The only thing more fun than comic books is free comic books. To attract new readers and bring foot traffic to retailers, Free Comic Book Day was launched in 2002 and takes place each year on the first Saturday of May. Along with offering free comic books exclusive to the day, participating retailers often run fun promotions. This year’s publications come in every style – from funny to scary to super heroic – and they’re designed for kids of all ages.
For nearly 20 years, The Time Capsule, a beloved comics and collectibles store with locations in Cranston and Seekonk, MA has participated. Owner Rob Yeremian says that he sees about 500 people on Free Comic Book Day. “It’s a family-friendly event and an opportunity to put comics in the hands of young people, sometimes for the first time. It really helps build that future fandom and enjoyment of comics for years to come.”
After a few years of scaled-down events, Yeremian is excited to bring back some of the fun and excitement from pre-COVID days. Freebies this year include Avengers X-Men, Conan the Barbarian, Star Trek, Star Wars (don’t confuse the two), and Umbrella Academy & Witcher. There’s even a Smurfs Anniversary issue and everyone’s favorite turtles in a half shell, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Not every store has every comic and that’s where the adventure begins. Plan your day touring the area, visiting your local comic book shops, and try to get as many as you can. While you’re there, enjoy fun activities like cosplay contests and find special deals and offers on comics and collectibles all day long. Diehard collectors are there when the doors open. As they say in Pokemon, “Gotta catch ‘em all!” Providence: Newbury Comics, Rah-CoCo’s Collectables; Cranston & Seekonk: The Time Capsule; Warwick & North Attleboro: Toy Vault. Learn more at FreeComicBookDay.com
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