All-ages licensed material dominates next year’s Gold Sponsor Free Comic Book Day offerings on May 7th. Believe it or not, 2011 is the 10th anniversary of the unofficial comic book holiday, and this year, the top level publishers are providing stories of such icons as Spider-Man and Betty and Veronica, along with newer favorites such as MOUSE GUARD and AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER.
The complete list is below. DC is keeping their book a secret — will it be another event tie-in like 2009’s BLACKEST NIGHT #0? Also, Image teased an all-ages book by Robert Kirkman.
Another year of extraordinary adventures, daring deeds, and super heroes (and villains), marks the tenth anniversary of the comic book industry’s leading outreach event: Free Comic Book Day!
The Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) Committee is pleased to announce the Gold Sponsors and their comic books for FCBD 2011, which is scheduled for Saturday, May 7th, 2011. Chosen by retailers on the FCBD Committee, there’s a free comic book for everyone’s taste: from Spider-Man, Star Wars and the Smurfs to Dark Crystal, Locke & Key, and Darkwing Duck.
“This year’s event is very special and the list of Gold Comics looks better than ever” said FCBD spokesperson, Leslie Jackson. “We are always honored to present comic book fans and new enthusiasts with some of the best comics available and hope that this year’s lineup will attract even more customers than ever before.”
A complete listing of all FCBD titles, including the ten Gold and thirty Silver comic books, can be found in the January issue of Diamond Comic Distributors’ PREVIEWS catalog, on sale at all comic book shops on December 29th, 2010.
Look for more FCBD news and updates on the FCBD website, www.freecomicbookday.com.; become a fan at Facebook: www.facebook.com/freecomicbook; and follow us on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/freecomicbook.
Ape Entertainment
KIZOIC PRESENTS: KUNG FU PANDA/RICHIE RICH FLIP BOOK
The old blends with the new in this all-ages FREE flip book of fun stories featuring Dreamworks’ Kung Fu Panda, and the resurgence of kid-millionaire, Richie Rich!
Archaia Entertainment
DARK CRYSTAL/MOUSE GUARD FLIP BOOK
Archaia presents two, amazing, all-new stories in one fantastic flip book—David Petersen’s Eisner Award-winning MOUSE GUARD and a prelude to its forthcoming series of Jim Henson’s DARK CRYSTAL graphic novels, featuring covers, art direction and concepts by Brian Froud, conceptual designer of the original film!
Archie Comics
BETTY & VERONICA
Betty and Veronica stumble upon the old Archie Club House and become inspired to bring back their clubbing days! But when the new club splits in two, it’s a battle of friendship! Featuring scripts, cover, and art from Archie’s Dan Parent!
BOOM! Studios
DARKWING DUCK/RESCUE RANGERS FLIP BOOK
An all ages flip book from BOOM! On one side, experience Darkwing Duck! Reprinting the blockbuster sold-out first issue of the DARKWING DUCK ongoing series. But don’t forget to flip the cover, or you’ll miss… CHIP ‘N DALE RESCUE RANGERS, reprinting the first issue of the critically acclaimed bestseller from BOOM!
Dark Horse Comics
AVATAR: LAST AIRBENDER/STAR WARS: CLONE WARS FLIP BOOK
Dark Horse brings to readers of all ages Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Both FCBD stories are excellent entry points to these wonderfully charming and imaginative worlds!
DC Comics
A special, top secret project too big to announce! Sorry, but you’ll have to come back later for the full details!
IDW Publishing
LOCKE & KEY
The acclaimed comic—soon to be a Fox television series—is now yours for free! This special issue presents a by creators Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez that sees the Locke family and their wondrous Keyhouse mansion beset on all sides by shadowy threats. All ages appropriate!
Image Comics
ROBERT KIRKMAN KID-FRIENDLY TITLE
Wow!… Now that’s news! You’ll just have to come back to the free comic book day website at a later date for more details on this special FREE issue!
Marvel Comics
SPIDER-MAN
THE LONG, HOT SUMMER OF SPIDEY ACTION BEGINS HERE!!
The first week of May, award-winning Spider-Man writer Dan Slott and comics legend Humberto Ramos give you the first, fateful glimpses at the biggest Spider-Man epic in years (coming later this summer)!
Papercutz
GERONIMO STILTON & THE SMURFS FLIP BOOK
The beloved children’s book series comes to comics. Best-selling Author Geronimo Stilton is a mouse who lives in New Mouse City on Mouse Island. Get a glimpse into his world with this FREE comic available on Free Comic Book Day. Plus, stories on the beloved Smurfs. And don’t forget the Smurfs movie scheduled next year in August!
Wow. Lots of All Ages titles here! IDW goes for a media tie-in (yay), while Marvel and DC promote stunts. Of course, Marvel and DC will also have silver books, which will probably be all-ages tie-ins with the movies.
When did DH acquire Avatar?
Great selection… shops, order those posters! Let the general public know about these cool comics! Almost every one is a mega-license, known worldwide!
Kung Fu Panda, Smurfs, Darkwing Duck, Spiderman, Star wars…. My kids just went crazy. Looks like it’ll be Christmas in May.
They still very much enjoy last years DC Sampler. And at Halloween, the LCS had the BOOM Toy Story sampler (ashcan?) for my son, and my daughter got a Smurfs sampler (ashcan?) that she took to bed with her for a week!