Chris Powell has joined 9-store southeastern U.S. comic and game store chain Coliseum of Comics, returning to his career in retail management after a 13-year stretch in distribution at Diamond Comic Distributors, the company announced. In his new role as General Manager, Powell will concentrate on optimizing operations and expansion as the chain grows “…across Florida and beyond,” according to the announcement.
“Chris has been one of the most respected names in comics retail for decades,” Coliseum of Comics Founder and President Phil Boyle said of Powell in a statement accompanying the announcement. “He understands the comic business from every level and has tremendous experience in running great stores.”
“I have long admired what Phil and his team have built with Coliseum of Comics – stores that not only serve their customers but truly celebrate the culture of comics and fandom,” Powell said of his new role.
Powell moves to his Coliseum of Comics role with tons of chain retail experience; he spent over 20 years at 8-store Dallas – Fort Worth retail chain and e-commerce company Lone Star Comics, ending as General Manager. He was respected as a leader in retail in that role, and here at ICv2 we started quoting him as an expert in 2003 (see “Interview with Chris Powell“).
In 2012, he joined Diamond Comic Distributors as Executive Director of Business Development (see “Chris Powell to Diamond“), and was promoted to Vice President the next year (see “New VP at Diamond“). For his last six years at Diamond he was Chief Sales and Service Officer, a role that ended when he was laid off last May as a result of Diamond’s bankruptcy (see “Executives Laid Off at Diamond“).
Powell has been on the board of directors of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund since 2007, and is currently Vice President.
Source: ICv2
