August 28th is International Read Comics in Public Day

I've just learned via Comics Alliance that August 28th is International Read Comics in Public Day. Who knew?

International Read Comics in Public Day is part of a growing movement to push what is considered by many to be a "nerd culture" into the mainstream. All you have to do to participation in this event is to (obviously) read your comics in public. I actually do this on the subway ride home from the comic book shop. Find out more on the group's website.

The event takes place on the anniversary of Jack Kirby's birth. Kirby is considered the progenitor of many comic book forms (like the Kirby dots for special effects) and the creator of many well-known heroes, including Captain America, the Hulk, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and the characters of the Fourth World. His heirs recently lost a legal battle with Marvel/Disney for royalties over those characters (which were created work-for-hire, so Kirby and his family never saw any money from their continued popularity), and his life helped to inspire Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.

If you're going to join in the fun on August 28th, here's my suggestions for new comic book readers:

• Fables, Bill Willingham's epic (pictured) about exiled fairy tale characters living in Manhattan and trying to regain their homes from the evil Adversary, which I have reviewed over at the Book Club here, here, and here.
• X-Men, since I've been a fan for the past 15 years and if you liked the recent movie.
• Green Lantern, because the comics are so much better than the movie.
• The Umbrella Academy, because it's fun and weird and different, and written by My Chemical Romance's singer, Gerard Way (who apparently looks like me? weird).
• Batgirl, cause Bryan Q Miller is a great writer and Stephanie Brown is my favorite Batgirl (sorry, Babs).
• And Gail Simone's Secret Six, because it's everything you think comics aren't.