Tag Archives: Events

Celebrate Being A Geeky Dad In Style

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The most excellent TeeFury, which offers different t-shirt designs daily that regularly connect with geeky sensibilities, is getting ready for Father’s Day by recognizing Dad’s superhero strength.

The shirt, designed by Sinclair Moore, was designed because he “didn’t want to spring for a laptop for my dad, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to save loads of money, and abuse my powers to curate this design so I could buy it.” His powers are our treasure, we say.

You can support the designer and father of two, as well as spoil your secret identity to neighbors and friends, by purchasing the t-shirt, available only today, June 5.

TeeFury – Tee Today. Gone Tomorrow.

MDIAG! Reminder: Free Comic Day Is Tomorrow, May 1

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Free Comic Book day is held annually on the first Saturday of May. Comic shops across the world partake in introducing the wonderful world of comics to fans old and new, by handing out free issues specially created for the event, from all the major publishers.

Each year the selection of comics is geared toward readers of all ages, and this year is no exception. Most participating comic shops also have other events throughout the day, such as raffles, costumed characters to meet and greet with the kids, and special sales. To check for a participating shop in your area, go to the official web site and use the FCBD Store Locator.

Below is a preview of this year’s comics. To see the entire list, go to the FCBD web site:

ARCHIE’S SUMMER SPLASH! #1 FCBD 2010 EDITION [Preview]
Creative Team: (W/A) Dan Parent.
Publisher: ARCHIE COMICS

“Whose BEACH is it Anyway?”: Sun, sand, swimsuits and cool rockin’ tunes — no, it’s not a cinematic “beach party” blast from the past, but a whole new summer splash from Archie and his friends! In this fun-filled free issue, Cheryl and her snooty friends from Pembrooke form an all-girl group to compete head on with the Archies at a summer beach music festival. Will Cheryl’s group be a tuneful treat, or mistaken for bellowing whales?

Doctor Solar/Magnus FCBD 2010 EDITION [Preview]
Creative Team: (W) Jim Shooter (A) Dennis Calero, Various (C) Raymond Swanland.
Publisher: DARK HORSE COMICS

The dawn of a new age of superhero excitement begins on Free Comic Book Day as Dark Horse Comics proudly presents the return of two of the most legendary characters in the annals of comics: Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom and Magnus, Robot Fighter — re-imagined for the 21st century by comics legend, writer Jim Shooter! This FCBD extravaganza offers all-new Solar and Magnus stories, each heralding new series launches in summer 2010, and featuring interior art by fan-favorite Dennis Calero (X-Men Noir) and cover art by Raymond Swanland!

FRACTURED FABLES FCBD 2010 EDITION [Preview]
Creative Team: (W) Bryan Talbot, Doug TenNapel, Alexander Grecian, Derek McCulloch, Ted McKeever (A) Camilla d’Errico, Doug TenNapel, Christian Ward, Anthony Peruzzo, Ted McKeever (C) Mike and Laura Allred
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS

This special FCBD offers a small taste of the new hardcover anthology from Silverline Books due later in the year. An all-star cast of writers and artists have been assembled to turn familiar fairy tales and nursery rhymes on their ear to make kids LAUGH! These humorous interpretations will delight any reader, regardless of their age!

G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #155½ FCBD 2010 EDITION [Preview]
Creative Team: (W) Larry Hama (A) TBD.
Publisher: IDW Publishing

This is what you really want! Larry Hama continues his original and ground-breaking G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero saga with the VERY NEXT ISSUE (but, you know, 15 years later). G.I. Joe has closed its doors, leaving COBRA to pillage, burn, and plunder!

IRON MAN/THOR FCBD 2010 EDITION [Preview]
Creative Team: (W) Matt Fraction (A/C) John Romita, Jr.
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS

The perfect jumping-on point for any and all readers…and it’s FREE! When rogue mega-billionaires with world-destroying technology threaten the safety of the entire world…and the moon…Thor and Iron Man join forces! In time for the exciting launch of new stories and a bold new direction for Invincible Iron Man and Thor, superstars Matt Fraction and John Romita Jr. team up to bring you two of Marvel’s heaviest hitters like you’ve never seen them before! A major new direction for the Marvel Universe kicks off HERE – on Free Comic Book Day!

MOUSE GUARD/FRAGGLE ROCK FCBD 2010 Edition [Preview]
Creative Team: (W/A) David Petersen, TBD.
Publisher: Archaia Entertainment

Archaia is proud to present two amazing all-new stories in one fantastic flip-book! In the spring of 1153 the Mouse Guard deal with the onset of the spring thaw and the havoc it wreaks on their territories. Meanwhile, it’s time to dance your cares away as Gobo, Mokey, Wembley, Boober and Red return for a brand-new series of hilarious and heartfelt Fraggle Rock adventures written and drawn by some of the most imaginative creators in comics!

KiZOIC Presents: Shrek & The Penguins of Madagascar FCBD 2010 Edition [Preview]
Creative Team: (W/A) Dan Parent.
Publisher: Ape Entertainment

Ape Entertainment proudly offers KiZOIC Presents: Shrek & The Penguins of Madagascar! Featuring four stories by the artists and writers of the up-coming Shrek and Penguins of Madagascar comic books, these stories are guaranteed to tickle your funny bone and leave you begging for more! All-ages fun for everyone!

YOW! The John Stanley Library FCBD 2010 Edition [Preview]
Creative Team: (W/A) John Stanley.
Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly

D&Q delivers another wholly original and boisterous FCBD issue that will entertain readers of all ages! YOW! The John Stanley Library spotlights the world’s greatest all-ages cartoonist, John Stanley, in a beautiful package designed by Seth. YOW! features new stories from the John Stanley Library: Melvin Monster, Nancy and 13 Going On 18, plus a story from the legendary one-shot Choo Choo Charlie and a Tubby story!

TOY STORY FCBD 2010 EDITION [Preview]
Creative Team: (W) Jesse Blaze Snider (A/C) Nathan Watson.
Publisher: BOOM! Studios

With Toy Story 3 hitting theaters this summer, don’t miss this opportunity to get kids hooked on comics with a FREE issue from the ongoing Toy Story series from BOOM Kids! More all-new adventures featuring the world’s favorite toys with Woody, Buzz and the gang!

WAR OF THE SUPERMEN #0 FCBD 2010 EDITION [Preview]
Creative Team: (W) James Robinson (A) Eddy Barrows, Ruy José (C) J.G. Jones.
Publisher: DC COMICS

A war is coming, and all that stands between Earth and 100,000 vengeful supermen is one Superman! The conflict between Superman and General Zod erupts into all-out war this summer in a series that will shatter the worlds of Superman, Supergirl and the entire DC Universe — all brought to you by the hit creative team of James Robinson and Eddy Barrows! This special #0 issue featuring all-new material previews the conflicts to come while spotlighting a savage strike on Metropolis and the world — an attack that will shake Superman to his very core. After this, there’s no turning back — the War of the Supermen is here!

Some Monsters Are Better Than Others in Today’s Daily Dad-gest

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Yesterday shortly after press time – which, to be honest, is that sliver of time between putting the kids to bed and being forced into watching the latest HGTV show with the wife – Pixar finally confirmed what everyone already seemed to know, that Monsters Inc. is getting a sequel. Cleverly titled Monsters Inc. 2: Money Never Sleeps (we added that subtitle to spice things up a bit), the follow-up will peek out of the closet on November 16, 2012. Most reports indicate Pete Docter, director of the original film and last year’s Up, will not return to the helm. More important to us is whether Mike and Sully, played by Billy Crystal and John Goodman, respectively; will also return.

We think this is a weird choice. The original Monsters Inc. made a half billion dollars worldwide, but to us there was just something missing with the concept. It’s success confounds us; we think A Bug’s Life is vastly superior in just about every category, yet audiences couldn’t have disagreed more. Perhaps it was because it was Pixar’s first original franchise after Toy Story 2, just when the hype for the company was hitting a fever pitch. If there’s any consistency between our tastes and the box office, it’s that Finding Nemo is our favorite of all the Pixar films and needs a sequel stat.

And in a sign it has become the animation studio of Walt Disney Pictures, a second film from Pixar, Brave, was also announced for a 2012 release date. Yes, that makes two Pixar movies in 2012. Also the year the world ends. How convenient, we all get to perish with happy thoughts.

Brave was originally titled The Bear and The Bow and had been slated for a summer 2011 release before the bump into 2012. /Film calls this film “Pixar’s first fairy tale” and stars Reece Witherspoon as the eponymous title character. Hmmm…could be what the studio needs to fill the void left by Shrek Forever After?

We don’t know if either of these are getting the 3D treatment, but word is out that Avatar: The Last Airbender is going three-dimensional for it’s July 2 release date later this summer. As more and more studios turn to 3D at the 11th hour for fear of leaving serious sums of cash on the table – as well as setting a precedent that all films titled Avatar must be in 3D – there is growing concern with movie-goers these types of movies are nothing more than a cash grab to dupe audiences into buying those tickets priced at a premium. After the hatchet job on Clash of the Titans, we all have reason to worry.

According to Avatar: The Last Airbender producer Frank Marshall, they have been looking at using 3D “for months” and M. Night. Shyamalan will supervise the conversion process. That’s a different story from what Clash director Louis Leterrier experienced, where the movie was effectively pulled from him at the last minute to do a 3D conversion without his consent or assistance.

Mind you, we need to keep things in perspective. Avatar: The Last Airbender is still directed by Shyamalan, and we all know his track record of late. 3D can never make his awkward cameos any easier to swallow, and the only thing that could have saved The Happening would have been a 4D conversion complete with fake gusts of wind inside the theater.

But nothing this week beats the next post – this one comes from the folks behind our kids’ favorite TV show, Yo Gabba Gabba, with a photo journal of DJ Lance and the gang’s appearance at last week’s destination festival Coachella. Wait, you caught us – it’s really our favorite show. Now excuse us while we dancey-dance into the weekend…

Let’s go back and remember what else happened today:

Back To The Future’s Not The Only Movie That Went Back To The Drawing Board – Movies [io9]

More Wacky Rumors: Vanessa Hudgens in Talks to Play Spider-Woman? [/Film]

EXCLUSIVE: CAPTAIN AMERICA WILL MEET THE HOWLING COMMANDOS [CHUD]

Kids Camp for Rock Band / Guitar Hero Musicians [UPDATE]

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Now that your kids have mastered Rock Band and Guitar Hero, do you think they have what it takes to make real music?

An organization called GameRockers thinks there’s the potential for just that. They have created one- and three-day programs “for the new age of musicians who play Guitar Hero or Rock Band”. From the press release:

GameROCKERS™ is our exclusive 3-day cutting edge game-musician program for the new age of musicians who play Guitar Hero or Rock Band. Loaded with competitions and prizes, students play in bands, write songs, record songs, and play a final concert and Battle of the Bands!

iROCKER™ is our 1-day version of the GameROCKERS program. Also loaded with competitions and prizes, these students get a 1-day course filled with fun, competition, Battle of the Bands, training and prizes. Move over Beethoven, here come the 21st Century Digital iROCKERS!

Do we think this is a good idea? We believe in using videogames to broaden our childrens’ minds and get them interested in things like storytelling, art, and technology, so it certainly fits well with MDIAG!’s core ideals. Hopefully it works just as well in execution as it sounds in concept.

UPDATE: Thanks to What They Play, you can find course and registration information here.

Source: Rock Band and Guitar Hero Conquer Summer Camp

Time Out Kids Recaps Friday at NYCC

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Time Out Kids is covering the NYCC this weekend, and they’ve posted their Friday recap along with some must-visit booths:

- Marvel lets fans pose in front of a green screen, and superimposes the image in a comic-book setting (you pick up the final picture online. It’s free!)
- Ugly Doll is doing a giveaway every day at 6pm
- The Pac Man booth is dripping in retro cool. Dig those Pac-Man hats!
- Christy Kane sells slightly macabre shirts, dolls and jewelry, aimed at the Emily the Strange-loving set (and yes, they’re there too)
- Video-game buffs can try out a plethora of new games at the Activision booth, among others
- Legendary NY comic store Jim Hanley’s Universe is having a massive sale, including buy one graphic novel, get the other for half price (and yes, they have plenty of copies of Watchmen)

Keep an eye out for more NYCC coverage throughout the weekend.

Source: New York Comic Con — Friday Recap

MDIAG!’s Five Things To Do At The New York Comic Con

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nyccNew York City is a tough town. This time of year, it’s dominated by a wintery mix of days old slush and bitter cold; certainly hard enough on yourself, let alone with a stroller-bound toddler. But one thing’s for certain – there’s no better place to be in Manhattan this weekend than the New York Comic Con, an annual event that’s getting bigger and better by the year, becoming the east coast’s premier geek event.

But the NYCC isn’t just for adults, as there are several kid-friendly events going on throughout the weekend. MDIAG! takes you through our top five:

1. Pixar’s UP – Where else can you watch the first 50 minutes of the new Pixar movie, months before its theatrical release? That’s right, the NYCC. An advisory from the website, though: “Please note seating is EXTREMELY limited and interested attendees are recommended to arrive at 5:30 PM for a security check-in”. Saturday, February 7 at 6:30 PM in the IGN Theater.

2. Star Wars: Clone Wars – Join Lucasfilm’s Steve Sansweet and other surprise special guests to reflect on the last 10 years of the Star Wars franchise. Sounds like all prequel talk to us, but it also sounds like they’ll be talking about the upcoming Star Wars live action series due next year. Also of note, “don’t miss an exclusive sneak peek of something very special from Star Wars: The Clone Wars”. We’re in. Saturday, February 7 from 1-2 PM in the IGN Theater.

3. TMNT Animation: 25 and Going Strong – Can you believe the Turtles have been on TV for over two decades? That also means your child has probably been enjoying your Heroes in a Halfshell hand-me-downs. So throw some in the backpack and listen to the creators of the animation series who are holding the torch for today’s audience. Sunday, February 8 from 12:15 – 1:15 PM outside of the IGN Theater.

4. D.C.: Comics for All Ages – Marvel’s been the most popular of the two comics powerhouses during the past few years, but thanks to The Dark Knight and the strength of its Cartoon Network animated shows, D.C. is having quite a resurgence as of late. See what’s going on with Tiny Titans, Batman: Brave and the Bold and the rest of their pre-teen comics. Sunday, February 8 from 3-4 PM outside of the IGN Theater.

5. Kids Day – We first posted about NYCC’s Kids Day last week, but honestly we had no idea just how jam packed the day was going to be with events and special guests. It’s almost a convention of its own, with highlights including Youngling (read: Jedi) training, Kids Draw where a panel of artists whip up kids’ creations, and an interactive panel with author Mo Willems. Sunday, February 8 starting at 11 AM in the Galleria.

Honestly, MDIAG! had a tough time limiting the list to just five events, which shows just how awesome this year’s NYCC is going to be. Our recommendation is to head to the official NYCC website and peruse the huge list of events. Also be sure to check out the handy online show planner beforehand to schedule when and where to be during the weekend. You’ll be glad you did.

Have fun and be safe!

MDIAG!’s Five Things To Do On Super Bowl Sunday

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allplayFor most of us, the Super Bowl is a national event. A holiday, even. For us with families, unless we are living in either Arizona or Pittsburgh (which MDIAG! is not), we struggle to keep the game relevant with our families. Here a few tips to do just that:

  1. Watch the Superbowl! Short of another Timber-gate wardrobe “malfunction”, the Super Bowl has plenty of family fare, albeit mostly in between whistles. The first peek at The Transformers: Rise of the Fallen and the 3D preview of the upcoming Dreamworks Animation flick Monsters vs. Aliens are just as exciting, if not more, than any play from scrimmage. Other trailers include G. I. Joe, Star Trek, Land of the Lost, Ice Age 3, Disney’s Return to Witch Mountain and Night at the Museum 2.
  2. Play Some Videogames. Family-friendly games like Madden NFL 09 All-Play and Backyard Football for the Wii are solid choices for your kids to play with family or friends without suffering a single bruise.  Tecmo’s Tecmo Bowl remake for the Nintendo DS is good for a portable diversion. Or show them how their parents used to play videogames with LED Football for the iPhone.
  3. Not Watch the Superbowl. The Disney Channel is showing a Phineas and Ferb marathon all day, while Cartoon Network is airing a Chowder marathon, leading into the CG flick Monster House at 7PM EST. Toon Disney is showing Cinderella III: A Twist In Time, and ABC Family is showing The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, both also at 7 PM EST. As far as direct counter programming, Animal Planet has…Puppy  Bowl V. Geez, remember when In Living Color and Beavis and Butthead had their halftime counter programs? Those were the days…
  4. Go Shopping. It’s Sunday, which means there’s some fresh sales to be had (like You’re In The Movies! for the Xbox 360, only $29.99 at Target). And MDIAG! can certainly guarantee light traffic at the local shopping mall. Take out the family, have a nice dinner, and in this economy do a little window shopping, because there won’t be many others doing the same. Just be careful out on the roads.
  5. Xbox Live. Microsoft is hosting “Football Fanfare” on the community gaming service, which wil feature “dozens of the hottest football-themed movies, TV shows and more.” In addition, you can also stream Air Bud via Netflix to your Xbox 360 (while picture-in-picture-ing the game on the small window, of course).

So go stock up on those pizza bites and chicken nuggets now before it’s too late!

Time Out Kids on Facebook

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One of MDIAG!’s favorite print mags, Time Out Kids, is now on Facebook:

You’ll get the inside scoop on TOKids’ contests, events and more. And if you’re not on Facebook, well, it’s bout time. Next year, Twitter!

TOKids might be a little New York City-centric, but it’s a valuable reference for any parent living in or near a big city. Plus we hear NYC is kinda cool for kids these days…

Source: Become a Time Out Kids fan on Facebook!

Reminder: New York Comic Con February 6-8 2009

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For every geek east of the Mississippi and north of the Mason Dixon line, you probably already have the weekend of February 6-8 2009 booked. But for the rest of those who don’t already know, that weekend is the annual event that is the New York Comic Con.

You’re probably asking yourself, “why would I drag my kids through an ocean of inappropriately dressed cosplayers and dudes reeking of the funk?” Well, aside from two important words (“Joss…Whedon”), they are having Kids Day on Sunday, February 8. From the website:

Kids Day is NY Comic Con just for kids! On Sunday, February 8th, come to the Galleria in the Javits for panels and performances from your favorite authors and characters! And if you love to draw, perform and create, we’ve got something for you too! Test your skills in our Battle Zone, have your face painted, learn how to make your own super hero, or find a seat for one of our exciting presentations!

Best of all, it’s free for children 12 or under. There isn’t anything cooler you could do for your kids that’s free in NYC. Unless it’s a stroll in the Park, but then all you have to do is stare at boring things, like nature.

Source: New York Comic Con is proud to present Kids Day on Sunday, February 8th