Halloween ComicFest (HCF) is the comic book industry’s premiere fall event – a single day when participating comic book specialty shops across North America and around the world give away specially published comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops. HCF is the perfect event to experience comic shops as destinations for Halloween and horror-themed comic books, collectibles, and other merchandise! In other words, Halloween ComicFest is the Spooky Free Comic Book Day!

Every year, on the last Saturday in October, the industry comes together to give away free comics and encourage both curious, first-time comic book readers and seasoned comic book fans to flock to the best place in the comic book community: local comic shops. Each one is unique in its community, with a style and personality all its own, and each one carries a full line of spooky comics, graphic novels, toys and related products. Local comic shops are the hubs of our community, where fans can come together to discover new comics, make lifelong friends, and find a sense of commonality.

Major publishers such as DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, BOOM! Studios, Dynamite Entertainment, and Image Comics, along with a slew of independent publishers, put out free comics for fans to enjoy at the thousands of local comic shops that participate in Halloween ComicFest, a.k.a. Spooky Free Comic Book Day! Over the years, Halloween ComicFest has featured a variety of beloved horror-themed titles such as Hellboy, Goosebumps, John Constantine: Hellblazer, and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, as well as other popular titles such as TMNT, Pokémon, and Spider-Man.