New “Comicbook United Fund” Established with Backing from DC and Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group

The comic book community continues to do what it can to help those in need. Talking about the latest effort, comic book retailers have a new dedicated relief fund called the Comicbook United Fund. It has been designed to provide financial assistance to comic shops and their employees.

Led and managed by the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc), the formation of the Comicbook United Fund (official link) has “galvanized” the comics world, including Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group and DC, who made the joint announcement today.

According to the press release, in 2019, Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group recognized the need for long-term solutions to help comic book stores following a series of debilitating natural disasters, such as Hurricane Harvey, and introduced the “Forge Fund” providing monetary support for comic retailers and their employees during times of hardship.

To date, $100,000 has been donated to the Forge Fund which is operated by Binc, and the company continues to donate 5% of proceeds from ongoing select titles.

Now, due to the unfortunate times we are all facing, DC (which plans to release new titles next week) has announced it is donating $250,000 to Binc for the shared vision of also supporting comic shops and their teams in need. Together, the two donations are being rolled up into the new Comicbook United Fund.

The goal is to provide a single location for fans, creators, comic industry partners, and executives to make contributions to support comic book shops and their employees.

A dedicated link is available here.

The fund has seen a lot of participation. DC Chief Creative Officer and Publisher Jim Lee is auctioning 60 original sketches of DC characters in 60 days on eBay. In addition, a coalition of artists, authors, comics creators, and other supporters have joined forces to raise money for the fund and The Binc Foundation through more than 600 auctions on Twitter at @Creators4Comics.

“The comic industry has a long history of banding together to protect and promote the art form we all love. We hope that this incredible action from DC will inspire a new wave of generosity and support for the great number of individuals and shops struggling through these times,” said James Lucas Jones, President and Publisher of Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group. “Comics is an expansive community that still feels like a close-knit family, and these efforts feel like we are helping family members.”

“If this pandemic has taught us anything it’s how precious and fragile the things that bring us happiness are, so we must protect the lifeblood of our industry,” shared Lee. “Oni-Lion Forge saw the need for this type of relief before there was a crisis, which is why DC is proud to now stand alongside them in this time of need for our retailers.”

Managing the Comicbook United Fund is an extension of the mission of the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, which was created back in 1996 to provide financial assistance and charitable programs to the wider bookseller community.

Since its inception, the Binc Foundation has awarded over $7 million to more than 7,800 families.

Here’s the Comicbook United Fund donation link again.

There’s also a link for retailers to apply for assistance.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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