Free Comic Book Day 2013: An Overview

Joker and Batdog hanging out in front of G-Mart

Oh boy. Who else is still recovering from the non-stop fun and insanity of Free Comic Book Day? No doubt comic book retailers are relaxing after what has quickly become one of the biggest sale days of their year. Other fans like myself that attempted to visit as many local comic shops as possible are likely feeling exhausted as well. We made it to seven stores all together and still did not get to visit every shop on our list (you can see a map of our progress here.) The newly opened Aw Yeah Comics in Skokie would have been a fun stop, as well as the downtown location of Graham Crackers Comics, and First Aid Comics in Hyde Park. Perhaps next year we will go in on a rental with friends and commit to covering more ground. Traveling an area of about 16 miles in a day doesn't sound like a lot, but to a city dweller relying on public transit carrying a large camera and an ever growing stack of free books, this was an epic odyssey of retail exploration. My shopping partner for the day was Wendi Freeman, host of the Double Page Spread podcast. We were later joined by Michelle Flamm, game designer and local cosplayer.  Our first stop of the day was not a comic shop, but Hot Doug's, a well-known Chicago eatery. The delicious bacon hot dog and duck fat fries fueled us for the rest of day.  Here is a rundown of all of our stops in the order we visited them. We do apologize to the later retailers as you will notice that our photo albums do become smaller and smaller throughout the day as we became more and more exhausted!

G-Mart Comics, 2641 N Kedzie Ave  Chicago, IL 60647

Upon turning the corner onto Kedzie Avenue, we were excited to see the impressively long line snaked down the block for G-Mart Comics. Seeing how many people were this excited for free comics was a great way to start the day. Families, cosplayers, costumed pets, and curious pedestrians alike joined the line. Perhaps the saddest part of free comic book day is that you can go to many stores in one day, but you'll only be able to see this kind of frenzy when a store is first opening its doors to anxious customers. Once doors did open at G-Mart, staff offered a raffle ticket to each and every person for door prizes. I won the opportunity to grab 10 free Marvel Now! comics. These were books that were not part of the Free Comic Book Day event, and I was blown away by the store's generosity. Others won free trades, toys, even hardcovers. Snacks were plentiful, displays of recommendations were on every countertop, and traffic was maintained throughout our visit to ensure the store did not become over-congested. Considering how many free comics and books we walked out with, I will be sure to stop by in the next few weeks to throw more business their way. I did make one purchase while in store of Terry Moore's Rachel Rising Vol. 1. See photos of our visit here.

Challengers Comics + Conversation, 1845 N Western Ave #2R  Chicago, IL 60647

Challengers had been open a few hours by the time we arrived yet it was still bustling with customers. They had two creators on hand, Jamal Igle, creator of Molly Danger, and Chris "Elio" Eliopoulos, creator of Okie Dokie Donuts. Both had created books that were being released this FCBD which means everyone could have their book signed. A few dedicated cosplayers were also on site for photographic opportunities, including a killer cross-dressing Storm, Spidey, and a Challengers themed superhero. Owners Pat Brower and Dal Bush both stated that this year's event was shaping up to be even bigger than last year, a sentiment expressed by retailers throughout the day. In addition to free comics, we also purchased Greg Rucka's Queen & Country Volume 1. See photos of our visit here.

Brainstorm Comics, 1648 W North Ave  Chicago, IL 60622

This was actually our first time visiting Brainstorm, a shop known for its focus on independently created comics. They also offer video rental services, making it a bit of a hybrid comic shop. Local creator Dave Scheidt, writer of Monster Dudes, was on hand to sign copies of his comics. The set up for this shop didn't allow for as much space as the other stores we visited, so the free books were kept behind the counter and customers were able to give their requests to employees who would grab the comics for them. Plenty of original artwork was available to purchase in store as well. See photos of our visit here.

Alleycat Comics, 5304 N Clark St  Chicago, IL 60640

The Andersonville neighborhood was plenty busy when we arrived at Alleycat and the store was no exception. We were pleasantly surprised to see many creators on hand, though I say surprised because there was no mention of them on the store's Facebook or Twitter pages. Maybe I've become spoiled by other local comic shops fully utilizing social media, but it does make a huge difference especially with an event like Free Comic Book Day. Like Brainstorm, the set up for free comics required customers to ask employees for the books of their choice housed behind a counter. There was still quite a large selection of books when we arrived, and we saw plenty of the more obscure kid friendly books that other stores had not opted to carry (or had already run out). See photos of our visit here.

Graham Crackers Comics in Edgewater, 5443 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640

By this point in the day (it was nearly four when we arrived) the event was winding down, but it was still fairly busy for a store that does not get a lot of foot traffic. Store manager Shanna said she had even doubled her orders over last year and was still shocked by how many titles were already depleted. The store had just recently expanded their weekend hours and employees said this helped spread out some of the initial Free Comic Book Day craziness. Since this is my local comic shop that I visit nearly every week, I was less observant than some of our other store visits and realized later how few photos we took in store. But don't let that fool you, we still had a blast! See photos of our visit here.

Third Coast Comics, 6234 N Broadway St  Chicago, IL 60660

Third Coast was still relatively busy when we arrived considering how late it was, though the number of comics left clearly indicated that the busiest part of the day had since passed. The store was hosting a karaoke event in the evening, and we cannot imagine how the employees maintained enough energy to continue the festivities late into the night. Two creators were still on hand, including Tom Kelly, though according to Third Coast's various social media sites there had been a rotating roster throughout the day of special guests. Each artist offered free sketches but also had prints and comics available for purchase. See photos of our visit here.

Dark Tower Comics, 4835 N Western Ave  Chicago, IL 60625

The final stop of our day, Dark Tower was nearly out of free comics and their two special guests, artists  Chris Burnham and Jenny Frison, had already gone for the day. Even the cosplayers left on hand looked exhausted! We so wish we could have stopped by earlier to get sketches, but were still happy to swing by and see how the day faired for the store. There were still plenty of customers milling around, which was not surprising considering the deep discounts offered on the other store merchandise. Nearly everything in store was on sale, including 50% back issues. Several stores offered sales in conjunction with FCBD, but Dark Tower had the most tempting offers. See photos of our visit here.

And that is a wrap for our Free Comic Book Day coverage! We came home with over 30 free comics, two trades that we paid for, lots of free posters, and some very sore feet. We hope you were able to make it out, but if not, perhaps coverage of this wonderful event has convinced you to mark your calendar for next year. Until the first Saturday in May of 2014, be sure to visit your local comic shops and maybe buy some books.

Free Comic Book Day 2013: Tips & Recommended Reading

May the 4th be with you this Free Comic Book Day (picture of Graham Crackers Comics in Edgewater during last year's FCBD)

It only comes but once a year, so be sure to set aside an hour or two today to enjoy Free Comic Book Day. It may be difficult to pry yourself away from the premiere of Iron Man 3 or Star Wars: May the 4th Be With You events; I can assure you, it is well worth doing. You would think free comics would be an easy sell but each year I meet fans that either don't know about the annual event or have never made the time to check it out. Here's a quick guide to how to get the most out of your FCBD experience.

Where do I go to obtain these "free comics"? 

A good place to start! Most, but not all comic shops participate. The quickest way to find out if your store will have free comics is the FCBD store locator.  Just enter your zip code and they will find the shops for you! Keep in mind that these comics are free for you, but not for the participating retailers. If you go to one store or many, try to throw some business their way while you're stopping by.

Who should I go with? 

Your die hard fans will be easily convinced to join you on your trip, but one thing to keep in mind is that this event is specifically designed to engage new readers, specifically young ones. Bring your children, nieces and nephews, and those friends that keep borrowing your comics but haven't actually started buying their own yet. Every last one of them is new reader friendly as well, so whether you're looking to discover new comics to read or want to get a friend or family member hooked on comics, this is the perfect opportunity to do so. 

What comics should I pick up? 

Since there are so many FCBD releases, it can be hard to grab all of the comics that you want. Many stores limit each person to three comics each, so be choosey. Better yet, plan to visit a few shops to ensure you can grab all of the books you seek. Comics released by the larger companies like Marvel and DC will be abundant at each location and likely the last to run out. Be sure to grab the oddball stuff first, comics from the independent publishers, and comics with the original content. Ask the store employees for suggestions based on your current reading or what you like to watch. The cartoon tie-in comics will be the most tempting to children, but be sure to pick up something from Archaia or Top Shelf for them as well. 

Recommended Reading

Here are the books we will be seeking on our FCBD outing, and we recommend you grab them if you can. Follow the link for more info and short previews as well!

Molly Danger / Princeless

Mouse Guard / Rust Flip Book

DC Nation Super Sampler #1

Top Shelf Kids Club

And a few that are not all ages friendly:

Mass Effect / Killjoys

The Walking Dead Special

The Strangers

2000 AD Special

We'll be posting photos from our adventures later today or tomorrow, so check back to see Free Comic Book Day in Chicagoland's finest comic shops. Share your favorite reads with us throughout the day on Facebook and Twitter! 

Ladies' Night Anthology Volume 1: Chicago

Over the past several months, my roles as comic book fan and blogger have taken a back seat to a new position: come book collaborator. I have previously written about my role as moderator of Graham Crackers Ladies' Night, a monthly meeting of female comic book fans, but I have not devoted any time on my site to talk about the resulting comic book anthology. Ever since Hannah Chapman created the Ladies' Night event shortly over a year ago, participants kept bringing up the idea of creating our own comic. The initial concept was for it to be something the creators amongst us could work on and share with everyone and receive feedback. It didn't take long to realize what a large pool of talent we had in our group and we decided to make our project a little more ambitious. We assigned editors for each story, created deadlines for each stage of creation rather than setting a final date for completed stories, and organized  workshops for writing, penciling, and lettering. My experience as editor-in-chief has also taught me to appreciate those comic book creators that are always up to date on their reading (as I have clearly fallen behind). It's hard to imagine working on more than one comic at a time, let alone more than one a month! And yet I'm not the only contributor anxious to start on volume two even though we have yet to print volume one. We're close but still have work to do including formatting final artwork for print and getting together the rewards for those that contributed to our crowd fund. This might be an eleventh hour plug, but there is still time to back the project as we are a little more than 24 hours from the end of the campaign:

GCC Ladies' Night Anthology

We're still taking pre-orders from comic book retailers and hope to raise enough to meet the minimum amount required for a price break from the printers. DIY comics, everybody! Everyone involved is just thrilled to see this thing come to fruition no matter how large or small the print run. Mark my words though, you will say many of these ladies creating comics on a larger scale in the near future. I truly believe any one of them could go on to make a name for themselves if they keep creating, and really that is the hardest part. But I've definitely got the bug for editing and may contribute a story for the next volume, so I am happy to continue supporting more opportunities for these and other creators to make comics. We're tossing around ideas for volume two now and a Star Trek zine is also in the works. We'll be sure to make more frequent updates about these endeavors as they form. Until then, keep checking back here for continued comic book blogging and you can also follow us on tumblr now where we can more easily make micro-updates and keep the long form writing on the main site. Here are a few panels from the upcoming Ladies' Night Anthology: Volume 1 Chicago. Unless specified, each artist completed all artwork and lettering:

From Ever Vigilant Art by Anissa Espinosa, words by KayPee Luczak

From Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight Art by Cynthia Bottomley, words and lettering by Jen Aprahamian

From Pre-Sliced Pickels Art by Kat Leyh, words by Hannah Chapman

From Passing Thoughts Art by Caitlin Peters, words by Kim Garvey

From Doors Closing Art by KayPee Luczak, story by Summer Sparacin

From Don't Move Art by Shay Barron, words and color by Kris Mackenzie

From Mylie and the Woman Art by Kris Mackenzie, Words by Tara Zuber

From The Vampire Hunters of Lincoln Park Art by Lisa Kwon, words by Lauren Burke

C2E2 2013: A Pre-Show Guide

Smell that? It's con season, baby. Consider your money already spent, and don't plan on getting any sun while you peruse the aisles of the large, open floors of exhibition halls. Hunt down those deals, get those autographs, and wear your most comfortable shoes. And most importantly: get your game plan together early. 

C2E2 is still three weeks away, which gives you plenty of time to decide who you want to see and what you want to buy. In addition to our usual tips and tricks for conventions (see last year's guide), having attended three out of the last four years of C2E2 we have a few closely guarded secrets to share as well.

Make A List

This is always a good place to start. Write down everything and everyone you'd like to see, then prioritize because you most likely won't get to see everything. Attending the Patton Oswalt Q&A on Saturday will no doubt require a chunk of time spent standing in line. Attending the costume contest will also require careful planning. The panels have already been scheduled, so if you're not planning to go all weekend you will find that looking at the schedule will help you narrow down your day of choice as well. 

Budget Yourself

Now that you know who and what you will be seeing, you can decide how you'll spend your money. Give yourself some wiggle room for impulse buys as well because you'll always find something on the con floor you can't live without. For example:

$30 for limited edition tees

$100 for sketches

$20 for food

$50 for back issues

$60 for signed picture of (insert guest television star)

$50 for impulse buys

Only bring cash if you don't trust yourself to stay on budget (and vendors always prefer cash). If your budget is modest, have no fear. One can go to a con and have just as much fun spending hundreds of dollars as those that only pay the entry fee. This is especially true of C2E2 where the programing is the real draw for many comic fans.

Get To Know Artist Alley

It's difficult to make a budget for art purchases if you don't know who will be at the show, so be sure to check ahead of time to see who will have a booth in artist alley. That way you won't be disappointed when you realize your favorite webcomic creator is in town but you didn't budget enough to purchase a print. Some of the bigger name creators will even have sketch sign ups before the actual convention which means they could potentially be all booked by the time you make your way to their table (Cliff Chiang was one such artist last year). 

Start A Sketch Book

This is one piece of advice I have yet to undertake myself. Buy a nice sketchbook with thick bristol board paper, choose a theme, and pass it from artist to artist throughout convention season. For example, you could have a sketchbook that is comprised of your favorite characters eating hamburgers. Or you could create your favorite rogues gallery as teenagers. The best part is that each time you pass it to a new artist, they get to see what each artist before them has done. Once it is filled you'll have a unique and varied piece of artwork unlike anything else in your collection.

Download the C2E2 App

How many conventions have their own app? Reed Pop has clearly made interaction with con-goers a top priority. No need to carry around that multipage program (though we won't judge you if you still do), you can access the con schedule straight from your phone and stay up to date with changes as they happen. You can even plan your schedule with the app, ensuring that you won't miss a panel or signing.

Tweet Your Favorite Food Truck

As we stated in last year's guide, there are plenty of good eats around McCormick if you're willing to drive a few minutes, but if you want to stay in the immediate vicinity of McCormick, your options are limited. There is a mall-like food court and a few snack stands, but none of it does the city of Chicago justice. If you would like to see more options, contact your favorite food trucks and let them know about the show! We know at least one will be parking nearby, 5411empanadas, and we plan to tweet more of our favorite sweet and savory food vendors as well.

Plan Post Con Activities

If you have friends coming into town just for the show, know where you'd like to have dinner at the end of a busy day on the con floor. Plan a trip to the Hyatt bar to rub elbows with creators. See if anyone around town is having a Doctor Who viewing party of the new episode. Where there are cons, there are after parties.

Be sure to follow us on twitter as we'll be sharing our con schedule in the upcoming weeks! See you on the con floor.

Sure Signs That I'm Behind Reading Comics

Let's get the obvious out of the way. I have neglected to write about comics lately. One only need look at my "recent posts" to notice that they are in fact, not that recent. There was no year end wrap up,  no best of 2012 list, and there is a serious lack of praise for books like Hawkeye and Mind MGMT (these titles deserve multiple posts of devotion). What has been taking up my leisure time? Why the ravenous consumption of other media! Specifically Game of Thrones.

Game. Of. Thrones. Now, the holidays are not an unusual time for a fan to fall behind on reading. Family engagements, holiday parities, gift shopping, and generally managing one's sanity before the passing of New Years can overtake favorite pasttimes like reading and blogging about comics. But what turned this seasonal absence into prolonged sabbatical was the receipt of one gift: the four book boxset of George R. R. Martin's series A Song of Ice and Fire (seen above). It's a good thing I became a comic book fan; my lack of self control could have led to far more destructive habits. But just because comics are my chosen addiction doesn't mean they can't be neglected by other obsessions. GoT took my comic loving heart and ran. The ever expanding cast of morally ambiguous characters that inhabit the world of Westoros left little room for else.

As I near the end of book four and complete watching season two of the HBO series, my pace has finally slowed enough to allow me to begin catch up on the last few months accumulation of comics. I'm not quite there, but this week I'm now current on several of my favorite titles: Saga, Hawkeye, Locke & Key, The Walking Dead, and the Buffyverse books. That still leaves me behind on quite a few titles, including (shamefully) Hellboy In Hell, Mind MGMT, Wonder Woman, Morning Glories, and many more. 

I've missed reading comics, especially the community aspect I enjoy as a reader and blogger. Whether tweeting my thoughts, writing a review, or chatting about it with friends at the comic shop, I rarely read comic books in a vacuum. I can't wait to resume this shared enjoyment, and hopefully discover my next all consuming media. Maybe this time it will be a comic.

Next: Game of Thrones wasn't my only time suck these last few months. Instead of reading comics, I've also been contributing to creating one. More on Ladies' Night Anthology coming soon! 

Equal Opportunity Objectification: Step In the Right Direction?

Well....Probably not. But one gaming journalist's view on a female targeted Nintendo event gives insight into what this rare role reversal looks like from the male perspective. The result? A refreshingly humorous response to what would have made many others uncomfortable.

In spite of himself, Grant Howitt seems to have enjoyed the far-from-subtle event. Nails, wine, Wii-enabled karaoke, celebrity impersonators, and a male model posing for a 3DS sketch contest. It's like the love-child of Carrie Bradshaw and Princess Peach, conceived in a Katy Perry fever dream. There aren't enough eye-rolling gifs on tumblr to express how an event like this would make me feel had I been an attendee. Yes, I enjoy having my nails done. Does that go well with a gaming event? Not if I actually want to deftly handle a controller. Singstar sure is fun, but I don't own it. WiiFit is probably the last game that I would break out amongst a group of friends. And I don't think I've ever used the sketch feature on my DS. But clearly Nintendo was aiming this event at potential customers and not established ones, what they might see as the "unlikely gamer": the girly girl. The unabashedly female. 

There is a particularly resilient stereotype about female gamers only playing Nintendo, and this event is probably worse than what perpetrators envision. This would serve to feed the flames of those diligent gatekeepers of nerddom protecting the purity of the keep known as "true gaming culture". Imagine the horror! This isn't even girls playing Super Mario Brothers, this is an event attempting to convince women that gaming can be equally useful and entertaining. Singing with friends or counting calories puts gaming in the same wheelhouse as well, drinking wine and doing nails. So for their efforts, I cannot fault Nintendo. I can snobbishly claim that this is not my idea of gaming, but it is still a rare attempt to court the largely ignored female audience. For that I can be grateful.

Sex appeal was certainly a component of this event, but booth babes and beefcake are equally one dimensional and just as likely to titillate as offend their intended audience. But how often do we see men in hotpants hawking gaming hardware? It's a rare sight indeed. Grant Howitt sums up the difference between the far too common booth babe and Nintendo's nudish male model:

"I can’t imagine the sort of noise that Nintendo would have received for having a bloke-themed event where you draw women stood in their underwear on 3DS units, and I don’t want to pass judgement on them for what they did. Well, not that one thing, anyway. Everything else is pretty much fair game.

It’s not my place to do so, and as far as I’m concerned, the objectification of men is in such trace amounts across society that we shouldn’t really have to give a shit about it. I can say that fifteen men drawing an undressed woman at a party would be a very, very different vibe and not one I’d rush to participate in."

The sooner women are treated as an equally profitable customer base, the better. Even if the first step in that direction means being the recipient of stereotypical marketing campaigns. Perhaps having more half-undressed blokes at gaming events wouldn't be a bad thing after all.

2012 Geek Gift Guide: Star Wars Edition

Disney's recent acquisition of Lucasfilm has given Star Wars fans a new hope - could a new trilogy of sequels erase the bad taste left in our collective mouths by the much lauded prequels? That exciting possibility has also rekindled fans' love of the original series. Ironic that George Lucas financially divorcing himself from the series has made it socially acceptable once again to be a Star Wars fan, just in time for the holidays as well! Loving all things Jedi may have gone in and out of style over the past thirty years, but the merchandising machine never stopped making awesome Star Wars related items. These ARE the gifts your friends and family will be looking for this year:

Black Milk Clothing: Star Wars Collection

For the discerning Star Wars fan, the nerd couture clothing of Black Milk makes a perfect gift. Showing your love of Star Wars does not have to be limited to wearing tee's sold at big box stores! Choose from dresses, bathing suits, and leggings adorned with the characters of Star Wars.

Death Star Tea Infuser

If you decide to get this loose tea infuser as a gift, may I suggest getting black tea to go with it? Only the darkest of teas should be crated by the Death Star.

Star Wars Mad Libs

When you give this Star Wars' (noun) as a gift for (holiday), you will make (name of person) the (adjective) person on (holiday) morning.

Star Wars Dart Board

If you know someone looking for that final touch in their Jaba the Hutt-like party den, this dart board adorned with gold bikini Princess Leia will really tie the room together.

Dark Horse Star Wars Comics

Not only do you have 20 years worth of tie in stories to choose from, but some of the biggest names in comics have written Star Wars comics for Dark Horse. The likes of Chuck Dixon, Chris Claremont, John Ostrander, and Stan Sakai have penned stories while Adam Hughes and Tony Akins have penciled issues. One of my personal favorites (as seen above) is a Valentine's Day special written by Judd Winick and drawn by Paul Chadwick. Another reason to buy these comics as gifts this year is because Dark Horse may not have the rights to publish Star Wars comics for much longer. With Disney now owning Marvel and Lucasfilm, it is likely that they will decide to keep all of their intellectual property with one publisher, much the way Boom! Studios lost the rights to those Pixar books (those were hot sellers, especially for all ages titles).

Empire Propaganda Posters

This Etsy seller has several different Star Wars propaganda posters to choose from, each equally rousing as the last. Perfect for the friend that is equal part Star Wars fan and history buff.

Jeffrey Brown's Vader & Son, Vader's Little Princess

If you have yet to enjoy Jeffrey Brown's adorable Vader & Son, do yourself a favor and read it before passing it along as a gift (they won't know). If your friend already has this book, you can pre-order the eagerly anticipated sequel, Vader's Little Princess due for release in May. It's a long way off, so perhaps downloading these adorable Luke, Leia, and Vader themed present tags will make the wait feel a little shorter.

Next: Comic Book Gift Guide!