The first Saturday in May is Free Comic Book Day. Use these free tech tools to score some sweet comics loot.
There's an idea floating through comic-fan circles that the first day of spring is actually the first Saturday in May, regardless of what the calendar says. Why? Because it's Free Comic Book Day, the annual celebration of the classic pop culture art form.
On this day, comic shops distribute select books to anyone who walks through their doors—free of charge. Whether you're a comic expert, a lapsed fan looking to get back in the game, or a newbie who wants to get your feet wet with a few print titles after seeing Captain America: The Winter Soldier, there's no better time than Free Comic Book Day.
But before you can pick up your free comic books, you first have to find a comic book shop. That's not as easy as it used to be; comics stores are closing left and right, it seems, and returning fans may find that their old faithful shop is gone. Fortunately, technology makes locating comic book shops easy. The following tech tools—available on desktops, smartphones, and tablets—will help you locate a comic book store on your tablet or smartphone.
1. Visit Freecomicbookday.com
Free Comic Book Day's official website has a store locator that can help you track down a comic shop. Simply point your browser toward freecomicbookday.com/storelocator and key in your ZIP code to find stores in your area. This comic-shop locator also lets you know which stores are having special events and creator appearances and when.
2. Fire up Yelp
Yelp is known as a review repository for all things cool in a city or town, but you can also use it to locate a comic book shop. Type "comic book store" or "comic book shop" into Yelp's search engine, key in a ZIP code (or leave the default Current Location filter in place), and tap enter to pull a list of local retailers. The great thing about Yelp is that since most comic shops have associated user reviews and photos, you can get a sense of the store's size and employee helpfulness.
3. Consult ComiXology
ComiXology's website also has a Google Maps-powered store locator that lets you search for shop using your ZIP code. ComiXology's mobile app, Comics, Buy-in-Print feature—which becomes available whenever you're visiting a digital comic listing for a book that has a print counterpart—lets you find comic stores based on your location. It's not as elegant as Yelp's search tool, but if you're a ComiXology devotee, it may be worth a look.
However you find a store, the most important thing to do if you're a comic fan is to show your support, and perhaps even introduce a new reader to the wonderful world of comics. For more on getting into (or back into) comics, check out Everything You Need to Know About Digital Comics. And, for a regularly updated list of our favorite (not-free) comics, check out 10 Digital Comics You Should Read Right Now.
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