Comments on: Free Comic Book Day

Free Comic Book Day

JDC8 — Fri, 03 May 2002 21:54:21 -0800

Free Comic Book Day is Saturday, May 4th, both in the United States and around the world (even Brunei). FCBD offers a variety of comics to help attract new readers and ride the wave of publicity from the Spider-Man movie. Does the offer of a free comic seem likely to bring you into a comic store? Will this have an impact on the general public's perception of comics?

By: jonmc

jonmc — Fri, 03 May 2002 22:06:23 -0800

Great idea, but unfortunately for us non-superhero* comix fans, it dosen't look like Fantagraphics and Drawn & Quarterly are participating, maybe cos they can't take the financial bath a giveaway would entail, although it looks like Evan Dorkin over at the House of Fun is joining in. And hey free is always good. *not that I have anything against superheros, I love the Silver Surfer for instance, just not my main bag..

By: gluechunk

gluechunk — Fri, 03 May 2002 22:14:34 -0800

It's not all superhero stuff. For example, some stores will have Hopeless Savages. The page also implies that some stores will have Fantagraphics stuff. I think it's likely that Fantagraphics will get stuff to Seattle stores, but we'll find out for certain tomorrow. I wish I had a video camera though. Lots of comic book people going for free comics sounds like a frightening site.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Fri, 03 May 2002 22:18:01 -0800

my bad...the fatagraphics logo was so small that I musta missed it. I guess I'm still mourning the fact that Hate's just an annual now. Buddy, come home...

By: vacapinta

vacapinta — Fri, 03 May 2002 22:30:58 -0800

I wish more people knew about guys like Harvey Pekar. Not only a great comic book writer but also a music critic (comic at bluesworld.com) and even literary critic who happens to work as a file clerk.

By: yhbc

yhbc — Fri, 03 May 2002 22:39:48 -0800

I'd STRONGLY recommend, since I see the Cartoon Books logo down on gleuchunk's last link, that if they are in fact giving away any of Jeff Smith's Bone comics - either already printed stuff, or specially done for the event - that anyone near any site go and grab the thing. The Bone series is the closest in the last three decades to the classic "Carl Barks' Donald and Scrooge comic adventure-type storytelling and art" genre of comic book - which is to say, it's neither superhero or "alternative", just classic. These things tend to come along once in a generation or thereabouts, so get on the bandwagon if you're at all interested.

By: yhbc

yhbc — Fri, 03 May 2002 22:44:37 -0800

sorry, forgot to close my tags - /fanboy>

By: skallas

skallas — Fri, 03 May 2002 23:01:47 -0800

I don't think this is going to draw newcomers into comics. Heck, its barely been publicized. I'm pretty sure this is all about drawing comic fans into new comics. Perhaps you've never seen Dark Horse's Star Wars stuff before. You might get the comic during your weekly, monthly, or quartly visit to the comic book store and if you like it you just might pick up their next series based on Attack of the Clones. Unless they're going to pass out the Spiderman and Star Wars comics at the theater I don't think this is going to affect the market in any significant way.

By: Salmonberry

Salmonberry — Fri, 03 May 2002 23:02:42 -0800

vacapinta: I hadn't heard about Mr. Pekar until your post. As they say, if your message reaches just *one* metafilter reader, you've done your job. He is a great literary critic and while I doubt I'll find his stuff at a local comic store, I will keep an eye out.

By: GirlFriday

GirlFriday — Sat, 04 May 2002 04:54:36 -0800

Amen to the Bone comic series. It's a shame they don't sell them around my area anymore.

By: Foosnark

Foosnark — Sat, 04 May 2002 07:59:25 -0800

Everyone should read Sandman. In high school, alongside the Odyssey and Beowulf. :)

By: elgoose

elgoose — Sat, 04 May 2002 08:30:51 -0800

Other stuff that may be available and is worth checking out: El Capitan (Stray Bullets/Matrix Flip Book) -- Stray Bullets early run is some of the noirest comix ever -- the first issue alone is worth hunting for. Hate and Eightball from Fantagraphics -- not my favorites, but definitely not superheroes (early issues of Hate are worth searching for) Top Shelf -- whatever they are offering. I agree that it's too bad more alt comix folks aren't participating -- this free day wouldn't get me in a comic shop because most comic shops are too creepy.

By: dhartung

dhartung — Sat, 04 May 2002 08:58:01 -0800

vacapinta: Pekar retired last fall, according to my pal who's a coworker. (Former subordinate of Pekar, now former boss. He even appeared on one cover -- carrying the file carrel down the stairs.) skallas, I think the comics industry is desperate enough that they'll try anything. Did you know that industry sales have falled eighty percent since peaking in 1995? The previous time there was a big coordinated event, it was the reprint of Superman #1, which attracted a bunch of people to comic book stores ... to buy a comic book they weren't interested in for a completely hype-driven sense of its future value, which remains barely above the retail price. This was widely viewed as a strategic mistake. The people who bought weren't interested, they were uneducated "collectors". This event, on the other hand, is intent on introducing people to a variety of titles with a view to turning them into monthly purchasers. That gets them into comics outlets regularly, where they might find more. Will this, by itself, turn the industry around? No -- but it's a lot more intelligent way to approach the problem.

By: vacapinta

vacapinta — Sat, 04 May 2002 09:47:51 -0800

thanks, dhartung. I had heard about the American Splendor movie but the thought of it makes me shudder for some reason. I'm not too impressed by these comic handouts. I usually try to get intelligent friends into comics by showing them stuff like Concrete or some of the classics (controversial list warning!) in the genre. I got into comics as a kid via the Fantastic Four. I was introduced to more "mature-themed" comics by my college roommate Hypatia Sanders, now an online culture critic. I've inducted a few people on my own by luring them with bait like Moore's Watchmen.

By: metrocake

metrocake — Sat, 04 May 2002 13:09:39 -0800

Before I mention what comics I like, I'd like to remind everyone about the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund -- preserving free speech rights for cartoonists. S'important.
OK. Besides Action Girl, Milk & Cheese, and Hectic Planet (all of which can be found at JonMC's "House of Fun" link, above) I also love Gloomcookie (awesome gothy comic), Blue Monday (brings me back to my Eighties adolescence), Charm School (about a cute lesbian witch, woo), Artbabe (about all sorts of things -- well-written and drawn, you must read this), Fushigi Yugi (manga!), and any of the aforementioned "Sandman" spinoffs, including "Lucifer" and the now-departed "Dreaming." Watchmen is excellent, as is Kyle Baker's "Why I Hate Saturn." Oh, and Fillerbunny. Mustn't forget Fillerbunny. OK, I think I'm done now...

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sat, 04 May 2002 18:38:34 -0800

Just to add to the Cake's list of great comix, Box Office Poison by Alex Robinson is a phenomenal chronicle of young adulthood,(bound collection here) and Hildy(the blonde with the braids) is the only comix character I have ever developed a raging crush on. God, I am such a geek