The Book Industry Charitable Foundation is offering eight $1,500 scholarships to comic book store owners and their employees to attend the 2027 ComicsPro Industry Meeting in Glendale, Calif., scheduled for February 17-20. Four of the scholarships are specifically for first-time attendees, thanks to support from the Data B.R.O.S. podcast.
The funds may be used for travel, lodging, and meals; ComicsPRO will cover the registration fee for the meeting. Scholarship guidelines and the application form are available here. The deadline to apply is November 30, at 5 p.m. Eastern.
"The Data B.R.O.S. cemented our brotherhood at a ComicsPRO meetup, and we believe the annual meeting is the most important event on our calendars," said co-hosts Brian Garside, Django Bohren, and Jeff Figley. "We want to make sure that new retailers have the opportunity to experience the camaraderie that being part of this amazing retailer community gave us. That's why our companies Comic Shop Assistant and Manage Comics are proudly sponsoring this scholarship."
Binc CEO Pam French added: "We are proud to continue our support for comic retailers and grateful to have Brian, Django, and Jeff join us in recognizing that providing access to networking and education opportunities is critical to strengthening stores and helping build sustainability."