The various elements of the comics industry have been trying to come together to accomplish mutually desirable goals as long as there's been an industry. With the exception of a few limited (Free Comics Day) or problematic (Comics Code Authority) accomplishments, those efforts have time and again ended up in Limbo. Many were surprised therefore when, in April, the most far-reaching and ambitious trade organization yet devised for the comics field -- the International Comic Arts Association -- seemed to spring full-blown from the forehead of one man: Eric Enervold.

"Eric who?" or something like it, was the common response when the Journal asked industry professionals about Enervold's organization. Even in a community as small as the comics industry, Enervold is far from a familiar figure. His career, as he has described it, has been primarily focused on graphic design and advertising work outside the comics industry. In the early '90s, he was editor in chief for the short-lived ComicsPro magazine, and more recently, he has been a letterer on Moonstone Comics' Cisco Kid, Phantom, Lone Wolf and Mysterious Traveler titles.

Enervold's name was signed to the public announcement of the ICAA launch that went out in April, and he is identified as the founder and executive director on the association's exhaustively thorough website at comicarts.org. The website includes more than 50 Web pages of material outlining everything from the nonprofit association's bylaws to plans for a comics library, school programs and promotional campaigns, as well as a downloadable 54-page organizational overview manual. But one searches in vain for the names of any participants beyond those of Enervold and ICAA Web-columnist Mike Kowalczyk. Kowalczyk contributes reviews of comics-related websites as one of three ongoing ICAA Web-columns. The other two columns -- a survey of media coverage of the comics industry and Pushing Paper, a business editorial column -- are both written by Enervold.

Where other attempts at industry-wide organizations have bogged down trying to parcel out tasks and goals through committees and e-mail exchanges, Enervold seems to have bypassed all the consensus-building and committee formation and single-handedly established the trade association of the industry's dreams by fiat. The ICAA's launch appears to be founded on the assumption that the best way to bring something about is to simply declare its existence. Or, to invert Kevin Costner's homily: "If you come, they will build it."

The scope of the ICAA's many ambitions suggests a huge invisible staff bustling behind the scenes, but when the Journal reached him in late May, Enervold confirmed that the association's board of directors and "main staff" consists of himself, Kowalczyk and Chuck Maly, a fellow letterer at Moonstone (three warm bodies being the minimum requirements for incorporating in the ICAA's home state of Illinois). "Mike is instrumental in the planning of ICAA programs and projects and is managing our website and helping with graphic design and writing," Enervold said. "Chuck is coordinating our library project and is handling several of our outreach programs. We will eventually be adding additional staff and we have been building an army of volunteers."

The ICAA is therefore, mammoth though it appears, essentially the creation of Enervold and a couple of pals.

As outlined in its prospectus and on the website, the association is designed to cater to the wish list of every comics publisher, creator, retailer, teacher and reader. No fewer than 18 categories of goals are identified, including "To expand and promote the comics industry, its products and professionals... To be a marketing force to increase awareness and improve the public perception of the art form... To serve as a primary source of information and expertise concerning the comic industry for its members, the media and the general public... To build confidence in the future of the comic book industry... To promote the comic arts as a valuable tool for improving literacy and education... To collect and preserve for future generations a vast collection of comic works to be housed in the organization's permanent collection... To gather, collect and analyze market and research data to identify trends, demographic, business and consumer information -- and to make this information readily available to its members, the media and the general public." And much, much more.

Asked what motivated him to put together such an association, Enervold explained, "I'm sure that you have been hearing the same discussions and debate over the past 20 years about the need for an organization dedicated to promoting comics and expanding the industry. I guess I just did not want to hear the same discussions for the next 20 years and decided to step up and actually try to make a positive change. The ICAA has been in various forms of development for over five years now, but the ideas actually started much earlier than that. Back about 1995 or so, I had been having discussions with professionals in the industry about the dismal state of the American comic-book industry and how other countries had much more respect for the art form and how nothing was being done here at all to change that. These discussions had planted a seed that would begin to grow a few years later when I was working for an ad agency in Chicago. I had the task of designing literature and brochures for a trade organization for the warehousing industry and started really thinking about how the comic-book industry seemed to be the only industry that did not have a trade organization. It started to build from there, as we began to develop ideas and began planning and researching other industries and really starting to lay the groundwork to make this a reality."

Laying the groundwork for a reality, however, costs money, and the reality that follows costs even more. The ICAA solicits donations (see sidebar) and provides for the raising of funds through membership dues. The ICAA's first, and so far only, concrete service to the comics industry turns out to be a conduit for the comics industry to help the ICAA. Utilizing his background as a graphic designer, Enervold has made available to retailers banners emblazoned with the blue 2004 Free Comic Book Day logo, as well as Fourth of July banners sporting the slogan: "Celebrate an original American artform." This may be an instance of the ICAA fulfilling its goal "to expand and promote the comics industry, its products and professionals," but it's also an instance of the ICAA wanting to get paid for fulfilling that goal. The banners are purchasable from Joliet Pattern, the promotional-graphic company where Enervold and Kowalczyk work, at a cost of $78 apiece. According to a press release, "any profit that is generated by the sale of these banners will be donated directly to the comic-book industry's new, recently announced trade organization, The International Comic Arts Association." The press release also let it be known that other custom signage was available from Joliet Pattern at additional cost.

Enrollment in the ICAA is offered at six individually priced membership levels: The Fan/Collector membership, which requires only "a deep appreciation of the comics art form and a desire to help support its preservation and future growth," is available for an annual fee of $35 for North American participants (defined as the United States, Canada, Mexico and the islands of the Carribean) and $50 for foreign participants. Past or present comics professionals can join for $75 (domestic membership) or $100 (foreign membership). A comic-book company is entitled to one "Primary Representative" and five additional members for $350 (domestic) or $450 (foreign). Additional company members can be added at a rate of $50 apiece. Comics retailers can join for $150 (domestic) or $200 (foreign). Additional memberships for the same store or chain cost $50 apiece. Not-for-profit groups, schools and libraries can also qualify for a $35 "Primary Representative" institutional membership ($50 foreign) with additional institutional memberships for $25 apiece). Each membership level carries a particular assortment of benefits, which we'll look at shortly, as we review the almost endless bounty the ICAA promises to deliver to the industry.

According to Enervold, the first professional to sign up as a member after the website went up was Stan Lee. In the two weeks that followed, he estimated approximately 100 members had been enrolled. "The majority of our members are individual professionals from companies both big and small, and we have been getting a lot of interest from fans. Retailers, who probably have the most to gain from our organization, have been a little slower in joining... although we do have several retail members already. There is a certain segment of the industry taking a wait-and-see type approach, which I can't blame them for. I'm sure that many people want to see us do something before they commit. Fans have been very supportive in offering help and sending in volunteer applications."

While these measures are intended to provide for the ongoing funding of the ICAA, the Journal asked how much had been spent on the organization's launch so far and where that funding had come from. "I personally was able to generate the initial start-up funds for the ICAA of about $15,000 (I would guess) over the past couple of years," he said. "I had been taking on freelance work and injecting or donating all of the money I generated into the ICAA. We have been very fortunate to secure the business services of several vendors who have generously provided services for free or at reduced rates for us. This includes most of our general printing work (business cards, letterhead, flyers, etc.), our website hosting and more, which has helped us keep our start-up costs very low."

Asked what budget had been set for the ICAA for the coming year, Enervold said, "That is extremely difficult to project or speculate on right now. We will be addressing this in the near future once we can get a feel on the size of our membership, how successful our fundraising is, and if we are able to secure funding from outside sources. Our operating expenses and projections will have to be based on our membership to a great extent as producing materials, mailing costs, etc. can vary greatly."

The ICAA may not have a budget figured out, but it has plenty it wants to do with that budget. Following are the programs outlined in the association's prospectus and on its website, the majority of which Enervold said he expects to see implemented within the next year. All quotes are from the ICAA's promotional materials, except where otherwise indicated.

The ComicArts AdCouncil, "an experienced team of graphic designers, copywriters and marketing professionals" will be assembled to produce "an ongoing series of large marketing and advertising campaigns directed at the general public." A large percentage of the association's budget is expected to go to this program, and additional funding is to come from participants in joint advertising projects. The AdCouncil is also intended to solicit advertising from companies outside the industry for placement in comics-related venues, such as comic books, trade publications, etc.

The ICAA Media Council is a panel of creators, publishers, retailers, comic scholars, historians and others, which will function as the public face of the comics industry to the mainstream media. "When the ICAA receives a media request, it works to put the most appropriate member -- or members -- of the ICAA Media Council in contact to assist that journalist in covering the industry."

C.L.A.S.S. stands for Comics: Learning and Advanced Student Strategies. The idea is for the ICAA to bring together educators, comics historians, retailers and industry professionals to develop a standard curriculum and a series of comprehensive lesson plans and teaching outlines to be implemented in schools across the country. "If executed properly, this program can also do much to improve the public perception of the form, as well as help create a future generation of comic-book readers and enthusiasts."

One of the ICAA's most ambitious projects is also surprisingly one of the furthest along. According to the website, "The Comic Arts Research and Reference Library contains graphic novels, trade paperbacks, foreign works, anthology collections, comic history books, art instructional books, industry periodicals, video tapes, CD-Roms, [as well as] a vast reference file of comic-related articles and news stories in its ComicArticle Archives -- from mainstream newspapers, magazines, periodicals and other media -- from the birth of the modern comic arts to the present day." It remains to be seen whether the collection matches that glowing description, but according to Enervold, if the library doesn't actually contain all those things now, it soon will.

Asked if the library would be an online operation or a physical location that members could patronize, Enervold told the Journal, "Plans include to one day have a physical library open to members and to the general public once the library's collection grows large enough to justify that. Initially, the ICAA library will be open to members as a research and reference source... either through research services provided by the ICAA or by physically coming to our location. We also hope to provide the ICAA library records on CD periodically and eventually online as a searchable database for our members. We have been gathering materials for the library program for over a year and have been developing our system for cataloging materials in place and getting the database started. We have been blessed with several volunteers helping with data entry and cataloging of the library materials. So we are indeed well under way with that project and we continue to receive donations of books and materials quite often."

Winners of the ICAA Industry Achievement Awards would be selected by ICAA members via a mail-in ballot. Like the existing Harvey and Eisner Awards, they would honor outstanding achievements in the creation of comic art; Unlike the Harveys and Eisners, they would also honor outstanding achievements in the selling of comic art -- "retailers who made the most efforts towards increasing their businesses through innovative outreach programs and events; publishers and creators whose works best appeal to new readers; industry companies with the most effective or creative marketing programs; best online promotions, and best in-store promotions."

In addition to honoring publishers, the ICAA will itself be a publisher, with a not insubstantial line of publications planned, including a Comic Retailers Marketing Handbook, Comic Book Primer: A Resource for Fans and Retailers, Graphic Novels and Trade Paperbacks: A Resource for Retailers and Libraries, and annual editions of an ICAA Professional Membership Directory, a Comic Industry Resource Directory, an Internet Resource Guide and a Year in Review and Market Survey Report. On a bimonthly basis, the ICAA promises ComicArts Illustrated, a magazine featuring "news of ICAA programs, events and happenings, previews and reviews of upcoming comics and related products, editorial columnists, in-depth interviews with industry professionals and articles designed to help educate our members on the industry, [as well as] the most in-depth news coverage of the industry." And that's not all: Press Pass is a color collection of comics-related news that is to be distributed each month to a wide range of mainstream media. "It will give publishers and comic-industry vendors, big and small, an equal-opportunity for exposure to new media outlets and help spread the word about their products and news events at their companies without having to devote any of their own time or resources toward the effort." Aside from these print publications, the ICAA also has Live Wire, an electronic newsletter available to all members on a weekly or biweekly basis.

Did they mention events and happenings? Yes, the ICAA plans "an ongoing series of special events and promotions," including lectures, seminars, panel discussions, creator signings, plus an annual ICAA convention "for comic-book fans and consumers," and an annual ICAA industry trade show. No word yet on where these events will occur.

The Comics Outreach Program targets young readers, seeking them out in their youthful haunts ("schools, children's hospitals and pediatric wards, after-school programs, boys and girls clubs... festivals, fairs... concerts, sporting events") and enticing them with the lure, such as it is, of free comics. The program also pledges to work to introduce more comics, graphic novels, collections, comics histories and comics on microfilm to the nation's library systems.

An outgrowth of the Outreach program is the Season's Readings program, which will distribute comics to charitable children's organizations during the holiday season à la Toys for Tots.

The Comics with a Cause program is intended to "use comics and industry resources to help raise support and awareness for many charitable causes," on a local, national and international level. Exactly how it will do this is a little fuzzy at this point.

The ICAA will offer its own seal of approval via its Recommended Reading program. Unlike the Comics Code Authority's Seal of Approval, the ICAA's seals will be based on the quality of the recipients as judged by ICAA reviewers. The selected publishers are granted the right to display the official seal on their books and in their advertisements. In addition, an annual publication will list all the Recommended titles "as a handbook for readers."

The ICAA's website features a list of titles shipping to comics shops each week, designating with asterisks those titles recommended by the ICAA, which presumably means the titles recommended by Enervold, Kowalczyk and/or Maly. For the week of May 5, some of the recommended titles were Abstract Studios' Strangers in Paradise Vol. III #65, Dark Horse's Goon Vol. 2 trade paperback, DC's 100-Page Super Spectacular World's Greatest Super Heroes, and Fantagraphics' Complete Peanuts hardcover Vol. 1.

The ICAA also plans to conduct market research and demographic studies. "One major obstacle that the industry has always faced is the lack of any readily available, industry-wide market statistics, demographics and information.... Data compiled from these studies will help gauge and document the current comics market and its future growth and serve to benefit the Association and its professional members."

And one major obstacle to the gathering of such data has always been the unwillingness of the publishers to make accurate, hard sales numbers available to the industry as a whole. All such statistics are jealously guarded as proprietary information.

The ICAA's market-research plans, therefore, like virtually all its plans, are dependent on the participation of the major publishers. The Catch-22 here is that the more it succeeds in getting the participation of major publishers, the more the association's independence is potentially compromised. For example, how much trust can be extended to a Recommended Readers program when the majority of the program's funding is coming from certain member-publishers. A comics-industry trade association already ostensibly exists in the form of the Comic Magazine Association of America, the organization behind the Comics Code Authority. But the CMAA, which has long been perceived as run according to the interests of a couple of large newsstand publishers (DC, Archie and, until its recent departure, Marvel), has gotten little support or participation from small direct-market publishers. If the ICAA is going to be the industry's face to the public, will that face more resemble Superman's or Mr. Natural's?

When the Journal raised this concern, Enervold responded, "We, of course, would love to have the support of the bigger companies because their involvement could have a positive effect on the industry as a whole. But, to be honest, we probably will be more beneficial to the smaller companies and individual creators. The ICAA's goals are to expand the industry and the only way to really do that is to get some of the best comic works to a wider audience. Allowing the organization to be driven by a single publisher based on monetary commitment will do nothing to expand the industry nor help the ICAA meet its goals. Getting the wrong books out to the mainstream audience could have a very negative effect on the industry. We will not allow the organization's actions to be driven by funding from any individual entity... our actions will have to be driven by the needs of our members. However those members that are more active within the ICAA and with our members will most likely receive more exposure or support than others."

Many of the ICAA's projects are designed to benefit specific classes of members:

All members will get the usual membership paraphernalia, including cards, stickers and a manual, as wel as subscriptions to ComicArts Illustrated and the LiveWire newsletter, unidentified "member's only" merchandise, discounts on other merchandise, voting privileges on both the awards program and issues before the board of directors, free or reduced admission fees for ICAA events, and access to the ICAA library.

For fan/collector members, the ICAA promises lots of freebies and comics-related premiums; monthly prizes consisting of T-shirts, posters, autographed editions and original art; a fan-mail network; comics-industry job listings; how-to publications for aspiring professionals; seminars; an art and writing submission review service; and art and writing contests.

Retailers will receive more stickers and posters, prizes, a marketing guide, access to special promotions, exclusive discounts, access to special marketing events and programs, the opportunity to participate in community outreach programs, graphic-design assistance, point-of-purchase displays and other in-store support and access to a co-op advertising network.

Professionals are offered a subscription to Press Pass, links to the ICAA website, an annual professional membership directory, unspecified business and educational materials, greater access to media exposure, press-release services, access to the ICAA database for direct-mail advertising campaigns, printing services, discounted digital printing services, barcode-printing services, access to bulk-mailing discounts, job-listing services, seminars, greater access to mainstream advertisers, participation in events and promotions, consultation services and access to "strategic alliances."

Note the direct-mail access to the ICAA's database, which means an unmentioned bonus benefit to members will be a flood of junk mail.

As it appears online, the ICAA describes itself confidently and matter-of-factly in the present tense, as though its future were already here. The clouds have parted and there, gleaming in the sun -- or at least in the mind's eye -- lies Enervold's gift to the industry: the perfect trade association.

But when the Journal asked Enervold if it was fair to say that the bulk of the ICAA exists only in his head, he replied, "Yes, it's fair to say that about a lot of our plans at this point. There are some people, I think, who were under the impression that we opened our doors one day and all of our programs are up and running at full capacity. Without members, a lot of our plans and programs have no purpose and no reason to exist. So our first task is to attract members to serve. We plan to have several of our core programs in place within the next six months, begin the production of the various ICAA publications and most importantly have our benefits and services for our members in place and available. Planning and groundwork for all of the projects outlined on our website and in our prospectus has been done. Some programs such as the C.L.A.S.S. Project will take longer to develop. I expect to have the majority of our programs and projects under way and be running at full capacity within the next year."

That's a lot to accomplish in a year, and it flies in the face of history and the many failed attempts at a comics-industry trade association that have come before. Experience tells us that such efforts are announced with fanfare, then succumb quickly to inertia. Asked how he and the ICAA will avoid the same fate, Enervold said, "Well, I believe mainly by being more aggressive and proactive... to keep moving forward with our plans and projects. We will make it very easy for our members to get involved and will constantly be reminding them that we are here, that we are doing something, and offering ways that they can get involved to take advantage of what we have to offer. Unlike past attempts, we will be completely focused on the ICAA's goals. We don't have a retail store to run, or a company to run or a comic book to draw. We will be focused on the tasks at hand without the outside -- sometimes conflicting -- interests and obligations of trying to also run a comics-related business as others have in the past. It seems to me that past attempts have failed primarily because of time restrictions and other more pressing obligations of those involved."

When the Journal pointed out that Enervold was no more free of the distractions of a day job than aspiring association directors of the past, he said, "Perhaps I overstated, if I said that I would be devoting all of my energy toward the ICAA... but as an organization we will be very proactive and aggressive. Just because I work another job does not mean that I am not making a full-time effort toward the ICAA. I am essentially working two full-time jobs right now, as I am devoting nearly 40 hours a week to the ICAA as it is now. I don't find anything wrong with that. I'm very use to working two jobs, as a lot of people are, and I have been doing it for quite some time. (I come from a long line of workaholics). I do hope to turn the ICAA into my primary job in the future. I would love for this to happen within the next 12 months, but don't know for certain if that is realistic or not. Again, a lot of this is going to depend heavily on how quickly the ICAA grows."

And on how much money it brings in. Enervold's executive director role is a paid position, but no salary amount has yet been set by the board of directors. That salary, Enervold said, "certainly would have to be enough to support my family for me to justify leaving my other job. Of course, I would not do that unless the ICAA is secure enough that paying a salary would not put a strain on our reaching our efforts and goals."

Finally, the Journal asked, since all of the association's goals and programs would seem to be directed at the domestic comics industry, what makes the International Comic Art Association international? Japan, for example, hardly needs an intermediary between the manga industry and the Japanese mainstream media, and even if it did, three guys from Illinois would hardly be good candidates for the job. Enervold responded, "Well, we have been and will be accepting members from all countries, which in itself makes us 'international,' I guess. But we hope to build relationships with foreign creators and companies to help build a more global comics community."

In other words, this attribute, like many with which the ICAA has adorned itself is no more than a word, a vessel waiting to be filled by the determination, actions, sweat and hard cash of the readers and producers who make up the comics world in the U.S. and beyond. But Enervold seems to put a lot of faith in words. He has invented the ICAA out of a belief that what the comics industry needs more than anything else is to be shown the way -- a kind of inversion of Kevin Costner's homily -- "If you come they will build it."

Time, as they say, will prove Enervold's optimism right or wrong. In TCJ #262, we'll take a closer look at what happened to the good intentions and collected funds of the would-be comics-industry trade associations of the past.

What You Can Do If the ICAA sounds like the real thing to you, here are some things the association suggests you can do to help it along: Join. Donate money. Checks or money orders can be sent to The International Comic Arts Association, 252 Robinson Drive, Morris, IL 60450 or donations can be made online using PayPal. The ICAA is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade organization and donations are not deductible as charity, (but might be deductible as a business expense depending on what your business is.) Donate stuff. Donated comics, graphic novels, original art and other items can be used to raise funds at live or online auctions, distributed through the ICAA Comic Outreach Program, or become a part of the ICAA Library's permanent collection. Advertise on the comicarts.org website. Advertise the ICAA in your own publication or on your own website if you have one. Tell your friends. Retailers can help by giving out ICAA flyers, which are downloadable from the ICAA website. Volunteer. A volunteer application PDF is available on the ICAA website. Applicants will be notified by e-mail when opportunities arise and help is needed. Make suggestions by writing to the above address or sending an e-mail to shareideas@comicarts.org.

All site contents are © 2002