Speaking as an independent creator, Free Comic Book Day is often my best sales day of the year. Comic shops are almost always happy to reserve space in the store for local creators and it functions for us as a one day mega convention where we get to personally sell our books to people in our own community who otherwise wouldn't go to a convention or find us online. It's the one day a year where people go to comic shops en masse with the intention of taking home a bunch of stuff they've never read before. I think it would be a loss for individual creators and the indie community as a whole to see the event evaporate.
Wells where in the US are you - also what is your LCS? Just curious.
Like I said, I used to setup and do well on FCBD, but that started to dry up. I actually don’t hate the event - but I don’t feel it reaches the audience it needs to reach. If someone buys it - they need to put money behind promoting past the regular comic buyer.
Currently I live in Chicago and am spoiled for choice (though mostly I frequent Dark Tower in Logan Square), but that sentiment was true when I lived in Nashville and Little Rock which are…less spoiled for choice.
Agreed that shops need to do more promoting to appeal beyond their typical audience, but that’s just generally true of comic shops and not at all specific to FCBD. Most comic shops don’t do enough externally to appeal to people outside the entrenched market or internally to sell books their market aren’t actively pursuing.
I’ll admit that I’ve never really realized how difficult it is for independent comics publishers. But as a comics consumer, I look forward to FCBD every year, and will be very sad if it has to go away. I always buy a lot of comics that day, not just pick up the free ones. It’s always a fun event, with cosplay, blood drives, local creators selling and signing their books, and lots of kids getting excited about comics. If it does have to end, I hope retailers will come up with something to replace it.
Douglas - if there were no extra events would you still go to your LCS to pick up the free books on FCBD? Just curious if the “special FCBD books” are enough of a draw to pull you in?
I think if there were no events, I probably would still pick up the free ones, but I wouldn’t make a full day of it, going to several comic shops with my wife and our friends, like I have been.
I’d rather not say the name of my LCS, because I don’t want to pinpoint where I live. “Douglas Jonathan Vincent” is a pseudonym that I/we use to be able to talk about our DID (dissociative identity disorder) online and still keep that separate from our daily life (co-workers, etc.)
I would be totally okay with not having the free FCBD comics, if there is still an annual “event day” to celebrate comic shops. That is the fun part of it for me, not the actual FCBD comics as much.
I think something more akin to Record Store Day would be great: no freebies (unless individual stores want to give stuff away as a promotion), but have limited edition items that can only be purchased on that day, plus events/sales to go along with it.
We enjoyed Free Comic Book Day as comic readers. It was a fun excuse to go to the LCS and see what was out. I would typically pick up a volume while I was there, since the free comics themselves were typically fine but not going to change my life.
We haven't engaged with the holiday much post-pandemic (so not at all since becoming creators ourselves) but if there was the opportunity to booth or do a signing or something during the event it could be beneficial to be visible in our local community and it would be nice to have closer bonds with the LCSs in the area as a creator.
The FREE element of it is certainly a complication, but a Scholastic book fair style event would be fun. I've found a lot of great books at book fairs and some of them *were* life changing.
Miami does a city book fair. Maybe an event like that would be worth looking into.
We’ve been to the Miami Book Fair in the past - but over the years it sort of became obvious that comics were not a high priority. In my opinion FCBD has lost a little shine over the year and while maybe not a re-invention … it could you an update to reach those younger readers.
I used to do store signings at my LCS on FCBD, and it was the only time I actually made any real money selling my comic. But I can see both sides of the argument. But years ago, my podcast mates and I were given a both of comics to give away for a little-known holiday called Read Comics in Public Day, which I don't think promoted any sales but we had fun walking around and giving comics away and interviewing the people we gave them to. Maybe that could work again.
I like that concept- giving out comics away from the comic shop in hopes to pull them in. We did an event the day before FCBD one year at a theater (I think it was tied to Winter Soldier) and gave away a Superman promotional book … and a few other things, along with flyers promoting FCBD at the LCS and that actually saw new people discovering the store. Maybe FCBD needs to be bigger than one day.
I love the idea of an event that would be held in schools, similar to a Scholastic Book Fair. We so often hear the cry from the Big Two that the market is shrinking, our reader base is aging, "where, o where are the new readers?" but apart from DC's recent move into the YA graphic novel space, they seem to put precious little effort into actually putting stories in their flagship titles that are accessible to a young audience unfamiliar with decades of continuity. An event that focused on comics for kids would perhaps encourage the companies to create stories aimed at enticing new readers who may hopefully fall in love with the comic medium and become lifelong customers.
I 100% agree with this - the makers of mainstream comics & indie guys alike need to try and bring in new readers, making the serialized nature of comics more accessible. A retooled Free Comic Book Day has that potential.
I absolutely, positively do NOT think it's dead. When Covid happened, MANY stores did their own FCBDs without Diamond's backing. FCBD is something much larger than just free diamond titles. I think if it goes away from a Diamond perspective, smart stores will keep it afloat. I know for many its the second busiest day of the year, only to black Friday. Does it mean that it will be there in the same form? No. But that's okay. Maybe the stores put out their own goods for free (backstock), maybe they limit the number' of free items, who knows. But if it gets people in the door, I highly doubt that people will just let it go without a fight.
Interesting. Without a central source to determine THIS is FCBD - what will motivate retailers (some in serious competition with other stores) to have the event on the same day nationally? I get that this retailer or that retailer will want to continue the event - but without a unifying force (like Diamond) in a few years it will begin to feel like “just another sale”. 11 maybe 12 years ago - there was an effort to create a national “Indie Comics Day” but without corporate $$$$ - it fizzled out. I hope FCBD is purchased by someone and continued.
Speaking as an independent creator, Free Comic Book Day is often my best sales day of the year. Comic shops are almost always happy to reserve space in the store for local creators and it functions for us as a one day mega convention where we get to personally sell our books to people in our own community who otherwise wouldn't go to a convention or find us online. It's the one day a year where people go to comic shops en masse with the intention of taking home a bunch of stuff they've never read before. I think it would be a loss for individual creators and the indie community as a whole to see the event evaporate.
Wells where in the US are you - also what is your LCS? Just curious.
Like I said, I used to setup and do well on FCBD, but that started to dry up. I actually don’t hate the event - but I don’t feel it reaches the audience it needs to reach. If someone buys it - they need to put money behind promoting past the regular comic buyer.
Currently I live in Chicago and am spoiled for choice (though mostly I frequent Dark Tower in Logan Square), but that sentiment was true when I lived in Nashville and Little Rock which are…less spoiled for choice.
Agreed that shops need to do more promoting to appeal beyond their typical audience, but that’s just generally true of comic shops and not at all specific to FCBD. Most comic shops don’t do enough externally to appeal to people outside the entrenched market or internally to sell books their market aren’t actively pursuing.
I’ll admit that I’ve never really realized how difficult it is for independent comics publishers. But as a comics consumer, I look forward to FCBD every year, and will be very sad if it has to go away. I always buy a lot of comics that day, not just pick up the free ones. It’s always a fun event, with cosplay, blood drives, local creators selling and signing their books, and lots of kids getting excited about comics. If it does have to end, I hope retailers will come up with something to replace it.
Douglas - if there were no extra events would you still go to your LCS to pick up the free books on FCBD? Just curious if the “special FCBD books” are enough of a draw to pull you in?
Also what is your LCS?
I think if there were no events, I probably would still pick up the free ones, but I wouldn’t make a full day of it, going to several comic shops with my wife and our friends, like I have been.
I’d rather not say the name of my LCS, because I don’t want to pinpoint where I live. “Douglas Jonathan Vincent” is a pseudonym that I/we use to be able to talk about our DID (dissociative identity disorder) online and still keep that separate from our daily life (co-workers, etc.)
Totally get that - no worries.
I think there is life left in FCBD - I just wish there was more to it on a national level.
I would be totally okay with not having the free FCBD comics, if there is still an annual “event day” to celebrate comic shops. That is the fun part of it for me, not the actual FCBD comics as much.
I think something more akin to Record Store Day would be great: no freebies (unless individual stores want to give stuff away as a promotion), but have limited edition items that can only be purchased on that day, plus events/sales to go along with it.
We enjoyed Free Comic Book Day as comic readers. It was a fun excuse to go to the LCS and see what was out. I would typically pick up a volume while I was there, since the free comics themselves were typically fine but not going to change my life.
We haven't engaged with the holiday much post-pandemic (so not at all since becoming creators ourselves) but if there was the opportunity to booth or do a signing or something during the event it could be beneficial to be visible in our local community and it would be nice to have closer bonds with the LCSs in the area as a creator.
The FREE element of it is certainly a complication, but a Scholastic book fair style event would be fun. I've found a lot of great books at book fairs and some of them *were* life changing.
Miami does a city book fair. Maybe an event like that would be worth looking into.
We’ve been to the Miami Book Fair in the past - but over the years it sort of became obvious that comics were not a high priority. In my opinion FCBD has lost a little shine over the year and while maybe not a re-invention … it could you an update to reach those younger readers.
I used to do store signings at my LCS on FCBD, and it was the only time I actually made any real money selling my comic. But I can see both sides of the argument. But years ago, my podcast mates and I were given a both of comics to give away for a little-known holiday called Read Comics in Public Day, which I don't think promoted any sales but we had fun walking around and giving comics away and interviewing the people we gave them to. Maybe that could work again.
I like that concept- giving out comics away from the comic shop in hopes to pull them in. We did an event the day before FCBD one year at a theater (I think it was tied to Winter Soldier) and gave away a Superman promotional book … and a few other things, along with flyers promoting FCBD at the LCS and that actually saw new people discovering the store. Maybe FCBD needs to be bigger than one day.
What’s your LCS?
I love the idea of an event that would be held in schools, similar to a Scholastic Book Fair. We so often hear the cry from the Big Two that the market is shrinking, our reader base is aging, "where, o where are the new readers?" but apart from DC's recent move into the YA graphic novel space, they seem to put precious little effort into actually putting stories in their flagship titles that are accessible to a young audience unfamiliar with decades of continuity. An event that focused on comics for kids would perhaps encourage the companies to create stories aimed at enticing new readers who may hopefully fall in love with the comic medium and become lifelong customers.
I 100% agree with this - the makers of mainstream comics & indie guys alike need to try and bring in new readers, making the serialized nature of comics more accessible. A retooled Free Comic Book Day has that potential.
BTW - Matthew, what is your LCS of choice?
I absolutely, positively do NOT think it's dead. When Covid happened, MANY stores did their own FCBDs without Diamond's backing. FCBD is something much larger than just free diamond titles. I think if it goes away from a Diamond perspective, smart stores will keep it afloat. I know for many its the second busiest day of the year, only to black Friday. Does it mean that it will be there in the same form? No. But that's okay. Maybe the stores put out their own goods for free (backstock), maybe they limit the number' of free items, who knows. But if it gets people in the door, I highly doubt that people will just let it go without a fight.
Interesting. Without a central source to determine THIS is FCBD - what will motivate retailers (some in serious competition with other stores) to have the event on the same day nationally? I get that this retailer or that retailer will want to continue the event - but without a unifying force (like Diamond) in a few years it will begin to feel like “just another sale”. 11 maybe 12 years ago - there was an effort to create a national “Indie Comics Day” but without corporate $$$$ - it fizzled out. I hope FCBD is purchased by someone and continued.