Brian Arbizo
Just before the doors opened to this year’s pop culture spectacle at the Jacob K. Javits Center, David Steward II and Annie Philbrick of the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc) greeted a room full of retailers at the Diamond Comics breakfast with the introduction of The Forge Fund, a renewal of their partnership to support direct market retailers and their employees in times of hardship.
Lion Forge has donated $100,000.00 of seed money to Binc to establish this special fund for comic shops. In addition to this initial investment, going forward, 5% of proceeds from select titles will go to Forge Fund, with this week’s release of the Gail Simone written Catalyst Prime series Seven Days to be the first in the program.
“The Forge Fund expands a vital financial safety net and enables the Binc Foundation to help more comic book retailers across the country,” said Binc Executive Director Pam French. “Our most recent survey results let us know that one in five store employees have experienced a personal financial crisis within the past twelve months. This new fund gives the Foundation the ability to assist those working in the comic book industry who are facing financial emergencies today and in the future. Our thanks and gratitude go out to Lion Forge for recognizing this need in their community and taking action to help.”
“Comic shops and their employees are the reason we are all here, and the assurance that we can continue to evolve our customer base and grow the readership of this medium we ALL love so dearly” says David Steward II. “As the industry finds itself in a time of transition, and in the wake of recent natural disasters, we knew that we had to do something meaningful to help. It’s for those reasons that today, we introduce the evolution of our partnership with Binc, and ‘The Forge Fund.’ I also would like to personally encourage other publishers to join us in this effort, as this is an investment in the future of our industry.”
The Binc Foundation provides confidential financial assistance to comic retailers and booksellers, who have a demonstrated need arising from severe hardship or emergency circumstances. Retailers and their families who are suffering from financial challenges due to illness, death in the family, expenses associated with escaping domestic violence, homelessness prevention, natural disaster recovery and more now have a place to call when help is needed.
Retailers, look for titles in Diamond’s PREVIEWS catalog carrying The Forge Fund logo, and visit the Binc website for more information, on how you or your employees can access this program. Publishers, join Lion Forge in supporting our retail partners by contributing to the Forge Fund today!
The Book Industry Charitable (Binc) Foundation
The Book Industry Charitable Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that coordinates charitable programs to strengthen the bookselling community. Established in 1996, the core program provides assistance to bookstore employees who have a demonstrated financial need arising from severe hardship and/or emergency circumstances. Since its inception, the organization has provided over $6.6 million in financial assistance and scholarships to more than 7,500 families. Support for the Foundation’s programs and services come from all sectors of the book industry. The Book Industry Charitable Foundation’s mission is to strengthen the bookselling community through charitable programs that support employees and their families. The Foundation was imagined and built by booksellers and proudly continues to be their safety net. It is our vision to be a caring community of book people. Additional information can be found at http://www.bincfoundation.org.
About Lion Forge Comics:
Lion Forge strives to publish comics for everyone to enjoy, regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, or cultural background. The original graphic novel Andre the Giant: Closer to Heaven was nominated for three Glyph Awards, as well as the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity, and Lighter Than My Shadow was voted the 2017 Graphic Novel of the Year by Amazon. In 2018, the Dwayne McDuffie Award-winning Upgrade Soul was selected as one of the year’s best books by Publisher’s Weekly. Lion Forge Comics includes the Roar imprint for young adults, the Caracal imprint for middle-grade aged children, the CubHouse imprint for early readers, and the Quillion imprint, bringing together comics and tabletop gaming. It is also home to the Magnetic Collection of premium and critically acclaimed comics and graphic novels, boasting multiple Eisner Award nominees. Across multiple imprints and formats that include licensed properties like DreamWorks Voltron Legendary Defender, original works from top independent creators, and the original and all-inclusive Catalyst Prime superhero universe, Lion Forge publishes something for every level of comic book fan, young and old.
About Oni Press
Established in 1997, Oni Press’s curated line includes a variety of award-winning original and licensed comic books and graphic novels, including: Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty™, Nickelodeon’s Invader ZIM, Scott Pilgrim,Queen & Country, Courtney Crumrin, Wasteland, The Sixth Gun, Stumptown, Wet Moon, Letter 44, The Bunker, The Tea Dragon Society, The Coldest City, and Kaijumax.
About Polarity
Polarity is a diversified global media company founded in 2018, with a mission to bring authentic content to a diverse global audience. The name Polarity conveys opposing forces and a global perspective to build a captivating range of assets. To create a richer content experience and offering, we believe in the value of embracing diversity and highlighting opposing views and voices.