business bookkeeping.
ComicHUb.jpg

ComicHub


ComicHub: Empowering Retailers, Uniting the Comic Industry*ComicHub is the*all-in-one platform built by retailers, for retailers— designed to*grow your customer base, simplify your operations, and future-proof your store.

For more information about ComicHUB: https://comichub.com/
FINAL_COMIC_SHOP_ASSISTANT.jpg

Comic Shop Assistant



Comic Shop Assistant is a web-based Point Of Sale made for comic stores and game stores. Built after the fracturing of our distribution by Django and Jeff, two owners of a hybrid shop in Bellingham, WA, Comic Shop Assistant is powerful, customizable, and always evolving and improving with feedback and ideas from our users.

For more information about Comic Shop Assistant:    https://comicshopassistant.com/
COMICKNOWLEDGE_FINAL.jpg

ComicKnowledge

 
ComicKnowledge was created by comic retail veterans with the intention to provide industry retailers with a tool where they could run their business with ease. ComicKnowledge is an all-in-one solution. With our program you now have the ability to run your store remotely, operate multiple locations with no separate licensing fees, and process all your inventory and store orders all from the same program, plus, day to day sales operations.

For More Information about ComicKnowledge:  https://www.comicknowledge.com/

MANAGE_COMICS.jpg

Manage Comics


Manage Comics is comic shop software that makes subscription chaos disappear. Whether you’re selling online with Shopify or running a trusty POS in-store, we give you the tools to streamline orders, manage subscribers, and keep everyone happy—especially you.

For More information about Manage Comics:  https://info.managecomics.com/
Panel_-_POS_systems_mockup_5.jpg

From Chaos toward COMET: Rethinking Metadata in Comics



Comics metadata is in flux, with inconsistent standards creating headaches for retailers, publishers, and distributors alike. This panel explores how the COMET standard can make data more usable, improve discovery, and simplify ingesting new data, paving the way for a stronger comics ecosystem.

For more information about the COMET STANDARD - The metadata standard for the Comics Community:  https://cometstandard.com/
Kristen_McLean_final.jpg

Data Download: the latest publishing & entertainment trends indie retailers need to know


Join Kristen McLean and Brenna Connor, from Circana, as they breakdown the latest trends in publishing & entertainment that are relevant for ComicsPRO stores. From areas of growth in the mainstream market you can apply to your shelves, to what’s happening in manga, collectibles, family content, toys and more, this is all the things you need to know from our partners at Circana.
REKCAH_COMICS_PART_2.jpg

PROTECT YOUR DATA, DON'T GET HACKED!

 

Hackers may want to break into your networks and steal your data, but with this training from JASON BLANCHARD, former Eisner-nominated retailer-turned-cybersecurity specialist, and BEAU BOLLOCK, security consultant, you'll be able to protect your store and your customers! Jason and the certified cybersecurity experts at Black Hills Information Security have run hundreds of AntiSyphon training sessions for businesses, working also with a Discord community of 80,000 ethical hackers to innovate defenses — and he's freely bring that knowledge to the ComicsPRO Open House, along with a dedicated Q&A session to field your burning questions!  Jason will be joined by BEAU BOLLOCK, Security Consultant, 

SMALL_PRESS_MOCKUP_THU.jpg

THERE'S GOLD IN THEM THERE INDIES! - FINDING PROFIT IN SMALL PRESS BOOKS

 

How do you determine what smaller press books to carry in your store? When do you decide a book isn’t paying its rent? And how do you even begin to tell your customers about what feels like 80 new books a week? This panel will give you tips and tricks on everything from ordering to advertising and all the in betweens as we talk all things small press!

FRIDAY, OCT 24

BOARD_DISCUSSION_-_FINAL_UPLOAD.jpg

COMICSPRO:   BOARD AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DISCUSSION

 

President of the Board Joe Murray, Vice-President of the Board and Education Director Shannon Live, Director of Operations Kate deNeveu, Director of Membership Moryha Banks,  and Executive Director Marco Davanzo, will discuss various initiatives ComicsPRO is working on.   We will also reveal preliminary results of the Retailer Sentinment: Distribution Survey.

Industry_Awards_final_one.jpg

2025 INDUSTRY AWARDS

 

Marc Bowker, Director of Outreach, will be announcing the  the 2025 ComicsPRO Industry Award and the 2025 ComicsPRO Memorial Award.

The nominees for the 2025 ComicsPRO Industry Award are:

  • Jackie Estrada: Comic-book convention organizer, book editor, co-publisher of Exhibit A Press, Former administrator of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, and past president of Friends of Lulu.
  • Joe Ferrara: Facilitator of the Spirit of Comics Retailer Award, long term comic store retailer who created and runs one of the oldest stores (celebrating its 50th year in 2026) in the United States: (Atlantis Fantasyworld of Santa Cruz, California).
  • Nick Barrucci: Long term comics industry insider (45+ years in the industry) who is founder and CEO/Publisher of Dynamite Entertainment.
  • Scott Snyder: Comic book author who is the architect and overseer of the Absolute Universe line of comics from DC.

The nominees for the 2025 ComicsPRO Memorial Award are:

  • Peter David: Writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games who wrote for Marvel, DC, and a variety of different companies.
  • Ramona Fradon: Comics artist who in a 74 year career co-created the superhero Metamorpho and illustrated Aquaman and Brenda Starr, Reporter.
  • Jim Shooter: Comics writer, editor, and publisher who worked for DC and Marvel and launched comics publishers Valiant, Defiant, and Broadway.
  • Archie Goodwin: Comics writer, editor, and artist who was chief writer and editor of Creeepy and Eerie (Warren) and was editor-in-chief at Marvel Comics.
SOCIAL_MEDIA_MOCK-UP_FINAL_UPLOAD.jpg

INFLUENCING COMICS: USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO POSITIVELY IMPACT IN-ST0RE SALES.

 

Want to reach your audience, but you aren't sure who they are or where to find them? Feel like every update you post goes nowhere? Join a panel of social media influencers and marketers who are also shop owners, managers, and publishing professionals as they discuss finding an audience, content creation, and converting your online audience into store customers.

ROUNDTABLES_FINAL.jpg

ROUNDTABLES

 

1ST SESSION : 11:15 AM PDT / 2:15 PM EDT
2ND SESSION:  1:00 PM PDT / 4:00 PM EDT

Every 10-12 minutes, a group of retailers will chat with a different vendor. 

ROUNDTABLE GROUPS:

  1. 1FIRST COMICS
  2. BINC
  3. CIRCANA
  4. DC
  5. DRAWN AND QUARTERLY
  6. DSTLRY
  7. IGNITION PRESS
  8. IDW PUBLISHING
  9. KODANSHA USA
  10. ONI PRESS
  11. REKCAH COMICS
  12. SQUARE ENIX
  13. UNIVERSAL DISTRIBUTION
  14. VIZ