Halloween ComicFest Continues to Grow at Comic Shops
Nov 16, 2016
Halloween ComicFest (HCF) had its largest year ever, as fans of all ages received over 2 million comics at over 1,900 locations worldwide, making comic shops the go-to destination to kick off Halloween weekend.
This year, there was an overall 12% increase in the number of free comics given out on October 29th. Major outlets, such as MSN, Entertainment Weekly, Paste Magazine, and Bustle, covered the event. Comic book television shows like Riverdale and movies like Doctor Strange also participated in the event, along with a surge of coverage from publishers across social media. Stars KJ Apa (Archie) and Camila Mendes (Veronica) from Riverdale urged fans to check out their local comic stores and the two free Archie books available.
Word of this year’s event spread through social media channels, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. By far, Twitter grew the most, doubling its followers to nearly 11K. Publishers like Marvel, DC, and VIZ Media promoted the event to their large audiences, as well.
October 29th marked the kick off of Halloween weekend, leading many to stores in preparation for Halloween the following Monday. Over 500 fans entered The Greatest Halloween Costume Contest Ever! between the 29th and Halloween.
“We knew that this year would be the biggest Halloween ComicFest yet,” said Halloween ComicFest spokesperson Michael Moccio. “From the large increase in publishers and titles available, to the amount of comics ordered, it’s awesome to see this event gaining even more ground and providing a fun event that benefits both retailers and the fans. We’re confident that in the coming years, Halloween ComicFest will continue to grow and solidify as a Halloween tradition for comic book, horror, and pop-culture fans to celebrate.”
All of the publicity generated helped send an estimated 320,000 people to comic book stores worldwide, leaving retailers extremely happy with their local events.
According to a Diamond Comic Distributors’ survey of participating Halloween ComicFest retailers, over 38% said sales were better than a typical Saturday and over 47% considered their event “Successful” or “Very Successful.”
Retailers had a ton of awesome ideas for generating enthusiasm for this year's event: "We have a local cosplay group called Heroes for Kids. They were on hand, dressed as "Villains" to help keep everyone entertained while raising funds for local children's organizations," said Mary Jo Bammel, of Villainous Grounds in Perryville, MO. "Deadpool was with us all day and he had an easel set up to do Drawings by Deadpool for Donations. We all had a lot of fun and can't wait to do it all again next year!"
"This is the 5th year FANTASY REALM is celebrating Halloween Comicfest and we are excited to offer the community a fun, family-oriented event where everyone can find a comic they will enjoy, meet people with similar interests, and check out what FANTASY REALM has that we can help them discover and spark a new interest in," said Randy, from Fantasy Realm in Cornwall, Ontario Canada. "This year we collected donations for the United Way/Centraide of Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry. They provide direct financial support to agencies, programs and services within the three counties, including Tri-County Literacy Council. Comic book publishers and retailers continue to be one of the largest proponents for literacy worldwide."
For more Halloween ComicFest news and photos visit www.halloweencomicfest.com.
