They Call Me The Cool Takenako Dude

...yesterday was the National Holiday better known as Free Comic Book Day. Amidst the NHL and NBA playoffs, countless tragic stories in the news cycle and the onset of other inanities, Free Comic Book Day is both a diversion from all things sad & irritating and a celebration of all things good in the world. For people who have veteran experience with the event, it's mostly a chance to get out into the crowd for the experience and take advantage of good deals before or just after a convention. For newcomers, it's a cost effective opportunity to check into what is currently owning the multiplex or sample what might be the next big thing in genre entertainment. For kids, it's a perfect blend of introducing them to the medium, giving them endless opportunity to get into the characters that adorn their shirts & hats and a sneaky way for parents to encourage them to read more. Win-win-win.

As a bit of back story, Free Comic Book Day began in 2002 as a means to both capitalize on the growing popularity & interest in the films. Much like book-to-film adaptations help sell novels, this idea was born both to generate new interest as well as bolster what was then a sagging comics marketplace. As evidenced by each event I have attended dating back to 2009, it grows each season. The first year I went, there was a good size crowd, but still somewhat manageable. Last year, the stores were all filled to capacity and lines wrapped around the aisles. Yesterday, the store was filled and the line began outside and ran across the length of the strip mall parking lot. Easily twice the amount of attendees as 2013.

Much like Record Store Day or International Tabletop Day, these events are created both to celebrate the niche hobbies that people love dearly as well as to take some of the thunder back from the corporations that have done so much to quell smaller businesses. As a matter of course, no amount of involvement on a Free Comic Book Day from Wal-Mart is ever going to compete with the atmosphere at your local shop. Not that Wal-Mart will ever get involved in something that brings people joy but if they tried, good luck getting a solid answer about Mark Waid's run on Daredevil from Betty in the Garden department (nothing against Betty...I'm sure she's a lovely woman).

As this was my sixth year going, I am in it more for the sales than the free comics themselves. The big publishers generally use the event to promote a film or big event, Guardians Of The Galaxy and Future's End in this instance. The smaller publishers generally offer mashups of a few titles to create awareness. All great things and a great way for a company like 12-Gauge or Aspen to get in front of possibly millions worldwide. For me, the free comics are mostly my attempt to get as much free books for my nephews who are pre-school age and massively excited about everything from Spiderman to The Simpsons.

When it comes to myself, I go for the deals. Outside are usually tables and bins of marked down trades, hardcovers, novels, toys, board games and shirts. Inside, it's always a percentage off one's entire purchase. Internally, I had my heart set on the first volume of Mike Mignolia's Hellboy: Library Edition. Unfortunately, I must have uttered such a thing because as I was waiting in line to get some free comics for my brother and myself, he swooped in a grabbed the Library Edition I had wanted. Curses! With an already outrageous stack of trades to get through, it was on to the board games. 

I hate looking at board games. Specifically, designer board games. They do tend to run higher in price than a Monopoly or a Battleship, but this is mostly a matter of far greater components, theme and higher replayability. Perhaps someday, but good luck finding a top notch worker placement game at Target. So, why do I hate looking at them? Simply, I'll need about $2,000 in expendable spending money to acquire all of the titles that I am DYING to give a run through to before they fizzle out of print. With endless funding, I could walk out with a shopping cart overflowing with A Few Acres Of Snow, Bruges, Brussels, Courtier, Cosmic Encounter, Le Havre, Wiz-War, Euphoria, Summoner Wars and so on. Instead, I have to curb my baser urges and pick one game within my price range.

Watching my brother make a triumphant exit with Merchants Of Venus, I was feeling the itch to go big or go home myself. Should I throw down on Middle Earth Quest? Go for the gold and bring home Amerigo? Stay in middle with something like Colonia? After much hemming and hawing, I went a bit smaller and reasonable and finally grabbed Lords Of Waterdeep. It just so happens to turn out to be quickly amongst my favorite games (more on this coming soon).

In short, if you supported Free Comic Book Day, good on you. Way to stick it to the Romney's of this dying planet by voting with your dollars in a highly punk rock fashion. If you missed out, there's always next year or the year after that. Judging by the insane lines and monster crowds at both stops yesterday, I think it is safe to assume it will be here for many more years.