Media Release -- At the ComicsPro Retailer Meeting today, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund announced a new program to encourage comic book retailers to support the organization with the introduction of the CBLDF Member Appreciation Party Box! Developed as a tool to empower retailers to raise awareness of the CBLDF's important work and bring new customers into their stores, the CBLDF Member Appreciation Party Box will include promotional literature, thank you gifts for card carrying CBLDF members, and premiums to be offered as raffle prizes!
CBLDF Deputy Director Alex Cox says, "As a former retailer, I appreciate the dedication of our Friendly Neighborhood Comic Stores. They really are the front line in the battle for free speech in this medium, and they really have the most to lose. The CBLDF began as an effort to protect the rights of a comic shop, so deepening our partnership with the retail world is an important goal. We designed this program to help our retail partners spread the word about the CBLDF, and to create better ties between our retailer members and our general membership, with the hope that these events will help stores reach new customers in loyal cbldf supporters. There is no better community than the comics community, and that begins with retailers. The CBLDF wants to help foster that."
The contents of the CBLDF Member Appreciation Party Box will change according to our current case literature, and our current premiums, but will always include CBLDF branded thank you gifts for all card-carrying members, as well as signed comics and prints that can be used to reward people coming to the event. The current thank you-mix includes comic books signed by Jim Lee and a print signed by Neil Gaiman for raffle prizes, new CBLDF branded art buttons for members coming to the event, and bundles of "The Comic Book Fan's Worst Nightmare," CBLDF's mini-comic about our current casework.
In addition to sending out cool stuff, the Fund will also promote these Member Appreciation Events in several ways. We'll post listings on CBLDF.org, and send a geographically targeted email invitation to members and supporters signed up in the region of the shop event. We're also inviting retailers to submit blog and photo posts about their events to CBLDF for inclusion on our news blog.
To learn more about how to host a CBLDF Member Appreciation Party in your store, and to get a CBLDF Member Appreciation Party box of your own, please email alex.cox@cbldf.org with your name, store name, proposed event date, and attendance goal and we'll get one out to you!
