Twenty-five years ago this week, Comic Shop News #1 first appeared. When we published that premiere issue, a black-and-white eight-page tabloid, we were optimistic that comic shops across the country would agree with us that informed readers make enthusiastic supporters of the art form that we all love. Our goal, both then and now, was a simple one: we wanted to keep comic shop customers informed about upcoming projects from their favorite publishers and creators—and hopefully, to introduce them to new creators and publishers at the same time. We've always realized that the industry thrives because of those readers like you who visit their friendly neighborhood comic shops week after week, so we wanted to offer participating retailers a way of sharing information with those customers.

Comic Shop News has always been a produced for fans of comic books, by fans of comic books. Our love of the medium inspired us to launch CSN back in 1987, and it's just as strong today. We've seen many changes in the past 25 years—changes in publishers, in creators, in characters, and in the physical format of the material that we love to read—but the art form itself remains just as vibrant today as it was then.

We've always said that, if you like Comic Shop News, you should thank your retailer—and that's more true today than ever before. Without the support of comic shops across the US and in select comic shops around the world, CSN wouldn't exist. We appreciate the support that they've shown us over the years—and we also appreciate the support of the publishers, the creators, and our readers.

Thanks for 25 wonderful years—and we look forward to 25 more! Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear and enjoy reading Comic Shop News #1.