A Big Day for a Booming Industry!

May 2007 - On Saturday, May 5th, thousands of comic book retailers across North America and around the world will share the magic of comics with their customers when they distribute millions of comic books free of charge during the sixth consecutive Free Comic Book Day!

Comic shops sold over 100 million comic books and graphic novels in 2006 worth approximately $385 million at retail - an increase of approximately 18% over 2005. Since 2002, Free Comic Book Day has satisfied this growing public appetite for comic books by uniting comic retailers and publishers to promote the comic industry and raise consumer awareness of what their neighborhood comic stores have to offer.

In addition to providing decades of entertainment to millions, comic books have also been credited with inspiring people to read. In recent years, many schools have added comic books and graphic novels (book-length comics) to their libraries and lesson plans, using them to coax numerous children and adults alike to explore the wonders of reading in this timeless format.

Comic industry heavyweights Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics, Image Comics, and Marvel Comics are among the many publishers and manufacturers creating special titles for this year's Free Comic Book Day. The free books appeal to a broad range of reader tastes, from exciting super-hero adventures for all ages to cutting-edge graphic fiction for older, more mature readers.

This year's Free Comic Book Day is particularly special because it coincides with two major comic-related happenings: the eagerly awaited opening weekend of Sony Pictures' Spider-Man 3 (which opens on Friday, May 4) and National Cartoonists Day (a celebration sponsored by the National Cartoonists Society, the world's largest and most prestigious organization of professional cartoonists). All three events promise to make this first weekend in May a memorable one for comic-lovers everywhere!

More information and updates about Free Comic Book Day 2007 can be found online at http://www.freecomicbookday.com.