MAN OF STEEL DAY is on WEDNESDAY!!!

UPDATE (6/13/2013):  I had a fun trip with my kids to enjoy MAN OF STEEL DAY at the local comic book store.  We picked up the FREE Superman comic book and some other movie swag plus bought the new Superman Unchained comic and Star Wars #6 for me and an Ice Age one for my son and a My Little Pony for my daughter.  Than we read our comics while enjoying some Superman Ice Cream on the back porch. 

ORIGINAL POST:

Stop by your local comic book store this Wednesday (June 12, 2013) and you can pick up a FREE Superman issue!  To promote the release of the new Superman movie that opens at theaters next weekend, DC Entertainment has declared June 12 as MAN OF STEEL DAY.

People who stop by participating retailers on June 12^th will receive a complimentary comic book; ALL STAR SUPERMAN #1 SPECIAL EDITION by Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly.   The free comic promotion is provided through the generous sponsorship of SEARS.  In addition to the FREE comic book, Warner Brothers will be providing promotional posters and bags for the movie to encourage people to hit theaters starting on Friday to see the new MAN OF STEEL film.  Some comic book stores will also be holding other promotional tie-ins and contests to reward fans who stop in on Wednesday for MAN OF STEEL DAY.  

For those readers who don’t normally frequent comic book shops, Wednesdays are the day of the week when retailers stock new issues on their shelves.  June 12 will feature a brand new Superman title hitting shelves for sale as DC debuts a new series called SUPERMAN UNCHAINED by bestselling comic creators Jim Lee and Scott Snyder.  In addition to SUPERMAN UNCHAINED having extra value in being the very first issue in a new series, the comic will also have a bonus two-sided poster (11”x18”) that can be easily removed for display.

Can’t make it to the comic book store on Wednesday? DC Entertainment has also teamed up with SEARS to make ALL STAR SUPERMAN #1 SPECIAL EDITION available for FREE via online outlets such as  Comixology, iBook/iTunes, and Kindle).  Additionally, they will be having a .99 cent per issue MAN OF STEEL DAY sale making hundreds of Superman comics available all day on these online platforms at this special reduced pricing.

If you can’t wait until Wednesday, here’s a little secret for you … you can download ALL STAR SUPERMAN #1 SPECIAL EDITION as of today (June 9) on the DC Comics web portal for FREE:   http://www.readdcentertainment.com/free-comicsor Comixology! I just downloaded it on Comixology right before posting this blog entry.  Beware there it is also posted at its regular price of on the digital store at $1.99 so you have to look for the FREE version. It also appears to still be $1.99 on iTunes and Kindle right now so if you utilize those platforms you may have to wait a few more days to download it.  The ALL STAR SUPERMAN series focuses on the classic aspects of the Superman mythos starting with his daring rescue of a doomed group of astronauts on the surface of the sun.  All the solar radiation affects Superman in a way no one would have predicted-well no one that is except for Lex Luthor!  ALL STAR SUPERMAN is an award-winning twelve-issue series and this FREE comic is the first one in the story arc.  If you like the first issue, but may not want to buy the rest of the issues, here’s a hint for you too: they made the series into an animated movie and you can stream it on Netflix.  I haven’t seen it yet but have added it to my Instant Queue to watch it online.  Note it is rated PG and recommended for a viewing audience of 12+ - also some of the reviews note that while it is a nice film to watch it is missing some elements from the comic books and not as good as actually reading the print series.

This week should be a great time to be a Superman fan! Enjoy MAN OF STEEL DAY on June 12^thand the movie starting on June 14^th.  I’ve picked up some Superman Ice Cream (peanut allergy safe – that was a superman task in itself) and will be enjoying that with my kids before we take a trip to the local comic book store. So we’re making a fun day out of the whole promotion!  If you have younger kids like me you may also want to check with your local library to see if they are hosting an event on Saturday, June 15.  1,000 libraries across the country will be hosting MAN OF STEEL events courtesy of Random House Publishing.  Children (note the word children) will receive FREE buttons, book marks, and Superman comic books at these library events.

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FREE COMIC BOOK DAY: A GOOD DAY TO BE A KID & A KID AT HEART

My son & I had a nice father and son bonding morning on Saturday May 4 as we threw on our Spider Man t-shirts and took a trip to the local comic book store for FREE COMIC BOOK DAY.  Free Comic Book Day is a special event that takes place each year on the first Saturday in the month of May when comic book retailers give out issues to anyone who comes into their shops absolutely for FREE.  This year there were 52 Free Comic Book Day issues to choose from with titles ranging from Superman to Sesame Street that would appeal to everyone from preschool children like my son and daughter to a 40 year old geeky dad like me. 

A big part of the fun of the day was interacting with a wide range of people in line waiting for a chance to grab a bunch of free comic books.  If you enjoy people watching this was the place to be!  There was a very nice lady who stood in line next to us that told us the whole history of the X-Men characters while I tried not to stare out the HUGE butterfly tattoo inked across her cleavage that was very visible due to her very low cut blouse; a group of bikers clad in riding leather that looked like they could have been from the cast of the History Channel’s VIKINGS who of all things were discussing what they liked and didn’t like about that show; guys dressed up as storm troopers from the local 501^st Garrison who everyone wanted to get a picture with; a group of kids wearing their karate uniforms and practicing their moves on the sidewalk after just getting out of their class from the studio that was next door to the comic store; and we can’t forget the friendly little girl in the Wonder Woman costume who came up to my little boy to tell him she loved his Spidey shirt and struck up a conversation with him about which tv show was better on the Disney Channel: Doc McStuffins or Sophia the First. We were having a blast just hanging out in line talking about super heroes and villains with people who were die hard comic book fans as well as parents who had never read a comic but brought their kids up to enjoy the promotion.  My wife and daughter really missed out when they decided to go shopping rather than join us guys on our excursion.

The fun continued as we gawked at all the comics we had to choose from when we reached the front of the line.  The comic store we were at allowed each person to take 10 issues…which is pretty generous as I’ve heard some retailers limit people to selecting 2 or 3 comics…and we had to go through to pick and choose from all the ones available.  We grabbed Disney Fairies and StrawberryShortcake for my daughter.  My son chose Batman& the Teen Titans, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Smurfs, and Teenage Mutant NinjaTurtles.  I picked up for myself TheWalking Dead, Star Wars, Buck Rogers, Prince Valiant, and The Tick.  We also picked up Mouse Guard, the SteamEngines of OZ, and World of Archie Digest for the whole family to enjoy together.

After grabbing a treasure trove of comics we stopped to get some Superman ice cream on the way home.  Than we enjoyed a few hours of just sitting back relaxing and enjoying our haul of goodies.  Free Comic Book Day has two goals, first to reward loyal customers with a fun event that will encourage their continued business and second, to entice new readers to enjoy reading comic books and get them to buy the publishers’ products in the future.  They accomplished their goal when it came to our family!  My kids can’t read yet, but they’ve been going through the artwork in their books over and over again and have been asking me to read the stories to them.  I have a feeling they are going to be future customers!  I am a regular consumer of Star Wars and The Walking Dead comics so they built up some additional brand loyalty with this customer who is going to keep buying these publications by providing me a nice Darth Vader story to read and an exclusive Tyreese comicfor my collection this year.  Plus, I was very impressed with the preview of the new comic Steam Engines of OZ which had great artwork and a nicely written dramatic and suspenseful story, so Archana Comics most likely picked up a new customer through their FREE COMIC BOOK DAY issue.  Steam Engines of OZ is set 100 years after Dorothy’s visit in the Wizard of Oz where the Tin Man rules the Emerald City and the “Wicked” Witch of the North is trying to save the land from his dictatorship with the story portrayed in the steam punk genre.   My interest was peeked after reading the first issue of this new series.

If you haven’t enjoyed FREE COMIC BOOK DAY, I highly encourage you to check it out next year.  For more information, visit www.freecomicbookday.com

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Free Comic Book Day has lots of offering this year for the youngsters in your house

The first Saturday in May is one of the favorite days of the year in our house … it’s FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!!!  While you may think this event is aimed to cater only to teens and adults, it actually has a very large array of giveaways aimed at preschool to elementary school aged children.  I took my children last year to a local comic book store for the event when they were only 3 years old and we picked up a lot of great age appropriate stuff that they could flip through on their own to enjoy the artwork or I could enjoy spending some time reading to them.  Some of the titles we picked up last year were The Smurfs, Yo Gabba Gabba , Disney’s TinkerBell, and Sonic the Hedgehog.  

The kids are 4 years old this year learning the alphabet and their letters but still can’t read.  Nothing less we’ll be going to Warp 9 Comics on Saturday, May 4, 2013 to pick up some more titles that we can enjoy together as a family and can be fun tools to encourage an appreciation of artwork and reading with our children.   Hey and you can’t beat the price … FREE!!!!  

Here’s a list of a few of the comic books that will be available this year that are focused to a preschool to elementary school age audience:

SESAME STREET & STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE 

On side one, Elmo, Cookie Monster, The Count and Super Grover teach you about the magic of reading comics! It's GUARANTEED to chase the clouds away!

On side two, join Strawberry Shortcake and friends on 3 berry sweet adventures!

Includes "The Blue Flu", "The Hunt for Blackberry's Treasure", and "Blueberry's Book Tour".

It's a bushel of fun! 

CLICK HERE for a preview

THE SMURFS 

THE SMURFS return to Free Comic Book Day with two stories never-before-seen in the US! Gargamel has tormented the Smurfs time and time again, always vowing his revenge on the small creatures. But what happens when he is forced to tangle with someone bigger than him- a nasty Ogre? Will the Smurfs let the Ogre destroy Gargamel, or will they decide to help their oldest foe?  Find out in "The Ogre and the Smurfs"! 

CLICK HERE for a preview

DISNEY FAIRIES: TINKER BELL

Papercutz presents DISNEY FAIRIES featuring Tinker Bell, along with comics from the new hit series, STARDOLL! There's only one fairy in Pixie Hollow who can't fly- Water-Talent Fairy, Rani. Why doesn't Rani have wings? Was she always this way? Find out in "Tinker Bell and the Wings of Rani".

CLICK HERE for a preview

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG

"Worlds Collide: PRELUDE" - It's TWO free comic books in ONE! Just in time for the start of the epic Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man crossover event, "Worlds Collide," comes a primer issue exclusively for Free Comic Book Day! Witness the journey these two epic heroes from both Sega and Capcom took to finally meet each other - Mega Man's journey chronicled on one side, and Sonic the Hedgehog's on the other! This is the must-have primer for the biggest comic book event of 2013 - as video game icons Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man meet for the very first time anywhere - featuring art from both Sonic and Mega Man comic book fame! 

CLICK HERE for a preview

NFL RUSH ZONE

 A referee's flag is corrupted by the power.  The Guardians must arrive at the Bengals-Titans game and get that flag before the referee throws it, bringing it to life.  And the villainous Coach Carnage is on the recruit for his interstellar team "The Visitors," and it's up to the Guardians, with the help of previous draft picks, to stop him from ruining the draft and taking this year's recruiting class.

CLICK HERE for a preview

PIPPI LONG STOCKINGS

Drawn & Quarterly offers a second FCBD title for the first time this year and it will feature one of the world's most beloved and popular characters, Pippi Longstocking! The Pippi Longstocking Color Special will offer a sneak peak at the brand new Pippi Longstocking title that D+Q will publish in May 2013 to coincide with FCBD. Pippi Longstocking was created by Astrid Lindgren and has developed a dedicated fan base of both children and adults for over six decades. The comics presented here were originally published in Swedish in the 1950s and are now being presented for the first time ever in English. This will be the perfect All Ages comic book, ideal for developing a new readership of kids in the 6 to 10 age set. 

CLICK HERE for a preview

 KABOOM! COMICS

An explosion of All-Ages awesomeness from KaBOOM! this Free Comic Book Day! Sure to be one of the most popular offerings this Free Comic Book Day, the KaBOOM! Summer Blast is 48 pages chock-full of the most popular all-ages comics on the stands today! Featuring excerpts from Adventure Time, Peanuts, Regular Show, Bravest Warriors, Garfield, Ice Age and some brand-new surprises

CLICK HERE for a preview

Don't know where to go to find a comic shop participating in FREE COMIC BOOK DAY? No problem, just go to this link, enter your zip code, and viola you will be provided with the information you need:  http://www.freecomicbookday.com/StoreLocator

On a finale note WOLVERINE ( aka Hugh Jackman ) wants you to go ... watch this video message and make sure you take advantage of this great event:

MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU

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