Free Comic Book De Mayo: Nerds gather and make out like bandits at Free ComicBook Day

Hulk like free comics.
Photo by: Michael Graupmann
Sexier versions of Iron Man and Wolverine showed up to take advantage of thedeals too.
Photo by: Michael Graupmann
Comic book fans of all ages sift through the available issues.
Photo by: Michael Graupmann

With everything that was going on this weekend, from Drinko de Mayo to the ridiculously wonderful Derby hats, it was easy to overlook Free Comic Book Day. Did you miss it? I’m so sorry. It was awesome.

Free Comic Book Day was founded in order to reach people who aren’t terribly familiar with the world of comic books, graphic novels, or the worlds of sci fi, horror, comedy that come in comic form.

The holiday began in 2002 when small, independent comic book stores suddenly had the Internet and bootlegging to compete with. The continued success of Free Comic Book Day thankfully brings newbies into the store for the first time, and it brings those of us who were once devoted fans back to the stores.

On the first Saturday of May each year, you can visit any participating independent comic book store and load up on their designated free comics. No, you cannot just walk in and take whatever you want. Different stores have different rules about how many you can have; but in my experience they end up with lots of extras at the end of the day and are willing to let you take a bag or two full of books. If the location is participating, you will walk out of the store with at least one free comic book.

The tent that was set up outside of Austin Books and Comics, for example, had racks of free comics from independent and brand name publishers, separated by age appropriateness and availability. Throngs of readers of all ages waited patiently to load up their goodie bags before heading into the air conditioned store for further deals on comics and collectibles.

Like thrifting or garage sale-ing, it can be a challenge finding something that fits you. Not all of the free comics have been optioned for huge Hollywood summer blockbusters, so it helps to have alternative nerdy interests. A friend of mind was bragging that on Free Comic Book Day at the Dragon’s Lair, she found a comic that tells the story of Garruk, a planeswalker from Magic: the Gathering. Yes, I was very jealous.

If you haven’t been to your friendly neighborhood comic store recently, maybe the allure of the new Avengers movie will remind you what you're missing. FCBD is a good time to do it, but Austin’s embarrassment of riches that are Austin Books and Comics, Tribe Comics, Dragon’s Lair and Capstone Comics make it fun and fruitful to venture in just about any time of year.

Next year, free comic book day happens to be May 4, 2013. So write it down, get their early, and may Free Comic Book Day be with you.

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Historic Austin museum will close for more than a year for restoration

Photo courtesy of the City of Austin

The Elisabet Ney Museum will close at the end of 2024 and reopen in mid-2026.

Every building needs some maintenance here or there, and the historic Elisabet Ney Museum needs some extra-special care. Formerly the art studio and residence of its namesake, it's been standing since 1892. It'll spend 2025 in relative solitude, as it undergoes renovation for a year and a half with no visitors allowed.

The museum will close to the public December 30, 2024, and open again in the summer of 2026 if all goes according to plan, a news release from the City of Austin shares. It'll be a quiet period compared to the 21,000 people visiting from around the world each year.

According to a museum overview on the city's website, Elisabet Ney, a European portrait sculptor, bought the property and called her new studio Formosa. She worked on sculptures depicting important Texans like Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston, and collected works of European contemporaries.

The building at 304 East 44th St. includes 3,700 square feet of museum space, which was converted by Ney's friends after her death in 1907. It retains its unique look that juxtaposes a Neo-Classical main studio from 1892 with a later addition from 1902 including a tower for her husband, Edmund, to write in. It is also on 2.5 acres of land, which has largely been restored to its natural state with native species.

A press release lists these tasks (verbatim) within the scope of the new work, referred to as the Capital Improvement Project (CIP):

Restoration of original exterior wood doors and windows
Upgrades and replacement of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system
Replacement of the exhibit and general lighting systems
Repairs to the roof, masonry, plumbing, and interior finishes.

There will also be work to do outside of the building. Workers will replace the pedestrian bridge across Waller Creek, stabilize a 20,000-square-foot portion of the bank, and make the grounds more accessible by adding new pathways.

Funding comes from several sources, according to a release: "the 2012 Bond, Proposition 14, the Parkland Dedication Fund, the Historic Preservation Fund, Partners in Preservation through the National Trust, and contributions from the Friends of the Elisabet Ney Museum."

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