The Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award went to Books With Pictures Eugene, the sister store of 2022 winner Books with Pictures Portland (see “Spirit of Comics 2022”). Books With Pictures Eugene is owned by Andrea Gilroy and Katie Pryde and opened its doors in March 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the rough start, the store grew and moved into a new home in the 5th Street Public Market in 2024.
The award honors a retailer who has supported the medium in both their local community and the larger world of comics. This year’s judges were Denys Cowan, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Matt Fraction, Nance Romer, Cameron Merkler, Cora Panella, and Jesús Marugán. Marúgan is the owner of last year’s winner, Akira Comics (see “Spirit of Comics 2025”).
The five finalists, chosen from a field of 30 entries, were
- Bat City Comic Professionals, Bradenton, FL, owned by Shannon and Matt Live
- Books with Pictures Eugene, Eugene OR, owned by Andrea Gilroy and Katie Pryde
- Comic Quest, Lake Forest, CA, owned by Kelly and Don Allen
- Dreamers and Make-Believers, Baltimore, MD, owned by Miranda Nordell and Fennec Reeve
- Hello Comics – Uptown, Charlottesville, VA, owned by Kate deNeveu and Dave Murray
Click Gallery below for images!
Source: ICV2
