Christmas Comes On Cinco de Mayo: Free Comic Book Day 2007

Happy Sunday, Ramblings Readers!

May 5 wasn’t just an important day in Mexican history and an opportunity to go down a few margaritas (which I did), it was also the sixth annual Free Comic Book Day, an event which was inaugurated six years ago on Saturday, May 4^th, 2003. FCBD was created to tie in with the release of a little comic book movie that had debuted the day before: the first Spider-Man film. The basic purpose of FBCD is to get folks who have never read a comic book but who have just finished watching—and hopefully, enjoying—a comic book film adaptation to go to comic shops and pick up a free comic. While they’re there, they’ll hopefully see all the other wonderful titles that are available in the comics medium and decide to buy some.

I have gone to every FBCD with the exception of last year’s event, which I missed because it was my first year as the master of ceremonies for the annual talent show at school.

This year, I was yet again the MC, but made time to get down to my favorite comic shop, Acadiana Comics and Collectibles, to pick up some comics and see what was going on.

Those of you who aren’t comic book readers probably don’t realize that the industry itself is not doing as well as it has in previous years. The industry has always faced the same competition that non-graphic books face, like television, films, video games, the Internent, etc. The difference is, regular books will never go out of style and will always have a readership.

We can’t say the same about comic books. The medium is one that is extremely sophisticated in the hands of some creators and there is no other form of storytelling like comic books. Comic book legend Will Eisner called comic books “sequential art,” and that’s exactly what the medium is. Words and images merge together in carefully crafted sequences to create a story unlike anything in any other storytelling medium.

Yet comic books are still seen as children’s fodder. Hence the industry launched FBCD, and it has been somewhat successful in bringing in new readers.

In my opinion, however, if you’re going to bring in new customers, you have to be ready for them. You must make the comic book specialty shop a place that is welcoming, comfortable, friendly, and inviting.

I’ve been to a lot of comic book shops in my days and plan to go to many more. In the days before it cost fifty bucks to fill up my car, I’d drive to Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Lake Charles to look for comic shops. When the family goes on vacation, I use my laptop to check The Master List, a website that lists every comic book shop in the U.S. and then go and visit as many shops as I can. I've even visited shops in Texas, California, and Washington, D.C.

So as I said, I’ve been to a lot of shops. And the one that I think “gets it” the most, the one shop I feel is doing everything it can to help the industry not just survive but also thrive, is Acadiana Comics and Collectibles. I’ve been going to this shop since eighth grade, if you can believe. When I had read all of my brother’s comics at least four thousand times, my mother decided that I was interested in a pretty decent hobby. It involved reading, after all, so what good parent and teacher would deny their child such a hobby? My mom took me to what was then Acadiana Book and Comic Shop, and I met Mrs. Teresa Moran the first time. I’ve been going there ever since, and the reason is not just the comics. Mrs. Teresa and her husband Jerry are two of the nicest folks you’ll ever meet. My mom had also taken me to two other shops at the time to look around, and not only was the selection weak, but the people who worked there didn’t seem all that knowledgeable or interested in being helpful when it came to the comics.

When you visit Mrs. Teresa and Mr. Jerry’s store, now named Acadiana Comic and Collectibles, the first thing you’re greeted with is a welcoming smile from whoever is behind the counter. You will be greeted with a hello and then encouraged to look around and also asked if there’s anything you can be helped with. And whether you’re a neophyte reader or you’re a seasoned comic veteran like myself, Mrs. Teresa or Mr. Jerry can answer all your questions. And what’s best, they’ll do it with friendliness.

And that’s the bottom-line for me. So what does all of this have to do with FCBD? Well, I went to AC&C yesterday for Free Comic Book Day, and was instantly greeted by Mr. Jerry as I walked in with a smile and words of welcome. There was also a gentleman named Mike (I think it’s Mike...I don’t think I’ve ever introduced myself) who was very friendly and who I’ve seen at the shop for years. He was helping out by directing folks not only to the free comics that were available, but also to the free merchandise that AC&C was giving away, like action figures, keychains, pins, and posters. I told Mr. Jerry that it felt less like Cinco de Mayo and more like Christmas, and snagged a very cool Spider-Man keychain (I was just thinking about buying a new one…how cool is that!) and my free comic book. I also browsed and snapped the shots you see below, and generally took in the atmosphere. It was like being in the living room of a friend or relative who also happens to have a bunch of extremely cool comic books and related stuff everywhere in sight.

Mike was helping this young lady and her daughter, who appeared to be taking their first steps into the brave new world of comic books. He was very cordial and helpful, and gave lots of great advice as to what would be age appropriate for the young girl. As a father myself, this is exactly what I want from a business: someone who will shoot me straight about what kind of product is good for my daughter. I was highly impressed with that and could overhear Mr. Jerry also having a similar conversation with other customers about comics.

That’s why I keep going back to AC&C and have for years. The honest truth is that I could get my comics elsewhere from various sources. But I’d miss out on the kindness and the warmth that come with the comics at Acadiana Book and Comics. People are put first there, coupled with an obvious love of the comic book genre.

This is how I think every shop should be operated. In my next entry, I'll discuss what I think are the two fatal flaws of comic specialty shops today, and offer suggestions as to how such flaws can be remedied. Until then, stay strong and do no wrong. And be sure to check out the pics I snapped whilst in Peter Parker mode yesterday!

Here you see Mike helping the lady I told you about and her daughter find age-appropriate reading. How awesome is that! It's a regular occurrence at AC&C. And you get a good look at Mr. Jerry's extremely extensive Star Wars collection...how I envy him!

Remember that "living room" atmosphere I mentioned? Here you can see it even better. There's even a few chairs and a very comfy couch, which I didn't get a shot of but have enjoyed reading in often. This is the section of the store that features the week's new comics. Many folks have asked me how often comics come out. Every Wednesday is for us fans "New Comic Day!"

Here we have Marvel's best free comic book for FCBD...Spider-Man: Swing Shift, an original Spidey story designed to be approachable to new readers interested in the comics after watching Spidey 3. Usually, companies put out reprints of past comics for Free Comic Book Day, but Marvel was one of the few to put out something original. It was a very good, entertaining Spidey adventure, and best of all...it was FREE! Now try beating THAT with a web shooter!

Here we have a few more FCBD selections. One of the titles featured there is a prequel comic to the big Transformers movie coming out this summer. I'll be doing a two-parter on the Transformers release, one talking about my interest in the toys and cartoon as a kid, along with a brief history of the property, and then my opening day review of the film.