2-For-None

Rarely does this 30+-year-old man find appropriate use for this type of tweenage SMS language. But today, my BFFs, is one heck of an exception! Samples of Capstone’s first-ever Free Comic Book Day comic arrived in the office, and they are — well, utterly PRICELESS!!


(Check out that cover!)

For the unacquainted, Free Comic Book Day takes place the first Saturday in May each year (5/5/12), and comic book shops nationwide give away special, limited-edition comics from today’s top publishers...for FREE!! A seriously great promotion of comics and reading and kids, and we’re proud to take part with our 2012 Silver entry....

THE ROCKHEAD & ZINC ALLOY 2-FOR-NONE

(Illustrated by the brilliant C.S. Jennings & Douglas Holgate)


(What? A Super-Pets pinup? You got that right!!)


(Total sweetness.)

Trust me.... On May 5 (22 days and counting), you gotta get out there and snag this super spectacular FREE-VIEW! I mean, two awesome adventures for the price of NONE? That’s a no-brainer, IMHO!

--Donnie Lemke
Managing Editor

Free Comic Book Day!

May 1st is FREE Comic Book Day! Comic book shops all across the United States will be giving away comic books to anyone who comes into their stores. What a great day!

We all know kids love comic books and graphic novels. Here are some reasons for you to love them as much as they do!

"The average comic book introduces children to nearly twice as many words as the average children's book and five times as many as the average child-adult conversation." Journal of Child Language

" . . . middle school boys who did more comic book reading also read more in general, read more books and reported that they liked reading better than those who did less comic book reading." Steven Krashen

A 1992 study of more than 200,000 students from 32 countries revealed that Finland, the nation with the highest proportion of comic book-reading students (nearly 60%) also has the highest literacy rate (99%) as well as the highest library usage. www.flyingcolorscomics.com

Free Comic Book Day

362 days! If you missed Free Comic Book Day last Saturday, May 2, that’s how long you’ll have to wait until the next celebration. I, for one, will be marking my calendar. Since 2002, this annual freebie frenzy has gotten bigger and better every year, and this past weekend was no exception. Not only has the list of available comics grown (40 free comics this year!!), but the variety of comics has expanded as well. From Drawn & Quarterly’s retro pick Nancy & Melvin Monster and laughs for the little ones with The Simpsons to DC and Marvel’s contemporary superhero fare and more grown-up graphics like Mercy Sparks and Love and Rockets, Free Comic Book Day has something for everyone. So this coming week, I’ll be rereading my freebies, and hopefully kids (and adults) around the country will be doing the same. And, if you didn’t get your grab bag last weekend, there’s still a chance to pick up some great free reads (including Stone Arch Books) before next year . . . at the library.

Donnie Lemke
Senior Editor, SAB