San Diego’s Festivities for Read Comics in Public Day 2011
This past Sunday, August 28, was the 2nd annual international Read Comics in Public Day (RCPD).
To celebrate, I created a Facebook event for my hometown of San Diego. It was an open invitation to sequential art lovers in the general area to come hang out in the shade outside a Starbucks in the Clairemont neighborhood. There was a decent turnout (about twelve people at the event’s height) and it was quite fun.
In addition to the reading of comics, there was a pretty much continual and lively discussion of comics themselves; both the craft and industry. I think part of what lent itself to such an enjoyable level of conversation on the topic of comics is that everyone there had an investment in the craft itself in addition to being comics fans; from bloggers to professionals to vendors to aspiring colorists and would-be self publishers. It was very enjoyable company.
I had expected to get through three thick graphic novels at least this RCPD but I ended up not finishing anything I started. In fact, everyone mostly just ‘nibbled’ at the piles of comics everyone brought to share, kind of like a buffet of appetizers, with frequent and lengthy pauses for conversation. Made for a varied and fun event.
Much to everyone’s chagrin, comics blogger Michael Hamersky was the only one to bring any comics by Jack Kirby to read. (RCPD is scheduled to coincide with the comics great’s birthday) So I suppose for next year I’ll have to include a note to attendees to try to bring some Kirby with them.
Our 2011 Read Comics in Public Day get together in San Diego was also a great opportunity to share favorite titles and discover new ones (I’d told everyone to bring something to share). For instance, I brought a choice selection of graphic novels and trades from my collection to share – two large piles worth it turned out – and one fellow made a huge list of almost all of them with plans to go right out and buy as many on his new list as his budget would allow.
The 2011 Read Comic Books in Public Day was twice the size of last year’s. I imagine 2012′s will double that yet again. Looking forward to it!
You can check out my photos from the event in the RCPD 2011 – San Diego album in CFB’s Flickr.
Did anyone else participate in the fun this Read Comics in Public Day?
