Jeff Smith to sign for ComicsPRO store; Amos items hit eBay for fund

Jeff Smith will sign at Flying Colors Comics in Concord, Calif., after retailer Joe Field bid $4,650 in an auction for the appearance.  The auction was held on the ComicsPRO retailer forum and benefits the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.  Also announced by the CBLDF is a benefit auction of Tori Amos items on eBay.  Full release after the break.

From the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund: 

Jeff Smith’s ComicsPRO Auction Raises $4,650 for Comic Book Legal Defense Fund!

Concord CA-based Flying Colors to Host Jeff Smith Appearance

Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff of Concord, CA will host Jeff Smith, creator of the best-selling BONE and RASL series, in his only North American book store appearance of 2008 & 2009 on Saturday December 6.

The exclusive appearance was bid on as part of a fundraising auction available only to members of ComicsPRO, the trade association for comic book specialty retailers. The winning bid amount of $4650.00 will be donated in its entirety to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

“I’ve known Jeff Smith and both admired and been an enthusiastic retailer of his work for more than 15 years, but this will be the first time his legions of fans will be able to come meet him at Flying Colors Comics,” said Field. “Knowing Jeff has also admired the work ComicsPRO does on behalf of all comics specialty retailers coupled with the splash this makes for the CBLDF makes this even more special.”

The auction idea was conceived at the 2008 ComicsPRO Annual Meeting, of which Cartoon Books, publisher of BONE and RASL, was a sponsor. After praising the effort of comics specialty retailers in selling out the initial 20,000 print run of RASL #1, Smith offered to make his only comic book shop appearance this year a benefit for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund via the ComicsPRO auction.

“I owe everything to the comic shop owners who continue to believe in Cartoon Books and my work. The membership of ComicsPRO are among the best of the best,” said Jeff Smith. “Any retailer dedicated to selling comics in the specialty market needs to seriously consider joining ComicsPRO, as well as support the important work of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. I’m also excited to finally do an event at Joe Field’s Flying Colors Comics.”

“The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is moved by the generosity of Joe Field and all the other ComicsPRO members who bid on this unprecedented auction,” said Charles Brownstein, executive director of CBLDF. “We’re also grateful to Jeff Smith, Vijaya Iyer, and the team at Cartoon Books for going above and beyond to support the Fund and the membership of ComicsPRO. This effort will go a long way towards helping us perform our important work in this season as we support the defense of Iowa collector Christopher Handley.”