10 things to do in Los Angeles on Free Comic Book Day 2017

Comic book stores across the nation will open their doors Saturday to comic readers young and old and give away their merchandise. May 6 is the great, geek holiday Free Comic Book Day, an annual celebration of reading, art and nerd fellowship.

Stores everywhere are stocked with 50 titles of special edition issues, all free for the taking (which we’ve compiled below in this gallery for you to peruse).

Stores in Southern California participating in Free Comic Book Day include the Comic Cult in Torrance, Things From Another World at Universal CityWalk, the Perky Nerd in Burbank, Pulp Fiction in Long Beach and Culver City, Mega City One on Melrose Avenue, Earth-2 Comics in Sherman Oaks and Comics Factory and Collector’s Paradise in Pasadena

And if free comics aren’t enough to get you out of the house, plenty of stores are offering prizes for trivia and/or cosplay, special discounts on comics and trade paperbacks, and several artist and author signings.

Here are some meet-and-greet and events being hosted across L.A. on Free Comic Book Day:

• Golden Apple Comics in Hollywood will have Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, creator of the CW series “Riverdale” on hand to discuss all things “Archie.” Author Marc Andreyko, who helped craft the comic tribute “Love Is Love” for the Pulse nightclub victims and survivors in Orlando, Fla., will also appear for a signing, along with Joelle Sellner (“Punky Brewster” author) and Gerry Duggan from “Deadpool,” “Nova” and “Uncanny Avengers.”
• The “DC Super Hero Girls” creative team (Shea Fontana, Yancey Labat, and Monica Kubina) will be signing issues at Earth 2 Comics in Sherman Oaks and Northridge.
• “The Fifth Element” director Luc Besson and actor Dane DeHaan will make a cameo at Meltdown Comics touting the release of their film “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” from noon to 2 p.m. Meltdown will also host signings with Devastator Comics architects Alex Firer, Geoffrey Golden, Kenny Keil, Danny Lacy, Mike Levine, Jamie Loftus and Amanda Meadows starting at 11 a.m.
• Chris Savino, of Nickelodeon’s “Loud House” animated series will be signing his free comic at House of Secrets in Burbank from 2 to 4 p.m.
• Blastoff Comics in North Hollywood will have signings from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Its lineup includes Cecil Castellucci (“Shade, the Changing Girl” and her new Dark Horse release “Soupy Leaves Home”), writer Jody Houser (Valiant’s “Faith” and Marvel’s “Rogue One” adaptation), writer Mark Waid (currently on “Archie” and Marvel’s “Avengers” and “Champions”), and many more. A portion of Blastoff’s proceeds will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
• Pulp Fiction Comics has invited members of the team behind the “Monster Elementary” book series to its Culver City location. The Culver City store and the Long Beach Pulp shop will host a food drive in conjunction with the Los Angeles Food Bank.
• If you want the full entertainment experience head to Things From Another World on Universal CityWalk. Adam Glass, the author of “Deadpool” and “Luke Cage” comics for Marvel and “Suicide Squad” comics for DC, and CW’s long-running “Supernatural” producer, will be in attendance.
• Hi De Ho Comics in Santa Monica will feature a parade of artists and writers including Christos Gage (writer on Netflix’s “Daredevil” and comics “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Amazing Spider-Man”), Marguerite Bennett (“Josie and the Pussycats”), Karl Altstaetter (artist-writer at Lizard Brain Studios), Gerimi Burleigh (writer-artist), Gus Vasquez (artist on “Suicide Squad,” “The Flash,” at DC Comics), Joshua Henaman (writer Action Lab’s “Bigfoot Sword of the Earthman”), Ambrose Quintanilla (cartoonist at Gopher-It Comics), George Ford (cartoonist at Addanac City Comics), David Davis (cartoonist Cosmic Dash), Jamie Sullivan (artist), Russell Nohelty (writer), Josh Siegel (artist) and Darin Henry (writer).
• The Santa Monica Library is offering Free Comic Book Day activities, as well, including a screening of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1” at 11 a.m. and a cosplay contest from 2 to 6 p.m.
• The Los Feliz Branch Library is hosting a screening of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” at 1 p.m. and superhero crafts.

To find out if your local shop is participating, check out the store locator app on Free Comic Book Day’s website, or peruse the Los Angeles Public Library list of additional locations participating in Free Comic Book Day.

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jevon.phillips@latimes.com

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