BAM & POW! Free Comic Book Day In Yakima Is Coming!

One of my favorite holidays is coming up, Free Comic Book Day!

And for those of you who say Free Comic Book Day isn’t a holiday, just remember that February 5th is “World Nutella Day”.

And the last I checked, there wasn’t billions of stories, TV shows, movies, toy figures, video games, etc. based off of Nutella or the worlds that came from it!

My History With Comic Books

Comics have a special place in my heart, and have since I was little.

I’ve lost a good chunk of my hearing when I was a baby due to several ear infections, and I’ve fought with dyslexia my whole life.

Comics were a way for me to learn how to read, follow story structure, and gain appreciation for all sorts of art styles.

From the Sunday paper funnies with Ziggy and Peanuts, to comic books with Masters of the Universe, Spider-Man, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, to reading more mature graphic novels of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen, Spirits of Vengeance, Conan The Barbarian and American Vampire.

These stories told through art have been a huge part of me for my entire life.

What Is Free Comic Book Day?

In a nutshell, Free Comic Book Day is a day for people to try out a new hobby. Or for those who already love comics, to try out a different genre. They’re not just full of superheroes. Romance, Western, Horror, Sci-fi, Historical, Erotic, Sword & Sorcery. If there’s a topic you can think about, there is probably a comic book dedicated to it.

It is celebrated on the first Saturday in May and got its start in 2002 to rev up the excitement for the first Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) film by a California comic shop owner, who noticed a rise in comics sales around movies based off the IP’s (intellectual properties, i.e. characters) were released in theaters (thanks to NationalToday.com for that bit of nerd knowledge).

Where & How Can I Celebrate Free Comic Book Day?

Visit your local comic shop, get one of the free comic books (keep scrolling to see some of what is new this year) on Saturday, May 3rd, and tell your friends.

Don’t forget to help support your local comic shops (many will have special sales on Free Comic Book Day). In a world where digital media is replacing everything, having something (like a physical comic book) that you can keep, enjoy collect, cherish, and share with friends, is becoming more and more rare.

In the Yakima Valley, we are very fortunate to have not one, not two, but three comic shops within a half-hour drive!

• Ron’s Coin & Collectables @ 6 N. 3rd St. in Yakima
• Central City Comics @ 113 E. 4th Ave. in Ellensburg
• Yakomix @ 1404 Fruitvale Blvd in Yakima

And if you’re wanting an adventure, you can head down to the Tri-Cities to check out some of their stores.

• Adventures Underground @ 1391 George Washington Way in Richland
• Infinite Frontiers Collectibles @ 419 W Entiat Ave. in Kennewick

Get our free mobile app