Shall we just start off with this?

John Schneider © Bruce Matsunaga

Oh yes, John Schneider – he was the talk of multitudes of ladies at Phoenix Comicon!  They floated away from his table on clouds, giggling with broad smiles playing upon their faces.  Of course, I am much too dignified to be affected in such a way.  I talked to Mr. Schneider in a completely calm manner, exuding confidence and authority. . . . Yeah, let’s move on to some of the other stars.  All were incredibly gracious toward Kids Need to Read, signing a gorgeous lithograph of the headlining convention stars created by artist Jason Palmer.  Jason has always been wonderful to Kids Need to Read and we appreciate his generous gift to the foundation.  We also thank the ever-thoughtful Mike Dougherty for procuring this item for us to have signed!  I must add that because of my involvement with childhood literacy, it was a pleasure to meet and shake hands with the extremely warm LeVar Burton.

Clockwise from Top Left: Felicia Day, Wil Wheaton, James Marsters, and LeVar Burton © Bruce Matsunaga

Several stars signed two Rock Band guitars used during Wil Wheaton’s Celebrity Rock Band event and at the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom.  We are most grateful to Phoenix Comicon for donating these guitars to KNTR for our auctions.

Debbie Brown holds a Rock Band guitar while Wil Wheaton signs it for KNTR. © Bruce Matsunaga

Did I mention John Schneider?

© Bruce Matsunaga

Thursday Preview Night found us meeting up and having good fun with some of our Browncoats: Redemption buddies.  Michael Dougherty, Heather Fagan, Dan Sheehan, Logan Liskovec, and Sabrina Maizland all came to experience Phoenix Comicon for the first time.

Top: Michael Dougherty © Denise Gary; Bottom: Michael Dougherty and Denise Gary © Lisa Richins

These amazing folks assisted Kids Need to Read the entire weekend, both at the booth and at the Geek Prom.  I can never express enough gratitude for all they do for KNTR.

Sabrina Maizland and Heather Fagan of Browncoats: Redemption are joined by KNTR volunteer Tina Worley. © Denise Gary

Marco Regalado of Pop Culture Paradise came bearing loads of geeky gifts for KNTR.  (We appreciate how good you are to us, Marco!)

Marco Regalado © Denise Gary

I had a bunch of fun sitting in on the Browncoats: Redemption panel on Friday.  The room was full of people anxious for news about this charitable film project, whose storyline picks up after the end of the movie, Serenity.  The film will be released on DVD at Dragon*Con 2010.  Kids Need to Read is a partial beneficiary of the project, along with several other charities with ties to Joss Whedon and Firefly/Serenity actors.  Of course, Kids Need to Read’s connection is due to one of our founders, Nathan Fillion, whom I jokingly referred to as “just some guy” during the panel.  (See video.)

Top: Denise Gary © Heather Fagan; Bottom: Casey Shultz, Denise Gary, Sabrina Maizland, Heather Fagan, and Michael Dougherty © Robert Tabb

The super cool Geek Arch arrived in the KNTR booth on Saturday morning.  This incredible structure glorifying all that is Geek was created by KNTR volunteer Roxanne Rousakis and her co-worker Andrew Tans.

KNTR Volunteers Alicia Summers and Sherrie Miller © Bruce Matsunaga

Naturally, it attracted like kind!

© Bruce Matsunaga

The Arizona Browncoats conducted a fun Browncoat Scavenger Hunt on Saturday afternoon, the proceeds of which benefited KNTR.  After donating $5 to play, folks went off in search of specially marked people, who held secret letters.

© Bruce Matsunaga

© Bruce Matsunaga

Once all of the letters were gathered, they had to be arranged into a special Browncoat phrase.  There were lots of participants, but Cailin was the first to decode the phrase.  She won a package filled with signed Firefly/Serenity memorabilia donated by Browncoats: Redemption, Bookmans, and KNTR.  Way to go, Cailin!

© Alicia Summers

We thank the Arizona Browncoats for conducting this shiny fundraiser for KNTR, which earned us $75.   I would like to add a special shout out to David Richins for organizing the romp!

Arizona Browncoats David Richins, Jennifer Anderson, and Patrick Kelch © Bruce Matsunaga

Several of the Arizona Browncoats lent KNTR a hand in the booth, including the extremely dapper Raymond Wolfe.  (Thanks so much Raymond, David and Lisa Richins, Jennifer Anderson, and Brian Esterson!)

Top Left: Raymond Wolfe © Heather Fagan; Top Right: Brian Esterson © Bruce Matsunaga; Bottom (Left to Right): Patrick Kelch, Caylee Hoover, Heather Fagan, Raymond Wolfe, Michael Dougherty, Jennifer Anderson, and Lisa Richins © Lisa Richins

Saturday and Sunday afternoons featured the magic of Steven Riley, who entertained young and old alike with his hilarious performances on behalf of KNTR.  (Please see Surviving Riley!  Yukking it Up for Kids!)

Steven Riley © Bruce Matsunaga

Saturday evening brought our signature fundraising party, the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom.  The sold-out event was sponsored by the wonderful folks at Bookmans.  We were also provided with much support from Phoenix Comicon.  (Please see Geekdom Floods the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom, Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton Preside over Geeky-anity at the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom, and How to Dress in Style at a Geek Prom!

© Bruce Matsunaga

The Star Wars Pavilion presented the Smuggler’s Run fundraiser for KNTR on Sunday afternoon.  For a $5 contribution, players had to retrieve special items from participating booths in the Exhibitor’s Hall, all the while avoiding arrest by Imperial Troopers and Mandalorian Bounty Hunters.  KNTR gave out special literacy Star Wars buttons, in keeping with the collectible buttons we have created and given away since our inception.  I found myself arrested by a Mando Merc and thrown in jail.  Not to be defeated, I pick-pocketed a very nice pen from the jailer holding me captive.

© Robert Tabb

Thanks so much to the five Star Wars groups who conducted this merriment for us.  The boisterous benefit raised $340 for KNTR.  I would like to express my deepest appreciation to Jen and Lee Palmer for their warm welcome, Thomas Boyer who worked so hard to construct the jail, my pal Lance Dworshak for his continuous support for KNTR, David Littleton for constructing the awesome Droid donation jar for our booth, Mike Little for his beautiful Smuggler’s Run art work, as well as Carol Duckworth and Dustin Dial.  I had a great time and miss y’all’s Sunday meetings!

Feeding the Donation Droid! © Bruce Matsunaga

As always, the Kids Need to Read staff and volunteers found their way to fun and camaraderie amidst all of their very hard work.  Thank you for everything you give to KNTR!

Top: Tina Worley © Heather Fagan; Alicia Summers and Sherrie Miller © Bruce Matsunaga; Middle: Marianne Luskey © Bruce Matsunaga; Bottom: Debbie Brown © Denise Gary

Of course, there is always time for kids and books!  Phoenix Comicon places an emphasis on programming for children, and always features many children’s and young adult authors.

Sherrie Miller and Family © Bruce Matsunaga

I cannot use enough superlatives to describe our super fantastic event photographer, Bruce Matsunaga, pictured here in what I believe to be his favorite photo of the convention.  (Thanks so much, Bruce!)

Photographer Bruce Matsunaga poses with Felicia Day © Bruce Matsunaga

Did I show this picture already?

© Bruce Matsunaga

Video of the Fashion Geektacular and Crowning

Bookmans Music Video of the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom

Author/Illustrator Steven Riley

It is impossible to describe the joy of watching author/illustrator Steven Riley bring smiles and laughter to the children he entertains through his hilarious storytelling performances.  Adults are equally amused by the innate comedic talents of this skilled performer.  The generous author of the Ty Cooney National Wonder Series is dedicated to supporting Kids Need to Read and regularly presents programs for children at our various events.  Thus, he traveled to Phoenix Comicon to provide two programs for young convention attendees on behalf of our foundation.

On Saturday afternoon, Steven had several of us laughing so hard, we had to wipe tears from our eyes during his retelling of a highly dramatic bear encounter in Yosemite National Park.  The entire audience was swept up by his irresistible antics.

Engaging children in the audience is an integral part of Steven’s programs.

Few can resist the charm of this author’s animated storytelling style.

On Sunday, Steven took the kids through several goofy skits designed to teach them how to create stories.

He started by presenting original Ty Cooney drawings to several lucky kids.  It was such a pleasure to watch each of their faces light up when presented with their artwork.

The talented artist rendered a superhero caricature of a young audience member, who could not have been more pleased with his treasure.

All of Steven’s skits involve kids recruited from the audience, including this sketch about “The Plot Machine.”

The lesson about plots was followed by defining “setting” through the use of “fearsome” Ninja warriors.  It was truly delightful to watch the children perform in these slapstick plays.

The kids then worked together to create several silly characters.  By the end of it all, the kids had the knowledge and inspiration they needed to put together their own imaginative stories.

Steven generously donated $70 to Kids Need to Read, raised from a portion of the sales of his Ty Cooney books during the convention.

Denise introduces Steven Riley and the Little Ty Cooney Series.

Not only that, the fearless performer gamely sang “Geeks of America” during the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom on Saturday evening.

Steven Riley at the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom

All of us at KNTR are so grateful to the multi-talented Steven Riley for “inspiring imagination” in the children attending our events!  (We request an encore of the Fairy Dance, please!)

Debbie Brown, Denise Gary, Steven Riley, and the Riley Kids

Geekdom Floods the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom (Phoenix Comicon 2010, Part 1)

Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton Preside over Geeky-anity at the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom (Phoenix Comicon 2010, Part 2)

How to Dress in Style at a Geek Prom! (Phoenix Comicon 2010, Part 3)

Video of the Fashion Geektacular and Crowning

Bookmans Music Video of the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom

© Skewed Iris Photography

Are you losing sleep at night wondering what to wear at next year’s Kids Need to Read Geek Prom at Phoenix Comicon?  We are already planning the 2011 dweeb connection with our sponsors at Bookmans, so it is time to start preparing your Geek style statement.  Get some great ideas from the Fashion Geektacular competitors at this year’s Geek extravaganza!

Our friends and volunteers prepped for the show in their most scintillating Geek finery.

KNTR volunteer Tina Worley, and Redemption crew members Logan Liskovec & Sabrina Maizland © Heather Fagan

We grabbed the best Geek DJ . . .

Browncoats: Redemption writer/director Michael Dougherty served as our esteemed DJ of Geekdom. © Heather Fagan

. . . the best Geek emcee . . .

Casey Shultz of SciFi Surplus was our Voice of Geekininity. © Skewed Iris Photography

. . . the best Geek judges . . .

Geek Monarchs Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day (above) presided as judges, along with author James Owen. © Skewed Iris Photography

. . . and the best geekarazzi we could find!

© Skewed Iris Photography

Then we unleashed the Geeks upon the catwalk in the astonishing Kids Need to Read Fashion Geektacular!

© Bruce Matsunaga

Our esteemed judges observed . . .

© Heather Fagan

. . . conferred . . .

The judges confer behind emcee Casey Shultz. © Heather Fagan

. . . and made their decisions.

Felicia Day and author James Owen © Heather Fagan

The winners were presented with their prize packages and serenaded to “Geeks of America” by author Steven Riley.

© Bruce Matsunaga

Queen Drea Valdez led the procession of the Geek Court as they proudly strutted on the catwalk.

© Bruce Matsunaga

Steven Riley was himself dressed in top Geek style.

© Bruce Matsunaga

Geeky Music

No Big Deal Frontman, Austin © Skewed Iris Photography

Geeky Dancing

Felicia Day dances with her alter ego, Codex. © Skewed Iris Photography

A-Geek Celebrities

Author John Scalzi and Felicia Day dance with Geek Prom attendees.© Skewed Iris Photography

Geek Chic

© Heather Fagan

Geek Fun

© Heather Fagan

Coveted Geek Giveaways

© Heather Fagan

Geektastic Color and Pattern Coordination

© Heather Fagan

Thank You Cookies Fit for a Geek Queen

Felicia Day tears into her thank you gift of delicious Christie Cookies. (Thank you, Don Brennan!) © Bruce Matsunaga

These are all part of The Kids Need to Read Geek Prom, sponsored by our friends at Bookmans! Don’t be left out in 2011!  Come to Phoenix Comicon and live the prom of your dreams!

© Heather Fagan

Geekdom Floods the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom (Phoenix Comicon 2010, Part 1)

Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton Preside over Geeky-anity at the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom (Phoenix Comicon 2010, Part 2)

Video of the Fashion Geektacular and Crowning

Bookmans Music Video of the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom

They came, they saw, they … drew chalk outlines of dead bodies?? WOW! Those Castle-Con attendees know how to party, and party they did, at the recent 2010 Castle-Con held in New York City. What Castle fan wouldn’t want to spend an evening with other fans of the hit ABC show? Attendees did everything from watching the best of Castle music videos to playing Castle board games. They even held an auction to support Kids Need to Read, where our Castle-Con friends raised $260.00!

Kids Need to Read sends its gratitude to all the attendees and organizers (especially Michelle Carter) of Castle-Con for their support! Your contribution will help provide exciting new books to inspire disadvantaged children this fall. We look forward to working with you in the future!

KNTR is having its second used book sale this Saturday, July 10^th, at Mountain View High School in Mesa, Arizona.  (See map.)  The sale will run from 9:00 AM till 5:00 PM.  The ESL students of Mountain View High School conducted a project to gather gently used books for Kids Need to Read and managed to obtain an astounding 3,000 books of all kinds for kids to adults.  Add to that the stock of used books KNTR has on hand and you have a whopping sale of wonderful books!

All proceeds will go directly to Kids Need to Read.  The funds will be used to provide new books to inspire literacy and social responsibility in disadvantaged children.  If you live in the Phoenix area, please stop by on Saturday and take a gander at this amazing treasure trove of books!  Prices start at $1.00.

Mountain View High School Cafeteria
2700 East Brown Road
(Northwest corner of Brown and Lindsay)
Mesa, Arizona 85213

Many thanks to teacher Tracy Weaver and the awesome students of Mountain View High School!

Kids Need to Read (KNTR) has arranged for actor Nathan Fillion to appear on an upcoming American Library Association (ALA) celebrity READ poster.  Currently starring in the ABC hit television show Castle, Fillion is a founder of KNTR.  The poster pays tribute to the actor’s science fiction cult status, resulting from his past role as Captain Malcolm Reynolds on the television show Firefly and motion picture Serenity.  Even more exciting, the actor’s book of choice for the poster is The Softwire: Awakening on Orbis 4, which is the fourth novel in a young adult science fiction series written by KNTR Founder PJ Haarsma.  The art design focuses on outer space and the Rings of Orbis, which is the setting of The Softwire Series.  It is a double-whammy of KNTR founder sci-fi geekiness and is so very beautiful!

You will be able to get your own copy of the poster at the ALA online store when it is released in mid-July.  [Edit: The poster is now available here.]  The product description will feature information about Kids Need to Read.  Past celebrities who have appeared on the series of posters include Denzel Washington, Alan Rickman, Anthony Hopkins, Hilary Swank, Ewan McGregor, William H. Macy, Dakota Fanning, Colin Farrell, Hugh Laurie, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Eva Mendes, Salma Hayak, Julia Stiles, Ethan Hawk, John Leguizamo, Ice Cube, Bill Gates, Stephan Hawking, and many sports stars.  The READ posters promote libraries, literacy, lifelong learning, and reading, and are sold to support the mission of the ALA.

The ALA is generously providing KNTR with copies of the poster for the recipients of our book donations.  They will be a wonderful inspiration to children lacking in reading mentors.  Thank you to everyone at the American Library Association and to our founders, PJ Haarsma and Nathan Fillion, for promoting literacy through this project.

Although there were lots of geeky goings-on at the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom, sponsored by Bookmans and taking place at Phoenix Comicon 2010, music playing and people swaying were the biggest parts of the event.  Monarchs of the Geekdom Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton joined in the fun by dancing along with the guests and making everyone smile.  If you missed the first pictures and story of our light-hearted party, please take a look here.  Enjoy the high spirits in the pictures below, and stay tuned for more photos of the Geektastic celebration in Part 3 coming soon.

The party got off to a rocking start by our first Rock N Roll High School band, No Big Deal. The musicians got into the spirit of the evening by wearing geeky glasses and other nerdy accessories.

It was so much fun to see a room filled with people dressed in their best geek attire smiling and dancing.

Felicia and Wil came out to greet to the audience after the band finished up their set.

Michael Dougherty (writer/director of Browncoats: Redemption) served as our dweeb DJ.  He began by playing music by artists such as Lady Gaga and Violent Femmes, which Felicia and Wil had requested earlier in the day at their panel.  The stars took to the stage and catwalk to dance.

Perhaps the geekiest moment came when Felicia pulled a party-goer dressed as Codex, her character on The Guild, up onto the stage and they both danced to “Do You Want to Date My Avatar.”

The dancing continued until it was time for our Fashion Geektacular and Crowning of Geekdom’s Geekiest.  (See video of the Geektacular and Crowning on the KNTR YouTube site.  Photos are in Part 1 of our story.)

After the crowning of the Geek King and Queen, our second Rock N Roll High School band, Braincage, performed while pictures were taken under the Geek Arch.

I helped give out geeky door prizes with Michael Dougherty and Browncoats: Redemption star, Heather Fagan.  The prizes were generously provided by Best Buy – Superstition Springs, Pop Culture Paradise, and SpazDog Comics.

The evening was topped off with the Geek Dance-off and Rock Band.  (See Part 1 of our story.)  Thank you to all of the enthusiastic Geeks who came to have a great time and who made the Geek Prom such a fantastically fun fundraising event!

KNTR volunteers Michael Emerson, Sherrie Miller, and Erin Casey

Bookmans Music Video of the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom

Kids Need to Read Auctions has a real treat for all the fans of the hit TV show Supernatural.  She’s Dean Winchester’s true love, Sam and Dean’s “home,” and she plays a key role in the Season 5 finale:  the 1967 Chevy Impala, affectionately known by the fans as Metallicar.  No, we’re not auctioning off the real thing, but our friends at Team Winchester have given us an 8×10 photo of this iconic Impala, autographed by TEN cast and crew members!  There are signatures from:

Jared Padalecki (Sam Winchester on Supernatural)
Jim Beaver (Bobby Singer on Supernatural)
Chad Lindberg (Ash on Supernatural)
Fred Lehne (Azazel, the Yellow-Eyed Demon on Supernatural; Ranse Burgess on Firefly)
Nicki Aycox (Meg Masters on Supernatural)
AJ Buckley (Ed Zeddmore on Supernatural)
Travis Wester (Harry Spangler on Supernatural)
Jason Manns (singer/songwriter featured on Supernatural)
Steve Carlson (singer/songwriter featured on Supernatural)
Berkeley Priest (writer)

Now THAT is a lot of signatures!

This is one of those items that doesn’t come along everyday!  So, start your engines and go to http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110546744775 to place your bid!  Help us win the race against childhood illiteracy!

Welcome to the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom! © Bruce Matsunaga

Whoa!  Geek out and they shall come!  Never did we dream the first annual Kids Need to Read Geek Prom that we planned for Phoenix Comicon, along with our sponsors, Bookmans, would turn into a major event at the convention.  We had mightily hoped for 200 geeks, dweebs, and nerds. We wound up with a room filled to capacity at 400 and sadly had to turn away at least 200 more.  But weep not, for more awesome geekiness awaits next year, when we will have a larger ballroom to accommodate the many fun-loving folks who want to party in geek-tastic style.  Mark your calendars now for Phoenix Comicon, Memorial Day weekend, 2011.  Here are the first pictures we have ready, but there will be many more pictures to come.

Your Hosts Felicia Day, Denise Gary, and Wil Wheaton © Bruce Matsunaga

I had an unbelievably fun time hosting the celebration, along with special guests Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton.  The enthusiasm of the party-goers was infectious!  The event was emceed by one of our favorite podcasters, Casey Shultz of SciFi Surplus, and began with the music of No Big Deal, a band of high school students whose talent is a big deal.  My favorite part of their set was when they played the theme song from Pokemon.

© Ron Shelton

While the music was playing, people were having their pictures made under the Geek Arch, a spectacular monument to Geek-o-rama!  The arch paid tribute to classic gaming and electronic geekery; even the flowers were made out of computer wire.

© Bruce Matsunaga

Of course, Felicia and Wil are the ultimate monarchs of Geekininity and the crowd went wild when they came out to dance to the music of our DJ, Michael “Mr. Man” Dougherty.  Where else could you see Felicia dancing with someone dressed as Codex, her character in The Guild, but at the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom?  It was awesome!

James Owen, Felicia Day, and Wil Wheaton judge the Fashion Geektacular. © Bruce Matsunaga

The Fashion Geektacular was judged by Felicia, Wil, and suave author, James Owen.  Be sure to read James’ account of the evening, including how he came to the prom dressed as Rick Castle’s younger brother, Nick, and raised funds for KNTR by drawing sketches of Nikki Heat for prom attendees.

Joe and Drea Valdez work the catwalk in the Geektacular. © Bruce Matsunaga

Geektacular contestants paraded up and down the catwalk showing off their Geek finery as “I’m Too Sexy” played in the background.

© Ron Shelton

One of my favorites was this Vulcan lady.  So cool!  I also liked the little girl with the unibrow.  So funny!  There were so many great costumes.  You can see them all in this video of the Fashion Geektacular at the KNTR YouTube site.

The Royal Geek Court is lauded by Steven Riley singing “Geeks of America.” © Bruce Matsunaga

The Geek Prom King, Queen, Prince, and Princess were all given prize packages, the King and Queen were crowned and sashed, and they were all serenaded by author Steven Riley singing “Geeks of America.”  Joe Valdez was crowned Geek King, his wife Drea was pronounced Geek Queen, the mysterious Miss Chess was named Geek Princess, and the fictional Sheldon Cooper was dubbed Geek Prince.  Thank you to Bookmans, Office Max – Springs Power Center, The Book Band Company, Hero Comics, and Samurai Comics for contributing to the prize packages.

Afterward, another high school band by the name of Braincage performed and they played their hearts out.  Door prizes were awarded and other giveaways were thrown out to the audience by Browncoats: Redemption director Michael Dougherty, Browncoats: Redemption star Heather Fagan, and me.  Thank you to all who contributed prizes, including Best Buy – Superstition Springs, Pop Culture Paradise, SpazDog Comics, and Harmonix.

© Bruce Matsunaga

The Geek Dance-off contestants danced to the music of Rock Band being played by prom attendees.  (Hey, I think this guy (above) is the same one who arrested me Sunday during the Star Wars Smuggler’s Run!)

© Bruce Matsunaga

ACK! OUCH! OW!

Awarding Christie Cookies to the Winners of the Geek Dance-off © Bruce Matsunaga

Judges for the Geek Dance-off were KNTR volunteer Alicia Summers, Amber Brosovich, and Arizona Browncoats member Raymond Wolfe.  Each contestant was awarded a tin of delectable Christie Cookies for a specific category.  Thank you to Don Brennan for donating the geek-a-licious prizes.

Lori Whipple of Bookmans © Lisa Richins

I would like to give a gigantic heart to Lori Whipple of Bookmans for being such a joy to work with in putting together the Geek Prom.  Thank you so much for providing the decorations, the banner, the food, and the goody bags.  The Geek Prom logo is a masterpiece!  It is because of you and the generosity of Bookmans that all of the funds raised at the Geek Prom will be used to inspire disadvantaged children to discover a love of reading, while building their self-respect and awareness of social responsibility.  Thanks also to Lisa Richins and Raymond Wolfe of the Arizona Browncoats for pitching in to help Lori, along with Yvette and Meg of Bookmans.  Watch Bookmans’ very cool music video of the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom.

Creators of the Geek Arch, Andrew Tans and Roxanne Rousakis © Ron Shelton

Thank you so much Andrew Tans and Roxanne Rousakis for creating the amazing edifice that is the Geek Arch!  Soon, it will light up the doorway to the KNTR office.

There are so many more to thank.  There can never be enough praise heaped upon the folks at Phoenix Comicon for all they have done for Kids Need to Read.  Thank you for taking a chance on our Geek Prom and trusting us to pull it off.  Matt Solberg, Linda Zaruches, Scott Haag, and Anabel Martinez – bless you all for everything you gave to make this event happen.  But most of all, I would like to thank Joe “Joeku” Boudrie for his endless patience, kindness, and support throughout the process.  Integrity walks the earth in the form of these people.

Casey Shultz, thank you for coming down and helping me tie the loose ends together, and for serving as our emcee. You are incredibly kind and selfless!

Steven Riley, Felicia Day, James Owen, and Wil Wheaton © Bruce Matsunaga

We offer tons of thanks to our special guests Felicia Day, Wil Wheaton, James Owen, and Steven Riley.  We are so grateful that you chose to attend our humble party, but more so, we appreciate you so much for geeking out and having a good time with everyone.  Steven, thank you for singing our Geek anthem.  You were wonderful!  James, thanks for sharing your artistic talent to support KNTR.  Rick has nothing on Nick!  Thank you all for being such great friends to KNTR!

Thank you Rock N Roll High School for working with kids to develop their musical talent.  To the kids of No Big Deal and Braincage, keep on rocking!  Thank you for coming and giving your all for Kids Need to Read.  Your hearts are in the right place.  And No Big Deal, yeah, I won’t try to be hipster again!  HeeHeeHee!

It is impossible to overstate how much gratitude I feel toward Mike Dougherty, Heather Fagan, Dan Sheehan, Logan Liskovec, and Sabrina Maizland.  Thank you all for stepping in to man the doors and the crowd, and thank you Mike for offering your skills as our DJ.  You always make everything more fun with your exuberant personality.  But most of all, I thank you all for always putting the charities that your project supports first.  Browncoats: Redemption is more than a film; it is a journey of goodwill.  Much love to you all.

There are no words to express the affection I feel for Debbie Brown and the extraordinary Kids Need to Read volunteers.  They work so hard for very little return.  For assisting at the Geek Prom, I offer my deepest, heartfelt thanks to Erin Casey, Michael Emerson, Marianne Luskey, Bruce Matsunaga, Sherrie Miller, Roxanne Rousakis, Danie Silvera, Jennifer Spangler, Alicia Summers, Robert Tabb, Carol Tabb, Tina Worley, and Steve Gary, as well as Debbie Brown.  Wonderfulness dwells within the hearts of these people.

Redemption Crew, AZ Browncoats, and KNTR Volunteers © Michael Dougherty

Written by Denise Gary

We’ve been excitedly talking a lot about the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom, but we’ve been laying low on what will be happening at the KNTR tables at Phoenix Comicon, May 27-30.  We have lined up some unbelievable auctions (prepare yourself!), free Highlights & action figures for the kids, cool Browncoat people, and brand new KNTR literacy collectable buttons & bookmarks.  Our tables are also the place to make donations for KNTR Geek Prom tickets (brought to you by Bookmans), Star Wars Smuggler’s Run badges, and Browncoats Scavenger Hunt game cards.  (See links below.)  Not to be missed is our spectacular droid donation jar, made especially for KNTR by R2 builders!

Best of all, we could not be easier to find.  The generous (and really funny) folks at Phoenix Comicon have put their sponsored charity first, giving us the first two (not one, but two!) tables to the right as you enter Exhibitor Hall!  (They placed Kids Need to Read information on the coveted back cover of their program guide, too!  Ask me how much integrity the folks of Phoenix Comicon have!)  You just cannot miss the KNTR tables unless you are wearing a mask with blinders and looking only toward the left every time you enter the hall.

So what have we got for your perusing pleasure?  Let’s get down to it, shall we?

AUCTIONS
(Proceeds Benefit KNTR)

Rock Band Instruments Signed by Convention Celebrities
Photo Ops with Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day at the KNTR Geek Prom
Firefly & Serenity Memorabilia Signed by the Stars, Including a Currently Unproduced QMx Mal Maquette Prototype Signed by Nathan Fillion
Signed Felicia Day Memorabilia
The Softwire Memorabilia Signed by PJ Haarsma, Including an Uniquely Engraved iTouch
Boba Fett Collector’s Plate
Three Anakin Skywalker Statues (One each will be auctioned on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.)

MERCHANDISE
(Proceeds Benefit KNTR)

KNTR “Say Yes to Books!” T-shirts
KNTR Terrify’n Space Monkeys
Serenity Alliance Bills (Set Props, Not Replicas)
Serenity: Better Days #1 Comic Book Signed by Alan Tudyk
Limited Edition (Variant Cover) Serenity: Better Days #1 Comic Book

FREE STUFF
(While Quantities Last)

New KNTR “Say Yes to Books!” Buttons & Bookmarks
Highlights Magazines for the Kids
Action Figures for the Kids
KNTR 2010 Wall Calendars

Some of the “shiny” folks involved with the Firefly fan film, Browncoats: Redemption, will be on hand to tell you about their charity film scheduled to be released in September, which will partially benefit KNTR.  Don’t miss their movie preview on Friday from 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM in room CC151.  Director Michael Dougherty and lead actor Heather Fagan will be on hand to discuss the project and show clips from the film.  In addition to the Redemption crew, our local Arizona Browncoats will be volunteering their time at the KNTR tables, so please have a chat with them, too.  Their introductory panel will be held on Sunday from 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM in room CC151.  Come learn what the Arizona Browncoats are doing and get involved with their community service efforts.

Kids Need to Read extends its heartfelt thanks to Arizona Browncoats, Bookmans, Browncoats: Redemption, California Browncoats, Felicia Day, Harmonix, Highlights for Children, Lee Whiteside, Phoenix Comicon, Pop Culture Paradise, QMx, R2 Builders, Rob Dobbs, Sherrie Miller, SpazDog Comics, Star Wars Pavilion, Thomas Boyer, and Wil Wheaton for their generous contributions to the Kids Need to Read tables.

Read details about the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom at Phoenix Comicon, sponsored by Bookmans.

See the KNTR Geek Prom logo and poster created by Bookmans.

Participate in the Star Wars Smuggler’s Run to save the galaxy from illiteracy!

Don’t miss the Browncoat Scavenger Hunt at Phoenix Comicon, benefiting KNTR.

Learn what author/illustrator Steven Riley is doing for kids and KNTR at Phoenix Comicon.

Catch up on all Kids Need to Read event details for Phoenix Comicon.