Effectiveness
Free Comic Book Day has three main purposes:
- To introduce everyone to the joys of reading comics.
- To call back former comic book readers.
- To thank current comic book buyers for their continued support.
Publishers produce special edition comics geared to attracting new non-comic readers. There is a wide diversity of comics available, from traditional comics fare like Archie and Disney, super-heroes from Marvel and DC, manga from Tokyopop, as well as work from independent publishers.
In its first six years, more than 2000 retailers in more than 30 countries have given away more than 12 million Free Comic Book Day special-edition comic books. The success of the promotion rests with each participating retailer. Most participants agree that Free Comic Book Day has been part of a healthier comics market and growing comic book sales over the last several years.
Free Comic Book Day has garnered tremendous press coverage in all media. The first event was May 4, 2002, just a day after the opening of the first Spider-Man movie. Linking the event with movies was somewhat controversial, as some believe that it implied the comic book medium was simply a promotional arm of the film industry. However, successful Free Comic Book Day events in 2005 and 2006 did not have specific date tie-ins to comics-related movie openings, proving that the event is more than capable of standing on its own, while the 2004 event was linked with the July opening of the second Spider-Man movie and was deemed less successful for falling outside of the regular school year.
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