Monday, May 1, 2017

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2017 PRELUDE

I’ll be returning to the endlessly fascinating The Toys Time Forgot for this year’s Free Comic Book Day. Located at 137 Cherry St E in Canal Fulton, Ohio, this wondrous establishment is literally packed with toys and other incredible items (including comic books). I’m not allowed to go there unless I hand over my checkbook and credit cards to Sainted Wife Barb before leaving home.
                                                                            
                                                                                    
 
My bloggy readers know all about Free Comic Book Day, but, just in case, some stranger is reading today’s entry - Welcome, stranger! - it’s Comic-Book Christmas. Held the first Saturday in May, it’s the day participating comics shops across North America and around the world give away specially-produced comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops.

Fifty comic books have been prepared by various comics publishers. They range from Betty and Veronica, Doctor Who, Wonder Woman and X-O Manowar to Guardians of the Galaxy, Barbie, Attack on Titan and Loud House. The participating stores decide how many of the comic books you can get, but all of them will give you at least one free comic book for checking them out.

The special Free Comic Book Day issues are not free to the stores who are handing them out. The free comics, like the special guests and special sales you’ll find at most stories, are meant to get you to return to the store on a regular basis. I am for anything that creates new comics readers and strengthens the stores that remain the backbone of our industry.

The Toys Time Forgot will be open from 11 am to 8 pm on Saturday, May 6. Besides myself, the store will also be hosting Matt Horak, the current artist for The Punisher; pop culture artist Ed Griffie;  and Shana Schottenstein, creator of The Color of Fire fantasy novel series.

The comic books and free autographs are just the start of this FCBD celebration. Philbee the Clown will make balloon animals for kids. J.T. Teis will play live music. Cosplayers will pose for photos. Webster, the Akron Rubberducks mascot, will give away game tickets for this season. The Canal Fulton Heritage Society will hold its "Strawberry Shortcake Fundraiser.” That sounds like a day of really big fun to me.
                                                                            

I’ll be selling Black Lightning Volume One and some other Isabella stuff at the event. I’ll also be handing out a sure-to-be-cherished special CERTIFICATE OF COSPLAY and an actual American dollar bill to any cosplayers who come to my table as one of these characters:

Bandette
Batwoman (1960s)
Batwoman (modern-day)
Black Lightning
Black Widow
Blonde Phantom (Golden Age)
Chalice (Alters)
Cosmo the Merry Martian
Darkstar
Doc Savage
Dreadnought (novel by April Daniels)
Emma Peel and John Steed
Faith
Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze; 1970s)
Godzilla or other giant movie monsters
Grim Ghost (Atlas)
Gwen Stacy (1960s)
Hawkman
Hawkwoman
Herbie Popnecker
Icon
IT! The Living Colossus
Jimmy Olsen (1960s)
Kitaro
Kite-Man
Koro Sensei (Assassination Classroom)
Lady Killer (Dark Horse)
Little Lulu
Lois Lane (1960s)
Luke Cage
Mademoiselle Marie
Magicman (ACG)
Mary Jane Watson (1960s)
Misty Knight
Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan)
Ms. Tree
Nemesis (ACG)
Pat Savage
Rawhide Kid (1960s/1970s)
Richie Rich
Rocket (from Icon)
Rocket Racer
Sara Lance
Sugar and Spike (1960s)
Thor (classic Lee/Kirby version of the 1960s)
Tigra
Top Cat
Usagi Yojimbo
Vixen
Zatanna (1960s)

So...come to Free Comic Book Day at The Toys Time Forgot in Canal Fulton. It’s gonna be a party!

I’ll be back tomorrow with more stuff.

© 2017 Tony Isabella

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