One of the changes coming this year is a new “free comics” competition! It’s going to be Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) versus a new contender, Comics Giveaway Day (CGD)!
MORE DIAMOND FALLOUT COMING!
We have recently entered a new year, 2026, but the ramifications from Diamond’s bankruptcy continue to impact the comics industry!
For instance, Free Comic Book Day is facing Comics Giveaway Day on Saturday, May 2, 2026!
So, here’s my understanding of what’s going to happen!
Free Comic Book Day has been a staple for the last several years on the first Saturday of May. In 2026, that will continue, but there’s a wrinkle in the process!
Lunar Distributors and Universal Distribution are carrying FCBD forward, but the publishers at Penguin Random House weren’t able to come to an agreement with FCBD, so instead, we will have not one, but TWO comics events!
Granted, most comics fans probably won’t notice a difference since all the “free” comics will be set out on the same tables at most local comics shops. But Penguin is launching Comics Giveaway Day on the same day, and it will include Marvel Comics offerings and possibly a few others.
THE MAIN CHANGES WILL TAKE PLACE BEHIND THE SCENES
While most local stores will probably put all the “free” comics together in one place, I’m sure some will do things differently, putting them near each other in similar locations. The big change will happen when your LCS has to place their orders, which means they will have to request their books from at least two different organizations!
Yes, I know… that’s how things have been going for some time, ever since Diamond declared bankruptcy. But the people who run local stores tend to want to do things as streamlined as possible, so I know of a few who still hate to have to place orders from more than one organization.
One store owner told me recently, “At least Free Comic Book Day will still all come from one place!” Not so, pilgrim!
As time continues on, the fallout of the previously mentioned bankruptcy will continue to send waves through the comics industry, with Free Comic Book Day being the latest example.
So, in order to have all the best books to distribute on May 2, nearly all local shops will have to order from two places, some griping all the way.
But if you don’t have books people are looking for on that Saturday, well, you just might cause potential customers to find another store to frequent! And we know they don’t want that to happen!
Does this mean that Free Comic Book Day will go the way of the monthly Previews magazine? Probably not, but nothing is entirely certain at this point. It may be that, during the coming year, Penguin and their folks will be able to work out their differences with FCBD, and everything will be back to the more concise, neat method of ordering stuff that comics shops still prefer to use.
However, CGD is so new that they don’t even seem to have a new logo… yet!
NOT THIS YEAR, THOUGH
As far as the fans go, I don’t hear much grumbling or mumbling about this current arrangement. Again, most LCSs will not present the “free” books (notice that I put quotes around the word “free” since stores do have to pay a minimal amount for each copy they hand out) in a confusing way.
Could Comics Giveaway Day usurp and cause the end of Free Comic Book Day? It’s certainly possible, but not likely. Many fans still refer to that Saturday as Free Comic Book Day, but we are a fickle bunch at times. If Marvel leads the way to another, more preferred way of handing out freebies, well, many shops will gladly follow them there.
Each year, the people who run local comics shops really like that first Saturday of May. After all, they get a lot of potential new and/or returning customers through their doors to check out their wares, not just to pick up free stuff. A lot of stores make a lot of money off the “free” books when people see what else the LCS has for sale. If they play their cards right, they might even get new regular customers as a result! So, there is a lot at stake here!
Well, I highly doubt this is the last shift in how things are run as a result of the Diamond business. But, as many people say, change is good, right? Nothing lasts forever, not even Free Comic Book Day, or even Comics Giveaway Day, right? So, let’s just enjoy the ride and see how it all shakes out in the coming years!
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