Free Comic Book Day is Still Important
As another Free Comic Book Day is long behind us, there’s some space for reflection. The fallout of Diamond’s troubles put comic book distribution in a further state of flux. That extended to FCBD and put its future in doubt. However, that slack was picked up by Universal Distribution. With an already branching distribution chain, enter: Penguin Random House’s Comics Giveaway Day.
This adds another layer to the celebration. For most people entrenched in the world of comics, it’s another subject of discussion. That includes publishers, retailers, media, bloggers and more seasoned fans. For newer fans and casuals, however, nothing changes. It’s the day people flood their local comic shops, get some free comics, and buy some other merchandise (ideally).
That’s the lens through which it should be viewed in terms of growth and longevity. I touched on some of this in my “Making Free Comic Book Day Better” post. In short, how can it grow while keeping longtime fans interested and pulling in new fans?
There’s an important piece of this that often seems to be overlooked. Yes, many comic fans know the “free” doesn’t apply to the stores as they have to pay for those comics. However, you still have to be engaging and inviting to the community. If stores aren’t blasting it all across their social media accounts and aren’t doing anything different than any other day, it’s a massive missed opportunity.
My FCBD plans have continued what I’ve done in recent years. My first stop, virtually, is MyComicShop, as the Texas based retailer offers customers one of the free issues for every $5 spent. Being the collector that I am, there are always books I’m looking to add to my collection. As with recent years, I’ve been able to pick up several back issues I’ve been wanting along with all the FCBD comics I was interested in. Those are available Friday afternoon, so I’m all set from the online side before FCBD actually begins.
Long before the weekend, I’ve already done some research on potential shops I’ll visit. The free comics are fantastic, of course, but with those out of the way, it’s all about the sales on back issues. That’s the primary factor in determining where I will head to celebrate each year. This year, I made plans to potentially hit up two shops, but only made it to one. That was The Core Comics and Games, located in Cedar Falls, IA.
They made the day what it should be: a spectacle drawing out people to celebrate comics. There was an announcer and music playing. Several cosplayers were walking around taking pictures. Plenty of families came out. You could hear the excitement all throughout the parking lot and the store.
In true comic shop fashion, strangers connected over their shared passion for the medium. I spoke with a couple people about what we were hunting and which sections specific comics could be found. One of them mentioned how his daughter came across his collection and the bond they shared from that. The building was filled with people enjoying the day.
And of course, there were tons of comics. From free books to sales around the store. The Core’s sale was an easy motivator for myself and those other collectors I spoke with. I took advantage of it and was able to walk away with a nice stack of comics. Here’s a small sample of those.
Below is the video covering all the comics I picked up, some footage from the shop, and more thoughts regarding the day.
The big takeaways for why Free Comic Book Day, and it’s new twin Comics Giveaway Day, will continue to be important days in this space are that sense of community and comics as an art form. Comic shops invest in and embrace the event. It’s a day when people take their kids and friends out to celebrate. Social media lights up as people share their experiences. It’s an event and should be treated as such for maximum effect.
From the people to the comics. And from a longtime fan, the people will follow the comics. A day where stores offer free comics alongside deals on their other merchandise will entice people to not only just show up, but support the stores. Now, of course, great customer service goes a long way with that as well.
Is there room for improvement? Absolutely. As is the case throughout the industry. However, there’s a lot of hope for the future of comics. Buy in and engagement from everyone will keep comics alive and the healthy industry.
Here’s to the future success of Free Comic Book Day and Comics Giveaway Day. See you in 2027.