#SocialEngagement

Check Your Calendars: Sept 25th Is National Comic Book Day

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. 

Comic by @lisakash129 of Raw Materials Art Supplies + Custom Framing

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.


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