Story by Ashleigh Heaton
Editor-in-Chief

Video by Jen Olson
KCBY Broadcast

Most comic book stores are quiet, filled with attentive readers as they flip through the newest installment of their favorite story. However, on May 7, comic book stores nationwide were filled with celebration for the annual Free Comic Book Day.

Free Comic Book Day is a nation-wide holiday in which comic book stores offer specially marked comics for free to members of the community every first Saturday of May. The phenomenon began in 2002 in San Francisco, where comic book retailer Joe Field collaborated with Diamond Comic Distributers to create an event that would spread comic awareness, similar to the Baskin Robbins Free Scoop Day.

Since then, Free Comic Book Day has transformed in to an event promoting literary in young readers and supporting local comic stores.

“It’s a national holiday for all the comic book geeks out there,” graphic novelist Robert Luedke said. “It’s a great way for people to see the vast array of comics that are out there outside of the standard stuff, like Superman, Batman, X-Men, Thor.”

At Boomerang Comics in Lewisville, anyone who visited the shop was allowed three free comics. Additional comics were given to those who dressed up in a costume, brought their library card or brought a book to donate to the Books for Kids book drive. All books from the book drive were donated to local Lewisville children who are unable to afford books to greater increase literacy.

“We [Boomerang Comics] opened three years ago – this is our first time to hold a book drive,” Boomerang Comics employee Denisha Brown said. “We decided we needed to give back because the community gives so much to us. We’ve given out toys to kids in hospitals, but nothing like this.”

The free comics are only a small portion of the day. At Boomerang Comics in Lewisville, guest appearances were peppered throughout the day – local artist Katie Crenshaw, for example, offered free commissions for several hours of the event, and Luedke passed out free, signed copies of his Eye Witness graphic novels. Boomerang also held lawn sale, in which certain comics were discounted for $1.

Boomerang Comics also tried their best to transform the event into a sized-down convention by inviting members of the Costumed Crusaders to make appearances at the store throughout the day. The Costumed Crusaders is a Dallas-based company that offers “superheroes for hire”, in which employees dress up and act as superheroes at special events. Seeing Catwoman, Sue Storm and Captain America (who was a fan, not a Costumed Crusader) strolling around the shop was exciting for kids and comic fans alike.

“A lot of people grew up reading comics or going to the movies to see Spiderman or The Fantastic Four, and recently, there’s been an increase in popularity,” said Max, an employee of the Costumed Crusaders who was dressed as Sue Storm from The Fantastic Four. “A lot of people identify with the characters – they wish that they could be Superman or they wish that they could be like Wonder Woman. That’s part of the kid inside them. A lot of times, people will end up dressing up so they can better identify with their character.”

Notable comics offered throughout the day included editions of The Amazing Spider-man, The Green Lantern and Pep Comics Betty and Veronica. The free comics offered are specially produced by comic retailers such as Marvel, DC and Dark Horse Comics.

“For comic books fans, [Free Comic Book Day] is kind of a festival, of sorts, because there’s a lot of hype around it,” Max said. “People look forward to which comic books are going to be released, which ones they want to get so they can read…It’s the excitement of getting together with your fellow comic book fans and bombarding the shop.”

Locals of Lewisville and Coppell at Boomerang Comics agreed that the event was a success.

“Free Comic Book Day is a great way to get people in to the store who may not come in otherwise and may not read comic books, so they may not know much about comic books,” Boomerang Comics employee and Coppell High School graduate Morgan Griffin said. “Not only is it a time to get all the comic book fans together, but also the main goal of Free Comic Book Day is to promote not only a love of comics, but also promote literacy.”