​The Story Behind Buy Indie Comics Day 

Long before Buy Indie Comics Day became an international movement, it started with a simple idea: Independent creators deserved to be seen.
Manuel A. Carmona was one of the people who helped turn that idea into something real.
Alongside two other passionate advocates for independent comics, Manuel helped co-found Buy Indie Comics Day with the mission of shining a spotlight on the writers, artists, publishers, and creators working outside the mainstream comic industry. 

It started small. Just three states: Illinois, Colorado, and Virginia. But the idea caught on.
Before long, Buy Indie Comics Day had expanded into multiple states, Puerto Rico, Ireland, London, and even Australia. What began as a grassroots effort became an international celebration of independent comics and the people who create them. And that was always the heart of it. 

ONE FRED. ONE LEGEND. ONE EPIC ADVENTURE!

Meet Fred Peterson: The Mighty Warlord.

Fred Peterson may look like an ordinary guy, but when destiny calls, he becomes a mighty warrior caught up in an adventure filled with danger, mystery, and larger-than-life battles.

With its bold artwork, classic comic-book energy, and unapologetically fun storytelling, Fred Peterson: The Mighty Warlord is the kind of independent comic that reminds you why indie comics are so much fun!

Created by @lancedanger and published by Truthful Comics, this is a book for anyone who loves superheroes and who loves discovering something different, imaginative, and made with genuine comic-book passion.

The legend of the Mighty Warlord begins here!

On Saturday, May 3rd, 2025 we celebrated Free Comic Book Day and I saw many new faces come into the comics shop, people of all ages, so many females young and young at heart, couples, and a bunch of kids, geeks of all ages and ethnicities, it was a beautiful thing to witness! Got to spend time with one of the coolest Cosplayers and most amazing people I know, had a few people commission some art from me and we got some free comics as well! Wonderful day all around! What can I say, Free Comic Book Day 2025 was a blast! I'd like to thank Zeno's Books for inviting us and for always being supportive and welcoming. Means a lot! 

   On May 4th, 2024 comic book shops around the World celebrated the most important day in comic book geekdom: Free Comic Book Day. As if that wasn't enough, geekdom also celebrated May The 4th which is THE DAY for Star Wars fans all around the World. Truthful Comics was represented at Zeno's Books in Chesapeake, Virginia by Manuel A. Carmona and Alvaro Cortes Jr over at Anyone Comics in Brooklyn, New York. To say we had a great day would be an understatement! Everyone had an amazing time, there were kids, teenagers and adults alike; all of whom were there to get free comics but also to BUY COMIC BOOKS! It was truly one of the best Free Comic Book Day events we've ever been a part of. ​

   On December 17th, Lifepoint Church Hampton Roads hosted their first ever Winter Wonderland and they graciously invited us and our non-profit initiative Comics for Christmas.  The event was an absolute blast!

   There was a cookie decorating table, hot cocoa, a photo booth, muffins, inflatable characters, comic books for the kids and there were toys being handed out to parents who needed a helping hand. The kids were taken to a "daycare" area where they played and had fun while mom and/or dad "shopped" and had their gifts wrapped and safely stored away without the kids seeing.  It was truly a magical day! 

   We handed out candy and tons of comic books for every kid in attendance who wanted some and even gave some to some kids at heart, amongst them an elderly lady who asked for some comics for her grandkids and also a US Marine.

 On Sunday, October 8th, 2023, the Lancaster Community Library hosted their first ever Lancaster Comic Con and Truthful Comics was in attendance! I have to be honest, whenever there's a new event like this one, especially if it's in a remote area there's a high probability that attendance will be low and sales will be few and far in between; I'm here to tell you this was NOT THE CASE for this Comic Con! 

 We loved everything  about this convention, from the organization to the events to the decorations to the contests; everything was well thought out and superbly executed. There were so many people in costumes and not just in costumes, actually engaging creators and buying stuff! There was a Super Mario Kart Tournament, Cosplay Contest, there were guest speakers, there were activities for the kids, there was food, the staff was attentive and so IN on the whole event; this was such a pleasant surprise and we can't wait for the next one!

We'd like to give thanks to the entire Lancaster Community Library Staff, especially Elizabeth Sheldon for inviting us and putting this whole event together. Fantastic job! 

Rules and Regulations:

-All cosplay should be appropriate for an All Ages environment. THIS IS AN ALL AGES EVENT!
-Costumes may be handmade, store bought, or a mix of both.
-All contestants must be respectful of each other, their costumes, and their props at all times. Willful damage
of costumes or props as well as inappropriate manners towards other contestants or staff will result in removal
from the event. Any verbal abuse will not be tolerated.
-Each contestant may only register once within the appropriate age category.
-Props are allowed but prop weapons must be clearly fake. Foam weapons are strongly preferred. Props will be checked by staff prior to event.

Registration:

-Contest registration will begin the same day as the event and will be open 12pm - 3 pm.
-Please sign up according to the appropriate age category (Kids: 12 & under, Teens: 13-17, Adults: 18 & up)
-Please include your name and the name of your cosplay character.

Judging:

This contest is entirely for fun and should not be taken too seriously!!
If you registered but are not present during the contest you will be skipped.

Rules and Regulation:

-Single elimination style tournament
-Players will be paired up randomly and will race 3 times, the player with the best out of 3 will move forward
-Course selection will be random
-Character selection must be quick and cannot be
changed later.
-Players must register day of the event, first come first serve
-Players must be respectful and fair to each other, verbal abuse to another player or staff member will result in immediate disqualification.

Registration:

-Contest registration will begin the same day as the event and will be open 12pm - 2 pm. (first come, first serve).
-Must be 11 years or older to play.
-If a player has registered but isn’t present for their turn they will be skipped.

Tournament will begin at 2:15 in the upstairs meeting room.

Remember, this tournament is just for fun and should not be taken too seriously!!

   Saturday, September 30th was an eventful day because not only  was I a guest at The Secret Lair's first ever Mini-Con in Harrisonburg, Virginia; but we also launched our second Kickstarter for The Avandrus Theory! It's always an adventure when you as an indie comic book creator venture out into unfamiliar territory, but like with any adventure;  it's always exciting. 

   As always. getting to spend time with the Cory, Leighton and Brian is an absolute joy, but to top it off we met two amazing individuals that we're sharing the space with us: Gannon Beck and Noah Ryan. Gannon is the creator and artist of Space Corps and Past the last Mountain. Noah is another cool and talented artist and he's also the co-host of the podcast Constructing Comics. Both great guys! Had an absolute blast talking comics and art in general with them. We shared stories, we joked around and we even did a jam mini-comic! All in all great experience. 

   Last but definitely not least is Chris (the owner of The Secret Lair comics shop) and the entire staff. They were an absolute delight to us, made sure we had everything we needed, made sure we were comfortable, they had water for us, hand sanitizer and to top it off; Chris told us to grab a box and fill it with as many comic books from the dollar bins as we could fit in it. Talk about treating a bunch of geeks well! I can tell you the trip is quite long but I wouldn't mind doing it again in the future. I've posted some pics so ya'll can have an idea of what transpired that day. Enjoy!

   On Saturday, September 9th, 2023 The Muse Writer's Center hosted the 12 Hour Comics Day. For those who might not know, the 12 Hour Comics Day is a Worldwide event dedicated to creating a 12-page short story from beginning to end in 12 hours or less. Participants can use any medium they desire but traditional media is the preferred method.

   Some creators take this challenge in preparation for the 24 Hour Comics Day Challenge, which is the same concept except creators are tasked with creating a 24-page comic, from beginning to end; in 24 hours or less.

​   This year there wasn't a huge turnout but the few of us who took on the challenge had a great time doing so. There was a calm, relaxed atmosphere with good music, at some point here was Anime playing, we listened to some podcasts and we laughed quite a bit as we drew the night away. All and all I had a good time hanging out with my colleagues, hopefully more of my peers will show up for the next 12 or 24 hour comic challenge. ​