Phoenix Comics to participate in nationwide Free Comic Book Day

Free Comic Book Day might sound too good to be true, but it most certainly is not.

On the first Saturday of May every year, local comic book stores around the country give away comics to anyone who walks into the store. It’s both a celebration of the genre for current fans and a way for aspiring fans to better discover the world of comics.

Bloomington’s Vintage Phoenix Comics has participated in Free Comic Book Day every year since its inception 10 years ago. Being that it’s the store’s single biggest sales day of the year, this year will be no exception, manager Matt Traughber said.

“We give away thousands of comics, like 3,000 or 4,000, to over 1,000 people,”Traughber said. “Sometimes people buy things, but if not, that’s great. It’s really all about the free comics.”

The free comics are not throwaways either. Many authors and artists print or re-print new material especially for the cult holiday, and this year’s comics range from adult-aimed comics, like the “Darkness 2” prequel, to those more for kids, such as “Darkwing Duck.” There are over 35 comics in all.

“[Comic Book Day] is about comics being great entertainment, not something to simply hoard or collect,” Traughber said. “I mean you can do that, but the entertainment is what they’re really worth.”

Bloomington resident Ian Winningham has been reading comics since the early 2000s. He said he’s picked up some Comic Book Day leftovers in the past, but is considering attending for the first time this year.

“I support the idea of the day. Comics can seem like a really expensive hobby, but this is a good way to get people exposed and see it’s not intimidating,” Winningham said.

Indeed, sharing and community are aspects of comics that Traughber considers important and encourages.

“We try to avoid any sort of clubhouse mentality,” he said.

Vintage Comics opens at 11 a.m. Saturday and maintains its regular hours for Free Comic Book Day. It will have some decorations and some contests, but

Traughber said Phoenix tries to keep it pretty streamlined because, after all, it is all about the comics.