Free Comic Book Day in New York – May 1

Free Comic Book Day is a single day – the first Saturday in May each year (May 1, 2010 this year) – when participating comic book shops around New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely FREE* to anyone who comes into their stores.

Once a year, independent comic book stores shell out between 12 and 50 cents per book to publishers, and then graciously give them to you for free. And for cash-strapped college students, who make up a large chunk of the comics-reading populace, no greater word exists. (Except perhaps for Wow! Pow!, Wham! or Bang!)

May 1 marks the eighth annual Free Comic Book Day, a promotional event that celebrates independent comic book stores across North America — mostly geared toward kids and new collectors, but also seen as a special “thank you” to those who’ve collected for years. New York stores are celebrating with celebrity appearances , local artist groups, music, and most importantly free comics!

This weekend’s Free Comic Book Day is a way to introduce the rest of us to the wonders of these stores — and as the name implies, everyone gets a complimentary comic just for checking ’em out. This year, you can expect to see Iron Man, Shrek, and Superman, as well as characters from Archie, G.I.JOE, Mouse Guard, and Toy Story in the comics at participating stores. There have also been rumors that Sonic the Hedgehog, Green Hornet, The Tick (awesome!), Owly, The Simpsons, and DC Kids comics may appear in stacks at certain stores.

Curious? Check out the list of comics, then using the handy store locator on the left side of the Free Comic Book Day homepage, you can check your local stores for their participation and rules, as guidelines vary from store to store. Yet, one rule stays the same: In every participating store, you will have a chance to receive free comics.

Some of the New York stores are: