With customers lined up around the store at one point Saturday, the appeal of free comic books while also supporting a good cause was simply too good an offer to pass up.
On Saturday, Big B Comics hosted its annual Free Comic Book Day, when any customer who walked through the doors could select up to four free comics from a table at the front of the store to take home with them. Anyone who also brought a donation for the local food bank was able to grab an additional two comics.
The store, which moved to its current location at 45 Essa Rd. about two years ago after nearly 15 years in its previous location, has been hosting this event for many years, said employee Brent Chittenden, who was stationed outside welcoming customers and perusing the large selection of comics set up outside the store.
“It’s been going on for quite a long time now. It’s a two-fold thing of getting people interested in comics and also giving back a little bit and getting kids into reading,” said Chittenden. “It gives us an excuse to have a sale as well.”
Comic books, he said, can appeal to people of all ages, running the gamut from kids’ authors such as Dav Pilkey, with his popular Dog Man series, and the always-popular superheroes to some more mature subject matter.
“Dog Man is a prime example. (Pilkey) is basically the richest cartoonist in the world. He hits the New York Times Bestseller lists pretty much every time one of those books comes out,” said Chittenden. “It’s a good gateway into comics. After (those), they want to get into more things. The nice thing about comics is that you can range up from all ages all the way to adult stuff, where it’s more mature titles and stories.”
The store opened at 10 a.m. Saturday, he said, noting at one point in the day, both the Big B Comics parking lot and the one next door were completely full.
“It’s been busy. We don’t own the building next door, but our neighbours are very nice and we talked to them about using their parking lot. Around 11 or 11:30 a.m., we had both lots full. It’s been a good turnout,” he said. “We have had a lot of new faces as well as a lot of our regulars (who) have come out to support us.”
The event also served as a venue to collect non-perishable food for the Barrie Food Bank, he added.
“It’s a way to bring people in and do something for the community at the same time. It’s a no-brainer for us. The food bank needs donations. Everybody makes donations over Christmas, but they need donations all year long. It’s a good way for us to get some food in there in the spring,” he said.
Tabitha Petzoldt has long been an avid comic book reader. She told BarrieToday although there are many amazing titles to choose from, her favourite is one she’s been reading since childhood: Archie.
“I still love Archie … and I am a fan of The Walking Dead,” she said.
Petzoldt is a regular of the south-end Barrie comic book store, adding in addition to popping in to check out what’s new on the shelves, she tries to attend this event to help support the food bank.
“I’ve had a love of comic books ever since I was a young person, and also drawing. I really think there’s something to be said for comics and graphic novels and how you can take anything — from information about science to Marvel — and just try to draw the characters and express a story through the lens of the comic book,” she said.
