Every year on September 25th comic book readers, collectors, lovers and fans participate in National Comic Book Day. Don’t let this day fly under your radar with the Back-to-School rush! For the creative materials industry, it’s an opportunity to engage with illustrators, artists and visual storytellers.
Comic books are made up of sequential, juxtaposed panels that tell a story. Creating a comic involves several steps and many mediums, including penciling, inking, coloring and lettering. Whether through a sale, end-cap, staff art or demo, you can spark your customers’ interest by pointing out the art supplies and techniques that go into creating a comic strip.
Three Ways To Prepare
Highlight specific products. Celebrating the art of comic books means celebrating markers, ink, paper pads, erasers and no-repro pencils. We’ve put together a shopping list of items that would make an excellent end-cap or featured area for the big day. Consider creating a handy DIY Comic Book bundle placed conveniently at your POS, or offering a sale on items that are great for inking.
Get creative with a staff example. Turn an aspect of your signage or an Instagram post into a comic strip! A staff member with a talent for illustration at Raw Materials did a popular series on Instagram featuring lessons, taught by Wonton, their beloved shop dog. Invite interested staff members to create a small comic that incorporates a common customer question, an important piece of information about an upcoming sale or a fun fact about your store. Display the comic somewhere prominent (in store on online), with the supplies used to create it. If you do this, please snap a pic and share it with us. Especially if the comic features your shop dog!
Put together a fun Make-and-Take. A demo, contest or collaboration with an artist would be another great way to celebrate this day. Stay tuned for another one of Cassie’s Rough Draft Demos; this month will feature creating your own superhero, with step-by-step instructions and visuals to run your own “Superhero Day” in store.
