A squadron of superheroes will join Bill’s Bullpen Sports Cards & Comics to take part in Free Comic Book Day for the 17th year on Saturday.
The downtown Hollister shop located at 207 Fourth St. Free Comic Book day is from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. Aside from a free comic, the store will offer entertainment as well, with Spiderman, Avengers and Star Wars characters in costume at the event. There will also be a raffle Saturday.
“There’s not a lot of times you can give away something for free,” said owner Bill Mifsud.
Bill’s Bullpen finds a way to do so twice a year, for Free Comic Book Day and around Halloween time with another free comic giveaway.
“It’s nice to give something back twice a year,” Mifsud said.
Mifsud said the family-oriented event—and comics in general— can be a great way to get kids reading. He said he works with the library, which is welcoming of his flyers to promote the event.
“If they haven’t read in a long time, it kind of brings them back,” he said.
And although video games are what Mifsud called the comic store’s No. 1 competition, the resurgence of superhero movies has been a big plus.
“All the movies in general, that’s like free advertising for our store,” he said, mentioning how the comics offer a chance for movie fans to delve deeper into the characters.
He called brick-and-mortar comic stores like his “dinosaurs” because there aren’t many around anymore. That means fans, both kids and adults, will come from all over the region to get their favorite comics Saturday.
Here’s the full press release from Bill’s Bullpen on Free Comic Book Day:
Bill’s Bullpen in Hollister is one of the thousands of comic book shops around the world celebrating the largest event in the comic book industry on Saturday, May 6th: Free Comic Book Day (FCBD). Each year, thousands of participating stores give over six million comic books to millions of fans to introduce them to the wonders of comics.
“Free Comic Book Day is a great event for the whole community. Bringing everyone together, finding books for everyone to enjoy, and seeing people of all ages—children, teens, and adults—sharing our passion for comics is incredible”, said Bill Mifsud, owner of Bill’s Bullpen. “Even if you’ve never picked up a comic book, we want to welcome everyone to Bill’s Bullpen on May 5th, because there are so many amazing comics this year and we can’t wait to share them.”
This is the 17th year Bill’s Bullpen celebrates FCBD, offering the community a fun, family-oriented event where everyone can find a comic they’ll enjoy. Including taking pictures with your favorite superheroes and a raffle with great prizes.
“With awesome titles like Avengers and Spider-man, we’re sure there’s a comic book for everyone,” Mifsud continued. “Comics are a fun and enduring form of entertainment for readers of all ages to dive into as imagination comes to life. Whether it be popular comics, film, television shows, or video games, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.”
Regular updates, information about comic books, and a list of participating publishers and their free comics are all online at www.freecomicbookday.com.
Free Comic Book Day kicks off at 10 a.m. and runs until 8 p.m. at Bill’s Bullpen 207 4th St . Call (831)636-1180 or follow us on Facebook for more information.
