ANN ARBOR, MI–The Book Industry Charitable (Binc) Foundation will provide four scholarships for comic store owners and their employees to attend the ComicsPRO industry meeting in Glendale, CA, February 18-21, 2026. The funds, up to $1,500 per scholarship, may be used for travel, lodging, and meals; ComicsPRO will cover the registration fee for the meeting. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, at 5 p.m. EST.
“We are proud to continue our support for comic retailers with this increase in the number of professional development scholarships we provide as well as doubling the amount available to cover increased travel costs,” said Binc’s CEO Pam French. “Providing comic people access to networking and education opportunities is critical to strengthening stores and helping build sustainability.”
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- The applicant’s store must be in the U.S. or U.S. territories and be either a retail bricks-and-mortar store owned by an entity, a substantial portion of whose revenue is derived from the bricks-and-mortar sale of books/comics, or mobile or pop-up store with an ongoing overhead investment that is open to the general public and maintains an annual average of 30 hours per week with an employee present.
- The applicant must be a regular part-time or full-time employee or owner of a comic shop.
- Applicants must be currently employed and have 90 days of continuous employment with the comic shop.
- Applicants must discuss application and potential selection as scholarship recipient with store owner/manager prior to applying for the scholarship.
“We are thankful that Binc is providing four scholarships for the comic industry meeting,” said Marco Davanzo, executive director of ComicsPRO. “The scholarships will really help those retailers that wouldn’t ordinarily be able to attend. Binc is an amazing organization, helping comic and bookstore owners and employees handle unforeseen emergencies. We are truly blessed to have them supporting the front lines of comics retail.”