Don't miss Free Comic Book Day on Saturday May 5th!

When it comes to annual springtime freebies, what continues to be the best-kept secret in town? Free Comic Book Day, of course. Yes, it’s true… each year, the first Saturday in May is the day when major and minor comic book publishers alike (including Marvel, DC Comics, Image, Dark Horse, Archie and many, many more) create special comic books that you and your children can pick up for free at your local comic book shop. Yes, you read that right — for free. For the past several years, Sesaya students have made a mid-afternoon post-music lesson trek up to Cyber City Comix, where each student has been able to pick up 5 free comic books — at absolutely no charge. We all know that children reading is a great thing. Free Comic Book Day is a great way to let your children make their own choices about what to read — and reading comics (which fuse the visual and the written) is an invaluable skill in our digital, image-rich world. Thinking about taking your kids to Free Comic Book Day? Here’s a couple of tips that will help you:

1. Not sure where your closest participating local comic book shop is? Use the FCBD Store Locator.
2. This year, an eye-popping 50 free comics are being offered, though not all are suitable for children, and most shops will limit each customer to 5 or 6. So it’s a good idea to check out the lineup before you head to the shop, to identify what might be appropriate and interesting for your kids. Check this link out to see all 50 and read brief summaries:
3. Once at the shop, maximize your reach. Get some books yourself, and try to encourage your children to each get different books. That way, there are more for you all to sample. (You can’t really go wrong with free comics featuring DC and Marvel superheroes, but check to ensure their other choices are age-appropriate.  For instance, the Archie Riverdale comic is based on the CW series, so it’s for teens, not  children.)
4. Check out what else the shop has to offer. It’s good etiquette to purchase something (a graphic novel, some $1 Archie digests, a mini-figure). You see, the comic book shop owner is receiving the books for free…but they have to pay for the shipping (which is substantial because comics are heavy). Say “thank you” and purchase something that interests you . . . to show them you appreciate them giving you and your children a chance to sample comics for free.

Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther are crushing it at the box office, but here’s your chance to expose your children to the medium that spawned these heroes and so many others, and get them reading of their own volition . . . and do it all for free. We at the Sesaya family are huuuuge comic book lovers.  We hope you’ll take advantage of FCBD like we do. Who knows… maybe we’ll see you up at Cyber City Comix! News You Can Use What: Free Comic Book Day Who: All ages When: Saturday May 5, 2018 Where: Participating comic shop near you Info: FreeComicBookDay.com © 2018 Scott Sneddon, Sesaya]]>