Comic Book Candy

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...

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 pa...

The month of May brings more than just warm weather and summer blockbusters. For comic book fans the world over, especially those in Chicago, Free Comic Book Day is the shining beacon that marks the end of a long, cold winter. FCBD means those much touted event books from the Big Two are right around the corner, and comic book movie adaptations aren't far behind either. This year saw the release of Thor the same weekend as FCBD, while past releases have included Wolverine and Star Trek . Despite a large amount of store participation across the world, many fans still do not know what this wonderful event is about. Speaking from retail experience, many casual comic readers see posters for FCBD and think, "What's the catch?" Though every store has different criteria, the main idea remains the same. Stop in to your local comic book store on the first Saturday in May and you can get 1 or more free books specifically released for FCBD, no purchase necessary. These books ...

The Comic Vault is an inviting spot along a quiet stretch of Montrose near Clark. (This post is part of an ongoing series where I attempt to visit every single comic book store within Chicago city limits. You can read more about the project here! ) Location: 1530 W Montrose in Ravenswood Public Transit: Nearest buses are the Clark (22) and Montrose (78), nearest train is the Montrose brown line. Hours: Mon - Fri: 11:00AM – 8:00PM Sat: 11:00AM – 6:00PM Sun: 11:00AM – 4:00PM Website: http://www.chicagoc omicvault.com The Comic Vault is another North side store (there are a lot) and it is rather unimposing in appearance, but don't make the mistake of overlooking this shop. The Comic Vault may be slight in scale, but the substance of the store is more than meets the eye. Things must be going well, too since they will soon be opening a second store in the Block 37 shopping center downtown on April 1st. For a business entering their fifth year, ambitious might be an under...

  Someone forgot to tell Spidey FCBD is a family friendly event. Any devoted comic book nerd knows about Free Comic Book Day; it's like Christmas for readers. For those who are new to the world of comics, or just missed the many fliers your store probably had posted for months, FCBD is exactly what it sounds like. Every first Saturday in May, vendors (at their own expense) give away free comics. Not just any books, these are titles released exclusively for the event by publishers; they are often kid friendly and are always meant to entice newcomers. In addition to free books, stores often have sweet deals (50% trade paperbacks? yes please!), and as if that wasn't enough, some stores even offer the chance to meet celebs of nerdom! This was my first year as a true participant of FCBD as the past several years were spent behind the counter of a busy comic book store. Though that still allowed me to witness throngs of newbies getting their first taste of comic book goodness, this ...