FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2017

The first Saturday in May is a date my kids and I always look forward to.  It's FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!!!  We've developed a family tradition to swing by our local comic book shop to enjoy this event each year spending a morning bonding together over super heroes and science fiction.  My kids always get a kick out of seeing people cosplay while we are there and of course they love bringing home a handful of comic books to read through for the rest of the day.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY will be on Saturday, May 6, 2017.  It has become a hugely popular annual event hosted by comic book retailers and publishers to entice new customers to visit brick-and-mortar stores and reward existing ones for their continued patronage.    FREE COMIC BOOK DAY provides a variety of selections people can pick up for free to take home with them ranging from specially printed one-shot stories published just for this event to reprints of previously published work that  promote a particular character or series. This year there are 50 comic books that can be selected from at participating locations.  Note that each comic shop has its own rules for the event so in some circumstances you may only be allowed to take one or two books and in others it is first come, first serve and people can take one of each of them. CLICK HERE to find a participating location near you.

One of the aspects I've appreciated about FREE COMIC BOOK DAY as a father is that they always offer a selection of comics that are appropriate for preschool and elementary school aged children to enjoy.  Once again there will be a nice selection of comic books that are appropriate for ALL AGES to read.  Here are a few of my favorites that will be available for children at this year's event:

There is no need to fear, Underdog is here! American Mythology is introducing this canine crusader to a new generation with its new Underdog comic book series.

My kids really enjoy the animated television series that follows the adventures of Ladybug and Cat Noir so they're sure to read this Miraculous comic book from Action Lab.

Papercutz is known for producing wonderful comic books and graphic novels meant for kids.  They will be introducing a comic book based upon The Loud House, Nickelodeon's hit new animated show!

Time Shifters from Graphix Spotlight is a wacky adventure filled with dinosaurs, robots and trips to parallel dimensions of reality that will absolutely appeal to kids.

My daughter loves her DC Super Hero Girls toys and now they have a comic book!  I know she's going to pick this one up during our visit to the comic shop.

My son is really into drawing right now so he's going to be thrilled to grab this COLORFUL MONSTERS sketchbook by cartoonist Elise Gravel filled with illustrations and activity pages.

Dynamite Comics has created a comic book series based upon National Geographic's Animal Jam online video game playground that has a whopping 55 million players worldwide.

My son said the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie is AWESOME so you know he's going to want to get his hand on this comic book from Marvel.

Boom! Studios always puts together a nice compilation that kids are sure to enjoy.  A highlight of each year's FREE COMIC BOOK DAY is seeing the Mouse Guard piece that David Petersen includes in it every year.

Take a trip to Springfield to see what shenanigans Bart Simpson is getting into with this year's FREE COMIC BOOK DAY publication from BONGO COMICS.

This event's not just all about kids though!  There are always a nice selection of comic books each year that I enjoy picking up for myself that are aimed more for mom and dad aged readers.  Here are a few of my favorite picks from this year's selection of free comic books that are more appropriate for adults than children:

THE TICK is one of my all-time favorite cartoons so I'm always delighted to pick up a comic book featuring the character during FREE COMIC BOOK DAY.  I have a collection of FCBD THE TICK issues going back quite a few years.  I wonder if this year's comic book will reference the new TV show that Amazon is producing? Rated: ALL AGES

If you are a Star Wars fan check out this steam punk version of adventures taking place in a galaxy far far away in STEAM WARS.

The World's Greatest Cartoonists is meant exclusive for adults to read with a Mature rating.  It contains all-new, exclusive work from a variety of comic artists that is a must-have for Fantagraphic fans.

The Incal from Humanoids has been called one of the most influential and original comics in sci-fi history. A full 30 pages originally published in Métal Hurlant and created by the artists' artist Mœbius will be available for free on May 6th.

The Ballad of Franklin Bonisteel from Z2 Comics tells the story of a egendary record prodcuer and his misadventures in Los Angeles. Included with the comic book is a digital download code for an original song by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys.

Return to the Mirror Universe with the Next Generation crew in a way you've never seen them before in MIRROR BROKEN, a prequel to IDW Publishing's upcoming Star Trek: The Next Generation miniseries.

This comic is NOT for kids! Gertrude has been stuck in Fairyland for decades when she finally finds a secret passage to get back home. To get through it though she'll need to chop her way through some of Image Comics' favorite characters from Saga, The Walking Dead, Savage Dragon, Spawn, Descender, Black Science, Southern Bastards.  Rated: MATURE audiences.

Whovians will be delighted to know that Titan Comics is again publishing a FREE COMIC BOOK DAY issue of DOCTOR WHO!!!

Return to the wondrous world of Pandora with an AVATAR tale from Dark Horse Comics that also includes in the comic book a story featuring the characters from the upcoming AMC television series Briggs Land. Rated: TEEN.

A full listing of all the available publications is on freecomicbookday.com.  Which one do you think your kids will enjoy most? How about yourself? Is there an issue you really want to pick up to read on FREE COMIC BOOK DAY?

Papercutz Announces Graphic Novels Based on Nickelodeon's THE LOUD HOUSE

The funny adventures of 11-year old Lincoln Loud who has to survive the struggles and bedlam of being the only boy in a household filled with  10 sisters is jumping from the TV screen to the pages of a comic book.  Papercutz, a leading publisher of graphic novels for kids, is publishing the first graphic novel based upon Nickelodeon's hit animated television series The Loud House.  "There Will Be Chaos" will feature stories and artwork from show creator and executive producer, Chris Savino, and his his talented team of animators and writers that are behind the creation of The Loud House episodes.  Papercutz has teamed up with Savino to distribute The Loud House mini-comics at San Diego ComicCon International in 2015 and 2016 and has included The Loud House comic strips in its Nickelodeon Pandemonium anthology, but "There Will Be Chaos" will be the first full volume graphic novel devoted solely to The Loud House.

The Loud House follows Lincoln as he gives an inside look at his daily life in a very large family. With his best bud Clyde, Lincoln always comes up with a plan to stay one step ahead of the chaos, but whether or not it works is where the adventures begin. Inspired by creator Chris Savino’s (Rocko’s Modern Life, The Powerpuff Girls) chaotic life growing up in a huge household, the television series was recently picked up for a third season by Nickelodeon.

“Comics are a first love of mine, so it’s incredibly exciting to expand The Loud House universe with this graphic novel,” Savino reflected in the announcement by Papercutz about the publication of this graphic novel. “With endless stories to be told from Lincoln and his 10 sisters, The Loud House feels just as 'at home' on the printed page as it does on television, and I look forward to sharing all the adventures to come with readers.”

THE LOUD HOUSE #1: "There Will Be Chaos" will be available in bookstores and comic book shops across the United States and Canada beginning May 9, 2017.  To find a local comic shop near you go to comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-COMIC-BOOK.  For more information about the graphic novels available through Papercutz, please visit papercutz.com

Nickelodeon Rings in the New Year with Lincoln Loud’s Ultimate Year End Countdown-a-thon

One of my family's favorite shows on the Nickelodeon cable television channel is THE LOUD HOUSE.  Debuting last May, The Loud House quickly become one of Nickelodeon's most popular shows of 2016.  The animated series features Lincoln Loud, the middle child and only son out of eleven children in his family, dealing with the chaotic and comedic moments of a boy living with ten girls.  Catch up on past episodes of The Loud House on New Years Eve before brand new episodes premiere in 2017.

Join The Loud House’s Lincoln Loud in ringing in 2017 during Lincoln Loud’s Ultimate Year End Countdown-a-thon, a marathon featuring encore episodes of and custom videos, Saturday, Dec. 31, from 8:00p.m. (ET/PT) to 12:00a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. Throughout the New Year’s Eve marathon, brand-new short videos will showcase Lincoln revealing his favorite pranks, pets, missions, food, and lessons learned in 2016. Additionally, Lincoln will countdown to the new year before the clock strikes midnight. 

Then tune into Nickelodeon in the new year as The Loud House returns with all new episodes beginning Monday, Jan. 9, at 5:00p.m. (ET/PT). In the first new episode of 2017, “Suite and Sour,”  Mom and Dad win a trip to a resort and decide to take the kids – but only because the Lincoln and the girls promised to behave. How do you think that is going to turn out?

For more information about this TV series visit the The Loud House page on Nick.com and the Nick App to get a behind-the-scenes look at the series and the brand-new Facebook page. On Instagram, fans can also experience The Loud House Instacomic, an interactive, digital comic book allowing users to help Lincoln Loud on his quest to find the missing remote control. Check it out @loudhouseinstacomic.

Nickelodeon continuing popular animated series THE LOUD HOUSE for a second season

After its hugely successful first season debut in May which saw THE LOUD HOUSE dominate ratings as the #1 animated kids' show on television, it didn't take long for Nickelodeon to announce that it was renewing the series for a 14-episode second season.  THE LOUD HOUSE provides a humorous inside look at what it takes to survive the chaos of growing up in a huge family by following the lives of Lincoln Loud and his 10 sisters.  The series debuted on Monday, May 2, 2016 at 5:00 pm (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon and has quickly garnered a large following on the cable network.  THE LOUD HOUSE is inspired by creator and executive producer Chris Savino's life growing up in a family of 10 kids.



In season two of THE LOUD HOUSE, Lincoln remains the man with the plan as he navigates through the chaos of living in a family with 11 kids.  The upcoming season that is scheduled to arrive this Fall will dive deeper into the unique personalities of Lincoln's sisters as well as feature a spooky themed Halloween episode. If you haven't seen any of season one's shows yet, Nickelodeon has a few of the full length episodes available to view at your convenience on its website.

THE LOUD HOUSE is based on an animated short of the same name that was created by Chris Savino for Nickelodeon's annual Animated Shorts Program.  It is the first TV series to be greenlit from that global program which is designed to cultivate a new generation of creative talent for the cable network. THE LOUD HOUSE is being produced at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank, California.

For more information, visit nick.com/loud-house