"Free Comic Book Day" Goes Horribly Wrong When Stormtrooper and Ghostbusters Get Assaulted By A 300 Pound Man
PORTLAND — A Westbrook man was Tasered by police on Saturday for allegedly assaulting a man dressed as a Stormtrooper and another man dressed as a Ghostbuster, according to police. Adam Barnes, 31, was arrested on State Street after assaulting two people in costume and threatening police, said Portland police Lt. Gary Hutcheson. He was charged with two counts of assault, disorderly conduct and five counts of criminal threatening because he threatened all five officers at the scene. After refusing to submit to arrest, he was Tasered, said Hutcheson. Coast City Comics at the corner of Congress St. and Park St. was hosting an event associated with Free Comic Book Day, a national event, on Saturday, according to Jarrett Melendez, event coordinator. About a dozen people were dressed in costume. People were dressed as Ghostbusters, Stormtroopers from Star Wars, the Green Lantern and Wonder Woman. Bobby Daggett of Portland was dressed as Green Lantern when he said he witnessed the first assault. “There were a bunch of people standing outside trying to drum up business and one guy was dressed as a Stormtrooper,” said Daggett. “Out of nowhere this guy tried to put [the guy in the Stormtrooper costume] in a chokehold from behind and then throws him to the ground. He was trying to be intimidating above him and screamed obscenities to everybody.” Hutcheson said Barnes is 6 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 300 pounds. He was intoxicated at 2:30 p.m., when Barnes was arrested, he said.
“Free Comic Book Day” is like the white nerdy equivalent of the days when new Air Jordan’s are released for black people. Its like the craziest, wildest day you can drum up for corny white guys who have weird childish obsessions. Now we’re probably not gonna storm the entrance and trample old women and children to get to our comic books and our collectibles the same way black people go nuts at their local Foot Locker. But there’s bound to be some sort of dust up when you get that many diehard nerds in one place at one time. Just too much bad ass testosterone in one place?
Really begs the question though…where is Dark Guardian or Phoenix Jones or the other Real Life Super Heros when you need them? The Fake Life Super Heros were in harms way. Needed the RLSH to swoop into action there.
PS – Out of all the feuds me and the Stoolies have ever had on Barstool, the feud with Dark Guardian is absolutely the most underrated.