Carr D'Angelo of Earth-2 in Sherman Oaks, California shares his experience with Free Comic Book Day 2008 (see “National Comics Holiday this Weekend”), and say his store was “packed to the rafters:”

Earth-2 Comics was packed to the rafters this past Saturday, and it wasn't just for the free comic books.

To benefit The Hero Initiative, Earth-2 hosted Eisner-award-winning artist Tim Sale, who not only signed books and drew sketches for a host of faithful fans in exchange for a donation, but also created commissioned pieces for five lucky fans who were willing to give a little more to the Hero Initiative, a charitable organization that supports comics creators in their retirement. Sale's enthusiasm was equal to that of his fans, as he stayed a full hour and a half past his scheduled appearance time to make sure everyone in line got an autograph or a sketch. Fans also received an extra treat when Sale's longtime collaborator Jeph Loeb stopped by to sign a few books as well.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words? This is what comics fans supporting comics creators looks like:

"Between the Tim Sale signing and the premiere of the Iron Man movie, this was the biggest crowd we have ever had for Free Comic Book Day!" said Earth-2 Comics co-proprietor Carr D'Angelo. "There were little girls coming in asking for Iron Man comics, which was something I never expected.  It was gratifying to see so many people turn out to support The Hero Initiative and make donations when they met Tim Sale or got a sketch from local animator Anthony Price. We raised hundreds of dollars for The Hero Initiative, informed a lot of people about this great charity and many cash-strapped folks took brochures and promised to make credit card donations when they got home."

Sale's appearance was arranged by ComicsPRO, which worked with The Hero Initiative to coordinate benefit Free Comic Book Day appearances at ComicsPRO member stores nationwide.

"Free Comic Book Day represents not just a celebration of the comics medium, but how we as comic book retailers can have a powerful effect on the community," said Earth-2 Comics co-proprietor Jud Meyers. "I've never been more proud of our store, our employees, our comics professionals and, most important, the families in our local communities whose passion and support keep our doors open."

The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. The Hero Initiative creates a financial safety net for yesterday's creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. For more information, go to their Web site at http://www.heroinitiative.org/.

Earth-2 Comics & Collectibles, founded by Jud Meyers & Carr D'Angelo, was the 2007 winner of the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award, presented under the auspices of Comic-Con International: San Diego, which is given to the individual retailer that has done an outstanding job of supporting the comics art medium both in the community and within the industry at large.

The opinions expressed in this Talk Back article are solely those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.  Share your Free Comic Book Day story at Comments@ICv2.com.