ADVENTURE TIME DISTANT LANDS

Warner Bros Home Entertainment provided ageekdaddy.com with a complimentary Adventure Time: Distant Lands Blu-ray for promotional consideration.

The four hour-long Adventure Land specials created for HBO Max that were originally exclusive to the streaming service are now available to purchase on a Blu-ray to add to your home entertainment library. The animated series Adventure Time which follows the adventures of Finn (a human boy) and his best friend and adoptive brother Jake (a dog with magical powers to change shape and size at will) who live in the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo, originally was broadcast on Cartoon Network from 2010 to 2018. From 2020 - 2021, HBO Max introduced new, original Adventure Time content in its Distant Lands specials that are collected together on one Blu-ray.

ADVENTURE LAND: DISTANT LANDS features the original HBO Max limited series episodes BMO, Obsidian, Together Again, and Wizard City:

BMO

BMO is on his way to Mars when a cute extraterrestrial nicknamed "Olive" knocks his spaceship off course, causing a crash landing on a mysterious space station. Upon realizing this strange place is in peril, self-appointed sheriff BMO enlists Y5, a curious rabbit friend, to help save the day. Will teamwork prevail or will the powers that be foil this adorable duo's good deeds?

OBSIDIAN

When a powerful and dangerous dragon breaks free from its prison beneath the Glass Kingdom, young bookworm Glassboy sets out to find the legendary hero who first defeated the dragon centuries ago: Marceline the Vampire Queen. Marceline, now living in domestic bliss with Princess Bubblegum is apprehensive about revisiting the Glass Kingdom. It is a place that holds bad memories for her and Princess Bubblegum. With the help of Glassboy and some new friends, Marceline and Princess Bubblegum will have to confront their rocky past as they face off against an ancient foe.

TOGETHER AGAIN

A battle-weary Finn returns to a familiar kingdom, only to find that it is under the control of a snake-headed tyrant whose master plan will have devasting consequences for all of Ooo. In order to save the day, Finn will need the help of friends, rivals and especially his beloved brother Jake the Dog. But there's just one problem...he hasn't seen his brother in in years! Not only will Finn have to find Jake before it is too late, but he will have to convince him to return to action for one last adventure together.

WIZARD CITY

Peppermint Butler starts over at the beginning as just another inexperienced Wizard School student. When mysterious events at the campus cast suspicion on Pep and his checkered past, can he muster the mystic arts in time to prove his innocence?

Major League Baseball Teams Wearing Patriotic Themed Uniforms During Fourth of July Games

On Monday, July 4, 2016, Major League Baseball teams will be sporting special patriotic themed caps and jerseys during their games to honor America's Independence Day holiday.  The jerseys will incorporate a stars and stripes / fireworks theme to the lettering and numbering while the caps will either be blue or red with a background of white stars emblazoned on the front.

In addition to adding some patriotic spirit to America's pastime on the Fourth of July these uniforms will be assisting the charity Welcome Back Veterans which assists U.S. military servicemen and women with making a successful transition back to civilian life.  Major League Baseball's licensing royalties from the sale of the replica caps and jerseys their teams' players will be wearing on the field for Independence Day will be donated to this veterans charity.

These specialty Fourth of July uniforms are altered each year to make them collectible and maintain fan interest in each year's new design.  Check out your favorite team's Stars & Stripes cap and jersey by visiting shop.mlb.com.  I have to admit not really taking much of a liking to this year's Stars & Stripes cap and jersey designs for the U.S. teams but ironically the Blue Jays Maple Leaf Cap version of the Fourth of July uniforms in my opinion comes off really sharp. The Blue Jays will wear their specialty caps and jerseys on Canada Day (July 1) as well as on the Fourth of July.  So what do you think of this year's Major League Baseball Independence Day uniform designs?

HARVEY BEAKS Two-Part Steampunk Themed Musical Special on Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon's HARVEY BEAKS animated television show is featuring a steampunk themed two-part musical special that will debut on Thursday, June 23 and Friday, June 24, 2016 at 5:30pm (ET/PT) on the cable channel.  Harvey and his friends set out on a brand-new, imaginary and musical journey where they explore the cogs, gears, and fantasy of the world Steamburg.

In Part 1 which premieres on the evening of June 23rd, Harvey imagines he is in a steampunk world, and is blamed for breaking a floating city.  Part 2 follows the next evening of Friday, June 24 where the songs and mystery continue when Harvey continues his quest to fix the floating city, but danger looms around every steamy corner.  This special two-episode story arc will feature four original songs: "Steamburg," "(Here In Our Town Called) Reject Town," "I Can Tell We're Gonna Be Friends" and "Friendship Can Do Anything."



Created and executive produced by C.H. Greenblatt (Chowder), Harvey Beaks follows the life of a big-hearted and big-headed kid and his impetuous two best friends. Together with an odd assortment of townsfolk in their magical forest, they get into all sorts of adventures and trouble. But no matter how ridiculous things get, they always find a way to stay true to themselves.

Visit the Harvey Beaks page on Nick.com or the Nick App to learn more about the show and its characters, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the series. Episodes of Harvey Beaks are available on Nick.com and the Nick App, along with digital download and streaming platforms that include iTunes, Amazon, Xbox, Google Play, Vudu, Playstation, and Nick On Demand.

WALLYKAZAM! Nickelodeon has a "Big Goblin Problem"

An actor from one of my favorite televisions shows, Parks & Recreation, is guest starring on one of my children's favorite Nickelodeon shows this week, Wallykazam!  It's going to be a goblin of an episode when Ben Schwartz, voices Wally's Uncle Steve, a master dragon rider who goes on adventures and stops trouble, in a special hour-long special airing on Friday, February 6 at Noon titled "The Big Goblin Problem" The Wallykazam! television series is great for preschoolers and kindergarteners because of the fun and interesting way it incorporates literacy curriculum into its stories.  Phonics, letter and sound identification, rhyming, and vocabulary development and comprehension are all important educational topics highlighted in these shows.  Nickelodeon very kindly gave my twins the opportunity to have a sneak peek and watch "The Big Goblin Problem" before its public debut and the kids' review on the show is that it is "GREAT!!!"

In "The Big Goblin Problem," Wally's Uncle Steve and his dragon, Victoria, visit and bring magic bubbles that double what they pop on.  Bobgoblin finds the bubbles and doubles his favorite thing...himself!  Wally and Norville must save the day before the Bobgoblins cover the town in their favorite snack - strawberries and pickle pudding.

Wallykazam! follows the adventures of a troll named Wally and his pet dragon, Norville, who live in a forest with giants, goblins, orgres, sprites, and other mythical creatures.  Wally uses his magic stick to make words come to life on screen that playfully transform the world around him.  The half hour shows regularly air weekdays at 10:00 am (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.

Our family appreciates Wallykazam! because its format ties into our children's sight word lessons at school.  Sight words are commonly used words that young children are encouraged to memorize as a whole by sight, so they can automatically recognize these words in print when first learning to read.  Sight words account for a large percentage of the words used in beginning children's reading materials which allow early readers to identify the majority of words in a text and concentrate on the meaning and comprehension versus spelling out every single word.  Because of its entertaining stories and educational benefits, Wallykazam! gets A GEEK DADDY nod of approval.

For more information about Wallykazam! visit nickjr.com/wallykazam

Happy Birthday to Rudolph - the Red Nosed Reindeer was Born 75 Years Ago

Most people young and old will be familiar with the story of a down on his luck outcast named Rudolph who wasn't allowed to play with the others in the North Pole's reindeer games or join the crew of Santa's sleigh until one foggy night where his shiny nose went from being considered a detriment to an asset that saved Christmas.  The story of this beloved reindeer is mostly associated with the hit song sung by Gene Autry in 1949 or the 1964 stop-motion animation TV special which have both become iconic pop culture staples associated with celebrating Christmas.  Rudolph though has more humble origins as he was born this Christmas season as a coloring book to promote holiday shopping at Montgomery Ward department stores 75 years ago.

For years Montgomery Ward had been giving out free coloring books to entice shoppers into their stores.  The department store decided to create its own coloring book hoping that would be a cheaper alternative to produce and distribute than buying the product from a vendor.  So in 1939, Montgomery Ward hired a copywriter named Robert May to create a Christmas themed coloring book for them.  Inspired by his own lonely awkward childhood, May created the story of Reginald the Reindeer who overcame prejudice and life obstacles to become a hero.  That cord struck with Depression Era audiences and his story was approved for use in Montgomery Ward's coloring book with one change, Reginald became Rudolph.  The department store distributed 2.5 million Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer coloring books and a cultural icon was born.  Today if you asked children what Montgomery Ward's is they probably couldn't tell you (the retailer which in the early to mid-20th Century was one of the most dominant department stores and mail order providers in the United States went out of business in 2001) but you know they will know who Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is.

CLICK HERE to read Robert May's original manuscript for Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

On a sad note, May's wife died while he was working on the coloring book project.  He became buried in debt from his wife's medical bills and struggled as a single father.  After World War II, Montgomery Ward's CEO as a charitable gesture provided Robert May with the rights to the Rudolph story.  In 1944, Rudolph also made his first on screen debut with a theatrical cartoon film produced by Max Fleischer that further increased Rudolph's popularity and opened up opportunities with book publishers for May. The Rudolph story was then published as a real book for the first time by Maxton Books and was followed up with a sequel in 1954 titled Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Shines Again. In 1958, Golden Books published an illustrated storybook written by Barbara Shook Hazen and illustrated by Richard Scarry that was an adaptation of Fleischer's cartoon short.

Rudolph really took off when May's brother-in-law Johnny Marks wrote the song Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer that was sung by Gene Autry and became a huge hit and sold 2 million records the year it was released!  It was the Gene Autry song actually was the inspiration for the 1964 television special that so many people love which takes some liberties with May's original story.  Reportedly the Marks and Mays families became estranged and fought over the rights to the Rudolph brand and its royalties.  After both  Johnny Marks and Robert Mays passed away the families agreed to come together and their heirs have agreed to share equally the ownership of anything related to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer between the families.

Here are a few other Rudolph tidbits that I found interesting:

• DC Comics published a series of annual comics titled Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer from 1950 to 1962.
• In 1998, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer: The Movie was released as an animated feature film in theaters and later made available for home video featuring the voices of John Goodman, Bob Newhart and Whoopi Goldberg.  A sequel was produced in 2001 titled Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys that includes characters licensed from the 1964 television special and the voices of Jamie Lee Curtis, Richard Dreyfus and Rick Moranis.
• Robert May wrote a sequel book titled Rudolph's Second Christmas in 1947 that wasn't published until 1991 by Applewood Books.
• The original Rudolph story was written as a poem in the meter of Twas the Night Before Christmas.
• A live action version of Rudolph (yes including a red nose) is reported to be appearing in this year's DR WHO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL that BBC is airing on December 25, 2014.

Happy Birthday Rudolph! Wishing you many more!

Heroic Husky Joins the Puppies of Nickelodeon's "PAW Patrol" in Brand New Episode of the Animated TV Series

If you children enjoy the animated Nickelodeon television series PAW PATROL as much as mine do you'll absolutely want to make sure to watch or DVR a brand new episode being broadcast on Friday, November 14th at Noon. A new member of the team is introduced in this special half hour show called "The New Pup." In this snow adventure, Ryder, the human leader of the team of puppy rescuers surprises the pups with a new vehicle -- the PAW Patroller -- a supercharged snowmobile.  The team needs it to rescue their friend Jake who is lost at the South Pole.  While the PAW Patrol puppies race to rescue him, an arctic storm picks up and Jake is instead found and assisted by a brave mountain ranger Husky named Everest.  After Everest saves the day, she is invited to become the newest member of the PAW Patrol pack.

PAW Patrol starts a pack of heroic rescue pups-Chase, Marshall, Rocky, Rubble, Zuma, Skye, and now Everest, who are led by a tech savvy boy named Ryder.  Together they work hard to show the people of Adventure Bay that "no job is too big, no pup too small!"  In partnership with Spin Master Entertainment, the series features a curriculum that focuses on citizenship, social skills, and problem-solving.  PAW Patrol is the number-one preschool series on Nickelodeon and airs weekdays at 12pm (ET/PT)

SPORTSNATION Star Wars Special on ESPN2 Celebrates Halloween

Disney is merging its Star Wars and cable sports network properties together in a fun synergy of Halloween awesomeness on Thursday, October 30, 2014.  ESPN2's SportsNation is teaming up with Star Wars for a special 1/2 hour Halloween show starting at 7:30pm.  The show will feature popular characters from the Star Wars franchise interacting with the show's cast along with a cameo by the greatest jedi master of them all, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (no wonder he was a record setting 6-time NBA MVP and 19 time All-Star Team selection with the Force behind him - being an athletic 7'2" probably helped too).

This episode of SportsNation will have the studio decked out to look like the inside of the Millennium Falcon and feature highlight clips under Star Wars inspired categories such as "Best Jedi Mind Trick" and "Most Unstoppable Skywalkers."

The Hollywood Reporter premiered the opening segment of this SportsNation Halloween special and as Darth Vader would say it is impressive, most impressive.  It features SportsNation host Michelle Beadle as a Jedi on a mission to save colleagues Max Kellerman and Marcellus Wiley from Vader and his legion of stormtroopers who have invaded the  ESPN2 studio.  Check out the segment in advance of the show courtesy of HollywoodReporter.com:

There is a specific marketing purpose for this special believe it or not...Disney understands that the SportsNation audience is also a demographic that may be interested in another brand new show airing on one of its other cable channels called Star Wars: Rebels.  In addition to the Star Wars features and gags during SportsNation the show will also feature an exclusive sneak peak of an upcoming episode of Disney XD's Star Wars: Rebels animated television series.

If the whole SportsNation episode is as good as its opening sequence this is absolutely a show not to be missed!

A Treat for Harry Potter Fans on Halloween

Author J.K. Rowling is providing fans of the wizardly world of Harry Potter with a special treat this Halloween.  On October 31, 2014 she will be releasing a brand new short story on the official Harry Potter website www.Pottermore.com that fans can read for FREE!  This story won't focus on Harry or his cast of friends though, rather it will be centered around the horrid witch Dolores Umbridge who is a character people love to hate.  This new tale will provide a back story providing more perspective on this evil cat hoarding character who had a fetish for anything the color pink and reveled in tormenting Harry Potter.

Teaser posted on the Pottermore website to promote the new Harry Potter themed short story

"Umbridge is not only one of the most malicious Potter characters, she is the only person other than Lord Voldemort to leave a permanent physical scar on Harry," the Pottermore website posted.  "The new exclusive J.K. Rowling content provides a rich 1,700-back story about Umbridge's life filled with many new details, as well as Rowling's revealing first-person thoughts and reflections about the character."

Dolores Umbridge, played by actress Imelda Staunton in the Harry Potter movies, first appeared in the 5th book in Rowling's series about the boy wizard titled Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  While serving as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts she punished Harry Potter for contradicting her in public by forcing him to write the phrase
"I must not tell lies" repeatedly with a Blood Quill ( a dark magical object of torture that cuts the words a person writes with it into their hand) eventually leaving him scarred.  When Lord Voldemort took over the Ministry of Magic she worked in his regime overseeing the registration and persecution of Muggle-born (the term given to a magical being who is born to two non-magical parents) witches and wizards.  Following the death of Voldemort, Dolores Umbridge was arrested, placed on trial, and imprisoned for her crimes against Muggle-born.

This special story will be exclusively released on Halloween via Pottermore.com, the website Rowling created as a one stop shop for anything Harry Potter related.

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