From slice-of-life to superhero to mystery genres, comic book fans of all ages can help themselves to free select titles while supplies last on Free Comic Book Day, a nationwide event taking place Saturday at participating stores.
 
Now in its 16th year, Free Comic Book Day draws large crowds of readers eager to pick up free titles from industry publishers large and small, said Eric Burke, co-owner of Tribe Comics and Games.
 
“We probably see 5[00]-600 people at least,” Burke said. “We always have a whole group of our customers come in, in costume—one of our customers is a professional costume maker, so he dresses up all his friends in whatever theme he’s doing that year.”
 
Readers who visit Tribe Comics can pick up as many as five free comics, and no additional purchase is required. Burke said his store is also having a sale on Free Comic Book Day: Shoppers receive a 10 percent discount on store items, action figures and statues will be discounted 20 percent, and discontinued items will be 50 percent off during the sale.
 
Burke said his store has been a Free Comic Book Day participant since 2009, the year after his South Lamar Boulevard store opened. He said publishers sell the comics at a discount to stores to help build interest in the hobby.
 
“The big 20 or 25 publishers always put stuff out, and they usually have one or two titles,” he said, adding smaller publishers also contribute titles if they are able to make the deadline.
Over at Junior's Comics and Cards on Slaughter Lane, owner Henry Buchanan Jr. said he is expecting several hundred visitors over the course of the day. Customers can pick up one free copy of each comic per person while supplies last. The shop has been a Free Comic Book Day participant since the event's inception.
Buchanan said the idea is to build a relationship with new readers to ensure customer loyalty throughout the year.
"If we pick up one or two customers over the year that are, like, diehard fans, that easily pays for itself. But during that daytime, just the amount of purchases—like impulse buys that people make— more than makes up for
it," he said, referring to the cost of the event.
Some of the titles available at Junior's w
ill be "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,"  "Lady Mechanika," "The Tick," "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Wonder Woman," to name a few.
Buchanan said readers who prefer smaller crowds may look to small shops for a more relaxed shopping experience.
"We're a small shop—only 1,100 square feet—so we can only fit X amount of people in through here. So it's not that big of a crowd," he s
aid. "The bigger shops in the area do way more people so they can avoid that."
Chris "Uncle Staple" Nicholas said he plans to visit at least one o
r more area stores during the event. Nicholas, who self-publishes comics and runs the annual Staple! Independent Media Expo, said he considers himself a casual participant who prefers the element of surprise when it comes to the titles he picks up as part of the giveaway.
"It's a fun promotion; it brings people together. It's a good way to bring new folks—kids especially—who may not have read a lot of comics before," Nicholas said. "Pretty much all the stuff that's given away for free is age-appropriate material, so it's safe for kids."
Buchanan said the event continues to grow bigger each year as a result of the industry's success with Hollywood film features.
"It gets bigger and bigger every year because you have more of a fan base because of all the movies and all the properties they keep making. More people are enjoying this type of genre, and more people are coming into shops like this," Buchanan said.
Nicholas offered a few tips for new readers who have yet to experience Free Comic Book Day.
"Show up early and stay hydrated in case it's a hot day," he said. "There's usually a big crowd and a long line to get through to get all the free comics. And carpool!"