ComicsPRO, the trade association for comics specialty retailers, proudly announces the nominees for its annual Comic Industry Awards, which will be given out at an online Open House on Friday, September 13th.
There are two categories for the ComicsPRO Awards, the Industry Appreciation Award for active professionals and the Memorial Award to recognize those comic industry professionals who are no longer with us.
The Industry Awards honor those people who are or have been the best at what they do, making a significant difference in the business of the comic-book specialty market.
“Some individuals’ innovation, dedication and leadership take this business to better places and greater heights” said Joe Murray, President of the Board of ComicsPRO. “The ComicsPro Industry and Memorial Awards are our chance to acknowledge these contributions, inspiring us all to make comics and comics retailing better.”
ComicsPRO members vote on the nominees with the results announced at the 2024 ComicsPRO Online Open House on September 12 and 13. For information on how to attend the online open house, visit https://comicspro.clubexpress.com.
The 2024 ComicsPRO Industry Award nominees are:
INDUSTRY AWARD NOMINEES
- Joe Ferrara: Comic Store Owner. Head of Atlantis Fantasyworld since 1976, Ferrara has successfully run a comic store for almost 50 years. He has been a mentor to other comic store owners though his interaction in ComicsPRO and other retailer groups and his role as Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award Facilitator.
- Gina Gagliano: Book Industry Executive. Gagliano was on the original team of graphic novel imprint First Second. She helped found the Penguin-Random House imprint RH Graphic, focused on graphic novels for kids and Young Adult readers.
- Vince Letterio: Comic Industry Executive. Director of Direct Market Sales, Dynamite Entertainment. Previous to that he was a long time employee of DC Comics (Director of Publishing Operations). Letterio was also a comics retailer. (Director of Operations – Steve’s Comic Relief).
- Kristen McLean: Market Research Executive. McLean is the Senior Executive Director of the Entertainment Knowledge Group, a thought leadership collective within the global entertainment sector at Circana, a top global market research company. Kristen helps retailers and other comic industry professionals understand sales trends of comics and graphic novels
- Filip Sablik: Comic Industry Executive. Most recently he was Boom! Studios’ President of Publishing and Marketing. Before that, Sablik worked at Diamond Comic Distributors (Assistant Manager of the Purchasing Department) and Top Cow Productions (Vice-president of Marketing and Sales, Publisher).
MEMORIAL AWARD NOMINEES
- Neal Adams: Comic creator. Adams co-created the characters John Stewart, Man-Bat, and Ra’s al Ghul for DC Comics. Adams and writer Dennis O’Neil collaborated on ground-breaking runs on Batman and Green Lantern/Green Arrow in the early 1970s. Adams was a creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and recognition for Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
- Ramona Fradon: Comic Creator. Fradon’s career began in 1950 and lasted until her retirement in January 2024. She was best know for illustrating Aquaman, Plastic Man, Super Friends, and the Brenda Starr, Reporter Comic Strip. She co-created the characters Metamorpho and Aqualad.
- George Perez: Comic Creator. Perez came to prominence in the 1970s penciling Fantastic Four and the Avengers for Marvel Comics. In the 1980s, he pencilled the New Teen Titans. Among the many characters Pérez created or co-created are Cyborg, Raven, Starfire, Deathstroke, Phobia, and the Nightwing identity of Dick Grayson.
- Elena Salcedo: Comic Industry Executive. Most recently Vice President of Operations of Top Cow. To quote Matt Hawkins, President and COO of Top Cow, “She changed corporate policy, editorial direction and went from being an intern to a VP and one of the most influential women to ever work in comics”.
- Trina Robbins: Comic creator. Robbins was one of the first women in the underground comix movement. She co-founded the Wimmen’s Comic Collective, wrote for Wonder Woman, and co-produced It Ain’t Me Babe – the first comic book entirely created by women. Robbins wrote several non-fiction books about women in cartooning and co-founded the organization Friends of Lulu.
ComicsPRO’s Industry Awards were instituted in 2010. Previous recipients and nominees can be seen here.
ComicsPRO is the comic industry’s non-profit trade association dedicated to the health and progress of direct market comic book retailers. ComicsPRO allows retailers to speak with a unified voice on important industry issues, provides educational and mentoring opportunities to current and future retailers, and fosters communications between retailers, publishers, distributors, and creators.
