POW! Stores giving away free comic books Saturday

By NEIL WHITE - ntwhite@thestate.com

Hey, Archie, tell Jughead.

Tell Superman, too. And you also might want to spread the news to Bart Simpson and Iron Man and Sonic the Hedgehog.

Saturday is Free Comic Book Day, when specialty shops across the country will be giving away free comic books.

That’s right — FREE! BIFF! BOOM! POW! All you have to do is stroll into a participating store and ask for one.

This seventh annual event, which takes places the first Saturday each May, is designed to promote comic books by introducing new readers to them as well as re-introducing those old readers to this classic art form. It doesn’t matter if you grew up reading the latest adventures from DC and Marvel or if you couldn’t tell the difference between Betty and Veronica.

“This is a great event because it’s a way to get awareness for the comics industry,” said Eric Woodard, publisher for West Columbia-based Vineyard Press, which is unveiling a one-shot comic book called Dish this day.

Woodard notes that comic books were the precursor to animated multimedia extravaganzas people see today, from TV shows to movies to video games.

“This day was established to get the medium that spawned all those other things into the forefront,” he said.

Woodard will be at Heroes and Dragons on Bush River Road on Saturday with his company’s newest comic-book creation. Other local stores participating are Silver City Comics in Cayce, Acme Comics in West Columbia, and Comic Nirvana in Lexington. Not all comics will be free, but the major comics publishers have produced special editions to provide to retailers, who will give them away for free.

Saturday’s date also happens to coincide with the weekend release of the “Iron Man” movie, which is based on the fictional Marvel Comics superhero and stars Robert Downey Jr.

“This should help make the day much more of a high-profile thing,” Woodard said.

But whether it’s lower-profile, such as a locally created comic book like Dish, or higher-profile, like a major motion-picture release starring a comic-book hero, Woodard believes the goal is the same.

“It’s a way to get people involved in reading,” he said.

Kids can be encouraged to read by being drawn to the highly colorful and visual comics, which also serve as an outlet for illustrators and storytellers to showcase their talents.

“I started this press to give myself and other creative people the chance to get their work into print,” Woodard added.

The day celebrates the work of publishers big and small, and its intent is to appeal to the casual comic-book fan as well as the hard-core one who wouldn’t miss an event like the Heroes Convention in Charlotte on June 20-22.

For more information, go to freecomicbookday.com or check with one of the local retailers. Better yet, stop by a shop Saturday.

And say hello to Archie and Jughead.