Aurora comic shop plans fundraiser for July 20 shooting victims

Aurora comic shop plans fundraiser for July 20 shooting victims

Aurora Rise

All C's Collectibles in Aurora, Colo. is putting together a fundraiser to benefit the victims of the July 20 shootings during the midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises. The event, called Aurora Rise, is tentatively scheduled for late August.

According to Jason Tabrys at Nerd Bastards, the event will include a silent auction and creator appearances. Both Dark Horse Comics and Image Comics have already donated items, while creators Steve Niles and Tim Daniel are attending.

'It's very important to note that All C's is the only comic book store in the city,' Dark Horse's Aub Driver told Tabrys. 'This tragedy has rocked their community at large, as well as the rest of the nation. Some of their customers were present at the theater when tragedy struck, even one of their own employees. Showing your full support for the comic book shop and the comic arts medium is incredibly crucial during this dark time.'

The shop has set up a Facebook page where they're providing updates on the event, as well as other information on how to help out. Companies, creators or others who want to help out can contact the shop through their email address, allcs@comcast.net.

8 Comments

I live in Denver/Aurora, and to be honest I am not at all surprised. It's a really good shop, run by folks who seem really legitimately into sharing the hobby with others. I will most definitely be heading out there to participate.

'Showing your full support for the comic book shop and the comic arts medium is incredibly crucial during this dark time.'

I'm sorry but that's disgusting. It is absolutely not appropriate to be using this tragedy to promote a comics shop. It's grotesque. There's been way too much exploitation of this tragedy as it is.

Further, I'm tired of seeing Batman PR taking place, with pictures of Batman intertwined with this tragedy. The movie and the character didn't cause this to happen, but neither are they the 'cure.' 'Dark Knight Rises' happened to be the movie playing when this incredibly sick person shot those poor people. But these things need to stop being intertwined.

The priority should be praying for the survivors. talking about mental illness and gun violence. Talking about a comic book character and the profits of a comic book store are completely inappropriate here. I understand that this is ostensibly a 'benefit', but it's also an opportunity for the store to get some national press, apparently. Sorry but that's not okay. People need to stop pimping out this tragedy.

And 'the comic arts medium' needs to step back. Kudos to the movie folks and Bale for prioritizing the victims/survivors. The 'comic arts medium' should do the same and not be promoting itself or worrying about its profits. It especially should not be using the tragedy for publicity.

Hey, The Truth?

1. The image of Batman is linked because it was gun violence that took place at a Batman movie. Gun violence and its destructive effects are linked to the mythos ' having a real world tragedy connected to it' look, it's not DC or WB putting this stuff out. People have made the connections in their heads, and are processing let 'em alone.

2. A Dark Horse rep made a statement about supporting the store and etc, not the store itself.

3. The store is putting together a fundraiser for the victims and their families, some of whom they knew very well. That's worthy of support. No one said they were using it to promote themselves; they're raising money to aid in medical/counseling/etc expenses. I don't see you lambasting Bale for using photos posted on Facebook to promote himself, so maybe give these guys the same benefit of the doubt.

First off, many thanks to Mr. Parkin for aiding in the publicity of this event. I've spoken to Jason Farnsworth who runs this shop and I've spoken via email with the employee who was in the theater. These people are doing this for the right reasons and they have been through a lot. Both have lost people they know, and the shop is looking to help the families of those people. Though it is a challenge, we should work to suspend cynicism at a time like this because there are good people trying to do good things for the victims and they will continue to do those things long after the rest of the world moves on.

Secondly and not unrelated to that point, Mr. Driver's full quote concluded with:

'This is about community. This is about bringing the community of both Aurora and Comics together. This is about standing as one in the face of evil and knowing that one common factor, our love for comics, can unite us.'

Clearly he has his priorities straight as well.

Truth:
You've completely missed the point that some of the employees of were there, and are victims of this.
As well you've missed the point that this event is a fundraiser.
Which by the way is quite a bit more pragmatic and useful than praying, even if you believe in that crap.

Thuth: Don't be an ass. I work in Aurora and know the people at All C's they are good people trying to do a good thing.

The Truth has this exactly backwards. This store is located less than a mile from the massacre and knows a lot of people who attended the theatre that night and, as I understand it, one of the people shot was a customer of theirs. There is a HUGE need right now for funds to support the victims, some of whom will have medical bills in excess of $1 million.

Worse, the store has been hounded all week by reporters, including some from national media, trying to find information demonstrating that the perpetrator of the muderers was a comic fan. He was not. Indeed, the even the story about the gunman saying he is the Joker has proven to be false. However, in addition to some of the people that were customers and emplyees of All Cs, it's safe to say that most of the people in the theatre that night were fans or either the comics or Batman movies or both. A fact that the press seems to be disinterested in.

This is an industry problem and All C's is stepping up to the plate to do what they can to help. My company has offered him our full support because we feel it is important that the entire industry get behind this effort to help our own. We are not seeking PR either.

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