Bat City Comic Professionals began in 2018 as a delivery service in Austin, Texas. Husband and wife team Matt and Shannon Live, along with their friend Stan Baldwin met monthly at a comic friendly restaurant in Austin, allowing customers to come and pre-order comics that would then be delivered to them throughout the Greater Austin area. Bat City soon became a charity, awarding three college scholarships and hosting comic creation workshops with local libraries. By March 2021, they were nominated for Best of Austin by the Austin Chronicle. That year, they organized numerous workshops and donated over $10,000 in graphic novels to local schools. With another Best of Austin nomination in 2022, Bat City moved to Bradenton, seeking a new space for comics, community and charity. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, they focus on educational opportunities through comics education, offering resources developed by volunteers, including reading specialists and educators, to enhance reading, writing and emotional development.
On September 28, Bat City Comic Professionals invited the community to celebrate its second year in Bradenton. Shoppers came out to browse through thousands of new, backstock and graded issues of comics, all while benefiting the charity’s educational programming. The event ran from 11am to 4pm and included a chance to meet local artists and vendors, free comics for all-ages, crafts in the classroom, free food, extraordinary deals throughout the store, a sidewalk sale and more. “We hosted the event so that new people from the community could not only see what we have to offer but also other local vendors and creators who work with us. We love to see so much talent in their community,” said Shannon Live, President and Director of Outreach at Bat City. “Also, we're in a hundred and fifty year old historic building and it’s always fun to have people come in and see even just this piece of Manatee history.”
“The last two years in Bradenton have been absolutely amazing,” added Live. “We’ve had the opportunity to partner with so many amazing organizations, like the Manatee Public Library
System, The Boys & Girls Clubs, the Girl and Boy Scouts, the Manatee and Sarasota County school systems, The Patterson Foundation, the Bradenton Marauders and many more. We’ve also hosted numerous workshops on-site, helping students explore their imagination while sharpening reading and writing techniques.” The organization has taught nearly 2,000 students through its writing programs in 2023, with another 700 students using their comic-based reading programs.
“Having a chance to see the young people in our community develop their skills in reading and writing has been an absolute joy,” said Live. “We are honored to get a chance to be part of not just their educational journey but their creative one as well.”
Bat City Comic Professionals funds its non-profit goals through sales of new, vintage and graded comics at their Bradenton location. Customers can make one-time purchases, subscribe weekly, or use preservation services like cleaning and grading. Since relocating, they’ve been named one of Bradenton's Best Specialty Shops. “The community we’ve found in Bradenton is like an extended family,” Live said. “Seeing the way people here show up and support each other, and especially the kids, is a daily reminder that Bradenton is our forever home.
