LINK TO FACEBOOK EVENT

South Grand comics shop to feature book giveaways live local music, a

meet-and-greet with Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse concept artist, co-creator of Manifest Destiny and more

St. Louis, MO (April 17, 2019) – Apotheosis Comics & Lounge is going all out for Free Comic Book Day. On Saturday, May 4, visit this indie South City shop for free comics, live performances, and the opportunity to meet some very special guests – including St. Louis native Jim Mahfood, a concept artist for the 2019 Academy Award-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

The shop opens at 10 a.m., but plan to line up beforehand, as free comic books tend to go fast! Some of this year’s freebie titles include Riverdale, Stranger Things, Avengers, Doctor Who, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Deadly Class, Star Wars Adventures, and many more (limit three free books per person).

From 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., acclaimed artist Matthew Roberts will sign copies of his series Manifest Destiny. These comics follow a fictionalized account of Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark, who set out on an expedition to explore the uncharted American frontier and (in this version!) discovered bizarre monsters. Cosplayers will also mingle with shoppers during this time.

Live local bands take the Apotheosis stage at 1 p.m., with performances by Opera Bell Band, 3 of 5, and Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship. At 6 p.m., Jim Mahfood joins the fun, hot off his experience as an artist for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The former St. Louisan takes influence from American comic books, graffiti art, anime, and psychedelic ’60s imagery. Mahfood will stick around for the Free Comic Book Day After-Party, which runs from 8 to 9 p.m. and features a live DJ.

“Free Comic Book Day is the perfect time to celebrate comic-book artists and share our love of this culture,” said Martin Casas, co-owner of Apotheosis. “We’re honored to be joined by talents like Roberts and Mahfood – and to open our doors to St. Louisans for a full day of total nerd fun.”

As both a comic book store and a community gathering space, Apotheosis is the ideal spot to spend an hour (or eight) on May 4. For further information or to request images or interviews, please email Brooke Foster at brooke@wearenovella.com. For the day’s full schedule, please visit the event page on Facebook.