5 for Free, 5 for a Price: What to Check Out During Free Comic Book Day

Southland comic book stores are participating in Free Comic Book Day on Saturday, including opening of the Oak Lawn's Chimera Comics. Patch pairs 5 free comics with 5 worth buying. Plus, take a look at some of the all-ages books.

When the first Free Comic Book Day was held in 2002, the long-awaited Spider-Man live-action movie premiered that same weekend. At the time, it was still a bit of a novelty that Hollywood was making popular, big-budget superhero films (X-Men was released the previous year), and the North American event was a way for comics publishers and retailers to share that spotlight they helped ignite. READ: New Comic Book Store Brings the 'Fantastic' to Oak Lawn Since then, Free Comic Book Day, which is Saturday, May 4, has become more of a happening in its own right and not something that relies on a big-screen component. The day continues to be an opportunity to introduce people unfamiliar with comics—or provide reintroductions when it comes to …

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Saint Xavier Spring Concert Schedule

Saint Xavier University’s Department of Music will host a series of concerts during the spring 2013 semester.

Tickets On Sale Now for 'Big River'

Oak Lawn Community Theatre performs 'Big River," March 15-17, and March 22-24, at the Oak View Center. Tickets are on sale now.

Rep. Lipinski Invites High School Students to Enter 2013 Congressional Art Competition

High school students residing within Illinois's Third Congressional District are urged to enter competition for chance to show work in U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Free Chicago Museum Admission for Bank of America, Merrill Lynch Members

This weekend, and every first weekend of the month for the rest of the year, all Bank of America and Merrill Lynch cardholders are eligible for free admission to Chicago's top museums.

Good news for all Bank of America and Merrill Lynch cardholders. Your respective financial institutions would like to add some culture to your life. That’s why they’re offering free admission to various Chicago museums to cardholders every first full weekend of the month throughout the rest of the year. They’re kicking it off this weekend, March 2 and March 3 in honor of National Women’s History Month. Just show your bankcard and an ID to the museum admission desk for free access. The deal applies to cardholders, exclusively. Anyone without a Bank of America or Merrill Lynch card will have to pay. The following museums are participating:

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Elvis Tribute Artists ROCK Bourbon Street

Ex-Londoner chosen as Elvis tribute artist of 2013; Oak Lawn man voted "People's Choice" winner in Windy City competition.

Elvis tribute artists from around the country were taking care of business at 115 Bourbon Street to choose Chicago’s best Elvis impressionist of 2013 this weekend. For two nights, 16 performers sang and gyrated their pelvises in the Windy City Elvis Tribute Artist Competition. Ex-Londoner Anthony Shore, who resides in Minneapolis, took first-place honors; with David Allen of Dallas and South Bend, IN’s Irv Kass rounding out the king’s court in second and third. Shore seemingly channeled the kind nailing a difficult version of "My Way" in a rich baritone eerily reminscent of Elvis's. "He was the world's greatest entertainer," Shore told the packed house, whose British accent sounded more like Ringo's. "Everyone in the world knows who Elvis …

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Elvis-Confidant Offers Intimate Portrait of King of Rock and Roll at Hilton Oak Lawn

Thirty-five years after his death, Diamond Joe Esposito is still taking care of business for best friend, Elvis Presley.

Diamond Joe Esposito, who spent 17 years working for and traveling the world with Elvis Presley, will be discussing the day the Beatles met Elvis at an intimate dinner tonight at the Hilton Oak Lawn. As a member of the Memphis Mafia, Esposito was Elvis’s road manager, right-hand man, and close personal friend from the time they were discharged from the Army up until Elvis’s death on Aug. 17, 1977. Esposito rew up on Chicago’s near-northwest side was just a few years out of Marshall High School when he was drafted into the Army in 1958. Elvis was already a huge star when he reported for duty at a small army base in Friedberg, Germany, three weeks after Esposito had arrived. The two saw each other around the base but didn’t actually meet …

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Meet Elvis's Road Manager and Trusted Confidante Joe Esposito

One of Elvis's closest friends and road manager, Diamond Joe Esposito will discuss the day Elvis met the Beatles at special dinner at the Hilton Oak Lawn on Feb. 23.

Beverly Author's New Book Celebrates the Characters of the South Side

Matthew J. Baffoe's new novel 'A Handyman’s Guide to Paranormal Activity' taps in to his South Side roots.

Matthew Baffoe, 43, has lived a life that seems tailor-made for a career as a writer.  He was raised in Beverly as the youngest of 10 kids and his resume is an eclectic mix of experiences, all of which he draws on in his writing. He spent time as a camera man and once worked for director John Hughes, than spent 10 years working for Ald. Ed Burke and the City Council Committee on Finance. He was the front man for an alternative band, taught in the Chicago Public Schools for four years and now owns his own handyman and contracting business.  Throughout his varied career, Baffoe has always drifted back to writing. In the tradition of a true South Side storyteller, he has set his new novel in the neighborhoods he knows best.  A Handyman’s …

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Enter To Win 2 Tickets to Broadway in Chicago

Patch is partnering with Broadway in Chicago to give away tickets to see "I Love Lucy" Feb. 13. One winner will be chosen from each of the 67 Patch cities/neighborhoods in the Chicago area.