Yeah, when I was a kid, I thought anyone who gave out pennies or pencils was kind of missing the point, so that's why we give out candy, too.
To comics fans, the cheap, floppy format is called an "ashcan" comic, but I'm not clear on the source of the name. I do know its a format from the old days used either to create a copyright on a character before it goes into heavy print, or to give away as a promotional item.
This year it was Casper the Friendly Ghost, Donald Duck, Scary Godmother, and Roger Langridge's Snarked.
There are logistical concerns.
- We don't know how many kids will come by, so ordering is a crap shoot
- I always hope the comics are gender neutral and I think this year's selections managed to do that. Boys do not want a Barbie comic, but girls are will take all your Spider-Man comics, so you might as well order heavy on the "boys" side, if there is one.
- And, of course, the kids take the comic and immediately forget about the nice lady standing there with candy, and every single parent has to say "there's candy, too", and the kid looks totally shocked and turns around to secure some candy.
- I also have no idea what kids like. Do they know who Donald Duck is? They certainly have no affinity for Casper as I doubt the Harvey cartoons have aired in 15 years, and the comics have a very limited release, as far as I know. But I'm not a parent, and I don't know what the latest fad is for wee ones.