KNTR Activities 2012

May 24-27, 2012
Phoenix Convention Center
Phoenix, Arizona

Return to Phoenix Comicon 2012 Galleries

All of us at Kids Need to Read had more fun than ever before on the convention floor! There were so many exciting things happening in the KNTR booth, along with several geek-tacular fundraisers sponsored by supportive costuming groups. Along with the KNTR Build-a-Book program presented three times daily in the booth by author/illustrator Steven Riley (photos in KNTR Build-a-Book gallery), there were goodie backpacks (sponsored by Bookmans) and Little Ty Cooney books for kids, Highlights and Highlights High Five magazines, Cricket and Cicada magazines, Star Wars bounty hunts and photos and raffles, Justice League Arizona “Arkham Escape” game, Phoenix Comicon Charity Art Auction, Phoenix Comicon Charity Poker Tournament, Project Hero raffle, Anarchy Squared Creations raffle, Arizona Browncoats panel, space blinkies and buttons, Geeksages, fine art prints, t-shirts, calendars, and lots of big smiles! It was AWESOME!

Photographs © Bruce Matsunaga, Robert Gary, Carl Wagner and Devon Christopher Adams

Click on any image to view a larger version.

Entrance to Exhibitor Hall at Phoenix Comicon © Bruce Matsunaga The Kids Need to Read banner beckons. © Robert Gary Denise and Debbie welcome you to the Kids Need to Read pavilion! © Denise Gary Whitney, Mike, Carl, and Nacole man the front table in the Kids Need to Read booth. © Bruce Matsunaga KNTR sold beautiful fine art prints by artists Steven Riley, Tony Parker, and Jackie Morris. The prints sold out and we took orders for more. (with Richelle, Zach, and Sauce Boss) © Robert Gary KNTR calendars, note cards, t-shirts, and hats © Robert Gary More t-shirts – “Take Me to Your Reader,” designed by Steven Riley, was especially popular. © Robert Gary The KNTR Geek Prom table (The KNTR Geek Prom is sponsored by Bookmans.) © Robert Gary KNTR sold a lot of Geeksages this year! Folks from Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center's Life Skills Academy did a fantastic job assembling the Geeksages for KNTR this year. © Robert Gary The KNTR info table © Robert Gary Younger children visiting our booth were given Highlights and Highlights High Five magazines. © Robert Gary Older children were given Cricket and Cicada magazines. © Robert Gary Author/illustrator Steven Riley and his family, Julie, Peyton, and Savannah, were guests of Kids Need to Read. © Robert Gary Steven (shown with a print of his Kids Need to Read 2013 Calendar cover art) presented the KNTR Build-a-Book project in the Kids Need to Read booth throughout the convention. (Pictures are posted in a separate gallery.) © Robert Gary Savannah and Peyton had a great time helping Debbie in the booth. © Robert Gary Cassidy and Tyler, children of Mojo-Bone Software Studios owner Adam Goldman, also volunteered in the KNTR booth. © Carl Wagner Cassidy unveiled! © Carl Wagner The kids worked hard. © Bruce Matsunaga Okay, they worked hard MOST of the time! © Robert Gary Last year's KNTR Geek Prom Prince stops by for a visit and receives a KNTR button. © Robert Gary This years theme for the KNTR Geek Prom and the KNTR booth was Space Geek. Our little prince shows off his “Take Me to Your Reader” button, designed by Steven Riley. © Robert Gary So, there were alien glasses. © Robert Gary Space glasses © Bruce Matsunaga And then there were the rayguns! © Devon Christopher Adams Adults loved the rayguns! © Devon Christopher Adams Children loved the rayguns! © Robert Gary Everyone loved the rayguns! © Robert Gary Many could not resist modeling the flashing pink hair! © Robert Gary A new look for Steven Riley! © Carl Wagner Okay, that's cute! © Robert Gary A sparkling double whammy! © Bruce Matsunaga Yes, he IS a KNTR volunteer! © Carl Wagner Actor Louis Lombardi radiates pink peace. © Robert Gary The flashing pink hair was modeled in a Geekssociated Press interview. © Carl Wagner There was a Nerdgasm interview. © Carl Wagner There was a Fox 10 Phoenix News interview. © Robert Gary Dan Spindle asks the questions. © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga Denise points to Steven Riley when asked what is the craziest thing she has seen at the convention. © Robert Gary Fox 10 Phoenix gets a close-up of KNTR's goodie backpack, sponsored by Bookmans. © Robert Gary The Kids Need to Read Build-a-Book program, with Steven Riley, always attracted a large crowd. © Robert Gary © Robert Gary © Robert Gary Tickets to the KNTR Geek Prom, sponsored by Bookmans, were sold. © Bruce Matsunaga KNTR Geeksages were sold. © Robert Gary © Robert Gary Folks from Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center volunteered in the KNTR booth, led by Life Skills Interventionist Brad Herron (center). © Robert Gary Checking out KNTR merchandise © Bruce Matsunaga Checking out a KNTR t-shirt © Bruce Matsunaga Kids always love KNTR buttons! © Robert Gary © Robert Gary © Robert Gary Checking out the Highlights and Cricket magazines. © Robert Gary Programming Director Joe Boudrie stops by the KNTR booth. © Robert Gary Gemini Boudrie has fun with Savannah! © Robert Gary Ummmm, looks like some kind of bracelet/Geeksage showdown! © Robert Gary Who IS this masked phantom? © Robert Gary Marianne braves Peyton's raygun! © Robert Gary © Robert Gary Nacole and Ami © Bruce Matsunaga Hamming it up with Actress Patricia Skeriotis, Mojo-Bone Software Studios owner Adam Goldman, Denise, and Carl. © Bruce Matsunaga Marianne and Nacole © Carl Wagner Debbie and Denise © Carl Wagner Michael and Arionna © Carl Wagner © Carl Wagner Thor! Need we say more? © Carl Wagner Denise poses with Allen Amis (Anarchy Squared Creations) and his costume contest winners. © Carl Wagner © Robert Gary KNTR Volunteer Totem Pole © Robert Gary Trouble! © Robert Gary This is called geeking out! © Carl Wagner Guilty! © Carl Wagner Men in Kilts! © Carl Wagner © Carl Wagner Krista stops by for a visit with Sauce Boss. © Robert Gary Bridget stops by for a visit with Denise. © Robert Gary KNTR Geek Prom DJ and indy writer/director Michael Dougherty swings by the KNTR booth. © Robert Gary Arizona Browncoats Lisa and David Richins stop by for a chat. © Bruce Matsunaga Lori Cothrun (Bookmans), Denise Gary (Kids Need to Read), and Shelby McBride (Arizona Browncoats) are the panelists for “Fans Giving Back,” sponsored by Arizona Browncoats. © Bruce Matsunaga A Jayne hat clad Stitch takes over the show! © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga There were lots of great questions about Kids Need to Read and Reading Revolution, a KNTR program produced in partnership with Arizona State University. © Bruce Matsunaga We plead the fifth! © Carl Wagner © Carl Wagner Denise flashes her Ninja credentials. © Carl Wagner True love! © Carl Wagner Phoenix Comicon held a very successful Texas Hold ‘Em Charity Poker Tournament to benefit KNTR, sponsored by BigChrisArt, Zenescope, & Big Dog Ink. © Bruce Matsunaga We were invited to sit at a table for expert training. © Bruce Matsunaga Ray is a master poker instructor! © Bruce Matsunaga Randy DeVault of Lupine Entertainment (and 2010 KNTR Geek Prom Prince) directed the event. © Bruce Matsunaga Denise gets ready to host the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom, sponsored by Bookmans. The fundraising event was a huge success! (Pictures are posted in a separate gallery.) © Robert Gary Denise poses with her costume creator, Amanda Tucker of Modified Minds. © Robert Gary © Robert Gary Costuming groups Justice League Arizona and Arizona Avengers conducted successful fundraisers for KNTR. The JLA played an Arkham Escape game in Exhibitor Hall and the AZA auctioned lunches with their members during the KNTR Geek Prom. © Bruce Matsunaga During Justice League Arizona's “Arkham Escape” fundraiser for KNTR, Batman showed up at the KNTR booth to make several arrests. © Robert Gary The “criminals” are dwarfed by Batman! © Robert Gary © Carl Wagner Off to jail! © Robert Gary © Robert Gary Savannah takes delight in her arrest! © Robert Gary Happy mugshots! © Robert Gary © Robert Gary © Robert Gary Meanwhile, Denise was avoiding arrest by traipsing around Exhibitor Hall flaunting her honorary Arizona Avengers cape. © Robert Gary © Carl Wagner © Carl Wagner Nabbed! © Bruce Matsunaga Noncompliant! © Robert Gary Denise with Justice League Arizona leader Dustin Dial. © Robert Gary The Star Wars groups offered photos with Star Wars characters for donations to Kids Need to Read. © Robert Gary There was also a huge Star Wars raffle benefiting Kids Need to Read! © Robert Gary Time for the drawing! © Robert Gary Folks gather around for the announcement of the winner. © Robert Gary Who more perfect to win than these two little fellows? © Robert Gary Allen Amis of Anarchy Squared Creations conducted a raffle once again for Kids Need to Read. © Robert Gary The prize was an adorable Darth Vader Build-A-Bear! © Robert Gary Denise got to choose the winning ticket. © Bruce Matsunaga The ticket is exchanged. © Bruce Matsunaga Allen reads the number. © Robert Gary Allen tries unsuccessfully to notify the winner by phone. © Robert Gary Another winner is chosen. © Robert Gary Denise thanks Anabel Martinez of Full Paragon for organizing a large online fundraiser for Kids Need to Read. © Robert Gary © Robert Gary Denise says goodbye to the Riley family. © Carl Wagner © Carl Wagner Just as Exhibitor Hall is closing, Denise received a special visit from a couple who she helped with a marriage proposal at the KNTR Geek Prom. © Bruce Matsunaga Colleen presents Denise with a special Ninja gift. © Bruce Matsunaga Master Ninja Mali, Ph.D. © Bruce Matsunaga The Master Ninja and her sidekick bid sayonara to another fun and successful weekend for Kids Need to Read at Phoenix Comicon. © Bruce Matsunaga