VOICE OF SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS ATTENDING MOTOR CITY COMIC CON

Voice actor Tom Kenny will be attending the upcoming Spring edition of the bi-annual Motor City Comic Con on Saturday May 18 and Sunday May 19, 2024 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. Kenny who voices SpongeBob SquarePants, as well as other characters from the hit Nickelodeon animated show, will also be hosting a special Q&A event with Michigan native and SpongeBob SquarePants illustrator, Dave Aikins on Sunday, May 19. Motor City Comic Con, one of the largest pop culture conventions in the Midwest, takes place yearly in both the Spring and the Fall at the Suburban Collection Showplace.

In addition to paid admission to the convention, there are separate costs to interact with Kenny during the event. Tom Kenny and Dave Aikins will be holding a panel discussion and Q&A event that will take place on Sunday, May 19 at 9:00am. Attendees at this Q&A event will learn insider details about Tom Kenny, the voice actor extraordinaire, and SpongeBob artist Dave Aikins during the event. There is an additional cost for participating in this ticketed event beyond the Motor City Comic Con admission fee.

To attend this SpongeBob SquarePants Q&A event in addition to Motor City Comic Con admission, participants for the Tom Kenny and Dave Aikins discussion must purchase standard or VIP stand-alone tickets. Standard Tickets (Includes Q&A event, a limited print poster created by Dave Aikins, one autograph from Tom Kenny, and one autograph from Dave Aikins) are $130 per person. VIP Tickets (Includes seating in the first 6 rows for the Q&A event, a limited print poster created by Dave Aikins, one autograph from Tom Kenny, and one autograph from Dave Aikins) are $150 per person. If you are SpongeBob SquarePants fan getting this limited print poster signed by these two would be a very nice display piece! 

Additionally, Tom Kenny will be available to interact with fans providing autographs, selfies and professionally taken photographs for a fee during normal show hours May 18 - 19. Kenny's rates are: autographs ($80), selfies ($80), autograph and selfie combos ($120), and professional photo ops ($120).

For more information, visit motorcitycomiccon.com

J.K. Simmons Guest Stars in Brand-New SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS Episode

Detroit native, Farmers Insurance pitch man and Oscar winning actor (Whiplash), J.K. SIMMONS, will be making his Bikini Bottom debut during a brand-new episode of SpongeBob SquarePants premiering Saturday, March 4, 2017 at 10 a.m. (ET/PT) on the Nickelodeon cable channel.  In the episode, "Snooze You Lose," Squidward is so tired that SpongeBob and Patrick can't wake him up, but they won't let him miss his big audition!

J.K. Simmons voices Maestro Mackerel, the middle-aged and impatient conductor of the Bikini Bottom Philharmonic.  Beautiful music sends Maestro into ecstasy, but bad playing is physically painful to him and the mackerel shows his displeasure by tying instruments into knots (usually around the unfortunate musician's head!)

Watch full past episodes of the animated series and play SpongeBob SquarePants themed video games for FREE at nick.com/spongebob-squarepants

Xfinity Kids Sale Kicks Off Summer Movie & TV Viewing

 

Wow! Summer is going to be here before you know it and kids across the country are soon going to begin the annual extended break from school.  While hopefully a lot of that time will be spent having fun and playing outdoors, there will be those incredibly hot days, rained out times, and moments when mom and dad might just be tuckered out and want the kids to give them a little peace and quiet where a nice kids friendly movie would really come in handy.  Just in time for Memorial Day Weekend Comcast Xfinity subscribers can take advantage of a special sale on digital downloads featuring some great kid friendly selections that families can enjoy over the summer break.

From May 19-25, Comcast customers can browse the virtual aisles of the Xfinity Digital Store and stock up on a collection of the best and newest kids’ releases at discounted sale prices.  Headlining this sale will be a special SpongeBob Squarepants promotion.  Beginning Tuesday, May 19th, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, will be available to own through Xfinity On Demand two weeks before it is released on blu-ray & dvd plus during this Summer Kids Sale both this film and the original Spongebob Squarepants Movie can be purchased as a high definition HD digital download combo for the price of one at $19.99.

Additionally, the sale will feature a great collection of kids' titles including the new Annie movie, The Boxtrolls, Earth to Echo, the two Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs movies, and Lego DC Super Heroes that Xfinity customers can purchase for just $4.99 HD.  With Monster High Haunted, Barbie Princess Power, and Thomas the Train Dinos & Discoveries there is something to entertain almost every kid available to pick from in this $4.99 virtual bargain bin.  With Annie (2014) normally priced at $19.99 and Barbie Princess Power, Boxtrolls, Earth to Echo and Thomas the Train Dinos & Discoveries normally priced at $15.99 for example, this summer sale is definitely a great opportunity to build up your family's home video library.

Purchases made during the Kids Summer Sale can be viewed on your television at home and are also accessible to be downloaded or streamed to your personal computer, lap top, tablet, or smart phone.  So it's as easy as clicking the flick you want your kids to watch when accessing your purchase through #Xfinity.  Whether its being rained out on a camping trip and pulling out your tablet to watch your movie in the tent or enjoying a show from the air conditioned comfort of your living room on a one hundred degree day, your selections will be conveniently available to you on the go or at your home.

The one caveat to these purchases is that if you discontinue your Xfinity subscription you'll lose access to watching them via your television though you would still be able to watch them on your PC through the Xfinity TV Go website or on mobile devices through the Xfinity On Demand Purchases app.  Just something to keep in mind when making your purchasing decision.  If you are an Xfinity customer who will have young kids at home over the summer, this is an opportunity I wouldn't pass up as these are some quality selections at bargain prices.

Xfinity customers who have children watching television should also check out the Kids Zone. When in Kids Zone, children can browse all on their own, selecting live programming, free Xfinity On Demand content, movies and TV shows purchased through the Xfinity Digital Store, as well as any saved programming on your Comcast DVR — all of which has either been flagged by the network or studio as kids programming, or deemed age-appropriate for kids 12 and under by the great folks at Common Sense Media.  Additionally, while in Kids Zone, children can quickly find recently-watched programming, browse by their favorite network and even sort by their favorite theme such as "superheroes," "princesses" or "talking animals."

What is specifically nice about Kids Zone is that parents can lock the television down so that children can't leave this mode and flip through the rest of the Xfinity channel and OnDemand offerings without a parental control pin code being entered.  No more worrying about some unauthorized movie rentals or purchases showing up on your bill or your kids being too scared to go to bed because they caught a glimpse of The Walking Dead while flipping through the channels.  Parents can also filter the programming within Kids Zone to specific age ranges.  So if you don't want your child 4 year old watching episodes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Monsters High just yet you can just allow then to view just programming that has been tagged preschool appropriate.  Parents can set programming to specifically cater to the following age groups:  2-4, 5-7, 8-9 and 10-12 years old.  With my having 6 year old twins that 5-7 year old category fits in really nicely for our family.

**Disclaimer**  I have been provided a complimentary subscription to the Xfinity TV Go app and access to the Comcast cable programming lineup as part of the Xfinity blogger reviewer program.   Opinions expressed are my own. #Xfinityreviewer

New Animated Television Series Flies Onto Nickelodeon's Show Schedule In March: Harvey Beaks

A mild-mannered bird and his two wild best friends embark on a series of hilarious adventures in Nickelodeon’s brand-new animated series Harvey Beaks, debuting Sunday, March 29, at 7:00p.m. (ET/PT).  This 26-episode series, created and executive produced by C.H. Greenblatt , tells the story of the unlikely friendship between Harvey, a kid who’s never broken the rules, and Fee and Foo, his two friends who’ve never lived by any.  Greenblatt returns to Nickelodeon after beginning his career in animation as a storyboard artist and writer on SpongeBob SquarePants.  He later created and executive produced Chowder and was a storyboard artist and writer for The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy at Cartoon Network.  Greenblatt also directed his own version of the character Deadman for Cartoon Network's DC Nation shorts.

Greenblatt's newest creation is set in a magical forest and follows one sweet bird on his mission to experience wild adventures with the help of his two best friends.  Harvey, Fee and Foo’s connection only grows stronger throughout the series as they push each other into endless fun. On Sunday, March 29, at 7:00p.m. (ET/PT), the series will launch in its regular timeslot with “The Spitting Tree.” Spitting from the highest tree in Littlebark is fun until the kids realize they can’t get back down.

“Carl Greenblatt’s very funny and heart-warming stories fit directly in with Nickelodeon’s DNA and sensibilities,” noted Russell Hicks, President of Content Development and Production, Nickelodeon, in a press release provided to A Geek Daddy blog.  “In Harvey Beaks, viewers have the opportunity to discover the joys, triumphs and fears of growing up through thoughtful characters who push their limits and step out of their personal comfort zones.”

Beginning March 26, you visit the Harvey Beaks page on Nick.com and the Nick App to learn more about the show and its characters, get a behind-the-scenes look at the series and play new games including “Harvey Beaks Pe-Choo!” and take the quiz "Which Character Are You?”.   Episodes of Harvey Beaks will be available on Nick.com and the Nick App, along with platforms including iTunes, Amazon, Xbox, Google Play, Vudu, Playstation, Hulu and VOD.

Here's a little bit more information on the show's main characters:

HARVEY

Harvey is a well-behaved kid who lives by the rules and gets a kick out of making his world a nice, neat and orderly place, but behind his innocence burns an adventurous, yet thoughtful spirit. He is not a kid who can easily break rules, so in order to get the most out of life, he re-writes them in his own earnest way. Where Harvey leads, his best friends, Fee and Foo always follow. Fee and Foo’s wild nature inspire him to take bigger risks. With friends like these, Harvey might get into more trouble, but he will also have more fun.

FEE

Fee is a kid who sinks her pointy teeth into childhood. She’s fiercely loyal, confident and dirty. Since she’s never had anyone to tell her what to do, she does exactly what she wants. As much as Harvey follows rules, Fee follows her heart. She’s rough and tumble and driven by what seems fun and interesting in the moment. Like her hair, she’s completely untamed and wild, willing to risk everything for her friends or her beliefs.

FOO

Foo is like a puppy. He likes sticks, eating bugs, running and chewing on things. Foo is the most impulsive of the three friends. He can be totally energized one minute and fast asleep the next. Foo considers Harvey his very best friend and Harvey feels the same, which is nice because Harvey can teach Foo about taking baths and wearing pants. He has a pure heart and, if he had sleeves, he would wear it on them.

Tune in to Nickelodeon on Sundays starting March 29th to follow the adventures of Harvey, Fee & Foo in the magical forest of Littlebark.