Archaia Celebrates Free Comic Book Day

It's a good week to want comics, because this week boasts two new comic days. Wednesday stands as the typical day, but Saturday, May 5, is Free Comic Book Day! Archaia's bringing their typical thunder with Mouse Guard, Labyrinth and Other Stories, an original anthology hardcover. You heard me. Hardcover.

Written by Jeremy Bastian, Nate Cosby, Royden Lepp, Jim McCann, Ted Naifeh and David Petersen and illustrated by Bastian, Chris Eliopoulos, Godbey, Janet Lee, Lepp Petersen the beautiful, 48-page anthology will give readers a glimpse of the Archaia world.

There's an all new Mouse Guard tale (Petersen), a trip back into the world of Labyrinth (courtesy of Ted Naifeh, Adrianne Ambrose and Cory Godbey), a new perspective on Jet Jones from Rust (Lepp), a new Cursed Pirate Girl (Bastian) and Cow Boy (Cosby and Eliopoulos), the comedy/western tale. There's even a follow-up to the always delightful Return of the Dapper Men by McCann and Lee which leads into the sequel Time of the Dapper Men.

The book clocks in at 6" x 9" and is in full color. And it's free. Revel in that for a second.

Check out interiors and full solicit below.

MOUSE GUARD, LABYRINTH, AND OTHER STORIES (2012 Free Comic Book Day)
Original Anthology Hardcover
Retail Price: Free
Page Count: 48 pages
Format: Hardcover with no dust jacket (paper over board), 6” x 9”, full color
Rating: All ages
Written by Jeremy Bastian, Nate Cosby, Royden Lepp, Jim McCann, Ted Naifeh and David Petersen
Illustrated by Jeremy Bastian, Chris Eliopoulos, Cory Godbey, Janet Lee, Royden Lepp and David Petersen
Cover by David Petersen

This Free Comic Book Day, Archaia offers readers the chance to experience history in the making with a FREE, gorgeous, 48-page, 6” x 9” full color hardcover anthology featuring all-new material! David Petersen returns with an all-new Mouse Guard tale that’s guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings! Lose yourself once again in Jim Henson’s amazing world of Labyrinth, featuring a fantastical story from Eisner Award nominee Ted Naifeh (Courtney Crumrin), Adrianne Ambrose (Fraggle Rock), and Cory Godbey (Fraggle Rock). Get a new perspective on Jet Jones in Royden Lepp’s critically acclaimed Rust, with a short story seen through the eyes of younger brother Oswald Taylor. Jeremy Bastian’s acclaimed Cursed Pirate Girl hits the high seas in this whimsical, swashbuckling tale of wonderland journeys and unimaginable dangers. Nate Cosby (Pigs) and Chris Eliopoulos (Franklin Richards) present Cow Boy, a comedy/western that tells the tale of a young bounty hunter determined to send his entire outlaw family to jail. And Jim McCann and Janet Lee follow up their Eisner Award-winning Return of the Dapper Men with an all-new short story that leads into the upcoming sequel, Time of the Dapper Men. Witness the origin of a new, major character! And…the return of 41?!