Support fo Canadian Comic Shops
by BK Munn
The Comic Legends Legal Defense Fund has created an emergency Rental Relief Program to assist Canadian comic book shops who are struggling to maintain their business due to COVID-19, setting aside an initial pledge of $10,000.
The CLLDF normally deals only with protecting shops in terms of legal defence and censorship of comics but has come out with this measure because of the unusual future facing the 300 shops in Canada. The organization has already been hosting auctions for the #Canucks4Comics campaign, organizing and collecting donations.
Funds will be available in May, with full details going up on the CLLDF site this week.
“This is a significant change for our organization, but these are unique times,” said board member Jay Bardyla. “We’re fortunate to be in a position to do something and we hope to help in some way, so that when things return to normal, those stores, and the people that built them, will still be there for everyone.”
Here is the full press release:
The Comic Legends Legal Defense Fund is expanding their mandate beyond censorship battles to develop a rental relief program to assist Canadian comic book shops who are struggling to maintain their business due to COVID-19.
In response to an increasing number of online requests and news articles about shops that were having a hard time qualifying for government assistance, the four-member board held an emergency meeting on Saturday, April 18, voting unanimously to expand their mandate to develop additional supports for stores (and eventually creators) and to contribute $10,000 as an initial investment into the relief fund.
The CLLDF is also taking the lead on the #Canucks4Comics campaign, organizing and collecting donations from a series of online auctions from comic book creators. With the help of Kevin Boyd, Executive Director of the Joe Shuster Awards, the CLLDF will reach out to comic industry professionals and coordinate the sale of unique pieces of comic art and other items. 100% of the money raised through these auctions will go directly to brick-and- mortar comic shops in need.
“This is a significant change for our organization, but these are unique times,” said board member Jay Bardyla. “We’re fortunate to be in a position to do something and we hope to help in some way, so that when things return to normal, those stores, and the people that built them, will still be there for everyone.”
The CLLDF hopes that by following the example of U.S-based groups the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc) and #Creators4Comics, their relief program will help the 300-plus comic book stores across Canada survive this crisis.
Full details and the Retailer Relief application form will be available on the CLLDF website this week. They expect to begin releasing funds in late May. For more information, visit www.clldf.ca or contact CLLDF
President Leonard Wong.
