top of page

Free Comic Book Day transforms into summer celebration

Writer's picture: Paul PatanePaul Patane

The comic industry’s largest annual promotional event for retailers was postponed in March. It was unveiled on Thursday that this year’s celebration has been modified to account for the COVID-19 pandemic.



Courtesy of Diamond Comic Distributors



Diamond Comic Distributors announced on Thursday that Free Comic Book Day, an annual event that’s typically held the first Saturday of each May, has been reimagined for this year as a season-spanning extravaganza dubbed Free Comic Book Summer, running from July 15 through September 9.

Originally scheduled for May 2, Free Comic Book Day 2020 was postponed on March 17 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most retailers at that time were either closed or operating under strict guidelines with limited customer capacity, and Diamond Comic Distributors, the primary supplier of comics to direct market retailers, was temporarily shuttered which essentially put the retail market on pause for about two months.

Now that much of the country and the comic book industry is reopening, with social distancing guidelines in place and increased capacity crowds being allowed, Free Comic Book Summer is on the way to provide retailers and customers some relief and cause for celebration.

Each Wednesday, beginning July 15, participating retailers will receive five to six new titles to give away, according to the Free Comic Book Day website. Forty-five free comics in total will be made available this summer and how they’re distributed to patrons is to be determined by local shops.


Free Comic Book Day was first held in 2002 and is organized annually by Diamond Comic Distributors. The creator of the event is Joe Field, owner of Flying Colors Comics in Concord, California.

The books scheduled for release on July 15 are: “Power Rangers: Ranger Slayer” from BOOM! Studios “My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic” from IDW Publishing “X-Men” No. 1 from Marvel Comics “Captain Canuck and Captain Battle” No. 1 from Chapterhouse Publishing “Asterix” from Papercutz “The Weirn Books” No. 1 from Yen Press

To see a complete list of the books slated for release each Wednesday during the celebration, visit the Free Comic Book Day website. Check with your local comic shop for additional details.

0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page