IDW PUBLISHING COLORING CONTEST

With the COVID pandemic limiting accessibility to the wonderful Smithsonian Institute museums in Washington D.C., IDW PUBLISHING wants to bring these places home to you. They've released two new coloring books that let people explore two of the Smithsonian's most popular museums through the pages of these publications while having fun with art. Learn about the dinosaur exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History or the airplanes within the National Air & Space Museum.

You can purchase print editions of these books online at idwpublishing.com or at local bookstores and comic book shops. IDW is also hosting a coloring contest and giving away a copy of each book to the winner. To enter, download and color one of the coloring pages shown below from Dinosaurs: A Smithsonian Coloring Book or Airplanes: A Smithsonian Coloring Book. Then, share a picture of your artwork on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram tagging @IDWPublishing on the post. Entries must be submitted before December 15, 2020. One winner will be selected from all entries.

CLICK HERE to download the Dinosaurs: A Smithsonian Coloring Book art sheet.

CLICK HERE to download the Airplanes: A Smithsonian Coloring Book art sheet.

With this exquisitely designed coloring book, aviation lovers of all ages can soar through the skies with some of the most recognized and revered airplanes from the collection at the National Air and Space Museum. Guided by museum experts and the thrilling artistry of John Pirtel, meet the 1903 Wright Flyer, the Lockheed Vega 5-B, Northrop Gamma Polar Star, McDonnell F-4S Phantom II, Concorde, and many more. These detailed pen and ink illustrations invite you to strap in and experience thrilling scenes of these aircraft in action, which fans of airplanes, coloring books, and aviation history can unlock with their own creativity.

Dinosaur lovers of all ages can explore millions of years of animal wonders, guided by experts from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and the artistic wizardry of Rachel Curtis (The Princess Bride: A Storybook to Color). These lush pen and ink illustrations invite you to step into captivating scenes featuring the herbivorous Stegosaurus, the sea-dwelling Hesperornis, the giant sauropod Camarasaurus, the mighty Tyrannosaurus, and many more. Fans of dinosaurs, coloring books, and natural history will find an enchanting world to unlock with their own creativity.

Ant Man Fun Facts & Kids Activity / Coloring Sheets

Ant Man may have been a founding member of the Avengers in the comic book world but in Marvel's cinematic movie universe this small character made his first appearance on the big screen with the recent theatrical release of his own feature film.  Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant Man suit.  Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world. This high stakes, tension filled adventure which stars Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas and Darren Cross began playing in theaters in the United States on Friday, August 17, 2015. The 117 minute long action/adventure movie directed by Peyton Reed is rated PG-13.

Courtesy of our friends at Marvel Studios, A Geek Daddy has some fun facts about the movie and children's activity/coloring sheets to share with our readers:

• If you ever wondered how the Ant Man suit works, here's the answer. The suit encapsulates the Pym Particle technology that allows a person to shrink down to the size of an ant.  When the wearer wants to change size, he uses a button on the suit that regulates the Pym Particles, which run through the suit and helmet like an intricate system of veins.  The particles are volatile and change the distance between atoms, so the suit and helmet serve as protection for the wearer.   Although Ant Man does not technically have super powers, when he shrinks down in the suit, he actually exceeds the strength of a normal person because energy and mass compacted create a more powerful force.

• The Ant Man helmet has 54 different pieces to it as well as 10 LED lights. Ant Man's suit contains over 159 LED lights, which are controlled remotely.  All the circuitry and batteries for the lights are in a very small backpack which allows the whole suit to light up, including the gloves and belt.

• Marvel did a lot of research into ant behaviors and what the different species of ants could bring to the movie in terms of what filmmakers needed for the heist.  For instance, the Paraponera clavata or bullet ants have a very painful sting and resemble dinosaurs in the movie; the Solenopsis or fire ants are like architects as they can link together and form bridges and rafts to help Ant Man; and the male Camponotus carpenter ants can fly, providing Ant Man with a helpful mode of transportation.

• Marvel's Ant Man is set in San Francisco, California and many exterior shots were done there, including shots of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Tenderloin District, and the exterior of a Victorian home used to portray Hank Pym's house.  Following filming in San Fransisco, production took place at Pinewood Studios' newly built facilities in Atlanta, Georgia which Ant Man was the first movie to be filmed at.

• For the younger Hank Pym flashback scenes, Michael Douglas came up with a wig that he still had for a film he was going to do about President Reagan and it worked perfectly for Marvel's Ant Man.

• When you watch Marvel's Ant Man look closely at some of the set dressing for Hank Pym's house.  You'll see a little chair or a tiny weapon or other miniature everyday items.  There are items placed all around the house that hint at the adventures Pym had when he was Ant Man and suggest the experiments that he made shrinking inorganic objects before he made the breakthrough to shrinking organic objects.

• For the scaled down Ant Man sequences, the filmmakers used a combination of motion picture macro photography, still macro photography, motion capture with actors, motion capture with stunt people, and for every set they built a miniature version called a macro set.  Macro photography is extreme close up photography that produces photographs of small items larger than life-size.

• In the spirit of shooting everything in miniature, the macro photography team built a mini clapperboard, the device filmmakers use to help synchronize picture and sound.  Originally made of wood and handwritten on with chalk, clapperboards now have digital features, but the one for the macro sets was of the old fashioned variety.

• In the film, Scott Lang has a best friend Luis who owns an old brown van that has seen better days.  The van keeps changing its appearance through the course of the movie and the different versions were dubbed the Mark 1, the Mark 2, the Mark 3, in a tongue in cheek reference to the Iron Man suits.  The Mark 1 is the old brown van that Luis is really proud of but in reality is a "beater".  The Mark 2 is accessorized for a job by the thieves and boasts things like bigger mirrors so they can see who is coming and going and side boards for fast ins and outs.  The Mark 3 is geared up for the Pym Tech heist and is painted and accessorized to look like a Water & Power utility vehicle.

• Growing up, director Peyton Reed was an ardent Marvel fan boy.  When he was in high school, Reed made a pencil drawing of the punk band he was in, in which he depicted the band as a recreation of "The Avengers #1" cover where each of the band members was a different Avenger.  Perhaps in a flash of precognition, Reed drew himself as Ant Man.

Download & print out these fun Ant Man kids activity sheets & coloring pages:

For more information, visit Marvel.com/antman

Can You Color Better Than A Monkey?

What do monkeys and children have in common?  Well in addition to being loud and making messes they both also like to color.  Crystal the Monkey ( aka Dexter ) from the Night at the Museum movies loves to color!  Check out Crystal coloring this Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb coloring sheet.

Think you can color better than a monkey?  Prove it! Color the same page as Crystal has and send it in to A GEEK DADDY blog.  We'll randomly select one entry to receive a free blu-ray/dvd Night at the Museum 3 prize pack.  You can have a child in your life do the coloring but entries must be submitted by a US or Canadian resident over 18 years old to participate in this movie giveaway.

UPDATE: Congrats to John from Washington DC who won the movie prize pack.

Submit one or all of the following entry methods to earn up to 10 entries prior to 11:59 pm EST on Saturday April 4, 2015:

BASIC ENTRY (1 ENTRY) - Email thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com with your name, mailing address with subject line CRYSTAL MONKEY.

COLORING CONTEST (6 ENTRIES ) - Color the poster above and attach it to your email entry. Coloring Entries will NOT be judged - randomly selecting winner.

FACEBOOK  ( 3 ENTRIES) - Visit this Facebook post and leave a comment sharing your favorite character from Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb and why.

So what do you think? Can you color better than a monkey?

 About the Movie - Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings back to life your favorite museum heroes in NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB  now available on Blu-ray^™ , DVD, and  via Digital HD Download.  Families around the globe have come out to see the hysterical third and final installment in the franchise, which has grossed more than a billion dollars. Now, parents and kids can not only enjoy the best ‘Night’ ever, but also get their hands on a bonus Digital HD movie: their choice of either Night at the Museum or Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian when they purchase Night at the Museum 3.

If it’s laughter you’re after, get ready for the most hilarious night ever! Ben Stiller leads an all-star comedy cast, including Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Rebel Wilson and Ricky Gervais, for one final, fun-filled Night at the Museum. This time, Larry Daley (Stiller) and his heroic friends embark on their greatest adventure yet as they travel to London in order to save the magic that brings the museum exhibits to life!

The Blu-ray™ comes with tons of special features that will have the whole family laughing! You can check out how Stiller got into character for his alter ego Laaa, get a behind the scenes look at The British Museum and learn how the film’s iconic fight scene inside an M.C. Escher painting came to light. Best of all, every Blu-ray™ comes with a bonus Digital HD movie – not only do you get a Digital HD version of NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB, but you also get a Bonus digital movie – your choice of one of the other movies in the franchise.

DISCLAIMER:   Each entry will be assigned a number based upon the order in which it is received and one random number will be generated to select a winner. A Geek Daddy Blog will be responsible for selecting the winner of this contest, but Fox Home Entertainment is responsible for fulfillment and delivery of the prize.  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.  If you win this prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Prize will be delivered by UPS or FedEx so no P.O. Boxes are allowed as mailing addresses. A Geek Daddy Blog did not receive any financial compensation but did receive a review DVD for the blog and the prize that is being awarded to one of our readers for this contest.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this contest as a benefit to our readers. Any opinions in this post are my own.  By submitting a coloring entry you grant permission for it to be shared on this blog and through our social media outlets.  Winner will be selected on approximately Monday, April  6, 2015.

 #Night3MovieNight #NATM3Insiders #TrackDexter

Marvel to republish Star Wars Comic Book Adaption of A NEW HOPE with Modernized Coloring

The recent Burger King commercial promoting the return of their YUMBO sandwich which features a restaurant filled with people wearing 1970s era garb is a good reminder how much that decade loved to use yellow, oranges, brown, lime and subdued neon variations in color schemes.  That included the comic book industry and when you go back and look at issues printed in that time period those influences are very clear.  So when Marvel decided to republish in 2015 the super-sized comic book adaption of the Star Wars screen play that it originally printed in 1977 in conjunction with the film's release, it was decided they would keep the artwork and script but ditch the '70's style coloring.

New Coloring (Left) / Original Coloring (Right)

Available on store shelves in May 2015, Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin's adaption of "A New Hope" will be reprinted as Marvel readers experienced them in 1977 which includes a few scenes that ended up cut out on the editing room floor and left out of the film but were still kept in the comic book and novel publications at that time because of miscommunications between the film studio and its publishing partners.  Well actually there will be two differences between now and then.  First, Chris Sotomayer will be recoloring all the artwork to provide a modern tone to the comic book.  Also, Adi Granov has created a brand new cover for the book.

New STAR WARS cover art

"When Star Wars took the world by storm in 1977, Marvel Comics was right there with exciting comic adaptations and new stories set in a galaxy far, far away," said David Gabriel, Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing in a press release. "With new Star Wars comics being published by Marvel in 2015, we’re proud to look back on this exciting remastered adaptation of the original film, with remastered adaptations of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi coming later in 2015."

Original 1977 Cover Art

So what do you of them taking the disco out of Star Wars?  I like the new coloring, but the original look contributed to the electricity of the times that surrounded the movie's release and created the Star Wars culture of today so I'm torn by Marvel tinkering with it. That being said as long as Marvel keeps the original version available as it is now through various omnibus collections, unlike Lucas who has tried to prevent people from accessing original versions of the Star Wars movies, than this just seems to be a fun variation for new and existing fans to enjoy which I personally think would be an interesting read to pick up.  If you buy a copy in May, share your thoughts on the comic book by tweeting us at @Geeky_Dad and let us know what you think.