ComicsPRO, the leading comic book retailer association, has announced the nominees for its 2012 ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation Awards.  Ballots have been sent out to members and the winners will be announced at the ComicsPRO meeting in Dallas on February 10th.  The ComicsPRO awards honor those individuals who have done the most to make the comic book direct market successful for creators, publishers, retailers and fans. 

 

The ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation Award is given to honor those who make the direct market work.  The ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation Memorial Award is given posthumously to those who have passed away but whose work has left a positive mark on comics specialty retailing.

 

The nominees for the 2012 ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation are Diamond Comic Distributors’ VP of operations and logistics maven Cindy Fournier, Marvel’s Senior VP of Sales & Circulation, David Gabriel, Image Comics creator Robert Kirkman, whose The Walking Dead is the #1 graphic novel property in the direct market, veteran Image Comics publisher Eric Stephenson, and DC’s Senior VP of Sales (and long time industry vet) Bob Wayne.

 

The nominees for the ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation Memorial Award are DC Comics editor Julius (Julie) Schwartz, who was highly instrumental in revitalizing DC’s superheroes and creating the Silver Age of Comics and distributor Phil Seuling, who created the first direct market distribution company (and hence the direct market) back in 1974.