With O'Brien's Collecting Toys nearly finished and moving rapidly toward its date with the printer, I thought it would be fun to share another interesting item from the book.

   The Premiums chapter is loaded with fun and fascinating items offered in support of early radio and television shows. Only the strongest of characters survived through the changes to multiple platforms, and just a select few appeared in radio, on film, and in television. Captain Midnight was one of those beloved characters.

   Captain Midnight was ace pilot "Red" Albright, the head of the Secret Squadron. Together, he and his cohorts thwarted the evil doings of Ivan Shark and his daughter Fury.

   For more info on the Captain Midnight's history, click HERE.

   Publisher Moonstone Books plans to release a collection of new prose stories featuring Captain Midnight. For more information, click HERE.

   In the meantime, here's a picutre submitted for O'Brien's Collecting Toys by the generous folks at Hake's Americana & Collectibles.

   What's your favorite Premium? Click "Comments" below and let's here from you!

    I received a couple of emails regarding Free Comic Book Day and the types of comics available, so I thought a larger explanation might benefit everyone.

   You can really obtain comics for free at participating comic book shops tomorrow. BUT, the free titles are special editions printed by comic publishers just for this event. So you can't walk in and hope to pick up Detective Comics #843 without paying for it. (Do yourself a favor and buy it anyway, writer Paul Dini is magnificent and this series is fantastic!)

   If you'd like to see a list of the titles printed for the event, click HERE. Understand that shop owners may or may not have every one of these titles available. Most shop owners pick titles based on their available display space and clientele, but it's been my experience that they all attempt to have a wide variety available so that readers of any age will find a title they'll enjoy.

   One of the titles I recommend for young readers tomorrow is Owly & Friends. Published by Top Shelf, this 32-page comic features the wordless adventures of Owly by Andy Runton. I met Andy at Comic-Con a few years ago -- he's a talented, sweet guy who loves comics -- and it really shows in his work.

   Here's the cover:

   Have fun! Let me know what titles you picked up on Free Comic Book Day by clicking "Comments" below!

   "You mean there's a day when you can walk into a comic book shop and they'll hand you free comic books?"

   "Yep. The comic publishers print special comic books containing some of their most popular characters and comic shop owners make them available for visitors to take -- for free."

   I know it sounds too good to be true, but Free Comic Book Day is now an annual event that takes place the first week of May. This Saturday, May 3, head to your local comic book store and check out the amazing selection of comics for readers of all ages and abilities. There are plenty of kid-friendly titles, and if you haven't read a comic book since you were a kid, you'll be amazed at the production quality and artistry of today's comics.

   To find a comic book shop in your area, click HERE to use Diamond's Comic Shop Locator Service. Just type in your zip code, and it will find shops close to home. Be sure to phone the shop and ask for their hours of operation.

   For more information on Free Comic Book Day, click HERE. You'll find reports from last year's events from comic shops around the country, and everything you'd want to know about this year's festivities.

   I'm heading out to Galaxy Comics & Games in Stevens Point, Wis. Which shop are you visiting? Click "Comments" below and let me know!