JC Glindmyer reports:

"Many different businesses have some sort of special event at least once a year. An event that breaks the monotony and gets employees as well as customers excited. In its short time it’s been around, Free Comic Book Day has evolved into such a day for us. It’s become a tradition here to kind of make FCBD a party atmosphere. We give out the comics; play some trivia games, and just totally geek out. New customers come in for the free comics, and regular customers come in not only for the free stuff, but also to see what we’ll do this year….

"Last year we had Wonder Woman appear, so the bar had to be raised…. One hero was a hit, so we figured having two would have to be better.

"Last year we had someone portray Wonder Woman. She was a big hit with everyone and she enjoyed meeting people and really got into the role. And who wouldn’t enjoy meeting a real super-hero? This time we figured we would use another fan favorite, Catwoman. We didn’t have to look very far to find our Selina Kyle. Sadie-Sha Turner, a local model/actress approached us earlier in the year offering her services if we ever needed someone to appear in costume.

"Allyson Da Silva is a very good friend of mine and was also interested in doing something for Free Comic Book Day since last year. She loves to dress up and ham it up. She also happens to be one of the few people I know who can wear anything from a gown to a burlap bag and look like a million dollars. After many options, Ally made a very brave choice and decided it would be fun to dress as She-Hulk. Ally is also quite attractive with grayish eyes and an infectious smile. Green or not, she could definitely attract attention.

"We had a line outside the door before we opened, which we took as a good sign.

"Allyson was the first to come out in costume, she posed in front of the store as people both in and outside of the store stopped to look the six foot tall green avenger. And she was a trooper. Not only did she spend a hot July Saturday in green grease paint for over five hours, but she also had to wear a black wig to cover her newly blonde hair, which ironically enough used to be black. Wearing black bike shorts, boots and a black T-shirt with SECURITY in white letter emblazoned on the front, she posed for lots of pictures and signed some autographs. She has a way with people and was very outgoing with most everyone she came in contact with.

"Sadie-Sha became an amalgam of the Julie Newmar/Eartha Kitt/Halle Berry versions of the character. We decided not to give her a mask because she was so beautiful, it would be a crime to hide that face. She looked the part complete with green eyes, black curved nails, black boots and a whip. She spoke softly, almost purring her words to visitors. At times during the day, she’d go out to the sidewalk with a large Free Comic Book Day mounted poster, and wave to the passing cars. And this lady literally stopped traffic outside of our store. One guy actually screeched his car to a stop, drove backwards while still in traffic to get a parking space about four cars back.

"And we had a special surprise unannounced guest. Our photographer, Brandy Caldwell came recommended to us, and we’ve seen her previous work and thought she was pretty good. She also brought something else to the free Comic Book Day mix: Her dog Wesley, in a Krypto the Superdog costume complete with cape, chest emblem and belt. Brandy’s boyfriend Matt who was originally billed as her ‘lighting guy,’ ended up as Krypto’s handler. Not that he needed a handler; he mingled with customers and kids just loved him. He was an extremely kind and beautiful animal and was a huge hit with everyone.

"And then there were the people who came in, almost all of them pleasant, and appreciative of the free comics. A lot of parents brought their children ranging from 3 years old to pre teens. We saw a lot of younger kids from previous years. It was good seeing parents bringing in kids to introduce them to comics. There were also some kids who stopped by not expecting free comics and were pleasantly surprised being able to walk out with 3 to 4 comics.

"The store was pretty much packed with people from the time we opened at 11:00am to around 5:30, a half hour before the store closing.

"Better still, everyone, customers, heroines, and employees had a great time."

Photos by Brandy Cadwell.