Free Comic Book Day Next Saturday!

Next Saturday, May 3rd, is Free Comic Book Day. Many comic book shops will be participating in this annual event, making available at least one free comic book to everyone and anyone who stops in on Saturday.

Most major publishers – and many of the smaller ones – will be offering FCBD-specific titles to be given away. Some will be reprints, some will be special issues of popular series, and some will be "samplers" of the publisher's line of books. Ape Entertainment, the remarkably sharp publishers of three of my upcoming comics series – Femme Noir, Perils On Planet X, and Gravedigger – will be one of those outfits offering an anthology-styled "sampler," in this case, Ape Entertainment's Cartoonapalooza.

This special comic contains an all new, 5-page Femme Noir story/vignette, entitled "Night In The Life," written by yours truly, pencilled by Joe Staton, inked by Mark Stegbauer, and colored by Melissa Kaercher. The book also contains sample stories from other Ape titles, including: Monstroids, White Picket Fences, Go-Go Gorilla and Ursula Wilde. I don't know how many retailers have stocked Cartoonapalooza, but I'm sure the bigger, indie-friendly shops will have copies on hand.

Now, I'll probably try to get down to Casablanca Comics in Portland, Maine at some point during the day, though I won't be signing or anything. But Femme Noir artist Joe Staton will be making a public appearance and signing copies of Cartoonapalooza at McRae’s Li’l Comic Shop in Matamoras, PA, from 2-6 PM.

ADDENDUM: Femme Noir inker Mark Stegbauer just sent me a note about his own FCBD plans: "I will be appearing at Kowabunga Comics in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin from 12-5 PM and at the first annual Oconocon the following Sunday from 10-5 at the Olympia resort. Tons of guests and a charity art auction."