Free Comic Book Day
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Free Comic Book Day is an annual promotional effort by the North American comic book industry to help bring new readers into independent comic book stores. It was started in 2002.
It is typically scheduled in May on the first Saturday after the release of a major theatrical film adaptation of a well known superhero property to take advantage of its heavy promotion and related press about the comic book medium. On that day, comic book store proprietors give away specially printed copies of free comic books as well as cheaper back issues and other items to anyone who visits the establishments.
Typically each major publisher gives out one comic that they think would most likely attract new non-comic readers. There is normally a wide diversity. The 3rd annual Free Comic Book Day in 2004 featured comics such as Arcana Studio Presents (which had Kade, Ezra and Ant stories), Archie, The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty #1 (a western), Star Wars – Clone Wars Adventures, Teen Titans Go #1, IDW Sampler (which included a CSI and The Shield), and others.
The effectiveness of the promotion has been debated, but most participants agree that it is a necessary measure for the good of the business. Many of the more successful stores have said that it requires a lot of self-promotion in order to achieve good results, particularly getting the local media to cover the event. Linking the event with movies is also somewhat controversial, as some believe that it shortchanges the comic book medium by making it look like simply a promotional arm of the film industry. In 2005, retailers voted to put it on the first Saturday in May, instead of fixing it to a film release.
The 4th Annual Free Comic Book Day took place on May 7, 2005.
External links
- Free Comic Book Day (http://www.freecomicbookday.com/)