It's National Doughnut Day - Celebrate with a FREE one from Krispy Kreme

It's #NationalDoughnutDay so swing by your local Krispy Kreme doughnut shop to get a FREE doughnut in recognition of the day.  Throughout June 5, 2015 Krispy Kreme locations in the U.S. and Canada will let you swing by and walk out with a free doughnut of your choice.  Whether it's powdered, filled or a hot Original Glazed® just tell them you want a free doughnut and its yours.

I stopped by the Krispy Kreme by our house this morning after I dropped the kids off at school.  I was in and out in just a few moments and it was easy as just saying "I'd like a free doughnut" to get my National Doughnut Day celebratory treat. Oh was that hot glazed doughnut good!

National Doughnut Day commemorates The Salvation Army volunteers who provided doughnuts to soldiers serving overseas during WWI to boast their moral.  It seems there is some sort of  national recognition day everyday that is promoted by some industry trade association as a marketing tool to sell stuff, but National Doughnut Day is a little different. It was launched in 1938 by the Chicago branch of The Salvation Army as a way to generate awareness of its community services and recognize its women volunteers who contributed to the war effort. LIFE posted a great story on the background of National Doughnut Day on their website, check it out!   National Doughnut Day is still going strong 77 years later ... and of course the doughnut retailers are joining in now. I'm not complaining though, I love a good freebie and Krispy Kreme doughnuts are great!

Happy National Doughnut Day everyone!

Offer valid for one FREE doughnut of any variety, including the signature Original Glazed® doughnut, at participating Krispy Kreme US and Canadian store locations on Friday, June 5, 2015 only. No purchase necessary. While supplies last. Offer not valid at convenience or grocery stores. Excludes Connecticut and Puerto Rico locations. Visit KrispyKreme.com to locate a store near you.

THE PARK IS OPEN: JUNE 12, 2015

 ** This post was made possible by Universal Pictures #TeamJurassic.  I was provided the featured products for free but all opinions expressed are honest and my own **

One of my all time favorite movie scenes is when a glass of water begins to ripple to foreshadow the arrival of a Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur in 1993's Jurassic Park.  That was such a great way to merge visual and sound effects with the suspense of the scene to immerse people so they really felt part of the movie.  Add to that the groundbreaking special effects plus the velociraptors as villains that kept you on the edge of your seat and you know Jurassic Park is on my list of summer blockbusters I deem great.  I also appreciate how Jurassic Park portrayed Michael Crichton's novel on the big screen showing that a science fiction movie doesn't always have to be about aliens and space ships to have a great plot and be a success at the box office.

While the theme park never got off the ground in the original movie on June 12, 2015 #JurassicWorld will be open to the public.  Twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic Park, John Hammond's vision of a dinosaur theme park has become a reality on Isla Nublar, an island located near Costa Rica off Central America's Pacific Coast.  This new park isn't owned by Hammond though but rather a huge business conglomerate called Masrani Corporation.  When the theme park isn't making its budget projections, the park's operations manager takes some risks to increase its profitability.  Of course you know that is going to lead to trouble!



The Velociraptors will be back on June 12 in JURASSIC WORLD! Will they be the dangerous adversaries we remember them to be in this movie ... or could they be the good guys who save the day this time?!   As part of A Geek Daddy blog being a member of  #TeamJurassic helping Universal Pictures promote the film, I received a super detailed Hasbro Jurassic World Velociraptor toy for my kids to play with.  They also sent along with it an interesting augmented reality enhanced hardcover book Jurassic World: Where Dinosaurs Come To Life and an informative paperback book titled Jurassic World Dinosaur Field Guide.  Of course we don't want to leave our blog readers out of the fun, so I also have a second of box of these great Jurassic World items to giveaway!

For a chance to win the Hasbro Velociraptor toy, the Carlton Books' Jurassic World: Where Dinosaurs Come To Life augmented reality book, and the Random House Jurassic World Dinosaur Field Guide paperback you must be a US or Canadian resident over 18 years old and submit one or both of the following entry methods to earn up to 2 entries prior to 11:59 pm EST on Friday June 12, 2015:

Congrats to Alina from Valparaiso Indiana who won the book & toy giveaway!

FACEBOOK (1 Entry) Visit our Facebook page and on the contest post submit a comment sharing which dinosaur you would most like to see on a visit to Jurassic World.

EMAIL (1 Entry)  E-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com your name and mailing address. Email subject line should be DINORIFFIC.

All valid entries will be assigned a number in the order they are received and one number will be  selected to determine the winner using random.org.  E-mails will only be used to contact the winner and deleted following the selection of a winner.

Jurassic World Velociraptor Figures

Clever as ever, the Jurassic World raptors are masterful hunters on the lookout for prey. The assortment features three of the most popular raptors from the Jurassic World movie, Charlie, Delta, and Echo.  The figures each span approximately 12 inches long with articulated arms, legs, and tails.  Each sold separately. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

Jurassic World: Where Dinosaurs Come to Life (Hardcover)

The official Augmented Reality book to accompany the highly anticipated Jurassic World includes five breathtaking Augmented Reality sequences featuring life-size dinosaurs and a brand-new dual user mode. This book is the perfect purchase for every Jurassic World and dinosaur fan. Plus, a free interactive app brings the action alive . . . right at home!

Jurassic World Dinosaur Field Guide (Paperback)

Written by two noted paleontologists and illustrated in big bold colors, the Jurassic World Dinosaur Field Guide is a kid-friendly nonfiction guide that uses simple text to describe over 100 dinosaurs. Kids will learn tons of awesome facts about the most well-known dinosaurs and some of the newest discoveries.

Rated PG-13, JURASSIC WORLD will roar into theaters on June 12, 2015. In addition to standard theaters, it will also be available Real D 3D and IMAX 3D.  Don't worry about annoying lines or the show you want to go to being sold out, buy your tickets online in advance today: unvrs.al/JWtix  

Disclaimer & Rules:

A Geek Daddy Blog will select a random winner on  Monday, June 15, 2015 ( 1 winner will be selected from a random draw of all eligible entries - each submitted entry will be assigned a number and a random number will be drawn to select a winner based upon total entries ).  By participating in this contest you waive any liability towards A Geek Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this giveaway as a benefit to our readers.  Information for this post was provided by Universal Pictures.  A Geek Daddy Blog did receive items  of value in exchange for writing this blog post.  While some of the promotional information was provided by Universal Pictures the views and opinions expressed are my own. Universal Pictures is responsible for the delivery of the prizes in this promotion. The Hasbro toy may differentiate from the one shown but will be of similar quality and value.

Fifth Sun T-Shirt Review & Giveaway

 ** This post was made possible by Fifth Sun.  I was provided the featured products for free but all opinions expressed are honest and my own **

When the weather heats up and my kids are out of school, I want to be casual and comfortable so a few good t-shirts are a mainstay of my summer wardrobe.  With two young children at home, I want to make sure I'm donning clothes that can weather outdoor adventures and childhood messes with a sense of geek chic.  Being a dad doesn't mean you have to lose all your sense of style. So I always have my eyes out for a good comfy & stylish t-shirts that I can sport during the summer months while doing outdoor chores, playing with my kids or working out.

Fifth Sun, a leading supplier of graphic apparel for the retail industry for the retail clothing industry, generously provided my son and I some samples of the t-shirts that can be purchased from their web site www.fifthsun.com.  They design and produces unique t-shirts for well-recognized brands including Angry Birds, Star Wars, and Nintendo. Of course they caught my attention when I found out about the large selection of Star Wars gear they have available. You can find Fifth Sun apparel in over 3,500 independent stores, retail clothing chains such as Hot Topic, Urban Outfitters, and Old Navy, in addition to most major national chains such as Target, JCPenney, Kohl’s, and Walmart.  Understanding that many consumers appreciate the convenience of shopping online, Fifth Sun is selling some its most popular retail designs in addition to exclusive t-shirts unique to its website through www.fifthsun.com.

You have to admit it is a thrill to get a fun package in the mail.  The t-shirts we ordered from fifthsun.com were delivered very quickly and nicely packaged.  My son picked out shirts featuring Batman, the Justice League, and his favorite video game character Sonic the Hedgehog.  I'm always nervous about ordering clothes online because you don't want to get them and they don't fit, but all his t-shirts were a good fit...and they didn't shrink in the wash!

Growing up in the Motor City of course I have an appreciation for classic cars and auto racing, so it was impressive to see the automotive related apparel that Fifth Sun has to offer. I picked out one of their Shelby Cobra t-shirts to race around in while chasing after my kids.  They also have a large selection of designs featuring my father-in-law's favorite television show, Gas Monkey Garage.  For those of you who haven't seen the show, which I actually watch a lot myself too, they take neglected classic cars and fix them up into super charged hot rods.  If you have an appreciation for hot rods, than you'll also want to check out Fifth Sun's selection of officially licensed NHRA drag racing gear. Plus they have some cool Chevy stuff too!

Of course, I also picked out for myself a few t-shirts from their extensive Star Wars collection.  I like having a retro flair to my t-shirts so these Boba Fett and Star Wars Fan Club selections were perfect for me.  Like my son's shirts the ones I received were a comfortable fit and didn't shrink in the wash.

I can vouch from from all the boo boos that I've cleaned up over the years that yes like this t-shirt says my son does do his own stunts.  What kid doesn't attempt a wide variety of stunts while playing super heroes with their friends on the playground? So this obviously was his favorite t-shirt from www.fifthsun.com. What's yours?

A Geek Daddy Blog will be allowing one lucky reader to choose his or her favorite t-shirt (up to $26 in price) from Fifth Sun and get it for FREE.  For your chance to win just follow the instructions below to submit up to 2 entries before 11:50pm EST on Sunday, June  7, 2015.  You must be over 18 years old and a United States resident to participate.

Congrats to Jerry from Detroit who selected a Gas Monkey Garage t-shirt from Fifth Sun as his winning entry.

 EMAIL (1 ENTRY) - Email thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com with your full name, mailing address, t-shirt size, name of the t-shirt you would like to win, and the url of the page for your favorite shirt that you would like to receive from www.fifthsun.com with the subject line SUNNY SUMMER TSHIRTS.

BONUS ENTRY (1 ENTRY) - Include in your email the name of the Star Wars creature that was featured on A Geek Daddy's Facebook page's Mothers Day post for a bonus entry.

Disclaimer & Rules:

A Geek Daddy Blog will select a random winner on  Monday, June 8, 2015 ( 1 winner will be selected from a random draw of all eligible entries - each submitted entry will be assigned a number and a random number will be drawn to select a winner based upon total entries ).  By participating in this contest you waive any liability towards A Geek Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this giveaway as a benefit to our readers.  Information for this post was provided by Fifth Sun.  A Geek Daddy Blog did receive items and services of value in exchange for writing this blog post and review.  A positive review was not required of this blog and the views and opinions expressed are my own. Fifth Sun is responsible for the delivery of the prize in this promotion.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2015

It's starting to become an annual family tradition that we swing by the local comic book store on the first Saturday morning in May to enjoy FREE COMIC BOOK DAY.  This is a special event hosted by comic book retailers and publishers to entice new customers and reward existing ones for their loyalty.  Free Comic Book Day provides a selection of specially printed issues created for the event that provide a sample of a publishers work or an interesting one-shot story to promote a particular character or series.  This year there were 50 free comic books that people could select from and pick up from participating locations that ranged from child focused issues like Scooby Doo! and Sonic the Hedgehog to ones rated for "mature audiences" like And Then Emily Was Gone or Fight Club with a whole lot of other stuff in between for tweens, teens and anyone else of whatever age to enjoy as well.

This year was the fourth year in a row our family swung by a Free Comic Book event with the very first one being in 2012 which had some great titles for our then 3 year old twins like Donald Duck, Tinkerbell,  Snoopy, Smurfs, and Yo Gabba Gabba that were full of bright images and perfect for them to flip through.  Wow! looking at the pictures from that Free Comic Book Day and now in 2015 really shows how much these now 6 year olds have sprung up over the last few years.

My daughter wanted to dress up as her favorite Avenger for the day so our family was escorted to the comic book store by Thor.  We had to head to my son's soccer game directly after our Free Comic Book Day stop so he didn't join her in dressing up as one of his favorite super heroes as he was sporting his team uniform.  I threw on my Flash t-shirt to join my little girl in showing some festive spirit for our outing.

In addition to handing out free comic books, often times participating retailers will incorporate other fun stuff into the event like artist appearances and costume contests.  While we were waiting in line this year, the comic book store had an artist providing free sketches to the children in line of their favorite super heroes.  My son was so excited to take home with him an original piece of art featuring his favorite super hero Iron Man from a real artist.

Thor entered a costume contest for children 12 and under and enjoyed all of the attention she got from people complimenting her on the costume.

Thor's mighty steed!

Summoning the power of Mjolnir to return to Aasgard after a fun Free Comic Book Day!

So after my son's soccer game, we all lounged out in our living room relaxing and enjoying our haul of freebies.  My daughter enjoying Teen Titans Go!, Cleopatra in Space and Gronk while my son flipped through Teen Age Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers, and Chakra The Invincible. Oh and I picked up a few free comics for myself that included a Doctor Who adventure, a comedy featuring one of my favorite cartoon characters The Tick, and a sampling of upcoming SciFi titles.

Once again we had an enjoyable family outing for Free Comic Book Day and are looking forward to the first Saturday in May for 2016.  I'm hoping that these annual outings with dad are providing some quality childhood memories for my kids, instilling with them an appreciation for the arts, and encouraging them to enjoy reading. That plan seems to be working so far!

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.

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!

Kids Buckle Up Safety Info & Gift Card 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:



+ 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;

 

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

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