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Joe Golem and the Drowning City
by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden

In 1925, earthquakes and a rising sea level left Lower Manhattan submerged under more than thirty feet of water, so that its residents began to call it the Drowning City. Those unwilling to abandon their homes created a new life on streets turned to canals and in buildings whose first three stories were underwater. Fifty years have passed since then, and the Drowning City is full of scavengers and water rats, poor people trying to eke out an existence, and those too proud or stubborn to be defeated by circumstance.

Among them are fourteen-year-old Molly McHugh and her friend and employer, Felix Orlov. Once upon a time Orlov the Conjuror was a celebrated stage magician, but now he is an old man, a psychic medium, contacting the spirits of the departed for the grieving loved ones left behind. When a seance goes horribly wrong, Felix Orlov is abducted by strange men wearing gas masks and rubber suits, and Molly soon finds herself on the run.

Her flight will lead her into the company of a mysterious man, and his stalwart sidekick, Joe Golem, whose own past is a mystery to him, but who walks his own dreams as a man of stone and clay, brought to life for the sole purpose of hunting witches.

Reviews

"Rife with archetypes gleaned from the darkest gems of myth, folklore, and pop culture...It works because Mignola and Golden have written characters that give the tale a beating heart...These are people you can get behind, not shallow monster fodder...Fast-paced and entertaining, the novel's an easy recommendation for fans of Mignola and Golden. YA enthusiasts will find that it doesn't pander to the young, providing a dark, sturdy story that will appeal to teenagers and adults alike. It's also a gorgeous tome to behold, not least because of Mignola's always-stunning artwork. His black-and-white illustrations provide stark windows into the world of the novel, never giving away too much so the reader's imagination has room to experiment."
- Slant Magazine

"There's an appetite out there for these sorts of propulsive, fantasy-rich mash-ups of steampunk and mythic literature...But few combine literary sincerity and fun as well as Mignola and Golden. Here the pair construct a rich world ripe for sequels and prequels. With Jules Verne technology, ghosts, magic and multidimensional monsters...it's an awfully fun way to pass an afternoon."
- Kirkus Review

"The tone of the novel is pulpy, splashed with Mignola's eternally present Chthulian atmosphere...and Christopher Golden does a noble job of infusing the mood of Mignola's artistic style into the printed word...Fans of Hellboy, steam punk, and pulp mysteries should find a lot to like about Joe Golem and the Drowning City."
- Brodartvibe

"Joe Golem and the Drowning City is that most marvelous kind of book - wholly original and yet completely accessible. Set in a unique world full of vivid and moving characters, it is gritty, mysterious, moving, and surprising. A brilliant combination of steampunk, fantasy, mystery, and adventure."
- David Liss, author of The Twelfth Enchantment

"A race against supernatural disaster through a haunting, dreamlike, and partially submerged New York City full of freaks, ghosts, and other lost souls, a story that grabs from the first page and doesn't let go."
- Tad Williams

"Joe Golem and the Drowning City is a warm, wicked, frantic tale of noble monsters and monstrous men. Not merely weird and not simply gorgeous, this supernatural steampunk fable is intimate and profound. It is dreadful and sublime."
- Cherie Priest

Additional Details
Published March 27th, 2012
Ha

Once again, readergirlz and Figment are going to ROCK THE DROP in honor of Support Teen Lit Day, 4/12/12. We can’t wait! Here’s how you can get involved:

* Plan to snap a photo and post it at the readergirlz facebook page. Then tweet the drop at #rockthedrop with all the other lovers of YA books. 

Check out the reddit reddit 2012 Gift Exchange, which is putting books in classrooms! Registration ends tomorrow, March 5th. Here's more about it:

We know how good it feels to give someone a book they have always wanted to read or one you think they will love. Now imagine how much better it will feel if, when giving a book to a fellow redditor, you also make a donation to DonorsChoose.org! We have a page at Donors Choose where you can pick any book related teacher request that you see fit. Upon signing up for the book exchange, you will receive a special code and, when you enter it on DonorsChoose.org, they will DOUBLE your donation up to $1,000! Donations aren't required but we really hope you will donate!

I learned about the exchange from Amber Benson, who is one of many awesome authors supporting the exchange.



reddit: Books are awesome. Check them out.

The Secret Journeys of Jack London by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon

The classic adventure novel gets a hypermodern, paranormal update from bestselling authors Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon.

The world knows Jack London as a writer who lived his own thrilling, real life adventures. But there are parts of his life that have remained hidden for many years - things so horrifying even he couldn't set them down in writing. These are the secret journeys of Jack London.

We meet Jack at age seventeen, following thousands of men and women into the Yukon Territory in search of gold. For Jack, the journey holds the promise of another kind of fortune: challenge and adventure. But what he finds in the wild north is something far more sinister than he could have ever imagined: kidnapping and slavery, the murderous nature of desperate men, and, amid it all, supernatural beasts of the wilderness that prey upon the weakness in men's hearts.

On February 28th, they've unleashed a brand-new adventure: The Sea Wolves. Clinging to life after he is captured in an attack by savage pirates, Jack is unprepared for what he faces at the hands of the crew and their charismatic, murderous captain, Ghost. For these mariners are not mortal men but hungry beasts chasing gold and death across the North Pacific. Jack’s only hope lies with Sabine - a sad, sultry captive of Ghost’s insatiable hunger. But on these waters, nothing is as it seems, and Sabine may be hiding dangerous secrets of her own.

The second installment in the adventures of the young Jack London is a masterpiece of tension and emotion. Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon, along with illustrator Greg Ruth, have crafted a tale for readers of all ages, an action-packed, romantic, and suspenseful descent into the darkest desires of men and beasts and the hell that awaits them.

Mike Mignola, creator of Hellboy, calls The Wild "A great old-school adventure novel and the best use of the Wendigo legend I've ever read."

Horrorworld: "Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon are two of the most imaginative, prolific authors working today. They share a solid foundation of pure storytelling, a beating heart of character and pace and plot that drives every book, every story, no matter what it's about."

Publishers Weekly Starred Review: "Launching the Secret Journeys of Jack London series, Lebbon and Golden offer a gripping, gory alternate history of author London, adding supernatural threats to the earthly ones he's known to have faced in real life. Ruth's handsome illustrations add a further haunting element to this adventure, which questions what it means to maintain one's humanity in the face of awesome forces both natural and uncanny."

Booklist: "Golden and Lebbon's gamble is peppering their story with the fantastic and the supernatural, and it pays off in this gung-ho series starter...Golden and Lebbon write with gritty assurance. Best of all, this first chapter kicks the door wide open for almost anything in book two."

VOYA: "It is reasonably certain that the real Jack London never stared down a man-eating Wendigo or was forced to

Author Holly Cupala has revealed the trailer for her newest novel, Don't Breathe a Word. Created by Octopuppy, the trailer features music by Splashdown and art by Realm Lovejoy. Watch the trailer below:



If you can't see the video player above, click here.

In honor of the book & trailer launch, Holly is hosting a party, and she's invited the entire blogosphere. Readers and bloggers should check out the giveaway details posted at Holly's blog. You could win signed copies of Holly's books FOR FREE, as well as the audio book of Tell Me a Secret read by Jenna Lamia and other fun stuff. Check it out!

Related Posts
Book Review: Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala
Book Review: Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala
Tell Me a Secret, and I'll Tell You One...
Interview: Holly Cupala
Booklist: Tough Issues for Teens
Playlists: Good Music for Good Books

Puppicasso spent another weekend day of work with his momma.

This is what he looked like in the morning when I told him he had to go in:

MNS

Pupp needed a double es...

and a donut.

In spite of his reluctance, he knew he good make a good situation out of a boring one.  He decided to make a Puppicasso Prediction work for him, so for today, he threw on his PR hat and turned PP#28 into shameless “Puppi-Plugs”.

Puppi owns the Fire Plug Puppic Relations Firm.

XLR Plugs

Pupp doesn't listen to "His Master's Voice"...

... he speaks to it. He is his own Master's Voice.

 This blog was brought to you by (not really, just watch this stuff):

http://www.hulu.com/book-club

http://www.amctv.com/shows/breaking-bad

http://www.cbs.com/shows/a_gifted_man

And if you gotta a pooch in Los Angeles bring them to these auditions on Sunday:

http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/events_new/WLTDO_auditions.html

A boy. A raccoon. A shapeshifter. A warrior. Two Rat Creatures. Three bears. Three Bones. These are the characters continuing their daring journey in Bone: Quest for the Spark, Book Two by Tom Sniegoski and Jeff Smith.

The second volume in this awesome trilogy continues the story presented in book one: 12-year-old Tom, along with his talking pet raccoon, some unlikely allies, and some daring adventurers, must find the missing pieces of the Spark in an attempt to re-awaken the population and defeat the evil.

As they did in the first volume, author Tom Sniegoski and artist Jeff Smith (with color by Steve Hamaker) deliver an action-packed story that will delight new and old Bone fans alike. With snappy dialogue, good guys, bad guys, dragons, a flying ship, a well-paced plot that is interesting and easy to follow, and at least one full-color illustration per chapter, even so-called reluctant will be drawn in.

By the end of this book, things are really ramping up, and I can't wait to see what happens in the third and final volume of the series!

My two favorite illustrations in this volume appear on page 11 (featuring the sleeping Rat Creatures) and page 158 (accompanying the scene in which Tom comforts Abbey).

My favorite passage in the book appears in Chapter 7, when Tom reminds his ragtag group that each member has been chosen for this quest for a reason, and each of them has a special talent or trait. Here's what Tom has to say about his raccoon, my favorite supporting character:

"Roderick knows a lot about the Valley and is very small and sneaky."
"Sneaky in a good way," the raccoon added.

Watch the trailer for Bone: Quest for the Spark, Book Two by Tom Sniegoski and Jeff Smith.

Read my review of Bone: Quest for the Spark, Book One by Tom Sniegoski and Jeff Smith.

Additional Details
February 1st, 2012
Published by Scholastic Graphix
240 pages in length

Paperback edition
ISBN-10: 0545141044
ISBN-13: 978-0545141048
$10.99

Hardcover edition
ISBN-10: 0545141036
ISBN-13: 978-0545141031
$22.99

I just learned about The Make It Safe Project at Lee Wind's blog. I hope that you (yes, you, wonderful readers) will help support Amelia's efforts. Here's more about the project, as detailed at their website:

The Make It Safe Project donates books about sexual orientation and gender expression to schools and youth homeless shelters that lack the resources to keep their teens safe.

Giving: We donate books to K-12 schools, their Gay-Straight Alliances (a group that educates the school community about equality), and LGBT-inclusive youth homeless shelters nationwide. For information on how you can help give books or receive books for your school or shelter, please click here.

Support: If you are wondering what starting, leading, or joining a GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) would be like, you can browse through stories written by teens who have been involved with GSAs here.

Advice: If you have experience starting, leading, or being in a GSA, you can anonymously submit a story about your experience here.

One book can save a life.

In May of 2011, GuysLitWire held a book fair for Ballou High School in Washington, D.C. At that time, there were over 1,200 students enrolled in that school, and only 1,150 books in their library - less than one book per student.

Now you can help Ballou for the holidays! Here is the direct link to the wish list at Powells: http://bit.ly/GLWBookFair

Additional instructions from Colleen, who runs GLW and set up these book fairs:

Once you have made your selections head to "checkout" and you will be prompted to inform Powell's if the books were indeed bought from the wishlist. This lets the store know to mark them as "purchased" on the list. After that you need to provide your credit card info and also fill in the shipping address.

Melissa Jackson, LIBRARIAN
Ballou Senior High School
3401 Fourth Street SE
Washington DC 20032
(202) 645-3400

It's very important that you get Melissa's name and title in there - she is not the only Jackson (or Melissa) at the school and we want to make sure the books get to the library.

Attention New Yorkers! I just learned about this upcoming event from my pal Jen Calonita -

Twitterhood of the Butt Lifting Pajants
PAJANTS PARTY IN NYC!

Books of Wonder is hosting the pajants party on Saturday, December 3rd, from 3-5 PM. Come meet the authors, hear about their pajants adventures, and pick up signed copies of their books!

Jen Calonita, Secrets of My Hollywood Life, Belles;
Julia DeVillers, Trading Faces;
Lauren Myracle, Shine;
Sarah Mlynowski, Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have);
Susane Colasanti, So Much Closer;
Elizabeth Eulberg, Prom & Prejudice;
Courtney Sheinmel, All the Things You Are;
E. Lockhart, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks;
Tara Altebrando, Dreamland Social Club;
Melissa Walker, Small Town Sinners;
Alan Gratz, Fantasy Baseball;
Jennifer E. Smith, You Are Here;
Leslie Margolis, Maggie Brooklyn mysteries;
Adele Griffin, Tighter;
Robin Wasserman, The Cole Awakening Trilogy;
David Macinnis Gill, Black Hole Sun;
and more to come!

Saturday, December 3rd from 3-5 PM at
Books of Wonder
18 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011
(212) 989-3270 

Want to see what happened when a bunch of your favorite YA authors shared a pair of Pajama Pants? Add Twitterhood of the Butt Lifting Pajants on Facebook! Flick through the photo gallery to see tons of authors wearing the pants, including many of the aforementioned authors. Their current profile picture shows the always-fierce Tyra Banks rocking the pajants. (Have you read Modelland yet?) In a nod to Ann Brashares' bestselling book series The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, many of the authors decorated the pants. You've got to see them!

Every Friday, Del Rey Spectra offers a 50-page excerpt from one of their titles. Yesterday's spotlight was placed on Uncharted: The Fourth Labyrinth by Christopher Golden, the official novel of Naughty Dog's award-winning videogame franchise. The book will be available on Tuesday, October 4th, 2011 - but you may read the excerpt for free RIGHT NOW!

At the Suvudu website, DRS editor Tricia Pasternak offered this insight into Uncharted:

“Uncharted is an Indiana Jones-style movie in video game form, a cliff-hanging, swashbuckling, pulse-pounding pulp adventure. Like the best summer blockbusters, it marries spectacular action sequences with a thrill-a-minute story, intriguing pop mythology, and memorable, endearing characters. And it’s impossible not to love hero Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter/archaeology geek in the Indy mold with a Nathan Fillion-esque roguish charm.

This makes Uncharted perfect for novelization treatment: There’s a whole world of new adventures, ancient treasures, and historical mysteries out there for Nathan Drake. And so I thought couldn’t have been more excited to line up Christopher Golden, a wildly talented writer with collaborations with the likes of Mike Mignola under his belt. But then we had our first story development meeting with the Uncharted creative team. Chris’ rapport with the game team was immediate, and they’d soon pulled together a wildly entertaining story that draws equally from history, mythology, and Doc Savage. The result is The Fourth Labyrinth - just the thing to tide you over until Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception hits stores on November 1st.”

Are you ready to walk into the Labyrinth? Here's the book's premise:

In the ancient world there was a myth about a king, a treasure, and a hellish labyrinth. Now the doors to that hell are open once again.

Nathan Drake, treasure hunter and risk taker, has been called to New York City by the man who taught him everything about the "antiquities acquisition business." Victor Sullivan needs Drake's help. Sully's old friend, a world-famous archaeologist, has just been found murdered in Manhattan. Dodging assassins, Drake, Sully, and the dead man's daughter, Jada Hzujak, race from New York to underground excavations in Egypt and Greece. Their goal: to unravel an ancient myth of alchemy, look for three long-lost labyrinths, and find the astonishing discovery that got Jada's father killed. It appears that a fourth labyrinth was built in another land and another culture-and within it lies a key to unmatched wealth and power. An army of terrifying lost warriors guards this underground maze. So does a monster. And what lies beyond - if Drake can live long enough to reach it - is both a treasure and a poison, a paradise and a hell.

Welcome to The Fourth Labyrinth.

Load the excerpt directly from the Scribd website.

Additional Details
Uncharted: The Fourth Labyrinth by Christopher Golden
Published October 4th, 2011
Trade Paperback
352 pages
ISBN-10: 0345522176
ISBN-13: 978-0345522177

It's that time of year again... Happy Banned Books Week!

The publisher Little, Brown Books for Young Readers is holding a Virtual Read-Out at www.bannedbooksweek.org People of all ages are encouraged to create a video of themselves reading from their favorite banned or challenged book and upload it to a special YouTube Channel for Banned Books Week. Authors are submitting videos as well, including Laini Taylor, Sarah Dessen, Lauren Myracle, Jay Asher, and Judy Blume.

Related Posts:
I Read Banned Books: Celebrating Intellectual Freedom and Literacy
They Tried to Ban This Book Today, or, There's a Sticker on the Cover of This Book - inspired by the challenge of Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson: Too Cool for School?
Banned Books & Tolerance & Commercials & King & King
View all Bildungsroman posts related to banned books

Amy Krause Rosenthal describes herself as "a person who likes to make things." She is an author, a filmmaker, and more. She also brings people together - literally - with her work. Here's the trailer for her feature film, The Beckoning of Lovely 11/11/11, and a little more about the project in her own words:

The Beckoning of Lovely began with a spontaneous public gathering on 08/08/08 at "The Bean" sculpture in Chicago's Millennium Park. 2 subsequent videos took place on 09/09/09 and 10/10/10... On November 11th, 2011 the feature film The Beckoning of Lovely 11/11/11 will be released and made globally available for viewing on YouTube... This final film — like the whole project itself — is interactive and rooted in human connection.



Learn more at http://www.TheBeckoningOfLovely.com - Check out the FAQ at Google Docs and click through the slideshow to watch all of the trailers and check out the movie poster!

News from Cynthia Leitich Smith about the launch of Skype Authors:

Skype Authors connects noted children's book authors to schools and book clubs while benefiting Camfed in 2011-2012.

Noted authors Suzanne Williams, Martha Brockenbrough, Dia Calhoun, Janet Lee Carey, Mary Casanova, Lorie Ann Grover, Joan Holub, Deb Lund, Claire Rudolf Murphy, Lisa L. Owens, and Trudi Trueit have launched Skype Authors, an author-visit-booking site that will aid schools, book clubs, and educational charities. Additionally, a portion of the proceeds from each visit will benefit Camfed, an organization that educates girls in Africa.

This just in: KidLit Con is teaming up with Reading Is Fundamental! Here's the scoop, directly from Colleen, one of the KidLit Con organizers:

I'm sure many of you are aware how RIF's budget was decimated by the elimination of federal funds this year. I'm not going to get all political with you because the hard truth is that there are few painless answers to our economic mess. But cutting RIF is particularly harsh as it exists solely to put books into the hands of children who otherwise can not afford them. RIF is an investment in our future in the purest and most direct terms. When you think about that way, it's hard to understand why anyone would ever put RIF on the chopping block but that is what has happened and now we just have to do what we can to make sure that future promise remains unchanged.

There are many generous groups and corporations who have stepped up to help RIF and for that we should all be grateful. KidLit Con is seeking to make a more personal and direct contribution as the funds we raise will be coming directly from book lovers in the pursuit of creating more book lovers. Now is the time, quite frankly, where we need to put up or shut up. If you are a writer or a librarian or a bookseller or a book blogger or if you read blogs about books then this fundraiser is targeted directly at you.

So that's all of you, right?

Before The Fallen was an ABC Family television mini-series starring Paul Wesley of The Vampire Diaries and the legendary Tom Skerritt, it was a four-book series by best-selling author Thomas E. Sniegoski. The premise: Aaron has always known that he was adopted, but he never suspected he was half-angel - or that he could be a hero in the ultimate fight between good and evil.

The first four books have been re-released in two volumes, each of which contain two books, omnibus-style. These trade paperbacks became New York Times bestsellers. The next volume, The Fallen 3: End of Days, will be available on September 6th, 2011. Take a peek:

Victory is fleeting, but defeat is eternal. The war between Heaven and Hell rages on. Aaron, half-angel and half-human, commands the Fallen in their quest to protect humanity. But evil forces gain strength at every turn. And lurking somewhere in the shadows is Archangel Gabriel's instrument with the power to call down the End of Days.

Aaron draws confidence from the girl he loves as he struggles to make peace with his legacy as Lucifer's son. These are desperate times, and Aaron knows the Fallen will need to forge new, unlikely alliances to survive.

With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Aaron will stop at nothing to defend civilization - and the girl who holds his heart. Even if it means venturing to Hell and back.

Visit the official website for THE FALLEN.

If you can't see the trailer at the top of this post, click here to watch the End of Days trailer at YouTube.

Hi everyone!

I've been cast in a funny new webseries with an awesome title: UNINTENTIONALLY AWESOME! In the vein of Mean Girls and Easy A, Unintentionally Awesome fuses comedy, truth, and snark. This fish-out-of-water story explores high school through the eyes of two social outcasts. While we've got all of the high school stereotypes covered - cheerleaders, jocks, Goths, theatre kids, skaters, nerds, band geeks - we're giving a voice to the kids that usually sit alone in the cafeteria. I'm playing Heather, the teacher's pet who is secretly a mean-girl-in-training.

Unintentionally Awesome is a SAG New Media production, and we're trying to raise money through IndieGoGo so we can shoot the first three episodes, then pitch the show to execs.

We have until July 24th to raise our goal of $1,118. We've only raised $280 so far. Yikes. PLEASE help spread the word on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Thanks for your support! You're awesome.

Donate: http://www.indiegogo.com/Unintentionally-Awesome-1

Other awesome places:
http://www.UnintentionallyAwesome.com
https://www.twitter.com/awesomehigh
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Unintentionally-Awesome/103123313110246?sk=info
http://unintentionallyawesomewebseries.tumblr.com/

A special announcement from author Jen Calonita:

SUMMER IS FINALLY HERE AND I WANT TO GIVE AWAY SOME BOOKS!

I cannot wait to get into the pool or head down to the beach and just enjoy the fine weather. When I was in junior high and high school we spent our summers on the east end of Long Island (the very East End that Reality Check is set in) and back then I hated the beach. No joke. Sand in my Walkman (yes, Walkman), in my turkey sandwich, sticking to me along with the sunscreen. I just hated going down to the shore. Oh, how times have changed. But back then the only way I could survive those days down at the beach with my sun-loving parents and younger sister was to read. I would pretty much read a book every few days. I'm not kidding--what else did I have to do really? I dare say we didn't even have cable back then (how did I ever survive?)! I would devour this series called Sweet Valley High. Thankfully there were over two hundred books in the series along with all these super special books that were double the length. Basically I had plenty to read and I read A LOT. I drove my parents nuts begging them to drive me to the local independent bookstore to get another book several times a week. My paperbacks worked hard for me -- they had watermarks from being read in the pool with wet fingers. They had sunscreen smears on the book jackets and sometimes even food fell on them, but that's the beauty of a paperback -- it takes a licking and keeps on ticking!

I hope you have as memorable of a summer as I had when I was growing up. To help you celebrate, I'm giving away one of my books in paperback a week, every week from July 3rd to August 29th. It could be a Secrets novel, or the new Reality Check paperback that just came out, or maybe it will be Sleepaway Girls, but it will always be a surprise! (No grumbling if you don't get your pick, okay?) Every week starting on July 3rd a new winner will be chosen at random and there are a bunch of ways you can enter to win. Here's how:

Each of the following will earn an entry:

• Follow Jen Calonita on Facebook and leave a comment saying, "I'm entering the Jen Calonita summer paperback-a-week giveaway!"

• Became a fan of the upcoming Belles series on Facebook, post on the wall, and leave a comment there saying, "I'm entering the Jen Calonita summer paperback-a-week giveaway!"

• Follow Jen Calonita on Twitter @jencalonita and leave a comment saying "I'm entering the Jen Calonita summer paperback-a-week giveaway!".

• Become an email subscriber of Jen Calonita's newsletter.

Winner will be chosen randomly each week and notified via email. Good luck and happy summer!

Very exciting news for my pals Christopher Golden and Tom Sniegoski: Universal Pictures has hired Zack Whedon to adapt Talent, a comic miniseries created by Christopher Golden, Tom Sniegoski, and Paul Azaceta, which was published by BOOM! Studios.

The adaptation news was officially broken today, thanks to Variety, ComicBookResources.com and other entertainment websites and news providers.

The premise: When flight 654 goes down, it takes 148 souls with it. But not Nicholas Dane. How did the 34 year old college professor survive -- was it a miracle? Now Nicholas finds that he has the memories and skills of one of the passengers from the flight -- a boxer -- and he's got to use them to survive!

Talent was originally released as a four issue mini-series from BOOM! Studios. All four issues were later collected into a trade paperback, which you may order directly from the publisher by clicking here.

Learn more about Talent.

Saturday, May 7th, 2011 is Free Comic Book Day across the nation!

If you love comics, then you probably already have your calendar marked for Free Comic Book Day. Every year on the first Saturday in May, comic shops all around the U.S. allow patrons to pick up a free comic book.

Different stores have different rules, of course, so please observe them! Many places have designated comics which are free, while other items in stock are still regular price, so ask before you grab.

Not really into comics and/or have a reluctant young reader in the family? This could be a great time for you to venture into a comic book shop and pick up a little something.

Free Baltimore!
Rumor has it you can pick up Baltimore: A Passing Stranger by Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola for free at ANY comic book shop participating in Free Comic Book Day. YES!

NHFCBD
If you're live in or near New Hampshire, you should visit Jetpack Comics on Saturday, May 7th, where you can meet a plethora of comic book artists and authors including but not limited to Tom Sniegoski, Christopher Golden, Ed McGuinness, Joe Hill, Rich Woodall, and Jason Ciaramella!

Superpowers and Spandex
Superhero films always have a lot of build-up and anticipation, and many have been box office blockbusters. Now, when a film based on a novel is announced, I always encourage folks to read the book before they see the movie. I say the same for comics and graphic novels. It's always better to read the original source material so you know what the author (and, in the case of comics, the artists as well) had in mind before you venture into the movie theatre.

That being said, yes, there are some movies that, in my estimation, improve upon the source material, but that's another post for another time. (Read my posts tagged as "movies" for a little more about that!)

Happy Earth Day! Here's a cool recycling program that TerraCycle Inc just announced which will lead to schools and communities getting new playgrounds. I don't wear flip-flops myself, so I'm posting this in hopes that those of you who do will donate your worn-out or outgrown pairs of flip-flops to this worthy cause.

Dear TerraCycle Brigade® Participants,

TerraCycle® is proud to announce that we have partnered with Old Navy to collect used flip-flops at Old Navy stores through the Flip Flop Brigade! The Brigade begins on Earth Day Friday, April 22nd and runs until the bins are full or Saturday, May 21st (whichever comes first) in all continental US Old Navy stores.

Just bring your used flip-flops to the Old Navy nearest you and look for the TerraCycle collection bin located near the store entrance. Once the collection bins are full, Old Navy will ship the flip-flops to TerraCycle to be recycled into playgrounds that Old Navy will give away to a few lucky schools and community organizations. If your Brigade location is interested in becoming a recipient of a TerraCycle Old Navy playground, please complete the TerraCycle Old Navy Playground Questionnaire.

Not only will you keep your used flip-flops out of the landfill, but you will also be helping to create a positive play environment for some deserving schools and community organizations. Now that’s flip-n-cool!

Participation in the Flip-Flop Brigade is simple and it’s completely FREE. There is no purchase necessary and you do not need to sign up on terracycle.net to participate.


For more information please contact TerraCycle customer service at 866-967-6766 or [email protected]. Or to find an Old Navy store near you go to http://www.oldnavy.com/storelocator.

Happy collecting,
The TerraCycle Team

* Please note that unfortunately this program is not available in Old Navy stores located in Canada, Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico.