Celebrating a true American art form, on Saturday, May 2, over 2,000 participating retailers disseminated over 2 million comics as part of Free Comic Book Day 2009, a global event that drew attention to specialty stores and the comic industry from media outlets like The New York Times, Family Circle, Baltimore Sun, Philadelphia Daily News, TV Guide and Yahoo.com.

This year, FCBD received an unprecedented amount of media coverage, including over 100 broadcast news stories in dozens of major markets, reaching a potential audience in excess of 3.6 million people! Now, after sorting through hundreds of newspaper articles, Internet postings and a variety of other sources, we've compiled a fairly comprehensive list of Free Comic Book Day stories.

Moreover, this coverage amounted to almost $2 million in free publicity, penetrating deeper into the consciousness of consumers than any amount of paid advertising or professional promotion. Stores around the world benefited in incalculable ways from the press' attention on the event, both before and on May 2, taking the spotlight in local, national and international coverage.

“This year was by far the best Free Comic Book Day publicity wise. Not only did we have Wolverine himself, Hugh Jackman, tape a PSA about the event, but FCBD09 was mentioned in some of the top circulated newspapers in the United States and almost every big paper in New York,” said Free Comic Book Day spokesperson Elissa Lynch. “It was also the #8 searched item on Yahoo! and featured on Maxim.com, Wired.com, TVGuide.com, Parenting.com, and many other popular websites. This goes to show how hard the retailers are working to make this event a huge success each year. My many thanks to the publishers, retailers and reporters who worked together this year to get the word out about Free Comic Book Day.”

A frequently updated list of pre- and post-FCBD pieces is posted below, including links to most print articles appearing online and other websites covering FCBD09; TV and radio stations that covered the event are also listed for your reference.

For continuing coverage of FCBD09, and announcements regarding next year’s event, read Diamond Dateline and Diamond Daily, or visit the official website at FreeComicBookDay.com.

Also, be certain to email links to or copies of your own local coverage, and send JPEGs of the activity in your store on FCBD08 to testimonials@freecomicbookday.com or Retail Marketing Associate Steven Bates.

Print

National

• BestLife Magazine
• Family Circle
• Family Fun
• New York Times
• Publisher's Weekly
• Starlog
• United Press International (UPI)
• USA Today
• Woman's World

Regional

• Anderson, SC’s Independent Mail
• Baltimore (MD) Sun
• Boulder/Denver, CO’s YourHub.com
• Bradenton (FL) Herald
• Brockton, MA's Enterprise News
• The Brownsville (TX) Herald
• Castro Valley (CA) Forum
• Chattanooga (TN) Times Free Press
• Chicago's Gaper's Block
• Chico, CA's Enterprise-Record
• Cincinnati Enquirer
• Cleveland Plain Dealer
• Dallas (TX) Voice
• Danbury (CT) News-Times
• Dayton (OH) Daily News
• Denver, CO's Westword
• Detroit (MI) Free Press
• Detroit (MI) News
• Dover, NH's Foster's Daily Democrat
• Elmwood Park, IL's ElmLeaves
• Evansville, IN’s Courier Press
• Fairmont, WV's The Times-West Virginian
• Fargo, ND's Forum
• Florence, OR's Siuslaw News
• Florida's NewsBlaze
• Fort Myers, FL’s News-Press
• Good Times Santa Cruz (CA)
• Grass Valley, CA's The Union
• Greenville (SC) News
• Halifax, Nova Scotia, CAN's The Chronicle Herald
• Hoboken, NJ's The Jersey Journal
• Houston (TX) Chronicle
• Hudson Valley Media Group's Times-Herald Record
• Huntsville (AL) Times
• Indianapolis Star
• Jacksonville, FL's First Coast News
• Kalamazoo (MI) Gazette
• Lebanon (PA) Daily News
• Livonia (MI) Observer
• Los Angeles Daily News
• Los Angeles Decider
• Los Angeles Times
• Madison (NJ) Eagle
• Madison, WI's The Daily Cardinal
• Marietta (OH) Times
• Memphis (TN) Flyer
• Michiana’s South Bend Tribune
• Michigan Live
• Midwest City (OK) Sun
• Minneapolis City Pages
• Mississippi Press
• Modesto (CA) Bee
• Montreal, Quebec, CAN’s West Island Chronicle
• Montreal, Quebec, CAN's The Gazette
• My Fox Philly
• Nashua, NH’s The Telegraph
• Nashville, TN's Examiner (for another article, click here)
• New York Daily News
• New York Post
• NewHampshire.com
• Niagara Falls (ON) Review
• Oak Park, IL's Oak Leaves
• Oklahoman (via NewsOK)
• Ontario, CAN's Niagara Falls Review
• Orlando (FL) Sentinel
• Parsipanny (NJ) Life
• Pasadena (CA) Star-News
• Philadelphia Daily News
• Philly Edge
• Pittsburgh Post Gazette
• Providence (RI) Journal
• Redlands (CA) Daily Facts
• Royal Oak, MI's The Observer
• Saginaw, MI News
• Salem (MA) Gazette
• Salem, OR's Statesman Journal
• Salt Lake Tribune
• San Diego Union Tribune
• San Gabriel Valley (CA) Tribune
• San Jose (CA) Mercury-New
• Santa Barbara (CA) News-Press
• Santa Clarita Valley, CA's The Signal
• Santa Cruz, CA's City on a Hill Press
• Seacoast Online
• Seattle Times
• Somerset (NJ) Reporter
• South Bend (IN) Tribune
• Springfield (OH) News-Sun
• Summerville (SC) Journal-Scene
• Tacoma, WA's The News-Tribune
• Tallahassee (FL) Democrat
• Tampa Bay Newspapers
• Traverse City (MI) Record-Eagle
• Trinidad & Tobago's Newsday
• University of Alabama’s The Crimson White
• University of Nevada-Las Vegas’ Rebel Yell
• University Park, PA's The Daily Collegian
• Utica, NY's Observer Dispatch
• Utica, NY's Observer Dispatch
• Vail (CO) Daily News
• Ventura County Star
• Vero Beach (FL) Press-Journal
• Virginia’s Daily Press
• Visalia (CA) Times-Delta/Advance-Register
• Walnut Creek, CA's Contra Costa Times
• Washington Post
• West Covina, CA's San Gabriel Valley Tribune
• Wilmington, NC's Star News Online

Broadcast

• ABC National World News Tonight West Coast
• Bonnie Hunt Show (Syndicated)
• CBS National Craig Ferguson
• G4-ENT National Whacked Out Videos
• The Daily Buzz
• KATU-ABC Portland, OR AMNW
• KAUT-MNT Oklahoma City, OK Rise and Shine Oklahoma
• KAYU-FOX Spokane, WA  10pm News
• KCPQ-FOX Seattle-Tacoma, WA Q13 Morning
• KCRG-ABC Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Dubuque, IA Weekend Morning News
• KCWQ-CW Palm Springs, CA The Daily Buzz
• KCWQ-CW Palm Springs, CA The Daily Buzz
• KELO-CBS Sioux Falls-Mitchell, SD   Sat. Morning News
• KFOR-NBC Oklahoma City, OK NewsChannel @ 10
• KGNS-NBC Laredo, TX Pro 8 News
• KGPE-CBS Fresno-Visalia, CA 47 News at 11
• KHSL-CBS Chico-Redding, CA CBS Action News
• KIDK-CBS Idaho Falls-Pocatello, ID  Newswatch 3
• KING-NBC Seattle-Tacoma, WA KING-5 Morning
• KLST-CBS San Angelo, TX   KLST
• KMAX-UPN Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, CA  Good Day Sacramento
• KMPH-FOX Fresno-Visalia, CA KMPH 10pm News
• KMSP-FOX Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN   Fox 9 Morning 8am
• KMTV-CBS Omaha, NE Morning & Midday News
• KNVN-NBC Chico-Redding, CA NBC Action News at 5
• KOAA Colorado Springs-Pueblo, CO KOAA@10PM
• KOLD-CBS Tucson-Sierra Vista, AZ News 13
• KONG-CABLE Seattle-Tacoma, WA KING on KONG 8:30AM
• KPNX-NBC Phoenix, AZ  12 News at Ten
• KSAN-NBC San Angelo, TX   KSAN@10PM
• KSAT-ABC San Antonio, TX  KSAT 12 NEWS AT 6:00
• KSL-NBC Salt Lake City, UT NEWS
• KTBC-FOX Austin, TX Good Day Austin
• KTLA-WB Los Angeles, CA  KTLA Morning News
• KTVD-MNT Denver, CO 9 NEWS@6AM
• KTVK-IND Phoenix, AZ  Good Morning Arizona
• KTVQ-CBS Billings, MT Montana This Morning
• KVEW-ABC Yakima-Pasco-Richland-Kennewick, WA  News
• KVUE-ABC Austin, TX KVUE Midday News 11am
• KXAN-NBC Austin, TX Austin News Today 7am
• KXAS-NBC Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX   NEWS 5 Today
• KXTV-ABC Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, CA  News 10
• NWNJ New York, NY Morning Edition
• WBKO Bowling Green, KY News
• WBRE-NBC Wilkes Barre-Scranton, PA  28 News
• WCCO-CBS Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN   4 News at 6am
• WCJB-ABC Gainesville, FL  TV 20 NEWS NIGHTBEAT
• WCPO-ABC Cincinnati, OH   News
• WCTV-CBS Tallahassee-Thomasville, FL EYEWITNESS NEWS AT 8 AM
• WEHT-ABC Evansville, IN   News
• WETM-NBC Elmira, NY WETM News at 6pm
• WFIE-TV Channel 14 Evansville, IN
• WFMY-CBS Greensboro-High Point-Winston Salem, NC The Good Morning Show & The News
• WGAL-NBC Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York, PA News
• WGHP-FOX Greensboro-High Point-Winston Salem, NC FOX 8 5:00PM NEWS
• WHBF-CBS Davenport, IA Rock Island-Moline, IL News
• WHNS-FOX Greenville-Spartanburg, SC-Asheville, NC-Anderson, SC Better Carolinas & Morning News
• WHP-CBS Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York, PA News
• WHTM-ABC Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York, PA News
• WIAT-CBS Birmingham-Anniston-Tuscaloosa, AL   News
• WIVT-ABC Binghamton, NY   Newschannel 34 at 5:30pm
• WJET-ABC Erie, PA  Late Night News
• WJHL-CBS Tri-Cities, TN-VA NEWS CHANNEL 11 AT 6
• WJRT-ABC Flint-Saginaw-Bay City, MI Morning News
• WJXX-ABC Jacksonville, FL First Coast News & Good Morning Jacksonville
• WKBN-CBS Youngstown, OH   First News
• WKMG-CBS Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne, FL  Channel 6 News
• WKRC-CBS Cincinnati, OH   Good Morning Cincy & News
• WLIO-NBC Lima, OH  First Edition
• WLMT-CW Memphis, TN  Eyewitness News at 9
• WLOX-ABC Biloxi-Gulfport, MS Midday News
• WLTX-CBS Columbia, SC News 19
• WLWT-NBC Cincinnati, OH   News 5 Today
• WMC-NBC Memphis, TN  Action News
• WMTW-ABC Portland-Auburn, ME NEWS 8 AT 6
• WNEM-CBS Flint-Saginaw-Bay City, MI Morning News
• WOAI-NBC San Antonio, TX  4 SAN ANTONIO LIVING
• WOWT-NBC Omaha, NE Saturday & Weekend Morning
• WPMT-PBS Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York, PA 8AM News
• WPTY-ABC Memphis, TN  Eyewitness News at 10
• WRGT-FOX Dayton, OH Fox 45 In The Morning
• WRIC-ABC Richmond-Petersburg, VA Good Morning Richmond & News
• WSAZ-NBC Charleston-Huntington, WV  News
• WSFA-NBC Montgomery-Selma, AL   12 NEWS SUNRISE
• WSYR-ABC Syracuse, NY Bridge Street
• WTEN-ABC Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY News 10
• WTKR-CBS Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News, VA  News Channel 3 at 6
• WTKR-CBS Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News, VA  NewsChannel 3 at 530pm
• WTSP-CBS Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota, FL Channel 10 News SS
• WTVM-ABC Columbus, GA Newsleader 9
• WTVR-CBS Richmond-Petersburg, VA CBS 6 News
• WTXF-FOX Philadelphia, PA Good Day
• WTXL-ABC Tallahassee-Thomasville, FL News Channel 27
• WUPW-FOX Toledo, OH Fox 36 News at 10
• WVUA Birmingham-Anniston-Tuscaloosa, AL   WVUA News At 10 PM
• WXIX-FOX Cincinnati, OH   News
• WXYZ-ABC Detroit, MI  ABC Morning
• WYFF-NBC Greenville-Spartanburg, SC-Asheville, NC-Anderson, SC  NEWS 4
• WYMT Hazard, KY
• WYTV-ABC Youngstown, OH   33 News
• WZDX-FOX Huntsville-Decatur-Florence, AL  9 PM News
• XETV-CW San Diego, CA San Diego Living
• Z-100

Internet

• About.com
• Action Figure Insider
• Business Wire
• Comic Book Resources
• Comicon.com
• Crunch Gear
• Dane 101
• Dread Central
• Family Circle
• FARK
• FEARnet.com
• Geeks of Doom
• Gizmodo
• Graphic Novel Reporter
• Hispanic Business
• Howard Stern
• ICv2
• io9
• IMAX
• Mania
• Maxim
• MTV Splash Page
• NBC Washington
• NeighborsGo.com
• NewHampshire.com
• Newsarama
• Newsvine.com
• Newswire Today!
• NPR-PBS National Morning Edition
• Parenting.com
• PREVIEWSworld
• Ron & Fez
• SF Signal
• SF Universe
• Slice of Scifi.com
• The Celebrity Cafe
• The Mississippi Press
• TheForce.net
• TV Guide
• United Press International
• Wired.com
• Yahoo

Retailer Websites

• All About Comics
• Brave New Worlds (Facebook)
• Cosmic Comix
• Earthworld Comics (MySpace)
• Flying Colors Comics
• Jetpack Comics
• Krypton Comics
• LA Mood Comics (& here)
• Secret Identities: The Asian-American Superhero Anthology (Facebook)
• UpUpandAwayComics