Free Comic Book Day is May 7th

With Free Comic Book Day quickly approaching (May 7th), this is as good of a time as any to take a minute to think about the significance of the event and what it means for the comic book industry as a whole. Free Comic Book Day has been an annual event across the U.S. since 2002 and it's always been a big success. The goals of Free Comic Book Day may vary slightly from store to store, as it's an individual store's choice whether or not to participate, however, there are a few goals that seem to be universal.

1) The event gets people into their local comic book shops. Offering free anything is a surefire way to get people in your store, and free comics are no exception. Once shop owners get people into their stores, they can then begin to get them interested in other products that they didn't necessarily come to the shop for, which is good for business.

2) Giving away comics is a way to promote reading to kids. Comics are a great way to get kids reading and some studies have even shown that kids who have read comics have an 8-10% better GPA than those who have not. Giving fun comics away to kids is a way to help them get excited about reading.

3) The event helps comics reach new audiences. Since anything free gets most people interested, what better way to reach out to people who don't read comic books than Free Comic Book Day? People who wouldn't normally read comics can use the event to try them out without having to spend any money. For some people who've always had a curiousity about comics but never got around to reading them, the event can be a great way for them to get an introduction to the comic book world.

Although you have to check with your local comic book shop for specific store details such as the times they will be giving away comics, if in fact they are giving away comics, and which comics they will be giving away, you can find some general details about the event at their website. Some of the titles that will be given away this year include "Darkwing Duck", "Green Lantern", "Smurfs", and "Kung Fu Panda". The website also has a complete list of the titles that could be available at your local store.

Are you going to head out to your local comic book shop on May 7th?

Tags: Free Comic Book Day, Comic Book Shops, Reading