By Laurie O’Brien
Dig out your favorite super hero costume and mark your calendar for Saturday, May 4. That is the day Olympic Cards and Comics will host Free Comic Book Day, an annual event sponsored by the entire comic book industry, from manufacturers and distributors to mom-and-pop comic book shops across the country.
Olympic Cards and Comics has participated in the event since its inception, says Gabi Shephard who owns the 7,000 square foot shop on Pacific Avenue in Lacey.
The distributors chose about 50 titles and Shephard brings in as many copies as she can. The first year she gave away between two and three hundred comic books. She anticipates handing out ten times that many this year. “We gave away over 2,000 comics last year, and I imagine we’ll do that much again,” she says.
She doesn’t even hesitate when asked which titles she expects to be the popular. Buoyed by the hit television show, the giveaway issue of “The Walking Dead” comic book is sure to be gone quickly. Batman, Superman and other familiar titles like The Avengers will also be a draw.
“Movies and TV shows and those things have really brought a lot of people to the comic shops. (They’ve) done a very good job of widening the market,” says Shepard. “We have a lot of people who go and watch ‘The Avengers’ movie which was based on a comic book. They’ve never read comics before, but (now) they want more because the movie was good.”
Sometimes though, the comic book didn’t come first. Some of today’s popular comic books got their start in a different media source altogether. Star Wars, Sesame Street, and even Disney characters are all represented in the comic book genre and will be available at the event.
In addition to the free comic books, four well known comic book writers will be available at the store to meet and greet customers and to sign their work throughout the day.
Portland-based writers Greg Rucka and Jennifer Van Meter will be at Olympic Cards and Comics from 3-6 p.m. Rucka is a prolific comic book contributor and has written stories featuring some of the best known characters including Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. He has also created original characters and has served as a story-doctor and creative consultant across the industry. Van Meter is best known for the Eisner-nominated “Hopeless Savages.” She has also written short stories, single issues and several miniseries for Dark Horse, DC, and Marvel Comics.
Brandon Jerwa is a Seattle based writer best known for his work on comic tie-ins for properties such as Battlestar Galactica, Highlander, G.I. Joe, and Army of Darkness. He will be at the store from 1-5 p.m.
Jerwa, along with local writer Eric Trautmann, just celebrated a digital launch of their new comic project, “Frost,” about a rescue operation to recover an American asset from the heart of an Afghani warlord’s stronghold. Trautmann, who has written comics for DC Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, Image Comics, and Prima Games, will be at the store from noon until 5 p.m.
There will be a number of additional giveaways throughout the day, a magician and a balloon artist will be on hand, and as a bonus, everything in the store will be on sale from Friday, May 3 through Sunday, May 5.
Oh, and costumes, while not mandatory, are definitely encouraged!
Check here for a list of comics that may be available at Olympic Cards and Comics on May 4. Please note that there is no guarantee that a specific title will be available. Customers are limited to three free comic books each.
Olympic Cards and Comics
4230 Pacific Ave SE
Lacey, WA 98503
360.459.7721
