Free Comic Book Day coming to the Capitol
The Capitol is about to get a dose of — Bam! Splat! Zap! — at an event marking Free Comic Book Day.
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), one of Congress's comics mega-fans, will host the ode to serialized stories on Wednesday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Longworth House Office Building.
The book-focused bash will feature free comics from the local Washington stores Big Planet Comics and Fantom Comics, along with a "display of rare comics from the Library of Congress."
The celebration at the Capitol comes ahead of the nationwide Free Comic Book Day on May 4, which includes the participation of more than 2,000 stores across the country.
"As someone who learned to read English through comic books, I know Free Comic Book Day is an opportunity to reach young people and families across the country and expose them to reading and the arts," Garcia, the founder of the Congressional Popular Arts Caucus and the first Peruvian American elected to Congress, said in a statement.
The 46-year-old congressman said he's made it his "mission" to "uplift artists while celebrating their cultural and economic contributions to this country."
Last year, Garcia was sworn into Congress with a first edition "Superman" No. 1 comic tucked under the Constitution.