Free Comic Book Day has been around since 2002, but in the last five years it has grown to a point where it is a national event that is celebrated like a nerdy St. Patrick’s Day. I have had my calendar marked since last year’s event and began planning costumes back in March. My daughter and I planned the stores we would visit and the additional books we would buy. I may be over-the-top but, judging myself against the crowds I saw, I did not feel that I was too far off the mark.
Our first stop was my local store, Comix Revolution in Mt. Prospect, Illinois. It is a great little shop with a staff that defies stereotypes. I spoke with Anthony Graan about the event and he had nothing but positive things to say about how it went. I arrived as the doors opened and there was a line around the store.
We were not the only family that had cosplayed for the event. When I asked Anthony about the people it brings he said, “Free Comic Book Day brings in a lot of new faces, people who haven’t been in here before.” I was concerned that many of them were just there for the free stuff, but he assured me that many people find more than just free comics in the store. Anthony went on to say, “Free Comic Book Day grows every year. The point today is to get exposure for things people might have missed, there are a lot of samplers with more than one story.”
As Free Comic Book Day continues to grow it is beginning to spread beyond just the LCSs and into local libraries. Many libraries in my area were hosting an event in addition to their usual selection of graphic novels on the shelf. When I asked Anthony about the libraries he told me, “They often ask us what they should add to their collection and we provide the graphic novels and trade paperbacks for them.” It is great to see reading being tag-teamed in this way. When I was young I was a hesitant reader until I discovered comics, now I read one or two novels a month along with my usual weekly pull.
This year’s Free Comic Book Day arrived with both major publishers knee deep into universe wide events. Marvel has launched Secret Wars to consolidate and restructure their titles while DC has the Convergence Event in place to unify the different eras of continuity with the New 52 while they move offices to the West Coast. I expressed some concern about all the cancelations that have been announced as well as the frequency of mini-series titles rather than ongoing stories. Anthony assured me that I should not worry, “What some would see as a cancellation has been tied more to the end of a team working on the story. In the past they (publishers) would continue the numbering when the writer and artist would change; now they are choosing to end the series and re-launch with a new creative team and a slightly different title. It isn’t a cancelation as much as embracing creative teams as a run.” We discussed Snyder, Bendis and Millar for a moment before we agreed that, “A lot of customers tend to follow writers and creative teams.”
While I waited in line I watched the crowd and heard a moment that should be repeated in every comic book store. I was listening to a clerk talk with a first-time customer and I heard a great question being asked, “What novels or books do you like to read?” This is an excellent change from just suggesting the biggest titles or well-known names. There is so much to offer that a title exists for every reader. Anthony added to this by saying, “you have stories that are easy to jump into with super heroes, but you also have crime drama, fantasy, and realistic fiction.” He continued to say, “A lot of authors who write prose are jumping over to comic books. The same is happening with screen writers and we are seeing a lot of crossover in the writing.” I finished by asking what his Pull List would look like if he had only $20. “If I only had $20 I would go with Batman, Hawkeye and whatever Spider-Man book Dan Slott was writing. I would also add Saga from Image and Non-Player, the writer has a picked it back up after a break and it is a great book.”
I know it seems early, but next year’s event will be here before you know it. The first Saturday in May is already on my calendar, which means I should start sewing my Shazam Family costumes soon. Make sure you visit your local comic book shop more than once a year and whatever you do, go read something.