DK Publishing, TNT’s Falling Skies and Games Workshop Take Sponsorship Role in Free Comic Book Day 2014.
(BALTIMORE, MD)- (May 1, 2014)- DK Publishing and TNT’s Falling Skies have signed on to sponsor and contribute toward the marketing and promotion of Free Comic Book Day, which takes places Saturday May 3rd at participating comic book specialty shops across the US, Canada, and worldwide. DK and TNT’s Falling Skies will serve as supporters of Free Comic Book Day as they help shape and enrich the comic fans’ experience of the event.
In addition to DK Publishing and TNT’s Falling Skies, strategy game and model kit design company Games Workshop are partnering with Free Comic Book Day to make FCBD a memorable experience for fans of all ages. The relationships with the sponsors mark an important step in helping Free Comic Book Day gain awareness and reach new audiences.
“These sponsorships are a true testament to how much Free Comic Book Day has grown since its inception,” said FCBD spokesperson Jason Blanchard. “We can now attract major sponsors who see real value in being associated with our event, and comic book specialty shops in general, and we are grateful for their help in making FCBD an even greater event for fans.”
Celebrating its 13th year, Free Comic Book Day is an annual event where the entire comic book industry works together to raise awareness of comics and local comic book shops. On Saturday May 3rd 2014, almost 2,000 comic shops all over the world will give away millions of comics published specifically for Free Comic Book Day to new and returning customers just for coming to their shops along with hosting community involved events.
In Falling Skies, Noah Wyle stars as Tom Mason, a college professor who became an unlikely resistance leader following a massive invasion by an alien race known as the Espheni. Moon Bloodgood is Dr. Ann Glass, a pediatrician who became the survivors’ primary physician and recently gave birth to a daughter who, it turns out, is not entirely human. Will Patton is Colonel Weaver, the gruff and emotionally scarred commander of the 2nd Mass who has been leading the battle against the invaders. Since premiering as the #1 new series of 2011, Falling Skies has ranked as one of basic cable’s Top 10 original dramas among key adult demos for each of the past three years. Executive-produced by Spielberg and Amblin Television heads Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank, along with David Eick and Greg Beeman. Falling Skies premieres on TNT on Sunday, June 22nd at 10PM.
The sponsorships from TNT and DK Publishing were secured on behalf of FCBD by Bonfire Agency and Geek Riot Media as part of integrated brand advertising and promotional initiatives that also include advertising in comics produced by the member publishers of Geek Riot Media’s ComicsUnited Advertising Network in addition to prize provisions for kid-friendly FCBD costume contests planned by a number of stores participating in Bonfire’s StoreCorps Comic Retail Activation Network.
“Even before Falling Skies premiered, we knew it would appeal to comic book fans thanks to its full frontal alien action-packed storyline and fascinating characters,” said Tricia Melton, senior vice president of entertainment marketing and branding. “As Falling Skies prepares to launch its fourth spectacular season, we are very proud to be taking part once again in Free Comic Book Day.”
“For our second year participating in Free Comic Book Day, DK is promoting the newly-revised edition of LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary–it’s a huge publishing moment for Star Wars and LEGO fans of all ages” said Rachel Kempster, DK’s Director of Marketing & Publicity. “We love offering fans something exciting and fun that ties into the overall literacy message behind Free Comic Book Day. The more kids and families we can get reading, the better.”
The sponsorship between FCBD and Games Workshop was handled by Diamond, offering comic book readers the opportunity to experience the hobby of building and customizing strategy games and model kits. Games Workshop is sending participating comic shops WarHammer Space Marine Snap-Fit models to be distributed to interested fans during FCBD.
“Free Comic Book Day is the most exciting promotion for comic retailers and fans all year and Games Workshop is thrilled to make our Hobby part of such a great promotion,” said Games Workshop Trade Team Manager, Brendan Bell. “Over the years we’ve found that many of our retailers and customers have both enjoyed Games Workshop and comics. We are thankful to Diamond and 200 of their comic book specialty retailers for giving us the opportunity to introduce the Games Workshop Hobby to their customers.”
For more FBCD news and updates, go to the FCBD website at www.freecomicbookday.com. Also become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/freecomicbook and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/freecomicbook.
Find a comic shop near you at http://www.freecomicbookday.com/storelocator and celebrate Free Comic Book Day on May 3rd, 2014!
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ABOUT DK—DK is the bestselling and award-winning publisher known for informing, entertaining, and educating global audiences through beautifully designed content. DK also publishes the Eyewitness series for children and Eyewitness Travel Guides. BradyGames, Alpha Books, and Rough Guides are also available from DK, a division of Penguin Group. http://us.dk.com
ABOUT TNT— TNT is television’s destination for drama. Seen in 101 million households and ranking among cable’s top networks, TNT is home to such original drama series as Rizzoli & Isles, Major Crimes, Falling Skies, Perception, Dallas and Franklin & Bash. TNT’s upcoming slate of scripted dramas includes the original series Legends, The Last Ship, Murder in the First and The Librarians, as well as Transporter The Series, which will make its U.S. television debut on the network this fall. TNT also features dramatic unscripted originals like Cold Justice, APB with Troy Dunn, Private Lives of Nashville Wives, Save Our Business and Inside Job, as well as the upcoming On the Menu and Wake Up Call. In addition, TNT is the cable home to popular dramas like Hawaii Five-0, Castle, The Mentalist, Bones and Supernatural; primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards®; blockbuster movies; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR, the NBA and the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.
ABOUT TNT’S FALLING SKIES— TNT’s epic drama Falling Skies – from Amblin Television and executive producer Steven Spielberg – ranks as one of basic cable’s Top 10 dramas among key demos. Returning for its fourth season Sunday, June 22, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT), Falling Skies tells the extraordinary story about life and survival in the wake of a catastrophic alien invasion. Noah Wyle stars as Tom Mason, a college professor who became an unlikely resistance leader. Moon Bloodgood is Dr. Ann Glass, a pediatrician who became the survivors’ primary physician and eventually fell in love with Tom. Will Patton is Colonel Weaver, the gruff and emotionally scarred commander leading the battle against the invaders. Also starring in Falling Skies are Drew Roy, Connor Jessup, Maxim Knight, Colin Cunningham, Seychelle Gabriel, Mpho Koaho, Sarah Carter, Doug Jones and Scarlett Byrne. In addition to Spielberg, Falling Skies is executive-produced by Amblin Television heads Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank, along with David Eick and Greg Beeman.
ABOUT GAMES WORKSHOP- Games Workshop is the largest manufacturer of fantasy miniatures in the world and we have been in business for over 30 years. The Games Workshop product line is diverse and includes plastic miniature kits and a complete paint and accessory line (Citadel). Hobbyists collect, build, paint, and play strategic games with Games Workshop’s fantastic models. The brands represented by Games Workshop’s products are: Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer Fantasy, The Hobbit and Citadel.
ABOUT FREE COMIC BOOK DAY—Free Comic Book Day is the comic book specialty market’s annual event where participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops. The event is held the first Saturday in May and is the perfect opportunity to introduce friends and family to the many worlds of wonder available at local comic book shops. From super-heroes to slice-of-life to action/adventure and beyond, Free Comic Book Day has a comic book for everyone!
If you would like to partner with Free Comic Book Day as a sponsor, please contact Diamond Comic’s Director of Marketing, Dan Manser, at mdan@diamondcomics.com.
© 2014 Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. and Free Comic Book Day, inc. All rights reserved. Free Comic Book Day, FCBD, and the FCBD logo are copyright Diamond and Free Comic Book Day, inc. Diamond, the Diamond logo, and PREVIEWS are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Diamond Comic Distributors in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective copyright owners.
