Free Comic Book Day 2024: What to Expect

The annual "holiday" Free Comic Book Day is this Saturday, May 4!  It is that day when we are invited to our Local Comic Shop (LCS) to peruse a sizeable collection of Free Comic Books.  It is a fun day where many LCS's will host fun events and activities to celebrate the day.  Be sure to check with your LCS.  

Before we get to the fun stuff, I just want to remind you to thank your local owner for hosting this fun event and consider making a purchase when you are there to support their efforts.  These LCS owners took a risk on your community to support them, and most LCS's create a positive community of commonality with books, stories, and support.  Be sure to support them!  

Now, what to expect from the 2024 Free Comic Book Day!!  

Let's start with a universe you don't want to miss, Energon Universe.  This is a universe that includes G.I. Joe, the Transformers, and Void Rivals.  The art is excellent but might be rivaled by the writing of these books.  Be warned, if you grab this book on FCBD, you will want to add it to your pull list at your LCS. 

A free Marvel Book by Zeb Wells, yes please.  A free Marvel Ultimate Spiderman book, oh yeah!  A Free Comic Book Day Marvel book with Spidey, Cap, Iron Man, the Goblin, and Doom on the cover, I'm running to my LCS on Saturday to grab this.  It is the return of the Goblin and the debut of a new powerful hero to the Ultimate universe.  

Archie Horrors presents The Cursed Library Prelude.  The Cursed Library returns to FCBD and this year previewing a summer of horror stories.  This is a fun series and if you haven't experienced Archie Horror stories, be sure to pick up this prelude book on FCBD on Saturday.  

Finally, the kids love them, adults love them, and I love them...they are the Investigators.  I said it last year and it is still true today, I have a reluctant reader at home, but the Investigators always get a look and garner some chuckles too.  Join Mango and Brash on their undercover investigation to save the middle school Mascot
.  

This is just a small look at the offerings on Free Comic Book Day this Saturday, May 4.  Be sure to dress in your best Star Wars costume or t-shirt as FCBD is also May the Fourth Be With You Day!  But, you will find familiar titles like Conan the Barbarian, Pokemon, Disney's Encanto, Jonny Quest, Doctor Who, Monster High, and Snoopy

For a full look at the Free Comic Book Day Catalog, check out this link.  

See you at Free Comic Book Day!  

Album Playthrough Project: March 2024

The 2024 Album Playthrough Project continued in March. Below is the list of the albums I listened to this March with minimal distraction and full attention to the music and lyrics.  For a description of the project, checkout the original post here.  

You may notice that I started the month with some Irish classics in the spirit of St. Patrick's Day!  

Drunken Sailor (2012) The Irish Rivers 3/2/24
Celtic Women (2005) Celtic Women 3/3/24
Jubilee (2021) Japanese Breakfast 3/3/24
Fantasies and Delusions Opus 1-10 Music for Solo Piano (2001) Billy Joel 3/3/24
Hilary Hahn Plays Bach (2010) Hilary Hahn 3/3/24
Chopin Nocturnes (2010) Luis Fernando Perez 3/3/24
Elvis Presley (1956) Elvis Presley 3/3/24
Elvis (1956) Elvis Presley
LA Woman (1971) The Doors 3/4/24
Storm Front (1989) Billy Joel 3/4/24
Permanent Vacation (1987) Aerosmith 3/5/24
Bootleg Mixtape, Vol. 1 (2020) Youngr 3/5/24
In the Dark (1987) Grateful Dead 3/6/24
Future Nostalgia (2020) Dua Lipa 3/6/24
Yours Truly (2013) Ariana Grande 3/7/24
Dropout Boogie (2022) Black Keyes 3/10/24
The Bridge (1986) Billy Joel 3/11/24
Eternal Sunshine (2024) Ariana Grande 3/11/24
Sweet Boy part 2. 2024 Malcome Todd 3/11/24
Let's Face It (1997) The Mighty Mighty Bosstones 3/19/24
King Creole 1958 Elvis Presley 3/20/24
Wherever You Are Tonight (2024) Kenny Chesney 3/20/24
Scattered, Smothered and Covered (2005) Hootie and the Blowfish 3/20/24
Obviously (2021) Lake Street Drive 3/20/24
Live Tracks Vol. 40: Madison Square Garden (2016) Dave Matthews Band 3/27/24

Best Memories:  Stormfront, Billy Joel

Disappointed in:  Nothing - I loved it all!!

Best New Listen:  Jubilee, Japanese Breakfast

February Post

2024 Reading/Viewing Stats 1st Quarter update

2024 Reading/Viewing Stats 1st Quarter Update 

The first quarter of 2024 is in the books (or blog). Below are my Reading/Viewing stats for the first quarter. I feel that I have been able to take time for quite a bit of content consumption. Ha! That couldn't seem more cold and statistical, but truly, I have enjoyed so much of what I have read, viewed and listened to.

You might realize that there is a new category, Podcasts. Being a podcaster myself, I need to listen more shows to help improve my own but also to support my friends putting some amazing content on the Interwebs. I must admit that it has been a bit of a challenge to remember to record all shows I listen to, but I feel that I am catching most.

If you would like to see a summary of 2023 and past years, jump back to January for that post.

Movies Watched: 3

Rewatch: 1
First time: 2
In Theater: 0

TV Series (streamed): 57
Rewatch: 25
First Time: 32
Podcasts episodes: 17
Time listened: 652

Books Read: 4
Fiction: 3
Non-Fiction: 1
Pages read: 1,129

Audiobooks:
Fiction:
Non-Fiction:
Hours listened:

Books Abandoned: 1
Fiction: 1
Non-Fiction:
Pages read: 98

Short Stories read:
Pages read:

Comic Books read: 77
Print: 41
Digital: 36

Book Titles:
Dragons of Spring Dawning: Dragonlance Chronicles Volume III
Star Wars: Dark Disciple by Christie Golden
Mandalorian: The Manga adapted by Yusuke Osawa
Numb to This: Memoir of a Mass Shooting by Kindra Neely (Graphic Novel)
#MurderTrending (abandoned)

Movies Watched:
Solo: A Star Wars Story
The Marvels
Elvis

TV Streamed Series and Documentaries:
Marvel's What If...
X-Men animated season 2
The Crown season 5
Echo season 1
Resistance season 2
Voltron
X-Men animated season 3
Bad Batch season 3
X-Men 97

Podcasts:
Song Exploder (3)
Teachers in the Dungeon (2)
Rebel Base Card Podcast (3)
Untapped Mana (2)
Coffee with Kenobi (2)
Business Wars (6)
All Songs Considered (1)

Favorites of the 1st Quarter:

Movie: Elvis

TV Series: X-Men 97

Book: Star Wars: Dark Disciple

Comic Book: X-Factor

Podcast: Business Wars

Album Playthrough Project February Update

As the days pass, I continue to move forward with the Album Playthrough Project.  Below are the albums I listened to throughout February.  I even got in an album on Leap Day!  

I didn't get in as many albums as I had hoped, but quantity isn't the goal with this project, taking time to listen is the goal.  

Dulcinea (1994) Toad the Wet Sprocket 2/1/24
Fear (1991) Toad the Wet Sprocket 2/1/24
World in Motion (1989) Jackson Browne 2/19/24
Four (1994) Blues Traveler 2/20/24
New Orleans, Vol.1 (1977) Preservation Hall Jazz Band 2/21/24
Heart Shaped World (1989) Chris Isaak 2/26/24
International Pop Overthrow 1991 Material Issue 2/29/24
Let the Day Begin (1989) The Call 2/29/24
Lifted (2022) Trombone Shorty 2/29/24

Best Memories:  International Pop Overthrow

Disappointed in:  World in Motion

Best New listen: Lifted

Top 5 Moments of The Bad Batch Season 3 Ep 1-4

 

The return of The Bad Batch in late February brought a feeling of homecoming.  We left this family of soldiers at the end of season two in a state of loss, separation, and desperation.  The excitement of adventure returned with a certain purpose to reunite and continue to make the Empire feel their presence. 

Here are my top 5 moments of the first four episodes: Confined, Paths Unknown, Shadows of Tantiss, A Different Approach.   

5. Any mention of Tech: His presence if felt throughout the first four episodes and I don't believe that will change as season 3 continues.  His impact on all of the characters is clear, but especially with Omega.  She learned a lot about being a clone, a soldier, and herself from conversations she had with him.   In his own way, he had a lot to give beyond his technical expertise and quirks.  I will miss him as the season continues, but something tells me that a return of Crosshair might help to ease that loss. 

4. A visit from the Emperor:  In Shadows of Tantiss, the Emperor shows up to the lab and is "most eager to see the progress" Doctor Hemlock has made.  The thunderstorm that accompanies the arrival is not by accident.  What impresses me and I quickly note the grace and confidence that Hemlock displays in the presence of the Emperor and red helmeted and cloaked guards (I still think these are the most awesome costumes).  Shall we mention Project Necromancer at this point?  It's too chilling to discuss.  

3. Hunter returns the horn of Isa Durand's son:  Upon completing and turning over a Pyke prisoner to Isa Durand, Hunter tosses Roland Durand his missing horn.  This was a highlight for me, because it reminds me that The Bad Batch isn't just good at what they do; they pay attention to the details. They also know that to get the information they need from Isa Durand, they will need every favor they can get.  It is the small things to the Bad Batch, and I look forward to more of that as their story finishes up. 

2. "Did they teach you plan 72?"  This brings up one of the Tech mentions from above, but this demonstrates that Crosshair hasn't lost his edge with strategy.  I also can't imagine that he doesn't think of the others, his friends when he thinks of plan 72.  It also reminds me, with the mention of Tech, that Crosshair doesn't know Tech's fate.  

1. "All right, let's try things your way."  After spending most of the events in episode four following Omega's plans of negotiation and stealth, she and Crosshair find themselves surrounded by Captain Mann's troopers and local guards.  Captain Mann insists on handing over all the credits that she won from him earlier in the episode and surrenders for Hemlock's arrival.  Omega tosses the credits and utters the quote.  I love this because it gives a real sense of Crosshair's return.  It also demonstrates that Omega is willing to trust and work with Crosshair.  Their relationship is strengthened throughout this episode, and this moment is a defining one.  

An honorable mention has to be the conclusion of episode four when the Bad Batch reunites.  There numerous things to mention regarding that scene, but rather than write about it here, just listen to the Coffee with Kenobi podcast episode 731, where host Dan Zehr and I break it down in detail.  

A Picture Filled with Memories

I found this picture in my office at work.  It was drawn by my then seven-year-old daughter who at the time was excited about Star Wars and her new Star Wars hero, Rey.  I love the little kid image of a person with arms coming off the body instead of coming off of shoulders.  When she drew it, I remember talking with her about the detail of Rey's triple ponytail hairstyle that she included with detail in the picture.  I also really enjoyed her depiction of BB-8  with the orange circle designs and ball shape.  

It brought me joy when I came across this picture that she had drawn 9 years ago.  I was instantly taken back to a time when my daughter was little and loved everything Star Wars.  It reminded me of when she would wear her  Rey costume for Halloween and any comic convention we would attend.  One time she wore a mash-up Rey/BB-8 costume to a museum event.  The museum had an exhibit on dragons, and she pretended that she was fighting one of the dragons.  Maybe she was pretending it was a Krayt Dragon!   

It is funny how things change.  She still likes Star Wars, but not with the same passion as then.  She has moved on to her own hobbies and activities.  She hangs out with friends now and is working her first job.  She is in color guard with the marching band, is a cheerleader, does pole vault, and is on the speech team. I love who she has become even if it doesn't still include weekly viewings of new Star Wars shows.  She just doesn't have time.  It reminds me of the truth in Cat Stevens' song, Cats and the Cradle. 

I hope her love of Star Wars and watching the stories return (maybe even in adulthood), but what is most important to me are the memories this picture brings back.  It made me sit back and smile.  Even better than that, when I showed her the picture I had found, it made her smile too.  She couldn't believe  I still had it, but she remembered drawing it a long, long, time ago, in a galaxy not so far away.    

2024 Album Playthrough Project

I was having a conversation with my daughters (12 and 16) about popular music.  I asked them about what artists they enjoyed and what kind of music they liked.  Taylor Swift, Olivio Rodrigo, Dua Lipa, and Noah Kahn were named, but after that, the general response was, "I don't know.  I listen to stuff I like."  I asked, aren't there any other artists that you can name?  "No."  

I felt I had one more question before I turned the conversation into an investigation.  So, I asked if they listened to the albums of Taylor, Olivio, Dua, and Noah.  The response, "No, who does that?"  

This conversation led me to reflect on my own listening habits versus my listening habits as a teenager and college student.  Today, I, like my daughters, listen to music on streaming apps or satellite radio, which presents an artist's hits and not usually in an album format.  Music is often introduced to my children and most others through clips on TicTok, Instagram Reels or other social media snippets.  No wonder why they don't have a deep knowledge of who they listen to; they focus on what they like.  An artist is less important than a genre or style of music.  

In contrast, as I continued my reflection, growing up I listened to music on the radio.  Even though music on radio stations like The Loop, WLS, and WXRT generally only played the hits of artists, they discussed and highlighted artists on the radio.  This led me and other fans to the music store or K-Mart to look for albums of our favorite artists, so we could enjoy more of their music.  It was great!  I loved Jack and Diane by John Cougar, so I grabbed the album so I could discover more music like Jack and Diane.  We were album listeners in the 1970's, 1980's and 1990's.  I fell in love with Billy Joel, Aerosmith, Van Halen, John Cougar Mellencamp, The Cars, and Dave Matthews Band.  I loved these artists not because of one song but because of albums of songs.  

After visiting with my daughters and this self-reflection on my own listening habits, I really started missing album listening.  I started wondering what it would be like to revisit the albums of my childhood and young adulthood, or even more, what would it be like to start listening to the albums of today's artists like the Black Keys, George Ezra, Noah Kahn, and Taylor Swift.  Would artists of today live up to the album collections of the artists of the past, or are they one-hit wonders?  

In November of 2023, I started my Album Playthrough Project.  I started listening to the albums of artists with as much intentionality as I possibly could.  My discretionary time isn't quite the same as my younger days, but I could still take time to listen to albums.  I plan to share my album lists through 2024 here on Seeking Positivity in the Galaxy.  I hope to get the lists out monthly with a little bit of commentary on my reflections on the experience month-to-month.  

Here are the albums I listened to in January 2024: 

B-Movie Matinee (1985) Nile Rogers 1/1/24
Wet Leg (2022) Wet Leg 1/1/24
Joshua Tree (1987) U2 1/2/24
Remain in Light (1980) Talking Heads 1/3/24
Electric Ladyland (1968) Jimi Hendrix 1/3/24
Turnstiles (1976) Billy Joel 1/4/24
Let's Rock (2019) The Black Keys 1/5/24
Bad 25th Anniversary (2012) Michael Jackson 1/5/24
Father of the Bride (2019) Vampire Weekend 1/5/24
Breathe In (2024) Armin Van Buren 1/12/24
Live from Llamaland Studios (2022) Younger 1/13/24
Murmur (1983) REM 1/15/24
Various artists (2024) Echo Disney+ Soundtrack 1/17/24
The Who By Numbers (1975) The Who 1/17/24
Sleepwalker (1977) The Kinks 1/17/24
Love&Hope&Sex&Dreams (1986) Bodeans 1/29/24

After the first month of listening, I realized that it is so easy to go back to playlist listening or my favorite Sirus/XM station the Dave Matthews Channel; however, I was pretty happy with the listening I completed.  I found that most of my desire was to go back to my younger days and enjoy albums I used to own or albums I always wish I had.  

Here are a few notes: 

Better than I remembered: Murmur, REM

First time listening to this artist: Nile Rogers and Wet Leg

Best album this month: Electric Ladyland, Jimi Hendrix

I listened to all the albums on Spotify.  Have an album recommendation from today or back-in-the-day?  Leave a comment here or leave one for me on X @draftline