Jeffrey Petryczkowycz, general manager of Time Travelers: Comics, Cards, & Collectibles in Berkley, is hosting three special guests with ties to metropolitan Detroit during Free Comic Book Day on Saturday, May 3.

This year’s FCBD festivities are the first at his store’s new location.

“The old store obviously had a lot of history within those walls, and so many of our customers — and our owner, Michael Morgan— grew up going to that location, creating memories,” Petryczkowycz said. “This is the beginning of creating new Time Travelers memories that are very much a part of that history, but also celebrating the new direction we have taken the store!”

Petryczkowycz referred to the store’s new location at 3116 12 Mile Road. Time Travelers moved to that location in 2024.

FBBD festivities kick off at 11 a.m. and go until 7 p.m. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Time Travelers will host three local special guest artists.

• Keith Pollard, of Lincoln Park, is a veteran Marvel Comics artist from the 1970s and 1980s. He’s best known for his artistry on “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “Thor,” and “Fantastic Four.” Pollard co-created Spider-Man’s one-time love interest and enemy-turned-ally, the Black Cat.

• Dave Acosta, of West Bloomfield, has recently completed his run on Image Comics’ “TerrorWar,” a creator-owned project he collaborated on with Oakland County resident and writer Saladin Ahmed. He has also illustrated Dynamite Entertainment’s “Elvira: Mistress of the Dark,” “Vampirella,” and “Red Sonja.”

• Bill Morrison, of St. Clair Shores, has served as editor-in-chief of MAD Magazine. He’s done work for Disney, illustrating posters for blockbuster animated movies “Cinderella” and “The Little Mermaid.” Morrison has also illustrated “The Simpsons” for Bongo Comics.

“Doing signing appearances on (FCBD) has become like a holiday tradition for me and I’m very excited to be coming to Time Travelers this year,” Morrison said. “It’s a shame that Bongo no longer exists to provide free ‘Simpsons’ comics, but I am going to be giving free signatures and free sketches to kids.”

Added Acosta: “I’ve been a Time Travelers customer for over 30 years. I’m very excited to hang out and see the new digs. There is a great community around the shop, so it should be a lot of fun. It’s always great to get face time with fans, rather than just online interactions. Comic book culture is first and foremost in the comic shops. We owe everything to the loyal customers that come in every week, as well as the shop owners and workers who recommend our books. The industry depends on them, so I hope people come and check it out, get some free comics, and buy some stuff, too.”

A committee of comic shop retailers chose 46 titles to be available on FCBD that gives fans an opportunity to discover new titles and genres. This year’s selection of comics includes popular franchises such as “Star Wars,” “Transformers” and “Mega Man.” There will also be old favorites, such as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and X-Men, as well as Titan Comics’ “Conan the Barbarian: Scourge of the Serpent” and titles from Dynamite, Archie Comics, Valiant Comics, Mad Cave Studios, Fantagraphics Books, Papercutz, IDW Publishing, Dark Horse Comics and more.

“There is always a ‘Conan’ book coming out from some publisher,” Petryczkowycz said.

FCBD began in 2022 and occurs on the first Saturday of May. It has become an official Children’s Book Week event and inspired similar events in other countries. Historically, FCBD has been cross-promoted with the release of a superhero film. This year, “Thunderbolts,” which is a group of antiheroes led by Bucky Barnes, alias the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), will be released on Friday, May 2. It is the 36th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the final film in its Phase Five era.

“Each year, we aim to deliver a memorable (FCBD) experience for fans everywhere,” FCBD spokesperson Ashton Greenwood said. “We know comic book retailers are looking forward to treating their communities to a fun-filled day celebrating comic books and we think this year’s title selection truly captures that spirit. There’s something for every kind of fan — from longtime readers to the comic book curious.”

According to Petryczkowycz, Time Travelers will do a FCBD event called All You Can Read, where anyone can have one copy of any of the FCBD titles — no limit on how many titles they select.

“We just ask they only take what they will actually read, so that all guests have an opportunity to find something fun,” he said. “We want everyone to have the opportunity to leave with some great comics.”

Petryczkowycz expects hundreds of guests, so he recommends people get there early in order to get the best selections.

Time Travelers also will host a kid’s costume contest. With parental consent, Time Travelers employees will take photos of all the kids in costume. People will vote online for the best. Three winners will be chosen, with $20 gift cards given to the second-place and third-place winners. A $50 gift card will be given to the first-place winner.

With everything planned — and some stuff still in the planning stages — Petryczkowycz said FCBD is going to be a great day.

“A lot of planning goes into a day like this, a lot of work and expenses blah blah blah … but you forget all about it when the doors open and the smiling faces show up,” Petryczkowycz said. “It’s a special day for sure, and we hope it turns into new visits from people who may have made their first visit ever to a comic book shop. That part is really fun. Seeing those first-time visitors who take in the event, but also walk around the store and see the latest collectibles, as well as things that transport them back to their childhoods. There is so much history to be found in the vintage items.

“My first visit to a comic shop was over 40 years ago, and it was life-changing — for real. My imagination was enriched and encouraged. I found a community that wanted nothing more than to find enjoyment, an escape. To this day, I can leave a stress-filled day behind me and enter a safe space to decompress.”

For questions or more information about FCBD, contact Time Travelers at 248-548-7213 or follow the company’s social media pages.