Wondering who kids chose for their favorites in the Kids’ Comics Revolution! Awards? Be the first to find out at the first annual KCR! Awards Show!

Sunday, June 23, 4:00 pm at the Ann Arbor District Library

(in the 4th floor conference room!)

Dave Roman and Jerzy Drozd will MC a fun ceremony presented by some of your favorite kids’ comics authors, including Raina Telgemeier, Rafael Rosado, Ben Hatke, and other surprise guests!

There’s still time to vote, too! Paper ballots will be available at the Ann Arbor District Library during Saturday’s events, or you can fill out the ballot online here!

Who will kids choose to be the winners of the KCR! Awards? Come to the Kids Read Comics Celebration ’13 to find out!

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The 5th Annual Kids Read Comics Celebration is chock full of interactive comics games designed to test your creativity! In addition to Dave Roman’s super-fun Comics Quickfire! events, we’re thrilled to have Mark Mariano’s Doodle! Scribble! Draw! game show on Sunday, June 23, from 1:30 – 2:30 pm!

You’ve doodled in a notebook when bored (or when you’re supposed to be paying attention to something else, like the teacher), right? Then you have the skills necessary to tackle the creative quests given by Mark Mariano and his group of KRCC guests! In this game show scribbling and doodling win the game, and the audience participates by adding random suggestions to the quests. It’s an immensely fun time, as evidenced by the video above and by this post on Mark’s website.

Only one session! Sunday, June 23, from 1:30 – 2:30 pm at the entrance to the Ann Arbor District Library Downtown Branch. No registration required, but show up early to secure your seat!

Click here for the full programming list! Read the rest of this entry »

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Our special guests this year are Ben Hatke, creator of fan-favorite Zita of Zita the Spacegirl, and 10-year-old cartoonist Angelica Hatke! And this is your chance to make comics with them!

Ben will be leading our annual kickoff event Saturday, June 22, at 11 am. During this interactive talk Ben will walk through his process of making comics and share how to create characters readers care about, worlds that readers believe in, and dangers that set readers on the edge of their seats!

Then he and Angelica will lead two workshops over the course of the weekend where he’ll share the 3 secrets to making great comics! These sessions will start with an interactive talk, after which Ben will work with you to create a short comics story of your own.

The sessions will run Saturday and Sunday, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm in the Multi-Purpose room at the Ann Arbor District Library Downtown Branch.

And don’t miss Ben in the Comics Quickfire! game show Sunday, 12:30 – 1:30 pm!

Click here for the full programming list! Read the rest of this entry »

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Dave Roman has been delighting kids of all ages (all over North America!) with his Comics Quickfire! game show, and we’re excited to present two sessions of this amazingly fun event at the 5th Annual Kids Read Comics Celebration.

In this game audience members are teamed up with KRCC guests to take on improvisational drawing challenges. Each contestant is given a mere 60 seconds to contribute to an ongoing comic. The crowd participates by providing twists to the story in an effort to stump the contestants!

These sessions promise to be memorable, as the contestants include KRCC special guest Ben Hatke (Zita the Spacegirl), Raina Telgemeier (Smile, Drama), Rafael Rosado (Giants Beware!), Laurianne Uy (Polterguys), John Green (Teen Boat!), Lee Cherolis (Little Guardians), Samantha Kyle (Random Assembly), and Jerzy Drozd (The Front)! You could be the team captain to lead these artists to victory in the Comics Quickfire!

Saturday, June 22 & Sunday June 23

from 1:30-2:30 pm

at the Ann Arbor District Library

Click here for the full programming list!

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In addition to his work as a storyboard artist on Curious George, Transformers Prime, Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc, and more, Rafael Rosado is the co-creator of the wonderful graphic novel Giants Beware!

So he knows a little bit about designing and telling stories about soaring adventure with extraordinary heroes and menacing villains! And we’re thrilled to have him lead a session of his Heroes vs. Villains! workshop for us during KRCC weekend! You’ll discover the secrets to designing awesome heroes and villains and work with Rafael to create some of your own!

Join the fun Saturday, June 22 from 3:30-4:30 at 826 Michigan on Liberty Street!

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We’ve recently released the programming schedule for Kids Read Comics 2013, featuring events happening at the Ann Arbor District Library, 826 Michigan, and The Neutral Zone. A quick scan of the schedule reveals that there’s a lot to take in over June 21-23!

We’re thrilled to have Mark Mariano, author of terrific kids’ graphic novels Happyloo and Flabbergast, at our show this year. Mark will be leading an interactive comics game show on Sunday called Doodle! Scribble! Draw!.

Also! He and his band, The O>Matics, will be performing a live show at the Neutral Zone the evening of Saturday, June 22! It’s a free concert/cosplay party where you’re invited to wear your favorite costume and party with local comics-loving teens. The party starts at 6:30 pm Saturday night and is scheduled to run until 8:30. The B-Side Teens will be on-site selling concessions.

Here they are in action:

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Great big thanks go out to Top Shelf Productions, Archie Comics and DC Comics for once again providing free comic books for our annual Kids Read Comics Celebration!

What? Free?

Yep. These publishers have generously made donations so KRC can put comics in the hands of kids and teens at no cost! Come June 22 & 23, make sure to head over to our show table — to the left of the entrance to Artist Alley, on the third floor of the Ann Arbor District Library — and get yours!

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The Kids’ Comics Revolution podcast is holding its own awards, and we’re asking kids everywhere to vote for the winners!

KCR hosts Dave Roman and Jerzy Drozd have teamed up with Chris Duffy (Nickelodeon Magazine) and the Ann Arbor District Library to honor some of the best kids’ comics to come out in 2012. You can vote by picking up a ballot in the Novella Room (2nd floor, Toronto Reference Library) at the Toronto Comics Arts Festival and Kids Read Comics, or use the online ballot below. Winners will be announced June 23rd at a special ceremony at the conclusion of Kids Read Comics in Ann Arbor, Michigan! Read the rest of this entry »

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