2017 Free Comic Book Day Wrap Up

 Another year, another stack of free comics!  The 2017 Free Comic Book Day included Wonder Woman, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Barbie, Doctor Who, the gang from Riverdale and a whole lot more of your favorite characters.  I wanted to hit a handful of stores so my first stop was at Titan Comics.

There were several artists lined up outside doing sketches and selling their work.  You can see Jedigoddess above starting a painting of Gamora.  I think she did several Guardians characters but I couldn't stick around to watch.  It was time to hit the next location:

 The local CW station was at Zeus Comics promoting the 800 comic book TV shows that the network has.  They were giving out posters and were sponsoring a CW inspired costume contest.  Among the Jugheads and Firestorms, you could also find Anna and Elsa giving out temporary tattoos:

 After loading up on another stack of freebies, it was time to head to the next location.     At the Mockingbird location of Keith's Comics.  They took they opportunity to have a half off sale on some of their back stock:

 This was my last stop for the day so after I got a hold of my freebies it was time to assess my haul for the day:

 The goal was to load up on kid friendly titles since these guys are going to be given away to the kids of friends and family.  I doubled up on a few titles, especially DC Super Hero Girls since that's my daughter's favorite.

So if you've got some extras from this year's FCBD think about encouraging the next generation of comic book readers.  After all, that what the day is all about.

Lark in the Park

I'm not sure if Theodor Geisel, A.K.A. Dr. Seuss, had ever been to Texas but he clearly has a lot of fans in the state.  Particularly in the West Texas town of Abilene, known as the "Storybook Capital of Texas."   That's where you'll find Everman Park which is home to six sculptures of the good Doctor's most popular work.

Let's take a stroll in the park and see what we can see.  Starting with...

Perennial trouble maker and world's worst babysitter, The Cat in the Hat is the first sculpture in the park.  His book was first published in 1957 and he is easily Dr. Seuss' most popular creation.

Next up is "Sam-I-Am" from "Green Eggs and Ham" which was published in 1960 and introduced a breakfast menu that kids all over the world would covet for years.

The Turtle Tower from "Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories" stands tall as the next sculpture on the tour.  The book was published in 1958.  It contained three stories but Yertle was clearly the break out star.

Appropriately, the Lorax stands surrounded by the trees for which he speaks.  The environmentally conscious character's book was published in 1971.

Seasons greetings are offered year round by the Grinch and his faithful dog Max.  Before the TV special, movie and merchandise onslaught, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" was published in 1957.

And finally there is Horton who is listening intently for all time to the tiniest of tiny friends.  His book "Horton Hears a Who!" was published in 1954.

All the sculptures were created by artist Leo Rijn and they fit in nicely in downtown Abilene.  The entire area is full of other whimsical works collectively known as the Storybook Sculpture Project.  It's worth a stop on your next West Texas road trip.  Don't forget to bring your camera.

A Good Place to Read

We find ourselves in Charlotte, NC for the time being and we are taking the opportunity to have a look around.  Our fist stop is a park called "The Green."  And if you weren't in the mood to pick up a good book before you visit, you will be after.

Stacks of bronze classics welcome you at the park's entrance and set the literary mood for your park experience.  The theme continues as you walk the trails reminding you of the works of the greats as well as giving you a some geographical trivia.

Signs like these are everywhere:

And on one end stands "Brick Kids - Life is an Open Book" as well as the historic Ratcliffe’s Flowers Sign which was moved here from it's original location:

Go grab a comic and find your own cool place to read!