Halloween Comicfest 2019

Tomorrow is Halloween Comicfest! Don't know what Halloween Comicfest is? Here is a quick rundown: In 2012 Diamond Distributors started the Halloween Comicfest event. This event is similar to Free Comic Book Day. Kids dress up in there costumes and are given free comics at their local comic shop. Even if you are not a kid trick or treating for comics is still allowed for the adult collectors. Each comic given away has some sort of Halloween twist to it and range in ratings from Mature to All-Ages. My kids and myself love this promotion, not only because it gives them an extra day to go out and show off their costumes but because it is FREE! My family will be attending and these are the comics I am most excited to pick up!

 STAR WARS: BOBA FETT #1

THE HUNTER'S HEART!  As the implacable bounty hunter who tracked down HAN SOLO, BOBA FETT earned his reputation as one of the greatest villains in the galaxy.   But what happens when Boba Fett picks up the trail of an actual villain?  Find out what kind of heart - if any - beats under that MANDALORIAN armor!

(W) Greg Pak (A) Marc Laming

DC SUPER HERO GIRLS METROPOLIS HIGH

When Batgirl, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Green Lantern, Bumblebee, and Zatanna are continually late to class because of their crime-fighting, they are sentenced to finding an after-school club for a whole week ... or else they'll be suspended! But finding a club is not as easy as it looks, and when the girls keep finding themselves kicked out of the clubs they like, they must think outside of the box and go outside their comfort zones to avoid suspension. This first chapter from the DC SUPER HERO GIRLS: AT METROPOLIS HIGH graphic novel is perfect for ages 6-10 and a great entry point into the DC Universe.

 IRON MAN ROAD TO IRON MAN 2020 #1

The Road to IRON MAN 2020 starts here!  From the cusp of tomorrow's dreams to the forefront of imagination, one man always soars on the cutting edge of adventure! You know his name. Tony Stark is Iron Man.  And Iron Man...is an idea. Always changing. Always evolving. An idea without limit!  The future is now. Strap in!

(W) Dan Slott (A) Valerio Schiti (CA) Alexander Lozano

 MILES MORALES SPIDER-MAN #0

Showcasing Miles first appearance from Ultimate Comics Fallout #4! The Ultimate Universe's Peter Parker is dead, felled by a bullet and his arch-nemesis the Green Goblin. But though the teenage web-slinger is gone, his memory lives on with the introduction of the new Spider-Man - Miles Morales!

(W) Brian Michael Bendis, Jonathan Hickman, Nick Spencer (A) Mark Bagley, Sara Pichelli, More

 HCF 2019 USAGI YOJIMBO

Join Usagi as he faces off against a rather unusual- and monstrous- adversary! This free spooky tale featuring everyone's favorite rabbit samurai is sure to delight trick-or-treaters of all ages!

(W) Stan Sakai (A/CA) Stan Sakai

A lot of comic shops go all out during this event and put on costume contests, invite special guests and giveaway fun prizes. My comic shop will just be giving away the comics, which is still okay by me. To see if your local comic shop is holding an event, check Halloween Comicfest news or see all of the comics being given away this year visit www.HalloweenComicfest.com!

Wax Pack Revolution: All Topps Edition

A recent obsession of mine has been collecting old wax packs of trading cards from the 80s & 90s. Sure, I have a ton of these non-sport cards from when I was a kid, but the artwork and design of the packaging is something I missed. When you would buy one of these packs you would tear it open and throw away the wrapper. Never giving it a second thought. Seeing these again brings back memories of feeling the slick paper in your hands, seeing the simple artwork and the smell of bubble gum. Let's dive into a few of these packs that I have on display...YET AGAIN!

Nintendo Game Pack (Topps, 1989)

I absolutely loved these cards as a kid! Any time we went shopping with my Mom for either clothes or groceries, we would get a pack of Nintendo scratch off cards. For 25 cents you got 3 scratch off cards to entertain you and 2 stickers to decorate your books, trapper keepers or even your Nintendo! But, the biggest draw was the secret tips on the sticker backs. How else would we have known to hit Bald Bull on his 3rd jump for a KO?

Superman: The Movie (Topps, 1978)

To many people Christopher Reeve will always be THE Superman. These cards came out before I was even born, so needless o say, I did not collect these as a kid. As a collector though I can really appreciate the simple design of the cards.

Tiny Toon Adventures (Topps, 1991)

Tiny Toon Adventures was a staple in my house. After we would get home from school we would turn on the local Fox5 station out of New York and watch it along with some other great 90s toons. Surprisingly I never did own any of these cards growing up, but had to add a pack to my growing collection.

Supergirl (Topps, 1984)

I have not seen the Supergirl movie in at least 25 years. The only memory I have of this movie was that it was on TV during a sleep over at my house with friends. One friend got homesick and had to go home. Totally a bummer!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 2nd Series (Topps, 1990)

If you have read this blog before, you know I love me some Ninja Turtles. Me and my brother collected these cards so we would have cardboard versions of the cartoons we loved so much! Of course it didn't hurt that Usagi Yojimbo was featured on some of the cards. We loved that guy!

DC Comics HIV Education Ads



Not many people know this, but in 1992 DC Comics decided to kill off a little known character named Superman. This apparently became a big deal. If you don't realize by now, I am being sarcastic. This event was huge! In fact it was so big that DC Comics created the "Funeral For A Friend" storyline to follow those events in 1993.

Like a lot of people, these stories are what really got me into seriously collecting comics. So, when I saw Superman: The Man of Steel #20 & Action Comics #686 at the Dollar Tree, it reminded me of those good old days.

I already have these issues in my collection, but needless to say, I picked them up anyway. I have read these stories so many times, but I forgot about the HIV ad campaign that DC included in their comics around this time!

This one features Tim Drake aka Robin and Alfred discussing a boy at school who has HIV. They discuss how you can't contract HIV through casual contact and Robin flies off to get more info, probably from the Gotham City Library.

The second ad features the Flash schooling some young Central City citizens on the HIV virus. Once again it focuses on the fact that you cannot receive HIV from casual contact like drinking out of the same soda can. After dropping this knowledge Flash shows off his mad B-ball skills with a mind blowing dunk!

There were other ads sprinkled throughout DC Comics' offerings in 1993 that included Nightwing, Blue Beetle & Booster Gold and 2 different Green Lanterns. This was a smart move by DC. It informed people of the rising HIV/Aids epidemic in America and it was a great PR move for them. I know these caught my eye back then. It was such an adult situation, brought down to a simple message for kids to understand. Just look at the Green Lantern ads though. The artwork is the same except Hal Jordan and Jon Stewart swapped places. I wonder why they did that?

Comic Book Pick: 9/7/16

This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...
SUPERGIRL #1

"REIGN OF THE CYBORG SUPERMAN" part one! Supergirl is back and working for the DEO to defend National City! As Kara Danvers, average American teenager and high school student, Supergirl must balance her life as a superhero with her new life on Earth. But some demons from her Kryptonian past are coming back to haunt her, and Kara will find herself face-to-face with her father: the sinister Cyborg Superman!
(W) Steve Orlando (A/CA) Brian Ching       
SRP: $2.99