Yeah, yeah. I know. Free Comic Book Day is coming up on May 3rd and you plan to avoid your local comic book retailer that day because: A. The influx of children makes you nuts, B. The influx of parents makes you nuts, or C. The influx of worthless freebies makes you nuts. Those may all be true, but I think it’s time the hardcore comics fans took the time to be a little more appreciative of what this day represents in mainstream culture. It’s essentially a national holiday celebrating comics.
Now before you try and tell me there’s no need for such things…that the Iron Man opening will be holiday enough for you…I have to tell you that without the general public’s interest in a few overwrought characters the entire comics industry would wither and die. If the general public didn’t give a rat’s ass about Batman or even *shudder* Superman, we’d have never seen Maus in print. We need FCBD. The industry needs new readers and believe it or not, many kids have never picked up a comic book. Why bother when all the comic superheroes get their own summer blockbusters, complete with craptastic video game titles in tow? Maybe because, just like Stephen King novels, comics are almost always better than the movies they spawn.
The industry needs FCBD just like it needs the Iron Man movie to be successful this Summer. MAINSTREAM successful. So what are you going to do to help out? I’ll be spending the day with the 501st Legion at Earth2 in Sherman Oaks, CA along with comics artist Tim Sale. Now I know not every shop gets that kind of talent on deck for FCBD, but if Tim Sale can take the time out of his schedule to promote FCBD, don’t you think you could at least stop by your local shop and congratulate them on still being in business. Maybe you could even buy a book or two.
One Response to “Free Comic Book Day Looms Large”
Leave a Reply
April 30th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
I’m in Jacksonville, Flordia, and I’ve been disappointed by the lack of interest most local shops seem to take in promoting FCBD. There’s one here, though, that bags up one of every free comic available, with some other goodies, and hands out the bags to the first however many customers that show up. Plus they have a back issue sale going in connection with FCBD. Guess where I’ll Saturday morning when the doors open?