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Free Comic Book Day 2021 heading to local comic shops in August with 50 titles

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March 20, 2021

A long time from now in a galaxy far, far away–actually at your local comic book shop–Free Comic Book Day is returning for 2021. Often overlapping with the annual Star Wars Day–May the Fourth–this year it’s being pushed out a few months to Saturday, August 14. A good excuse to visit your local comic book shop and get re-introduced to some series you may have missed, the annual FCBD is also a way to check out some titles you may otherwise have overlooked. This week comic book retailers revealed the results of the FCBD committee’s selections for this year’s freebies. What made the cut? It seems plenty early, but now you have no excuse to know what you want when you get to the front of the line. Below, check out some of the covers and titles coming your way for FCBD 2021 this August!

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Missing your comic book fix? Never fret, you have options

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April 3, 2020

While you are sitting at your computer at home pretending to be paying attention to conference calls, you need something to do for your sanity, right? How about comics? The best thing you can do is order from the hundreds of graphic novels at your local comic book store. Many will be willing to send you overnight or within a few days anything you’re after, especially if you’re behind on the latest and greatest comics have to offer. Your own comic book shop stands ready to take your order now. And local shops may be able to get you comics often quicker than online retailers right now.

With most single issues of new titles on delay for now, you can still get your single-issue comic fix via free comics at the Digital Comic Museum, which hosts hundreds of full Golden Age public domain comics, including many featuring superheroes (like the original Captain Marvel, Bulletman, Captain Midnight, and Spy Smasher, plus Westerns (like Gene Autry and Tom Mix), war comics, sports comics (like Jackie Robinson), jungle comics, sci-fi comics (like Captain Video), romance comics, and crime series. Comixology also has hundreds of comics you, your kids, or your cat can read right now for free. It’s a great way to get wind of a great story you may have missed or never considered, which you can then order in its complete series from local or online stores Note: Comixology also has an unlimited program (currently priced at $5.99 per month) with more than 25,000 digital comics, graphic novels, and manga from DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, and more. Those carry the white “Unlimited” ribbon in the bottom right corner of the comic cover icon.

The current list of totally free comics on the Comixology website (just set up a free account), is easy to use, and updates regularly with new titles. We’ve identified many we’ve recommended before at borg for you to check out (click the Comics & Books tab above anytime to find nearly a decade of recommendations). These include: Usagi Yojimbo, Stranger Things, Hellboy, Predator/Aliens: Fire and Stone, Centipede, Xena: Warrior Princess, Charlie’s Angels vs. The Bionic Woman, Battlestar Galactica, Doctor Who, and Star Trek: The Next Generation–Mirror Broken. Thinking about watching TV or movie tie-ins? Check out the free issues from the original comics at Comixology for The Umbrella Academy, I, Frankenstein, and Captain Marvel. You can even read the first Batman appearance ever in Detective Comics, Issue #27, or see early Superman in Superman, Issue #1, and the original issue from the 1970s of Swamp Thing, Issue #1.

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Planet Comicon Kansas City 2020 postponed due to coronavirus

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March 12, 2020

PCKC 2020 comics

***Update***

The mayor of Kansas City has ordered the delay of all events with greater than 1,000 people in the city for 21 days, due to the city’s declaration of emergency for coronavirus/COVID-19. Planet Comicon Kansas City will therefore be postponed, according to the event website until late summer or fall 2020. See PlanetComicon.com for further updates and details. Note: Since many creators were relying on this event for their income, please consider reviewing the guest list and purchasing their comics, books, and creations through their other channels (we’re all going to be home for a while, so it’s a perfect time to catch up on reading, right?). In light of the cancellation, instead of the sneak peek at her new novel Premeditated Myrtle and cover reveal for her second novel in the Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries series (the cover created by award-winning artist Brett Helquist) planned for Planet Comicon weekend, our own borg.com writer and author Elizabeth C. Bunce will be revealing the cover for the second book–How to Get Away with Myrtle, here at borg–look for it here coming soon!

Original post:

In only one week the pop culture convention Planet Comicon Kansas City is scheduled to return, this time to celebrate its 21st year. The event is expected to host a pantheon of nationally recognized writers and artists for its eighth year in its downtown Kansas City, Missouri, venue at the Kansas City Convention Center. The show runs Friday, March 20 through Sunday, March 22. This is of course now subject to any cancellations, individually or as a whole, arising from corona virus/COVID-19 outbreak concerns. Some of the biggest names and most popular comics creators are in the line-up for the 2020 event, probably the best-known being Roy Thomas, the comic book writer and editor who was Stan Lee’s first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. Characters he created or co-created include Wolverine, Ghost Rider, Vision, Carol Danvers, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Red Sonja, Ultron, Man-Thing, Red Guardian, and Valkyrie, the majority of which have become so famous they’ve made it to recent big or small screen adaptations. Famous for his work on X-Men and Avengers, Thomas is also known for his work on classic titles All-Star Squadron and Justice Society of America.

Several other comic book creators scheduled to attend the event for the first time include Bill Amend, Garth Ennis, Adam Hughes, Stanley “Artgerm” Lau, Ed McGuinness, Afua Richardson, and Peter Stiegerwald, plus many others. Returning PCKC regulars slated to appear include Freddie Williams II, Jason Aaron, Phil Hester, Ande Parks, Ant Lucia, Skottie Young, Megan Levens, Seth Peck, Rob Davis, Jason Arnett, Bryan Fyffe, Bryan Timmins, and Darren Neely. In addition to comics creators, fan-favorite novelists scheduled for the show include borg.com writer and author Elizabeth C. Bunce, who hopes to debut the cover for the second book in her new Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries series at her booth over the weekend. Other authors scheduled to attend include convention regulars Kevin Dilmore and Dayton Ward, plus Kevin J. Anderson, Jim Butcher, and Timothy Zahn–and many more.

PCKC 2020 authors

Back again, the Elite Comics flight crew is planning its “Party on the Pillar” hoping for attendees to pick up some great deals on what the Con is all about–comics.

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Huzzah! borg begins ninth year of daily publishing

Filed under: Backstage Pass, Comics & Books, Con Culture, Fantasy Realms, Movies, Retro Fix, Sci-Fi Café, Superheroes, TV — 1 Comment

June 10, 2019

Today borg turns eight. We’ve published every day since June 10, 2011, with 3,065 updates, locating the next big thing we think you’ll want to check out in movies, TV, books, comics, sci-fi, fantasy, action, thrillers, crime noir, popular art, superheroes, retro fixes… if it looks good we let you know.

What was the best part for us from the past year? Reading and reviewing more great books than ever before, and watching and reviewing TV shows and movies from a year with a wider variety than ever before. Meeting other fans, celebrities, and creators at events throughout the year on the convention circuit. Our borg Hall of Fame continues to grow thanks to creative writers, artists, and designers. We anxiously search for each new potential honoree for our kick-ass women in film and TV, revealed each year in December, and constantly drive forward to our annual best of the year lists.

So what is coming in Year 9? We’ll start by attacking this new stack of books and comics. We’ll continue the daily coverage of the best entertainment at the movies, on TV, in print, or in whatever form it’s available. That includes big movies coming in the remainder of 2019 (don’t forget to keep up with our annual movie list here and keep an eye out for our periodic Trailer Park updates of what is coming next). We rarely agree with Rotten Tomatoes and mainstream critics, so if you want a different view from a fellow pop culture fan, you’re in the right place. We’ve just added a new advanced search engine in the right column, and you can scroll down to the bottom of the home page to find a full archive of the site and the day’s top read articles. If you want to see more of anything, let us know in the comments or drop us an email. On a personal note, borg writer Elizabeth C. Bunce is also award-winning author Elizabeth C. Bunce, and I hope you all read her new mystery series coming next spring. Set in Victorian England, it follows a girl detective and her irascible neighbor cat, beginning with the first volume, Premeditated Myrtle. I’ve read the first two books in the series and think you’re going to be blown away. More to come on that later this year!

Thank you for reading. A special thanks to all of you who subscribe to borg via email updates or via social media outlets. Running borg is all about having fun and sharing the good stuff. Your positive feedback fuels us onward in a time when ad returns are dropping and search engines constantly favor big corporation Internet traffic. Thanks to all the comic book publishers out there that continue to provide us with previews and review copies, as well as non-fiction and fiction book publishers, TV and movie studios, and gaming and collectible companies that allow us to give you the first look at what’s coming next.

Finally, thanks to my family, my friends, especially my partner in all things Elizabeth C. Bunce, my pals Art Schmidt, William Binderup, Elite Comics, and the Elite Flight Crew for their friendship, and my intrepid feline support team.

Onward and upward!

C.J. Bunce
Editor
borg

Tags: Art Schmidt, borg.com, borg.com benchmarks, borg.com eighth anniversary, borg.com Facebook, borg.com staff, borg.com tumblr, borg.com Twitter, Elite Comics, Elizabeth C. Bunce, William Binderup

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Free Comic Book Day returns for May the Fourth–Star Wars Day 2019

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May 4, 2019

The annual Star Wars Day, May the Fourth, is back again–an excuse to watch the movies again and meet up with friends and talk all things of a galaxy far, far away. And again it is overlapping with Free Comic Book Day, a good excuse to visit your local comic book shop and get re-introduced to some series you may have missed.

You can’t beat the “gold line” of comics this year, with Jody Houser writing two free comics, Doctor Who and Stranger Things. Jason Aaron serves as a writer on the Avengers issue (including a great Wolverine story), which is always a good FCBD title. Archie Comics has a new Riverdale Season 3 FCBD story. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles creator Kevin Eastman is back writing the featured TMNT issue. And fans of the Whedonverse won’t want to miss their copy of the BOOM! Studios twofer of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly, complete with a great cover by Moon Knight cover artist and Vampironica creator Greg Smallwood. And for adults, Vampirella fans should check out its Issue #0/FCBD issue, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the character, complete with art by Bruce Timm and work by the late Forrest J. Ackerman. Two other interesting titles for the older crowd worth checking out are Antarctic Press’s Punchline with great art by Matthew Weldon, and Shout Comics’ Midnight Sky.

The above issues are also good choices for kids, but some other titles are more targeted at the younger set including Casper the Ghost in Casper’s Spooksville. Dear Justice League lets kids go one-on-one with their favorite superheroes. Go Fish! is a great looking fish tale. You can never go wrong with a new Little Lulu story. Lumberjanes is back with another campfire story. And last but not least, Star Wars Adventures is a great pick for any Star Wars fan this May the Fourth.

Take a look at some covers and previews to books available free (supplies may be limited) at Elite Comics or your local comic book shop today only:

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Planet Comicon to celebrate 20 years with comic book legends Claremont, Starlin, Steranko, and more

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March 2, 2019

In less than four weeks pop culture convention Planet Comicon Kansas City returns, this time to celebrate its 20th year. Even more than before the event is hosting a pantheon of nationally recognized comic book writers and artists for its seventh year in the downtown Kansas City, Missouri, venue at the giant Bartle Hall facility at the Kansas City Convention Center. The show runs Friday, March 29 through Sunday, March 31. Bring your stacks of comics for autographs from your favorite creators–we’ve included here only a few important and familiar books by creators scheduled to be at the event. Attendees will see some of the biggest names and most popular character creators spanning fives decades of comics, including:

Chris Claremont, writer and creator of dozens of characters including Rogue, Mystique, Phoenix, Emma Frost, Legion, Gambit, and Captain Britain. His classic books include a long run on Uncanny X-Men, including the popular story arcs The Dark Phoenix Saga and Days of Future Past, adapted into X-Men: Days of Future Past, multiple X-Men movies, and this summer’s coming film Dark Phoenix.

Jim Starlin, writer/artist and creator of Thanos, Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, the Master of Kung Fu, and the first graphic novel published by Marvel Comics, The Death of Captain Marvel. His classic books include Batman: The Cult, Batman: A Death in the Family, and Cosmic Odyssey.

Jim Steranko, writer/artist known for his unique 1960s style, his work on Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., plus memorable runs on Captain America and X-Men. He was also a creator of concept art designs for Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Fabian Nicieza, writer known for creating Deadpool in the pages of The New Mutants, and working on dozens of key superhero titles. His classic books include New Warriors and Psi-Force.

Keith Giffen, artist and creator of Rocket the Raccoon and Lobo. His classic books include several issues of Legion of Super-Heroes.

Kevin Eastman, writer and creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Steve McNiven, artist and creator of Marvel Comics’ Civil War. McNiven is known for his cover art on dozens of Marvel titles.

Bob McLeod, artist and creator of The New Mutants. (A concept that is the subject of 20th Century Fox’s last slated Marvel project, the coming late summer big-screen release The New Mutants).

And that’s not all…

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Tags: Afua Richardson, Amanda Conner, Ande Parks, Ant Lucia, Batman Death in the Family, Batman Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover, Bob McLeod, Bryan Timmins, Chris Claremont, Chris Grine, Civil War, Cullen Bunn, CW Cooke, Damont Jordan, Dark Phoenix, Darren Neely, Darryl Woods, DC Bombshells, DC Comics, Deadpool, Denys Cowan, Detective Comics 1000, Detective Comics 1000 variants, Don Rosa, Doug Mahnke, El Diablo, Elite Comics, Elite Comics 25th anniversary, Fabian Nicieza, Freddie Williams, Freddie Williams II, Gary Gianni, Green Arrow, Jai Nitz, Jaime Mendoza, Jason Aaron, Jim Starlin, Jim Steranko, Jimmy Palmiotti, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, Keith Giffen, Kevin Eastman, Mark Bagley, Mark Texeira, Mark Tieri, Megan Levens, Nick Fury, Nick Spencer, Phil Hester, Planet Comicon, Planet Comicon 2019, Planet Comicon 2019 creators, Planet Comicon Kansas City, Planet Comics 20th anniverary, Rick Burchett, Skottie Young, Steve McNiven, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The New Mutants, Uncanny X-Men, Uncanny X-Men 141, X-Men, X-Men: Days of Future Past

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Ryan Sook creates 50th anniversary Planet of the Apes tribute for Overstreet Guide

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June 4, 2018

A month ago here at borg.com we discussed looking outside the comic book medium for the artwork of your favorite comic book artists. You don’t need to look too far outside of comic books to find the next great artwork from fan-favorite cover artist Ryan Sook. Every year just in advance of San Diego Comic-Con, comic book stores are stocked with the annual update to The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. First published in 1970, the 1,200 page log of nearly every comic book published to-date arrives at its 48th volume this summer, dated 2018-2019. Known as the go-to guide for prices for a generation of collectors, Robert M. Overstreet’s book of prices and thumbnail photos is also a source to glean what’s happened in the past year by way of comic book trends. It features its own hall of fame for comic book legends, plus full-color sections highlighting some of today and yesteryear’s best covers.

For this year’s comic book store exclusive hardcover edition, Gemstone Publishing tapped Ryan Sook to create a cover to commemorate 50 years of Planet of the Apes films. Sook reached beyond the original to reflect imagery from throughout the Planet of the Apes movie saga– a great homage to the original shocking environment as Charlton Heston’s astronaut Taylor arrives in the future horrifying world of human scarecrows, with General Ursus leading the charge and the creepy denizens in Beneath the Planet of the Apes, the return to the past by spaceship for the apes in Escape from the Planet of the Apes, to the militant world and apes under arrest in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, culminating with the eagerly-awaited first appearance of The Lawgiver in Battle for the Planet of the Apes. The familiar image of Roddy McDowall behind John Chambers’ Oscar-worthy make-up takes center stage–McDowall connects all of the films alternately as Cornelius and Caesar (and later as Galen in the TV series), and here he cleverly blocks the identity of the planet.

You can only purchase this edition of the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide in comic book stores, so put in a call to Elite Comics to make sure you get a copy when this new edition arrives in July.

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Tags: 50th anniversary Planet of the Apes, comic book cover art, comic book creators, Elite Comics, Gemstone Publishing, General Ursus, Mauro Cascioli, original comic book cover art, Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, Overstreet Price Guide, Planet of the Apes, Robert M. Overstreet, Roddy McDowall, Ryan Sook, San Diego Comic-Con, SDCC 2018

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Advance look–Free Comic Book Day is back this Saturday

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May 4, 2018

If you love comics and especially if you haven’t read a comic book in years then this Saturday’s Free Comic Book Day is all about you. See what you have been missing at comic book stores across the United States as shops hand out free issues of new comic books from your favorite franchises and publishers: Marvel, DC Comics, IDW, Archie Comics, Image, Dark Horse, Titan Comics, BOOM!, Oni Press, Aftershock, and more.

Marvel fans won’t want to miss out on the lead-in to the new Avengers comic book series discussed here at borg.com earlier this week. Doctor Who fans will find all-new stories featuring the 7th, 10th, and 11th Doctors and the first appearance of the 13th Doctor! Today is May the Fourth–the annual Star Wars Day, and tomorrow Star Wars fans can find Han Solo and Chewbacca facing off against Zuckuss and 4-LOM from The Empire Strikes Back in Star Wars Adventures. Riverdale features a story with Betty and Pop at the Chock-lit Shop. In all, 52 new FCBD stories will be available. Keep in mind not all stores will have every title available and most stores limit each person to five issues to meet demand.

While you’re there, take a look around at the shop and purchase a comic or graphic novel or two. Don’t know which one? How about New Ultimates: Thor Reborn, or Wonder Woman: The True Amazon? If you liked Avengers: Infinity War, ask to see the shelf of Thanos and Avengers titles. Getting ready for Ant-Man and The Wasp coming to theaters? Ask about all the available related titles. You don’t know who this Venom character is that Tom Hardy is playing in the new movie? Your comic shop can get you caught up for Venom. Do you like Batman, Miss Fury, the Bionic Man, Squirrel Girl, Spider-man, The Eternals, Ghost Rider, Ghost, Wolverine, Silver Surfer, Moon Knight, Liberty Meadows, classic Archie Comics, Guardians of the Galaxy, Green Arrow, the Shadow, Star Trek, Valerian and Laureline, or Katy Keene? Just ask, and someone will point you in the right direction. Giant trade paperback editions are much less expensive than you might think, and they can get you caught up quickly on years of content.

If you’re in the Kansas City area check out Elite Comics between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., where you’ll also find lots of deals, get your Avengers issue signed by writer Jason Aaron, and meet other creators–and there’s cake. Or use this comic book store locator to find your nearest participating shop. Here’s an advance look at all 52 covers from the FCBD 2018 comic books you will find Saturday, a look inside the pages at some artwork from the Avengers issue, plus a video about the event:

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Preview–The Avengers return today with new Marvel Comics monthly series

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May 2, 2018

This Saturday, May 5, 2018, is Free Comic Book Day at comic book stores nationwide. Marvel Comics has several titles available, each setting the groundwork for a new direction in the Marvel Universe. One of those featured issues is The Avengers, a story written by Jason Aaron with artwork by Sara Pichelli. That comic book leads into a new series beginning today with the arrival of the first issue of a brand-new monthly, also titled The Avengers. Written by Aaron with artwork by Ed McGuinness, along with Mark Morales and David Curiel, it’s a great jumping-on point for new readers, and the arrival is well-timed for fans clamoring for more Marvel superhero action after last weekend’s release of Avengers: Infinity War.

Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man are back together, this time to protect the world from a new menace: the giant space-gods called the Celestials. And the Big Three will be joined by Doctor Strange, Black Panther, She-Hulk, Ghost Rider, and Captain Marvel. The first issue of the monthly series will arrive with several cover options, a standard cover by Ed McGuinness, two variant versions of that cover, variant covers by Esad Ribic, Greg Land, and Aaron Kuder, and a blank sketch cover.

And you can get your copies signed this weekend by the writer himself. Jason Aaron will be signing The Avengers, Issue #1, and the Free Comic Book Day issue this Saturday at the Free Comic Book Day celebration at Elite Comics in Overland Park, Kansas. Check out the Elite Comics Facebook page here for more information on the event.

Here is a preview of the cover art for The Avengers, Issue #1 (above and below), a preview of the first pages of Issue #1, and a preview of the cover for Issue #2:

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Tags: Aaron Kuder, Avengers: Infinity War, David Curiel, Ed McGuinness, Elite Comics, Esad Ribic, Free Comic Book Day, Free Comic Book Day 2018, Greg Land, Jason Aaron, Mark Morales, Sara Pichelli, The Avengers, The Avengers Issue 1 2018 preview

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Cosplay at Kansas City Comic Con 2017

Filed under: Backstage Pass, Comics & Books, Con Culture, Fantasy Realms, Movies, Retro Fix, Sci-Fi Café, Superheroes, TV — 1 Comment

November 13, 2017

Kansas City Comic Con 2017 wrapped after three days yesterday, full of great opportunities to meet comic book and other genre creators, celebrities, and participate in all sorts of activities from how-to classes on cosplay armor building to LEGO building, and several panels covering a variety of topics. For regular convention attendees the best part is the ability to see friends you’ve known for sometimes decades, and forging new bonds with other like-minded, positive and fun people.

What came as a surprise for many this year was the enormous participation of attendees in their favorite cosplay. On Saturday the open areas of the convention floor were often so filled with cosplayers and others getting photographs that you could hardly move through without bumping into someone. That’s a pretty great feat, because Bartle Hall in downtown Kansas City is a major sized venue.

So let’s take a look at a few of the hundreds of great characters found at this year’s show:

To my left above is one of the first people to create Obi-Wan Kenobi as designed by Mike Mayhew in Star Wars Issue #15, written by Jason Aaron. He really nailed the look with the great backback, rifle, and goggles. This wins my “I am definitely going to borrow this idea” award. This is the version Sideshow is expected to release in 1:6 scale in late 2018:

Here is Jennifer and Nicholas Forrestal with their Morticia and Gomez Addams from The Addams Family:

And a great Uncle Fester was on-hand as well. The best ad lib physical humor award goes to Kevin Dilmore for his quick rendition of Thing.

I was surprised by all the Rogue One cosplayers that Elizabeth Bunce (as Jyn Erso in Imperial disguise) and I (as the Blue Squadron X-Wing pilot general) were able to get some photos with, including our boss, Mon Mothma: