Comic book creators including Kelly Sue DeConnick, Lilah Sturges, Trina Robbins and Vita Ayala are joining together to support a newly created initiative aimed at providing financial assistance for female comic book retailers affected by COVID-19 closures and publication delays, with auctions, exclusive fabric and a digital comics and crafts anthology already planned to roll out across the next couple of months.
Insider Art, a female comic book retailer fund, will be administered by Jen King, owner of Texas retailer Space Cadets and member of the board of directors of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and is intended to raise money through three distinct streams.
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Firstly, over 100 women comic creators will be contributing to the Insider Art Digital Anthology, a 200-plus page collection intended to appeal to those stuck at home at this time, assembled by eight editors who curated comics, prose, games and how-to guides including recipes, music history and more. Scheduled for a June release, the Digital Anthology will be available via Gumroad for a suggested $9.99 donation.
Editors for the project are Elizabeth Brei, Megan Brown, Mariah McCourt, Chrissy Williams, Sofie Dodgon, Nicole Boose, Kris Simon, and former DC Vertigo executive editor Shelly Bond, who organized the effort. "We couldn’t think of a better way to acknowledge the female comic book retailers who are on the front lines every day, spreading the good word about our favorite medium. Over 100 female comic book creators have donated their time and mad skills to support female retailers who have lost incredible amounts of money due to the COVID-19 pandemic," Bond said in a statement.
Creators attached to the anthology include Gail Simone (Wonder Woman, Domino), Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother, Sandman), Tini Howard (Strikeforce, Euthanauts), Chynna Clugston Flores (Blue Monday) and Margaux Saltel (Star Wars Adventures), in addition to the aforementioned DeConnick, Sturges, Robbins, Ayala and many more.
The fund also will be releasing two fabrics for purchase via digital print-on-demand publisher Spoonflower — one featuring a collection of cat art by a number of comic book professionals, the second featuring the work of up and coming female artists.
Finally, King will be running a number of auctions both on eBay and live on Facebook, featuring original artwork and signed prints from creators including Mark Buckingham, Becky Cloonan and Michael Allred. “I’m super proud of what Shelly Bond and the seven editors have achieved in such a short time, in assembling the talented creators who are giving from their heart and soul for this project. I am thrilled to be able to use my skills to help turn these unique donated items into money to help female comic store owners pay the bills during this difficult time,” King said of her involvement.
More information about Insider Art and its multiple campaigns can be found at the Insider Art website.
