It’s everyone’s favorite time of year - FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!

And we’re pulling out all the stops this year with not one but TWO amazing local food vendors and TWO extremely talented local artists, ONE MASSIVE SALE, give-a-ways, your favorite cosplayers & characters and a few surprises!

With over 40 different titles from almost a dozen or more different publishers to choose from, the free comics are by far the most attractive part of the day. Come by early to grab some of your favorites or take the opportunity to try out a new title or publisher that you’ve been meaning to dive into! That’s what the day is REALLY about - trying new things and embracing what you love! Check out some of the awesome comics that will be available:

Next up - the SALE!

We’re offering - for ONE DAY ONLY - 20% OFF EVERYTHING in the store like:

• Graphic novels

• Toys

• Statues

• Novelty items

• Select wall books and minor keys

• Comic sets

• Funko POPs

• and more!

Items NOT included in the sale are the following items:

• New comics

• Dollar comics

• Supplies

• Cards

• Artwork by local artists

We are also offering ALL BIN BACK ISSUES at 50% OFF! If it’s in a bag & board and sits in our bins, it’s 50% off! It’s that simple!

Please note: anything on hold prior to FCBD, in pull boxes or previously reserved before May 6, 2023 are NOT eligible for FCBD discounts. Fully stamped reward cards also cannot be combined with FCBD discounts.

Hmm. What’s a good pairing with a really good read? Delicious food!

East Side Mags is proud to welcome back Notorious BBQ! Montclair’s #1 BBQ-maestro will be here with deliciousness like you’ve only seen on Food Network! David will be here starting at 12pm and will have the smokey goodness on hand until he sells out! If you’re not following Notorious BBQ on Instagram then you don’t know about the monthly pick ups - and you should! Make sure you follow and keep up with David and crew!

But what’s savory without sweet to follow! That’s where we’re proud to bring you: A Butter Life! Jenny is true perfection in her craft. This year’s theme is Cookies, Comics & the Force - Star Wars inspired cookies based on various Star Wars characters (4-5 kinds) and fan-favorite Batarang cookies! Each cookie will be individually wrapped or in a sampler box, available for purchase directly from Jenny herself! The sugary deliciousness will be here from 10am-2pm.

And what would Free Comic Book Day be without beautiful art from local artists? Local legends and up-and-coming artists Paul Belliveau (10am-2pm) and Ava Schrager (3pm-7pm) are going to be here sketching for customers on blank cover comics and more! Got a favorite character? Or maybe an idea of a mash-up like Winnie the Pooh crossed over with Spawn? Or a motorcycle-riding Ariel the Little Mermaid? Or how about a group of 6 or 7 chipmunks all fighting it out with lightsabers? Just talk to Ava and Paul! They’ll make it work and, most importantly, they’ll make it look SPECTACULAR on a blank cover comic!

And stick around because we’ve got give-a-ways for kids like stickers, lollipops and more. We’ll have exclusive FCBD stuff like Funko POP Vinyl X-Men #1 Comic Covers featuring Gambit, Spider-Man 2099 tin lunchboxes, Deadpool fleece blankets, Doop and Sentinel plushes and the highly-coveted Invincible Omni-Man vs Invincible Funko POP Moment figure. We’ll also have dozens of cosplayers throughout the day and you can see the likes of who have shown up in the past! This year is expected to be no different and you’ll never know (or guess) who’ll pop their heads in!

The fun starts at 9am and goes until 7pm so come hang out with us and let’s party like it’s 2024!

A little over 9 years ago, we stumbled across a group of indie comics artists who would meet up and draw and hang out and just share stories with each other. We were a brand new store and didn’t really know any “industry” people. In walks the Janimal with his book Time Shark (about a time-traveling shark)! A kid-friendly comic artist who is quite possibly the nicest human to ever walk the earth. We immediately fell in love with both his work and him! Shortly after, life took over and Janimal moved to Arizona and we stayed in touch but we didn’t get a chance to host him again.

Now - almost a decade later - the Janimal returns to the halls of East Side Mags!

Jan Marc “The Janimal” Quisumbing is a Jersey tomato roasting in the Arizona sun. A graduate of the Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University (NJ), he now resides in Northern Arizona with his family and 3 cats. He has exhibited at comic conventions from Phoenix Fan Fusion to New York Comic Con and serves as the acting president of the Northern Arizona Cartoonist Association (NAZCA). His fun and cartoony style has a great retro feel and translates easily to the drawing demo classes that have been a staple at Verde Valley libraries and LibCons over the past nine years. He currently works at a library in Northern Arizona as its Program and Marketing Coordinator.

Follow his work on Instagram at #thejanimaldraws

It’s everyone’s favorite time of year - FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!

And we’re pulling out all the stops this year with not one but TWO amazing local food vendors and an extremely talented local artist, a MASSIVE sale, give-a-ways, your favorite cosplayers & characters and a few surprises!

With over 40 different titles from almost a dozen or more different publishers to choose from, the free comics are by far the most attractive part of the day. Come by early to grab some of your favorites or take the opportunity to try out a new title or publisher that you’ve been meaning to dive into! That’s what the day is REALLY about - trying new things and embracing what you love! Check out some of these awesome comics that will be available:

Next up - the SALE!

We’re offering - for ONE DAY ONLY - 20% OFF EVERYTHING in the store like:

• Graphic novels

• Toys

• Statues

• Novelty items

• Select wall books and minor keys

• Comic sets

• Funko POPs

• and more!

Items NOT included in the sale are the following items:

• New comics

• Dollar comics

• Supplies

• Cards

• Artwork by local artists

We are also offering ALL BIN BACK ISSUES at 50% OFF! If it’s in a bag & board and sits in our bins, it’s 50% off! It’s that simple!

Please note: anything on hold prior to FCBD, in pull boxes or previously reserved before May 6, 2023 are NOT eligible for FCBD discounts. Fully stamped reward cards also cannot be combined with FCBD discounts.

Hmm. What’s a good pairing with a really good read? Delicious food!

East Side Mags is proud to welcome back The Beastro! After all the wild, rave reviews from last year, we wanted you to know we HEAR YOU! We SEE YOU! And you’re right - The Beastro is the best private chef/caterer this side of the Hudson and he’s back with delicious East Side Tacos from the other side of Cinco de Mayo! Come by and try out his delectable shells filled with a variety of savory goodness!

But what’s savory without sweet to follow! That’s where we’re proud to bring you: A Butter Life! Jenny is true perfection in her craft. Cookies, scones, rice crispies treats and more - Jenny is bringing out all the stops to show you what a sweet-tooth really needs.

And what would Free Comic Book Day be without beautiful art! And geez - do we have something special for all of you! Local legend and up-and-coming artist Paul Belliveau is going to be here sketching for customers on blank cover comics and more! Got a favorite character? Or maybe an idea of a mash-up like Winnie the Pooh crossed over with Spawn? Or a motorcycle-riding Ariel the Little Mermaid? Or how about a group of 6 or 7 chipmunks all fighting it out with lightsabers? Just talk to Paul! He’ll make it work and, most importantly, he’ll make it look SPECTACULAR on paper!

And stick around because we’ve got give-a-ways for kids like stickers, lollipops and more. We’ll have exclusive FCBD stuff like the sought-after Etrigan FCBD Exclusive POP Vinyl (regular or blacklight chase; limited quantities; while supplies last). Spider-Man himself will be here and he’ll be bringing some of his web-tastic comic book friends with him throughout the day (who knows who you’ll see? pics from previous years below) and we’ve got some surprises too!

The fun starts at 9am and goes until 7pm so come hang out with us and let’s party like it’s 2023!

Get ready for the holidays with Brazil’s #1 export - Adriana Melo!

She’s back and her pen is itching to draw you or someone you know something detailed, elegant and SUPER COOL!

Adriana is the artist extraordinaire behind Wonder Girl (DC), Female Furies (DC), Fantastic Four (Marvel), Plastic Man (DC) and a plethora of variant covers.

Come by and meet Adriana to get a rad print or an original sketch for someone you love (or care about) this holiday season… or just get something cool to hang on your own wall!

You will NOT be disappointed!

UPDATE (12/2/2022): The legendary Jim Calafiore will be joining Adriana this time around! We’re so stoked to finally have the opportunity to host him!

In 30 years, Jim has worked on AQUAMAN, EXILES, RED LANTERNS, BATMAN, DEADPOOL, BLACK PANTHER and LEAVING METROPOLIS (his creator-owned [book] with Gail Simone). He’s currently working on his creator-owned saga: NED, Lord of the Pit. Copies available at nedlordofthepit.com

It’s party time with (one of) our favorite Israeli Artists!

Straight from the Middle East and fresh off her stellar appearance at New York Comic Con - Bella Rachlin will be here from 1pm-5pm, sketching your favorite characters, taking commissions and hanging out with fans!

If you missed her at NYCC 2022, this is your chance to grab an original sketch from one of the World’s Finest Artists EVER! I mean, seriously, look at these! Absolutely amazing!

So come by and hang out! This might be the only chance you get for a while to meet her in person! Flights aren’t cheap - amiright?

East Side Mags is partnering with Montclair Bounce to bring you a very cool sample class based off of our multi-year running Learn To Draw Comics class for kids ages 8 and up!

BUT! This class is for the ADULTS! It's a sip & draw!

Sip your drink of choice while going over character design and anatomy tips!

The class itself is free, however we are asking participants to make donations in $5 increments. For every $5 someone donates, they will be entered into a raffle to win a 4-pack of Sip & Drawing Tips classes with East Side Mags ($120 value). Details on our regularly hosted class (kids Learn to Draw Comics) can be found at https://www.eastsidemags.com/classes-games for reference. The 4-pack of classes we are offering for this will be for our inaugural Sips & Drawing Tips classes slated to start June 2020 (details to follow).

To register for the FREE CLASS, please go to https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYldOGgrT4tGtF6EGRh4NHndpYPbsGB8TsC

This class is being held via ZOOM online - so anyone can participate.

See you all soon!

East Side Mags is partnering with Montclair Bounce to bring you a very cool sample class of our multi-year running Learn To Draw Comics class for kids ages 8 and up!

Learn to draw popular comic book, anime and video game characters uses basic shapes!

The class itself is free, however we are asking participants to make donations in $5 increments. For every $5 someone donates, they will be entered into a raffle to win a 4-pack of Saturday morning classes with East Side Mags ($120 value). Details on our regularly hosted class can be found at https://www.eastsidemags.com/classes-games

To register for the FREE CLASS, please go to https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrduyrqjkpGNXS3GYNWLgH4mxIAaH4smZ7

This class is being held via ZOOM online - so anyone can participate.

See you all soon!