Sign up to receive Northern Star headlines in your inbox, delivered weekdays at 6 a.m.
Feedback? E-mail us.
 |
Are you staying in DeKalb over the summer? |
Local store hosts annual Free Comic Book day
Greetings, true believers.
Saturday marked the sixth anniversary of Free Comic Book Day (FCBD), and the owners of Graham Crackers Comics, 901 C Lucinda Ave., offered everything a connoisseur of fine comics could want.
From the moment it opened to the second it closed Saturday, Graham Crackers provided an assortment of free comic books to all who entered. With “Transformers” and “Tron” playing in the background, a slew of comics waited to be flipped open and enjoyed. Some of the titles that were on the house included “Archie’s Pal Jughead,” “Kid Houdini” and “Gumby” for the kids; and “X-Men,” “The Stranded” and “Hellboy” for older readers.
Boosting the already high amount of enjoyment in the air was local artist and NIU alumnus Matt Hansel.
The self-proclaimed “almost-good-enough-to-get-in-a-real-low-tier-comic-book-company” artist was prepared with pencil, paper and an assortment of other tools to sketch any comic book character that came to a customer’s mind. The first-year FCBD attraction masterfully created such characters as Thor, Harvey Birdman, General Grievous and Hellboy right before patrons’ eyes.
The origins of FCBD can be traced back to 2002. Comics are given away during the opening weekend of that summer’s projected blockbuster superhero movie. “Spider-Man” inaugurated the event, with titles such as “X2: X-Men United” and “Superman Returns” following.
With its release Friday, “Iron Man” had the honor of kicking off this year’s FCBD.
“We have more foot traffic on FCBD than any other day of the year,” said Kevin Healy, employee of Graham Crackers. “We’ll have more than 100 people in here.”
Healy said that in past years, many free issues of the major comics ran out early, leaving only the lesser-known and independent titles, which gave them wider public exposure.
“All it takes is one comic to make someone want to continue to read [a specific title],” Healy said. With the attitude that no one is going to turn down something free, FCBD is a great way to get exposure for independent titles.
Healy counts on people coming in for the free comics, but then looking around and spending a few bucks.
“On FCBD, people can justify buying things because they may take $50 worth of free books,” Healy said.
Though the rain proved to be a worthy adversary, the shop refused to let it bring things down.
On previous, sunnier FCBDs, employees set up shop outside, complete with costumed characters walking along Lucinda Avenue to attract drivers and pedestrians.
Mike Korcek, NIU class of 1969 and Sports Information director emeritus, stopped by to pick up free comics he likes to give to children in his neighborhood.
“Kids don’t read,” Korcek said with a handful of comics; Korcek thinks it’s a shame because comics have been such an important part of his life.
“Superman was my buddy,” he said, describing his relationship with the last son of Krypton. Korcek said comic books allowed him to work on his less-than-stellar reading skills as a child.
FCBD is a great thing because it lets “young people get into comics and use their imagination,” Korcek said.
» Next City Article: Garage fire causes $2,500 in damage