The semester is over and I’m still going. On the upside, I’m going to things like Free Comic Book Day (FCBD)!!! I know, you have a host of questions.
What is "Free Comic Book Day?
Free Comic Book Day is a yearly event when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops.
When is Free Comic Book Day?
Free Comic Book Day is held the first Saturday in May.
Are they really free?
Yes, the comics are free to visitors. Different shops have policies on how many free comics you can receive, but you will receive at least one free comic if you enter a participating location. Ironically, FCBD is not free to the retailer, they pay for the comics.
Is every comic book store doing this?
The answer to that question is no. This event celebrates the independent comic book specialty shops. As a result, FCBD is different at each shop you attend as the owner determines on whether or not to participate and how much.
The images above are from my adventures visiting shops around Orlando on FCBD. FCBD is suppose to be the industry’s way to reach out to new readers. Like so many things involving comics in the United States, FCBD is not that simple. The benefits of FCBD for the established comic fan is obvious--you get free comics. For the new fan, the benefit is not so clear. Some comic shops go all out for the event. While others, while participating in FCBD experience, don't really attract much attention. Going around town on FCBD, I notice kids (the target audience) at only one location. This goes to the heart of the problem for the comics industry. While some parents brought their kids and enjoyed the opportunity to share comics with them, most locations--few kids.
Most of the locations I visited were filled with college age (and older) fans of comics. Moreover, like previous visits, my observation is that the demographic for the comic book shop have not diversified significantly. There were few women or person of color to be found. This, despite the obvious demographic transformation taking place in the United States. For all the possibility to incorporate greater diversity, most publisher have not expanded their offerings. If publishers expect to boost readership adding greater character diversity in terms of gender and race seem like the logically points of consideration. Yet, we know that greater diversity in comics seems to be getting harder and harder to realize. The recent reboot of characters such as Flash and Green Lantern have done little to diversify characters at DC comics in recent years. For Marvel, character like Luke Cage have gained greater importance, but these characters remain second tier in terms of sales and having their own single character books. The recent release of Iron Man 2, which featured the introduction of War Machine only serve the highlight the secondary nature African-American characters have played in the Marvel Universe. Even the Black Panther, the first black Marvel superhero, seems to be struggling to find an audience in print. Since 1998 the character has been re-launched three times. This, as the Marvel's recent acquisition by Disney gives it the possibility of new marketing muscle to promote characters.
The irony is that while comics are increasingly appealing to narrow hyper-specialize audience in print, the same properties are being adapted into film and other media for mass audience. This goes to the heart of the appearance question. Major motion picture adaptations are based on a surface understanding of the source material. The first film, often an origin story, is the easiest to understand for the general audience. The character's motivation is established and the good versus evil framework easy to follow. These stories are very much about the character and a non-specialize audience can identify who and what s/he is doing and understand their goals. The success of Iron Man works in this model. The first film merely shifted the origin story from Vietnam to Afghanistan. Other story elements were pulled from different eras, with characters and motivation matched up to reflect current concerns about geo-political conflicts and corporate power excesses. Iron Man 2 is doing well very well at the box office right now. Yet, the complaints about the film are worth noting. Like Iron Man, IM2 mines the source materials and provides a fresh take on classic Cold War inspired characters. Yet, film critics are not happy. Indeed, IM2 problem is the same problem most comic book movie have. As the character is developed in the film franchise, more elements from the comic are included. This inclusion enriches the narrative, but for the non-comic fan, that narrative is harder to follow and less appealing. The same excitement that made people want to see the first movie still exists for comic fans, but the general audience is force to follow more characters and a more complex fantasy world built around those characters. Thus, they don't necessarily like the second movie as much as the first. This problem builds over time. So, while building a more complex and engaging world based on a comic book makes comic fans excited, the broader audience may become less engaged. For filmmakers bridging the gap between the power fantasy associated with superhero comics and the American cultural values they represent, striking a balance is no easy task. Superheroes story can garner big audiences, but they also are open to criticism and complaint about sexism, violence, and cultural elitism.
The fans who came out FCBD love comic stories and want to see what new stories lines and characters are featured in the FCBD books. They love the idea of seeing these characters brought to life in movies. Yet, the more comic stories are incorporated into films, the more questions about the consequences associated with the power fantasy presented in comic book loom in the background. The tension goes to the heart of the comic book experience in the United States.
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