Order Increases Open for FCBD Promo Items

Initial Orders for the January Previews and the FCBD 2005 promotional items solicited therein have closed, but you can still place order increases for promo items.

The comics industry's big day -- Free Comic Book Day (May 7, 2005) -- is coming, and at the request of retailers, the promotional items for FCBD 2005 were offered in advance of the comics in order to give them maximum promotional "oomph." (Free Comic Book Day comics and a limited number of new promotional items are offered in the February 2005 Previews.)

In addition to the usual bookmarks, posters, postcards, buttons, and more promoting the event, this year's slate of promotional goodies includes the new FCBD baseball cap and new shirt options: t-shirts, polo shirts with 2005's date, and polo shirts with no date (for use year-round).

The selection also includes two different promotional banners from Joliet Pattern, the printing company that has made FCBD banners since the event's inception.

Also, for the first time, FCBD apparel has been directly solicited to consumers via the Previews catalog. Making FCBD apparel available to consumers can help retailers to mobilize regular readers as a promotional force in advance of the event, as willing customers show off the FCBD logo on caps and shirts.

FCBD promotional items are slated to arrive in stores in March and April.