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| Illustration By Rommel "Omeng" Estanislao |
Life standing in line is not the most glamorous part being there.
You got to understand their dedication even though some would comment in social media that these people don’t have a life.
You may not know the real story but most of them came prepared for it.
Sure you may not be the first in the line but you don’t have the right to say to these people that they don’t have a life. They have, you’re just commenting in frustration because you where not there to be first to stand in line.
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The Man First in Line
For three consecutive years the man behind the blocked “Free Comic Book Day” logo in the past photos has been around since 2013. Originally it was a spur of the moment that he just came out from his previous employer to finish his work clearance that lasted past midnight.
His intentions were unplanned and he was about to head home when he realized that it was Free Comic Book Day. It was choice either he goes home to take a shower and prepare to come back or be there at Fully Booked already to be the first. He never realized that this will start a chain reaction of interest that will be talked about that eventually became sort of a challenged to everyone who wanted to be first.
There’s no other country that started this thing unlike the Philippines, but the Americans has been doing this when a new game console has been launched or the latest smart phone has been released. But to line up at 2 in the morning for THREE FREE COMIC BOOKS is absurd.
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A Record Nobody Cared
For Joonee Odal it has become a thrill to make history no one would even care and that’s just fine. In the present the challenge to break his supposed record was enticing for the third time not until Sandy of Comic Odyssey decided to put a door buster prize to be the first person to stand in line.
The second time he did this in 2014 it was just a random thrill, but he was prepared for everything having extra shirts, food, water, and a box of “Katol” (Japanese coil, an insect repellent) lining up on a hot Friday afternoon the day before Free Comic Book Day. Some might say he’s crazy but the only thing that drives him to do this is the thrill that nobody would understand that it was fun.
For the third time he was thinking about it a year before and had already decided to file a leave from work. But undecided what time would he be at Fully Booked at the Bonifacio High Street, where the flagship store is located. Not until he tipped us off personally that he was already there at 2:31 AM on a Friday morning of May 1, 2015.
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More than Just a Challenge
Some people won’t understand the idea behind what Joonee Odal has started and you can blame him or praise him for this. It might rub off to some people but he’s doing is just once a year kind of thing. Sure people will comment on social media that the people who lined up early in the morning have no life but this is what they enjoy.
If you want to be the first you’ll do ANYTHING to be there and take home the bacon. Have you not learned in school the saying “The early bird catches the worm?” It may be inappropriate in your point of view maybe you should learn from their side of things how being there early not to miss having little choice to get only three comic books are down right absurd.
For those who were there past midnight on a Saturday morning the experience being early is like in summer camp. The only difference is that you’re lining up to pick only three comic books, and that sort of experience creates interactivity among other people not hindered by the walls of social media where you can talk to almost everyone that creates real social interaction.
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Share a Line Meet a Friend
The take away from this entire notion about being early to stand in line creates new friends through interaction. Two guys named Michael Lamela and Geri Villas who arrived just past midnight was been planning to go here to have the same experience being early since last year. But other commitments has kept them from attend Free Comic Book Day and finally they’re here to have that chance. Most of the time they would jus browse online on their phone to check the update the happenings and reading the comments about what people are saying regarding the early crowd who stood in this year’s FCBD. Some prepared bringing food and even sleeping beds while they wait for Fully Booked to open its doors.
Originally Fully Booked has announce that they would open their doors at 10AM given that by that time the sun is up and the temperature will be unbearable to everyone. They decided to let people in by 8 AM which would be convenient since the line has snaked further back near the Nike store a few blocks away. You’d be surprise how organized the first few people behind Joonee when this all started and that’s how human interaction has been better than just meeting up online.
Changing the Way You Stand in Line
By now Comic Odyssey and Fully Booked is getting feedback what to do next year. Some have been clamouring for stubs so to avoid the inconvenience of lining up most of the time. It might take way a little bit social interaction but it helps those “early birds” some breathing room.
But overall how you attend FCBD has changed for the past three years just because lining up now takes an amount of time to prepare. Being first is something to show your dedication and passion at the same time just going there without the need to brag and comment online that you’ll be there to “break the record.”
Joonee was asked if he has plans to come back next year he quips “As long as nobody breaks the record” with a chuckle showing that he’s finally made his “Three Peat”, while Geri and Michael got the titles that they wanted on Free Comic Book Day the rest has breath sigh of relief they have finally made it.
FREE COMIC BOOK DAY is celebrated EVERY FIRST SATURDAY IN MAY. The Next FCBD will be on May 7, 2016 and for more about the event LIKE Free Comic Book Day Philippines on Facebook and follow on Twitter at: @FreeComicBookPH
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