Before getting into the Picks and Pulls for the week I want to remind everyone that Saturday is FCBD.

I think I have answered most of the questions one may have about Free Comic Book Day in previous posts

Free Comic Book Day 2016

Free Comic Book Day 2015

Friendly Reminder #1

Friendly Reminder #2

You can’t just walk into a participating store and just grab any comic…although you may be able to take any Rob Liefeld books you want… but who would … and do you really want to have to admit you were arrested for trying to take any of his books?

The books that are free are specially printed comic books, put out by the publishers to promote their regular books and offer new readers a great place to jump on or as a to preview and promote a new title or storyline/event.

What are the FCBD selections this year?

You can check out some previews here Free Comic Books 2017

Your Local LCS may not have all these available but there should be a wide variety of books for all ages

Where can I get my 2017 Free Comic Book Day Comics?

Aqualonia Comics

412 Fulton St, Troy, NY

Hours: 12:00PM to 5:00PM

Sales:

We will have 20% off new comics

50% off back issues

35% off new hardcovers and trades

50% selected hardcover and trades

Artist/Creators:

Artist will be doing sketches and prints

How many Free Comic Books can you get?

We ask that people take no more than 3 comics each, but we can be lenient if they want a few more

EarthWorld Comics

537 Central Ave Albany NY

Hours: 9:00 AM to 6:00PM

Sales:

There will be a sidewalk sale going on, check a store for details.

How many Free Comic Books can you get?

Check Store for details

They are also offering the 2017 FCBD wristband, which allows you to get 5 extra free comics! Exclusive Wonder Woman and Rocket Raccoon pins! Professor X Juggernaut Heroclix! All for a $10 donation and a bonus FCBD key ring! All proceeds from this go directly to the Darren Carrara Memorial Fund. You can pick yours up starting FRIDAY MAY 5th! Hurry, quantities are limited!

Other prizes will be raffled off including an original penciled and inked piece featuring Batman drawn and donated by comic artist John Hebert. All proceeds from these promotions will be raffled off and donated to the Carrara family.

Zombie Planet

1238 Central Ave, Albany, NY

Hours: 10:00am to 10:00PM

Sales: Check store for details

They will also be hosting an array of comic related gaming events, including the debut of the new Heroclix set!

Make sure to bring the kids to meet our surprise cosplay guest stars! Wonder Woman, Doctor Strange and Pikachu and more guests throughout the day!!

How many Free Comic Books can you get?

Check store for details

Electric City Comics

1704 Van Vranken Ave Schenectady, NY

Hours: 11:00 AM to 5:30 PM.

Sales:

Electric City Comics is indeed celebrating Free Comic Book Day this year. We don’t have any special promotions planned, although we may have someone in costume on hand. Free Comic Book Day is our busiest day of the year, hands down, and doing anything further would create logistical problems.

How many Free Comic Books can you get?

Check store for details

Comic Depot

514 Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY

Hours: 10:00AM to 8:00PM

Sales:



How many Free Comic Books can you get?

Check store for details

Excellent Adventures

110 Milton Ave Ballston Spa, NY

Hours: 11:00AM to 4:00PM

Sales:



How many Free Comic Books can you get?

We always give 5 comics per customer.

I will be attempting to visit all the Local Comic Shops to take pictures, talk to the owners and creators, and attendees.

I may try the Facebook “Go Live” feature which you can find at the site The Comics Multiverse Facebook page

Hope to see lots of people this weekend.

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Top Picks of the Week:

Batman #22

Writer: Tom King

Art: Jason Fabok

Cover Price: $2.99

The Button Part 3 … Check out my posts on Part 1 (Batman #21) and Part 2 (Flash #21) for thoughts on the story so far.



Secret Empire #1 (Of 9)

Writer: Nick Spender

Art: Steve McNiven

Cover: Mark Brooks

Cover Price: $4.99

It’s been building for months, across a bevy of titles! But now, the moment has arrived for Steve Rogers to step into the light and declare his allegiance to Hydra! How can the heroes of the Marvel Universe cope with this shattering betrayal by the most trusted figure among them? And what will this mean for the world? The map of the Marvel Universe changes in ways nobody will expect – TRUST THE SECRET EMPIRE!

Batman Family titles

Nightwing #20: Nightwing Must Die – Finale

Superman Family titles

Superman #22: Black Dawn – Part 1

Justice League Family titles

Aquaman #22: H20 Finale

Cyborg #12: Danger in Detroit – Part 3

Green Lanterns #22: Lost in Space – Part 1

DC Universe Titles

Deathstroke #18: Twilight – Finale

Green Arrow #22: Rise of Star City -Part 2

Team/Team Up titles

Harley Quinn #19 – Deadly Sin Finale

Team Up/Team Titles

Justice League #20: The Endless – Part 1

Miniseries

Bane Conquest #1

Fall And Rise Of Captain Atom #5

Wonder Woman 77 Bionic Woman #4

Hanna-Barbera

Flintstones #11

All-New Guardians Of The Galaxy #1

Black Bolt #1

Bullseye #4 (Of 5)

Champions #8

Iron Fist #3

Jean Grey #1

Jessica Jones #8

Unstoppable Wasp #5

X-Men Gold #3

Star Wars Poe Dameron #14

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS

Riverdale #2

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Update on Black Ink Documentary Kickstarter

A few weeks ago I interviewed local creator Craig Rippon who was running a Kickstarter Campagin for his documentary examining the contributions to the comic book industry by people of color: the challenges and the triumphs inherent in overtaking stereotypes and replacing them with archetypes that can shape generations of comic creators, fans, and pop-culture. Now with movie studios and television networks mining comics for source material, as well as internet shows devoted to comic books, comics are big business and a powerful cultural influence.

Black Ink Documentary

The project was successfully funded and I did a follow-up interview with Craig.

Now that you have completed the campaign what are the next steps for the project?

I’m working to make sure that all of the rewards that I promised are being created and that everyone who expects a reward gets what they are expecting. I want everyone to know what is going on at every step of the way during this reward process.

Who do you still have to interview for the project? any additions to the list?

I have so many people. I am working on the first trip that I need to take to California. We have Sebastian Jones, Anthony Piper & Chase Conley, Robb Armstrong and Erika Alexander (most people know her as Pam from the show Living Single) we have a lot of really great people set up to be interviewed. I’m looking forward to what we have coming up.

What was the biggest challenge with the Kickstarter? What did you learn that you could do better for the next one?

I have to say, I’m not a big fan of trying to raise money. So, just working to get the money was a hard thing for me, because for me I found myself worrying when the money wasn’t going up as much or as fast as I would have liked. I learned that their is a great divide within the Black community between Black people who want to be upward mobile and financially independent and the others. Black people don’t believe in themselves like they might like for people to believe.

Some black people will say “I would pledge, but I don’t have it like that” but those same people will go and buy 10 scratch off tickets. Some Blacks will spend hundreds of dollars on sneakers and then complain about what they can’t do or don’t have. I am trying to build a business for myself and my family as well as something that will benefit my extended family (and by “extended family” I mean those black people of like mind).

I want to create something that will outlast myself and generate income for my family in the future that they can run themselves.

When do you expect to finish the documentary?

Before the end of the year, I’d say by September.

Anything else you would like to mention?

I want to say thank you to everyone that pledged. I appreciate all of the folks who believe and I will do my best to never let you down and produce something you will be pleased with.



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Congrats to Craig and I can’t wait to see the final project.

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