Free Comics Day the Sequel
By Beth Hannan Rimmels
The comic book industry joined forces in May 2002, timed to take advantage of the release of the Spider-Man movie, and inaugurated free comics day. Now Free Comics Day will return, this year timed to the release of X2, the sequel to X-Men, one of three highly anticipated comic book movies debuting this summer (The Hulk and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen being the other two; Daredevil was already a hit in theaters in February). On May 3, more than a dozen comic book publishers will team with more than 2,000 retailers to give away millions of comics. The project was conceived by Joe Field, owner of Flying Colors Comics in Concord, Calif., with the intension of celebrating comics' history; saluting the medium's diversity, energy and creativity; and, of course, to draw new and former readers to stores in the hopes of turning them into regular comic book readers.
"With public attention so focused on comic books, their characters, and their stories, it's
the perfect time to remind people of the enjoyment and quality storytelling available in
comic books," said Barry Lyga, a spokesperson for the Free Comic Book Day Committee. "From last year's blockbuster
Spider-Man and Oscar-winner Road To Perdition to this year's top Valentine's Day hit
Daredevil, through to X2 and the
upcoming The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Hulk, the entertainment industry
has realized that comics have unique, compelling content...and the movie-going audience
agrees in record numbers!"
As part of the promotion, the following titles will be available at all participating stores:
· Archie & Friends (Wholesome children's entertainment from Archie Comics)
· Frank Miller's Robocop/Stargate SG1 (Avatar Press's adaptation of two sci-fi favorites)
· Way of the Rat Special #1 (Martial arts fantasy from CrossGen)
· Rocket Comics: Ignite (The beginning of a new line of comic books from Dark Horse)
· Batman Adventures #1 (A new series of adventures for Batman from DC Comics, based on the character's appearance on the Cartoon Network)
· Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave Productions' version of the 1980s toy line)
· Metallix #1 (Classic super-hero action with a modern twist from Future Comics)
· Leave It To Chance #5 (Mystical adventure in the Harry Potter tradition, from Image Comics)
· Ultimate X-Men #1 (A special X-Men comic from Marvel Comics, developed and written with the movie fan in mind!)
Dozens of other free titles representing a wide range of genres and styles, though availability may vary.
Free Comic Book Day is being supported by an extensive online initiative, point of sale posters, co-op advertisements, and a massive PR and advertising campaign. The official website for the event is http://www.FreeComicBookDay.com – which contains a search function to help readers find a participating store near them, features on the history of comic books in America, recommended reading lists, and a complete list of available free titles.
"Unlike video stores, bookstores, and movie theaters, comic book stores are usually independently owned and operated, with no national chains dominating the market," said Lyga. "As a result, each store is as individual as its owner, and the breadth of stories available in the comic book field is similarly diverse. If there's a book on a certain topic or in a particular genre, you can bet there's a comic book, too. Readers should treat themselves to something new on Free Comic Book Day – we know people will be pleasantly surprised by the broad range of reading material available at their local comic book store."
Artwork and review copies of comics are available upon request. Print and web graphics
to use for Free Comic Book Day coverage are located at:
http://www.freecomicbookday.com/download_art.asp
For more information and for referrals for interviews with publishers and/or retailers,
please contact: Barry Lyga, Marketing Communications Manager, Diamond Comic
Distributors, 410-560-7100 ext. 358 – info@freecomicbookday.com – see also
http://www.freecomicbookday.com/faq.asp
Free Comic Book Day is a joint effort of dozens of publishers, thousands of retailers, and
Diamond Comic Distributors, the world's largest distributor of English language comics.