Get Your Geek On!

Its coming! Can you feel the excitement? It's one of the days we look forward to every year. Free Comic Book Day!

Started in 2002 as an annual promotional effort to by the North American comic book industry to help bring new readers into independent comic book stores. The original brainstorm came from retailer Joe Field of Flying Colors Comics of Concord, CA in his "Big Picture" column in August 2001 in an issue of Comics & Games Retail Magazine. Coordinated  by the industry's largest distributor, Diamond Comic Distributors the event is scheduled on the first Saturday of May.

Participating comic book stores retailers give away specially printed copies of free comic books. Along with the free books most comic book stores have special events which include big sales of back issue comics, signings by writers and artists and costume contests. Though the comics are free for shoppers, they are not free for the retailer. The distributors offer them at a discounted rate (on average $0.20 a copy). The event does benefit the retailer in the end, but remember it is coming out of their pocket take a moment and remember the manners your mother taught you and say "Thank you".  (Photo at Rubber Chicken Comics, Bellingham MA - May 2, 2009)

The event helps support literacy, with a selection of the comics issued for Free Comic Book Day being for kids (Kids Comics.com). A great way to get kids who are uninterested in reading into books. Yes, they are comic books but comic books are not what they once were (of course kids books are, but I'm talking about the adult stuff too).

There are serious stories, interesting characters and even women in very little clothing for eye candy. Regardless of that did you know that some of the big hitting authors are writing comic book story arc? Stephan King, Jodi Picoult, Orson Scott Card, Laurell K. Hamilton, Brad Meltzer and Neil Gaiman. We're talking some serious storytelling. Then there is the art! Yes, there is good and there is bad, either way it sparks the imagination. Oh, and don't think it's all superheros! No way! Yes Batman, Superman, Spiderman and the X-Men (Lot of men huh?) are there, but there are also stories of love (Love is a Foreign Language), stories of survival (The Walking Dead & Y the Last Man), fairy tales (Fables) and thought provoking views of current events (Pride of Baghdad). Want to learn more about Graphic Novels and get some great recommendations check out Books on the Nightstand: Podcast , Episode 4: A Graphic Challenge.

Tap that inner Fan-Girl or Fan-Boy and stop by your local comic book store (to find participation locations) and pick up a free comic book or two Saturday, May 1st. You don't have to wear your "geek" on your sleeve, but give your inner geek a little time to shine. Oh and your Wee Geek too. We're going to!