Free Comic Book Day
Free Comic Book Day is celebrated on May 7 each year. To draw new customers to independently owned comic book businesses, the North American comic book industry yearly sponsors this event.
Year | Date | Day | Where |
2023 | 7th May | Sunday | United States |
2023 | 7th May | Tuesday | United States |
2025 | 7th May | Wednesday | United States |
Twitter Hashtags:
#FreeComicBookDay
Why Free Comic Book Day?
Reading comic novels is enjoyable. They offer entertainment, a developing story, or mystery and suspense. In every story, good prevails over evil in the end. As a result, these books consistently inspire us. The day attempts to educate the general public about comic books and neighbouring comic book shops.
It is highly recommended that everyone attend their local comic book shop on this day. Some stores offer free comic books to customers. With renowned publishers like DC, Marvel, and Dark Horse, readers may download their favourite comic books for free.
Furthermore, unaffiliated publishers provide free copies. Costume competitions, book signings, and giveaways will all be happening on this day. It should be a good day for all comic book fans, young and old.
In every era, comic comics have been used to tell stories in the most fantastical manner, to convey political ideologies and objectives, and undoubtedly to criticise political people.
The day is an excellent chance to introduce comics to readers who might not have otherwise purchased them, but it’s also an occasion for fans to attend and support their local store, similar to Record Store Day a month earlier. The backbone of the comic book business is brick-and-mortar stores, and there are a lot of them out there doing excellent work organising signings and events, stocking shelves with top-notch comics, and introducing readers to their new favourite series.
Interesting Facts About Free Comic Book Day:
- – Since 2002, FCBD has given away over 23 million free comics to its 6.5 million followers.
- – The focus is on self-published comics and the comic book business as a whole. It’s a simple strategy to promote the genre and draw in new customers.
- – Every store is urged to participate, and as the event grows in popularity, more and more do.
- – During and after the Islamic revolution of 1979, 10-year-old Marji struggled to adapt to life in Iran. The black-and-white artwork beautifully depicts Iran’s rich cultural heritage and challenging political climate.
- – To find participating businesses in your area, use the official Free Comic Book Day store locator at this link.
- – Customers are only permitted to claim a set number of complimentary comic books per retailer.
- – Everyone in the country enjoys free access to almost 2,300 stores due to some well-known companies including DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and Dark Horse Comics. That illustrates just how real delusions are!
- – The day is a regional initiative in North America with the goal of attracting more new consumers to comic book stores and comic book lovers.
- – This week’s issue of PREVIEWS from Diamond Comic Distributors featured a list of the 2013 comics.
How Can We Observe Free Comic Book Day:
● Go back and read your favourite comics.
Being sucked into a tale you like is the most satisfying experience. Use today to revisit some of your old favourites if you’re already a huge fan of comic books. The appeal of a comic book is that it can be read quickly while allowing you to take your time enjoying the illustrations and learning the plot in various ways.
● Give a friend a copy of your comics.
if you already have a close companion who enjoys comic books! On this day, join them in reading some of your all-time favourites. It would be much better if you could trade unread books. It’s a fantastic way to spend time with a friend and show off your comic book enthusiasm!
● Distribute a few comic books.
Consider giving some of your personal comic books if you have any. Although it’s crucial to protect the comics you treasure most, it’s also crucial to remember that the comics you produce can make a lot of other people extremely happy.
● Events for Free Comic Book Day
On this day, it is best to visit the neighbourhood comic store because many of them will be celebrating by having events in addition to giving away free comics.
History:
Less commonly known than it should be, comics have a long and illustrious history. Almost as long as there have been human-made sketches, there is evidence of sequential art and single panel art. In essence, comics are a more contemporary way to tell stories through graphics. Joe Field, a comic book retailer, event manager, and partner of WonderCon, created this day.
Field observed in 2001 that the comic book industry’s cultural and financial comeback from the speculator crisis of the mid-1990s was aided by the commercial success of feature films based on the medium. The first mention of the day was made by Field in his “Big Picture” column from the August 2001 issue of Comics & Gaming Retailer.
The Free Scoop Night at the Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlour next door inspired him. The first Free Comic Book Day was held on Saturday, May 4, 2002, one day after the release of the first Spider-Man movie. Jim Valentino, the publisher of Image Comics at the time, advocated this to capitalise on the film’s extensive promotion and accompanying press regarding the comic book medium.
Up until July 2004, the day was held on the first Saturday in May; however, the following year, it was pushed back.
After the boom and bust of the 1990s, bookseller Joe Field observed in a Comic Buyers Guide piece that superhero blockbusters like X-Men and Spider-Man were reigniting interest in superhero comics.
This served as the event’s impetus. More than 2 million comic books from four publishers were distributed at more than 2,000 participating sites on the first Free Comic Book Day, according to Diamond Comic Distributors. 29 publishers took part the next year. FCBD 2012 was attended by almost a million people, and almost 3.5 million comics were distributed.
In order to distribute 5.6 million comic books, 2,340 merchants placed orders in 2015. Fan clubs are welcome to attend the event, which swiftly evolved into a large celebration of comic book culture, in order to promote their neighbourhood comic book stores and assist with crowd management. In order to keep consumers entertained as they wait in line and take pictures, cosplayers may be utilised.