By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/10/2015
Can people get enough of Grumpy Cat? I don’t think so. ICv2 recently reported that the first collection of the Dynamite comic featuring the cranky kitty has been sold in to Scholastic book fairs, and already has orders of more than 100,000 copies via various channels. The first four issue series has been a hit, […]
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 4/10/2015
Doctor Who is here to stay…at least for the next five years. Whovians around the world have reason to celebrate today, as the BBC reported executive producer Steven Moffat’s comments to Doctor Who Magazine that the rebooted series would do a “minimum of 15 years” in total. Ben Stephenson, BBC’s outgoing head of drama commissioning was even more optimistic, saying: “As long as the people looking after it are passionate about it… there’s absolutely no reason why it can’t do another 50 years.” This announcement comes on the heels of the new series’ 10 year anniversary, celebrated by fans across the world. The show’s popularity has led even mainstream outlets like MTV News to cover the anniversary, ranking the modern episodes in order of quality.
When the modern version of the series went on the air in 2005, Doctor Who was largely unknown to mainstream America. The adventures of the time-traveling, two-hearted alien known only as “The Doctor” were confined to PBS rebroadcasts of the original or “Classic” series, which was produced by the BBC from 1963-1989. Low production values and the show’s undeniable Britishness were barriers to crossover success in the States, though a cult following developed among science fiction fans who grew up watching the series.
That all changed in 2010 when BBC America licensed the show for broadcast in the United States. Instead of waiting months for rebroadcasts of episodes, they now waited weeks. Perhaps there is no better bellwether of the shows immense Stateside popularity than the town of Denton, TX. Local comic book store retailer Tim Stoltzfus of More Fun Comics lobbied to nab an exclusive cover and won. Titan Comics released 29 variant covers for Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Issue 1 and among them was a cover featuring the TARDIS parked outside the Denton County Courthouse.
Local Denton artist Jake Ekiss drew the exclusive cover.
The recognition drew the attention of Denton Mayor Chris Watts, who drew up a proclamation declaring April 4, 2015 “Dr. Who Day” in Denton. Local Whovians attended a reading of the proclamation in front of the courthouse where local a local cosplay group erected a TARDIS prop. Brothers Travis and Tom Huston attended the ceremony, dressed as the Eleventh and Tenth Doctors, respectively. Tom, 12, liked seeing “so many Whovians,” while Travis, 9, said: “there aren’t many great shows on like it, our whole family watches it together.” Both brothers agreed it was “really awesome that our courthouse is on the cover.”
Geronimo and Allons-y! The Huston brothers dressed as their favorite Doctors: Travis, age 9, as Eleven and Tom, age 12, as Ten. Photo by Cristy Flowers Huston.
Likely the Houston brothers are among the fans excited for the upcoming three Doctor issue to be released on May 2nd, Free Comic Book Day. Check out the cover and preview pages below:
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/17/2015
Every few years Diamond lines up a celebrity spokesperson for Free Comic Book Day and this year its Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, who is an admitted “lifelong comic book fan.” I found this one persuasive than the first one I can remember, a sun bleared Hugh Jackman.
Hamill is well known for his voice acting as the Joker and has been playing The tRickster on The Flash to good notices. He also wrote a few comics in his day, including The Black Pearl for Dark Horse. HE will appear later this year in Star Wars: The Force wakens, a sequel to what is perhaps his best known role.
This year’s FCBD festivities take place on May 2nd. A record 5.6 million comics were ordered for more than 2,340 participating shops. This year’s comics offerings were limited to 50, from various publishers, a decline from past years that was designed to streamline the process.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/17/2014
After revealing the first wave of Free Comic Book Day titles, it was only a matter of time before the rest of them started to pop up. This next batch is very exciting, and full of fun offerings from all your favorite publishers with the big guns like Marvel and DC, along with Valiant, Comix Tribe, IDW, Image, Oni and the mysterious new Legendary Comics imprint that kicked off with Grant Morrison’s Annihilator. DC still has their titles blocked out with the letters ‘TOP SECRET’ sitting on the front page, it’s likely whatever these comics are will be revealed closer towards Convergence. Of course, Marvel is launching Avengers material close to their upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron film. Included in this silver collection of titles is a lot of material from other media, meant to turn you non-comics reading friends completely addicted to this medium. See if Attack on Titan, Avatar, or Sonic can hook your non-reading friends. Free Comic Book Day is on the first Saturday of May. CBR broke the news this morning with covers, and quick description information. All these titles are considered silver comics, with the gold titles being the first wave of books.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 9/12/2014
I think the money makers at Diamond Select Toys are secretly testing the market for an upcoming adult toy line.
The Free Comic Book Day Facebook page posted a typical a nerd baiting question with no possible answer: who would win in fight between Spider-Man’s most popular nemesis Venom or the cult classic 80’s extraterrestrial nightmare Xenomorph? Of course this wasn’t a sponsored post to promote Diamond Select Toys wide variety bottle openers, but it sure as hell looks like it. The comments are full of well informed, substantial arguments on who would come on top. But some Facebook users couldn’t help to mention the fact that the Xenomorph opener bares a striking resemblance of a penis.
How could Venom fare against Xenomorph’s veiny, long shaft and bulbous mushroom tip? I couldn’t image using this cold metal bottle opener bringing any kind of pleasure aside from opening a cold brewski, but the people of the Internet will find a way. Nonetheless, you can’t but help but appreciate the H. R. Giger work on the Alien series. Diamond Select Toys would like to remind you that Christmas is around the corner, and this would make a good stocking stuffer. Talk about gag gifts. *This was not a sponsored post by Diamond Select Toys.*
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 5/2/2014
Please note this is not a comprehensive listing of Free Comic Book Events –it’s just info that people sent me. To find an event near you, go here. But it is indicative of some of the amazing things happening tomorrow, from an Eastman/Laird joint appearance to just about every other creator under the sun. It won’t be boring. And the comics are awesome.
Rochester, NH
Eastman and Laird together at Jetpack Comics!
(Lots of rules on this one — check the link)
That’s right, the NH creators of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be the guests of honor for this years Rochester, NH Free Comic Book Day Festival! People are flying in from all over the country to meet these superstars, so we expect the lines to be long. With this in mind, we are going to have to place limits on how many things you can get signed. If you have more than the limit please feel free to jump back in line and do it all over again. We want to be fair to everyone that wants to visit Kevin and Peter.
PLEASE NOTE: Sketches will not be available that day. Please don’t embarrass yourself or the creators by asking for a sketch. If you do we just may have to eject you from the line! There’s simply not enough time (see the Eastman & Laird Guidelines below for more information). Of course there will be a vendor table of great Eastman and Laird works!
Montreal, Quebec
Librairie Drawn & Quarterly is happy to be participating in Free Comic Book Day 2014 on Saturday, May 3!
As always, we’ll be giving out specially created comic books, free, all day!
Drawn & Quarterly’s special comic this year comes from Shigeru Mizuki – it features an excerpt from his second volume of Showa: A History of Japan, covering the period from 1939 to 1944. Pretty exciting!
This is a kid-friendly event! There will be snacks!
New York, NY
JHU
Free comics for everyone who attends, while they last! There is a specific assortment to choose from and we’ll also have our anniversary sale still going on, with Buy 2 get 1 Free on all graphic novels and back issues (bagged and boarded) for all JHU Members, which is free to join if you haven’t already!
On top of that, we will be having some guests there to sign for us!
10am – Brandon Montclare and Amy Reeder (Rocket Girl, Halloween Eve)
11 am – Reilly Brown (Deadpool: The Gauntlet, Incredible Hercules, DHP: St. George)
12pm – Dan Slott (Amazing Spider-Man, Superior Spider-Man, Silver Surfer)
3pm – Vivek J. Tiwary (The Fifth Beatle)
Brooklyn, New York
Bergen street Comics
A 7PM Book Release Party with LUKE PEARSON!
That’s right! Starting at 7PM, Luke Pearson, the cartoonist responsible for Hildafolk, Hilda and the Midnight Giant and Hilda and the Bird Parade will be stopping by to help us celebrate. And yes, he’ll be bringing a stack of early copies of Hilda and the Black Hound, her latest adventure!
While we’re giving away the final free comics, Luke will be signing copies of Hilda and the Black Hound and regaling us with tales of life in Sherwood Forest (that’s where he lives! seriously!) while we all have drinks and begin the recovery process.
Free Comic Book Day with Top Cow
On Saturday, May 3rd, Southern California comic fans have not one, but two opportunities to meet the Head of the Herd himself – Marc Silvestri! Marc will be signing books and promoting his new miniseries, Rise of the Magi, the zero issue of which is Top Cow’s Free Comic Book this year!
First, catch him from 12 – 2 PM at Golden Apple Comics on Melrose in Los Angeles.
Then, at 3:30, Marc will be zooming up to Earth 2 Comics in Sherman Oaks.
Check out this interview that Marc did for Free Comic Book Day’s official website to learn more!
Also making an FCBD appearance is Top Cow’s President and C.O.O, Matt Hawkins! Matt will be at 4 Color Fantasies in Rancho Cucamonga, starting at 11:00 AM, signing issues of his many books, including Think Tank and Aphrodite IX, as well as giving out posters and discussing his new series, Tales of Honor!
WATSON AND HOLMES #1 Simonson Etching Variant
Copies of this will be given away at various shops around the country as found here.
ARCHIE COMICS
Archie Comics writers and artists will be visiting comic shops around the globe! They will be on hand to sign books discuss their work. Here’s a rundown of where they’ll be and how you can find out more:
New York, NY
Midtown Comics
Midtown Comics is excited to celebrate Free Comic Book Day with two days this year – in-store on Saturday, May 3rd, and online on Monday, May 5th. This is one of the largest events in the comic book industry, and Midtown is ready to celebrate!
Midtown will offer free new comics including every title from every publisher participating in this event. Some of the hottest titles from Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Dark Horse, and Image Comics will be available with no purchase required, while supplies last. Over two million comic books for readers of all ages will be given away by participating stores nationwide, introducing as many people as possible to the excitement of comic books!
SATURDAY, MAY 3rd IN-STORE:
Midtown Comics celebrates Free Comic Book Day in-store on Saturday, May 3rd, Please note: some titles will be in very limited quantities and are not expected to last all day, and we recommend that you arrive early.
Store hours:
FCBD starts at 8:00AM at Midtown Times Square, and 11:00AM at Grand Central and Downtown.
MONDAY MAY 5TH ONLINE:
All FCBD titles will be posted online at MidtownComics.com at approximately 11:00AM EST on Monday, May 05th and will be offered while supplies last. We recommend that you order early.
What’s special only at Midtown: This year, we are thrilled to present our very own Midtown Comics exclusives of the FCBD book Future’s End from DC Comics, and the Armor Hunters Special from Valiant Entertainment! Both releases feature the Midtown Comics logo and are ONLY available through Midtown Comics!
Future’s End is a great issue to jump on board DC Comics’ epic weekly series, featuring tomorrow’s Dark Knight, Batman Beyond (making his first appearance in The New 52). Watch as he battles an army of cyborgs to avert an Apocalypse in the future, which could destroy the present DC Universe!
Armor Hunters features a group of the universe’s fiercest warriors that are eager to destroy the X-O Manowar for the good of all. What horrible secrets does the armor hold? And how many armors have they destroyed before this one? These answers and more are revealed in the Valiant Universe events of 2014 – and it all starts right here with exclusive previews, character designs, and interviews from the biggest guns the Valiant Universe has to offer!
Chicago, IL
Quimby’s and CAKE
Join the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo [CAKE] at Quimby’s Bookstore [1854 W North Ave] on Saturday May 3rd 7pm to celebrate Free Comic Book Day with Chicago’s Trubble Club!
This year, the Trubble Club has modified the Quimby’s photo booth to capture your true essence. Come hang out with some of Chicago’s best comics artists as they collaboratively reveal your inner self by interpreting psychic signals from their magical photobooth. Snacks and refreshments will be provided by CAKE, and free comic books will be available for pick up (while supplies last).
Trubble Club started as a group of Chicago-based cartoonist making jam comics. While we still do that, and love doing that, we’ve been branching out. The Infinite Corpse is a never-ending webcomic spearheaded by Trubble Club, that includes panels by both totally unknown artists, and institutions, like Art Speigelman and Kim Deitch. We have also recently done commissioned installations for the Museum of Contemporary Art, The DePaul Art Museum, and the John Michael Kohler Art Center.
The Chicago Alternative Comics Expo [CAKE] is a weekend-long celebration of independent comics, inspired by Chicago’s rich legacy as home to many of underground and alternative comics’ most talented artists– past, present and future. Featuring comics for sale, workshops, exhibitions, panel discussions and more, CAKE is dedicated to fostering community and dialogue amongst independent artists, small presses, publishers and readers. This year’s CAKE is May 31 & June 1st at the Center on Halsted (3656 N Halsted), and is free and open to the public.
Visit http://cakechicago.com or e-mail [email protected] for more information.
Madison, NJ
Dewey’s Comics
Our FCBD 2014 celebration will include appearances by Keith Giffen and Fernando Ruiz, whose work will be appearing among this year’s FCBD offerings, as well as an appearance by fan favorite artist Charles Paul Wilson III.
The full ARTIST ALLEY lineup includes veteran comic creator Keith Giffen (FCBD 2014 New 52 Future End), Archie Comics artist and writer Fernando Ruiz (FCBD 2014 Archie Digest), Charles Paul Wilson III (Wraith, Stuff of Legend), artist and editor Anthony Marques (DC Assistant Editor), Andre Szymanowicz (Hell Yeah, Image Comics), artist Nick Justice (Jesus E Lee), Kubert School alums and freelance artists Fabio Redivo, Max Fuchs and Mike Morrocco, writer Adam McGoven (Magic Bullet, Dr. Id, the forthcoming Image series Nightworld), and artist Ellen Stedfeld (Magic Bullet). And as we do every year, we’ll be hosting a number of graduating 3rd year students from The Kubert School.
We’ll also be offering bonus goodie bags for the first 100 or so folks in line, free face painting for kids, free sketches in artist alley, entry into a drawing to WIN two tickets to his year New York Comic Con for everyone who comes in costume, a visit from members of the 501st Legion of Star Wars costuming organization, the only place in New Jersey to get the Washington DC based independent comic newspaper MAGIC BULLET on FCBD, bonus giveaway for folks in line, and what we think may be the world’s LARGEST bowl of OREO cookies! And lots of free comics of course!
FLorida
Coliseum Comics – various events
Free Comic Book Day will run throughout the day on May 3rd at all Central Florida Coliseum of Comics locations, including the brand new Tampa location. Each location will have their own slate of special events scheduled. (Scheduled appearances subject to change. Please contact individual stores for more details.):
Coliseum of Comics Millenia
4672 Millenia Plaza Way
Orlando, FL 32839
407-363-7676
[email protected]
Appearances by:
Costumed characters in support of the Hero Alliance
Balloon artist Denzil Jackson
Coliseum of Comics Kissimmee
3159 W. Vine St. (US Hwy. 192)
Kissimmee, FL 34741
407-870-5322
[email protected]
Appearances by:
Star Wars characters from the 501st Legion and the Mandalorian Mercs
Costumed characters in support of the Hero Alliance
Balloon artist Denzil Jackson
Coliseum of Comics Fashion Square Mall
3201 E. Colonial Drive
Orlando, FL 32803
407-228-1210
[email protected]
Appearances by:
Artists Travis Earls and Brian Wolffe
Characters from many costumer organizations
Coliseum of Comics Downtown Lakeland
121 S. Kentucky Ave.
Lakeland, FL 33815
863-686-1350
[email protected]
Appearances by:
Sabertooth Swordsman artist Aaron Conley
Coliseum of Comics New Tampa
19402 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33647
813-528-8758
[email protected]
Appearances by:
Superhero characters
Los Angeles, CA
Brave New World
Free Comic Book Day is a celebration of the culture of comics, so along with giving away thousands of freebies, Brave New World Comics will also offer free art classes throughout the day. Free demos of the popular tabletop games Heroclix and Magic: the Gathering. Comic book creators, artists and writers from Fanboy Comics and Cartoon Network will be signing, sketching and talking about their latest work. There will be exciting FREE photo opportunities with your favorite pop culture characters! Star Wars characters from the 501st Storm Trooper Squadron’s Los Angeles Garrison will be here, along with the Southland Ghostbusters, and a few other surprise guests from the world of cartoons and comics. Free games, prizes, and a costume contest, sponsored by DK Publishing and Lego will round out the day’s events. Attendees are encouraged to participate in Free Comic Book Day Bingo, collecting stamps from various stations around the shop. Prizes for completed FCBD Bingo cards are provided by Archaia Comics and DC Entertainment. In addition to all of the super fun, super-hero themed events at Free Comic Book Day, be sure to stop by the charity bake sale, benefitting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
“There’s so much to do at our Free Comic Book Day event! Don’t sleep in too late,” warned Portlyn, Brave New World’s perky proprietress, “if this event is anything like the first twelve, the free comics could run out before the crowd does… But the fun is here all day!”
Los Angeles, CA
Golden Apple Comics
*GRAB BAGS FRENZY IS BACK!
-FIND 1 OF 10 “GOLDEN TICKETS” TO INSTANTLY WIN A BIG PRIZE!
-WIN INSTANT HAND DRAWN SKETCHES FROM SCOTT SHAW!
-FIND INSTANT DISCOUNT STORE COUPONS 10% TO 50% OFF!
-WIN EXTRA FREE COMIC DAY COMICS!
*GRAB BAGS CONSIST OF 10 RANDOM NEW COMICS (ALL AGES TO TEEN+)
WE WILL ALSO HAVE FREE JARRIOTS SODA FOR ALL!
*while supplies last
Creator Appearances
OSSM! COMICS CREW
Saturday, May 03, 2014 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
OMAR & SIIKE (BLEEDING COOL/THANIEL)
SCOTT SHAW!
Saturday, May 03, 2014 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
meet cartoonist Scott Shaw! he will be handing out free Bongo Comics from 10am-4pm. Win a Full Sized Hand-Drawn Sketch from Scott instantly in our grab bags! Limited to the first 20 winners only!
MARC SILVESTRI
Saturday, May 03, 2014 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
RISE OF THE MAGI #0 (TOP COW/IMAGE)
JOSEPH HENSON
Saturday, May 03, 2014 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Creator/Writer of the new Indy comic: The Heroes of Echo Company
By: Jen Robinson,
on 1/17/2014
Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage.
Book Lists
Anne Ursu’s OVER/UNDER of 2013: The Overlooked, Underappreciated Middle Grade Reader at BOOKYURT via @catagator http://ow.ly/svrMS
A Tuesday Ten from Views From the Tesseract, science fiction stories in which a sister plays a key role as a sister http://ow.ly/sCuHq
And the 2014 Contenders for @SLJsBoB = SLJ's Battle of the Books are ... http://ow.ly/sCtGb via @bkshelvesofdoom
Stacked: Reality TV and Documentaries: A YA Book List http://ow.ly/sAu6L #yalit @catagator
2013 “Best of” Lists – The Numbers | The Hub @yalsa http://ow.ly/syfSB #yalit via @CBCBook
Just wow | 2014 YA Fiction Preview: 60 #yalit Titles for Your January – June Radar | @catagator @bookriot http://ow.ly/svrXl
Cybils
Interesting reading for anyone who judges books: A Few Thoughts on Being a #Cybils Judge from @aquafortis http://ow.ly/sFnDY
At Stacked: A Cybils Retrospective from SFF judge Kimberly http://ow.ly/sCutK #yalit
January Armchair #Cybils Round-Up from @alibrarymama http://ow.ly/sCtvz
Growing Bookworms
Using Music and Songs to Improve #Literacy from @TrevorHCairney http://ow.ly/sAtXD
A Worthy Goal: 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten | First Steps | @sljournal http://ow.ly/sFicL #GrowingBookworms #literacy
Ten Ways to Raise Writers by @JulieFalatko @nerdybookclub http://ow.ly/svrcb #literacy
#Kidlit that promotes Fun with Words - Reading with Kids @readingtub http://ow.ly/svqgO #literacy
Saying Yes to letting kids read what they want to read by Jenny Rich @jdrich219 @NerdyBookClub http://ow.ly/ssZww
Tips for helping your child to become a successful reader from The Bottom Shelf blog http://ow.ly/sFiR0 via @librareanne #literacy
Kidlitosphere
Nice resource: There's a new Weekly Round-Up of #KidLit Reviews + Posts at @MDBookReviews http://ow.ly/svqB5 via @charlotteslib
Books and Authors
Local Bay Area author Tim Myers interviewed by Susan Davis on "The Better Part" about what makes #kidlit powerful http://ow.ly/sFlak
I loved Children of Morrow, and enjoyed this look at science fiction by H.M. Hoover at Views From the Tesseract http://ow.ly/svsbH
Parenting
I am just speechless. Smart PJs that use iPhone to read bedtime stoires – A Dumb Idea | @tashrow Waking Brain Cells http://ow.ly/str0q
Programs and Research
Engaging with Ebooks Can Aid Children’s #Literacy, Study Finds, reports @ShiftTheDigital http://ow.ly/sFhXe @sljournal
Tablets Make It Nearly Impossible for Kids to Get Lost in a Story - Asi Sharabi - @TheAtlantic http://ow.ly/st1Cr via @LaurelSnyder
Schools and Libraries
Thoughts on egotism vs self worth, and why youth librarians should support one another, from @himissjulie http://ow.ly/sCuZd
Some options for Libraries that want to hand out comics for Free Comic Book Day (May 3), shared @bkshelvesofdoom http://ow.ly/sFmk0
Makes sense to me: The Most Critical Skill for Being an Effective Educator is empathy | @ReadByExample http://ow.ly/st01U
"Would my students still read if I didn’t do this? Some, but not nearly as many" says Lisa Kanute, guest @KirbyLarson http://ow.ly/sFmtT
© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/6/2013
More free comics are being given away than ever before! Diamond has announced that 4.6 million free comics were ordered for this year’s Free Comic Book Day, to be held Saturday, May 4th. That’s up from 3,500,000 in 2012 and 2,700,000 in 2011.
A record 2000 retailers are participating this year. The timing the day after Iron Man 3′s opening is seen as propitious and the offerings include a range of popular fare from the Walking Dead to the Simpsons.
If you’re looking for where to bag your swag, The FCBD site includes a new comics shop locator to find participating retailers.
It’s worth remembers that FCBD, which practically qualifies as a holiday, was largely spearheaded by retailer Joe Field over a decade ago, when comics were at a low ebb. Although some wonder if it is still necessary, the press storm, social media buzz and personal excitement would sem to indicate that it’s still a valuable marketing tool.
By: Mark Miller,
on 5/1/2012
You can, on twitter. @AuthorMark - https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorMark
I want to be followed, except for that one guy that is literally following me. Stop it. Seriously, stop.
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By: Little Willow,
on 5/7/2011
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!
If you 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!
We've spotlighted and discussed graphic novels here at readergirlz before. Check out our July 2009 issue, when we featured The Plain Janes, written by Cecil Castellucci with art by Jim Rugg. We launched a project called Art Saves and received unique artistic contributions from folks around the work. Check out their collages, photographs, and sketches in the July 2009 issue of readergirlz.
Which comic did you pick up for Free Comic Book Day? Leave a comment below to let us know!
By: Kimberly Pauley,
on 5/7/2011
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 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. For more of my thoughts on movies and book-to-movie adaptations, click here to jump to my blog.
By: Shannon Zigmund, Marketing Manager,
on 4/30/2010
May 1st is FREE Comic Book Day! Comic book shops all across the United States will be giving away comic books to anyone who comes into their stores. What a great day!
We all know kids love comic books and graphic novels. Here are some reasons for you to love them as much as they do!
"The average comic book introduces children to nearly twice as many words as the average children's book and five times as many as the average child-adult conversation." Journal of Child Language
" . . . middle school boys who did more comic book reading also read more in general, read more books and reported that they liked reading better than those who did less comic book reading." Steven Krashen
A 1992 study of more than 200,000 students from 32 countries revealed that Finland, the nation with the highest proportion of comic book-reading students (nearly 60%) also has the highest literacy rate (99%) as well as the highest library usage. www.flyingcolorscomics.com
By: Beth,
on 4/29/2010
Just a quick note from your, of late, comics obsessed blogger, that the eighth annual Free Comic Book Day is taking place this Saturday May 1st.
Free Comic Book Day offers publishers a chance to give comic readers a taste of new material, and to remind them of all of the great stories comic book shops have to offer. Readers get to pick up special compilations and titles made specifically for the day. Publisher’s Weekly says this about it.
Here’s a review of the titles that will be available. I’m excited because Oni Press, publisher of such things as Scott Pilgrim, will have an offering available. There also looks like there are various things that are either geared toward teens, or that teens would gravitate to and enjoy.
So why am I blogging this on a library blog? Don’t we give our patrons free comics every day? Well, yeah, but I think we should be supportive of anything that is raising awareness and excitement about reading and great storytelling.
What else could we do? Libraries could partner with their favorite comics shops for the occasion and prominently point the way with a poster and a recommendation. (If you’re in Massachusetts, I will here declare that I like to buy comics at Modern Myths in Northampton) Or celebrate the fact that we do offer free comics every day with a graphic novel display or a panel discussion or a manga drawing workshop.
Short notice for this year? Yes, it probably is. But keep it in mind for next year and tell your teens to head for the comic shop this Saturday!
By: Darth Corder,
on 3/30/2010
Well all out there in "The Land of Blog," I guess you have heard the bad news about the Library System, a bunch of people were laid off, but the good news is that at least for the next couple of months all libraries will remain open. It's looking like my last day will be April 1. I just want you all to know how much I have enjoyed my time employed with this Library System and working on this blog. You all are the best and I hope you have found some good reads here along with having a few laughs. I want you all to carry on and help Mr. Carl with this great "Boys Rule Boys Read" Blog. I'm sure I speak for Zack in that we will be continue to follow the blog and post reviews in the future (we will just be members of the general public).
Okay, now for some happy stuff.
On May 1 a brand new Comic Book Store will be opening in Charlotte called "Spandex City" (after all many superheroes wear spandex costumes). This is also Free Comic Book Day and Michael, who owns the store and is a super nice guy, will be contributing 10% of all Opening Day sales to The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library System. So be a hero for a day and have a good time by dropping by the store. I know I will be. The web site for the store is www.spandexcity.com.
Now a word of endorsement from a well known Superhero!!!!!
May 1st Grand Opening Endorsement from Green Lantern!!!!!!
Be there or be square!!!!!!!!
Now for my last official book review and boy is it a good one:
The Last Apprentice: Revenge of The Witch by Joseph Delaney -
By: Darth Corder,
on 5/1/2009
Hello all in the Land of Blog. Tis I again Darth Bill with important news!!!! Tomorrow, Saturday May 2 is Free Comic Book Day!!!!! So if you know where your local comic book store is be sure to go and pick up some really cool free swag. Here in Charlotte the best place to go is Heroes Arnt Hard To Find.
Click Here to go to their Web page for more information on them and Free Comic Book Day!!!!
And Now for Something Completely Different, a Book Review:
Gods of Manhattan by Scott Mebus - Imagine if you will a land and place where "History" is really alive. On the Island of Manhattan, not only are the spirits of people who once inhabited the land still around....some of the more famous have become Gods. Some of these Gods are:
Alexander Hamilton - God of Finance; Mayor of the Gods of Manhattan.
Walt Whitman - God of Optimism.
Babe Ruth - God of Heroes.
Boss Tweed - God of Rabble Politics.
Peter Stuyvesant - God of Things Were Better in the Old Days.
And Many More.....
A God exists as long as he or she is remembered. Once the person is forgotten they in essence die. This is the only way a God can die. That is until Adriaen van der Donck, God of Justice for Those Who Get None, is murdered! This is an event most strange in the hidden world of Manhattan that goes unseen by we mere mortals. That is until 13 year old Rory Hennessy's eyes are opened by a mysterious magician known as Hex at his younger sister Bridget's Birthday. He then begins to see strange sights as cockroaches riding rats, a bow caring Indian in the park, a kung fu fight between a rat and a squirrel and much more. There is something not right going on in Manhattan and the forces of good and evil are facing off with Rory and Bridget stuck right dab in the middle. Why? Read this wonderful and very cool book to find out !!!!!!!
Until next time young Jedi and Sith, To Infinity and Beyond,
Bill
By: Jessica Stockton,
on 4/29/2009
Blogging has been, and is likely to remain, sparse... as Greenlight Bookstore prep ramps up, the rest of life ain't going anywhere, and your friendly neighborhood Book Nerd is feeling a bit under the gun. I'll try to get up here once a week or so, but forgive me my semi-absence, okay?
Still, there's time for a few links.
In e-reader news:
The IndieBound iPhone app makes me long even more for that lovely little piece of hardware. Props to the ABA for rolling this out so fast! The IndieBound app means that you can use the iPhone to find bookstores and other indie shops, search books, buy books online -- along with reading books and emailing and making calls (and, as I learned at a delicious early summer barbecue this weekend, mapping the stars... )
In the meantime, not only does your Kindle become a brick if you lose your Amazon account, but rumors persist that Apple is coming out with a more book-friendly device. E-reader enthusiasts, start your engines!
In comics news:
This Saturday, May 2, is Free Comic Book Day! Find yourself a local comic shop (there's a great locator tool on the FCBD website) and get yourself some free comics action. And buy something while you're there, why don't ya? (When, by the way, are bookstores going to instigate Free Galley Day? How about it, book industry?)
If you happen to be in my part of the world, you've got some pretty awesome options: Rocketship is hosting a signing by Wolverine writer Fred Van Lente (along with giving away a new comic about the spiky-knuckled guy), and Bergen Street Comics is hosting a showing of original art from act_i_vate.com ("where every day is free comics day!")
And, while I'm hoping to have time to stop in to one or both of these stores, I'll be spending most of my day at another venue for comics love: the PEN World Voices Festival. At Cooper Union on Saturday, McNally Jackson will be selling books for events with Neil Gaiman, Emmanuel Guibert, David Polonsky, Shaun Tan, Jonathan Ames, Yoshihiro Tatsumi, and Adrian Tomine. And of course, the Festival hosts wonderful literary events happening all week long.
It's a good week for books! Happy reading!
By: Darth Corder,
on 4/16/2009
Hi all,
Well Jay Piscopo was here in Charlotte last week, Monday and Tuesday, visiting different branches of the PLCMC Library System. I hope some of you reading this got the chance to see him, the Drawing Workshop he put on was awesome!!!!!!!! If you did miss him, he will be coming back down in June for Heroes Con (for more information on that click HERE). While he was here in addition to the Drawing Workshop he also talked about "The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli"and signed free Capt'n Eli Comics that he was so generous in giving to the guys and girls who attended his visits. I know for a fact that he is hard at work on the third Capt'n Eli GN and I can't wait till it comes out!!!! Here are some photos from his visit: 
Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James Swanson - This was a really great read (just goes to show as Carl says non-fiction books can be great). On April 14, 1865 while attending a play at Ford's Theater, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of The United States of America, was shot and mortally wounded by the actor and confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth. Do you know the whole story of how one of America's greatest Presidents was assassinated and his killer hunted down? Did you know that John Wilkes Booth was part of a larger conspiracy to eliminate many important political leaders of The United States of America? Do you know where Booth and his fellow assassins fled and how they where eventually caught? This is a great book that will suck you in and having you turning page after page to see how all this happened and the repercussions of this tragic event. Two Thumbs Up!!!!!!!!
Ed's Terrestrials by Scott Sava and Diego Jourdan - This is a very funny Graphic Novel about a boy named Ed and some aliens he meets named Marcello, Al and Gus who have escaped from the Planet known as The Intergalactic Food Court (a planet that sells nothing but food for Space Travelers) on which they were slaves. He finds these aliens living in his Treehouse, which they have converted so they can help other aliens living on The Intergalactic Food Court escape. What Ed and his new friends don't know is that the most feared and ruthless Mall Cop in the galaxy, Maximus Obliterus, is hot on their trail with some help from Ed's classmate the rich, spoiled rotten Natalie (who has determined she wants to own at least one of Ed's new alien friends). This Graphic Novel was a fun read with excellent illustrations. It has definitely interested me into checking into more of these guys work.
By: Darth Corder,
on 5/1/2008
Mail Order Ninja Volume 2: Timmy Strikes Back! by Joshua Elder & Erich Owen - In the first volume of this graphic novel series, Timmy acquired his very own personal Ninja by ordering him through the mail. He acquired the noble and kick-butt Ninja Yoshida Jiro. Under the watchful eye of Jiro, all in Timmy's world has become so much better (even elementary school). Unfortunately in this volume, one of the ex-popular people at school, Felicity Huntington, has sent off for a Mail Order Ninja of her own; the dreaded Hakuryuu Nobunaga! With her own Evil Ninja in hand and the power of the mystic jewel "The Heart of Darkness," she defeats Timmy and Jiro and takes over the entire town. Are Ninja Jiro and his new love interest, the teacher Ms. Melton, in danger of losing their lives????? Will Timmy be able to put together a resistance movement to rescue the two and depose the Evil Felicity and Ninja Huntington?????? This graphic novel is a hilarious and a fun read. I recommend it and it's proceeding Volume 1!!!!!
Cool Comics: Creating Fun and Fascinating Collections by Pam Price - Well if you didn't know by now, I'll let out another of my little secrets. I love comics and buy more than a fair share at the greatest Comic Book Store in the world "HEROES AREN'T HARD TO FIND" right here in Charlotte. If you want to know more about them check out there Website at http://www.heroesonline.com/about.html. Also, if you didn't know, this Saturday is Free Comic Book Day. So if you want to pick up some tasty free titles along with meeting some very cool comic writers and artists, check it out. I know I will be there bright and early!!!!!! For more information go to the "HEROES AREN'T HARD TO FIND" Website!!!! Man I love that place. Wait a minute, I was supposed to be reviewing a book, wasn't I? Ah yes, this book is great in that it talks about all the stuff that makes collecting comics a fun and awesome hobby. It goes into the history of comics, the fun of collecting, deciding what to collect (basically what comics you enjoy), information on comic writers and artists, pricing and the grading of comics you may want to acquire, buying comics through many different venues, original art work, action figures and, lastly, organization and storage suggestions. If you love comics, you will like this book. Give it a try. Also, if Spider-Man fought Batman, who do you think would win?
By: Jessica Stockton,
on 4/21/2008
I was at the New York Comic Con on Friday (hence my lack of posting), to appear on a panel on "Helping Bookstores Buy and Shelve Comics for KIDS". Since it was industry-only hours, there were about as many folks on the panel as in the audience, and I probably learned more from my fellow panelists than I really contributed. Still, it was a good conversation... and it meant I got a nice speaker badge so I could wander the floor of Comic Con for free. It was still a bit too early for the Storm Troopers and Power Girls to be strutting their stuff, so I had a much milder experience than last year. But still, I:
-got an awesome slap bracelet from Ari at Del Rey Manga
-caught up with the incomparable Gina Gagliano at First Second
-talked with the Oni Press guys about the trade edition of Local by Brian Wood
-picked up a catalog with action figures from The Warriors
-got some cool buttons from the DC Comics booth
-experience a little bit of sensory overload -- practice for BEA!
- did not see con coordinator extraordinaire Lance Fensterman -- luckily he posed on his blog...
Despite the always grueling walk to and from the Javitz Center, it was a good day.
Being there also reminded me of another cool day coming up: Free Comic Book Day! Saturday, May 3, at a comic shop near you, they'll be handing out grab bags of free issues, so you can read more of your favorites and discover something new. As I mentioned two years ago -- I think bookstores should do this too. What about Galley Giveaway Day?
Ann Kingman over at Books on the Nightstand has another idea for bookstores taken from another industry. Friday the 19th, I've just learned, was also Record Store Day: a collective day of celebration and consciousness-raising for independent record stores, with performances, sales, signings, and other promos. The New York Times had an article on the phenomenon -- see if any of this sounds familiar:
“Record stores as we know them are dying,” said Josh Madell of Other Music. “On the other hand, there is still a space in the culture for what a record store does, being a hub of the music community and a place to find out about new music.”...
[Regina] Spektor, who started off selling homemade CDs and is now signed to a major label, Sire, said that independent stores had been the first to carry her music, and that their support helped her career take off. And though she said she now feels contrite that for years her music collection was made up mainly of items copied from friends — “I just had no money” — she is supporting the stores out of gratitude.“I’m the record label-slash-store nightmare,” Ms. Spektor said. “Everything I had was a mixtape or a burned CD. But I don’t like the idea of all the record stores where people actually know what they’re talking about going out of business. They have their own art form.”...
Although many have been shuttered, more than 2,400 independent shops still exist around the country.... Products that aren’t fundamentally made up of ones and zeros — vinyl records, for instance, which have a habit of turning casual fans into collectors — have proved a salvation for many retailers."
It really is the near excellent blend of fullness and balance which translates incredibly effectively for
movies and entertaining games in distinct.
Who is it that writes this title, again? It seems to get a lot of coverage without mentioning the artists involved.