READING WITH A FLIGHT RING - FCBD

READING WITH A FLIGHT RING

FCBD 2019 RIVERDALE SEASON 3 SPECIAL

2/1/2019

FINAL ORDERS DUE 2/4
IN STORES 5/4
Cover by Thomas Pitilli

Art by Joe Eisma and Matt Herms
FCBD 2019 RIVERDALE SEASON 3 SPECIAL See where it all begins in this all-new story based on the smash-hit CW series Riverdale! It’s picture day at Riverdale High, and the student council has opened the polls for class superlatives. As the gang preps for their closeups the ballot box goes missing . . . and everyone’s a suspect! Micol Ostow (Riverdale: The Day Before) and Thomas Pitilli (ARCHIE) bring fans into the world with a never-before-seen tale that presents all-new drama and intrigue! Plus, get a sneak peek at Scholastic’s original Riverdale novels coming soon to comic shops.

Script: Micol Ostow
Art: Thomas Pitilli, Andre Szymanowicz, John Workman
Cover: Thomas Pitilli
Available 5/4/19

FCBD 2019 MALIKA – FIRE & FROST from YouNeek Studios

2/1/2019

I know it's hard to think of it now in the deep freeze hitting large swaths of the country, but Free Comic Book Day, our annual rite of spring, is coming up soon! This coming Monday is the last chance for retailers to finalize orders for the biggest comic book celebration of the year, and I wanted to send you an advance look at pages from MALIKA WARRIOR QUEEN: FIRE & FROST, this year's offering from YouNeek Studios.

If you're new to YouNeek, they're the Afrofuturist comics publisher of your dreams, founded by Nigerian writer and entrepreneur Roye Okupe a few years back as a home for his storytelling universe of African heroes in a sci-fi setting. Malika, the warrior queen of our title, has battled for her kingdom across two graphic novels and a couple of special one-shots to date, and her FCBD 2019 comic is an all-new story of time-lost Malika fighting evil forces in Nigeria's dangerous future.

FCBD 2019 MALIKA – FIRE & FROST

Malika, warrior queen and military commander of the 15th-century Azzazian Empire, has been flung into the year 2025, a dangerous future she’s struggling to understand. After years of moving in the shadows, she’s forced out of hiding by a sinister plot that spans the centuries. Malika journeys to Egypt to retrieve the FireFrost stone, a relic that holds the combined power of two ancient dragons, from the hands of an absolute evil! MALIKA series creator Roye Okupe and artists Sunkanmi Akinboye and Raphael Kazeem bring you an all-new story for Free Comic Book Day full of superhero action inspired by African history and culture!

Script: Roye Okupe
Art: Sunkanmi Akinboye, Raphael Kazeem
Cover: Sunkanmi Akinboye
In-Store Date: May 4, 2019
32-page, full color comic
FREE
Item Code: JAN190051

SUPERSTAR WRITER BRENDEN FLETCHER JOINS TITAN’S ROBOTECH!

1/8/2019

ACCLAIMED WRITER JOINS SIMON FURMAN AND HENDRY PRASETYA TO USHER IN A RADICAL NEW ERA FOR ROBOTECH COMICS – STARTING IN 2019’S FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!
Titan Comics are pleased to announce that best-selling writer Brenden Fletcher(Isola, Motor Crush, Power Rangers) will be joining the superstar Robotech comics team of Simon Furman and Hendry Prasetya on the deck of the SDF-1 for continuing Robotech adventures – based on the legendary ‘80s sci-fi animation by Harmony Gold.

Kicking off with a special primer issue on Free Comic Book Day 2019 (Saturday May 4, 2019), fans can expect this special edition to shine a spotlight on unseen events and major hints of things to come, as the Robotech series charges up for an all-new spectacular storyline called Event Horizon.

“I'm a huge fan of Brenden's work and know he is a huge, longtime fan of Robotech,” said Robotech editor, Martin Eden. “We've already had several calls about upcoming issues and his enthusiasm is amazing! Watch this space – our Robotech comic is heading for some exciting changes!”

First airing in the USA in 1985, Robotech was the gateway to anime for many fans – capturing their imagination with its epic generational storyline involving war, romance, and, of course, the transforming Veritech fighters that defend the Earth against extra-terrestrial attacks.

Produced by Harmony Gold USA, the original 85-episode series delved into humanity’s struggle against a series of alien invasions, from the gigantic Zentraedi to the mysterious Invid, battling for control of advanced alien technology that crash-landed on Earth.

Robotech joins Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor as the second of Titan’s two Free Comic Book Day offerings.

Look for further details on the new direction of Robotech very shortly.

To keep up to date with news about Titan’s Robotech comics, follow Titan Comics on Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr.

UDON ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES FREE COMIC BOOK DAY SILVER SPONSOR TITLE AND ADDITIONAL 2019 STREET FIGHTER COMICS

1/3/2019

Are you ready to rumble? UDON Entertainment is proud to be a Silver Sponsor for 2019’s Free Comic Book Day, with an all new Street Fighter adventure! Street Fighter: Sakura VS Karin #1 will be available, for free, from local comic shops on Saturday, May 4, 2019.
STREET FIGHTER: SAKURA VS KARIN #1 FCBD
They’ve been adversaries since high school, but now Sakura and Karin’s rivalry enters a new arena – the arcade! Martial arts meet e-sports as two of Street Fighter’s fan-favorite femmes battle it out through both jabs and joysticks! It’s all-new action in UDON’s newest Free Comic Book Day adventure!

The deadline to order STREET FIGHTER: SAKURA VS KARIN #1 FCBD through Diamond Previews is January 24, 2019.
Additionally, UDON is excited to announce a series of four more Street Fighter one-shot comics to be released in March, April, June, and July 2019. These titles will kick off with STREET FIGHTER: MENAT #1 in March 2019. Look for more details soon on the other Street Fighter characters to be spotlighted in these one-shots!STREET FIGHTER: MENAT #1
Meet Menat, the enigmatic Egyptian fortune teller on a quest to avenge her master’s death. But it’s not just any villain Menat is seeking… it’s the Dark Lord of Shadaloo himself – M.Bison!
The deadline to order STREET FIGHTER: MENAT #1 through Diamond Previews is January 24, 2019.
Including the Free Comic Book Day issue, UDON’s 2019 Street Fighter comic season will have five titles total. Keep your eye on UDON’s social media for new challengers approaching your local comic shops in April, June and July (titles and covers to be released once finalized).
STREET FIGHTER: SAKURA VS KARIN #1 FCBD
DETAILS: 32pp, Full Color
MSRP: FREE
RELEASE DATE: May 2019
DIAMOND ORDER CODE: JAN190048
STREET FIGHTER: MENAT #1
DETAILS: 32pp, Full Color
MSRP: $3.99/$4.99
RELEASE DATE: March 2019
DIAMOND ORDER CODES:
JAN192262 STREET FIGHTER MENAT #1 CVR A PANZER
JAN192263 STREET FIGHTER MENAT #1 CVR B STEINBACH
JAN192264 STREET FIGHTER MENAT #1 CVR C BLANK SKETCH
JAN192265 STREET FIGHTER MENAT #1 CVR D STEINBACH 5 CPY INC CVR
ABOUT UDON ENTERTAINMENT
UDON Entertainment is a publisher of original and translated art books, graphic novels, and manga. The publisher’s best-known projects are those based on popular video game franchises, including Street Fighter, Mega Man, Monster Hunter, Dark Souls, Persona, Bayonetta, Bloodborne, and many more. UDON also publishes books based on top anime properties including Neon Genesis Evangelion, Kill la Kill, FLCL, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Robotech.

BOOM! Studios Brings LUMBERJANES: THE SHAPE OF FRIENDSHIP to Free Comic Book Day

12/20/2018

Discover The All New Original Graphic Adventure on May 4, 2019
LOS ANGELES, CA (December 20, 2018) BOOM! Studios today announced LUMBERJANES: THE SHAPE OF FRIENDSHIP FCBD SPECIAL, an all-new comic book arriving in comic shops worldwide on Free Comic Book Day (May 4th, 2019).

Launched in 2014 under BOOM! Studios’ YA-focused BOOM! Box imprint by series co-creators Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Brooklyn Allen, and Noelle Stevenson,Lumberjanes was originally solicited as a limited series, but the overwhelming response from fans transformed it into an ongoing series that has become a New York Times best-seller, earned numerous nominations for prestigious awards including the GLAAD Media Award and the Eisner Awards (which it has won twice), and have even crossed over with heroes from the DC Comics Universe (in Lumberjanes/Gotham Academy). The Lumberjanes have expanded to middle-grade novels at Abrams Books, a diverse array of merchandise from pins to patches, and a feature film in development at 20th Century Fox.

LUMBERJANES: THE SHAPE OF FRIENDSHIP FCBD SPECIAL exclusively presents the first chapter of the all new original graphic novel reuniting the acclaimed Lumberjanes: The Infernal Compass team of writer Lilah Sturges and artist polterink. When the Lumberjanes discover the hiding place of a group of magical creatures called Pookas, they think they’ve found new friends. But what they don’t know is that the Pookas are tired of hiding, and they’ve found the perfect way to join the outside world…by impersonating the ‘Janes themselves and taking over Camp! To reclaim their identities, the ’Janes will have to work together to remember who they really are…and to help another group of friends accept themselves, too, in a story about looking inside yourself and learning to love who you meet there.

LUMBERJANES: THE SHAPE OF FRIENDSHIP FCBD SPECIAL is the latest release from BOOM! Studios’ award-winning BOOM! Box imprint, home to groundbreaking original series such as Giant Days by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, and Max Sarin; Misfit City by Kirsten ‘Kiwi’ Smith, Kurt Lustgarten, and Naomi Franquiz; Fence by C.S. Pacat and Johanna The Mad; and Goldie Vance by Hope Larson and Brittney Williams.

“Free Comic Book Day is more fun with your best friends – and friendship doesn’t get much better than the Lumberjanes,” said Jeanine Schaefer, Executive Editor, BOOM! Studios. “Lilah and polterink return for an incredible new adventure that will force the ‘Janes to discover who they really are – and this is your first chance to get a look inside!”

Print copies of LUMBERJANES: THE SHAPE OF FRIENDSHIP FCBD SPECIAL will be available for FREE on May 4th, 2019 exclusively at local comic book shops (usecomicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one), alongside Welcome to The Whedonverse FCBD Special.

For continuing news on LUMBERJANES: THE SHAPE OF FRIENDSHIP FCBD SPECIAL and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.

About BOOM! Studios
BOOM! Studios was founded by Ross Richie in 2005 with the singular focus of creating world-class comic book and graphic novel storytelling for all audiences. Through the development of four distinct imprints—BOOM! Studios, BOOM! Box, KaBOOM!, and Archaia—BOOM! has produced award-winning original work, including Lumberjanes, The Woods, Giant Days, Klaus, and Mouse Guard, while also breaking new ground with established licenses such as WWE, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Cartoon Network, and The Jim Henson Company properties. BOOM! will also bring their original series to life through unique first-look relationships with 20th Century Fox for film and with 20th Television for the small screen. Please visit www.boom-studios.com for more information.

Web: www.boom-studios.com
Twitter: @boomstudios
Facebook: @BOOMStudiosComics
Instagram: @boom_studios
Tumblr: boomstudios.tumblr.com

Oni Press Announces Ghost Hog As Free Comic Book Day 2019 Silver Offering!

12/20/2018

PORTLAND, OR., Dec. 20, 2018 — This Free Comic Book Day (FCBD), Oni Press is excited to announce a 2019 Silver Offering from Eisner-nominated cartoonist Joey Weiser (Mermin), featuring two all-new stories about Truff, the main character in his upcoming all-ages graphic novel, Ghost Hog!

Truff is the ghost of a young boar. With her friends Claude and Stanley, she helps other denizens of the forest—especially if they're spirits like her! Of course, sometimes the others don't want her help....

“I love Free Comic Book Day because it’s not only a great chance for publishers and retailers to show off what’s best on the shelves, but it’s a chance for local communities to gather around a mutual love for comics,” said Joey Weiser. “So, I was super stoked to contribute to FCBD with a pair of Ghost Hog short stories! These stories are not included in the graphic novel, and give readers a peek at the world of specters and strange creatures they’ll find in the book.”

About Free Comic Book Day: Free Comic Book Day is a single day in the first week of May when participating comic book specialty shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops.

The Ghost Hog Silver Offering is available at participating comic shops on May 5, 2019, and the full 168-page graphic novel will be available everywhere on May 7, 2019.

AHOY Comics Announces DRAGONFLY & DRAGONFLYMAN, From the Pages of the Acclaimed Comic Book Magazine THE WRONG EARTH

12/20/2018

The Inaugural AHOY Comics Free Comic Book Day Issue Features
Stories from Tom Peyer, Russ Braun, Stuart Moore, June Brigman, and Roy Richardson;
A Cartoon by Hunt Emerson; a Cover by Jamal Igle; and More

#ExpectMore

December 20, 2018) AHOY Comics—the startup publisher that pledged for readers to “expect more” from its line of comic book magazines in 2018— will publish its inaugural Free Comic Book Day issue in 2019. From the pages of the breakout hit comic book magazine THE WRONG EARTH by writer Tom Peyer and artists Jamal Igle and Juan Castro, comes DRAGONFLY & DRAGONFLYMAN by Peyer, artist Russ Braun and colorist Andy Troy. On gritty Earth-Omega, Dragonfly prowls the darkness for his evil prey; on sun-splashed Earth-Alpha, Dragonflyman protects the status quo. DRAGONFLY & DRAGONFLYMAN will be available at participating comic book stores on Free Comic Book Day, Saturday May 4th, 2019.

"Whether you like your masked vigilantes violent or reasonable, alienated or all-in, sticking it to the man or saluting the flag, there's something in DRAGONFLY & DRAGONFLYMAN for you,” said Peyer, AHOY Comics’ Editor-in-Chief. “And it’s free!”

Like all AHOY Comics Book Magazines, DRAGONFLY & DRAGONFLYMAN will feature an assortment of extras, including:

An early adventure of space hero CAPTAIN GINGER... from when he was a kitten, by writer Stuart Moore (Deadpool the Duck, Batman: Noir Alley) artist June Brigman (Power Pack), inker Roy Richardson and colorist Veronica Gandini;
A a brand new cartoon by Hunt Emerson, in which Edgar Allan Poe battles his nemesis, the Black Cat;
A new prose piece by Hart Seely;
A cover by WRONG EARTH artist Jamal Igle.

“It’s been an incredible first year for AHOY Comics, and everyone involved wanted to give back something to our fans and provide an entry point for new readers,” said Captain Ginger co-creator Stuart Moore, freelance writer and AHOY Comics “Dark Ops” Manager. “So this book features a wholly self-contained Dragonfly/Dragonflyman story, plus a plethora of bonus stories.”

Since its launch in May of 2018, AHOY Comics has been shaking up the publishing industry with a bold new format: comic book magazines. The startup company is the brainchild of Publisher Hart Seely, an award-winning reporter whose humor and satire has appeared in The New York Times and on National Public Radio; two original editors of DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint, Tom Peyer and Stuart Moore; and Chief Creative Officer Frank Cammuso. The comic book magazines feature traditional, full length comic book stories all accompanied by extra material, including prose fiction by writer Grant Morrison (Happy!), cartoons by Shannon Wheeler (God is Disappointed In You), poems by Hart Seely (Bard of the Deal: The Poetry of Donald Trump), and traditional comic book back up stories.

Timed to the release of DRAGONFLY & DRAGONFLYMAN #1, AHOY Comics will publish THE WRONG EARTH Volume 1 Trade Paperback, collecting the critically acclaimed lead stories, all the original back-features featuring Stinger, Dragonflyman & Dragonfly, plus a generous selection of AHOY text-feature extras, including a prose story by comics legend Grant Morrison: ‘HUD’ HORNET’S HOLIDAY IN HELL, illustrated by best-selling artist Rob Steen, and a cartoon by Shannon Wheeler. THE WRONG EARTH Volume 1 Trade Paperback will be available in comic book stores on May 1, 2019 and in bookstores later that month.

“Our mission when we launched AHOY was to make the best comic book magazines on the planet,” said Hart Seely. “We’re not here for money or movies. We’re a publisher and we’re thrilled that Free Comic Book Day will make it easier for people across the country to read these stories. And just wait till you see what we’ve got coming up in our Second Wave of titles!”

For more updates on AHOY Comics, visit them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

About The Creators:

June Brigman has enjoyed a long and varied career as a cartoonist, drawing such comic book titles as Alpha Flight, Supergirl, and Star Wars. She is the co-creator (with Louise Simonson) of the Power Pack series from Marvel Comics, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. Assisted by her husband inker/colorist Roy Richardson, she illustrated the Brenda Starr comic strip for 15 years, and has drawn many educational comics, as well as doing freelance illustrations for Horse & Rider magazine. June and Roy also draw the long-running “Mary Worth” comic strip. Her online portfolio can be seen at www.ArtWanted.com/juneart.

Frank Cammuso is the author/illustrator of the graphic novel series The Misadventures of Salem Hyde from Amulet Books. He also created the graphic novel series Knights of the Lunch Table from Graphix/Scholastic. Frank drew the comic Otto’s Orange Day and Otto’s Backwards Day for Toon-Books. He also wrote and drew his self-published graphic novel Max Hamm Fairy Tale Detective, for which he received an Eisner nomination. Frank is the former award-winning political cartoonist for The Post-Standard newspaper in Syracuse, NY. His cartoons have been reprinted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today and Newsweek. He has written fiction and satire with his good friend Hart Seely. Their work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Village Voice, Slate, and on National Public Radio. He’s the co-author of 2007-Eleven and Other American Comedies.

Paul Constant is a co-founder of The Seattle Review of Books. He has written for The Progressive, Newsweek, Re/Code, the Utne Reader, the Los Angeles Times, the Seattle Times, the New York Observer, and many North American alternative weeklies. Paul has worked in the book business for two decades, starting as a bookseller (originally at Borders Books and Music, then at Boston’s grand old Brattle Bookshop and Seattle’s own Elliott Bay Book Company) and then becoming a literary critic. Formerly the books editor for the Stranger, Paul is now a fellow at Civic Ventures, a public policy incubator based out of Seattle.

Hunt Emerson has drawn cartoons and comic strips since the early 1970s. He has published around 30 comic books and albums, mainly with Knockabout Comics (London), including Lady Chatterley's Lover, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Casanova's Last Stand, and Dante’s Inferno. His latest books are Calculus Cat, a hilarious collection of stories about The Cat That Hates Television, Hot Jazz, a collection of jazz-flavoured comics featuring Max Zillion and his saxophone Alto Ego, and Bloke’s Progress, a graphic novel based on the unlikely subject of Victorian art critic and philosopher John Ruskin. In 2000 Hunt was chosen for inclusion in the exhibition The 75 Grand Masters of European Comic Art by the Bibliotheque Nationale de France and the CNBDI, Angouleme. Alongside his comics work, Hunt has wide experience in hosting cartoon and comics workshops. His work has been seen in countless magazines, ranging from Radio Times to Fortean Times; from The Wall Street Journal to The Beano. He is also a qualified t’ai chi instructor. You can see and buy his work on his website- largecow.com
Veronica Gandini's color work has appeared in books from DC Entertainment, Marvel, Image Comics, BOOM! Studios, Arcana, Ape Entertainment, and Atlantis Studios.

Jamal Igle is a recipient of the 2011 Inkpot Award for outstanding achievement in Comic Art, industry veteran Jamal Igle is the writer/artist/creator of Molly Danger for Action Lab Entertainment; the co-creator of Venture with writer Jay Faerber; and the artist of the series Black from Black Mask Studios.
Jamal's detailed pencils have graced books as varied as The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the all-ages action miniseries Race Against Time, and mainstream hits such as G.I.Joe, Iron Man, Spider- Man and Green Lantern. Jamal has penciled popular runs on Firestorm the Nuclear Man, Nightwing, Tangent: Superman's Reign, Superman, Supergirl,and Zatanna for DC Comics; Noble Causesfor Image Comics; and New Warriors for Marvel Comics. He's acted on the small screen, done voiceovers for commercials, packaged books for Scholastic, and drawn storyboards for Roughnecks: Starship Trooper Chronicles and Max Steel: MX1 for Sony Animation. Jamal is also a popular guest lecturer on the subjects of comics and animation.

Todd Klein’s comics career began in 1977 when he was hired to work in the DC Comics production department. During ten years on staff there, Todd tried many kinds of freelance work including writing (Tales of the Green Lantern Corps, The Omega Men), inking and coloring, but found lettering suited him best, and developed a freelance career as a letterer and logo designer. Todd learned from and was inspired by the work of Gaspar Saladino, John Workman, John Costanza, Tom Orzechowski, and other letterers then working in comics. After leaving staff in 1987, Todd continued to work mainly for DC, but also for Marvel, Dark Horse, Disney, Gladstone, Image and many other companies, doing lettering and logo designs. Through the years he’s lettered over 65,000 comics pages and covers and designed over 800 logos. Todd has been presented with 16 Eisner Awards for Best Lettering, as well as 8 Harvey Awards and other honors. Recent projects include Sandman Overture with Neil Gaiman and J.H. Williams III, Starstruck with Elaine Lee and Michael Wm. Kaluta, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill, and logos for AHOY Comics' THE WRONG EARTH, HIGH HEAVEN, HASHTAG: DANGER, CAPTAIN GINGER, and EDGAR ALLAN POE'S SNIFTER OF TERROR. You can learn more at his website: kleinletters.com.

Stuart Moore is a writer, a book editor, and an award-winning comics editor. His recent comics writing includes Deadpool the Duck (Marvel), Batman: Noir Alley (DC/Turner Classic Movies), and EGOs (Image). Recent novels include three volumes of The Zodiac Legacy, a Disney series created and cowritten by Stan Lee, and Thanos: Death Sentence (Marvel). Other comics work includes Wolverine Noir and Namor: The First Mutant (Marvel); Supergirl/Jesse Quick: The Fastest Women Alive and Firestorm (DC Comics); assorted Star Trek and Transformers projects; and the original science-fiction graphic novels Earthlight, PARA, Shadrach Stone, and Mandala. Prose writing includes the novel version of Marvel’s Civil War and John Carter: The Movie Novelization. Stuart has also served as freelance editor of Marvel Comics’ prose novel line. In the past, he has been a book editor at St. Martin’s Press and editor of the Virgin Comics / SciFi Channel and Marvel Knights comics imprints. At DC Comics, he was an original editor of the acclaimed Vertigo imprint, where he won both the Will Eisner award for Best Editor and the Don Thompson Award for Favorite Editor.

Grant Morrison, MBE is a Scottish comic book writer and playwright. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and countercultural leanings in his runs on titles including DC Comics' Animal Man, Batman, JLA, Action Comics, All-Star Superman, and Doom Patrol; Vertigo's The Invisibles; Marvel Comics' New X-Men and Marvel Boy; and Fleetway's 2000 AD. He is also the co-creator of the Syfy TV series Happy! starring Christopher Meloni and Patton Oswalt.

Tom Peyer was a long-running writer on DC's Legion of Super-Heroes, an original editor at their Vertigo imprint, and the proud writer of their worst-selling, award-losing series Hourman. He has since written enough major characters to fill one of those hyper-populated superhero posters where you don't know who to look at first. Today he happily writes and edits AHOY Comics from his Ditkoesque office in Downtown Syracuse, NY.
Roy Richardson was inspired to pursue a comics career by the work of Jack Kirby, the ground breaking Fourth World series in particular. He has worked for all the major publishers, on such books as Captain America, Iron Man, the Flash, Star Wars, and his own co-creation, the Tomorrow Knights, which has been adapted into a roleplaying game from ZMan Games. He also worked for 15 years in collaboration with his wife, June Brigman, inking, lettering and coloring the Brenda Starr comic strip. The pair have recently taken over the artistic reins of the long-running Mary Worth comic strip. Roy is also hard at work on his first book of short stories, entitled "Hillbillies Prefer Blondes," tales of growing up in the South in the 1970's. His online portfolio can be seen at www.ArtWanted.com/royart.

Hart Seely is a former award-winning reporter and author. His humor and satire have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, McSweeney’s, National Lampoon, Politico and on National Public Radio. He is the editor of three collections of “found poetry;” Pieces of Intelligence: The Existential Poetry of Donald H. Rumsfeld, Bard of the Deal: The Poetry of Donald Trump and (with Tom Peyer) O Holy Cow! The Selected Verse of Phil Rizzuto. Seely lives in Syracuse, New York.

Rob Steen is the illustrator of Flanimals, the best-selling series of children’s books written by Ricky Gervais: Flanimals, More Flanimals, Flanimals of the Deep, Flanimals: Day of the Bletchling and Flanimals Pop-Up. The third book in the series, Flanimals of the Deep, won the Galaxy British Book Award in 2007 for Children’s Book of the Year. He lives in New York with his wife Jill and cat Minnie.

Andy Troy has colored for Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Extreme Studios, and others, working on such characters as Spawn, Batman, Captain America and Iron Fist. He lives and works in Hunsville, AL, where he used to play in the metal band Diamond White.

Shannon Wheeler is an American cartoonist known for his contributions to The New Yorker and his satirical super-hero Too Much Coffee Man.

Eric Powell’s Albatross Funnybooks Announces GRUMBLE VS THE GOON—The First Ever Free Comic Book Day Title from Albatross—and Unveils the Covers for THE GOON #1

12/20/2018

December 20, 2018) Award-winning cartoonist Eric Powell’s Albatross Funnybooks will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Goon with its first ever Free Comic Book Day title in 2019. GRUMBLE VS THE GOON is a side-splitting, full color one shot co-written by Powell and Rafer Roberts and illustrated by Powell and BATTLE BUG creator Mike Norton. Here, for the first time ever, The Goon and his pal Franky will meet Tala and Eddie, from the pages of GRUMBLE, in an interdimensional adventure, chock full of death, mayhem... and dog catching.

“We really wanted to do something special for Free Comic Day.” said THE GOON creator Eric Powell. “ A gift to comic readers that would celebrate 20 years of the Goon and show off what Albatross Funnybooks is all about. Creative freedom and fun comics. I’m thrilled to collaborate with Mike and Rafer on this project and have Grumble alongside the Goon representing the company.”

"I've been a huge fan of THE GOON for years, so this is still very surreal to me," said GRUMBLE co-creator and writer Rafer Roberts. "Working with Eric was an honor and a pleasure, and watching him and Mike jam on the artwork is a real thrill. I think we're creating something incredibly special that will satisfy GOON and GRUMBLE fans as well as entertain new readers. Honestly, I can't believe that we're giving this away for free!"

“I’ve known Eric since before THE GOON existed. To be publishing GRUMBLE and doing a crossover with him is just an honor. It’s seriously some of the most fun I’ve had making comics!” said GRUMBLE co-creator and artist Mike Norton.

“Hey, GRUMBLE VS THE GOON is a Silver-tier Free Comic Book Day book,” said Powell. “We’re not charging fans for the comic because it’s a wonderful way for even more readers to discover the great stories Mike and Rafer are telling in the pages of GRUMBLE. Plus, it’s always fun for readers to visit Lonely Street, home of Franky and the Goon.”

In GRUMBLE VS THE GOON, Tala and Eddie think it might be a good idea to go dimension hopping when they find death incarnate hot on their heels. Unfortunately, things go from bad to worse when they land in the world of THE GOON. And Franky, the newly appointed dog catcher, don’t like talkin’ mutts that give him the sass! GRUMBLE VS THE GOON features a cover by Powell, and will be available at participating comic book stores on Free Comic Book Day, Saturday May 4th, 2019.

The publication of GRUMBLE VS THE GOON is part of a year long celebration of The Goon’s 20th anniversary. The anniversary festivities kick off in earnest on March 13th, 2019, when Albatross Funnybooks will publish THE GOON issue 1, featuring all new stories. THE GOON #1 Standard Edition features an Eric Powell cover and will retail for $3.99. THE GOON #1 Special Edition features a cover by legendary artist Kevin Nowlan and will retail for $5.99. In the character’s debut with Albatross Funnybooks, Powell takes the series to its humor based roots as Goon & Franky return from strange adventures abroad to find a horde of unsavory characters who have filled the void left in their absence from Lonely Street. For this new run of stories, Powell will be joined on Albatross Funnybooks’ THE GOON by several acclaimed creators.

For more updates on Albatross Funnybooks and the GOON’s 20th Anniversary, follow the company on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.

About Albatross Exploding Funnybooks: Launched in 2002, Albatross Exploding Funnybooks has always been a labor of love for award-winning, Nashville-based cartoonist Eric Powell. The label began as a means to publish Powell’s creator-owned series THE GOON, which mainstream publishers had deemed “too different.” Although THE GOON later found a home and wider audience with Dark Horse Comics, Powell continued to publish, celebrate, and cultivate creator-owned titles through Albatross Exploding Funnybooks, including his all-ages comic CHIMICHANGA and Rebecca Sugar’s PUG DAVIS. In 2016, Powell rededicated himself in earnest to his publishing company, launching his new fantasy series HILLBILLY and other works such as the all-ages horror anthology SPOOK HOUSE, Fabian Rangel Jr. and Logan Faerber's weird war tale ’NAMWOLF and Brendon Small's GALAKTKON.
Eric Powell is a writer and artist who has contributed work on such comics titles as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Hellboy: Weird Tales, Star Wars: Tales, The Incredible Hulk, Black Panther, The Avengers, The Hood, MAD magazine, Devil Dinosaur, Swamp Thing, She-Hulk, The Simpsons, Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, Action Comics, and Creepy.
Although he had been eking out a meager living in the comics field since 1995, Eric didn't find true success until he launched his critically acclaimed dark comedy series The Goon. The Goon was subsequently picked up by Dark Horse Comics and boasts a die-hard cult following.
The author lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
Awards: International Horror Guild: 2004 Best Illustrated Narrative, Will Eisner Comic Industry Award: 2004 Best Single Issue (The Goon #1), Will Eisner Comic Industry Award: 2005 Best Humor Publication, Will Eisner Comic Industry Award: 2005 Best Continuing Series, Will Eisner Comic Industry Award: 2008 Best Writer/Artist—Humor, Will Eisner Comic Industry Award: 2008 Best Painter or Multimedia Artist.

PRAISE FOR THE GOON

“The Goon is old-school cool—a great, gurgling gumbo of EC Comics horror, Monty Python wit, and 1930s pulp.”--Entertainment Weekly

“A true American original—a delirious medley of strange characters, stranger creatures, wild-ass (and often truly creepy) storytelling, art so excellent and perfectly matched to the tone of his stories as to be flabbergasting, and writing so hilarious that it sometimes comes close to making me pee my pants.”—Frank Darabont, director

“The product of a contentedly demented mind.”--Comic Book Resources

“The Goon has earned [Powell] a seat at the table with Kirby, Eisner, Chester Gould, Hal Foster and Al Feldstein.”—Joe Hill (Locke & Key)

“Eric Powell’s great series The Goon deftly combines lowbrow humor with unexpected emotional depth in its ongoing story of a big, not-so-dumb guy who does battle with zombies in a town seemingly dreamt up by Tom Waits.”—The A.V. Club

“Eric Powell has created a sharp, witty little monster comic with a very interesting mystery at its heart. And Eric can draw as well as anyone in the business. When zombies are overrunning the city, there’s only one man tough enough to keep the undead in line: Eric Powell’s THE GOON.”—Jeff Smith (creator of Bone)

“Every panel [is] gorgeously detailed, like a Max Fleischer cartoon if Cthulhu spat some sort of hellish bile all over it.”—IGN

“There’s a certain joy knowing that a cartoonist of great skill is filling his or her own comic with the elements they love . . . The appeal is how Powell conveys that enthusiasm by drawing every creature and monster so darned well.”--Publishers Weekly

“If this is your first time [reading The Goon], you are in for a treat—if not, you already know how lucky you are.”—David Fincher, director

“Tremendously entertaining . . . a highly enjoyable blend of pulp horror and slapstick comedy.”--Fangoria

“Bursts with fisticuffs, gore, bad attitude and running character gags . . . Prime ghastly fun.”--Booklist

“A comic for readers who like a generous helping of comedy with their hordes of zombies.”--New York Daily News

“Comicdom’s new hero is a fighting machine with a curious affinity for kicking serious ghoul butt. We hear the Hulk’s green with envy.”--Entertainment Weekly

BOOM! Studios Brings Joss Whedon’s BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER & FIREFLY to Free Comic Book Day

12/17/2018

Discover Two All New Stories From the Pop Culture Franchises on May 4, 2019

LOS ANGELES, CA (December 17, 2018) – BOOM! Studios today announced WELCOME TO THE WHEDONVERSE FCBD SPECIAL, an all-new comic book arriving in comic shops worldwide on Free Comic Book Day (May 4th, 2019), with all new stories featuring two of the greatest creations from visionary Joss Whedon (writer/director Marvel’s The Avengers).

This FREE comic, released in partnership with 20th Century Fox Consumer Products, is the perfect jumping-on point for the “Whedonverse” with all new stories from the worlds of BOOM! Studios’ hit series Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Firefly.

First, Captain Malcolm Reynolds and his first mate Zoe Alleyne Washburne have a bond that was forged in blood during the war that shaped the ‘Verse…but when the awful secret at the core of that bond is finally revealed and they’re called to answer, the people who love them are left to pick up the pieces in an all-new story written by Greg Pak.

Created by Whedon and set 500 years in the future in the wake of a universal civil war,Firefly centers on the crew of Serenity, a small transport spaceship that doesn't have a planet to call home. Mal Reynolds, a defeated soldier who opposed the unification of the planets by the totalitarian governed Alliance, will undertake any job — legal or not — to stay afloat and keep his crew fed. Thrust together by necessity but staying together out of loyalty, these disparate men and women are seeking adventure and the good life, but face constant challenges on the new frontier, such as avoiding capture by the Alliance, and evading the dangers you find on the fringes of the universe.

And in the second exclusive story, there’s something evil lurking under Sunnydale High School, namely a gateway to a hell dimension that’s been foretold to destroy the world as we know it. Buffy and the gang have mostly got it under control…as long as everything stays exactly as it is, and we mean zero new plot points, no new characters, and absolutely no twists, turns, or misunderstood prophecies. Easy peasy! Writer Jordie Bellaire and artist David López continue the bold reimagining of the groundbreaking mythology that changed pop culture forever.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer premiered on the WB Network on March 10th, 1997. The Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated series, which ran for seven seasons from 1997-2003, stars Sarah Michelle Gellar as “Buffy Summers.” Chosen to battle vampires, demons and other forces of darkness, Buffy is aided by a Watcher who guides and teaches her as she surrounds herself with a circle of friends called the “Scooby Gang.”

WELCOME TO THE WHEDONVERSE FCBD SPECIAL, featuring a cover by Greg Smallwood (Moon Knight), is the latest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to a world-class group of licensed comic book series and ambitious original series, including Lev Grossman’s The Magicians, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Planet of the Apes, Abbott, Mech Cadet Yu, Grass Kings, and Klaus.

“We’re committed to making 2019 the biggest year ever for fans of Firefly and Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic books – and that means giving them the most anticipated release of Free Comic Book Day,” said Jeanine Schaefer, Executive Editor, BOOM! Studios. “We’re laying the seeds for some huge stories in each of these series, along with a massive surprise that no Joss Whedon fan can miss!”

Print copies of WELCOME TO THE WHEDONVERSE FCBD SPECIAL will be available for FREE on May 4th, 2019 exclusively at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one).

For continuing news on WELCOME TO THE WHEDONVERSE FCBD SPECIAL and more Free Comic Book Day news from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter. And follow Buffy the Vampire Slayer onFacebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products
20th Century Fox Consumer Products licenses and markets properties worldwide on behalf of 20th Century Fox Film, 20th Century Fox Television and FX Networks, as well as third party lines. The division is aligned with 20th Century Fox Television, the flagship studio leading the industry in supplying award-winning and blockbuster primetime television programming and entertainment content and 20th Century Fox Film, one of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures throughout the world.

About BOOM! Studios
BOOM! Studios was founded by Ross Richie in 2005 with the singular focus of creating world-class comic book and graphic novel storytelling for all audiences. Through the development of four distinct imprints—BOOM! Studios, BOOM! Box, KaBOOM!, and Archaia—BOOM! has produced award-winning original work, including Lumberjanes, The Woods, Giant Days, Klaus, and Mouse Guard, while also breaking new ground with established licenses such as WWE, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Cartoon Network, and The Jim Henson Company properties. BOOM! will also bring their original series to life through unique first-look relationships with 20th Century Fox for film and with 20th Television for the small screen. Please visit www.boom-studios.com for more information.

Web: www.boom-studios.com
Twitter: @boomstudios
Facebook: @BOOMStudiosComics
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Free Comic Book Day 2018

5/6/2018

Here is the comprehensive list of the books that I picked up on Free Comic Book Day 2018!

Barrier—Image Comics
Terry Moore Strangers in Paradise XXV
Silver #1—Dark Planet
Drawn & Quarterly Presents Berlin
Invasion—Chapterhouse Comics
Starburns Presents #1—SBI Press
Ghost in the Shell Global Neural Netwwork—Kodansha Comics
The Metabaron—Humanoids
Lady Mechanika—Joe Benitez’s Productiosn
Relay #0—Aftershock Comics
Shadow Roads—Oni Press
Overwatch—Dark Horse Comics
The Mall #0—Scout Comics
Bongo Comics 2018
Tranformers Unicron #0—IDW Publishing
Die Kitty Die!--Chapterhouse Comics
Maxwell’s Demons #1—Vault Comics
Doctor Who 2018—Titan Comics
Worlds of Aspen 2018
Ultra Street Fighter II—Udon/Capcom
Street Angel’s Dog—Image Comics
Riverdale—Archie Comics
Shadow Man—Valiant Entertainment
The Amazing Spider-Man—Marvel Comics
The Avengers—Marvel Comics
2000 A.D. regened
Adventure Time—Kaboom