5 Things for Aug 6: Art Challenge Bears Fruit, Help a Granby Business Win Readers' Choice

With respect to today's lead story about Granby's Free Lunch Studios' 24-hour art challenge, I'd like to point out two inexpensive and accessible ways to enjoy one of my favorite artistic mediums, sequential art (which sounds much more respectable than "comic books," after all).

Comic books immersed me into the worlds of reading and art when I was young. Through reading and interpreting narrative, comics helped me to understand and use language to the point where my career is heavily based on writing. Besides encouraging involvement in language and art, they're also a lot of fun to read, for me at least.

Free Lunch Studios, located at both 518 Salmon Brook St. and weekly at the at the Farmington Valley YMCA, and Simsbury Cards and Comics, located at 496B Salmon Brook St., offer a selection of collected editions, usually multi-part stories combined into one package, for a discount.

Another inexpensive option, at the expense of colored pages, is Marvel Comics' Essentials series, containing between 20 and 25 issues, roughly 550 pages, for an average price of $16.99. Check with the above-mentioned local businesses, on Amazon or at your large area bookstore of choice to find a copy.

While the collection I'm currently reading features a parental advisory, Essential Man-Thing Volume 1 is a feverishly off-beat combination of suspense, horror and dark comedy that will find fans amongst mature teenagers and adults.

Still reading? Here are today's 5 Things:

1. It will be sunny today, with a high temperature of 87 °F. Some relief will come from a northwest wind blowing at speeds between 7 and 13 mph. It will stay clear this evening as the overnight low is 58 °F, according to the National Weather Service.

2. See some locally-produced art and find out about the 24-hour comic book challenge held at Granby's Free Lunch Studios .

3. – something to look forward to as the workweek begins again today.

4. in the category of best men's haircut.

5. Want more free exposure for your business? Claim your listing on The Granbys Patch by clicking this link and then clicking the green "Claim your Listing" button near the top right of the page. .