About ComicsPRO
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.
As a small business, you face many
challenges without a lot of support. Joining ComicsPRO makes you part of
a group facing -- and overcoming -- many of the same challenges.
ComicsPRO allows you, as a small business, to receive benefits that are
often only available to much larger groups, including discounted credit
card rates and deals on health insurance. But the most important goal of
ComicsPRO is to provide a voice for the often overlooked concerns of
direct-market retailers.
Board of Directors
President of The Board, Joe Murray
Joe Murray is owner of Captain Blue Hen Comics in Newark Delaware, the oldest continuously operating comic shop in the state, celebrating its 45th anniversary in 2025. Joe began working there 33 years ago, managing it 30 years ago, and, along with his wife Danielle, took ownership of Captain Blue Hen Comics in 2001. Joe joined ComicsPro at its inception and was elected to the Board in 2019, becoming President of the Board in 2024. He works closely with a number of schools and libraries, and is a regular speaker for graduate level library science courses. He is serving his second term on the Board of Directors for the Friends of Fusion Foundation, a non-profit that helps kids and first responders in Delaware. He has two teenage kids, both smarter and more talented than him and he’s really bummed that Star Trek Lower Decks has ended.
Vice-President and Director of Education, Shannon Live
contact
Shannon Live is the Co-Founder of Bat City Comic Professionals, a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit and Eisner-finalist comic book store. After growing up in retail sales and marketing, Shannon studied English Literature and Public Relations before beginning her professional career with roles ranging from District Events Coordinator for Toys ‘R’ Us to Marketing Director for theaters, museums, comic shops, and more. She’s worked as a Visual Merchandiser/New Store Advisor for fashion retailers, a Reading and Writing Specialist, School Events Coordinator for one of the largest indie bookstores, and eventually Comic Shop Owner. For more than a decade, Shannon has fostered the connection between comic books and thousands of young readers, educators, and parents. She has established strategic partnerships with local organizations such as Girls Inc, Boys and Girls Club, the Girl and Boy Scouts of America, local libraries, and school districts to enrich children’s literacy skills. Through Bat City, she has created programs such as Comic Creation Workshops, Story Spelunkers Kids Reading Program, Educator Development courses, and the Books Are Magic! Reading Initiative. Her contributions extend beyond Bat City to serving on the Board of Directors for the Texas Teen Book Festival, delivering a TedX Talk about how to use comics to reach young people, and serving as a panelist and Keynote Speaker for business conferences, including Facebook Small Business events. She is the host of Wine Down Your Weekend, a weekly show promoting indie/small press comics, and this past fall, she worked to reimagine the soon-to-launch ComicsPro mentorship program to help store owners and their teams with training and development.
Treasurer of the Board, Director of Membership Moryha Banks
Moryha Banks (pronounced Mariah) has been working in comics retail since she was 16 years old. In 2002, alongside her then fiance, now husband Mike Banks, she opened Samurai Comics, a small 980 sf store. They have grown the business into the largest chain of comic stores in Arizona.
Moryha has served on the steering committee of the AZ Matsuri Committee (one of Arizona’s largest & longest running festivals). She also served 2 terms as VP and President of the PTO at her kids schools where she introduced a number of innovative programs, negotiated deals with vendors, and spearheaded new fundraising initiatives. In addition to handling all the backend accounting of Samurai Comics, Moryha also leads Samurai Comics’ community outreach programs, including partnerships with local schools and libraries.
Recording Secretary and Director of Operations Kate DeNeveu
Kate deNeveu (B.A. in Art History, B.P.S.) has over 12 years of experience in the comics retail industry. In 2013, she co-founded Telegraph Art & Comics in Charlottesville, Virginia, alongside her husband, David Murray. The shop specialized in independent comics and collaborated with comic book artists to produce limited edition art prints. In 2019, Kate expanded her business by acquiring a competitor and opening a larger location. After a decade of success, the stores were rebranded in 2023 as Hello Comics to better reflect their evolving identity.
Kate is most proud of her Comics in the Classroom program, which provides free comics to local teachers, librarians, and after-school programs. Under her leadership, Hello Comics was named a finalist for the 2024 Eisner Spirit of Retail Award. She is an member of the Charlottesville Chamber of Commerce and has been a member of ComicsPro since 2019. Outside of work, Kate enjoys gardening and Dungeons & Dragons.
Director of Special Projects, Katie Pryde
contact
Katie Pryde is the founder and sole proprietor of Books with Pictures in Portland, Oregon, whose slogan is "Comics for Everyone." Opened in 2016, Books with Pictures prides itself on its warm, kid-friendly space, curated inventory, strong ties to Portland’s comics creative community, and expert staff who can match any shopper with their next favorite read. In 2022, Books with Pictures won the Will Eisner Spirit of Retailing Award after having been a finalist in 2019. Katie holds a Master's degree in Science and Technology Studies from Cornell. She co-founded Stealing Time: A Literary Magazine for Parents in 2012, and was a founding partner at the technology training consultancy Inqune from 2013 to 2016. She lives in the over-shop apartment at Books with Pictures with her two teenage children, cats Maggie and Hopey, and snake Sir Isaac Snooton.
Director of Outreach, Marc Bowker
contact
Marc Bowker has been hooked on comics since reading Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars in 1984 when he was 11 years old.He founded Alter Ego Comics in 2003 and operates out of a 136-year-old building that he & his wife own on Main Street in downtown Lima, Ohio. Alter Ego has received several awards, including the Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award in 2013 and the Lima News Best of the Region Award in 2022 & 2023.Marc is a member of the Meta Boost Leaders Network, The Allen County Small Business Owners Advocacy Board and in 2018 he co-founded Legacy Arts, a non-profit focused on keeping local artists & entrepreneurs in the Lima area.After a life-changing anxiety attack in 2016, he’s been committed to his mental & physical health. And in 2022 he became a certified Heroic personal development coach.He and his wife, Angie, have three children.
Director of Promotion, Eitan Manhoff
Eitan Manhoff is the owner of Cape and Cowl Comics which he opened in Oakland, CA in 2015. Before opening his own store, Eitan worked in comic book stores on and off for 20 years with employment stints at Captain Nemo's Comics in San Luis Obispo, CA, Treasures of Youth by Scott in Hayward, CA, and Crush Comics in Castro Valley, CA. Eitan is a graduate of the ComicsPro mentoring program, has been a member of the organization the entire time Cape and Cowl has been open. Cape and Cowl won the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retail Award in 2023 after being a finalist ins 2018, 2019, and 2022. Outside of comics, Eitan plays hockey, coaches his daughters softball teams, takes care of his family's many, many pets.
Staff
Executive Director Marco Davanzo
contact
Marco has been the Executive Director of ComicsPRO since 2014.
He is the owner of Alakazam Comics in Irvine. He has been involved in comic book retailing since 1999. In a previous career, Marco was a business loan officer and a stock broker for a top 5 bank.Marco has an MBA from U.C. Irvine and a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University.
About ComicsPRO as an association
ComicsPRO is a not for profit trade
organization dedicated to the progress of direct market comic book
retailers. While we as an organization value our individual members and
work diligantly in promoting industry issues, no individual retailer or
board member is authorized to speak on behalf of the ComicsPRO
organization. Only the Executive Director and/or the President can speak for or take action on behalf of ComicsPRO.
It is the policy of ComicsPRO to abide by and follow both the letter and the spirit of all U.S. and International Antitrust and Competition laws. ComicsPRO does not advocate or sanction any agreement or understanding with respect to group or collective purchasing, pricing, or refusals to deal with any supplier, vendor, retail chain participant, customer or groups of customers. Members of ComicsPRO may decide unilaterally to sell to or to buy from whomever they wish and ComicsPRO takes no position with respect to our members' individually considered business decisions. ComicsPRO also does not take any position with respect to the terms and conditions that its members establish or agree to when contracting with suppliers, vendors, or retail chain participants. The decision to enter into a business relationship or contract, and the terms under which the relationship shall be governed, is an individual decision for each member. It is ComicsPRO's position that all such contracts should be reviewed carefully and if any member has concerns or questions, they should seek guidance from their independent counsel.