THE ESSENTIAL PEANUTS: THE GREATEST COMIC STRIP OF ALL TIME

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the publishing of Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts comic strip, Abrams ComicArts is publishing a commemorative coffee table book honoring its legacy. Award-winning comics writer and historian Mark Evanier examines the cultural and historical context of Schulz's work through the viewing of reprints of some of the most iconic Peanuts strips to be published in newspapers. THE ESSENTIAL PEANUTS: THE GREATEST COMIC STRIP OF ALL TIME will also feature an introduction by MUTTS creator Patrick McDonnell, a foreword by Jean Schulz, design by Chip Kidd, and a portfolio of collectible Peanuts ephemera that includes: 

• 8 ready-to-frame prints 
• 5 vinyl stickers
•  8 postcards 
• Iron-on patch 
• Full-color comic book and more!

The book is being released on October 7, 2025 but you can preorder it now on Amazon.com. Timed for its 75th anniversary, The Essential Peanuts underscores how and why the comic strip transcends cultural, generational, and linguistic barriers to remain relevant and beloved. By exploring the creative ambition of Charles M. Schulz, his wry commentary on childhood struggles and triumphs, and his enduring influence on art, literature, and everyday life, Evanier not only celebrates an incomparable legacy but also reveals the universal appeal at the heart of Peanuts.

In addition to comic strip reprints and text by Evanier, The Essential Peanuts includes commentary and contributions from Robb Armstrong (Franklin), Derrick Bang (Vince Guaraldi and A Charlie Brown Christmas), Rob Boutilier (The Snoopy Show), Paige Braddock (Schulz’s pen line), Alberto Brambilla (Peanuts in Italy), Benjamin L. Clark (Peanuts paperbacks), Alexis E. Fajardo (selecting the Essential Peanuts), Ben Folds (the sound of Peanuts), Sarah Gillespie (editing Schulz), Chip Kidd (design of Peanuts), Amy Lago (editing Schulz), Mike Massimino (Snoopy and Apollo 10), Akio Matsunaga (Peanuts in Japan), Jeff Morrow (scoring Peanuts), Hilary B. Price (Peppermint Patty and Marcie), and Shuntarō Tanikawa (Poet laureate and translator of Peanuts in Japan).

Since the first Peanuts strip made its debut on October 2, 1950, it has made a lasting impression on the world. From the introduction of Franklin (the first Black character in a major syndicated newspaper strip) to holiday special viewing that has become family traditions to a modern-day animated movie that created a new generation of Snoopy fans, Peanuts has had a lasting influence that few works of art or literature can claim. The loveable loser Charlie Brown, had adventurous canine companion Snoopy, and their gang of neighborhood school buddies are truly beloved.

“Not many cartoons live into the next generation, and that probably is the best definition of art, isn’t it? Does it speak to succeeding generations? Real art, real music, real literature, speaks to succeeding generations.” –Charles M. Schulz

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ROCK THE VOTE WITH THE PEANUTS GANG

Three things I normally don't talk about on the blog are religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin.  This is one of the most interesting election years ever though isn't it?  We have a loudmouth candidate who offends almost everyone, a candidate who is all things to all people, even a candidate with some pretty revolutionary ideas about how we should all spend our time on Halloween evenings.  No I'm not talking about Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump or Gary Johnson but rather Lucy van Pelt, Snoopy, and Linus, who are joining Charlie Brown, Sally, and Franklin, in a very special election to decide which Peanuts character would make the best President.

After seeing the integrity, and smooth dance moves, that he demonstrated in THE PEANUTS MOVIE, Charlie Brown has earned my vote.  Who will you choose?  Cast your vote right now at peanutsrocksthevote.com.

While I'm not going to get embroiled in online debates pitting Republicans versus Democrats, I also won't hesitate to encourage people to take the civic responsibility of voting seriously.  With all the hoopla and hype surrounding presidential elections, voter turnout is still only around 60% of the eligible population with that number being even lower among young voters (18 - 24 years old) at 44%.  To help encourage more people to get involved in voting during this presidential election year, The Peanuts have partnered with Rock the Vote, a nonprofit voter education organization that encourages young people to register to vote.  When fans go to peanutsrocksthevote.com to vote for their favorite Peanuts candidate, they can also utilize the Rock the Vote's custom online voter registration tool so they can make sure to be registered to vote in the real life presidential election on Tuesday, November 8, 2016.

In addition to providing a nice outlet for getting disengaged people to participate in our country's political process, when young children begin asking about the upcoming election this Peanuts promotion provides a nice way to have an educational civics lesson that encourages kids to want to get involved in voting at an early age without having to talk about the specifics of what is sure to be one of the nastiest campaign seasons in modern history.  I'd honestly much rather talk about voting and what the responsibilities of being president are with my 7 year old twins by using Charlie Brown as an example compared to any of the real candidates.  So we're going to have a family movie night that will include watching THE PEANUTS MOVIE then have a teachable moment discussing why we vote for people for a variety of jobs; why it is important to vote; and what are the strengths and weaknesses of each Peanuts candidate are; followed by a visit to peanutsrocksthevote.com where we'll all cast our ballots.  Four years from now my kids will be old enough to discuss the real candidates with but for now we're just going to let them enjoy being carefree children and stick with basic discussions about politics and government using this nice Peanuts example.

The polling shows a very close race between all six Peanuts candidates.  Who do you think is going to win?  Go get your votes in at peanutsrocksthevote.com!

Family Movie Night: The Peanuts Movie

Unfortunately because of life-threatening food allergies the only Peanuts we can have in our home are those associated with the Charles Schulz comic strip featuring Snoopy, Charlie Brown and their youthful gang of friends.  So it was a real treat to enjoy a #PeanutsMovieNight courtesy of our friends at Fox Home Entertainment.

Our Peanuts themed family movie night began with an after-dinner trip to the neighborhood park to take a stab at flying a kite, hate to admit it but I'm about as skilled at that as good ole Charlie Brown is, and to throw around a baseball playing catch since that is one of Snoopy and the gang's favorite activities.  When we returned home from the park, we watched on of The Peanut Movie Blu-ray bonus features that provides drawing lessons for Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Woodstock.  The kids then spent some time taking a stab at drawing their favorite Peanuts characters.

While the kids were drawing, my wife and I whipped up some movie snacks (cinnamon toast, jelly beans, and popcorn) so we could have our own feast like the one in the A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving television special.  Then our family curled up on the couches around the living room to enjoy watching The Peanuts Movie.

Once the show concluded, my kids had some more fun playing with a set of McDonalds' Peanuts Happy Meal toys that we'd been sent along with the movie and several other The Peanuts Movie themed goodies from the good folks over at Fox Home Entertainment.  Bedtime soon arrived and we all soon had dreams of little Woodstock type yellow birds circling our heads.  It is always nice to have a family movie night that includes other themed activities going beyond just watching a video and we had a wonderful evening enjoying some quality time together.

In The Peanuts Movie, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the beloved Peanuts gang appear as you’ve never seen them before in a brand-new animated feature film from the imagination of Charles M. Schulz and the creators of Ice Age. Join everyone’s favorite eternal optimist, Charlie Brown, as he embarks on a heroic quest to win the affection of the little red-haired girl, while his beagle pal Snoopy takes to the skies to pursue his arch nemesis, the Red Baron. It’s a hilarious and heart-warming adventure!

 The Peanuts Movie is now available on Blu-ray, DVD and DigitalHD.  For more information, visit PeanutsMovie.com



FTC DISCLOSURE / DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy is a member of the Fox Home Entertainment Insiders Blogger Program receiving special information, goodies, giveaways and perks as part of its participation. A Geek Daddy is not financially compensated for participating in the program. Opinions expressed our my own.  #PEANUTSinsiders

THE PEANUTS MOVIE - BLURAY/DVD/DIGITAL HD + FLYING ACE SNOOPY PLUSH GIFT SET GIVEAWAY

Hurrah! Hurrah! THE PEANUTS MOVIE will soon be available on Blu-ray and DVD beginning March 8, 2016!!!  Watching Peanuts television specials tied to holidays like Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Years and Valentine's Day every year was a family tradition for both my wife and I growing up that we've now passed on to our kids as well.  Based upon our affection for the television specials there was no doubt our family was going to see THE PEANUTS MOVIE when it was in theaters last year and we loved it!  My kids, wife and I all thoroughly enjoyed seeing Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang in their first movie and are really looking forward to adding THE PEANUTS MOVIE to our home video library. I am sure now when we regularly watch the  holiday specials on TV we'll also routinely be watching THE PEANUTS MOVIE as well.

To share our excitement about THE PEANUTS MOVIE being released on Bluray and DVD plus via Digital HD Download with our A GEEK DADDY readers, the blog is giving away a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD + Flying Ace Snoopy Plush Toy Limited Edition Gift Set courtesy of Fox Home Entertainment. To be eligible for this Snoopyrific giveaways just follow @Geekdad248 on Twitter and retweet our original contest tweet which is embedded below before March 7, 2016 @ 11:59 pm EST.

Follow @Geekdad248 & RT for chance to win THE PEANUTS MOVIE on Blu-ray from A Geek Daddy Blog #PEANUTSInsider #ad pic.twitter.com/upDw5JnZhg

— A Geek Daddy (@GeekDad248) February 27, 2016

Each RT will be assigned a number based on the order it was received and voila! We shall select our winner with random.org. Simple as that!

In THE PEANUTS MOVIE, good ol’ Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the beloved Peanuts gang appear as you’ve never seen them before in a brand-new feature film from the imagination of Charles M. Schulz and the creators of Ice Age. Join everyone’s favorite eternal optimist, Charlie Brown, as he embarks on a heroic quest, while his beagle pal Snoopy takes to the skies to pursue his arch nemesis, the Red Baron. It’s a hilarious and heart-warming adventure!

Congrats to Justis from Woodford, Virginia who won our movie giveaway.

THE PEANUTS MOVIE Blu-ray 3D™, Blu-ray™ & Digital HD includes:
• Snoopy Snippets – Can’t get enough of your favorite Peanuts characters? These six all-new Snoopy Snippets will brighten your day!
• You Never Grow Up Charlie Brown – In this fascinating documentary, you’ll learn about Charles Schulz, the history of the Peanuts gang, and their journey to the big screen!
• Snoopy’s Sibling Salute – It’s a Snoopy family reunion as The Peanuts Movie filmmakers introduce viewers to Snoopy’s siblings: Andy, Olaf, Spike, Belle and Marbles.
• Learn To Draw Snoopy, Woodstock and Charlie Brown – Director Steve Martino provides fun, step-by-step tutorials on how to draw Snoopy, Woodstock and Charlie Brown.
• Get Down With Snoopy and Woodstock Music Video – Clap, dance and sing along with Snoopy, Woodstock and Charlie Brown to an all-new version of everyone’s favorite Peanuts song!
• “Better When I’m Dancin’” Meghan Trainor Lyric Video – The Peanuts gang is dancing up a storm with moves like you've never seen before—and on-screen lyrics so you can sing along.

While waiting for the announcement of who has won our A Geek Daddy movie prize pack giveaway have some fun enjoying these Peanuts themed activities:

FTC DISCLOSURE / DISCLAIMER:  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.  Winner must be following the twitter account @Geekdad248 at the time winner is randomly drawn to be eligible and so he or she can be notified.  Must reply to DM within 48 hours of notification or a new winner will be selected. If you win this prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again.  Must be a US or Canadian resident over 18 years old. 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 the same gift package 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. A Geek Daddy is a member of the Fox Home Entertainment Insiders Blogger Program receiving special information and perks as part of its participation. #PEANUTSinsiders

Get "Peanutized" - Turn yourself into a PEANUTS character

Hooray! Snoopy and the Peanuts gang are coming to the big screen this holiday season.  For our family, as I'm sure as for many of yours, its a tradition to watch Peanuts animated television specials during the holidays.  Halloween just wouldn't be the same without a showing of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown nor would Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years without our family enjoying one of the classic Peanuts holiday TV specials.  Now we'll have another story featuring Charlie Brown, his dog Snoopy, and their gang of friends to enjoy when THE PEANUTS MOVIE arrives at theaters on November 6, 2015.



To help you get in the mood for upcoming movie, there is a great feature that let's people get "peanutized" where they can create their own personalized Peanuts avatar.  Visit PeanutizeMe.com to create your own customized image that can be used for a social media profile or as the wallpaper for your personal computer or laptop's screen.  They're very easy to create - just choose your character's gender, hair, clothes, and accessories and voila there you have it your very own Peanutizd persona.  Here are a few images of myself and my kids turned into Peanuts characters.  What do you think? Did PeanutizeMe.com capture our inner Charlie Brown?

THE PEANUTS MOVIE will be the big screen debut for Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the rest of the beloved "Peanuts" gang.  Not only will this be their first appearance in a theatrically released motion picture, but it will also be the first time the Peanuts are presented in state of the art 3D animation.  In this film, Snoopy, the world's most lovable beagle -- and flying ace -- embarks upon his greatest mission as he takes to the skies to pursue his arch nemesis The Red Baron (oh by the way Snoopy we found your missing biplane the other day) while his best pal, Charlie Brown, begins his own epic quest.  From the imagination of Charles M. Schulz and the creators of the ICE AGE films, THE PEANUTS MOVIE will prove that every underdog has his day!

For more information about the movie, visit PeanutsMovie.com or follow @PeanutsMovie on Twitter.  Our family is really looking forward to kicking off the holiday season with a trip to the move theater to see THE PEANUTS MOVIE this year plus looking forward to watching it again and again in future years as a brand new addition to our traditional seasonal entertainment.

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

Stop by the local Comic Book Store as part of your Trick or Treat Plans

On Saturday, October 25, 2014 local comic book stores across the United States and Canada will be giving away FREE comic books for the industry's HALLOWEEN COMICFEST.  Participating retailers will be handing out 12 full size comics and 7 mini-comics to kids, and adults, who stop by and say "trick or treat" while supplies last.  CLICK HERE to see if there is a participating location near you.

The full size comic books are aimed more for teens and adults with titles such as AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE, BATMAN-LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT HALLOWEEN SPECIAL, MAX BROOKS' EXTINCTION PARADE, GRIMM FAIRY TALES HALLOWEEN SPECIAL, RACHEL RISING and RESIDENT EVIL.

There are though a few of the full sized comic books with a kids focus such as HERO CATS, MY LITTLE PONY, and SCOOBY-DOO TEAMS UP WITH BATMAN.

The mini-comics are much more aimed for younger audiences with a compilation by Boom! Studios that includes stories featuring Adventure Time, Peanuts and Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock plus other comics featuring Angry Birds, Little Battlers and Vamplets: the Undead Pet Society.

Don't miss out on the fun! Make sure you swing by a participating comic book store on Saturday, October 25th.  They'll probably be out of the freebies by the end of the day so don't wait until later in the week to try and pick these up or try to actually trick or treat on Halloween at these stores.

For more information, visit www.HalloweenComicFest.com

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY IS GREAT FOR PRESCHOOLERS & EARLY READERS

I've been taking my children to FREE COMIC BOOK DAY for the last several years although they've been too young to read themselves.  This event on the first Saturday of May is when publishers team up with comic book shops to promote their industry to consumers by offering free samples to anyone who visits participating stores that day (well that is while supplies last because most stores normally run out of stock by mid-afternoon).  My kids flip through the pages enjoying the artwork and have me read the stories to them for weeks following our FREE COMIC BOOK DAY visit.  Sharing comic books with my kids through this annual event has been a fun day of bonding with my son and daughter while promoting creativity, imagination, and reading with my children.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY had done a nice job of making sure the event provides a selection of comics targeted to preschoolers and early readers that parent can feel comfortable giving to their children.  This year's event is on Saturday, May 3, 2014 and will be featuring ten titles suitable for young readers including:

Published by PERFECT SQUARE this comic features all new adventures featuring Hello Kitty and her friends.  It will also feature a sneak peek of an upcoming tribute book celebrating Hello Kitty's 40th anniversary.

In FANTAGRAPHIC BOOKS "A Matter of some Gravity" saucy sorceress Magica De Spell turns Scrooge's life sideways-literally! when she distorts the forces of gravity.

PAPERCUTZ brings the Smurfs to Free Comic Book Day.  This comic features never-before-seen stories from Peyo starring everyone's favorite blue bombshell: the Smurfette! It's Smurftastically FREE!

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS is bringing Sonic the Hedgehog & Mega Man to the party.  It is providing TWO free comic books in ONE.  It will showcase storylines from both characters' universes in a flipsided combined issue.

BOOM ENTERTAINMENT will feature samples from all their popular children's series including Peanut & Garfield.

Two years ago ARCHAIA published an incredible hard cover Free Comic Book Day edition featuring its popular MOUSE GUARD series.  ARCHAIA continues to be one of the leading supporters of this event by publishing another great hard cover comic book this year!

CAPSTONE is celebrating its award winning series JELLABY.  This comic book about ten year old Portia and her beloved purple monster Jellaby will feature two short stories, including the exclusive, never-before-in-print adventure "The Knot."  

DC COMICS will also be providing a TEEN TITANS issue for Free Comic Book Day.

To find a participating comic book retailer near you, CLICK HERE.  Don't miss out on Free Comic Book Day!