"I want all of you to go to your local comic shop this Saturday"

"Free Comic Book Day." Artist: Sergio Aragonés

Today we're sharing a guest post with you. This guest post originally appeared on Eben E.B. Burgoon's Facebook profile. 

Eben is one of Sacramento's creatives. He creates comic books, including Eben07 and B-Squad, and he creates comic book creators, teaching children how to create their own comic books.

We asked him if we could repost it to our blog, and he said yes. We've used the opening words of his post as the title for ours.

Before we get to that, we have something to add.

Sacramento is a unique town in many ways, but especially when it comes to comic shops. Very few towns support as many comic shops as Sacramento does. We count at least fifteen, but wouldn't be surprised if there are more and we just haven't heard about them yet.

Our town has embraced comic book and geek culture -- from Sac-Con to Wizard World Sacramento, from Art Mix: Crocker-Con to SacAnime and Free Comic Book Day Festival, and so on.

And Sacramento comic shops return the support. As a comic shop we do our best to champion our local creatives -- and not just comic book creators. We champion literacy and small business and the arts and local interest groups and so on.

So, Thank You, Sacramento! 

"I want all of you to go to your local comic book shop this Saturday. Seriously. Stop with that "pFFttt" noise - yeah, I heard it. You, yes, you. Stop for a second. Say it aloud with me. "SIRI. Remind me to go to a comic book shop this Saturday."


Here is the deal... most every comic shop around the country will be doing something special this Saturday for Free Comic Book Day. Shops across the country will give away hundreds of thousands of comics FOR 100% FREE - no expectations & no questions - seriously 100% free on select models.

These shops will pour their energy into orchestrating this massive giveaway and also create raffles to benefit charities, swag bags for the kids, offer absurd how-are-they-making-any-money fire sales, and they even bring luminaries out of their dimly lit studios... almost too far away from their two weiner dogs... to sign and doodle on books and prints they created.

While their walls may echo with debates over if Batman can take out Wolverine (Batman wins... one word... magnets) ... they are owned and operated by your neighbors. People just doing their best to follow their bliss over get rich or die trying schemes. They work to make a great shop for the throngs who want to escape their day and delight in the strange and beautiful marriage of words and pictures that make comics so influential on today's culture.

So even if you're not a regular comic book reader, maybe you think superheroes are trite garbage, maybe you find zombies boring, maybe you have some other quick excuse for me like comics are just kid stuff and you only read "real" books...

Well, then, yo, dog, I am your huckleberry and I am definitely daring you. A triple dog dare. All the cherries-on-top, double stamp a triple stamp D-A-R-E - dare.

Let's say I got your thoughts on comics pegged earlier. I bet you at least can get behind a little love to support your local small businesses... right? So just go into a shop on that notion and explore even just a little bit. Maybe you drive by a shop every day and never have gone in. Go. Go over there this weekend.

Heck, ask me for recommendations! Ask me what shop to go to in your area! Treat me like a Google! I'm down to help you take this journey. We're all really lucky. We're living in an age where comics have never been better and truly something out there for every taste.

You will find something in that shop that will grab your curiosity - I dare you to embrace that curiosity and enjoy it. I would be floored if you couldn't find something!
Here are a few shops outside the Sacramento area I can completely recommend and where most of you live...

If you're in the LA-area, my favorite shop is Meltdown Comics and Collectibles
If you're in San Francisco, my favorite shop is Isotope - The Comic Book Lounge
If you're in San Luis Obispo area, my favorite shop is Dr. Cain's Comics and Games

And if you by chance live in Redding or Roseville, you can even meet a few artists that have worked with me on B-Squad or come say hi to my goofy face at Empire's Comics Vault among a sea of other local creators... there are shops all over Sacramento area (Big Brother Comics, World's Best Comics & Toys, Comic Command Center and Comics & Collectibles leap to mind) doing wonderful stuff.

You just need to go.
Saturday.
DO IT!
I DARE YOU! :)
And when you do, let me know how it went!

To those that need no daring to go, thank you so much. Thank you to everybody that continues to support these shops, people that support the misfits who draw write and create in this difficult and sublime medium --- the people like me, who are damning torpedoes and trying hard to make good comics happen --- thank you for your support over the years. You're the best of kind!
#fcbdfest2017

Cap tip to Sergio Aragonés' artwork here. His mustache is amazing.
_______

p.s. from Empire's: Don't miss out on FCBD Festival. Add it to your Facebook calendar right here. Lastly, at the end of his post, Eben names several shops in the area. We'd like to add some additional shops to that list -- Sacramento's Broadway Comics, Metropolis Comix in Elk Grove, A-1 Comics in Sacramento, Roseville, and Folsom, Elk Grove Cards and Comics, Bizarro World in Davis, Ken's Comics & Collectibles in Rocklin, Adventures in Comics & Games in Carmichael, HR Sports Cards & Collectibles in Sacramento, and Sacramento's newest comic shop, Oblivion Comics & Coffee (serving Chocolate Fish's coffee!). What a great town to live in! Each shop has it's own personality -- it's own "vibe," if you will. We invite you to tour them all. See you on Free Comic Book Day.

p.p.s. Many apologies if we overlooked your shop! Please let us know and we'll add it.

Our favorite shop highlights from 2015

We're 22 days away from Free Comic Book Day Mini-Con 2016 and poised to give away 20,000 free comic books!

Here's a look at just one of the pallets of boxes that we received. There were two of these. Loading and unloading these into the trucks really gave us quite the workout this morning.

So, as we draw closer to the ultimate day of the year, we thought we'd take a moment to reflect on the moments that made 2015 an amazing year -- all 15 of them!

Which of these were your favorite Empire's moments?

We'd love to hear about it. Let us know in the comments, please.

Top 15 Moments of 2015

1. One of Ben and Jen's long time favorite comic book authors, Barbara Kesel (listen to the interview) joined us at Creative Women Mini-Con 2015. On top of that, Mairghread Scott (listen to the interview), the first woman to write a Transformers comic book and author of Toil and Trouble, also joined us!
2. At FCBD Mini-Con 2015, we had food at the event -- the Italian shaved ice booth and the Wandering Boba food truck.
3. We started having live models once a month for our artist group to sketch.
4. Our Graphic Novel Discussion Group really took off and has continued into 2016.
5. Captain Dylan Hunt came into our lives.
6. We put a 65" giant screen television in Empire's Comics Lounge.
7. We rearranged the store to give it a brighter and more spacious feel.
8. Empire's Movie Crew had a blast at the movies. We had a huge turnout for Avengers.
9. Empire's Open Podcast (now called Cracking the Vault) really came together with an amazing crew -- Jake, Amy, Tony, Patrick, and regular special guests -- and lots of entertaining, clean talk about comics related topics.
10. We started having a reserved section for Empire's Roller Derby Crew at all the Sac City Roller games.
11. Ben and Cody Stark spoke on a panel at the Intergalactic Expo (which took place on Earth in 2015).
12. Ben served as the costume contest judge at Crocker-Con.
13. We saw Mad Max at Studio Movie Grill.
14. On Back to the Future Day, we packed the shop and played the movies and counted down to when the future became the past.
15. Sac-Con outgrew the Scottish Rite Temple, expanding in a huge way.

That's our list.

Please let us know in the comments what made 2015 great for you. 

And now, onward! We have a post headed your away about what's new in 2016 and a whole lot of posts about this year's Free Comic Book Day Mini-Con!

(left: after-hours comedy night at Empire's)

Shop Improvements, More Comfort

In addition to our well-lit, open space, we now have couches! It's been a long time coming, and so far, they're well received.

How To Use A Couch - Ha, Ha

We've had customers stop by on their lunch break, eat, and read their comics. Some Savings Club Members pick up their books and then take a seat to read the current issue from that week's take. Some customers have stopped in to talk comics and movies. There's even talk of starting up a graphic novel reading club again. It's why we have couches.

Around the couches are tables. Under the center table, there are some games. Feel free to pull them out, and strike up a friendly game.

You've probably noticed our new, uniform bookshelves also. Yes, they're IKEA's Billy, haha, and they're perfect, providing a cleaner look and feel to the shop.

Note: You don't have to be a Savings Club Member to use the couches, but why wouldn't you sign up, it's free.

Tip 8 - It's Better to Wear It Than To Just Bring It to 24 Hour Comics Day. What is it?

Ha, ha, well, Ben had some fun filming ten tips for 24 Hour Comics Day. Here's #8. If you want to see all the tips, visit EmpiresCV.tv.

Empire's Comics Vault Presents The Free Comic Book Day Mini-Con

We're doing two amazing things for Free Comic Book Day 2012, a.k.a., FCBD 2012, and you're all invited.

1st Amazing Thing We're Doing

We're giving away more than 10,000 free comic books to Sacramento's comic book reading fans and to people who've never read a comic book in a long time - or ever! On Saturday, May 5 come out to Empire's Comics Vault for your free comics.

2nd Amazing Thing We're Doing

To make this year's Free Comic Book Day, a.k.a., FCBD, the best ever, we're having our own mini comic book convention, a.k.a., Mini-Con, and inviting some of our best friends to join us. On May 5, you'll meet some of Sacramento's amazing comic book creators, writers, artists, geek groups, and more.

Amazing Bonus Thing We're Doing

We're letting two people Skip The Line at FCBD 2012! "Meet" some of the folks who'll join us on the first Saturday in May and find out how you could be one of the two people skipping the line in this nifty vid. Be sure to read the complete Skip The Line rules.