At the San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) this week, the final nominees for Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award. This year, twelve retail stores are selected from the 37 names for the final round.
The Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award started as as an acknowledgement for the comic retailers from around the world. The main aim of SDCC is to honor the important part retailers play in bridging a relationship between the writers and the readers. The concept of Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award was first introduced at SDCC by American cartoonist Will Eisner, the creator of 'The Spirit', in early 1990s. The winner of the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award will be announced during the 26th Annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Award on Friday evening, July 25, 2014, at the Hilton Bayfront San Diego hotel at 8.00 pm.
The main criteria judges look for in nominees is the latter's role in helping the writers and publishers make that connection with the readers.
The nominees of the Comics Retailer Award are the following:
- Acme Superstore, Longwood, Florida
- All Star Comics, Melbourne, Australia
- Alternate Reality Comics, Las Vegas Nevada
- Beyond Comics, Frederick, Maryland
- Collector's Corner, Baltimore, Maryland
- Dragon's Lair, Austin, Texas
- Legend Comics & Coffee, Omaha, Nebraska
- OK Comics, Leeds, UK
- Packrat Comics, Hilliard, Ohio
- Silver Snail Comics & Cafe, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Time Warp Comics & Games, Boulder, Colorado
- Villainous Lair Comics & Gaming, San Diego, California.
According to Comic-Con.org, the conference saw the highest number of nominees from outside the US. Majority of the nominees came from places like Australia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Canada.
For last 20 years, SDCC has been recognizing the best comic retailer of the year. Past winners of Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award are Challengers Comics and Conversation, Patrick Brower and W. Dal Bush, Chicago, IL (2013), Akira Comics, Jesus Marugan Escobar, Madrid, Spain; The Dragon, Jennifer Haines Guelph, Ontario, Canada (2012).
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