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May

3

Free Comic Book Day and Why It is Important

Filed Under Comic Book Signings, Comics Artists, COMICS CONVENTIONS, Filipino Artists, Philippine Comics | 17 Comments

We’ve been having Free Comic Book Day in the Philippines for many years now, and many local comic book stores and major book stores in the past have participated in it. By far the biggest supporter of Free Comic Book Day in the country is Sandy Sansolis of Comic Odyssey. For several years now he’s given away thousands upon thousands of free comic books at his store on this day, and gathered the country’s most popular comic book creators to stay and sign.

It’s kind of a big deal and I’m frustrated that it’s not getting more exposure on a more mainstream level.

It’s a big deal because this is an activity that promotes not only comic books and comic book stores, but more importantly, it encourages reading and therefore promotes literacy. Here in the Philippines, this is very important.

Every year US comic book publishers like Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image etc., release special comic books published specifically to give away on this day, which always falls on the first Saturday of May. These comic books are generally safe to read for people of all ages. This is a great opportunity to introduce young Filipinos to reading.

Comic Odyssey has ordered a large amount of these comic books, but will also be clearing an extraordinarily large amount of its inventory in the process. All in all, they will be giving away more than thirty thousand (30,000) comic books!

Photos from Comic Odyssey (Click for Larger Images):

Thirty thousand free comics is kind of a big deal.

If you’re not doing anything this Saturday, or if what you’re doing is not really all that important (in the larger scheme of things), I strongly suggest you go, bring your kids if you have them, get your comic books for yourself and/or introduce your children to reading. It’s pretty much a big problem in the country now, since reading doesn’t seem to be big on people’s priorities, and yet it’s one of the most important activities we as people should always indulge in.

If you manage to be the first 600 people in there, you’ll get at least 50 free comic books. But don’t worry, with the huge amount of comics being given away, you will come away with some free comics no matter what time you come in.

This will be at Comic Odyssey, 3rd Floor Robinson’s Galleria (near Kenny Rogers) this Saturday, May 7, 2011. The mall opens at 10am. The store itself opens at 10:30am, but you can stand in line already at 10am. Don’t worry about getting lost. Just follow the crowd!

A whole army of Filipino comic book creators including those working for Marvel and DC, along with those creating Philippine Independent Komiks will be on hand to sign your comic books for free. For a list of creators participating, click here.

In support of Free Comic Book Day, the Philippine Independent Komiks community has banded together to give away free comics! Click here for details.

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Free Comic Book Day is also the first day of the 2-Day Metro Comic-Con, happening in the next door mall, SM Megamall. After getting your free comics from Comic Odyssey and you’re still craving for your comic book fix, head on over next door to the Megatrade Hall of SM Megamall for one of the country’s biggest comic book conventions. Special Guest is David Lloyd, artist and co-creator of V for Vendetta!

National Book Store will also be having its own Free Comic Book Day event of the year. Also, National Book Store will be finally releasing the Komikero Pubishing edition of ELMER! I will be on hand to sign comic books at this event on the second day, from 3-5pm.

Comments

17 Responses to “Free Comic Book Day and Why It is Important”

  1. RJ Ledesma on May 3rd, 2011 2:04 pm

    Free Comic Book Day has my full support! I noticed that there were some old Image comics in the pile. Are they part of Free Comic Book Day as well?

  2. Ster on May 3rd, 2011 2:31 pm

    I don’t suppose your giving away some brightest day comic books? :P hehe

  3. Gerry Alanguilan on May 3rd, 2011 2:41 pm

    RJ… I’m sure they are. :)

  4. John Beatty on May 3rd, 2011 4:42 pm

    I don’t even know of a shop in the USA that gives away 30,000 FREE comics…

    The comics industry needs more shops like “Comic Odyssey” and more store owner’s like Sandy and Rowena Sansolis behind them!

    Real people, with a real love of comics AND comic readers!!!

  5. ron tan on May 3rd, 2011 6:45 pm

    WOW! not only do I say WOW to the piles and boxes of comic books, I say WOW to the time and effort that Sir Sandy and family put into sorting everything just for the fans! I admire you Sir Sandy! More power to Comic Odyssey, the true superheroes of the pinoy comics fans! From the bottom of our hearts, Thank you and GOD bless you!!! :D

  6. alex on May 3rd, 2011 6:50 pm

    perhaps with the influx of comics movies, there would be more coverage on comics related activities too feed the masses. also, who doesn’t like free comics?!

  7. raipo on May 3rd, 2011 8:07 pm

    I learned to read because of comics. Attending FCBD is sort of my tribute to the whole industry :D

  8. Kris on May 3rd, 2011 10:55 pm

    Are archie comics included? :)

  9. anj on May 4th, 2011 12:38 am

    I’m excited for this! Looking forward to seeing local artists too. I’m just loving these few weeks of comic book heaven. :D

  10. Sandy on May 4th, 2011 5:31 am

    Thanks for your post Gerry. Thanks for the kind words everyone. I myself learned how to read through comics. It’s become a lifelong love affair and I can’t think of a better way of sharing this than through FCBD.

    Final preparations are now being made…30,000+ comics will be given out this Saturday. Spread the Love!

  11. Borgy on May 4th, 2011 10:46 am

    I learned to appreciate comics when I was 8 (though I had been reading komiks since I was 2 thanks to my lola who had a tindahan that rented out komiks). My tatay bought me my first Batman comic for P20 (not a small amount back then) at a Booksale near Fiesta Carnival. I was hooked but I realized how expensive American comics were. If FCBD had existed then, that would have been like Christmas.

    This year, thanks to Comic Odyssey, a lot of people will get a ton of comics free. I hope a lot of kids come and learn the value of reading through comics like I did. Thanks to Sir Sandy and crew!!

  12. Gerry Alanguilan on May 4th, 2011 11:34 am

    Ako din I learned to read through comics. The first comic book I read, as in actually read and not just looked at the pictures was Hulk 185. The first words I learned were “PUNY” and “SMASH”.

  13. Pia Ranada on May 4th, 2011 10:33 pm

    Hey Gerry!

    This sounds very cool. I’ve invited some people from my org, Ateneo BookBench (official student org of the Rizal Library in Ateneo de Manila University) to go to this and grab some free comic books! :)

    For our org launch in June, we’ve decided to have Pinoy Comics as our theme. We were planning to hold a talk about comics and komikeros in the Philippines as one of the activities. Would you be interested in giving the talk? It can move more Ateneans to appreciate local comics :)

    If you want to know more about my org and the talk, we can send you a more formal letter. May I know your email ad, if you’re interested? Also, if you know other comic writers/artists who would be willing, please tell us too. Both of you can give the talk together :)

    Thanks! Hope to hear from you soon!

  14. Budjette on May 4th, 2011 11:41 pm

    SPOT.PH mentioned it in their site : http://www.spot.ph/event/47723/free-comic-book-day-2

    …which already got 7,000++ LIKES on Facebook :)

  15. emma linda m. diolola-ocampo on May 5th, 2011 10:15 am

    wowwwwwwwww, ang daming komiks…amin na lang yung mg alumang komiks niyo para sa mga batang bibigyan namin ng lapis at papel…kung natutuwa ako sa mga komiks, sure ako mas lulundag ang mga puso nila…kaya lang mahal ang komiks.(sad face).
    salamat sa ;lapis at papel na idinoneyt niyo at ng mga kaibigan ninyo.

  16. Richard Arao on May 6th, 2011 1:46 pm

    This is interesting. I might go to this event first before I go to megamall for metro comic con.

    Thank you so much for the info and for promoting this. :))

  17. frbarba@hotmail.com on May 8th, 2011 6:19 pm

    huhu…wala ko nakuha kahit isa =/

    http://youtu.be/RvpZCOW9iuA