SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – May the 4th Be With You.
The first Saturday in May is international Free Comic Book Day, and shops around Sioux City got into the spirit.
Lines were around the block early Saturday morning with people waiting to get their hands on their free comic books at ACME Comics and Starfighter Comics in Sioux City.
The celebration started back in the year 2000, and brings hundreds of people into small shops all over the world. An estimated 2.7 million comic books will be given away today at participating stores.
And a lot of the comic books being given away, you aren’t able to find throughout the rest of the year.
“There are special comics that only come out for this day,” said Justin Knecht with Starfighter Comics. “I believe there’s 48 different ones you can choose from: all the way from Spider man to Conan to Hellboy, to Pokemon, it’s all over the place.”
Owners of the comic book shops look forward to this day, not only because it brings in new people into their stores, but it can also get new people reading comic books.
“The first time we did this, I saw a little kid get on the floor, wearing a Superman costume, and start reading the book for the first time and I thought, ‘this is it, this is why we do this’,” said Kevin McGarry, co-owner of ACME Comics and Collectibles. ” want kids to start to read, I want adults to start reading again. We’re always on our phones or on the computer, but let’s just pick up a book and read. I get thank you notes from teachers every year where one of their students who had no interest in reading picked up a book from us, now all of a sudden they’re reading.”
With Free Comic Book Day falling on May the 4th, Star Wars Day, the comic book shops also have celebratory deals on Star Wars memorabilia, and Star Wars character appearances as well.
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