Comics Experience Rolls Out Retailer Relief Program
by James Ferguson
Publishers are coming up with a variety of ideas to help local comic book shops during this crazy time as Diamond is not shipping any new product right now and the government has forced them to close. Comics Experience is throwing its hat into the ring with its own retailer relief program. This will allow customers to purchase original content generated by noted comic book creators and educators with 80% of the purchase prices directly benefiting participating comic shops. This includes videos, audio files, PDFs, and more, all helping students learn how to make comics.
All brick and mortar comic shops are invited to participate in this program. Comics Experience is working with ComicsPRO to make this happen and help spread the word to its members so they can financially benefit.
Andy Schmidt, President/Founder of Comics Experience and former Marvel Comics and IDW Publishing editor says:
As soon as I realized how quickly store fronts would be closing, I immediately tasked our whole team with developing an online and educational component that could directly benefit retailers–the backbone of the industry that’s been so good to me. We’re all hurting, but my feeling is we can do some good for retailers, their customers and without exploiting the same products they’ll be selling when their doors reopen.
Schmidt developed the program with Bon Alimagno, Comics Experience’s Creators Workshop Director and former Marvel Comics Talent Manager, Anne Randulic, Director of Marketing at Comics Experience, and Atom! Freeman of Prana Direct Market Solutions.
Schmidt added:
We’ve developed literally hundreds of comics education videos over the years. Though this wasn’t ever the intended purpose, they can do some good to help budding creators and retailers alike. It just seems like the right thing to do. But you won’t see every video up there on week 1. This program will release new content every week.
Creators are invited to donate videos and other comics educational content to the program with proceeds going to retailers. Shops will send out a link to the product page and any customer that uses that retailer’s link directly benefits that shop. As a customer, you know exactly where your money is going. It’s essentially an affiliate program.
To sign up, shops can email info@ComicsExperience.com for easy to follow directions. Creators looking to donate content can reach out to the same email address. Here are some helpful direct links:
Retailer Sign Up Form Link: https://bit.ly/Retail-relief-sign-up
Retailer Landing Page Link: https://www.comicsexperience.com/retailer-relief/
Retailer Relief Creative Assets Link: https://bit.ly/Retailer-relief-assets