#Creators4Comics Raises Over $400k to Aid Comic Shops & Bookstores Hit by COVID-19
#Creators4Comics announced that its five-day charity campaign raised $433,166 for the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (BINC) to support comic stores and indie bookstores hit hard by COVID-19. Started by a small group of creators, the charity auction quickly grew as comics creators, authors, and celebrity participants posted 635 auctions on Twitter and other platforms.
“Comic shops and indie bookstores have supported so many of us,” said Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the graphic novel Teen Titans: Raven, who originally brought the organizers together. “They aren’t just places where we buy books and comics. These stores are places where we find belonging.”
With permission, #Creators4Comics borrowed the successful Twitter auction format used by #AuthorsForFireys to assist Australian firefighting efforts. The Twitter-based auctions included everything from signed comics to artwork to unique events like set-visits and zoom experiences. The auction effort was coordinated by Kami Garcia, Brian Michael Bendis, Gwenda Bond, Sam Humphries, and Phil Jimenez.
Among the participants were Frank Miller, Neil Gaiman, Patton Oswalt, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Joe Hill, Shannon Hale, Mike Mignola, Brad Meltzer, Mariko Tamaki, Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Marissa Meyer, Danielle Paige, Gene Luen Yang, Tom King, Bryan Edward Hill, Jason Aaron, Marc Guggenheim, Gail Simone, Vita Ayala, Bryan Lee O’Malley, Cassandra Clare, Marieke Nijkamp, Margaret Stohl, Jock, Mico Suayan, G. Willow Wilson, and hundreds of others. Lining up to make generous matching bids were Seth Meyers, Damon Lindeloff, and Robert Kirkman.
“Watching the book and comics communities unite and rise to the occasion to help the stores that are the backbone of our industry has been a heartening and inspiring experience,” said Gwenda Bond, NYT bestselling author of the Lois Lane series and Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds.
Winning bidders donated directly to BINC. BINC’s mission is to strengthen the bookselling community through charitable programs that support employees and their families. The foundation announced it experienced a surge in applications from comic book stores during the campaign. Since March 13, 135 comic retailers and their households have received over $150,950 in financial assistance for rent, food, and essential medications. This is more than double the amount distributed last year to this sector of the book industry. In total, 722 comic book stores have now applied for aid.
People who want to continue supporting #Creators4Comics can now set up monthly donations via the BINC website.“Thank you to the leaders of Creators 4 Comics for having the vision to understand how comic retailers would be impacted by this pandemic. Their passion to help and to act quickly to engage this community has helped raise the most funds Binc has ever received in one day. You used your influence to shine a spotlight on the need comic retailers are facing,” said Pam French, Binc’s executive director.
“It’s incredible how creators and fans stepped up to support our friends, our community, our foundation,” said Sam Humphries, superstar comic book writer of Harley Quinn, and co-host of television show DC Daily. “This money will be the difference between life and death for comic stores and indie bookstores.”
Visit the #Creators4Comics website at https://www.creators4comics.com for more information or BINC’s website at https://www.bincfoundation.org for additional information or to donate.