Halloween falls on a Wednesday this year, so in the spirit of cosplay and trick-or-treating, Diamond Comic Distributors and the Comic Shop Locator Service have teamed with a variety of publishers for Halloween ComicFest 2012, an event that bolsters the usual "New Comic Day" with special free comics and an online costume contest. Similar to how Free Comic Book Day works, participating retailers (which can be found via the CSLS, naturally) will have up to four special full-sized comics and 11 mini-comics on hand to be given away for free to customers that visit on October 31. Some of these titles are Halloween-themed, while others are simply intended for audiences of all ages. The Halloween ComicFest 2012 costume contest, on the other hand, doesn't require fans to visit a store - participants need only visit the official HCF site and follow photo submission instructions to be eligible to win one of 500 random prizes or even several grand prizes. You can browse all 15 Halloween ComicFest titles that will be available at participating retailers, plus the costume contest prize catalog after the cut.From HalloweenComicFest.com:

BATMAN SCOOBY DOO HALLOWEEN FEST #1

(W) Dan Slott, Chris Duffy (A) Ty Templeton & Various (CA) Bruce Timm, Scott Gross

Just in time for Halloween, it's a FREE all-ages flip-book comic reprinting classic BATMAN and SCOOBY-DOO tales!

In his side of the comic, The Dark Knight meets Gotham City's new vigilante, the Cavalier, and battles the evil of Ra's Al Ghul in stories from BATMAN ADVENTURES #1 and #4.

And in the other side, the Mystery Inc. Gang tries to get to the bottom of "The Costume Caper," in a story from SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU? #2.


HCF 2012 TMNT #1 TRICK-OR-TREAT ED



Publisher: IDEA & DESIGN WORKS LLC

(W) Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz (A) Dan Duncan (CA) Kevin Eastman

HCF 2012 MU AVENGERS AND ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN


Celebrate Halloween with two thrilling tales featuring everyone's favorite Wall-Crawler and the Earth's Mightiest Heroes! It can't get any better than free Spider-Man and Avengers comics, so don't forget to stop into your local comic shop and pick up a copy!
HCF 2012 FANTAGRAPHICS JACK DAVIS TALES FROM THE CRYPT

(W) Al Feldstein (A/CA) Jack Davis

Heh, heh! Got a real chiller-diller this time fiends! Join me, The Crypt-Keeper, your host of howls, along with Jack Davis and Al Feldstein as we creep our way through four spine-tingling, hair-standing, blood-curdling tales of terror from the vaults of EC Comics! We'll scare you silly! Trick or treat? Treat!! Book measures 6.625" x 9.187".

DARK HORSE AXE COP MINI COMIC BUNDLE 2012

(W) Malachai Nicolle (A/CA) Ethan Nicolle

GHOSTBUSTERS MINI COMIC BUNDLE 2012

(W) Brian Lynch (A/CA) Marcelo Mueller

First time in print! A long-dead gangster is terrorizing Times Square, wreaking horrific havoc on a building that once housed a spirited speakeasy. But the place is now a toy store, and when the ghostly gangster starts shooting ectoplasmic bullets at terrified patrons, the Ghosbusters - Egon, Ray, Peter, and Winston - are called in to nab the speakeasy spook! Written by Brian Lynch (Angel, Spike, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and illustrated Marcelo Mueller (Lady Death, Aliens), Ghostbusters: Time Scare! serves as a hauntingly hilarious gateway into IDW's smash-hit line of Ghostbusters comics!

ANTARCTIC ZOMBIE KID MINI COMIC BUNDLE 2012

(W/A/CA) Fred Perry

In the madness of the Zombie Apocalypse, amid the throngs of living dead and terrified victims, the Littlest Zombie roams. He's just an inquisitive chap filled with curiosity about the world on fire around him. Pushed around by his fellow undead (who always get to the brains first), and positively frowned upon by the remaining living citizens, the poor little guy just wants a friend. And maybe something to chew on. Like your face.

APE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE SCOUTS MINI COMIC BUNDLE 2012



(W) Tom Nugyen & Various (A) Antonio Campo & Various

Our 2012 Halloween mini-comic flip-book features 3 short stories! One side features the boys of the Weasel Troop in a SCOUTS! short story, "Meet the Pets". And the flip-side features the stories from our wildly successful STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE comic, "Custard & Cake" and "A Little Kitchen Help"! This sweet treat is sure to please boys, girls, AND their parents!

ARCHAIA COW BOY HALLOWS EVE MINI COMIC BUNDLE 2012
(W) Nathan Cosby (A/CA) Chris Eliopoulos

All y'all step right up for the showdown of their century: Cow Boy vs. Billy the Kid! From the acclaimed team of Nate Cosby (Jim Henson's The Storyteller, Pigs) and Eisner-nominated Chris Eliopoulos (Franklin Richards, Misery Loves Sherman) comes an all-new Cow Boy yarn from Archaia Entertainment, just in time for Halloween, and for free!

NEW CRUSADERS RISE OF HEROES MINI COMIC BUNDLE 2012
(W) Ian Flynn (A) Ben Bate, Gary Martin (CA) Mike Norton

Red Circle Comics proudly presents the next generation of super heroes: The New Crusaders! From the ashes of the past, a new generation must rise! Get acquainted with the most exciting group of young super heroes that comic books have to offer in this free introduction. Get The New Crusaders!

BOOM ADVENTURE TIME MINI COMIC BUNDLE 2012
(W) Ryan North (A/CA) Shelli Paroline, Chris Houghton

It's ADVENTURE TIME! Join Finn the Human, Jake the Dog, and Princess Bubblegum for all-new adventures through The Land of Ooo. The top-rated Cartoon Network show now has its own comic book! With the show exploding in the ratings, garnering rave online reviews, major cosplay at the San Diego Comic-Con, and huge displays dominating the New York Comic Con, it's clear fandom is obsessed and 2012 is the Year of Adventure Time! Don't miss out on this new phenomenon!

FANTAGRAPHICS SPACEHAWK MINI COMIC BUNDLE 2012
(W/A/CA) Basil Wolverton

Blast off into outer space with Basil Wolverton's weird and otherworldly SPACEHAWK! Two tense and terrific tales of terrible adventure and tumult from comics' Golden Age! You ain't seen nothing like this!

PAPERCUTZ ERNEST & REBECCA MINI COMIC BUNDLE 2012
(W) Guillaume Bianco (A/CA) Antonello Dalena

Papercutz presents a special Ernest & Rebecca minicomic for Halloween! Rebecca is a vivacious 6 1/2 year-old girl whose best friend happens to be a germ named Ernest. He's not only her best friend- he's also her partner in mischief, adventure companion, and confidant. An inseparable duo, the zany adventures of these two continue to delight in this award-winning series from Papercutz.

TOP SHELF TRICKY TREATERS MINI COMIC BUNDLE 2012

(W/A/CA) James Kochalka, Jess Smart Smiley

Johnny Boo is the best little ghost in the world. Don't believe it? Just ask him! What wacky Halloween adventure are he and Squiggle up to now? Plus: meet Harold, the star of Upside Down: A Vampire Tale. He's a friendly vampire kid who loves candy, so trick-or-treating is just about his favorite thing in the world! Tricky Treaters is a blast for all ages: a great introduction to James Kochalka's hit series Johnny Boo and Jess Smart Smiley's delightful debut Upside Down! Grab this free mini-comic and spook yourself silly!

VIZ LITTLE MISS DAREDEVIL MINI COMIC BUNDLE 2012

(W) John Hardman (A/CA) Bryan Beach

From Viz Media. Little Miss Daredevil is competing in the Incredible Race, and she's in it to win it! Whether scaling to the top of Mount Dillydale or taking a wrong turn and rocketing into outer space, no thrill's too thrilling for Little Miss D!

Costume Contest Prize Catalog

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