Former DC staffer Bob Wayne keynote for 2019 ComicsPRO convention

By John Freeman on January 8, 2019

ComicsPRO has announced former DC Entertainment executive, convention staple and comics retailer Bob Wayne as the keynote speaker for its 13th Annual Comic Industry Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina in the United States from 21st – 23rd February 2019.

ComicsPRO is the only trade organisation dedicated to the progress of direct market comic book retailers, allowing them to move forward together.

The goals of ComicsPRO are for direct market retailers to speak with a single, strong voice on important industry issues. It provides educational and mentoring opportunities to current and future retailers, and offers opportunities for retailers to reduce some of the fixed costs that they all incur.

ComicsPRO is open to all store-front retailers willing to invest their money, time, skills, and industry experience, aiming to provide a strong collective voice and a better future for direct market comic book retailers.

Wayne received the ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation Award in 2012.

“We’re extremely excited that Bob Wayne is going to be our keynote speaker” Peter Dolan, ComicsPRO’s President of the Board of Directors told ICV2.

“Besides his role as Senior Vice-President of Sales at DC Entertainment for many years, Bob is a life-long fan of comics, a published author, a business consultant specialising in the publishing industry, an advisor to the CBLDF, and a great friend to comic retailers.

“He’s also been a comics and science fiction convention dealer and a retail store owner. He’s done it all.”

“This conference will have lots of ‘nuts-and-bolts’ workshops,” said Marco Davanzo, Executive Director of ComicsPRO. “Retailers want to learn how to save money, increase sales and profit, and make our stores more vital. Retailers also want more networking, educational and interactive experiences. So we’ve tinkered with the conference and are going to provide all that … and more.”

• Fin out more about ComicsPro at www.comicspro.org | If you are a comics retailer, Register for the conference here; if you are a vendor, and would like more information about sponsorship opportunities, please emailmarco@comicspro.org.

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.