While movie goers flock – or not – to the opening of the new Wolverine movie featuring Hugh Jackman this weekend, local comic shop owners are hoping audiences also flock to their stores for Free Comic Book Day Saturday, May 2.

Free Comic Book Day was created as both a push for literacy and a massive promotional event for comic book retailers. Several local stores will be giving out free comic books throughout the day, but a Keizer shop is going the extra mile.

“We try to tie all our events in with charitable giving,” said Tony Grove, owner of Tony’s Kingdom of Comics, 5420 River Road, in Keizer.

Including free comics, Grove’s shop is hosting a throng of locals dressed up in costume as cinema and comic book characters, including several members of the 501st Cloud City Garrison of the Darkside Troopers, a group of Star Wars costume enthusiasts. Photos with the costumed visitors are free, but a donation to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital is suggested.

In addition, artists Dustin Weaver (Star Wars), Randy Emberlin (Spider-Man), Micah Baker (micahtoons.com) and sculptor Toby Wayne (tobywaynestudios.com) will be on hand to sign comics and a lithograph commissioned by the shop featuring all four creators.

A $5 donation to Doernbecher will get customers the lithograph and a T-shirt. The shop will also host the Masonic Child ID program, which records fingerprints and video images of children for use in tracking runaways or victims of abduction.

Participating retailers include: Borderlands Games, 546 High Streeet NE, in Salem; Danger Zone, 1071 Commercial Street SE, in Salem; Matt’s Cavalcade of Comics, 2075 NW Buchanan Ave, in Corvallis.