Detroit — Matthew Byrg went hunting Sunday, and he bagged plenty.

His take included underground comic books, science fiction magazines, a blue cyborg print and Milestone comic books. Byrg, 23, of Detroit picked up all of that in an afternoon at the eighth annual Detroit Festival of Books (Detroit Bookfest for short), which drew crowds of eager readers on the prowl for all things printed at Eastern Market.

He was especially geeked to find the Milestone comics, produced by a company founded by Black artists and creators in 1993 who wanted to depict a universe of diverse superheroes.

“They came up with Static Shock … they’re like the best guys ever. I love them down,” Bryg said. “I’m glad I was able to get a hold of some of their stuff.

“It’s definitely a hunt,” he continued. “It’s all about the thrill of the hunt whether you’re at a thrift store or Comicon, it’s about digging through all of the dirty boxes and finding that little gem that fits for you. That’s what it’s all about and that’s the joy of it.”

He wasn’t the only reader on the hunt for books and related items including pins, artwork, tarot cards, records, sketch books and more.

Bronwyn Perialas of Midland found motherhood and astrology books she planned to share with friends.

“I found a really great book about becoming a mom regardless of what that might look like. It might look different for everyone,” said Perialas, 29. “I think just supporting local authors and getting to talk face-to-face with an author that I bought from, and connect with them in doing so, you can relate with them more. It’s more intimate than just buying from Amazon.”

Local authors were on site selling and signing their books. The event, which bills itself as Michigan’s largest book festival, also featured live music and exhibits by organizations like the Printing Stewards which emphasized the bookfest’s mission of helping generate a deeper love and appreciation of books.

The Printing Stewards were making marks that read “Detroit” and printing postcards with typecasting equipment, which members work to preserve.

“We are preserving equipment that makes metal type and a lot of it is extremely rare,” said Fritz Swanson, the organization’s president and a professor of book history at the University of Michigan. “This kind of equipment deserves, not just to be preserved in a museum, it deserves to be preserved in continual use.”

Friends Amiya Carreras of Southfield, Erin Flynn of Allen Park and Taylor Wiley of West Bloomfield visited the fest to share their love for reading together. They all bought tote bags that read “Detroit is for Readers.”

Flynn wore a shirt that read “Hot Girls Read Books,” and bought “Love and Other Words” by Christina Lauren, whose novel tells the story of a woman’s chance encounter with her first love and what it unearths.

Carreras bought bookmarks, stitched art and “The Poppy War,” a military fantasy novel by R.F. Kuang that draws on China’s 20th century history.

“We’re all big readers,” Carreras said.

mjohnson@detroitnews.com

@_myeshajohnson