For comic book fans around the world, the first Saturday of May marks an annual holiday — Free Comic Book Day. Started by a small shop in California, the event has spread around the world as a way of thanking customers and encouraging new ones.
The comic book giveaway is just one way comic-book-shop owners are fighting the sales drops that have threatened traditional bookstores. Dan Merritt, owner of Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, Mich., says his shop picks up anywhere from 5 to 10 percent more revisiting customers from the event alone.
Still, despite the rise of e-readers, the comic book industry has managed to grow — over the past decade, sales have jumped from $330 million to as high as $430 million. Sales are boosted by the public rivalry between the biggest comic book publishers, Marvel and DC Comics, and by the slew of comic book-based movies that have become box office hits.
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