Bongo Blog

Free Comic Book Day 2012

On Saturday, May 5th, comic stores will offer free comics to every man, woman, and child who couldn’t get tickets to a Saturday matinee of The Avengers and decided to go to a comic book store instead.

 

All kidding aside, Free Comic Book Day, now in its eleventh year, is a day dedicated to celebrating the joy of reading comics. Retailers, publishers, artists, and writers join together to introduce new readers to comics, to bring back former readers, and to show current readers their continued support by offering dozens of comics for FREE!

 

This year, Bongo Comics and United Plankton Pictures have teamed up to bring you a double-dipped flipbook of four-color comic free-ness with the 2012 Bongo Comics Free-For-All!/SpongeBob Comics Freestyle Funnies. This year’s issue starts off with a proud tale from the boasting barflies of Moe’s Tavern, as they recount their close encounter with marauding beasts as members of the Springfield Bear Patrol. Sergio Aragonés joins the fun with a story from his past of how he made his first peso as an underground and underage artist. Then, flip the book over for two of the swimmingest SpongeBob sagas from the series' hard-to-find earliest issues. In "Squidward and the Golden Clarinet," SpongeBob reads an issue of Mermaid Man to a less-than-welcoming Squidward. But this story has a musical hook even Squidward can’t resist. Plus: a page of gags that goes off the deep end by indie artiste James Kochalka.

 

Several of Bongo’s artists and writers will be appearing around the continent on Saturday, including:

 

Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer (Comic Book Jones in Staten Island, NY)

Nina Matsumoto (Metropolis Comics and Toys, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada)

Andrew Pepoy (Third Coast Comics in Chicago, IL from 12-3 PM)

Scott Shaw! (Golden Apple Comics in Hollywood, CA starting at 10 AM)

Ty Templeton (The Comic Book Lounge in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from Noon- 7 PM; Ty will also host a live talk show “On the Couch” that evening at the same location from 7:30-11 PM ) Chris Yambar (Chautauqua Comics in Jamestown, NY)

 

To find a comic retailer near you that is participating in this year’s event, click here to check out the Free Comic Book Day locator site.

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In Stores 4/11/12

By Graham Annable, Hilary Barta, Vince DePorter, James Kochalka, and various

 

Patrick and SpongeBob's kelp karpet sleds go REALLY fast--and in SLIP-SLEDDING AWAY, SpongeBob finds a way to make them go even faster! Soon the friends find themselves sledding to a mysterious, faraway retirement community. In FORMULA FOR SUCCESS, Plankton finally puts his genius to work and creates a delicious secret formula of his own. Is this the end of Krusty Krab? All this plus a cover pin-up; and more!

 

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In Stores 2/8/12

by Graham Annable, Jacob Chabot, James Kochalka, David Lewman, and various

 

In “Missing Man,” SpongeBob, Patrick, and Barnacle Boy go on a desperately dumb search for a wayward Mermaid Man, annoying the hero's entire rogues gallery along the way. And SpongeBob becomes the champion of an underground civilization living beneath the Krusty Krab in “Look Out Below.” Also, Gary heaves a hairball, courtesy of James Kochalka (Dragon Puncher), and Squidward's clarinet playing gets an assist from Bob Flynn (Heeby Jeeby Comics). All this plus a Scott Shaw! (Simpsons Comics) ad-parody and a pin-up of this issue's sword-and-spongery cover!

 

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In Stores 12/14/11

by Jacob Chabot, James Kochalka, Dani Michaeli, Gregg Schigiel, and various

 

SpongeBob journeys to an alternate dimension in “Bikini Bottom 2” and encounters a very familiar–and yet startlingly different–cast of characters! In “Squidward Saves Television,” Squidward takes over SpongeBob's favorite shows in order to bring a little class to television. Yeah, that'll work... Plus: a cover pin-up, “SpongeFunnies” by James Kochalka, a painted back cover by Julie Wilson, and an interactive comic that invites readers to draw Mr. Krabs' tattoos!

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In Stores 10/12/11

By Chuck Dixon, Stephen DeStefano, Derek Drymon, Gregg Schigiel, and various. 

 

In “Day Off/Off Day,” The Krusty Krab is under siege...by SpongeBob! Krabs must keep the humble fry cook from entering the restaurant or (horrors!) face a modest fine for working his employees too hard. But a determined SpongeBob can get through any defenses that Krabs concocts. How far will Krabs go to keep him out? Also, in “Truckin’,” Patrick and SpongeBob face the open road in big rigs. All this plus a pin-up, a choose-your-path comic of Squidward's nightmares, a page of aquatic facts, and a knockout back cover written by Joey Weiser (Caveman in Space), with art by 2011 Reuben Award Cartoonist of the Year, Richard Thompson (Cul De Sac).

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In Stores 8/10/11

 

By Graham Annable, Vince Deporter, James Kochalka, Scott Roberts, Gregg Schigiel, and various

 

SpongeBob's job at the Krusty Krab is jeopardized by a multi-purpose robot--but is there more to it than meets the (single, cyclopean) eye? Also: SpongeBob and Patrick do a simple favor for Sandy, which of course leads to disaster, woe, and rappelling. BONUS: Plankton's family tree is revealed. All this, plus short bursts of brilliant SpongeComics by indie darlings Stephen DeStefano, Sam Henderson, James Kochalka, Dave Roman, and Joey Weiser.

 

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Comic-Con Panels
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In Stores 6/8/11

by Annable, Chabot, Deporter, Drymon, Fradon, Hillenburg, Kochalka, Lambert, Leighton, Lewman, Rementer, Schigiel, and Sikoryak

 

Legendary Silver Age artist Ramona Fradon (METAMORPHO, PLASTIC MAN) lends her talents to a Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy story as SpongeBob gets Squidward hooked on comics! Also: a view into how Patrick's mind "works," Gary's career as a Krusty Krab intern, a pin-up by “SpongeBob” creator Steve Hillenburg, and more.

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