Upcoming Event: Free Comic Book Day at Heroes Aren't Hard to Find!

Saturday, May 5, you'll find us at Heroes Aren't Hard to Find for Free Comic Book Day!

Books to be excited about:

• Peanuts/Adventure Time Flip-Book from Boom! Studios:This looks to be a super fun kids book.  The art in Adventure Time always looks adorable and who doesn't enjoy Charlie Brown and friends.
• Star Wars/Serenity Flip-Book from Dark Horse Comics: Two great tastes that taste great together!
•  Buffy the Vampire Slayer/The Guild Flip-Book from Dark Horse Comics: It's great to see Dark Horse putting such fun female driven comics together in one book.  I've been a BVS fan since the beginning and even though I am not an on-line gamer, I love The Guild. 
• Walt Disney's Donald Duck's Family Comics from Fantagraphics: Two words-Donald Duck.  Enough said.
• Top Shelf Kids Club by Top Shelf Comics: This book looks so awesome.  Of course, I am going to love a cover by Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken's Ray Friesen.  I want wallpaper made out of that cover.  Inside is full of Top Shelf's great all ages books: Owly, Johnny Boo, Korgi, Okie Dokie Donuts, Upside Down and last, but certainly not least, Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken.  How does Top Shelf fit that much awesome into one free book?

Artists scheduled to be sketching away:

• CHRIS BRUNNER – Co-creator and artist on Loose Ends, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, Covers for Static Shock, Boondock Saints, & NOLA
• SHAWN CRYSTAL – Artist on Deadpool, Deadpool Max, & Deadpool Team-Up
• FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA – Creator of The Black Beetle, Artist on Captain America & Bucky, Detective Comics, Black Panther, & cover artist for pretty much every other comic book
• SANFORD GREENE – Creator of Rotten Apple, Artist on Deadpool, Wonder Girl, Methodman GN
• CULLY HAMNER – Co-creator of Red, Artist on The Question, Detective Comics, Black Lightning, Blue Beetle
• JASON LATOUR – Co-creator of Loose Ends, Artist on BPRD: Pickens County Horror, Noche Roja, Scalped, Daredevil: Black & White
• JACKIE LEWIS – Artist on Play Ball
• KEVIN MELLON – Artist on Heart, Lovestruck, S.H.I.E.L.D.
• JAY POTTS – Creator of World of Hurt
• BUDD ROOT – Creator of Cavewoman
• BRIDGIT SCHEIDE – Creator of Brother Nash
• BRIAN STELFREEZE –  Artist on Wednesday Comics, The Ride, Gun Candy, & a ton of Batman: Shadow of the Bat covers
• SKETCH CHARLOTTE - Several artists from this local sketch group will be on hand! Sketch Charlotte meets every Thursday at 6:30pm at Showmars on 7th and Pecan.

Remember free sketches are at the discretion of the artist and to respect the time limits set.  The artists work super hard and do their best to get to as many people as they can.

I also had the opportunity to chat with the newest Heroes staff member, Karla Marsh, about FCBD and joining the Heroes Family:

How does it feel to be starting with Free Comic Book Day as your first event as the newest member of the Heroes staff, the Events Coordinator?

Well, I'm no stranger to Free Comic Book Day. For the past 10 years I've either been helping out at the store on FCBD, or attending it. Taking this on as my first real "event" since becoming Event Coordinator is exciting!! FCBD has always been the sample platter for HeroesCon in my opinion, since it's always fallen just a few weeks before the convention. It's an opportunity to meet some amazing artist, maybe get a sketch or two, and really just enjoy being a comics fan. Setting up for it this year has been my pleasure, and is a nice way to get my feet wet before the big show in June.

What's it been like joining the staff?

It's like coming home to hang out with my family! I've spend my entire life with Heroes in some way or fashion. At first I was a regular customer of the store and a faithful patron of the convention every year, then, as time went on, I became a dedicated volunteer at the convention, doing whatever was needed and helping out wherever and whenever I could. Heroes has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and it seems only fitting that I should now call it home...the place I pour my heart and soul into. I can't think of a better place to hang my hat. It also doesn't hurt that my fellow co-workers are all amazing, creative, and dedicated individuals who have accepted me into their family with open arms. Because when you break it down, working for Heroes is really all about family, and I feel incredibly lucky to be included.

What are you excited about for FCBD?

Are you kidding?! The FREE COMICS of course!! Who doesn't LOVE a FREE COMIC?! I used to get SO excited about FCBD when I was younger. It was like going to a restaurant and they ask you if you'd like a free dessert! Of course you do! Free comics are my equivalent to a free hot fudge sundae! It also doesn't hurt that we have some truly amazing artists joining us this year! They'll be doing sketches and chatting with the fans. We have such an impressive  list of artists this year that I can't begin to name them all! You can check them out for yourself on the Heroes website at: Free Comic Book Day: Artists 

This year we will also have Radio Disney on site, playing music and giving away prizes. That just adds to the fun of all of the free comics we will have to give away that day! I think the kids will really enjoy it, and parents will too!

What events are you looking forward to after FCBD?

Well, there's this little convention, I don't know if you've heard about it, it's called HeroesCon and it starts on June 22nd and runs through the 24th. That will be what I spend every waking moment on between FCBD and June 25th. I'm currently setting up exhibitors and helping with Small Press, making sure that everyone has the best possible location for this year's show. I'm also doing a lot of "behind the scenes" work as well. There is never a shortage of things that need to be done when you're running a convention like Heroes. We want everyone who comes to HeroesCon to leave talking about it for the next 30 years. It's our job to make sure that each HeroesCon is the absolute best it can be, and that's not an easy task. It takes a lot of work, and a lot of sleepless hours, but I can't wait! HeroesCon is like second Christmas to me, and for anyone who knows me...I take Christmas very seriously!! If I loved Christmas anymore than I already do, I would marry Santa Claus! And that's how much I love HeroesCon. I would marry it, if I could!

We hope you'll join us in welcoming Karla to the Heroes Family (officially) and at FCBD!

Free Comic Book Day us May 5, 2012.  Heroes Aren't Hard to Find is located at 1957 E. 7th Street, Charlotte, NC 28204  Store opens at 10am and artists will be sketching at 1pm-5pm.