SDCC News:  Books with Pictures of Portland, Oregon, owned by Katie Pryde, was the winner of this year’s Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailing Award, which honors a retailer who has supported the medium in both their local community and the larger world of comics.

Books with Pictures opened in 2016 and has a sister store in Eugene, Oregon. “We were built from the ground up to prioritize inclusivity and diverse representation,” the store says on its website. “We want to be the shop where we can say YES! to anyone who walks in and asks ‘Do you have any stories with someone who’s like me?’”

The store was chosen from a list of five finalists, which also included Blackbird Comics & Coffeehouse of Maitland, Florida; Cape and Cowl of Oakland, California; Comic Bug of Manhattan Beach, California; and Pulp 716: Coffee & Comics of North Tonawanda, New York.

Nominations opened in March (see “Nominations Open for Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award”), and 25 stores submitted entries.

Last year’s winner was the Laughing Ogre of Columbus, Ohio (see “Will Eisner Spirit of Retailing Award Winner 2021”).