Kids Need to Read Booth

May 23-26, 2013
Phoenix Convention Center
Phoenix, Arizona

Return to Phoenix Comicon 2013 Galleries

There were so many exciting things happening in the KNTR booth, along with several spectacular fundraisers sponsored by supportive artists, authors, and 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; Little Ty Cooney books for kids; Highlights, Ladybug, Spider, and Cricket magazines; handmade peace merchandise by DesignKreeda and Marisa Grieco, Urban Blacksmith; Peace Packs book list; KNTR 2014 Wall Calendars and Fine Art Prints; literacy t-shirts and buttons; Geeksages, Geekonnieres, and Geek blinkies; and many fundraisers for KNTR, including Phoenix Comicon Charity Art Auction, Dune Sea Garrison Blast-A-Trooper, Project Hero raffles with Hero Comics, Justice League Arizona “Arkham Escape” Interactive Game, Arizona Avengers raffles, author Frank Beddor Charity Book Drive, and author James A. Owen pendant fundraiser! Kids Need to Read and Bookmans also co-sponsored a Kids Reading Corner in the Youth Art Room. It was an INCREDIBLE convention for Kids Need to Read!

Photographs © Bruce Matsunaga & Robert Gary

Click on any image to view a larger version.

© Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
© Bruce Matsunaga © Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
Classic Geeksages © Robert Gary
Our new comic Geeksages and Geekonnieres were extremely popular this year! We nearly sold out. Thanks so much to Lori Cothrun for the idea, and the hard work of Debb and the KNTR volunteers in creating them! © Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
KNTR Peace Products © Robert Gary
Copper peace art by Marisa Grieco © Bruce Matsunaga © Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
Magazines for kids! Many thanks to Highlights for Children and Carus Publishing! © Robert Gary
Lisa Richins delivers a package of adorable book pins from Little Vampires. © Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
It was so sweet of Little Vampires to think of Kids Need to Read and the kids! © Robert Gary
Greeting author Frank Beddor © Robert Gary
Frank “admires” Denise's Little Bulldog cape. © Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
Geeksage classic for the win! © Robert Gary
Our first Peace backpack sale! These beauties were created by Design Kreeda and sold out. © Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
We loved seeing the kids not only taking the Highlights, Cricket, Spider, and Ladybug magazines but reading them on the spot, too! © Robert Gary
Giving Angela L. Fox a hug for all the work she, husband Eric, and son Zach put in on beautifying the new Geek Arch for the KNTR Geek Prom! © Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
You can always count on Angela for great laughs! © Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
Steve and Denise Gary © Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
Nothing beats a blinky-noisy raygun! © Robert Gary
This costumed service dog did not care for some of the furry and armored costumes he encountered at the convention. He barked to warn them off! © Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
Welcoming author/illustrator Steven Riley and his family. Steven conducts the KNTR Build-a-Book program in the KNTR booth every year. The kids LOVE him and we had many repeat participants from last year. © Robert Gary
Flowing superhero cape! © Robert Gary
Savannah and Peyton prepare to volunteer. © Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
Yes, Mr. Riley, we have a special table just for you! © Robert Gary
Fearless Leaders! © Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
A litle elf stops to read a magazine. © Robert Gary
Long-time KNTR Volunteer, Michael Emerson © Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
Volunteers Whitney and Rachel share the joy! (We are a huggy bunch!) © Robert Gary
A little one decides to take a break next to our booth with his Highlights for Children magazine. © Robert Gary
We are so very grateful to photographer Bruce Matsunaga, who volunteers to take pictures for KNTR at Phoenix Comicon every year. © Robert Gary
© Robert Gary
Slapping on a Geeksage © Robert Gary
Savannah brightens up the booth! © Robert Gary
Debb goofs off with Peyton! © Robert Gary
Denise welcomes KNTR storyteller, Charles “Fig” Newton. © Robert Gary
We love our superheroes! © Robert Gary Checking out a Geek blinkie (notice her “Jesus Loves Gamers” button) © Bruce Matsunaga KNTR volunteer Carl Wagner © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga Bruce admires Captain America's shield. © Robert Gary
A perfect fit! © Robert Gary
Author James A. Owen hosted a fundraiser at his booth. Lovely pendants were sold based on his “Meditations” series, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting KNTR. © Robert Gary
The pendants were very cool! © Bruce Matsunaga © Robert Gary Denise with James and Jeremy Owen—and wearing her own pendant! © Bruce Matsunaga The Charity Art Auction benefited KNTR in full. © Robert Gary This incredible sword is made for the art auction, with a multitude of artists illustrating the blade during the convention. © Robert Gary © Robert Gary First day of illustrations © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga Members of Project Hero worked at our booth, attracting folks to their raffles for KNTR held in the Hero Comics booth. © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga The raffles raised $451 for Kids Need to Read! © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga Arizona Avenger and KNTR Geek Prom co-host Gus Matos calls out for Geek Prom ticket sales. © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga There can be no better phone protector than Stitch! © Robert Gary This guy was part of a haunted house display. He looked like the other animatronics, but he was a living person. When people stood in front of him for a picture, he would yell very loudly to scare them. It was an awesome effect! On the last day, Steven Riley yelled back from our booth. The zombie-man returned the yell and then our entire section of Exhibitor Hall yelled back. It continued to go back and forth with everyone yelling and laughing. © Robert Gary Debb is our beloved Booth Overlord! Love her Jayne Hat earrings. Oh, excuse me, “autumn hat with ear flaps.” © Robert Gary Julie Riley lends her grace to the KNTR booth. © Robert Gary Greeting Homer, friend of James A. Owen, and a fervent supporter of KNTR and the cause of childhood literacy. © Robert Gary © Robert Gary Clowns are scary! © Robert Gary © Robert Gary KNTR Geek Prom “Geektress of Coronation,” Victoria Paege © Bruce Matsunaga © Robert Gary © Robert Gary Savannah has some raygun fun! © Robert Gary © Robert Gary © Robert Gary Project Hero members working their raffles for KNTR. © Robert Gary © Robert Gary © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga Kids really enjoyed the Reading Corner in the art room, sponsored by Bookmans and Kids Need to Read. © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga Savannah models the KNTR blinkie sunglasses. © Bruce Matsunaga Savannah models the KNTR blinkie hair. © Bruce Matsunaga Project Hero © Bruce Matsunaga Carl, Peyton, and MJ © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga Phoenix Comicon Programming Director Joe Boudrie and daughter Gemini stop by the booth. © Bruce Matsunaga Author Frank Beddor conducted a major book drive for KNTR at his booth, as well as at other conventions and on Kickstarter. We are excited for the major windfall of books we will be receiving. Thanks to all who supported the book-raiser! © Bruce Matsunaga Frank's display wall © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga The sword continues to fill up with art for KNTR. © Bruce Matsunaga Peyton hands out magazines to the kids stopping by our booth. © Robert Gary © Robert Gary © Robert Gary © Robert Gary Phoenix Comicon Director Matt Solberg stops by the booth. © Robert Gary Attention hog! © Robert Gary This is more like it! © Robert Gary © Robert Gary © Robert Gary © Robert Gary © Robert Gary Kids talk to KNTR volunteer David. © Robert Gary © Robert Gary © Robert Gary KNTR Geek Prom Blinkies © Robert Gary © Robert Gary © Robert Gary Debb gets a makeover! © Robert Gary Kids love the rayguns! © Robert Gary © Robert Gary © Robert Gary Eric & Angela Fox and Denise & Steve Gary © Bruce Matsunaga Denise chats with KNTR Arizona attorney Craig McPike. © Bruce Matsunaga The incredible Phoenix Comicon Charity Art Auction Benefiting KNTR! © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga © Robert Gary Finished sword, which brought in over $1,000! © Robert Gary © Robert Gary © Bruce Matsunaga The sword's hilt was designed by artist Travis Hanson. © Robert Gary The display featured information on the making of the sword. © Robert Gary KNTR volunteer Marianne Luskey collects donations at the Dune Sea Garrison Blast-a-Trooper game benefiting KNTR. The games raised $505 for KNTR! © Bruce Matsunaga © Robert Gary © Bruce Matsunaga The kids had a blast going after the armored Stormtroopers with Nerf guns. © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga The Stormtroopers did a lot of taunting! © Bruce Matsunaga © Robert Gary © Robert Gary © Robert Gary © Robert Gary All the kids received a Certificate of Completion. © Robert Gary © Robert Gary © Robert Gary Justice League Arizona repeated their popular Arkham Escape fundraiser from last year, raising $570 for KNTR! © Bruce Matsunaga The heroes arrested and photographed “escaped inmates” in Exhibitor Hall for donations to KNTR. © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga Participants got to keep a very cool lanyard! © Bruce Matsunaga Robert poses at the Arizona Avengers booth. © Robert Gary The Arizona Avengers held raffles at their booth, raising $190 for KNTR! © Bruce Matsunaga Denise shows off her Honorary Arizona Avengers cape, received at last year's KNTR Geek Prom. © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga Denise joins a Project Hero raffle winner at the Hero Comics booth. © Bruce Matsunaga More raffle winners! © Bruce Matsunaga KNTR volunteer Whitney Begly won two Project Hero raffle prizes, which were delivered to her at the KNTR booth. © Bruce Matsunaga Whitney was very excited! © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga © Bruce Matsunaga