Search

Eisner Spirit

CURRENT INFO
PAST RECIPIENTS
BACK

2026 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award

Call for Nominations

Click here to access our Online Ballot!

Nominations close at 11:59 PM, March 31, Pacific Daylight Time

Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award

Each year, Comic-Con International honors retailers from around the globe with the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award, named after the visionary creator of The Spirit. When Will approached Comic-Con about initiating the award in the early 1990s, he wanted to do so as a way to acknowledge the important role that comics retailers play in the industry, nurturing the relationship between creators and their readers. The comic book retailer provides that vital link in getting the work from the creators and publishers to the public. Will recognized the importance of that link, and Comic-Con continues to recognize it over 30 years after Will’s original idea.

The award is given out yearly to retailers who have done an outstanding job of supporting the comic art medium both in the industry at large and in their local community. Comics fans around the world have the opportunity to nominate their favorite stores here on the Comic-Con website. The 2026 award will be given out as part of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards.

GUIDELINES for nomination include:
  • Any retail store established in business for at least two years is eligible to be nominated.
  • Anyone—retailers, professionals, fans—may place a name in nomination.
  • A panel of industry judges selects a group of finalists to be subjected to an in-depth examination based on the award criteria. The recipient will be announced as part of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards at Comic-Con International on Friday, July 24, 2026.
  • Previous winners may be eligible for nomination if: A) They have been operating under new ownership for at least two years, or B) It has been at least ten years since the store received the award.
CRITERIA for judging include:
  • Supporting a wide variety of innovative material.
  • Providing opportunities for creators’ material to reach buyers; stocking a diverse inventory.
  • Knowledge: Working to stay informed on retailing as well as on the comics field.
  • Community activity: Promoting comics to the community; maintaining relationships with schools and libraries; keeping active in social, business, and arts community organizations.
  • Quality of store image: Using innovative display approaches; using store design creatively.
  • Adhering to standard ethical business practices.

Click here to see previous winners of the
Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Award!

2026 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award Ballot

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Store Name and Contact Info
Name of the owner(s) of the store you are nominating.
Name of the store you are nominating.
Phone number of the store you are nominating.
Store Address Information.
For stores with more than one location, please use the address of the location you are nominating.
Store Address: Address of the store you are nominating.(Required)
Why You’re Nominating this Store.
Provide brief statements how your nominee excels in each of the following categories. Limit 1000 characters per field (HTML markup is not supported).

We Are Happy to Announce the 2025 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award Recipient

WILL EISNER SPIRIT OF COMICS RETAILER AWARD 2025 RECIPIENT.

Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award 2025 Participants

Here are the thirty four participating stores for this year’s Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award!

Acme Comics
Jermaine Exum, Austin Getzelman, and Ben Roberts, Greensboro, NC
Akira Comics
Jesús Marugán, Iván Marugán, Mariano Marugán, and Justina Escobar, Madrid, Spain
Amazing Stories Comics
Jeff & Donalda Kocur, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Bat City Comic Professionals 
Shannon & Matt Live, and Stan Baldwin Bradenton, FL
Bedrock City Comic Company
Richard Evans, Houston, TX
Berzerk Comics
John Beardsworth, Port St. Lucie, FL
The Comic Bug
Jun Goeku, Manhattan Beach, CA
Comic Quest
Kelly & Don Allen, Lake Forest, CA
Comics on the Green
David Romeo Jr., Scranton, PA
Comix Connection
Justin Garriss and Ned Senft, Mechanicsburg, PA
Comix Experience
Brian Hibbs, San Francisco, CA
The Darl Knight
Stephen Lock, Darlington, United Kingdom
Dreamers and Make-Believers
Miranda Nordell and Sam Bolenbaugh, Baltimore, MD
Famous Faces & Funnies
Rick Shea, West Melbourne, FL
Fantom Comics
David Bishop, Matt Spahlinger, and Jacob Shapiro, Washington, DC
Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff
Joe & Libby Field, Concord, CA
Four Color Fantasies
Michael Kwolek, Winchester, VA
The Geekery
Doug & Justin Preston, Matawan, NJ
Golden Apple Comics
Sharon, Ryan, & Damon Liebowitz, Los Angeles, CA
Hello Comics
Kate deNeveu and David Murray, Charlottesville, VA
Infinite Realities Comics Games & More
Chris & Tiffany Brennaman, Tucker, GA
Infinity Flux Comics & Games
Jason Mink, Chattanooga, TN
Jesse James Comics
Jesse James Criscione, Glendale, AZ
Kame Kame Comics
Agustí Tarrago Castillo, Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain
Legends Comics and Games
Darrick Oyama, Fresno, CA
Meridiana Comics
Santiago Acerenza and Javier Ceriani, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Nirvana Comics 
Grant & Jasmine Mitchell, Knoxville, TN
Revenge Of
Joseph Myers, Jeffrey Eyser, and Joseph Kuntz, Los Angeles, CA
A Shop Called Quest
Lindy & Jason Washburn, Natalie & Lee Raymundo, Redlands, CA
Space Cadets Collection Collection
Jen King, Shenandoah, TX
Travelling Man Manchester
Nabil Homsi, Manchester, United Kingdom
We Can Be Heroes
Julio Galvez, Chatsworth, CA
Wonderland Comics and Collectibles
Zachery DiPalma and Kristen Stefanelli, Putnam, CT
Zia Comics
Troy Stegner, Las Cruces, NM

Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award

Each year, Comic-Con International honors retailers from around the globe with the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award, named after the visionary creator of The Spirit. When Will approached Comic-Con about initiating the award in the early 1990s, he wanted to do so as a way to acknowledge the important role that comics retailers play in the industry, nurturing the relationship between creators and their readers. The comic book retailer provides that vital link in getting the work from the creators and publishers to the public. Will recognized the importance of that link, and Comic-Con continues to recognize it over 30 years after Will’s original idea.

The award is given out yearly to retailers who have done an outstanding job of supporting the comic art medium both in the industry at large and in their local community. Comics fans around the world have the opportunity to nominate their favorite stores here on the Comic-Con website. The 2025 award will be given out as part of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards on July 25, 2025.