Free Comic Book Day 2015 Breaks Attendance Record
Over 1.4 million fans flock to comic book shops for Free Comic Book Day
Media coverage for the annual event increases by 25%
76% of retailers surveyed rate the event as “extremely successful”
Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) was once again rated as a success with an estimated 1.4 million people in attendance, and media coverage from a local and national level resulting in an estimated $4 million in free publicity value for the annual pop-culture event.
This year there was a 20% increase in the number of free comics given out on May 2nd as over 5.6 million comics were distributed at over 2,300 participating retailers worldwide. The FCBD festivities were covered by over 1,000 TV broadcast stations and over 6,000 online news outlets, including TIME, CNET,NPR, Wired, TODAY, IGN, BuzzFeed, and more. As a whole, over $4 million in free publicity was generated for the event, comic shops and the comics industry as a whole, a 25% increase from 2014’s media coverage.
Word of this year’s event also spread through social media channels, includingTwitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, and others. Over 100,000 "tweets" alone made reference to Free Comic Book Day on Twitter, and the event trended nationally on May 2nd from 8:00 AM until 6:00 PM with #FreeComicBookDay in the #3 spot on twitter. Since last year's event, Free Comic Book Day's Facebook Page has increased by 87%, now reaching over 700,000 fans.
The Free Comic Book Day website and store locator were kept busy as well,with over 547,000 unique visitors to the website in the month of April and first week in May (April 1-May 8).
“This year’s Free Comic Book Day received the most coverage from all media platforms, making Free Comic Book Day trend longer and reach more audiences locally and nationally than ever before", said Free Comic Book Day spokesperson Deborah Moreland. “It is amazing to see the support that the media gives Free Comic Book Day, but most of all its the fans who have helped spread the word about Free Comic Book Day and make the day a huge success."
All of the publicity generated helped send an estimated 1.4 million people to comic book stores worldwide, leaving retailers extremely happy with their local events. According to a Diamond Comic Distributors’ survey of participating Free Comic Book Day retailers, over 76% rated their event as "extremely successful" and over 71% think that FCBD brings their store new “regular” customers who come back and visit than just during special events.
"This was our first year for FCBD. We just opened our store in December of 2014. To say this was our best day since opening would be an understatement," said Debra Vis of Zesto Comics in South Dakota. "My brother and I also are part owners of another local business, and we put flyers in every take out/drive thru bag for 2 weeks prior to FDBC. We had the most traffic we have ever had with over 90% of the customers receiving free books also buying other items. People in town were excited to be part of this day, and it allowed us to get to know other "non-comic" customers better, and have them get into the comic culture. We already have started bigger and better plans for 2016!"
"The continued growth of Free Comic Book Day is directly attributable to the innovative, creative, and newsworthy approaches each comic shop retailer brings to their own celebration," concluded Moreland. “Free Comic Book Day is more than an event; it’s the collaboration of an entire industry putting forth its best effort to welcome new and returning readers to the world of comic books. The industry will use this year’s success as a springboard for what’s to come for the highly anticipated 15th annual FCBD on May 1, 2016. “
For more FCBD news, photos, and updates go to the FCBD website; become a fan at Facebook; and follow us on Twitter.
ABOUT FREE COMIC BOOK DAY—Free Comic Book Day is the comic book specialty market’s annual event where participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops. The event is held the first Saturday in May and is the perfect opportunity to introduce friends and family to the many worlds of wonder available at local comic book shops. From super-heroes to slice-of-life to action/adventure and beyond, Free Comic Book Day has a comic book for everyone!
