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WireService.ca Press Release - Guelph, ON, July 26, 2012 - The Dragon, a comic book and graphic novel retailer located in Guelph, ON, owned by Jennifer Haines, has won the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award as part of the festivities at San Diego Comic-Con 2012. The Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award, considered the Oscars of the comic industry, is an international award, given to a retailer who has done an outstanding job of supporting the comic art medium both in the community and within the industry at large. This year, for the first time in decades, the award was shared between two stores: The Dragon and Akira Comics in Madrid, Spain.

Joe Ferrara, owner of Atlantis Fantasy World, past recipient of the Eisner Spirit Award and coordinator of the annual award, said "Congratulations to Jennifer and Robert Haines, owners of The Dragon, for winning the 2012 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award. Their passion for comics and dedication to giving their customers the best experience possible are the main reasons why The Dragon is now recognized as one of the best comic bookstores in the world".

Jennifer admits the award means a lot, "I am honoured to receive this recognition. It's huge! My staff and I have worked diligently to create a positive and welcoming space in the store, focusing on the needs of everyone who comes through the door, whether they fit the typical comic-buying demographic or not. Owning a store is a lot of work, but owning this one is also a lot of fun. It's been great to be able to apply my education background to develop a great kids selection and bring comic workshops to schools." Jennifer and Amy, the store's manager, were recently recognized by the Guelph Mercury as part of the 40 Under 40 for their work to bring comics to the citizens of Guelph through their various store initiatives. This is the first time in the award's history that a store founded and solely-owned by a woman has received the Eisner Spirit Award.

The Dragon is located in the Old Quebec Street Shoppes at 55 Wyndham St. North in downtown Guelph, Ontario.

The award was determined by a panel of experts consisting of: Michel Buster (Diamond Comics Distributors new account representative), Andy Mangels (best-selling author), James Robinson (award-winning comics writer), and Eric Stephenson (Image Comics publisher), along with last year's Spirit Award recipients, Danny Amitai and Yamal Sharon of Comics & Vegetables in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The criteria for judging include:
* Support of a wide variety of innovative material. Providing opportunities for creators' material to reach buyers; stocking a diverse inventory.

* Knowledge. Working to stay informed on retailing as well as on the comics field.

* Community activity. Promoting comics to the community; maintaining relationships with schools and libraries; keeping active in social, business, and arts community organizations.

* Quality of store image. Innovative display approaches; using store design creatively.

* Adherence to standard ethical business practices.

For additional details, see the San Diego Comic-Con announcement pages: http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_eisners_spirit.php & http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_pr12_eisners_spiritfinalists.php

The Dragon staff and customers will be celebrating this victory Friday, July 27th, at the Penny Whistle Pub in Guelph, from 8pm onward, with giveaways, raffles, and cake.

For more information or to book an interview with Jennifer, please inquire at: jennifer@thedragonweb.com