(SANTA MONICA, CA & BALTIMORE, MD) — (March 23, 2016) — It’s the 15th anniversary of Free Comic Book Day and Comic-Con HQ (CCHQ,), the official pop culture network for all things Comic-Con has joined forces with Diamond Comic Distributors to celebrate. In addition to becoming the first title sponsor, CCHQ will launch free Beta access to the network. Anyone signing up to participate in the Beta at Comic-Con HQ will have exclusive free and unlimited access through July 25, which includes week-long live coverage of San Diego Comic-Con.

Free Comic Book Day, which takes place on May 7, involves participating comic book shops around the world giving away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes in. Over 2,300 comic shops are expected to participate and give away over six million free comics to over 1.5 million fans.

Comic-Con HQ joins other Free Comic Book Day sponsors, including Gold Book Sponsors, Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, IDW Publishing, Image Comics, Bongo Comics, BOOM! Studios, Dynamite Entertainment, Valiant Entertainment and Viz Media; as well as additional sponsors, DK Publishing, Lego, New York Comic Con and Transcontinental Printing.

With titles that range from action-packed superhero fare and the hottest licensed TV and film tie-ins, to all-ages fun and more, Free Comic Book Day 2016 is poised to attract readers of all tastes into participating comic book shops on May 7th.

For more Free Comic Book Day news and updates, and to find a participating comic shop near you, visit the FCBD website @ www.freecomicbookday.com ; become a fan at Facebook www.facebook.com/freecomicbook; and follow us on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/freecomicbook and Instagram: www.instagram.com/freecomicbookday. Companies and brands interested in partnerships with Free Comic Book Day and comic book shops, can contact Danielle Szarka, Advertising Partnerships Marketing Manager at Diamond.

ABOUT COMIC-CON HQ– A partnership between Comic-Con International and Lionsgate, Comic-Con HQ is an ad free subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) network streaming all things Comic-Con year round. Free Beta access to Comic-Con HQ will begin May 7th on Free Comic Book Day via browsers and iOS/Android devices. The paid subscription service will roll out across more connected devises such as Roku, AppleTV and Xbox One following the official launch shortly before San Diego Comic-Con in July, with additional devices and distribution platforms becoming available throughout the year.

ABOUT FREE COMIC BOOK DAY—Free Comic Book Day is the comic book specialty market’s annual event where participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their comic shops. Celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2016, the event is held the first Saturday in May each year and is the perfect opportunity to introduce friends and family to the many worlds of wonder available at local comic book shops. From super-heroes to slice-of-life to action/adventure and beyond, Free Comic Book Day has a comic book for everyone! www.freecomicbookday.com.

ABOUT DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS (DCD)—Diamond is at the nexus of comics and pop culture. Based in Baltimore, MD, DCD is the world’s largest distributor of English-language comic books, graphic novels, and related pop-culture merchandise, serving thousands of retailers worldwide. For more information, visit Diamond on the web at www.diamondcomics.com.
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