HARD BARGAIN GRAPHIC NOVEL KICKSTARTER

A Kickstarter campaign launched today that will run through July 25, 2024 to support the publishing of a supernatural thriller themed graphic novel written by Steven S. DeKnight and illustrated by Leno Carvalho. HARD BARGAIN follows a hard-boiled P.I. in 1940s Los Angeles who finds himself fighting not only the usual cadre of criminals and ne’er-do-wells—but also demons, monsters, and other malevolent supernatural beings—as he races to solve a deadly mystery before a horrific fate descends upon everyone it touches. Pledges range from $15 for a digital edition of the graphic novel to $140 for a printed collectors edition signed by DeKnight and Carvalho. 

Battling the forces of darkness is another day at the office for Frank Harding, P.I.—but his current case may just be the one that puts Frank out of business for good. As he investigates a case deeply connected to his own murky past—as well as L.A.’s all-too-real history of prejudice and discrimination—Harding is forced to reckon with the fact that the sins of one generation will always be paid for by the next. Combining the appeal of classic noir crime storytelling with a well-wrought fantasy world of monsters and magic, HARD BARGAIN pairs DeKnight's crackerjack storytelling with Carvalho's dynamic visuals to build a fast-paced, hard-boiled thriller that simultaneously reckons with the dark underbelly of bigotry, violence and revenge haunting gritty Los Angeles.

DeKnight got his start in the entertainment industry as a staff writer on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to write, direct, and produce on the series Angel, Smallville, and Dollhouse. He also was the executive producer and showrunner of season one of the Marvel/Netflix series Daredevil. DeKnight has also written Wastelanders comics for Marvel.

Leno Carvalho is a Brazilian comic artist and illustrator best known for his realistic and detailed style. Throughout his career, Carvalho has worked with many publishers on series such as Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen Special at DC Comics, Dean Koontz’s Nevermore and Bionic Woman at Dynamite Comics, The Rift at Red 5 Comics and Crusaders at Soleil, as well as The Source at Scout Comics. 

THE TORMENTED

Fans of Ghostbusters and the paranormal will want to check out a new spooky comic book series, THE TORMENTED, that is debuting on March 19th as Amazon's Comixology Originals exclusive digital content. Writer, producer, and animator Chuck Austen and artist Patrick Olliffe craft a new 5-issue comic book series about Ryan Auster, a young man starring on a new ghost hunting reality TV show. THE TORMENTED also features colors by Lee Loughridge, letters by Jodi Wynne, and edits by Greg Lockard. 

Ryan Auster is the son of legendary ghost hunters Vera and Adam Austerhölle, but this is a fact he doesn’t share willingly. Unlike his father, mother, and sister, Ryan never had “the gift” to “see” the paranormal, so they’d leave him behind whenever they went out to investigate. But Ryan was hiding his abilities, terrified of the consequences of his supposed “gift,” and the parents who gave them to him. Then, one life-altering night, his entire family is brutally murdered. Instantly orphaned, Ryan was raised by various foster families—many of whom faced horrible fates of their own. 

Now, as an adult, Ryan finds himself the charismatic host of a children’s online cooking show. But when that series suddenly ends, and his pushy producer discovers Ryan’s family history, Ryan is unexpectedly and unwillingly sold as the host of a brand-new ghost hunting reality TV series. Ryan desperately needs the money, but he knows that if he agrees to host “Restless Spirits,” and use his supernatural “gifts,” it will make him a beacon that draws—not only the beings that gruesomely butchered his family—but all the many horrors that hide in the darkness, marking him, and his newfound friends on the show, to suffer the same fate as his murdered family.

“Ryan Auster, our protagonist in THE TORMENTED, sees ghosts, but kept it from his ghost-hunting family because he feared his family more than the ghosts, and because he’s been hiding it his whole life, now in his twenties, he still hasn’t quite learned how to deal with the unexpected spirits, demons, and otherworldly creatures that are constantly invading his life," Chuck Austen communicated to ageekdaddy.com. "This series has been an absolute trip to create with Pat, and I hope readers have as much fun reading the story as we’ve had making it.”

Amazon’s Comixology Originals exclusive digital content line is available at no additional cost for members of Amazon Prime, Kindle Unlimited, and Comixology Unlimited, and for purchase at amazon.com/comixology. Prime Reading offers all Amazon Prime members a rotating selection of more than 3,000 digital books, magazines, comics, and more – all at no additional cost to their Prime membership. Kindle Unlimited gives customers access to more than 4 million digital titles, including thousands of audio books and comics, plus current magazines for just $11.99 a month with a free trial period at amazon.com/kindleunlimited. Comixology Unlimited offers over 45,000 comics, graphic novels and manga for just $5.99 a month with a free trial at amazon.com/comixologyunlimited.

DOCTOR OMEGA COMIC BOOK SERIES

Fans of DOCTOR WHO will want to check out a Kickstarter by Monstrous Books looking to launch a comic book series featuring a time traveling scientist who was the inspiration for the main character in the BBC sci-fi television series.  Le Docteur Oméga, a novel written in 1906 by French author Arnold Galopin, that has a mysterious inventor and his companion handyman in science fiction themed adventures. Galopin's character was an inspiration decades later in the creation of the Doctor Who tv show. A new edition of Le Docteur Oméga was published in 2003 celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Doctor Who with cover art providing a modern take on illustrations from the 1973 novel Doctor Who in an Exciting Adventure with the Daleks and changing some of the French author's original text altering the human scientist into an alien Time Lord presumed to be the First Doctor. 

Now Monstrous Books is crowd-funding the first issue of a Doctor Omega comic book series that returns to character to his original roots and sets him off on his own epic science fiction adventures. Bram Stoker winner James Aquilone (Kolchak: The Night Stalker – 50th Anniversary) and acclaimed artist Zac Atkinson (Young Justice, Transformers) are crafting a story that follows time traveler Doctor Omega as he gathers history’s greatest thieves to pull off an impossible heist that is necessary to save the Omniverse. If you ever wanted to ride in a Tardis, join the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, or steal the Mona Lisa with the Time Bandits, THE OMEGA ELEVEN is a Kickstarter campaign you'll be eager to support.

In THE MERLIN JOB — the first issue in a planned epic five-issue series — Doctor Omega and his companion, 14-year-old Jack Dawkins, aka The Artful Dodger, travel to Camelot to steal the Philosopher's Stone from Merlin—and things go catastrophically wrong. 

Pledges start off as low as $8 for a digital edition of issue number one of THE OMEGA ELEVEN and $12 for a print edition of THE OMEGA ELEVEN #1 autographed by Aquilone and Atkinson. There are also other pledge levels including having your face drawn as a character in the comic books, commissioned artwork, story themed trading cards, t-shirts and more. Fulfillment of this Kickstarter, if successfully funded, is estimated to be December 2024.

If you are geeked about embarking on a Doctor Omega adventure, don't hesitate to make a Kickstarter Pledge because this campaign ends March 7th. Don't miss out on what looks to be a fun comic book read with some impressive art to bring its story to life. 

PREDATOR VERSUS WOLVERINE COMIC BOOK

One of my favorite movies is a bad ass film featuring Jesse Ventura, Carl Weathers and Arnold Schwarzenegger as the prey of an alien visiting Earth to do some big game hunting in the jungles of Central America. PREDATOR is one of those movies that I never get sick of watching over and over again. In fact, my nickname for my son is Dutch, after one of my favorite movie characters...well that and when his twin sister as a toddler tried to say his name it sounded like that. Unfortunately, the sequel movies following PREDATOR have pretty much been busts. 

So, some recent news from Marvel Comics has me geeked! PREDATOR happened to hit movie theaters around the time when I was most interested in reading X-Men comic books during my middle school years. Now the Predator is returning to our planet to hunt Wolverine in a four issue mini-series debuting in September. I'm absolutely adding PREDATOR VERSUS WOLVERINE to my pull list at the local comic book shop!

Marvel's official synopsis of this mini-series reads:

THE THRILL IS THE KILL! The bloodthirsty saga you’ve been waiting for! Wolverine has lived one of the longest and most storied lives in Marvel Comics history. Now witness the untold greatest battles of Logan’s life—against a Predator! One Yautja seeks the greatest prey in existence—and finds it in Weapon X. From the blood-ridden snows of the Canadian wilderness to the sword-slinging streets of Madripor, Wolverine and a Predator break everything in their paths on their way to the ultimate victory…or glorious death. Superstar writer Benjamin Percy brings the bloodiest hunters in all pop culture to their knees!

Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox Studios has given the House of Mouse the rights to the PREDATOR movie franchise which also carries over to Marvel Comics. A perfect scenario for setting up a duel with two fearsome characters that had never matched up before due to copyrights being owned by competing companies. Are you excited about the first issue of the PREDATOR VS WOLVERINE mini-series arriving on comic book shop shelves Wednesday, September 20, 2023? I'm circling that new comic book day on my calendar! 

"I'm not going to say I was born to write this crossover ... but sometimes the universe reveals why you were created," Benjamin Percy commented to ageekdaddy.com while hyping these upcoming Marvel comic books. "I am a child of the eighties. I cannot tell you how many times I watched 'Predator,' just as I cannot tell you how many Wolverine comics I have read, because that would be like telling you how many breaths I've taken or cheeseburgers I've eaten."

"This epic hunt will span decades, as both of these giants learn and harden and grow deadlier with time," added Percy. "Neither will have time to bleed, but you better make time to read, because I'm putting everything I've got into this event, and I'm thrilled to join forces with some of the best artists in the business."

Percy is being joined in bringing his story to life by artists Greg Land and Andrea DiVito who will compliment his script with their illustrations. PREDATOR VERSUS WOLVERINE #1 will be 44 pages and priced $7.99. Check it out on September 20th! 

BABY NINJA KINDIE ROCK ALBUM

Take a little bit of pop, a pinch of Americana, and a dash of African rhythm. Add in a taste of Cajun flavor, a touch of country and western with a Japanese flair, (and some dirty socks), and you have what fans have come to expect from Kelli Welli: originality, personality, a dose of the ridiculous, and lots and lots of love. The 16 tracks on the upcoming kindie rock album BABY NINJA explode with Kelli Welli’s creativity and include contributions from fellow family music artists and talented friends Uncle Jumbo, Claudia Robin Gunn, Nanny Nikki, Stacey Peasley, and the album’s co-producer and multi-instrumentalist, Bryan Daste. BABY NINJA, the fourth album for families from John Lennon Songwriting Contest Grand Prize winner Kelli Welli, is being released June 16, 2023 on Amazon, Bandcamp, kelliwelli.com and streaming on all major platforms.

If you are geeked about kindie rock then you'll love this giveaway. This geek daddy has prize packs that include the album and a 40-page comic book inspired by BABY NINJA. I'll randomly pick a few winners from all the eligible entries. To toss your name in the hat for a chance to get a FREE prize pack courtesy of Kelli Welli, just complete the rafflecopter entries before 11:59 pm on June 18, 2023. Must be United State resident over 18 years old to participate in this promotion. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BABY NINJA bursts out of the gate with the album’s title track, infused with a Southwestern, retro-martial-arts spy vibe underscored by this takeaway: never underestimate the very real power of a baby! Other highlights include an unabashed ode to joy, “You’re a Sunny Day,” featuring Uncle Jumbo, and “When You Dance,” a chant performed by Kelli Welli with Nanny Nikki, Claudia Robin Gunn, and Stacey Peasley. “Water Baby,” written for and about Kelli’s daughter, Kira, who absolutely loves being in the water, features a great vocal harmony background and a dazzling organ solo by Jenny Conlee of the well-known Portland-based band, The Decembrists. Kelli’s son, Ryan, is heard on “Ryan the Lion,” which he co-wrote with Kelli when he was seven years old.

The traditional “Frère Jacques” is sung in five languages, each paired with an instrument that represents the language’s native country. “Dirty Socks” is a sibling song to Kelli Welli’s popular “Stinky Shoe” from her 2022 album, Robots Don’t Tell Jokes. Kelli swears that “Dirty Socks” was written by her dog, Piper Peach.

In collaboration with illustrator Belén Toscano, Kelli has created an accompanying 40-page comic book based on BABY NINJA'S title track. A bold statement about the amazing and powerful things babies do every day, the comic book will be released alongside the BABY NINJA album.

“We’re having a great time making this music, but we also try really hard to make even the silliest of our songs smart, respecting kids’ brains and hoping the parents enjoy them just as much,” Kelli Welli communicated to ageekdaddy.com. “We have been so excited to create and share BABY NINJA! The title track trumpets from the album’s onset that we’re continuing to stretch the ways we present songs for kids and the people who love them.”

Kelli Caldwell, who performs for kids as Kelli Welli, is an active songwriter in both the children’s and singer-songwriter/Americana (“grown-up”) music arenas. She has released three award-winning children’s albums and was the Grand Prize Winner in the children’s category of the 2021 John Lennon Songwriting Contest. All three of her children’s albums won the prestigious National Parenting Products Award. She is a three-time winner of the West Coast Songwriters International Song Contest and was a finalist in the Great American Song Contest. Kelli is currently a finalist in the International Songwriting Competition, where she also reached the finals in 2019, 2020, and 2022. 

HELLBOY CREATOR ILLUSTRATING FIRST NEW COMIC IN YEARS

For the first time in five years, the creator of Hellboy, Mike Mignola, is both writing and illustrating a full length comic book. Titled Sir Edward Grey: Acheron, the one shot story is set following the events of B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know, in which the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense managed to fight off the monsters on earth long enough for humanity to barely escape underground. This upcoming publication from Dark Horse Comics promises to start the next chapter in the Hellboy Universe of fantasy storytelling. 

The story is Mignola’s first full length comic book since Dark Horse Comics published Hellboy in Hell in 2016. In Sir Edward Grey: Acheron, Mignola reunites with award-winning colorist Dave Stewart, as well as letterer and longtime collaborator Clem Robbins. Dark Horse Comics is scheduled to release Sir Edward Grey: Acheron on December 1, 2021 featuring a main cover by Mignola and Stewart and a variant cover by acclaimed artist Ben Stenbeck and Stewart.

In Sir Edward Grey: Acheron, Hellboy is dead and gone and the B.P.R.D. are underground. So it turns to the ghost of a Victorian-era occult investigator named Edward Grey to return to Hell to confront a familiar foe and finish what needs to be done to truly save the world. This ghost is ready to bust some demons up to save the future of the Earth!

SCI FI REIMAGINING OF JULES VERNE NOVEL

Author Jules Verne (1828 - 1905) set the foundation for the action adventures and science fiction stories enjoyed today by writing novels such as Around the World in 80 Days, Journey to the Center of the Earth and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. He explored technological themes when many of these topics were fantasies rather than the reality we know today. To his credit many of Jules Verne's stories are still amazing to read even though they are more than a hundred years old and I've encouraged my kids to pickup some of his titles when selecting library books to bring home. Captain Nemo isn't just the name of my favorite sub shop, he is an incredible literary figure created by Jules Verne.

Stopping by my local comic book store to look for something new and interesting to read, I discovered LIGHTHOUSE by Image Comics. This comic book is a reimagining of a lesser known Jules Verne novel "The Lighthouse at the End of the World." It takes an adventurous tale set in a time on Earth filled with wooden sailing ships and pirates and retells it with a science fiction twist featuring rocket ships in outer space.

Jules Verne's "Lighthouse" is set in the 1850s in a time before the Panama Canal when rickety sailing ships from Europe and the East Coast of the United States must make a hazardous voyage around South America's Cape Horn to get to the West Coast of America and Asia. To try and make the voyage safer a lighthouse is built along the ocean coast of Argentina to assist passing ships in navigating treacherous waters. A small skeleton crew maintains this lighthouse built at the "End of the World" and is relieved by new staff to maintain the facility via a supply ship which visits every three months.

The story begins with head lighthouse keeper Vasquez along with helpers Moriz and Felipe beginning their shift in this out of the way local. Shortly after the supply ship departs though there is a new arrival at the lighthouse ... Pirates! They plan to utilize the lighthouse to wreck ships instead of guide them. The pirates will then scavenge the wrecks for booty. 

The pirates quickly dispatch Moriz and Felipe but Vasquez escapes into the wilderness surrounding the lighthouse. Vasquez then struggles to stay alive while also circumventing the pirates efforts to utilize the lighthouse to misguide passing ships into crashing their vessels. Can Vasquez hold out until the supply ship arrives with help?

Image Comics "Lighthouse" takes the plot of the 1850s era Jules Verne novel and sets it in a distant future sci fi setting. This lighthouse is a giant super computer on a space station in a far off corner of the galaxy that assists space ships in navigating transit through wormholes which allow mankind to travel millions of light years in short periods of time. Without this space station to guide ships traveling via wormholes is very tricky and dangerous. The lighthouse though has made traveling throughout outer space almost routine.

At the edge of the galaxy, there is a giant supercomputer known as the Lighthouse. The only brain powerful enough to navigate ships through a sargasso of naturally occurring wormholes, potentially cutting months or even years off a spaceship’s journey. Three humans, one alien, and a nanny bot have manned the remote station for years in relative peace until the arrival of Captain Kongre and his band of cutthroat pirates threatens the future of civilization and reveals that each of the Lighthouse crew has been hiding a shocking secret.

Like in Jules Verne's original story, the small crew maintaining this remote space station finds itself highjacked by pirates. Why try and take over ships when they can just crash them into asteroids and scavenge the wrecks with help from the Lighthouse. This comic book adaption of the Jules Verne "Lighthouse at the End of the World" adds a sci fi twist to the plot and takes the story off in a few different directions from the original novel adding some originality to the inspiration material. 

Image Comics' first issue in a 5-part mini series is on comic shop shelves now. Featuring captivating artwork by Brian Haberlin and a fun science fiction spin on a classic adventure tale with this adaption written by David Hine, I'm enjoying reading the first installment of Image Comics Lighthouse which starts off the mini-series with a double-sized issue. I'm geeked to keep reading the rest of the Lighthouse story from Image Comics!

KNIGHTS CLUB

Choose your own path through a fantasy adventure with the Knights Club series of middle grade reading level graphic novels from Comic Quests. These comic books incorporate role playing game aspects to provide a fun, interactive reading experience. Pick one of four characters -- a fighter, archer, mage or paladine to embark on a quest with. Tear out from the book or print out at quirkbooks.com a Quest Tracker sheet to manage your character's health, abilities, and accessories on your journey through a Knights Club adventure.

Each character has unique abilities and there are multiple potential endings in each book making it enjoyable to play through with different heroes and scenarios. For example the paladine can restore lost health points during combat or a mage can cast magic spells and make potions. Different decisions can lead your character down a variety of different paths. There are numerous outcomes to each of the Knights Club quests that are affected through solving puzzles, finding hidden items and battling adversaries. It is up to you whether your adventure succeeds or fails!

My son has a number of the Knights Club books and I decided to flip through the pages of The Alliance of Dragons. I completed a Quest Tracker for a fighter whose special ability is adding extra attack and resistance points to his skills as he gains experience points. You can level up your character by gaining XP that are recorded on your Quest Tracker. Your health is also tracked and can go up and down through the quest. If it reaches zero you are defeated and have to start over at the beginning of the book.

My fighter was recruited to rescue the Orc King's daughter who was captured by a band of Vikings. I bravely stormed the gates of the Viking compound to save the princess ... and that didn't go well. Quickly imprisoned in their dungeon it looked like my quest had come to a quick end. But then the Viking leader made me an offer I couldn't refuse. He would release me to hunt down a dragon who was harassing the Vikings and if I killed the beast the Orc Princess would be returned to her royal family.

This wasn't going to be easy though! I had to fight my way through a forest filled with bandits and zombies to make my way to the dragon's lair. To battle these foes there is a combat wheel that can be torn out of the book or printed from the Knights Quest section of quirkbooks.com. Spin a pencil around the wheel when you are in combat to determine your actions. Utilizing the combat wheel which decides if you hit or miss in an attack in combination with your adversaries stats printed in the book and your own skills listed on your Quest Tracker determine outcomes. So winning these encounters depend both on strategy and chance. These aspects of Comic Quests combine elements of the Choose Your Own Adventure books I loved as a kid with role playing games like Dungeon & Dragons to create comic books you can play.

After conquering a number of obstacles that included riddles, puzzles and a number of fights, it was time to tackle the dragon!

The dragon was fierce and it looked very likely that my fighter was going to become its next meal. But ultimately I prevailed defeating the monster! The Viking leader true to his word returned the Orc Princess to her home. Mission accomplished ... or was it? I discovered there are three more dragons lurking in this book to be encountered. Time to take another run through the story!

Evolve from squire to knight by engaging in the quests of all four Knights Club books: The Alliance of Dragons, Bands of Bravery, The Buried City and The Message of Destiny. Targeted for middle grade readers ages 8 to 12 years old this 40 year old dad had a good time too immersing himself in these medieval themed fantasy adventures filled with magic and monsters. I also like there are scenarios in these stories where stereotypical monsters are presented as victims, heroes and allies demonstrating to readers that you can't always judge a book by its cover so to speak. Now  onto the next adventure → The Buried City.

An exciting and entertaining way to encourage reading Knights Club books have earned a Geek Daddy nod of approval. Nicely illustrated and filled with problems to solve and battles to imagine involving strategic thinking these graphic novels are great for reading through over and over again. Fans of comic books and fantasy adventures are sure to be geeked to join in a Knights Club quest.

HOPE

My daughter's taken after her dad in becoming a comic book fan. She's been looking forward each month to picking up the newest issue of HOPE released by Source Point Press. The comic began a monthly distribution this summer after its first issue debuted on FREE COMIC BOOK DAY. It made for some nice reading time while school was out for summer break and she has enjoyed the story so much that I added HOPE to my pull list to buy for her at my favorite comic book shop.

The book's cover art and female heroine caught my daughter's attention while she was perusing the Free Comic Book Day selections back in May. Then she got really excited when we had a chance to meet the co-creator and artist for HOPE at our local comic shop. K. Lynn Smith illustrates and letters HOPE. We had her autograph a comic book and took a picture with the artist. My daughter was excited to see a woman playing a prominent role in the comic book industry which has also made reading HOPE special for her.

K. Lynn Smith told us when we met up with her that "HOPE is about a superhero who finds herself in a situation she can’t punch her way out." Smith pointed out this story "blurs the line between good and evil and takes a look at the human side of what happens to a super hero when their personal world falls apart around them." This comic book is full of social commentary using a super hero adventure as a way to delve into real issues impacting society today. Issues involving privacy, government authority and female equality are some of the topics woven into the story.

In the world of HOPE, people with super powers known as "Ultras" must identify themselves and enroll in a government registry. Their actions and whereabouts are strictly monitored and regulated. Seemingly average housewife Julie Lavelle has kept her super powers secret from the world, including her husband and daughter, even though she secretly been moonlighting as a costumed super hero using her abilities to help others. The public has begun to call her Hope while her real identity has remained a mystery. While she is beloved by the residents of her city, Lavelle has also caught the attention of the government which is concerned about an unregistered Ultra lurking about town.

When a family outing takes an unexpected turn, suddenly Julie Lavelle discovers how quickly life can change once the world knows she is Hope. She discovers that bad guys may not necessarily be her foes and who se thought was the good side may not be her friends. Life is already complicated before people know you are a super hero. Now family and friends may not see you the same way and there are people always trying to manipulate you for their own purposes. Plus doing good and being a hero may not be as cut and dry as it seems.

HOPE has become my daughter's comic book of choice to read because she has taking a liking to the artwork and appreciates the story is more focused on drama than fighting. Though she also does appreciate that there is some action with a female leading the storyline. While there are some mature themes, as a parent I appreciate that the book is age rated Teen so there isn't much more to being exposed to than would be seen in a PG-13 movie which we regularly let our tween see. Still just to be safe, I peruse through each of these comic books myself before letting my daughter read a new issue.

Scripted by co-creator Dirk Manning, you can find out more about his and K. Lynn Smith's HOPE at sourcepointpress.com

CALEXIT

** A Geek Daddy received a complimentary comic book to review ** 

Could a situation like what is going on in Syria with a country falling into anarchy as everyday citizens revolt from an authoritarian government and fanatical groups jump into the fray causing mass casualties and destruction throughout the land ever happen within the United States?  Author Matteo Pizzolo and artist Amancay Nahuelpan portray a dystopian near-future where California becomes embattled territory as its residents begin to battle against the federal government, and each other, over the state's withdrawal from the United States.  In the CALEXIT comic book series being published by Black Mask Studios, when a Trump-like President becomes empowered by a second term re-election, he orders the mass deportation of all non-citizen residents.  California responds by declaring itself a "Sanctuary State" and resisting the policy resulting in all of its federal assistance and funding being cut off.  This leads the State Legislature and Governor to declare, similar to the Great Britain exiting the European Union (Brexit), that California would be withdrawing from the United States.

In response, local authorities begin taking sides with liberal urban areas supporting CALEXIT and  conservative rural regions standing up against it.  Citizen militias begin to form as well supporting each side and armed conflict erupts.  California is thrown into a chaotic civil war scenario and the President then takes control of the state's national guard to secure major cities and infrastructure while supporting local efforts to extinguish the rebellion.  In areas occupied by the federal government such as Los Angeles life goes on as if a state of emergency isn't taking place with tourists still coming into town to visit place like the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Disneyland creating a very odd dynamic.  Especially when the occasional sniper takes out a soldier guarding the tourist spots! 

This is where readers find themselves in the first issue of  CALEXIT that arrived at comic book shops today.  The ongoing series will tell the story of Jamil, a 25-year old man working as a courier (aka smuggler) that has a knack for slipping between secessionist and federalist battle lines, and Zora, a 27-year old woman who was adopted by an American family as a baby and is now facing deportation after having been told she is no longer a citizen because the law that allowed her adoption and citizenship has been invalidated. Zora has become a figurehead for the California resistance movement being tracked by a diabolical homeland security field agent who will do anything it takes to eliminate the rebellion.  Jamil and Zora are trying to escape a Los Angeles occupied by the United States military to keep her out of the hands of Agent Rossie who is engaging in a merciless hunt for the young woman.


Black Mask Studios aims to bring a punk rock ethos to comics and it hits that mark with this comic book series.  A fictional warfare themed suspense story with realistic plot undertones, CALEXIT is a great pickup for adults who enjoy comic books.  Fans of comic book/television series such as The Walking Dead and The Strain will appreciate the material in this gritty series that has its characters dealing with political drama and overcoming dangerous situations.  Instead of battling against supernatural horrors though the characters in CALEXIT must overcome situations arising out of sociopolitical issues pulled from today's news headlines.

I really enjoyed reading this comic book and am looking forward to the next issue.  This looks like a series I'll be adding to my pull list at the neighborhood comic book shop.  Beware that while CALEXIT is a comic book it isn't meant to be read by kids.  It is meant for an adult audience and is full of mature content.  The first issue includes swearing, lots of killing (a severed head is delivered as a warning in one scene), and sexual situations including a couple getting at it on while riding a merry-go-round at a playground.  This is a grown-up story that is full of shocking and thought provoking situations that will really draw you into its characters, plot and setting.  While it is full of shoot outs and other action scenes, CALEXIT also incorporates plenty of drama making Pizzolo's writing as interesting to read as it is entertaining to peruse through the comic book's nicely done illustrations by Nahuelpan.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM:

Named Wired Magazine's 'World's Most Wired Comics Creator' and included in Bleeding Cool's 'Top 100 Most Influential People in Comics,' Matteo Pizzolo is a comic book writer-creator, award-winning filmmaker, and co-founder of Black Mask Studios. He is currently focused on writing comic books such as CALEXIT that explore and challenge the dynamics of today's political hot topics.

Amancay Nahuelpan has worked on ROBOCOP (Boom!), BOY-1 (IDW) and co-created YOUNG TERRORISTS and CLANDESTINO (Black Mask Studios).  He broke into the field of comic book artistry by participating in the Zuda Comics Competitions and his first published work was in OCCUPY COMICS.  Nahuelpan provides the visual vibe of CALEXIT by creating the interior illustrations and cover artwork for the comic book series.

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?