Free Comic Book Day 2014 Recommendations

The annual celebration of comic book nerdery that is Free Comic Book Day is (again) tomorrow, and if I know anything about comic books, it's that I know virtually nothing about comic books. We've been going for 3, maybe 4, years now, but that's usually my only visit every year. (The store we visit tends to offer one free book per person, more if you buy other comics, which is what we usually do.)

So as I planned my visit with Miss Mary Mack and Little Boy Blue to our local participating comic book store, I realized that I needed some expert guidance.

And once I compiled that guidance, I thought that maybe it'd be of interest to you.

First, what I'm writing below is just a compilation of roundups from the following sites; if you have time to just read one, I'd read Glen Weldon's annual roundup for NPR:

But I'll just state the obvious -- you should go read those links to get a better sense of the titles.

The links below are to the Free Comic Book Day page for the book. I've noted recommendations from the links above, though I should note that the Bleeding Cool (BC) recommendations are my interpretations of their comments -- they don't specifically recommend titles. I've marked titles that appear to be appropriate for kids -- at least those under 13 -- with a (K). And not every title will be available at every store (and, even if it is, it might not be by the time you get there...).

Enjoy, and have fun!

2000 AD SPECIAL - BC, Wired, io9, LC

ADV OF JELLABY (K) - NPR, USAT, BC, GM, Wired

ALL ROCKET RACCOON (K) - NPR, USAT, BC, GM, IGN, LC

ALL YOU NEED IS KILL TERRA FORMARS - Nerdist, BC

ARCHIE DIGEST #1 (K)

ARMOR HUNTERS SPECIAL - IGN

ATOMIC ROBO & FRIENDS - NPR, BC, LC someone else I forget so many lists...

BLEEDING COOL MAGAZINE

BONGO FREE-FOR-ALL (K) - NPR, Nerdist, GM

BUCK ROGERS (K) - NPR, BC, LC

CBLDF PRESENTS RAISING A READER (K) - NPR, BC, io9

COURTNEY CRUMRIN #1 (K) - NPR, BC, Wired

DEFEND COMICS - NPR, Wired, io9, LC

DC THE NEW 52 FUTURES END SPEC ED - USAT, io9, IGN

DH AVATAR HELLBOY JUICE SQUEEZERS (K) - NPR, BC, Wired, io9

DH PROJECT BLACK SKY (NET) (MR) - NPR, BC, Wired, io9

ENTROPY - USAT

EPIC #0 (K?) - NPR, USAT

FINDING GOSSAMYR WAY O/T BLADESLINGER (K?) - BC, io9

FUBAR ACE OF SPADES (NET) (MR) - USAT, BC

GIANT-SIZE 4-COMIC BUNDLE

GRAPHIX SPOTLIGHT DUMBEST IDEA EVER (K)

GRIMM FAIRY TALES #0

GUARDIANS OF GALAXY - USAT, Nerdist, BC, GM, io9, IGN

HATTER M FAR FROM WONDER (K?) - NPR, USAT

HELLO KITTY SURPRISE (K) - BC, GM, IGN

HIP HOP FAMILY TREE TWO-IN-ONE (Net) (MR) - NPR, Nerdist, BC, Wired, io9, LC (non-fiction)

INTRINSIC VOL 2 - USAT

IPSO FACTO (NET) (MR)

KABOOM SUMMER BLAST (K) - NPR, Nerdist, BC, GM, IGN, LC Adventure Time!

LES MISERABLES FALL OF FANTINE (K?) - GM

MAGIC WIND

MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS (K) - GM

MOUSE GUARD LABYRINTH RUST HC - BC, Wired

OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK MARKETPLACE

PREVIEWSWORLD SPECTACULAR

RISE OF THE MAGI (K) - NPR, BC, io9

SCAM CROSSWORDS #0

SCRATCH 9 (K) - USAT

SHERWOOD TX BOONDOCK SAINTS DOUBLE FEAT - USAT, BC

SHOWA HISTORY OF JAPAN - NPR, Nerdist, BC, io9 (non-fiction)

SKYWARD & MIDNIGHT TIGER (K) - GM

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG MEGA MAN FLIPBOOK #1 (K) - GM, IGN

SPONGEBOB FREESTYLE FUNNIES (K) - BC, GM, Wired

STEAM WARS - NPR, BC

STREET FIGHTER #0 (K) - BC

TEEN TITANS GO #1 SPEC ED (K) - NPR, BC, GM, LC

THE SMURFS (K) - GM

THE TICK (K) - NPR, BC, GM, LC

TOP SHELF KIDS CLUB (K) - NPR, BC, GM, io9

TRANSFORMERS VS GI JOE (K) - USAT, Wired, io9, IGN

UBER THE FIRST CYCLE (NET) (MR) - USAT, io9

VALIANT UNIVERSE HANDBOOK

V-WARS (Net) (MR)

WALT DISNEY SCROOGE DONALD DUCK GRAVITY (K) - NPR, BC, GM, io9

WORLDS OF ASPEN

ZOMBIE TRAMP & EHMM THEORY (NET) (MR)

Itty-Bitty Review: Home - Jazzy Ash

Kindie as a genre is moving away from the folk and rock that were its bread and butter, but oh-so-slowly. Some hip-hop, sure, some classical and other genres represent, but it's still rock (and folk-rock) that kindie is known for. I have to guard against my own tendencies in that regard, otherwise it'd be nothing but power-pop and indie rock here ALL THE TIME, and what would be the usefulness of that?

Of course, it's possible to make a perfectly dull album for kids that just happens to mine a less-traveled musical seam. Luckily, that's not the case with the latest album from Los Angeles-based musician Ashli Christoval, AKA Jazzy Ash. Her new album Home explores the sound of New Orleans, and while it's not the first to tackle the Big Easy's big musical history, it's definitely one of the most vibrant. She moves from the unmistakeable sound of the city's famous second-line bands on the Mardi Gras-themed duet with Mista Cookie Jar on "Throw Me Something Mista" to her zydeco reworking of "Shortenin' Bread" on "Baby Loves Beignets." There's a hint of the overtly educational here (see "Every Family's Different"), but there are more hits than misses, like "Jitterbug," which swings (and dances), and the graceful "Tuba Lullaby." Musically, Ash has put together a solid backing band, and her own voice is one of the most appealing in kindie. She's not at the level of the Okee Dokee Brothers in terms of her songwriting -- to be fair, they're on their fifth album at this point -- but as I listened to the album, there was something about this album that reminded me of the bluegrass duo in their playfulness and exploration of American musical traditions.

The 32-minute album will most appeal to kids ages 3 through 7. Home is a big step forward for Ash, and as she continues her career as a kids musician, I'm eager to see where she lands next. Recommended.

Itty-Bitty Review: D Is for Django - Django Jones

The band Django Jones was born out of the folk-pop band Girlyman -- then on hiatus, now defunct, Girlyman was known in part for its tight harmonies and sometimes sweet, sometimes goofy songs and live shows. The trio -- Doris Muramatsu, Nate Borofsky, and JJ Jones -- turned to Kickstarter to raise funds and attention for their album, and the result, D Is for Django, is formally released this week.

Inside the good 53-minute album is a great album of maybe 30-35 minutes or so in length. Songs like "Counterpoint," which manages to be about counterpoint the musical term and counterpoint the metaphorical concept while being mostly in counterpoint, demonstrate heart and humor and (natch) tight harmonies. "Jack of All Things," about a personal muse, and "Smallest Breed," about Django Jones (the band's namesake, a Chihuahua), effectively convey big thoughts and emotional learning at a kid's level. "Breakfast" is a goofy folk riff, dorky and catchy.

But for me the skits between many of the tracks (which sound a lot more awkward than they would done loosely live) and some of the more obvious "kid" songs like "P-O-P" (about popcorn) and "Bigfoot" sit a little flat next to those tracks. The band may have been trying to make a "kids album," but the album works best when the songs aren't obviously aiming for that target -- they can write good enough songs, sweet or silly, and need not try so hard to please that demographic. The kids'll come along for the ride.

The album will appeal most to kids ages 5 through 8. It's a fun debut from the trio, and I hope that this foray into music specifically for the younger set won't be their last. There are enough wonderful tracks that even though I didn't like all of them, the scale is safely in the band's favor. Definitely recommended.

How I Got Here: Randy Kaplan (Harry Chapin)

In my "How I Got Here" series, in which kindie artists talk about albums that influenced them as musicians, the musicians usually limit themselves to one or maybe two albums, but Randy Kaplan's admiration for Harry Chapin cannot be contained to a mere album or two.

In his essay below, Kaplan talks about Chapin's influence, from individual songs to individual meetings with the man himself. Fans of Kaplan will definitely recognize the seeds of Kaplan's own performing style in what he remembers about Chapin's.

Kaplan's next family album, Jam on Rye, is released on June 1.

I was lucky to be given carte blanche over the many records and record players in my house growing up way out on that long, Long Island. There were my mother's 45s of Elvis Presley, The Platters, and Nervous Norvus; my father's LPs of Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, and The Beatles; and my great-grandfather's 78s of Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms. I could barely lift those multi-record symphony folders with my great-grandfather's Yiddish scrawled on the covers but I was able to memorize every Elvis song in the stack, A-sides and B-sides. Nervous Norvus was my first exposure to the novelty song and I took to the genre right off the bat. I listened to Mitch Miller, Pete Seeger, and the triple-LP Woodstock soundtrack too. But the biggest musical influence of my childhood was our hometown hero, Harry Chapin.

Harry was famous for his lengthy story songs. Sure, a lot of them are a bit corny, but Harry can pull off corny better than anyone. His music and lyrics are elaborate and complex and diverse and poetic and bittersweet. And sometimes very, very funny. I'm thinking of songs like "30,000 Pounds of Bananas" and "Six String Orchestra." And Harry and his bass player "Big" John Wallace were a veritable comedy team onstage when they wanted to be. I learned a lot about interacting with audiences of all ages from watching Harry live in concert.

My family and some other families in the neighborhood went to see Harry every time he performed in the vicinity. After every show he would mingle with and talk to his fans and offer to sign our record albums and posters. I once wrote to him just to say hello and to ask him when he'd be performing again. He sent a fairly long personal note back to me, which I hung on my corkboard (it didn't come down for decades). I remember one line in particular: "My next gig will be on December 3rd." That was the first time I'd ever encountered the word "gig." I've heard it and said it a million times since then!

My friend Nadine wrote a letter to Harry with a little bit more of an agenda. She asked him to come play a few songs at our elementary school. He obliged. My mother pulled some strings, got me backstage, and told Harry that I played guitar too. He shook my hand, flashed a smile, and told me to keep practicing. He then proceeded to do an entire show, unplugged, for the whole school. He even called Nadine up to the stage to sit next to him on the piano bench as he sang "Tangled Up Puppet."

Harry was generous, humble, charismatic, and accessible. My mother once ordered his book of poetry and lyrics, Looking...Seeing, but it never arrived in the mail. She said she was going to call Harry personally and tell him. My father made fun of her, laughing, "You think he's just listed in the phone book like a normal person?!" Well, he was listed. And when my mom called him, he answered the phone! She told him about the problem and he sent over an autographed copy of the book right away.

Now that I have a son and a family of my own, I try to keep the caveats of Harry's only #1 song, the mawkish yet magic "Cat's in the Cradle," in mind, caveats about what could happen if you don't spend enough quality time with your family. I don't travel anywhere near as much as Harry did (he was on the go non-stop!) but as a musician I have to be on the road at least sometimes. So whenever possible, my wife and son travel with me. And when they can't, there's Skype and FaceTime, so that helps.

After all this time, I'm still inspired by Harry's talent, generosity, enthusiasm, and great recordings (my favorites are Verities & Balderdash, Portrait Gallery, and Greatest Stories Live). I'm certainly glad to carry the mantle of the lengthy story song to the children and family music genre. Yes, I've rationalized more than a few indulgent song lengths by reminding myself of Harry's epic numbers!

Harry told me to keep practicing. And I did. That's how I got here.

Photo of Harry Chapin by Steve Stout from Harry Chapin.com

Video: "Marsupial" - Danny Weinkauf

Look at Danny Weinkauf, putting all that Kickstarter cash to good use, recruiting eg design to do the second video from his brand new album No School Today (out today!). It's for "Marsupial," whose syncopated chorus nicely mimics the hopping motion of the kangaroos. Even if the educational value of the song will go over the kids' heads (depending on the kid), they'll sing along on the chorus. Not sure which marsupial that is shredding the guitar solo, though.

Danny Weinkauf - "Marsupial" [YouTube]

Steve 'n' SteveN: Reclusive, But A Little Awesome

How long have I been following the saga of Steve 'n' SteveN, the pairing of Steve Burns (from Blue's Clues) and Steven Drozd (from the Flaming Lips)? Since their only website was a Myspace page. Before then, even -- there was the awesomeness that was "I Hog The Ground".

So when I stumbled upon the brand-new Steve 'n' SteveN website WHICH FEATURED ALL THESE SONGS, PEOPLE!, I knew I wanted to shout (internet-wise). I mean, how can anybody deny the made-of-awesome-and-win nature of this 3 1/2-year-old video? They can, I guess -- there's no accounting for taste -- but I think it's beautiful.

But look at the timestamps of those items-- 2007, 2010. Let's state it plainly, this album is the Chinese Democracy of kindie (the obvious reference), which is why the establishment of the new website was such big news. Finally, we can listen to the whole album in all its psychedelic trappings. And by "we," I mean you -- just click here, it'll open up a new window, press play, then come back.

It's OK, I'll wait.

Now, then, I'm sure you'll agree that there are some awesome sure-fire pop hits and some... less sure-fire pop hits. (I'm looking at you, the 6:37 "The Itsy Bitsy Spider Suite.") And if you scroll through this page, you'll see more of the weirdness this project entails.

The frustrating thing is that this album has been completed since 2008. In this interview with Rocksucker, Drozd says that once the album was complete...

"Steve thought that since I’m in The Flaming Lips and Scott Booker’s my manager and I have Grammies, I think he thought, “This will happen, Steven knows what he’s doing.” And at the same time I thought, “Steve Burns, he’s kind of a big star and knows a lot of people in all the industries. Surely he can get something going.” So I think both of us were waiting for the other to do something!"

So, yeah, six years later and this album is only now available for streaming? Grrrrr.... It's not like Burns has been totally silent -- he appeared at Kindiefest 2012 and they've filmed some live-action stuff for more videos -- but whatever efforts they've put forth thus far have been for naught in terms of spreading these tunes more aggressively through the world. On the other hand, I've not yet heard back from my attempt to contact them, so I suspect we may have a little while longer to wait... And, really, at this point, after six years, what's a little more time?