big day for fans in the absence of comic book conventions and other major gatherings. However, delays in shipping led to the event being postponed for overseas retailers. The twentieth anniversary of the event was held May 7, 2022. Events Products The goal of the promotion is to showcase the breadth of the comics industry by putting comic books in the hands of people who might not otherwise read comics, or comic readers who might not otherwise read those titles. At least 50 titles were available on FCBD each year from 2014 to 2018. Most of the FCBD comic books are produced specifically for the promotion, and can become collector items. On some occasions, retailers have partnered with publishers to make custom covers exclusive to their stores. Most books are complete 32-page single-issue stories serving as an introduction point for newcomers. These may be in the form of a "zero issue" prelude to a new story arc. There have also been flip-books with two separate stories, or samplers with a number of short pieces. Non-fiction titles have included collectors' guides, art books, biographies of prominent creators, and histories of the comics industry. For 2020, age ratings were added to identify all-ages, teen, and mature content. Stores may also be provided with posters or other merchandise to give away in cross-promotions with associated films. Reception According to organizers, in the 2010s each year's event brought about one million people to comic shops and gave away about five million comics. Marc Nix of IGN called FCBD a "wonderful comic nerd holiday" and F. Andrew Taylor of the Las Vegas Review-Journal said it was like "a combination of Christmas, Halloween and Burning Man" to fans. Scott Thill of Wired wrote that "Free culture has rarely paid off so handsomely, for fans or publishers." Diamond Comics reported that media coverage of the 2014 event was equivalent to $3.2 million in publicity. There have been criticisms of the focus on the event, questioning whether centering promotions at comic book shops is the best way to reach new comic book readers. Other criticisms center around the selection of titles and their cost to retailers. Many retailers only order the titles they know are marketable at their stores, and are reluctant to invest in promoting titles they cannot sell for the rest of the year. This results in the promotion of the same titles that customers are