Thursday, April 30, 2015

MARVEL's The Avengers: Age of Ultron Twitter Party - Friday, May 1, 2015 ( 1 to 2pm EST )

Avengers Assemble! Join A GEEK DADDY BLOG on Friday, May 1, 2015 @ 1pm EST as we co-host with SoFab Chats a Twitter Party celebrating the theatrical release of MARVEL's The Avengers: Age of Ultron.  We'll be giving out $500+ in gift cards while talking about the new movie, discussing who our favorite Avengers are, and exploring Walmart's new Super Heroes Assemble augmented reality app.

To participate RSVP with SoFab Chats and use the hashtag #AvengersUniteSweeps on Twitter between 1 and 2 pm EST.  Please follow @Geekdad248, @KellysLuckyYou, @blm03, @MudpiesandTiara during the party on Twitter.  To be eligible for prizes you must RSVP and participate in the party replying to questions from the hosts using the hashtag #AvengersUnitedSweeps.  Join in on the fun, it should be a smashing good time!


I have been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser to serve as a co-host and promote the #AvengersUnitedSweeps Twitter Party.

Football Video Game Coaches Players On Being Financially Savvy


With today being the last day of Financial Literacy Month and the first day of the NFL Draft, I thought it would be a good time to give a shout out to Visa's FINANCIAL FOOTBALL game which uses the sport to help make kids financially savvy.  Created in partnership between the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, Visa's Practical Money Skill's for Life program, and the NFL this video game lets children, teens, and adults test their money management skills by answering questions that allow you to move down the field and score touchdowns when you make the correct choices.

Available to play online via your personal computer or laptop, Financial Football puts players fiscal knowledge to the test in an online simulation game environment by combining the structure and rules of the NFL with financial education questions of varying difficulty. Visa has also released the game as a free iPhone app on iTunes, along with an optimized HD iPad version.  The game can be played in single player mode or against a friend in head-to-head action.

To start the game you can pick its length ranging from 5 minutes to 20 minutes plus select which NFL team you want to play as.  Difficulty settings are also available with Rookie (Ages 11 -14), Pro (Ages 14-18) and Hall of Fame (18+) to choose from.  Players are than able to select defensive and offensive plays with difficulty levels of easy, medium and hard which are followed up with questions about financial literacy and money management that correspond to the selected play's difficulty.

 
If on offense and you get your question right you than your team is successful with their play, but if you get the question wrong than your QB will get sacked, your running back hit for a loss, or a wide receiver drops the ball.  The harder the successfully completed question the better your players do so an easy question might get you one or two yards, a medium question 5 yards and a hard question could get you ten yards or maybe even a break away touchdown.

 
Defense also provides an opportunity for players to answer questions.  Get it wrong and the opposing team will do great but get it right and you could hit them for a loss or sack.

 
This game takes a topic that can be boring and mundane for many kids and adults and adds some excitement to it that will help ingrain important tips and information into people's heads as their competitive instincts get them involved with this game.  As a parent, I'm always keeping an eye out for opportunities that combine entertainment and education to assist getting kids to embrace learning.  Financial Football is a great way to catch children and teens' interest and help them become financially savvy.

For more information about the FINANCIAL FOOTBALL video game, CLICK HERE.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Digital Media Academy Offers Summer Camps To Keep Kids Productive Over The School Break

 ** This is a U.S. Family Guide Sponsored Post that I have been compensated for.  Any claim, representation, statistic, quote or other representation should be verified with the service provider, Digital Media Academy **


It is that time of year when the end of school days is quickly approaching and parents need to start thinking of what their plans for the kids will be during the summer break.  If you want to make sure your children have a productive summer check out the Digital Media Academy (DMA) which has programs aimed at tech savvy youth that will interest them and build their skill sets at the same time. Kids and teens learn computer programming, app development, 3D modeling, robotics, graphic design, film-making, and much more. DMA summer camps are one or multiple week experiences taught by industry experts and tech professionals. Campers get hands-on experience creating projects using the latest hardware and software from Apple, Canon, Adobe, and more.  To help inspire future women computer programers, scientists, and engineers, DMA is also introducing a new program this summer, Made by Girls, dedicated to empowering girls and closing the gender gap in the tech industry.


The DMA Experience from Digital Media Academy on Vimeo.

From talking with my teen aged niece and nephew, I know that designing and making money from creating apps is something all the kids are into right now.  Participating in the DMA summer camps can really help a kid get the skill set to put them on the right track to making their own apps. You can't beat an opportunity that lets your kids have fun while learning skills that could help them get into a career field they are interested in.

A Geek Daddy Blog readers can save $75 off summer camps at DMA with code TECHSUMMER at www.DigitalMediaAcademy.org. Sign up for multiple weeks and save big! Campers save $125 for each additional course they register for. Register by May 31,2015 to #CreateTheNext best-selling app this summer!


Founded at Stanford University, DMA is ranked as one of the ten best summer camps in the world.  Give your teen a pre-collegiate experience or build a child's confidence through project-based learning. Learn at some of the most prestigious colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada. Questions? Call 1(866)656-3342 to speak with a Guest Service Representative or email info@digitalmediaacademy.org and mention this US Family Guide Special Offer.


DMA Summer Camps are held at college campuses across the United States. For example, in my home state of Michigan DMA is hosting its camp at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. They also have programs at Northwestern University in Illinois, Harvard University in Massachusetts, Stanford and UCLA in California, and Rice University in Texas among other locations. Programs are specifically designed for children 6 - 12 or teens 13 - 17 in nine digital media specialties ranging from Programming & App Development to Robotics & Engineering.


For more information visit: DigitalMediaAcademy.org

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Free Comic Book Day is Saturday, May 2, 2015


One of my favorite days of the year is the first Saturday in May which is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY.  This year there are 50 free publications being given out with something for everyone in the family ranging from early readers (All Ages)  to teens (Teen+) to adults (Mature) to pick up at a participating comic book store.  CLICK HERE to find a participating location near you.




To help encourage new customers to visit their stores and to reward existing ones for their loyalty, Free Comic Book Day provides a selection of comic books that provide a sample of a publishers work or an interesting one-shot story to promote a particular character or series.  While all of these comic books are absolutely FREE, each retailer normally has their own guidelines for the event. While I always enjoy taking my kids to this event to pick up some fun comics for them to enjoy, I have to admit there are always a few things each year I pick up for myself as well.  Here's a few items that will be available on May 2 that those of us in the 18+ age category can enjoy and that I'll be looking to grab for myself.

NEW ENGLAND COMICS - THE TICK - RATED: ALL AGES


THE TICK returns for FCBD 2015 with 32 pages of FULL-COLOR comic book fun! In the ALL-NEW lead story, The Tick & Arthur's apartment is haunted by a ghost from The Tick's mysterious past---an entity who claims to be The Tick's FIRST sidekick and it won't rest in peace until... well, we can't give everything away! Plus more full-color story fun featuring The Tick! Great for fans new and old!

DARK HORSE - FIGHT CLUB - RATED:  MATURE READERS



Dark Horse Comic's most thrilling FCBD to date . . . Chuck Palahniuk and Cameron Stewart premiere Fight Club! Eric Powell with all-new tragedy in The Goon! And Guillermo del Toro presents an all-new chapter from The Strain! Need we say more?

TITAN - DOCTOR WHO - RATED: TEEN+


Take a blistering trip through time and space with three stunning ALL-NEW short stories featuring Tenth Doctor, Eleventh Doctor and the brand-new Twelfth Doctor by the ongoing DOCTOR WHO creative teams - PLUS a sneak peek of the TOP SECRET Summer 2015 event! Be the first to get a hint of the epic that will shake the Doctor to his core! It's an unmissable read for fans, and the perfect primer for anyone looking to jump on board the TARDIS!

COMIXTRIBE - AND THEN EMILY WAS GONE - RATED: MATURE READERS


A chilling prelude to the cult horror sensation, And Then Emily Was Gone!  Bonnie Shaw is a terrifying creature of Scottish folklore who would grant parents their hearts' desire... in exchange for their child.  Young Billy McTaggart has nothing to fear from Ol' Bonnie, as his mother and father love him, don't they?  DON'T THEY?! Featuring a cover by superstar artist Ryan Stegman

HERMES PRESS - THE PHANTOM - RATED: ALL AGES


The Phantom, the grand-daddy of costumed heroes celebrates Free Comic Book Day 2015 with a volume showcasing stories by some of the greatest artists to ever create tales for this ground-breaking title featuring The Ghost Who Walks.  This 32 page book will feature work from the Gold Key and King Phantom comics created by Bill Lignante; from the Charlton Phantom comics created by Jim Aparo and Don Newton and will offer samples of the newest Phantom story created by Peter David and Sal Velluto. Hermes Press' Phantom FDBD issue will also offer bonus material and tons of surprises!

 LEGENDARY COMICS - COMIC BOOK SAMPLER - RATED: TEEN+



Working with industry-leading talent such as Grant Morrison, Frazer Irving, Matt Wagner, Simon Bisley, Judd Winick, Geoff Shaw, Jonathan Hennessey and Shane Davis, we've created an ever-growing library of thrilling sagas including Annihilator, Epochalypse, A Town Called Dragon, The Harvester, The Tower Chronicles: DreadStalker and more, alongside cinematic tie-ins such as Godzilla: Awakeningand the best-selling Pacific Rim: Tales from Year Zero.

DARK CIRCLE COMICS ISSUE #1 - RATED: MATURE READERS


THE BLACK HOOD! THE FOX! THE SHIELD! Get in on the ground floor of Dark Circle Comics and experience the cinematic and creator-driven reinventions of these iconic properties. Who is the new Shield? How did the Black Hood come to be? Can things get more unpredictable for The Fox? Learn the secrets of the Dark Circle universe from the creators themselves via sneak peeks at the new series, creator interviews and a first glance at the next Dark Circle series - all held together by an eye-popping cover from Afterlife with Archie artist Francesco Francavilla!

Toys-R-Us MAY THE FOURTH Star Wars Weekend Event - Free LEGO Mini Wookiee Gunship Giveaway on May 3



Swing by your local Toys-R-Us on Sunday, May 3, 2015 to build and take home a FREE Mini Wookiee Gunship LEGO toy set as the retailer celebrates the Star Wars MAY THE FOURTH Weekend.  May the Fourth used as a pun of the May the Force lines scripted in the Star Wars movies has evolved into an unofficial "Star Wars Day" where both fans and brands have lots of fun celebrating the franchise.  Since May the Fourth falls on a Monday this year, Toys-R-Us is celebrating a day early when it is easier for parents to bring their children to stores on a weekend to enjoy an event.

From Noon - 2pm on Sunday May 3, children 5 years of age and older who visit a participating Toys-R-Us will have the opportunity to build a mini LEGO Star Wars space ship and take it home with them for FREE.  Supplies of the LEGO toy kits at each store are limited to about 100 people first come, first served and even though the event is promoted for two hours if you get there and they are out then you are out of luck.  Two years ago we went up to our local Toys R Us around 1pm and it wasn't very crowded allowing my kids to have a great time putting together a Star Wars space ship and taking it home with them.  So based upon the good time we had in 2013, we went back last year and it was a pretty miserable experience.  We arrived at 12:15 and got in a long line for the event eventually approaching the build table at 12:30.  We were next in line to start building when a store employee said they were all out and the event was over.  So we watched them start taking the event display down and left empty handed a half hour into what was billed as a 2 hour event.  Even though we had a bad experience last year, we're going to go back this year to try it again because my kids love LEGOs & Star Wars plus I'm sure they would like these Wookiee Gun Ships; and when someone is giving away something for free you only have so much room to complain.  This year we're going to go a half hour before the event starts to get in line.  So my tip to you is if you go - go early!

Monday, April 27, 2015

Mission: Red Planet - Board Game Allows You to Role Play the Conquest of Mars


I've always enjoyed role playing and strategy games except for that they often take way too long to play out so I often pass on them because of time constraints.  An exception to that complaint is a great board game by Fantasy Flight Games called MISSION: RED PLANET that allows players to engage in the planetary exploration of Mars in a Victorian Steampunk universe that takes approximately 45 - 90 minutes to play out.  That's long enough to have plenty of fun but a short enough span that the game doesn't drag on too long.

In the game, you take control of mining corporations competing to occupy Mars and harvest its invaluable, newly discovered natural resources.  Players launch their astronauts into space, station them in the most profitable zones of the planet. and mine for minerals and ice, all the while cunningly undermining their competition. 



MISSION: RED PLANET was originally released in 2005, but Fantasy Flight has just announced that an updated, revised edition of the game is coming out this fall in collaboration with its original designers Bruno Faidutti and Bruno Cathala.  The new edition allows astronauts to land in a new zone, the moon Phobos, and now the Soldier can can convey astronauts from Phobos to anywhere on Mars.  Missions and Discoveries have been fine-tuned and new Action Cards join the Event deck.  The game's Victorian Steampunk aesthetic has also been refreshed with an all new graphic design for a more contemporary look. If you don't get the gist of these changes it is probably because you haven't experienced the original game yet but once you give MISSION: RED PLANET a shot you'll quickly get a grasp on the game play.  Trying to keep a family game night going once your kids have hit those teenage years? MISSION: RED PLANET is a great game for an evening of family fun!

MISSION: RED PLANET is suitable for ages 13 and older and can be played by two to six players. The updated version also will include special rules for a new two-player variant of the game. For more information, visit www.fantasyflightgames.com.

AVENGERS SAVING THE DAY - FREE DIGITAL COMIC BOOK TEACHES KIDS TO SAVE FOR THEIR FUTURE

While your kids may be anxiously awaiting the arrival of MARVEL's Avengers: Age of Ultron at movie theaters on May 1, 2015 now may be a good time to wrap up April which is Financial Literacy Month with the team of super heroes providing some help on assisting them in being money smart.  VISA's financial education program, Practical Money Skills for Life, has a FREE digital comic book featuring some of MARVEL's most popular characters that can be downloaded to help parents and teachers begin a conversation with children about being money smart and financially literate.  AVENGERS: SAVING THE DAY features Ant Man, Black Widow, Hulk, Iron Man and Thor teaming up with Spider-Man to save a bank from being robbed by The Mole Man and his evil army while also providing tips to help Spidey from overdrafting his bank account as he considers what to buy his Aunt May for her birthday.  This comic book features some nice artwork and action scenes that intertwine an entertaining super hero story with educational tips and information.

AVENGERS: SAVING THE DAY is a 16 page comic book that introduces children to concepts of budgeting, savings, and banking terms.  Spider-Man's youthfulness (remember he is only a teen / young adult in most of his portrayals) and wise cracking personality create the transitions for the comic book's author, James Asmus, to provide educational insights while keeping the publication fun and interesting for its readers.  Andrea Di Vito also contributes with providing a decent job on the artwork for AVENGERS: SAVING THE DAY that I am sure most kids will appreciate and enjoy.
This comic book was originally published in 2012 to coincide with the movie release of THE AVENGERS, but is just as fitting and relevant of a tie-in now with its sequel.


The comic book is available in eight languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Portuguese, French, Russian, and Bahasa Indonesian) and includes a budget worksheet and financial literacy terms checklist.  CLICK HERE to download AVENGERS: SAVING THE DAY.

"A wise man once said that with great power there must come great responsibility and that certainly applies to managing your finances.
In an uncertain world, understanding how to save
and properly budget your hard-earned money is one of the keys to personal success.
The Avengers are not only the world's greatest heroes, but they also know a thing or three about financial health. After all, Iron Man hasn't managed his vast wealth of Stark Enterprises by accident, and as Spider-Man learns, you don't have to be a millionaire to be a saving hero." 
-Marvel Editor Bill Rosemann
There is also an alternate version of the comic book available on the Practical Money Skills For Life website printed in Spanish and English that is essentially the same story but replaces Spider-Man with a super hero named Nova.  A teachers guide with a lesson plan can be downloaded from the website too.

Friday, April 24, 2015

Super Heroes Assemble App Lets You Turn Your Next Visit to Walmart into a MARVEL-ous Adventure

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AvengersUnite #CollectiveBias


Unleash the power of MARVEL's The Avengers through your smart phone with Walmart's Super Heroes Assemble app available on Google Play and through the App Store.  This augmented reality app lets you engage in photo ops with characters from MARVEL's The Avengers: Age of Ultron movie, explore their world from a 360 degree perspective, and even suit up to transform yourself into one of your favorite heroes like Hulk, Iron Man or Thor.  The powers of the Super Heroes Assemble app are unlocked when you use it to scan special images located on posters and products at your local Walmart store.   After downloading the app for my iPhone, my daughter and I headed to Walmart for a scavenger hunt to test out the augmented reality capabilities of Super Heroes Assemble.



Our first find was a poster in the toy department. Each of the locked powers for the app has an Avengers character associated with it that when you click on their face it shows you an image of the poster or product that needs to be scanned to make the feature accessible.  The app automatically opens your smart phone's camera so all you have to do is point your device so that the virtual image displayed on its screen overlaps with the real world one.  When we scanned this poster a giant Hulk Buster Iron Man appeared to take a photo with my lil Thor.


Searching through the aisles at Walmart we found specially marked Doritos, Dr. Pepper, Kellog's Fruit Snacks, and Cheez-It baked snack crackers products and displays with special images for us to scan.  Scanning these images as we found them around the store unlocked access to 360 degree interactive experiences, for example you can run the Mark 44 Iron Man armor through its paces and see what it is capable of through the Hulk Buster Testing Facility,  opened access to various character abilities that let you suit up as a favorite Avenger in photographs you take, and others created in-store Avengers photo ops like our picture with Hulk Buster Iron Man.


While the Photo Op feature only works specifically when you are scanning the special images, the Suit Up functions will work anytime after you have scanned the images that unlocks one of the eight featured characters which are Black Widow, Hawkeye, Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Hulk Buster Iron Man, and Ultron.  We had a lot of fun playing around with the Suit Up features around the house and at the playground after we had unlocked all the characters during our Walmart scavenger hunt.


Here's a HINT, if you can't find all the special images while at Walmart they also have them displayed online and you can scan them off the screen from the store's special MARVEL's The Avengers: Age of Ultron web site section by looking for the "unlock more epic content" banner. 


 The Walmart website also features some coloring pages you can print out for the kids to have some fun with in the MARVEL's The Avengers: Age of Ultron section including the one below.


Make your next visit to Walmart a MARVEL-ous adventure with the Super Heroes Assemble App.  Have some fun with your own scavenger hunt while you pick up all the fan essential toys, clothes and food items to get yourself ready to see MARVEL's The Avengers: Age of Ulton which arrives at movie theaters on May 1, 2015. We had some smashing good daddy-daughter time playing with this app (hey remember Avengers isn't just popular with the guys, girls are big fans too!) and I'd encourage you to check it out to avoid becoming green with envy that you missed out on the chance to suit up as one of your favorite Avengers.


So which member of the Avengers is your favorite?  Black Widow, Bruce Banner, Captain America, Hawkeye, Hulk, Iron Man, Quick Silver, Scarlet Witch, Thor, or Vision?  Iron Man has my vote while my daughter loves to role play as Thor while her twin brother pretends to be Captain America in their adventures at the park and in the backyard.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Kids Buckle Up Safety Info & Gift Card Giveaway


#KidsBuckleUp $100 Amazon Giftcard Giveaway

A GEEK DADDY Blog has joined forces with our friends at Blog­gin’ Mamas to sup­port the Ad Coun­cil and The U.S. Depart­ment of Transportation’s National High­way Traf­fic Safety Admin­is­tra­tion (NHTSA) with pro­mot­ing the Seat Belt Safety cam­paign, which asks par­ents of chil­dren ages 8–14 to make sure their kids are con­sis­tently and prop­erly wear­ing their seat belt every time they get in the car.

Parenting tweens often involves compromise. But here's one rule that should not be up for debate - the car doesn't move until everyone is wearing a seat belt.  If you say it, and if parents buckle up themselves, your tween will buckle up. And if they don't, that's a fight worth having. It just might save your child's life.

Did you know that in the United States one child passenger age 8-14 is injured every 8 minutes in a car crash?  From 2009 - 2013, 1,522 kids between the ages of 8 and 14 died in car and van crashes.  Of those who died, almost half were unbelted.  As children get older they're sometimes less likely to buckle up.  The percentage of child passengers who die while riding unrestrained generally increases with age and is most pronounced among 13 and 14 year olds regardless of their seating positing within a vehicle.

Check out this Seat Belt Safety: Battlefield Mini-Van PSA:

phone buckle

+ Visit www.safecar.gov/kidsbuckleup for more info about buckling up!

+  Learn when to transition your child out of the booster seat to a seat belt and find out how it should properly fit. http://www.safercar.gov/parents/SeatBelts/Beyond-Booster-Seats.htm;

+  Parents are the #1 influence on children’s seat belt usage: http://www.safercar.gov/parents/SeatBelts/Number-One-Influence.htm;

 ice cream buckle

The Giveaway

Prize(s): 1 win­ner will receive one (1) $100 Ama­zon Giftcard. Give­away Starts: 4/23/15 at 12:01am EST Give­away Ends: 5/7/15 at 11:59pm EST Eli­gi­ble: United States Res­i­dents ages 18+.

Enter via rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. All opinions expressed are my own. If you have any questions please email info@blogginmamas.com

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Free Comic Book Day Has Plenty To Offer Early Readers



The first Saturday in May is one of our family's favorite days of the year: FREE COMIC BOOK DAY.  This year will be the fourth year in a row now we've enjoyed going to the local comic book store and coming home with a bundle of #FREE comics for my kids to enjoy.  This year the event on May 2, 2015 is also kicking off Children's Book Week so it is has added an additional emphasis on providing kid-friendly comic books for the retailers participating in Free Comic Book Day.  We've always found a nice selection of titles being given out that were appropriate to for parents to read to preschoolers or for young readers to flip through on their own that have included in past years Sesame Street, Strawberry Shortcake, and the Smurfs among others in past years.

To help encourage new customers to visit their stores and to reward existing ones for their loyalty, Free Comic Book Day provides a selection of comic books that provide a sample of a publishers work or an interesting one-shot story to promote a particular character or series.  While all of these comic books are absolutely FREE, each retailer normally has their own guidelines for the event.  Some stores let people take one of each of the 50 specialty issues being handed out until they run out, while others place limitations on how many you can pick up.  I frequent two local establishments that each have different rules.  One of the comic stores lets you pick 3 out of the 50 then you can take another 3 if you show up in a super hero themed costume and also grab one more issue if you bring a can food item to donate to a local food bank for a possible total of 7 freebies.  The other retailer lets each person choose 4 comics from the list of Gold Sponsor publications and 4 from the list of Silver Sponsor publications for a total of 8 comic books with no other strings attached.  If you don't normally visit a particular comic book store you may want to call ahead to confirm they are participating, their hours, and what the rules are for how they are distributing their Free Comic Book Day publications.  CLICK HERE to search for a participating comic book store near you.

If you are like me and bringing younger children along to Free Comic Book Day, here are a list of some of the comic books that have been rated "All Ages" which means they are kid-friendly  and in most cases targeted towards children.

BONGO COMICS - THE SIMPSONS

Get in line for the foremost Free Comic Book Day four-color giveaway of the year! When Bart brings one of Professor Frink's recent discoveries to school, it leads to some hair-raising hilarity Then, Lisa finds a doorway to an ancient past, CBG gets a hip -new girlfriend, and Homer tries his hand at some home improvement. And much more.
Rating: All-Ages



BOOM STUDIOS - 10th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

 2015 is BOOM! Studios' Tenth Anniversary year, and to help us celebrate we've gathered short stories from several current and new all-ages titles for Free Comic Book Day, offering an oversized, full-color issue that showcases 10 all-ages-friendly titles from our Archaia, BOOM! Box, and KaBOOM! imprints. The BOOM! Studios Ten Year Celebration 2015 Free Comic Book Day Special features a cover illustrated by Mouse Guard creator David Petersen and will contain the following stories:

Jim Henson's Labyrinth
"Wisdom and Idioms"
Written and Illustrated by Cory Godbey
An all-new short based on Jim Henson's Labyrinth. The Wiseman and his bird try to find some humor in the magical world of Labyrinth.

Iscariot
Written and Illustrated by S.M. Vidaurri
Young Carson discusses magic and time with a wizard in this special preview of the upcoming Archaia original graphic novel written and illustrated by Iron: Or, the War After creator S.M. Vidaurri.

Mouse Guard
"Service to Seyan"
Written and Illustrated by David Petersen
An excerpt from Mouse Guard: Baldwin the Brave and Other Tales. Gwendolyn learns about her mother Alma and the great warrior hall of Seyan.

Adventure Time with Fionna & Cake: Card Wards
Created by Pendleton Ward
Written by Jen Wang
Illustrated by Britt Wilson
A brand-new Fionna & Cake short from writer Jen Wang (In Real Life) and Britt Wilson (Adventure Time with Fionna & Cake)! Fionna and Cake are on the search for an opponent for Cake to play against in Card Wars.

Regular Show
"Coffee Shop Special!"
Created by JG Quintel
Written by Kevin Church
Illustrated by Coleman Engle
Based on the hit Cartoon Network animated series, Eileen and Margaret make Muscle Man his special drink.

Peanuts
"Dogstoevsky"
Created by Charles M. Schulz
Story by Charles M. Schulz
Pencils by Vicki Scott
Snoopy looks to finally become the World's Greatest Author, but Lucy's help may not be the helpful push he needs.

Garfield
"Fast Feline"
Created by Jim Davis
Written by Mark Evanier
Illustrated by Andy Hirsch
Nothing can keep Garfield from a good meal, even if it means having to beat the fastest cat to get it.

Lumberjanes
Created by Shannon Watters, Noelle Stevenson & Grace Ellis
Written by Noelle Stevenson and Grace Ellis
Illustrated by Brooke Allen
When the Lumberjanes aren't taking care of pesky critters or crazy demigods, they're making fun crafts like friendship bracelets. Friendship to the max!

Munchkin
"Table of Contents"
Written and Illustrated by John Kovalic
Fight the monsters, steal the treasure, and backstab your buddy! A wandering monster table appears in this short from the illustrator of the hit card game Munchkin, John Kovalic.

Help Us! Great Warrior
Written and illustrated by Madeleine Flores
Based on the hit webcomic and new miniseries from Madeleine Flores. Great Warrior gets attacked on the road!

Rating: All-Ages



PERFECT SQUARE - POKEMON

All your favorite Pokémon game characters jump out of the screen into the pages of this action-packed comic! Legendary Pokémon Xerneas and Yveltal 's battle against each other is destroying Vaniville Town. Can X and Y save the town in Pokémon X o Y?!
Bonus Feature: More action in Pokémon Adventures and Pokémon Adventures Black and White!
Rating: All-Ages



UNITED PLANKTON PICTURES - SPONGE BOB SQUARE PANTS

 his year's SpongeBob Comics FCBD offering features a 22-page story by Boxtrolls director and Grickle cartoonist Graham Annable. In "Tangy!" Plankton's new special sauce made from jellyfish jelly has strange effects on SpongeBob and Bikini Bottom's residents. The only one unaffected, the only one who can save them all, is a very reluctant Squidward. Plus more undersea sequential stories by James Kochalka, Maris Wicks, Gregg Schigiel. and other awesome aquatic artists!
Rating: All-Ages



 RED 5 COMICS - BODIE TROLL

With a mix of playfully irreverant humor, attention-grabbing art and incredible heart, BODIE TROLL is a perfect first comic to give to a non-comic-reader of any age. In an all-new exclusive adventure, things turn ugly for cute BODIE TROLL when he gets hijacked into that most agonizing of events - a little girl's tea party! Plus, an all-new adventure from the world of DRONE and previews of 2015 Red 5 favorites and new faces.
Rating: All-Ages



GRAPHIX - CLEOPATRA IN SPACE

When a young Cleopatra (yes, that Cleopatra) finds a mysterious tablet that zaps her to the far, really far future, she learns of an ancient prophecy that says she is destined to save the galaxy from the tyrannical rule of the evil Xaius Octavian.
Rating: All-Ages



ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT - GRONK

Gronk is a monster...and not a very good one!  Follow Gronk's continuing adventures as she learns about the world around her from her "teacher", Dale, in this all-new Gronk story from fan favorite Katie Cook!
Rating: All-Ages



CAPSTONE PRESS - MARCH GRAND PRIX

A Free Comic Book Day 2015 sneak peek of the new, turbo-charged graphic novel by Kean Soo, author of the award-winning series JELLABY! March Hare wants to be the fastest and furriest racecar driver around. But first, this rabbit racer must prove his skills at the speedway, on the streets, and in the desert. With pedal-to-the-metal illustrations and full-throttle action, MARCH GRAND PRIX is sure to be a winner! Featuring a full tank of bonus materials: creator Q & A, pinup art, and much more.
Rating: All-Ages


ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS - SONIC THE HEDGEHOG / MEGA MAN



GRAPHIC INDIA - CHAKRA THE INVINCIBLE

 Based on the animated shorts seen on Angry Birds ToonsTV with over 25 Million views worldwide, 'Chakra The Invincible' is the latest superhero from legendary creator, Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man, X-Men, The Avengers, X-Men, Iron Man, and more. This all-ages comic features short stories of Chakra The Invincible for kids and superhero fans of all ages.
Rating: All-Ages



DC COMICS - TEEN TITANS / SCOOBY-DOO

DC Entertainment's all-ages FCBD special edition has two tales for readers of all ages! The Teen Titans are back in Teen Titans Go! Chapter 10, and Scooby Doo Team Up! #6 features the Super Friends! Readers will want to follow the adventures of the Teen Titans in Teen Titans Go! Volume 1, and Scooby Doo's adventure with the Super Friends will continue in the forthcoming collected edition of Scooby Doo Team-Up! Super-hero adventures for readers of all ages have never been so much fun!
Rating: All-Ages