Tho make it a thuper fantathtic day! (Say it with a lisp.)
Vader COMMANDS IT!!!!
While some people are gearing up for the liver triathlon that is the Cinco De Mayo weekend, I have other plans.
The first Saturday in May for the past 12 years has been Free Comic Book Day! So like last year, I plan to volunteer some time helping my favorite funny book store (Illusive Comics and Games) keep things nice and orderly, be it product or people. I love free comic book day. It’s a wonderful day that you get to see nearly all the regulars that pop into the shop in one day.
On the other side of the coin, FCBD is a great way to get new readers into comics whether it be trying out a new title that you may not normally try or for those that have never picked one up before. It’s always cool when someone comes into the shop for the first time and doesn’t just go for the free stuff but they take time to look around and see all the other cool sh*t that the store has. For example, there are tons of really REALLY cool games. Now, mind you, I am not of the game personality persuasion, but there are a few that I love to play. Two of my favs: a card/dice game called Quarriors and Dungeons and Dragons: Lords of Waterdeep .
When I try to think back on my younger years with comics (Superman and Detective Comics all from the 7-11) and such, I remember a lot of Super Friends cartoons and Spiderman and his Amazing Friends. As a kid, I didn’t really have friends like I have now. I didn’t have any people that I enjoyed hanging out or (playing) with except for an older girl named Ines. She was so kind and she talked to me like I wasn’t a kid. But as far as peers? I pretty much kept to myself. I would rather listen to the radio or watch MTV. They used to play real music videos and not the crap that is on now. Yeah, I got along with everyone, but they weren’t really FRIENDS. I think that is why the Super Friends and Spiderman cartoons resonated with me. A core group of people that have similar lives and beliefs? I think I always longed for a group to “belong” to. In some senses, I sometimes think I still have a part of that insecurity/longing with me.
The thing about comics that I loved and still love is that it allows me to dream…big! I never felt weird for being so different and I never thought I was weird like some of the kids teased.
My hope is that other kids who come to love these artfully (both in writing and image) created books find that it is a wonderful gateway to dream up the impossible. To wish for superpowers to make the world a better place. To stand up for doing what is right.
Did you have a comic that you loved as a kid? Did you come to enjoy the funny books later in life? What’s your comic book story?
May the 4th be with you, my friends!
The Actorvist 