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San Diego Comic-Con International is only a few months away and I have a special request for comic book fans everywhere: nominate Phantom of the Attic Comics in Pittsburgh (Oakland neighborhood) for the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award.

In the words of the Comic-Con and the Eisner Awards themselves, this award "is given to an individual retailer who has done an outstanding job of supporting the comics art medium both in the community and within the industry at large." That's a perfect description of Phantom of the Attic Comics right there.

[Need a visual aid? To catch a look at Phantom's awesome retail space, check out this Phantom of the Attic Flickr album I made to show off the store's new digs.]

Okay, back to the award. You wanna know why, right? (Unless you shop at Phantom now - then you already know WHY.) Here's the criteria used by the Eisner's to judge the Spirit of Comics Retailer Award:

• Support of a wide variety of innovative material.
• Knowledge.
• Community activity.
• Quality of store image.
• Adherence to standard ethical business practices.

Phantom fits all those criteria (and then some). Point is, it's a great shop (in business for over 25 years!) run by a great crew that does great things for the comic book community in Pittsburgh.

To nominate Phantom for the award (DEADLINE IS FRIDAY, APRIL 17th 2009!!!), go to the Spirit of Comics Retail nomination form. I've made it easy by providing all the info that you need to complete the nomination (feel free to personalize your version). So let's make this happen - Phantom of the Attic Comics for the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award in 2009!!!

NOMINATION INFORMATION

Retailer's Name(s): Jeff Yandora

Store Name: Phantom of the Attic Comics

Store Address: 411 South Craig Street

Store Phone: 412-621-1210

Store City: Pittsburgh

Store State/Prov: Pennsylvania (PA)

Store Postal Code: 15213

1. Support of a wide variety of innovative material:

While Phantom of the Attic Comics has tons of new books every Wednesday and a comprehensive selection of backissues, what truly makes Phantom unique is its embrace of indie comics, local creators, and offbeat mainstream work. Take Street Angel, an indie comic drawn by Pittsburgh artist (and Phantom customer) Jim Rugg. When this book first launched, it was an under-the-radar title with no mainstream hype. Phantom of the Attic Comics championed it, putting it next to the register and recommending it to countless customers. Now Street Angel is an underground success and the inspiration for a high-profile short film. But Phantom's loyalty was never dependent on public visibility or success - the store just wanted to promote the exciting independent work of a local artist. This happens all the time, whether it's the store owner buying ashcans off of an up-and-comer to put onto their shelves or promoting a wide range of unique comics through word of mouth and high-visibility placement.

2. Knowledge:

If you've been to Phantom of the Attic Comics, this question seems like a no-brainer. The staff is extremely knowledgeable on comics modern, classic, and everything in between. Phantom's employees aren't high-turnover teens that stand behind the register and read comics all day. The staff at Phantom is highly interactive with the customer base, knowing the majority of repeat consumers on a first and last name basis. Jeff, the owner, makes the rounds on the store floor constantly, greeting friends, striking up conversations, and answering questions. Wayne, longtime sales and customer service employee, acts as Phantom's ambassador to the creative comics community in Pittsburgh and the store's comics historian. And the list keeps on going - every employee at Phantom has a special niche that they fill for customers, providing extensive knowledge and great customer service.

3. Community activity:

Basically, Phantom of the Attic Comics is a hotspot for the creative comics community in Pittsburgh. In their new expanded space, Phantom supports creator signings and customer appreciation events. Free Comic Book Day at Phantom isn't "buy a comic to get a free comic book day" - it's "welcome to Phantom... this is customer appreciation day." Free comics flow like wine and friends connect for an all-day event. Phantom is also known for supporting the works of many comic creator customers in the Pittsburgh area. And Phantom's latest community activity may be their biggest yet - working with Pittsburgh's new Toonseum cartoon museum to promote comics around the Pittsburgh and its surrounding area.

4. Quality of store image:

Phantom of the Attic Comics is highly regarded as a comics retailer by the creative community, fans, and the shopping public of Pittsburgh. The shop was voted Best Comic Bookstore for 2008 in the Pittsburgh City Paper's Best of 2008 readers' poll... and that was before their upgrade to an innovative retail space that quadrupled their size. All the racks, shelves, and displays in Phantom have been custom-built, utilizing unique visual design never seen in any other comic shop before. Even the backissues received specially designed drawers built to support the size and weight of two longboxes. Phantom's allows the store to spotlight a wide range of books, from indie to manga to superhero to hardcovers to digests to collectibles to discount offerings. Most importantly, Phantom's unique design is stocked with care and thoughtfulness. Seasonal displays feature products to interest both new and returning customers, while new comics are always well organized and easy to identify.

5. Additional Comments:

Personally, all I can say is that Phantom has been a huge part of my life for the past eight and a half years. Because of the opportunity provided by the store, I've delved further into the medium of comics than ever before. I've made friends at the shop. I've debated and discussed comics for hours when I just meant to swing by the shop to pick up a single issue. And I can say honestly - without any exaggeration - that Phantom of the Attic Comics is the single best comic shop I've ever been too. I'm serious. I've been across the United States buying comics from Phoenix to San Francisco to Chicago to Nashville to Philadelphia to New York City. I've even bought comics off newsstand racks in Italy. And I always go back to Phantom of the Attic Comics in Pittsburgh because I know it's the best.

More: Check Out Phantom of the Attic's New Retail Space

And more: Podcast #52 - Live from Phantom of the Attic Comics