About Us
Who are you?
Hi! I'm Andréa Gilroy, and I own Books With Pictures Eugene. I earned my PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Oregon (UO) in 2015. My dissertation examines the way comics as a form is uniquely suited to represent identity. Since graduation, I've kept busy in comics education: I acted as Interim Director of the UO Comics & Cartoon Studies program, regularly taught courses on comics and popular culture at UO and Portland State University, served on the executive committee of ICAF, spoken at conferences and conventions, was associate curator of Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes, curated the 2019 Special Exhibition at the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts, “Origin Stories: Comics and Identity," regularly speak at conferences and comics conventions, and run the educational YouTube series “Comics Crash Course."
It might seem strange to transition from of academia to retail, but I really believe in building community--and especially building community in Eugene, OR. I really do believe in the power of comics as a medium to tell stories and connect people. So for me, opening a comic shop actually feels like the another step in my journey.
When will the shop open?
We're aiming for early 2020! Construction hasn't started yet, but as soon as we know the exact date, we'll let you know!
Where will you be located?
We will be located in downtown Eugene. We're still working on the final steps of signing the paperwork. As soon as it's official, you can be sure there will be an announcement!
Platform & Payments
What exactly is my money being used for?
With a project like this it's impossible to tell you exactly what transactions your exact dollars are going toward. However, funding raised for this project is especially going toward two major costs: remodeling/renovating our space (especially updating the bathroom to ADA compliance), getting proper permits, and purchasing fixtures/furniture.
The estimate for the renovation is $35K and $10-20K for the fixtures and furniture.
Why iFundWomen and not Kickstarter or indiegogo?
We support Kickstarter United's campaign to unionize. Because we were able to move away from Kickstarter as a platform in time to launch, and aren't uniquely dependent on Kickstarter's platform, we felt it was important to move away from Kickstarter.
At the same time, we actively chose iFundWomen for several reasons:
- iFundWomen is the only rewards based crowdfunding platform that is owned and operated by women with females entrepreneurs in mind. Everyone is allowed to use the platform, but I appreciate the support of communities that frequently lack support in the world of business (especially startups).
- They have built-in coaching and networking resources that results in a much higher success rate for campaigns than other platforms.
- Flexible funding makes sense for our needs, and iFundWomen is a flexible funding crowdfunding site.
Why have a deadline or goal when everything is flexible?
Well, our bills still have a due date! We also want to get your rewards to you in a reasonable time, and that will be easier once the campaign is wrapped.
Our goal is not chosen out of thin air. We've chosen the lowest possible amount that will cover our needs.
I made a pledge! When will I be charged?
Unlike an all-or-nothing campaign, which charges at the end of a successful campaign, in a flexible funding campaign you are charged immediately.
So...will I get my reward immediately?
For the sake of streamlining the shipping process, we will ship rewards when the campaign is completed. If you would really like to expedite the shipping process (except for t-shirts and tote bags--see more info in "Can I get my reward before January?" below)
What happens if you don't hit your goal?
It's not the worst thing in the world; we'll still be able to open. This is a big part of why we're interested in flexible funding--if we don't hit the goal, we'll still get the money we raised, and we'll still use it toward the same goals. We just will also have to take out some additional loans to cover start-up costs and our timing might get moved back a bit.
Can I make a pledge by cash or check?
Unfortunately, no. We accept direct credit card payments through Stripe and payments through Paypal.
If you have other general questions about backing, check out the site's FAQ.
Rewards & Shipping
I don't want a reward, but I'd like to throw in buck. What should I do?
First of all, THANKS! More pertinently: choose the first option, "$0 or more/Reward: Monetary Contribution/Just Because I Care." You can write in the amount you'd like to donate there!
Say I'd like to grab a sticker but also throw in $10. How do I do that?
When you choose your reward you can adjust your support amount. It can't go lower than the minimum required for the reward (i.e. $5 for a sticker), but you can always add on more. Thanks!
I saw a reward that I wanted, but now it says "none available." What happened?
Many rewards are unique or limited. Once they're gone, they're gone. I'm sorry! I will try to move those rewards to the bottom/mark that they're taken to make it clearer...but throughout the day there's bound to be some that I miss.
I think a reward would make a good holiday gift. Any chance I can get it before January (the estimated delivery date)?
We hope to take care of things quickly! The estimated delivery date of 1/2020 is for safety's sake. If you want to make sure something gets to you by the holidays, get in touch with us and we'll see if we can work out an arrangement to be sure.
The exceptions to this are t-shirts and tote bags. We have to wait until the end of the campaign for the official order numbers. Once we have those, we we can put the order in with the print shop. They're local, and it shouldn't take too long to fulfill the order, but I can't guarantee it will be fulfilled by Hanukkah/Christmas/other December gift-giving holidays.
I live in Eugene. Can I pick up my reward in person?
Yes! We plan on having some pick-up events at the shop location once the campaign is complete. That way you also get a sneak peek of how the shop is coming along! If you're not in a rush, you can pick it up when the shop opens, too!
Other Stuff
What are you gonna do if you EXCEED your goal?
We've got a couple ideas for stretch goals! No counting chickens before they're hatched, though!
I want to know something that hasn't been answered yet. Where do I go?
Up at the top right, under "About the Entrepreneur," there's some links to the shop's Facebook and Instagram page, and more contact info there. You can message us there or send the shop an email at bookswpicturesEUG [at] gmail [dot] com
