P'Arys Clark looks through the free comics.Free Comic Book Day is an annual treat for fans of the medium. This year, Gainesville Comics and Gaming went all out for their customers by offering 11,000 comics for free on Saturday.
According to store owner Tom Chillemi, who participates every year, knew he wanted it to be a big event, and prepared by ordering a tremendous amount of product to give to customers.
“The majority of all of them are brand new,” said Chillemi.
Since the store, located at 7556 Gardner Park Drive in Gainesville, opened Saturday morning for the event until dark, customers had been steadily stopping by to check out the comics, games, toys (ping pong paddles), books, and take home a bag full of free comics.
He also created a family-friendly atmosphere.
“It’s more fun then anything my most family oriented event of the year,” he said.
For children, Comics and Gaming had a bouncy castle as well as free kid-friendly comics, featuring well-known characters such as Sponge-Bob Square Pants, Smurfs and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Parents, who love comics themselves, enjoyed bringing their children to share in their passion.
Ty Nguyen of Falls Church accompanied his friend, Dan Chan, who brought his son to find some superhero comics to read. All three wore classic superhero t-shirts in spirit of the day.
While Comics and Gaming annually sponsors Free Comics Day in an effort to gain new customers, many loyal customers, young and old, came to the event.Adults also satisfied their need for hero-worship, selecting from an impressive array of free comics. They featured issues and stories that publishers hope to be hot-sellers this season such as “The Walking Dead,” “Superman,” and a preview of Marvel Comics summer crossover, “Infinity.”
In addition, Comic and Gaming Gainesville offered a huge selection of $1 comics in rows of boxes that customers could riffle through, looking for old favorites or new titles.
In joining with comic shops around the country, Comic and Gaming benefited from the media attention Free Comic Book Day received.
“I saw a sign, but I was on my phone and Google said it was Free Comic Day,” said P’Arys Clark of Maryland, who found Comic and Gaming, while visiting her aunt.
However, familiar faces also stopped by for free comics and bargain deals. Friends Liana Smith and Julia Hessenauer live in Gainesville, and frequent Comics and Gaming, where they like to shop for mainly Marvell comics.
Smith said she enjoys “Gambit,” “Avengers v. X-man,” and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” while Hessenauer listed “Daredevil,” “Captain America” and “Winter Soldier” as books she picks up regularly.
The young women said there was no shortage of female heroes for them to follow.
Julia Hessernauer and Liana Smith read some of their favorite comic books.“Yes, there’s "She Hulk,” said Smith, “"Ms. Marvel," who is "Captain Marvel" now and "Valkerie.”
As for fans of gaming, Bristow independent game creator Steve Wood promoted his battleship board game, “Gunship: First Strike!”. Wood has sold over 15,00 games and is working with Alliance Game Distributors, but said he still enjoys introducing "Gunship" directly to gamers at comic events.
Inside the store, patrons pursued shelves of new comics, bounded books and role-playing and strategy games, while enjoying free slices pizza.
Chimelli said he all invites comic readers and pop culture enthusiasts to visit his store conveniently located off Route 29/Lee Highway South in Gainesville.
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