Hernandez hoped Free Comic Book Day would expose more people to comics, which need a boost in readership. "There are hundreds of more cartoonists out there who have a more personal story to tell and on their own terms," he wrote in an e-mail. Jaime Hernandez said comic book content has changed a great deal since he and his brother started "Love and Rockets" in the early '80s. The alternative comics explore fantasy and punk themes in the lives of strong female characters.
#DICEBOX COMIC SERIES#
One series that doesn't follow the stereotype is "Love and Rockets," a comic done by the Hernandez brothers, who grew up in Oxnard. "Comic books are more than just people in tights punching each other," said Mike Sterling, manager of Ralph's Comic Corner in Ventura. He said people are starting to realize the diversity, in part because of films based on comics ? not just "X-Men," but movies such as "Road to Perdition" or "A History of Violence."
That's what brings in the money, but there are many different works. Lee said more than half of her audience has never set foot in a comic book store or browsed that section of a book store.ĭescribing comic books as solely superheroes is like only looking at big budget action films, Romero said. Such expansion of content has drawn in new readers.
"Though derided and dismissed by most of the comics community at first, many comics that started solely online are signing contracts with comics and book publishers, and their creators are having more and more influence on current tastes and fads," Lee wrote in an e-mail. Many successful online comics don't easily fit into any category, she said, mentioning robots in love with porn stars, hipsters plagued by supernatural events, and a 13-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl who dreams of slaying dragons. Not limited by the tastes of publishers and restrictions of distributors, online comics have been able to expand the variety of topics and readers, said Jenn Manley Lee, creator of online comic "Dicebox." Add online comics that are breaking new ground, and the industry is a lot bigger than Superman's Metropolis. Yet it still takes thumbing through a rack of the thin, serialized comics or their graphic novel brethren to discover the wide range of content out there. Wolverine's film was preceded by "Watchmen" and the blockbuster "Spider-Man" and "Batman" movies. In the first quarter of this year, comic book and graphic novel sales were down 5 percent from a year ago, which is good considering the recession, according to .Ĭomics and graphic novels are enjoying heightened interest as they become an increasingly common feedstock for film and television. Metro Entertainment will have Bill Morrison, art director for "Futurama" and artist for Bongo's "Simpsons Comics," and Sam Sarkar, creator of "Caliber," signing free comics from their publishers. "It's a big promotional event to let people know about comics and give them a taste of it for free," said Hank Romero, store manager. This year, 2 million comic books will be given away.Īt Metro Entertainment in Santa Barbara, the day should bring in regular customers and others.
#DICEBOX COMIC MOVIE#
The promotion for local comic book stores started the day after the first "Spider-Man" movie opened in 2002. Local comic book stores are expecting the crowds to come in the following day, when Free Comic Book Day again offers up a selection of free comics ? including one about Wolverine. On May 1, the claws come out as Wolverine's story hits the big screen in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."
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