Updates for Free Comic Book Day 2024 at CNJComics

Hey everyone! John D here, with some last minute stream of consciousness updates for Free Comic Book Day this year!

If you haven’t read any info yet, start here first!

We also got the Pole Position in this year’s Cleveland.com Free Comic Book Day Article!

We’ll be giving out twelve books per person, but we encourage everyone to visit as many other events that day as possible! Enjoy all the hobby has to offer! It’s May the 4th so buy yourself a Star Wars Comic!

Free Comic Book Day is from 10am to 7pm, and people start lining up earlier every year. We do expect a healthy crowd. We have found that FCBD is broken up into three blocks, 10am to 1pm is all the hoopla, with alot of people in costume, lots of energy, and the best selection of free books. 1pm to 4pm the event is busy but starts to mellow out a bit. Good time to come if crowds aren’t for you and you need a little breathing room. 4pm to 7pm is a wind down, but a really good time to shop with the vendors (and us!) and watch the finishing touches on the Star Wars Mural being painted outside. Pick your poison and come hang out with us! As always, you do not need to wait in the Free Comic Book line to enter the vending space or comic book shop. Good news! We have two bathrooms in the new vending space open to the public. We are excited to see how this new space works out for us.

We’ve got people coming out early on from the 501st and Rebel Legion, walking around to take pictures with people to make the line more bearable. The Ghostbusters: Cleveland will stop by with Ecto-1, and Spider-Man should be running around out there as well! Take some pictures and tag us in them! #cnjcomics works well!

People have been asking about Bluey’s appearance and I can say this (because yes, I am Bluey.) : Bluey will be outside the foyer next to the comic shop between 10am to 11am guaranteed. I have about 200 really nice Bluey books to hand out to kids. At 11am I will need to take a break and I hope to be back at noon to give away whatever is left of the books. Our family loves Bluey, and this was just something I wanted to do to add to the event.

For the Free Comic Book Day prints (if you haven’t gotten one already!) once you exit the free comic line, Jameson will be at the table directly to your left. He’ll be signing 100 prints between 10am and noon. Other than that you’ve got to go to the shop where they will be free with a purchase while supplies last! (we did run out halfway through the day last year.)

In the shop we will have 50% off back issues except for the wall. We promised somethig special for the wall that day and here it is: We’ll have a full run of the old Marvel Star Wars Comics from 1-107, including keys! These books will be 25% off and we’re challenging you to help us clear that wall out by the end of the day! Like we said, buy yourself a Star Wars Comic Book!

So remember, to quote two guys who changed the world with a song, “Be Excellent to Each Other.” Free Comic Book Day is about more than the free books, it’s about the community that has built up around the hobby. Bring some friends, make some friends, be a friend!

We always like to share the words of Gail Simone each year, she does a great job of reminding everyone about the logistics of a shop’s Free Comic Book Day, and we love her for it;

“Hello again, everyone.

I say a version of this every year, many of you have seen many variations. I apologize for repeating myself a bit, but it’s kind of important.

Really, it’s vital that you know, comic stores love having you come to Free Comic Book Day. Many of them make it a kind of all-day party and we all love having new people and long-time readers come by a great store and leave with some fantastic comics. It’s a great experience for almost everyone. Kids love it, adults, it’s just a great time for all.

Lots of stores have sales, guest appearances, cosplayers, sometimes even cake or other treats. I love it, one of my favorite days of the year.

Now, there’s a couple things I say every year, just for the record.

First, most people think that the comics that the stores give away for free are free to the stores.

They are not. Each comic is paid for by the stores. At a greatly reduced price from normal comics, yes, but they are sold to the store by the bundle, and with many many dozens of FCBD comics, it adds up hugely fast. Multiply that by gosh knows how many people in line, it’s a significant number, all given away for FREE, no cash coming back to the retailer at all.

But that’s not all. They also have to pay shipping, which anyone who runs a business knows, is astronomical.

So, every book they give away is paid for by the store, twice, really.

On top of that, it is almost always necessary to hire extra help for the day. They might have to purchase more stock, after one of the slower parts of the year, sales-wised.

If they have decorations or publicity or cosplayers or creator guests, they are paying for each of those expenses. There’s a lot of expenses I am missing, I’m not a retailer. But they are there.

Free Comic Book Day is darn expensive for comics retailers. Most are delighted to have it, it’s a great day to get people to come and celebrate comics and learn about the stores. None of them would want you to feel guilty about coming and picking up the books, that’s what’s SUPPOSED to happen.

However, I would ask everyone going to Free Comic Book Day this weekend to do me a personal favor and SHOP a bit there, too. Even if it’s busy, hang around, have fun, and do a bit of shopping.

If each person purchases something ON FREE COMIC BOOK DAY, it helps justify all the expense, and ensures that the store will be able to continue ordering great stuff, and having the annual event again next year and beyond.

If there’s a TPB you have been thinking about, or a statue, or an action figure, I urge you to consider buying it ON FCBD, if at all possible. If your budget is tight, even buying a comic or some comics off the rack or back issue bins helps a LOT, I promise you, and you are doing something awesome for the community.

Comic shop owners and workers work long hours, often for thin profit margins. But they’re the ones who will look for that book you want, that will special order things, that will recommend you a book not to make a sale, but because they know you will love it. They are the force keeping the hobby fun, social and convenient.

So please, if you have ever really loved shopping at a great comics shop, look around and purchase something on this fun day of celebration in particular, okay?

You’ll be my hero. 🙂

Thank you,

Gail”

So buy that thing you’ve been thinking about! Free Comic Book Day is your day!

Lastly, when everyone exits the free comic book line, there’s always someone there with a bag to put your books in and a few extra’s if you’re early. This year you’ll also get a little 5×7 print we think you’ll find is in the spirit of the day.

We made up a thousand of them, thanks to Quill Kolat for the artwork. www.Quillkolat.com @quillkolat Quill will be set up in the vendors room as well, so go say hi!

May the 4th be With You, and we’ll see you all on Saturday!