2025 is drawing to a close, not just in this reality where we live on a globe,1 but also on this informative, insightful, and popular blog. That being the case, I wanted to share some news that, in my candid opinion, is a quirky mix of fascination and pettiness.
Since the word in the title heavily implies that I’m a geek, which is correct and true, Some Geek Told Me strives to include content about comics from time to time. And as any follower of pop culture will know, the first Saturday of May is Free Comic Book Day (FCBD).
This event takes place all over the world and celebrates pop culture through cosplay, providing free comic books, typically at comic book stores.
Every year, I usually write a blog post about it, which also includes a few posts on Twitter and Mastodon, just to celebrate this event. That in itself is not particularly newsworthy, I mean, a comic-reading geek who loves FCBD; what a shock! Breaking news, the Pope is Catholic and water is wet!
Bear with me for a few more moments, because like Columbo or Monk delivering their theory, I’m going somewhere with this.
Around November, six months before the event, the comics published for FCBD from the Gold and Silver Sponsors are promoted through various media outlets. This allows retailers and customers to begin their planning.
Ok, thanks for that interesting titbit, Scott, but what’s that got to do with the price of Tesla stock?
Good point, and I do love your questions!
After a recent announcement, next year’s FCBD is going to be wild. Now, that could be a positive or negative thing, as it’s going to introduce a feud that could rival Coca-Cola vs Pepsi, Adidas vs Puma, McDonald’s vs Burger King, Conservatism vs Progressives, or Flat Earthers vs Gravity.
Some people say there is a Salt and Vinegar/Sour Cream and Chives rivalry. I would say unto thee, nay. There is no rivalry, because one is clearly superior to the other. I beseech you to search your heart, to know which one I speak of.
As always, some much-needed context is needed to explain a truly bizarre and petty showdown.
Since its inception in 2002, before Facebook and 6-7 took over the world, FCBD was owned and operated by Diamond Comic Distributors. Diamond, as it was also known, was founded in 1982, just in time for Krull. It was a massive distributor that worked with retailers by supplying comic books, toys, and anything else pop culture related, not only in North America, but around the world.
Along the way, Diamond purchased other companies and brought them under its corporate umbrella. The way I have understood it, Diamond had a monopoly when it came to comic distribution. Now, a few interesting things happened in the recent past that concerned Diamond and had immense repercussions.
In 2020, DC Comics revealed that they would be splitting from Diamond and giving their business to Penguin Random House, UCS Comic Distributors and Lunar Distribution. Remember Penguin and Lunar, because those names are going to come back and haunt this blog post.
Marvel Comics and IDW Publishing followed DC’s move in 2021 and shifted their business away from Diamond, and gave it to…wait for it…Penguin. I’m not an expert on comic book distribution, but I know deals and counter-deals were done with these companies across the distribution industry; however, these break-ups hurt Diamond.
In January 2025, Diamond filed for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and some of its assets were eventually sold to two companies: Universal Distribution and Ad Populum. The two companies divided the assets and started taking control of the various operations, among multiple lawsuits.
During the year, things got worse for Diamond, with layoffs and more companies like Dynamite Entertainment, Dark Horse Comics and BOOM! Studios cut ties with them. This resulted in more of Diamond’s companies having to be sold off.
Sadly, in December 2025, Diamond moved from a Chapter 11 case to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which, as I understood it, meant liquidation. Whether this could have been avoided or not, I have no idea, but this is the result: the rights to Free Comic Book Day and its name were purchased by Universal Distribution.
Basically, if Diamond owned FCBD, and if Universal Distribution now owns Diamond, then Universal Distribution owns FCBD as well. Just like how 20th Century Fox owned the rights to the Alien franchise, but Disney now owns 20th Century Fox, so that means Ellen Ripley is technically a Disney Princess.
FCBD is happening on 2nd May 2026, so going forward, Free Comic Book Day is now owned and operated by Universal Distribution, but this decision is not universally loved.2 With me so far? Great, because cue the pettiness and rivalry.
At the time of writing this blog, the 2026 edition of FCBD is going to look a little different. Do you remember Penguin and Lunar? Their return to the conversation is now imminent.
The way I understand the upcoming debacle is that while Universal was working with publishers to arrange the 2026 FCBD comics, Penguin did not reach a deal with Universal about the distribution of the comics. This also covered the use of the FCBD name.
This has culminated in a snowball filled with money and comics. On the same day that Universal released information concerning the first wave of publishers involved in 2026 Free Comic Book Day; remember the same day, Penguin released a statement outlining that the publishers connected to them and Lunar will be creating their own “Free Comic Book Day” event.
The new event is called Comics Giveaway Day (CGD), and what can only be described as a gangster move from Penguin and Lunar, the event is scheduled for 2nd May. I know, right? Planning to do a separate and independent event celebrating comics and pop culture is one thing, but it’s another to set on the same day as FCBD!
The CGD comics will have their own logo, as well as age-appropriate banners, like the FCBD comics.
As the crow flies, two events are competing to hand out free comics to us at local book stores on 2nd May 2026. One is Free Comic Book Day, which is being run by Universal Distribution, including current sponsors like Archie Comics, DC Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, Image Comics, Mad Cave, Oni Press, Titan Comics, Rekcah Comics, Vault Comics, and Udon Entertainment, but also Upper Deck and Wizards of the Coast.
The second is Comics Giveaway Day, being organised by Penguin Random House, which features publishers like BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Ignition Press, Kodansha Comics, Marvel Comics, Penguin Young Readers, RH Childrens Books, Ten Speed Graphic, Tokyopop, and Wattpad Webtoon Studio.
The CGD sponsors and comics have been revealed, but at the time of writing, the FCBD sponsors have been revealed, but not the actual titles. All of the sponsors for the FCBD and CGD comics are subject to change, with more sponsors expected to be added.
I live at least 200 km from a comic book store, so how the 2nd May’s events are going to look like for retailers and customers is up for debate, because things could change.
For all we know, sponsors could swap to the other event, which would only add chaos to an already messy break-up. To me, it’s like your parents have broken up and planned two separate birthday parties for you, each at the same location, at the same time, and on the same day. As I said, it seems quite petty and ridiculous. Entertaining and interesting, yes, but still petty and ridiculous.
Will Comics Giveaway Day become an annual event, or will it only last one year? Are you Team FCBD, Team CGD, you don’t mind which one, or you don’t care at all? Will you be attending an event on 2nd May? As always, please let me know.
And that brings the final blog post of 2025 for Some Geek Told Me to an end, at least in the long-winded version. The next one will be coming out on Thursday for Christmas, but it will be much shorter. From there, my Christmas break begins, where I’ll be stepping away from this blog for a holiday. I’ll talk more about that on Christmas Day.
Also, because of the difference in time zones, New Zealand is currently UTC+13, so don’t panic if you receive the post on Christmas Eve. I haven’t got it wrong.
Thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Please remember to walk your dog, read a banned book, ask Santa for the unredacted Epstein files, and I’ll see you on Christmas morning.
1 Here’s a shout out to Eratosthenes.
2 The pun was very much intended.
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