By Nick Dutro
n-dutro@onu.edu
It’s 10:19 a.m. The soft sound of Weezer’s “Say It Ain’t So” plays over the voices in the crowd. Children and adults alike are talking about which comic books they’re most interested in, and many are talking about how much they liked the movie “Iron Man.” A cash register rings up one customer after another. Some people had been in line as early as 9 a.m., waiting for the doors to open so they could grab their favorite books.
It’s Free Comic Book Day, and to the crowd at Alter Ego Comics in Lima, there is nothing more exciting.
The first Free Comic Book Day was May 4, 2002. Since then, specialty comic book stores all over the county have taken part in the celebration, and gave out special free books to customers on the first May of each year. The annual event is coordinated by the industry distributing giant Diamond Comic Distributors and has included special titles from most comic book companies, including the “Big Two,” DC and Marvel Comics.
Marc Bowker, owner of Alter Ego, has taken part in the event for the last three years.
“We usually see about 500 people come through here, and we give out almost 3,000 of the free books” Bowker says.
Free Comic Book Day is one of Alter Egos biggest days of the year, and because of that Bowker gets his entire staff to come in and man the front line on the first Saturday in May, including his wife, Angie Bowker.
“I come in other days, but I mostly just work on Free Comic Book Day,” Angie said.
Alter Ego’s Lima store has been open for three years, but Bowker has maintained their online store, alteregocomics.com, for the last five years.
As well as the Bowkers, Marc employs Josh Young, Chris Stearns, Kyle Snyder, and Seth Ralston.
“I enjoy it immensely,” Snyder said about his third FCBD at Alter Ego. “The more people we get through here, the better.”
Each employee had a different job, be it watching the line outside, or bagging the free books, which has been Stearns’ job for the last two years.
“I watch to make sure everyone only takes five books, but also that kids don’t take books that are inappropriate for them,” Stearns said.
This year, Alter Ego had 21 titles for people to choose from, including special issues of “Hellboy,” “Archie Comics,” “The Simpsons,” and “Marvel Adventures: Iron Man, Hulk and Spiderman,” the book Bowker said would probably be the most popular of the year because of movie tie-ins.
“There are five comic movies this summer, so these (characters) are really big right now,” Bowker said.
Bowker said his favorite book this year is a FCBD issue of “Atomic Robo and Friends,” published by independent company Red 5.
“It’s just a really interesting robot/war story,” Bowker said.
“Some years the books are questionable, but there are some good books this year,” Snyder said.
Snyder’s picks included the issue of “Hellboy,” “Atomic Robo” and “Tiny Titans,” a Free Comic Book Day special issue of the popular DC comic “Teen Titans.”
As well as the free books, one of the comics Bowker expects to be popular is Marvel Comics’ major event “Secret Invasion.” But as much as he’d like to see some of the “on sale” issues go, he doesn’t expect them to be as big a hit as the free books.
“The majority of people here are not regular readers,” Bowker said. “We’ll be talking our heads off (about “Secret Invasion”) but I don’t know how well they’ll move.”
Regardless of whether there were many regular readers, Alter Ego was full of kids and adults who wanted to get some free books and catch up on their favorite comic books.
One group of boys from Lima North Middle School said they were there mostly for the free books. Which books, they didn’t really care, although one boy said he was definitely not at Alter Ego to pick up the new issue of Iron Man.
“I ain’t here for no Iron Man,” he said. “I hate that guy, he sucks.”
One couple, a boy and girl named Jacob and Megan, were returning to Alter Ego for their third Free Comic Book Day.
“We’ve come ever since we came in a few years ago for extra credit,” Megan said.
While they’re not store regulars, the two said they have never missed a FCBD since the store opened.
Ed Barnett and his son Evan from Spencerville came to Alter Ego for their second FCBD, this time bringing Evan’s friend Dylan.
Evan said his favorite comic book character is Batman, but he came in Saturday for Iron Man comics.
One father turned to Bowker and asked if there was going to be an artist at the store.
“(My son) wanted a picture of Iron Man,” he said.
In the past, Bowker has gotten an artist to come to the store on FCBD to sign autographs and draw pictures for the kids. Last year writer/artist Thom Zahler, creator of FCBD book “Love and Capes” and Ohio native, came to the Lima store.
“He was very cool, unfortunately he is in Texas this year,” Young said.
Instead of having an artist, Bowker opted to have Darth Vader and a Stormtrooper from “Star Wars” to make a guest appearance. To coincide with the costumed characters, Bowker also held the first costume contest for the kids, who received prizes for coming in costume.
At noon Darth Vader and his henchmen stepped outside to take pictures with fans. But even without the “Star Wars” characters, the people in the crowd seemed to be happy just to be spending their Saturday morning at the local comic shop, and the staff at Alter Ego were happy to have them there as well.
“We get lots of exposure,” Ralston said. “(I like that) this is a chance for new people to get into comics.”