Local shops to celebrate Free Comic Book Day May 7
November’s Black Friday may be when most retailers are swamped with customers hoping to cash in on sales and promotions, but for stores catering to the superhero or science-fiction fan, the big day of 2016 will be May 7, the annual Free Comic Book Day.
“We're expecting to see hundreds of people who had no idea we existed before now, so hopefully that will do great things for us from a business perspective,” Haywood Comics owner Doug Cegelis said.
Haywood Comics is giving away $500 in store gift cards and offering various discounts on purchases, some tied to social media posts.
At 950 square feet, Haywood Comics may be one of the smaller comic book shops in WNC, but in addition to walls packed with individual issues, bookcases filled with graphic novels and shelves of action figures, the store also offers a variety of vintage vinyl records and video games.
Haywood Comics opened its doors seven months ago, but Cegelis wanted to wait until Comic Book Day to officially unveil its secret identity, so to speak.
This is the 15th year of a national sales promotion that gives customers free of charge a select number of specially printed titles, ranging from “Archie” and “DC Super Hero Girls” to “Doctor Who,” “The Avengers” and “Suicide Squad.” For the newest store catering to geek culture in Western North Carolina, it will also be its official grand opening.
“People are often surprised how we can be so diverse in such a small store," Cegelis said, also listing "cool stuff from vinyl and turntables, board and role-playing games, to classic and current video games and consoles."
A few miles away off Smokey Park Highway in Candler, the folks at Hero Hunter Comics are also preparing for a big turnout on Free Comic Book Day.
“People love a deal ... and who can beat free?” said owner Will Hessling. “I encourage kids and adults alike to pop in to their closest shop and take a look, because that's the amazing thing about comics: There really is something for everyone.”
Other stores in the Asheville area, including Comic Envy on Tunnel Road and Pastimes on Weaverville Road, will have the same free comics available, but Cegelis hopes he may have a secret sales power to save the day in Candler.
For comic newbies, we'll have a great selection of the most mainstream comic titles that most people start with. For die-hard collectors, we've been working hard to grow our collection of older Silver and Bronze age comics, so I think they'll be pleased to find many issues that might not be available elsewhere.”In addition to discounts, "we've got almost 3,000 comics to give away,” he said. “Local artist Jarrett Rutland will be signing his comic ‘Robot Samurai Penguin,’ which has become our best-selling kid's comic."
Both retailers admit their love of comics goes back decades to childhood when reading and collecting comics may not have been the most popular activity, but all that has changed in recent years when big screen blockbusters “Batman,” “Iron Man” and the more recent and R-rated “Deadpool,” as well as their respective merchandise, have changed attitudes to make being a comic book geek something which is quite chic.
“There seriously is something for literally everyone in the world of comics right now,” Hessling said.
“It's a renaissance of amazing stories at both DC and Marvel Comics and indie properties being snatched up with the success of ‘The Walking Dead,’" Hessling said. "It’s all bringing kids back to the fandom and that is huge.”The influence and quality of comics continues to increase in the culture, the store owners agreed.
To learn more about Free Comic Book Day and participating stores, visit www.freecomicbookday.com.
Contact Jonathan Rich at jonathanwlrich@gmail.com.
