I Hate Fairyland: Once Upon A Time FCBD Special

Gert invades Free Comic Book Day again!

Every year, the first weekend of May we all gather at our local comic shops to celebrate FREE COMIC BOOK DAY (FCBD). This was something that started in 2002 and was meant to be a way to entice the general public to come and check out our wonderful world of comics by the publishers giving away a comic to everyone who came out. I was only a pro for about a year at this point and the comic industry was trying anything we could to get new readers into stores and buy comics. There were only a few comic movies out at this point and we were still put in the “nerd” corner of pop culture. We wouldn’t be the leading driver of the entertainment dollar for many years to come. Until I sat down to write this newsletter, I didn’t realize how many times I’ve been directly involved with FCBD.

My first was in 2006, just a few years after its inception. Marvel asked me to draw an original X-Men/Runaways story written by Brian K Vaughn. (He wasn’t big enough to be BKV quite yet.) I was excited and said yes. It was a short story and it was a blast to draw. I lived in Chicago at the time and did a signing for my buddy Patrick Brower at the downtown Graham Crackers.

In 2014, FCBD reached out to me directly and ask me to illustrate the official poster/t-shirt for FCBD. I was very flattered and excited. Some of my hero’s like Sergio Aragonés had done it before felt so honored to be considered in the same world let alone the same league. I said yes and made this.

I was also asked to do the cover for the Marvel FCBD Rocket Raccoon issue in 2014 so it was hard to escape me that year. Little did I know that I’d start writing and drawing a Rocket Raccoon series shortly after this.

A few years later in 2017 my book I Hate Fairyland came out and doing well. Image asked if I’d like to do something for FCBD. I said sure and asked what they had in mind. Well, they wanted me to a full comic that was solely intended for FCBD. See, most FCBD books were previews for upcoming books, or short stories. But no company had just made a full issue made solely for FCBD. And so I HATE IMAGE was born. When I tell you this was probably the most DREAM COME TRUE moment of my career, I’m putting it lightly. I got to write and draw my creator owned property with I Hate Fairyland and add in all the greatest Image Comics characters from the past and present. I mean, I got to draw SPAWN on the same page as Gert!

In 2021 FCBD reached back out and asked me to make the official poster/tshirt image again and of course I said yes, again.

Fast forward to this year and Image asked me to jump in on FCBD again. I thought it was a perfect time because I Hate Fairyland is on the road to issue #50. I was excited to remind everyone that a creator owned Image book is going to reach a 50th issue. This book has been out for 10 years now it feels like a good time to give new readers a history lesson in I Hate Fairyland. And that’s what you’ll be getting in the I HATE FAIRYLAND: ONCE UPON A TIME FCBD SPECIAL. Oh, you’ll also get my first few drawn interior pages I've done in nearly 7 years! It’s basically Gert journaling her way through her history and sharing it with you in a way that only Gert could.

It’s been such an honor to part of this yearly event in our industry and hopefully I’ve helped expose a few new set of eyes to the wonderful world do comics. So this Saturday, go support your local comic shop by grabbing some free stuff and buying some comics, graphic novels, toys and games while you’re at it!

Megan here! Starting today, John and I are going to be including a FREE signed copy of the I HATE FAIRYLAND FREE COMIC BOOK DAY issue with every order of Skottie’s creator owned books while supplies last! Grab a copy of any I Hate Fairyland, Bully Wars, TWIG, Middlewest, The Me You Love In The Dark or Ain’t No Grave and score a signed copy of his FCBD issue. Daily Grind sketchbooks will also qualify you.