Diamond Comics Distributors have released details of the 2004 edition of Free Comic Book Day, the now annual event started back in 2002 to coincide with the release of "Spider-Man." The full press release is printed below. Cover for the various free books can be found on the Web site.

Originally a history-making event when it began in 2002, Free Comic Book Day has now become an annual celebration of comics, making its own history every year.

Free Comic Book Day 2004 will be celebrated around the world on July 3, 2004, a date voted on by comic book retailers, a date that comes one day after the theatrical release of the follow-up to the box office hit Spider-Man.

"Spider-Man was the movie that helped to launch the first Free Comic Book Day in 2002," said Free Comic Book Day Committee spokesperson Barry Lyga. "Its success was due in no small part to its loyalty to its comic book roots, and Free Comic Book Day is back this year to remind the world of those roots."

Spider-Man 2 is scheduled to open in theaters in the U.S. on July 2, 2004, and Free Comic Book Day follows on the next day. On July 3, anyone who walks into a participating comic book specialty store will receive a free comic book, with no purchase required (while supplies last).

The available comics will vary by store, but all are special editions published specifically for the event. They range from all-ages-friendly titles to more mature fare intended for sophisticated readers. "The selection of titles reflects the diversity and depth of subject matter available in the comic book medium," said Lyga. "A primary goal of Free Comic Book Day is to boldly proclaim there really is something in comics for every reader. This year's variety of available free titles proves that."

Free Comic Book Day editions for 2004 are available for order by comic book retailers in the April 2004 edition of Previews. The complete listing of participating publishers includes:

GOLD SPONSORS (new or reprint editions that will be in every participating store)

  • Archie Comics - Archie: I Was a Teenage Comic Book Creator
  • Beckett - The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty #1
  • CrossGen - American Power: Prequel
  • Dark Horse - Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures
  • DC - Teen Titans Go! #1
  • Dreamwave - Duel Masters #1
  • Gemstone - Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse
  • IDW - IDW Sampler
  • Image - Image Comics Summer Sampler Special
  • Marvel - Marvel Age Spider-Man #1

SILVER SPONSORS (Check with individual retailers for availability of new or reprint editions from these publishers): About Comics, AdHouse Books, Alternative Comics, Arcana Studios, Astonish Comics, Avatar, Baboon Books, Del Rey, Dork Storm, Forcewerks, Highwater, Jetpack Press, Keenspot, NBM, Oni Press, Renaissance Press, Silicon Times, Slave Labor, and Top Shelf Productions.

Also participating are the following Bronze Sponsors, who have donated free quantities of previously published titles to the event: A Fine Line, Arcana Studios, Claypool Comics, Colburn Comics, Little Rocket, Lone Star Press, Mirage Studios, Nite Owl Comics, Strawberry Comics, and Street Legends Ink.

More information and regular updates - including information on participating publishers' titles - are available at the official Free Comic Book Day website, www.FreeComicBookDay.com.