As far back as I can remember I’ve always owned Comic Books. Their numbers have steadily grown along with me into this huge collection I have today. It’s something I’ve never questioned, Comics have always just been a part of my life, my parents used to read them when they were younger and the love just got passed down to me I guess.
But now, as an adult, I have found myself questioning my love for it; why do I enjoy Comics and why do I spend my hard earned money buying them?
The answer is actually a really easy one: I do it because Comics are the key to this whole new world where there are no limits to what you can do. I grew up with all of my girlfriends wanting to be Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella, a typical princess in search of her prince and with it, her Happily Ever After, because that’s what they had to look up too. I, on the other hand, grew up wanting to be Black Canary or Wonder Woman, to stand up for what I believe in and rock the world a little in the process, and that was thanks to Comic Books.
By now you must be asking yourself why I’m here telling you about all this? No, it’s not just because I think more girls need to grow up reading comics, it’s because there is an event coming up that is pretty much one of my favorite annual events that isn’t a formal holiday, and that is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!
Free Comic Book Day is a single day, always held on the first Saturday in May, where Comic Book shops all around the world open their doors to fans and curious people alike, giving you the chance to take home some Comic Books to try out and to start or grow your collection with, for free.
An initiative started back in 2002 in America quickly spread around the world. It was originally started as a way to breath new life into fading Comic Book stores by creating a day that everyone, young or old, could come together to meet comic authors, artists, and other like-minded people and not feel out of place. I always look forward to it because I love seeing all the different people it attracts, from grandparents reminiscing back to their childhoods, super fans arguing about which universe is better, to people my age and younger discovering this brand new world for the very first time, there is this feeling of inclusiveness that I love.
If you want to find a store that’s participating in Free Comic Book Day near you then there is a handy store locator for you here.
As for me, I’m going to be celebrating the day at the opening for Central City Comics in Johannesburg. If you want to join me there, you can find everything you need here.
If you catch me there I’ll even try and give you a personalized comic book recommendation.. spoiler… I am definitely recommending Archie because everyone needs some Archie in their lives… EVERYONE!
