Free Comic Book Day: How to not Do It

I love Free Comic Book Day.

All you have to do is show up, pick up something for free, and read it. It reminds me of being a kid when the only cost of comics was pestering a parent. It's also a great chance to try something new that maybe isn't worth a four-dollar risk. (I say that with no hint of sarcasm. There's plenty of good stuff out there, so it's hard to spend four bucks on a total gamble when you could buy something you know to be good).

That said, when this sort of event is put in the hands of multiple retailers, somebody is bound to fuck it up.

How about this post from a comic shop the FCBD Facebook page:

We are using this as an opportunity to raise money for charity. We are asking our customers to bring a canned good or $1.00 to donate to the local food bank for every 3 titles they want to pick up. Times are hard, so we are hoping to help tehm out. -Space Cadets Collection Collection

What the fuck? No.

You're right, you are "using" this. It's awfully easy to raise money on a day when all the stuff you're selling was free to begin with.

The point of FCBD is that it's free.

If you're really into charity, sell your shit that day and give a portion to charity, or do a separate charity drive in hopes that the increased number of people in the store will be a good opportunity to get cans of creamed corn into the mouths of bums.

I also don't care for the shops that make you really work for the books. I know they don't want people to come in and clean them out, but you don't need to keep them behind the counter, sighing every time someone asks which books you have the same way a waiter does at Applebee's when you ask about the different kinds of salad dressing. The whole point of this day is to drive business to your store, so if you don't feel like dealing with people you shouldn't participate.

It's pretty simple. Free Comic Book Day is great because it is exactly what it says it is. You walk up and get free comics, no problem. Once you take out the "free," whether it be by actually sort of making people pay, or by making them labor, or by forcing someone to deal with you, you ruin the whole damn thing.