Bob Wayne and Jen King have joined the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Board of Directors. 

Wayne, who’s previously served on the organization’s advisory board, spent 28 years at DC Comics, advancing to Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing before departing in 2014 (see “Bob Wayne to Leave DC”).  Wayne played a key role over that period as a champion of comic retailers, nurturing the growth of the channel and making sure it received its due in allocation of resources and attention.  He was a retailer in the Dallas/Fort Worth area before his time at DC. ““With over sixty years of reading and collecting comics, I believe the mission of CBLDF is of vital importance to protecting the future of comics,” Wayne said of joining the Board.

King is the owner of Houston comic store Space Cadets, and co-owner of the Comic Book Shopping Network (see “Reach a New Customer Base Selling on Facebook Live”). She had a personal connection with the Fund that led her to become involved. ““My first shop in Midland, Texas, in the mid-90s was Planet Comics, formed in partnership with the Oklahoma City shop at the center of an important First Amendment case that CBLDF represented,” she said. “Although that partnership was severed to protect my business and my partners ended up not using the full abilities of the organization, I saw how much that case meant to the Fund. I have always wanted to be able to give back for all that they have done for me and for all that they stand for.”

The pair join officers President Christina Merkler; Vice President Chris Powell; Treasurer Ted Adams; Secretary Dale Cendali; and members Jeff Abraham, Reginald Hudlin, Katherine Keller, Paul Levitz, David Steinberger, and Gene Luen Yang.

The CBLDF has risen to the occasion of the coronavirus crisis, developing quick resources to help comic retailers, including a remote retailing webinar (in which King participated, see “CBLDF Offers Remote Retailing Strategies and Webinar”) and resources to help retailers find help (see “CBLDF Offers Guidelines, Suggestions, and Links”).