San Diego Pop Culture Fans Can Look Forward to ‘Free Comic Book Day’ in May

Pop culture fans know the month of May has an important date on the calendar — May 4, the annual celebration of the “Star Wars” universe with the slogan “May the Fourth be with you.”

But the month of May also brings about another big day — the annual Free Comic Book Day, where participating comic book stores give out free comics to old and new fans.

This year’s event is on May 6 and will be celebrated by an estimated 2,300 local comics shops, including several here in San Diego.

It’s the biggest event in the comic book industry and it’s designed to encourage both longtime fans and first-time comic book readers.

The day is traditionally held the first Saturday in May and is supported by major players in the industry, including DC, Marvel, Dark Horse and San Diego’s own IDW Publishing.

For comics shop owners, it’s their Super Bowl, as the event draws more visitors than they’d usually get on that day.

“Over time, it’s just become a big holiday, said Chase Lirley, co-owner of TC’s Rockets, a large Allied Gardens store that is participating on May 6.

Visitors to participating stores will get to pick at least one of several comics selected for distribution for that day. Fans can go to the event’s web site at freecomicbookday.com and type in their zip code in the “Find a Shop” section to find the stores near them that are participating.

There’s a comic to suit all ages and tastes. A color-coded system is used to categorize each comic. A logo on the front of the comics will be green (all ages/everyone), blue (teen readers age 13 and over) and red (for mature audiences of age 18+).

This year’s complimentary comics include popular characters/titles like the Avengers and X-Men, Conan the Barbarian, Spider-Man and Venom, Star Trek and a preview of a graphic novel biography of Marvel founder Stan Lee.

But fans can also discover lesser known titles that might become new favorites, including Mech Cadets, Mexi-Kid, a memoir of an American-born Mexican youth caught between two cultures. and Kotto Kotora, about an average Puerto Rican who runs a food truck and his daily adventures with a group of boisterous friends.