Holy cow, what can you say about this year's Free Comic Book Day that isn't in ALL CAPS? Even though we ordered way more books than ever before (12,000!), we gave nearly all of them away, to the HUNDREDS of fans who showed up, many of whom were lined up well before we opened the store at 10am!Free Comic Book Day is always the biggest day of the year for us, but this year everything really came together just right. It was warm, but cloudy enough to not be really hot. It was cloudy, but the clouds never did open up and rain. We set up a giant tent in front of our store, and within minutes of our 9 special guests arrival, there were lines snaking all over the place, as they signed autographs and did FREE sketches! Literally, all day the space under that tent was crammed with fans and pros, just kinda hanging out and getting to know each other.
Inside there was a line snaking around the store for pretty much the entire day--we always do a lot of business on Free Comic Book Day, but it seemed like this year EVERYONE bought something, including all the kids who showed up. This is hugely gratifying for us--having kids come in to get some freebies is one thing, but when they come in and buy a bunch of comics, it means they've become comics readers. This year we definitely saw a HUGE increase in the number of kids actively buying comics, which is awesome.
Pretty much the whole staff was on deck and working hard all day long, with Seth and Shelton starting things at 7am! Phil, Rusty, and Adam shut things down, an even more unforgiving task, given that the rest of us had taken off for a party our friends Anne Geary and Scott Valeri threw for staff and guests. But don't worry--the three last employees made it to the party after they closed the store down, and we all got to enjoy some delicious barbecue and some cold beverages.
All in all, this Free Comic Book Day might be this reporter's favorite yet--just a general good vibe and a great time for everyone! But don't trust me: I've put up a TON of photos on our Flickr site, most with some sort of unnecessary description. Check em out! But while you're hear, please accept our earnest thanks for making this Free Comic Book Day the best ever! And thanks also to our staff, who really came through in a big way!
7 comments:
Wow. Great work team Heroes. I'm all misty eyed. I'm trying to think of a way to convice my wife that we need to drive to Charlotte next may.
That should be "convince". I'm not sure what it means to convice one's wife but it sounds illegal in all states except Utah.
Great photo report!!! Agreat day was had by all! And THANX for the AWESOME grub Anne and Doc Scott!!! Ya'll rock!
Sweet! More slightly embarassing pictures of me on the interweb for all to see. For the record, I was not on anything for FCBD as the Flickr report leads you to believe. I was just in a good mood, or sleep deprived. Take your pic.
Pictures do not lie, Shawn--only one person smiled in every photo... shame on you.
Holy Crow!! Not only did you guys out-do yourselves AGAIN, there is a love fest of letters and links at comicsreporter. YES!!!!!
I can't thank Heroes enough for what they provide to the Queen City. What a great family day!
Thank you also for getting a picture of the fair Anya in the report. It took away the sting of not being able to get her annual drawing from Cully! (but the convention beckons, so be prepared for a commision from us Mr. Hamner-- hopefully you are willing to draw her teacher as a skrull-- Hmmm. thinking back on my high school days gives credence to the Secret Invasion concept)
But I digress-- don't I always?
Thanks guys!!
Re-posted from previous blog entry...
Hey! Thank-you everybody that made this our best FCBD ever! We never know exactly what to expect, but it just keeps getting better and better. I really appreciate all of the attending artists taking time out of their busy schedules to spend a day with us in Charlotte, signing autographs and doing free sketches, when they could be home making money! Of course FCBD couldn't happen without the superb Heroes staff. Every single employee worked extra hours and just did a great job, plus we were blessed with the help of some sturdy and reliable volunteers. Thanks go out to Pete Ridell, Doug Merkle, Andy Mansell as well as Scott Valeri and Anne Geary for their continued support! Matt Brady and the “Internet Monster” newsarama.com came through again for the third year in a row with a glowing report and incredible coverage of the event. If you were in attendance, check and see if you are in the feature. Plus Adam and Brian from The Dollar Bin podcast recorded a ton of audio. We will let you know as soon as it is uploaded and ready to listen to. Why do we all do it? For all of you...our fantastic Heroes supporters and customers. FCBD has become the perfect lead-in to HeroesCon, and let me tell you...YOU AIN"T SEEN NUTHIN" YET! Get some rest, save some money, and make plans for the grandest Heroes Convention ever! Thanks again to everyone involved!
May 4, 2008 9:40 PM
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