Jetpack Comics Free Comic Book Day: A Can’t-miss Celebration
It’s the final Jetpack Comics Free Comic Book Day Festival, and “The Friendliest Comic Book Shop of All Time” is pulling out all the stops.
Jetpack Comics is a shop owned and run by gamers and comic lovers for gamers and comic lovers. Located in downtown Rochester, NH, it’s a haven for nerds of all stripes and types, obsessively presided over by owner Ralph DiBernardo.
If you’re a comic enthusiast in New England, that’s a name you might recognize. Ralph is inexorably linked to Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, creators of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Ralph was even on hand in Dover, NH in 2023 for the TMNT Manhole Cover unveiling.
Jetpack Comics Free Comic Book Day: A Brief History
Free Comic Book Day has taken place at on the first Saturday in May since 2002. Much like Record Store Day, it’s a celebration of your local shop, the culture that surrounds it, and an opportunity for regular collectors and new customers to come together.
For the last decade-plus of FCBC, Jetpack has injected the event with Super Solider Serum. The comic book shop acts as the hub, but the celebration itself has evolved into a festival that spreads out over the entirety of Downtown Rochester.
Jetpack Comics Free Comic Book Day: Rochester Rock City
As a Jetpack Comics Free Comic Book Day repeat offender, let me tell you: Rochester is the place to be for FCBD. They organize a comic book scavenger hunt that takes you to businesses all over downtown. There’s cosplay, local vendors, live music, and more.
I’ll be there this year, with my youngest and pop-culture-loving brother in tow. I hope you will, too. Ralph, Rich, and the entire Jetpack crew do an outstanding job of creating community in and around the store. It’s a wonderful thing to be a part of. Get all the FCBD deets here.