ComicsPRO is launching C.R.E.D.I.T., Comic Retailer Education, Development, and Industry Training, an accreditation program for comics retailers that will help them improve their retail and bookselling skills. The initiative will kick off with Hey Kids! Comic Shops Kids Lit, a two-day online conference that will include classes on building and stocking a children’s section, creating in-store programs, navigating book bans and challenges, manga for all-ages, determining age appropriateness, and more. The conference will take place on August 27 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and August 28 from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. EST. The ComicsPRO registration page is live, and the program is free to ComicsPRO members and open to non-members as well with a $20 registration fee.
Retailers who attend will receive one hour of credit for each class they attend, and those who attend all the classes can complete a Kids Lit Certification exam. Those who pass the test will earn a certificate of accreditation and a digital badge to go on the store website, and they will also be listed as certified in Kids Lit in the ComicsPRO database.
“The C.R.E.D.I.T. program came to life when we saw how many retailers were participating in our annual conference workshops and online mini classes,” said Shannon Live, ComicsPRO’s Director of Education, in a statement accompanying the announcement. “There was such a hunger for viable information and knowledge exchange from retailers that we figured we needed to create more opportunities. As most trade organizations facilitate their industry’s accreditation and development opportunities, we knew it was up to ComicsPRO to find a way to initiate that for the direct market.”
“Building the next generation of comic lovers is a huge job that we are all a part of,” Live added. “That means that we, as retailers, need to build the access points for kids and teens to discover comics in our stores. Some of the biggest requests we get from retailers are ‘how do I create a kids’ section’ and ‘how do you reach that market, especially when you are new to it.’ We wanted to kick off our new program with ways to help retailers reach the new market, allowing us to grow into the future together.”
ComicsPRO is also sponsoring Local Comic Shop Day which will on September 26, 2026 (see “Local Comic Shop Day“).
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Source: ICv2
