The News with J: February 23 (transcript)

A couple weeks ago we started this news show for our YouTube channel called, “The News With J”. We have two episodes up on our YouTube channel and we were working on our third episode before our weekend got busy and J came down with a cough. So, instead of having a video, we thought it would be good to still get the news out in the form of a post! So here is the transcript of what would have been The News with J for the weekend of February 23rd, 2018.

“Hello, this is the news with J and I am your host J. I’d like to thank our sponsors at Watchtower Cafe for all their support. Get your geek on while you get your drink on at 1588 South State Street in Salt Lake City. Now, let’s get to the news.

In TV news, last week was the amazingly emotional mid-season premiere of Star Wars Rebels. There are only four more episodes until the end and I can’t wait!! If you have a cable subscription you can catch up by signing into the DisneyNOW app. The next episodes will air Monday at 7:00 and 7:30 pm on Disney XD.

Also in TV news, Andi Mack was renewed for a third season! I’ve been watching Andi Mack with my mommy and daddy and it has become one of our favorite shows to watch together. Andi Mack is another show that you can catch up on using the DisneyNOW app!!

In movie news, Black Panther has been wowing critics and audiences alike brining in close to $400 million since it opened on February 16th! If you haven’t seen it yet, I only have one question. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Click here to get your tickets today!

In other movie news, Disney/Pixar’s Coco will be a available on Blu-ray and DVD on Tuesday. We will be heading to our local Target to grab our copy first thing in the morning!

Here is our weekly list of books for young readers that will be hitting comic book store shelves on Wednesday!!

Scooby-Doo Team Up #35

Ducktales #6

Donald Duck: Nest of the Demon Birds

My Little Pony: Legends of Magic #11

Darth Vader #12

Star Wars: Mace Windu Jedi of the Republic trade

Lockjaw #1

Lumberjanes #47

Steven Universe #13

And Legends of Zelda: Twilight Princess vol. 3

In toy news, last week was the American International Toy Fair in New York City and I wanted to share some of my favorite toys that my daddy showed me on Twitter. I want to thank Star Wars Junk, “Agent M” Ryan Penagos, LEGO, Hasbro, KidsToyPicks, Jakks Pacific, and Entertainment Weekly for sharing the pictures of these amazing toys.

Hasbro

Spider-Ham Legends figure:

Legends Infinity Gauntlet:

Marvel The First 10 years Legends line:

My copilot Chewie you from Fur Real:

Star Wars Black Series line:

Uncle Milton

Star Wars Science Fossil sets:

LEGO

Solo:

Harry Potter:

Jakks Pacific

Incredibles 2 toys

Mattel

Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom toy line:

Thank you for watching this week’s episode of The News with J. I hope you have a great week. Don’t forget to like/comment/subscribe and May the Force be with You!”

So there you have it. This is what this last week’s episode of “The News with J” was supposed to be. I know it’s not the same as watching a six year old deliver the news, but he should be back in action this Saturday morning! We hope you will tune into our YouTube channel to see all the fun J has with his news show!

Using Comicbooks to Improve Your Child’s Literacy

(A post that I originally wrote for Salt Lake Comic Con – check out the original post by clicking here)

Can reading comicbooks to your children improve literacy? I think it can. Short children’s books can sometimes be intimidating, but many children already love the characters and stories in comics, so this world will pull them into the world of reading. Also, the format used in comicbooks is really easy for kids to follow. Here are a few ideas that might help grow your child’s love of reading and possibly improve their literacy skills:

1. Find your child’s favorite characters in easy-to-read books.
Easy-to-read books usually have more pictures and fewer words, are shorter and have storylines that will keep your child interested. The only downside is that your child might like these books so much that you might end up having to read them multiple times a day.

2. Read the comics inside the official magazines of your child’s favorite cartoon.
The comics in these magazines follow characters that your child already knows and loves. These comics are also super short and funny, not unlike the comics you find in your Sunday morning paper, making it easy for your child to stay engaged.

3. Find comics with your child’s favorite cartoon characters.
This goes along the lines of number two. Your child will already know and love these characters and will be engaged in the storylines. These comics usually have bigger panels and simpler stories. If your child is familiar with the characters from their TV shows, they might even try to do some of the voices with you.

4. Find artists/storytellers that appeal to your child.
In my opinion, there are no better comics to start your children off with than the amazing work from Aw Yeah Comics, especially “Tiny Titans,” “Superman Family Adventures” and “Itty Bitty Hellboy.” These comics follow characters that you and your child love. The story lines are fun for both you and your child, the artwork is colorful and child-friendly and there are even some fun “translate what the alien is saying” activities that help your child identify letters of the alphabet.

5. Let your child pick out his/her own comics from the “All Ages” section of your comic shop.
By letting your child pick out their own comics, they are telling you what they want to read and they will be more likely to sit with you and read along. These will be their comics and nothing makes a new comicbook fan happier than having books of their own.

6. READ! READ!! READ!!!
Reading is what it all comes down to. Reading with your child a little each day is the key to improving your child’s literacy and their love for reading. Before my son came along, I could have gone the rest of my life without reading. But once I found something that we both love, reading time is now something that we both look forward too. It doesn’t really matter what you read to your child, as long as you read. In my opinion, comicbooks are the best way to open your child’s mind to a new, never-ending universe.

Free Comic Book Day 2014

The first Saturday in May is just like any other Saturday. Except for the fact that you can go to your local comic shop and get some free comics! This year was my first time partaking in what will be an annual event for J and myself. There were a couple things we learned from our experience that will help us have an even better experience next year. Don’t get me wrong, we had a blast today. We got some great comics and met some great people.

There are many things you can do to prepare for FCBD, but here are some of my FCBD tips:

1.Go to freecomicbookday.com: Check to see if your local comic book shop even participates in Free Comic Book Day. The worst thing would be to show up at your local shop on FCBD only to find out they don’t participate. The FCBD website also has a list of what comics your shop should have.

2.Get to the shop early: There will be lines and you don’t want to find yourself at the end of the line, especially if there’s a specific comic you want.

3.Bring water and snacks: This is very important if you have your child with you and you end up towards the end of the line. You may have a 2-3 hour wait before you even see the door to your shop.

4.Bring some money: Yes it is Free Comic Book Day, but it’s not only about getting free comics. Some shops might have sales going on as well. Also it’s nice to support your local shop and economy.

5.Have Fun: The most important tip I can give with these types of events is to have fun. Your shop maybe doing more than just giving out free comics. Some shops will have cosplayers, artist/writer signings, and take and post pictures to Twitter using the FCBD hashtag to share your families FCBD experience.

***Bonus Tip*** Make it a cosplay* day: Do some family cosplay and have a great time. After getting your books, head out to a restaurant in your outfits. Make it a whole day where the family is just having a blast being their favorite comic book characters.

If you didn’t make it out to your local shop this year, make sure you mark Free Comic Book Day on your calendar for next year. It’s not hard to remember since it is always the first Saturday in May. Just remember to be prepared and to have fun, and I promise it will be a great family outing.

*Urban Dictionary defines cosplay as, “Dressing up and pretending to be a fictional character (usually a sci-fi, comic book, or anime character).”-The More You Know