We're flying high after our first Free Comic Book Day!

Superheroes of all types and sizes were out in full force on Saturday, in honor of FCBD.

What’s that up in the sky? A bird? A plane? No, it’s Capstone on Free Comic Book Day.

As many of you already know, Free Comic Book Day this past Saturday was a soaring success. It was the first time Capstone participated in FCBD, and it has garnered us rave reviews (from hard-to-please fans and websites) and glowing praise. Paste, an online and print magazine on everything pop culture summed it up:

“It’s depressing that an educational publisher makes kid-targeted superhero comics that are smarter, funnier and better than anything Marvel or DC are doing in the same sphere."

Smarter and funnier! What’s even better -- this innovative new project has paid for itself. We gave away nearly 25,000 comics in bookstores and comic stores across the country. It was part of a special grab bag for kids or was a giveaway for any fan who walked in the door.  

Two young readers with their grab bags of fun!

It took lots of people to achieve liftoff. From being spearheaded by Donnie Lemke and Bob Lentz, our own comic book nerd savants, to Ashley Andersen Zantop’s push when we needed it most, to Paul von Drasek, Shannon Zigmund, Jennifer Glidden and Heather Kindseth, it takes a village, and this village was sweating, planning, phoning, emailing, writing, designing and editing up to the final countdown.

Art Director Bob Lentz happy to experience FCBD, complete with his Rockhead/Zinc Alloy issue. 

We were even shown on the Today show! And on the MSNBC website. When they needed an image to show what FCBD and comics for young readers was all about, they featured our glossy Rockhead/Zinc Alloy cover. Two super heroes for the price of none.

At Capstone, one of our exceptional goals is to meet young readers where they live. And with the amazing success of FCBD, we have done just that. After the weekend, one fan told us that his friend’s four-year old son loved our comic. In fact, after the dad read it out loud, the boy turned to him and said, “Dad, comics are awesome."

Mission accomplished. For now. Our Capstone comics team is already geared up for next year, and is currently following up the giveaway comic with paperback trade editions of Rockhead and Zinc for those fans who got a taste on Saturday. Things never slow down here at Capstone. It’s just too awesome to stop. Up, up, and away!

Look at the crowd at The Source Comics and Games in Roseville, MN!

Editorial Director Michael Dahl, lifelong comic-book lover

Michael Dahl, Editorial Director
Capstone Fiction