http://www.freecomicbookday.com/











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They should call it cheapskate day. Look at the line of people just waiting for free comics. You really think those people would be going to a comic store otherwise? Didn't think so. The comic industry wouldn't be in the crapper if so many people were regular buyers. "Gimme the free thing but I'm never paying for one."

Well, it doesn't help the "free thing" is often crap and leaves those people thinking, "people pay for this stuff?"

Cool, always a fun day.

Damn those cheapskates. DAMN THEM TO HELL!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to drive 50 miles to the next town. There's a store there that sells new BD releases for $1.00 less than any local place...

The comic industry wouldn't be in the crapper if it weren't in the crapper.

The dross that the publishers release for FCBD astounds me.

DC and Marvel will release incomprehensible previews for their upcoming events. The smaller publishers will put out books that have three-four page previews of all of their upcoming titles that amounts to a ten minute red of mind-numbing mediocrity.

This crap is not going to spark any interest in someone who doesn't already read the damned things.

The comic industry wouldn't be in the crapper if they hadn't shot themselves in the foot in the 90s when they started alienating all their hardcore fans with the EXXXTREME phase and catering to the spectaculars. Many of the actual readers abandoned the industry and have never returned. I was one such reader, but unlike most, I did return several years later. The industry has never truly recovered from the 90s bust.

Agreed. And it's not just comics...it's everything. But for small comic book shops, it really hurts.

And I don't think that any of the comics suck for what you pay for them...

You know what independent comic book stores remind me of? They remind me of places like FYE, Tower Records, Virgin Megastore, Borders, etc. In other words, places that sell the majority of their stuff at MSRP.

The last time I browsed through my local comic book shop in 2007, the graphic novels were being sold at list price. I for one would never pay anything at list price. Over the years, I have bought graphic novels on Amazon and have saved A LOT. Why pay $19.99 for something when I could get it for $13.99 or less? I wish I could support these independent comic book establishments, but at the same time I don't want to be ripped off.

Instead all the regular customers should get all the free comics! Yeah! And limit it to one per new customer, but only after all the regular customers get them in their pull lists. And make sure to give them dirty stares and make them as uncomfortable as possible when they come in. Those cheapskates!

I understand you, I really do, and I do the same thing by primarily buying from mailordercomics. But if stores like Borders can't compete with Amazon, no way your local comic shop will. I really feel for comic store owners, they are pushing what is at this point a niche product with declining sales; they need to order books months in advance, trying to find a balance of having enough stock to sell through to the walk-ins and have some backissues available and not getting reamed by overordering and having to penny the overstock out; and now that nearly everything is being collected in trade, backissue sales must be in the crapper as well. It's a tough business to be in, which is probably why some stay afloat by selling action figures and especially cards.

I understand your point. I know a guy has got to make a living somehow, but if his business is at a decline and the seller is 'desperate' to get rid of some stock in order to make a sale, then he should throw in some form of discount/sale in order to attract business --- to gain first-time customers and keep current customers satisfied so they will return and continue to do business. That way the seller would get at least some form of business from me. It's just nice to see sales every now and then and not having to pay full price.

I don't think there's any question that the event is aimed at bringing in non-regulars. And sure, people do funny things for free stuff. I like going and getting free issues, but I probably don't get around to reading them all (usually get 4+ each year). But I'll go again this year.

Don't want to make this another discussion on LCS, but yeah, it's tough. My LCS makes FCBD an event with discounts on everything in the store so I usually pick up a couple trades while I'm there. I've tried to follow some floppies but they get scattered and when I want to actually read them they're out of order. My LCS also has a frequent buyer card with I think 50% off every fifth trade, which still doesn't match online discounts. What I've started picking up is the little issues that are kind of the equivalent of 100-page Super Spectaculars, midway between floppies and trades and around $5-7 each. Those may be harder to find online or not worth waiting for the small discount.

That about sums it up

DC is cheaping out this year by just printing a reprint of some Green Lantern issue with a preview of Flashpoint.

Marvel is at least giving 2 completely original comics away. One is a Spider-man story drawn by Ramos which will most likely look fantastic. The other is a Captain America/Thor story drawn by Samnee that I know will look great and be an entertaining read.

Don't write this event off, It's a great one to take the kids to because there are all sorts of All Ages comics being given away.

Free Comic Book Day = ComicCon for cheapskates.

Never been to Four Color Fantasies in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.
May check out the place to see what they have in store this year.

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I didn't know this store existed! I'm in Upland which is about 15 minutes away. I may have to visit it this year.
Thanks!

I live about 20 miles from this place and stumbled upon it while searching for participating locations. It looks like a cool, organized establishment. It's like a REAL mini-ComicCon with special guests that actually contribute to the comic book industry, unlike the major conventions that shove all that mainstream Hollywood entertainment BS down our throats that have nothing to do with comics. And it's free too! Free comics and free hot dogs. Yes!!!!!

And to cap it off, Marvel tried to branch out with the Ultimate line, except somehow it wasn't pushed in Grocery Stores and 7-11's, and as a result, it seems only the regular readers were on board.

Bumping for this weekend

Dammit. I accidentally bought Thor tickets for Saturday morning. By the time I get to the store the line will be around the block.

Got Super Dinosaur, Locke & Key, Green Lantern, and Elric. Kid got Geronimo Stilton, Pep, John Stanley, and Darkwing Duck (they had a limit of four per person but probably wouldn't have gotten more than one or two others anyway). Just realized that they didn't have Floyd Gottfredson.

My LCS has 35% off everything in the store as part of the event so I grabbed a bunch of TPBs while I was at it.

I was always wary of venturing near Louisville on FCBD because the first Saturday in May is also the Kentucky Derby. (I've hated for years that the industry chose this day for their annual event!) Anyway, my wife and I took the chance two years ago, went early and had nary a problem getting in and out so I decided I'd keep going. Last year I felt like hell so we passed, but we did go this afternoon. The place was packed so tightly I couldn't even concentrate long enough to even explore any given section of the place.

Of the freebies, we snagged:

Green Lantern
The Tick
The Mis-Adventures of Adam West
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Civil War Adventure
The Amazing Spider-Man
Captain America/Thor
The Darkness II: Confession
Young Justice/Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Baltimore
Atomic Robo

Like I said, it was packed and I had a hard time trying to rummage through the back issues, but I did find several issues of Marvel's Deep Space Nine run from the late 90s at $0.95 apiece. I also picked up Danger Girl and the Army of Darkness #1 on a whim. It promises to be entertaining. I let my wife pick which cover we bought, and she opted for the Paul Renaud cover:



On our way back we stopped at Half Price Books. I had a bag full of paperbacks and such to trade in, and they had a 20% off comics sale going on to partake in FCBD (even though they don't carry new releases and aren't an official participant). They had two boxes of comics set aside where you could select one issue to have free. There was some guy hovering around them taking his time so I gave up on those. But I did find several things that interested me, including:

Batman #213 (30th anniversary special issue)
The Brave and the Bold #160 (Batman & Supergirl) and #175 (Batman and Lois Lane)
DC Comics Presents #19 (Superman & Batgirl)
Superman #344 (Superman vs. Frankenstein's Monster & Dracula!)
Danger Girl: The Dangerous Collection #2

My trade-in covered these so I was happy. Putting today in the "Win" column, even though I have been too miserable to attend our friends's Derby party.

I missed out for the first time in a few years. Only really wanted Baltimore, but I love grabbing stuff for the kiddos at these, as my store usually has a bunch of 10/$1 older books.

You may want to pop in on your local store on the off-chance there were Baltimore leftovers.

You guys were lucky. Only one book per customer at my store.