Although Free Comic Book Day -- typically the first Saturday in May -- was canceled this year due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Diamond Comic Distributors isn't making fans wait until next year to get free books. Instead, free comics will be available from July 15-Sep. 9.
Diamond's official press release is below:
(Baltimore, MD) -- (June 18, 2020) – Free Comic Book Day, the comic book industry’s largest annual promotional event, is traditionally scheduled to take place the first Saturday in May each year. However, the impact and spread of COVID-19 prevented the event from being celebrated at its normal time this year. Now, the beloved event has been rescheduled and reworked to take place throughout July and early September in order to accommodate social-distancing and store capacity regulations across the country, effectively making it Free Comic Book Summer!
Scheduled to take place between July 15 and September 9, retailers will receive five to six Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) titles in their weekly shipments during each week of the promotional window. Release of these titles may vary from shop to shop, as retailers are encouraged to release the books as they see fit for their unique circumstances. Retailers may release one free title a day, make all of that week’s free titles available at once, or any other plan that works for them. Free Comic Book Summer is designed to be flexible and customizable so retailers and consumers can get the most out the event.
“Every year, Free Comic Book Day is our big event to thank current comics fans, welcome back former fans and invite those new to comics to join the fun,” said Joe Field, originator of FCBD, and owner of Flying Colors Comics in Concord, CA. “In this very different year, Free Comic Book Day is more like Free Comic Book Summer... and there’s so much fun to discover in this year's FCBD comics! So many cool stories are available for this stretched-out Free Comic Book Day 2020. I'm confident long-time fans and newcomers alike are going to find a story that'll make them want to visit their local comic shop every week! Fans, bring your friends and family and head to your local comic shop every week starting July 15 through September 9 to check out the new, and fantastic, free comics available that week!”
Free Comic Book Summer will feature 45 of the previously announced titles from publishers like Marvel Comics, Image Comics, BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Dynamite Entertainment, DC, and more! The 45 titles are designed to appeal to a broad range of tastes and run the gamut from superhero stories, to TV and movie tie-ins, to sci-fi adventures, all-ages tales, and beyond. There will also be two educational support titles from the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and Gemstone Publishing.
A complete listing of all 45 FCBD titles, including the 10 Gold Sponsor and 35 Silver Sponsor comic books, can be viewed online at www.freecomicbookday.com. A release schedule of when titles will be hitting comic shops is available below.
For more FCBD news and updates, visit www.freecomicbookday.com and become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram!
COMICS AVAILABLE ON JULY 15
- BOOM! Studios | POWER RANGERS: RANGER SLAYER
- IDW Publishing | MY LITTLE PONY: FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC
- Marvel Comics | X-MEN
- Chapterhouse Publishing | CAPTAIN CANUCK BEYOND AND CAPTAIN BATTLE
- Papercutz | ASTERIX
- Yen Press| THE WEIRN BOOKS
COMICS AVAILABLE ON JULY 22
- Valiant Entertainment | VALIANT 30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
- AfterShock Comics | DARK ARK: INSTINCT
- Drawn & Quarterly | MANHWA: CONTEMPORARY KOREAN COMICS
- Marvel Comics | SPIDER-MAN/ VENOM
- Titan Comics | HORIZON ZERO DAWN #0
COMICS AVAILABLE ON JULY 29
- Archie Comics | ARCHIE BLUE RIBBON PRESENTS
- Dark Horse Comics | STRANGER THINGS/ MINECRAFT
- DC Comics | BATMAN OVERDRIVE/ BATMAN: ONCE UPON A CRIME
- Dynamite Entertainment | THE BOYS #1
- Golden Apple Books | RICHARD FAIRGRAY’S MONSTER SHOWCASE
- RH Graphic | STEPPING STONES/ MAX & THE MIDKNIGHTS
COMICS AVAILABLE ON AUGUST 5
- Artists, Writers & Artisans | THE RESISTANCE
- BOOM! Studios | LUMBERJANES: FAREWELL TO SUMMER
- New England Comics | THE TICK
- Penguin Workshop | ZOO PATROL SQUAD: KINGDOM CAPER
- TOKYOPOP | BIBI & MIYU/ THE FOX & THE LITTLE TANUKI
- Image Comics | INVINCIBLE #1
COMICS AVAILABLE ON AUGUST 12
- Dark Horse Comics | NORSE MYTHOLOGY/ CRITICAL ROLE
- Albatross Funnybooks | HILLBILLY: THE LIZARD OF RUSTY CREEK CAVE
- Drawn & Quarterly | LITTLE LULU: NO BOYS ALLOWED
- Oni Press | SUPER MERCADO MIX TAPE
- Titan Comics | BLADE RUNNER 2019
COMICS AVAILABLE ON AUGUST 19
- Macmillan/ First Second Books| INVESTIGATORS: TAKE THE PLUNGE SNEAK PEEK
- Fantagraphics Books | DISNEY MASTERS: DONALD DUCK
- Papercutz | THE LOUD HOUSE FCBD 2020 SPECIAL
- UDON Entertainment | STREET FIGHTER #100: RYU VS. CHUN-LI
- Comic Book Legal Defense Fund | CBLDF & BOOM! DEFEND COMICS
- Gemstone Publishing | THE OVERSTREET GUIDE TO COLLECTING - FCBD 2020
COMICS AVAILABLE ON AUGUST 26
- Random House Children’s Books | ONLY A MATTER OF SPACE TIME
- Graphix | DONUT THE DESTROYER
- Rebellion | BEST OF 2000 AD ISSUE #0
- Vault Comics | BRANDON SANDERSON’S DARK ONE #1
- IDW Publishing | USAGI YOJIMBO
COMICS AVAILABLE ON SEPTEMBER 2
- Ten Speed Press | JACK KIRBY: THE EPIC LIFE OF THE KING OF COMICS
- Graphix | OWLY: THE WAY HOME
- Insight Comics | MEAN GIRLS: SENIOR YEAR
- VIZ Media | NARUTO/ SAMURAI 8
- Benitez Productions | LADY MECHANIKA
COMICS AVAILABLE ON SEPTEMBER 9
- VIZ Media | THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: TWILIGHT PRINCESS / SPLATOON: SQUID KIDS COMEDY SHOW
- Humanoids | ENTER THE INCAL
- Kodansha Comics| SUE AND TAI-CHAN PREVIEW