Tag: Comikaze Expo

Geekscape 338: The Comikaze 2014 Preview Episode!

by Jonathan

Our friend and fellow geek Stephanie Pressman joins us on Geekscape to preview this weekend’s Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo! We’ll be there the whole weekend at the Geekscape booth so we preview some of the highlights and share our favorite convention experiences from cons past! Also, we talk about the awesomeness of the Age of Ultron trailer and relay just how awesome Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange is! It’s a great time to be a geek!

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Geekscape 312: Marisha Ray Gets Stalked!

by Jonathan

Actress and host Marisha Ray makes her much deserved Geekscape debut! She talks about her projects ‘Super Power Beat Down’ and ‘Batgirl: Spoiled’! And of course, because drama should follow any good actress, this could be the end of ‘Batgirl: Spoiled’ since Warner Bros just sent them a cease and desist! What are they going to do now!?! Also, how wearing a spirit hood absolutely makes you less of a man and Marisha and I review ‘Thor 2: The Dark World’!

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And listen to the full conversation here:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 56:28 — 22.7MB)

Comikaze Expo Day 1: A First Timer’s Experience

by Shane O'Hare

If you’re new to Geekscape, or don’t pay attention to us that well, you know we are HUGE fans of the Comikaze Expo. One of our current favorite shows is Fangasm even! So when I booked a trip for Mega64’s Gamedays meetup at Disneyland and found out it landed the same weekend as Comikaze I flipped. I was finally going to be able to attend the convention!

I was wheels down in LA late Wednesday and got up the next morning ready to go! I met up with our fearless leader and the Crazy Canuck at the LA Convention Center. We setup the booth and it looked great! The new steel and table covering really made us look like professionals!

 

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Me, Derek, Georg and Jon in the new booth!

 

We snagged lunch and prepped for the radio show, heading down to the heart of LA. Hollywood Boulevard. Watching Derek slowly becoming more and more amazed the farther we traveled down the Walk of Fame was adorable. Our little Canadian was amazed by the wonders of the big city, though when approached by a man offering free Hip Hop CD’s we couldn’t stop him. He was dragged into a conversation about the in’s and out’s of independent Hip Hop. Turns out the free Hip Hop was actually $10.

We quickly left that situation and bounded into the Toadhop Network Studios. The place was amazing and seeing it from behind the webcam was great. I got to meet the entire cast of Fangasm, and got my street passes in as well! If you want to watch that episode check it out HERE!

We parted ways and went back to our respective beds. For tomorrow, the first full day of Comikaze 2013 was to be had. It was also the 2nd time I was on Public Transit and ultimately the last. The horrors I saw that day cannot be retold.

I arrived at the convention center, Press Badge in hand, and the excitement was too much for me to handle. Seeing all the cosplayers and nerds walking towards Comikaze put a giggle in my step…giggle? You get what I mean. We got the booth all ready, got our two demo reels going on the TV and waited. Soon the countdown began over the PA. 15 minutes to floor open. 10 minutes. 5. It’s always a combination of terror and excitement when the flood gates open. The hordes of fans seeking their own must have pieces of swag, the elaborate cosplayers and their props. They all are bitter sweet. Sweet that a large group of like minded individuals can congregate and share their passions with each other (Plus StreetPassing). Bitter that they will utlitamtely end up in your way at some point and getting from Row 600 to Row 800 would take 30 minutes.

What Comikaze has that most other cons I’ve gone to lack, is the genuineness of the crowd. The people attending are the real fans of the books, shows and toys they are there to see. Gone are the wannabe rockstars of SDCC, and in their place rabid, but polite fans. I pulled Derek out into the aisle and put my arms out, and I began to spin. “YOU CAN’T DO THIS AT SAN DIEGO CAN YOU DEREK?!”. I then realized I was becoming a bother when our booth neighbors all collectively gave me the grump face. I decided it was time to explore the floor!

ComiKaze Floor 1
The thick of it!

The diversity of booths and vendors at Comikaze is amazing. There are artists, film makers, comic vendors, toys, clothing and even robot makers here. It really runs the gambit and you can see the passion in everyone’s booth.

We made a wide path. I asked a booth how much their Carnage action figure was, and it turns out it was the guys from the Travel Channel show Toy Hunter! So look for us on the upcoming new season! The video game museum setup a nice area where you could play some classic games from the arcade to the N64. We rounded the outside, some more, and ran into the Build WALL-E Project guys. They had a fully functional WALL-E robot, fully articulated and down right amazing.

By the time we made our way the entire loop of the hall, a great deal of time had passed. In my possession was a brand new IDW MLP Art Print Comic and my very first ZOM! Running into Rick after all these years was a great feeling. I FINALLY GOT A ZOM!

The panel lineup for day one was fairly laxed, with the big ones coming Saturday and Sunday, so we ogled some Cosplayers a bit and returned to the booth. Our neighbors were great, the folks at Troma are basically our convention buddies and seem to always be following us!

Before I knew it, day one was coming to a close. The next day was twice as long with twice as much amazing stuff going on. So we hit up home early and got ready for more Comikaze!

Be sure to stay posted here for my coverage of Day 2 as well as the incredible Mega 64 Gamedays 2013 meetup at Disney!

Geekscape 311: Jon Schnepp Meets My Parents!

by Jonathan

Hot off the heels of Stan Lee’s Comikaze, Jon Schnepp drops in to Geekscape to talk about the status of his Kickstarted documentary ‘The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened?’ and his new project ‘Unicrom: The Unicorn Barbarian‘, which is a project so amazing you’ll just have to check it out for yourself! Also, my parents sit in as guest co-hosts and we talk about writing, how video games as a kid almost drove them crazy and what comic books to read. PLUS! Jon and I talk about the amazing possibilities of Marvel’s newly announced Netflix series based on Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones and The Defenders!

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And listen to the full conversation here:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 56:45 — 22.8MB)

Comikaze 2013: Jonathan Hosts Edward James Olmos And Michael Hogan!

by Jonathan

On the main stage at the 2013 Comikaze Expo, I got a chance to sit down with actor and director Edward James Olmos and talk about Battlestar Gallactica, Miami Vice, Blade Runner and more! As a surprise addition, actor Michael Hogan joins us to talk about playing Colonel Tigh to Olmos’ Captain Adama and doing voice work on Skyrim and Mass Effect!

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And listen to the full conversation here:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:39 — 33.9MB)

Comikaze: Adapting Sherlock Holmes

by Kari Lane

Why Sherlock? How did that particular detective become an icon? That was part of the focus of this panel along with looking at the different adaptations over the years. Panelist Bonnie MacBird, pointed out that Sherlock is a “classic superhero” but he has an “Achilles heel that makes him interesting”. She also mentioned that those stories remind us of a simpler time where honor was paramount, and that “the friendship with Watson makes their world come alive”. You cannot have a super hero without a villain and Sherlock’s infamous rival, “Moriarty appeals to people” explained panelist Daniel Corey. He went on to explain that in the world of Sherlock and Moriarty, one just has to find the evil and solve it, making one a hero. These characters have a singular focus, explained Corey, “the game is all there is” for them.

The panelists were asked how they were exposed to Sherlock Holmes with most of them answering that they read the books. However, panelist Sam Weller said his first exposure to the great detective was the animated Great Mouse Detective movie. I think that was also how I came to know the character, that and Young Sherlock Holmes. How did you first encounter Sherlock Holmes?

So what makes a good Sherlock adaptation? One panelist, Sax Carr, does not buy characters that are the best at everything. He wants to see the “dark side of that gift.” A few of the panelists like how the BBC’s Sherlock is a genius but has lost touch with the outside world. MacBird pointed out that the TV show House is another example of a flawed but brilliant character and, in a subtle way, is also an adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. House even has his own Watson in Wilson. MacBird also expressed how she does not like the criticism of ‘too much action’ in the Robert Downy Jr. Sherlock films because the original cannon and short stories actually do have lots of action.

The original story is always the best, but to the to wrap up the panel, the panelists were asked their favorite adaptations of Sherlock and here are their favorites: The Great Mouse Detective, Without a Clue, Sherlock Hound, Detective Comics, BBC’s Sherlock, and Jeremy Brett’s and Robert Downy Jr.’s portrayals. What is your favorite Sherlock Holmes adaptation?

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From Left to Right: Sax Carr, Bonnie MacBird, Sam Weller, Daniel Corey, and Tim Powers

Comikaze: Geek Girls: Sexism Within the Geek Subculture Panel

by Kari Lane

geekgirlsFrom Left to Right: Ariel Schudson, Melissa Molina, Abby Darkstar, Molly McIsaac, and Keith Zen

You have probably heard some of the recent debate about “fake geek girls” and “cosplay does not equal consent”. If you have managed to bypass these often heated arguments (mainly nasty online comment wars), the main idea is that women’s geek cred is often brought into question by male geeks and sexy cosplay outfits do not permit sexual harassment. I have read many of the articles about each of these topics and wanted to see what this panel had to say about the subjects.

Early on, panelist Melissa Molina, explained the “fake” geek girl situation as, “We have always been bullied and now we are bullying each other.” The panelists were unanimous in thinking the concept of the fake geek girl is outrageous and pointed out there are no attacks on fake geek guys. Each woman on the panel mentioned how female geeks are often interrogated on their geek cred by male geeks. They went on to discuss the question of ‘how is liking one thing fake?’ It is as if geek girls have to know everything about EVERYTHING to qualify as a geek, but it is ok to like just one geek thing! However, “Anything can qualify anyone as a geek”, explained panelist Abby Darkstar. Why are geek guys so mean towards geek girls? Panelist Molly McIsaac summed it up in a humorous way by saying, “The boys are mad that the pretty girls are invading their clubhouse.” Keith Zen, the one man on the panel, added that being a geek was, “something that used to be theirs and they don’t want to share.” Darkstar pointed out why this happens by acknowledging, “You are insecure and want to put someone else down.”

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Example of a geek girl being called out but totally owning her cosplay albeit on the aggressive side

Speaking of being pretty, there is a stereotype that geeky girls are not attractive. Molina asked, “Do you want us to look haggard all the time?” It was mentioned how as a geek girl you somehow cannot be pretty too; as if you could not be smart AND attractive. Why can’t women like super hero comics and like to be girly too?

Women not only want to be able to be girly, they want to be able to be sexy too without fear of harassment. Yes, you can wear that skimpy costume but be aware, be responsible and be ready to take the steps to do something about it suggested Darkstar (who was cosplaying fem Indiana Jones). One simple step is just talking to other geek girls about it. Maybe someone will be encouraged by your story or learn something from it. Now, if someone is harassing you, male or female, do not be abusive back. You need to be mature and professional. Panelist Ariel Schudson framed it well by saying, “It’s a power thing. Someone has to have power over you.” Wear the costume you want to wear but be aware that you are pretty much the “personification of a sexual fantasy” (McIsaac).

On the other hand, if you see someone wearing a sexy costume, ask them if you can take a picture. Do not be a creeper and sneak a picture of their butt or whatever and think they will not notice. A couple of the panelists mentioned how they would much rather someone ask to take a picture of their backside and they would gladly pose instead of hearing the creepy whispers behind them.

Zen was all for men and women wearing the costume they want but he pointed out that you need to know people are going to stare. There is nothing wrong with staring and taking pictures (just no creeper pictures), but that is it! Just because a guy or girl is wearing something revealing does NOT give anyone the liberty to touch them or otherwise harass them.

What can be done about this sexual harassment? The main thing is conventions MUST have a harassment policy that details what harassment is and enforce the consequences of breaking those policies. Schudson mentioned the ADA Initiative and explained how they “Wrote and encouraged adoption of policies preventing harassment of women, now used by hundreds of conferences and organizations in open tech/culture as well as science fiction, fan, gaming, and skeptic/atheist conventions.” So this is not something that just happens at geek/nerd conventions.

We all need to be good role models and proponents for change; part of that is being “more open to everything” (Schudon). Do not claim geek culture as your own and exclude others. You should be happy you have even more people with whom to share your love of geek culture. In the end, we are all fans.

Geekscape 310: The Cast of ‘Fangasm’!

by Jonathan

Comikaze is this weekend! It’s been a long time coming… and nobody knows Comikaze better than the cast of Syfy’s ‘Fangasm’, who served as Comikaze interns this past spring! This is a really solid episode as we discuss issues like Cosplay is not Consent with Molly McIsaac, what got us into being geeks with Kristin Hackett and Paul Perkins and Marvel VS DC with Mike Reed! Also, what REALLY went down between Sal and Dani when the cameras weren’t rolling? Plus! Guest co-host Andrew Duvall brings his girlfriend Lisa Best by the show to talk about their new web series ‘The Apartment’! And I definitely have a Fangasm!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:27 — 22.3MB)

The Saint Mort Show Episode 055: New York Comic Con 2013

by Saintmort

I had a blast running around New York Comic Con two weeks ago and grabbing interviews.

Big thanks to the people at:

VHSPS
JOE LOVES CRAPPY MOVIES
STAN LEE’S COMIKAZE
FANGASM
TROMA
RETURN TO NUKE’EM HIGH

Also check out Live Not On Evil’s Facebook Page to find out more about their Music Video Premiere

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Subscribe to Us on iTunes

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()

Geekscape 306: ‘Mortal Kombat: Legacy’ Director Kevin Tancharoen Gets Over Here!

by Jonathan

Last week, Brian Tee got us rooting for ‘Mortal Kombat: Legacy 2′ as Liu Kang! Now, on the day of the new series’ release on Machinima, director Kevin Tancharoen joins us in the studio to talk video games, Mortal Kombat and Hollywood adaptations! On top of that, our friend Andrew Duvall from SyFy’s ‘Fangasm’ joins me as as co-host to talk about Geek Sincerity VS Reality TV! This is a great episode, which includes talk of video game adaptations we’d love to see, the best parts of GTA 5 and giant Kaiju monsters! PLUS! The challenge of bringing Mortal Kombat to screen (of course)!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 56:32 — 22.7MB)

Geekscape Review: Syfy’s “Fangasm”

by S.J. Borger
Courtesy of Syfy Channel
Courtesy of Syfy Channel

The concept for SyFy’s newest reality series, Fangasm, is simple: Follow seven interns as they spend a summer working in Stan Lee’s ComiKaze Expo offices. If the title, Stan Lee’s involvement or the word ComiKaze didn’t clue you in, the seven interns are definitely members of the comic book fandom.

And they truly are. We quickly meet our interns—Andrew Divall, Sal Fringo, Kristin Hackett, Molly McIsaac, Paul Perkins, Mike Reed and Dani Snow as they arrive at the ComiKaze headquarters in Los Angeles after a very brief “geek background check”. The show is formatted like your typical reality show, with ‘confessional’ one-on-ones; backstory tidbits; challenges (handed out by Geekscape friend Regina Carpinelli, co-founder and CEO of Comikaze); and house drama.

The cast is cute in their fandom, but, while they are highly representative of the fan culture, they are not, necessarily, fully representative of the geek culture (where’s the board gaming?). They belong on the Venn diagram, sure, but they are not the totality, as evidenced by an early division among Marvel VS DC lines.

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Yes, That Just Happened

And maybe this challenge of trying to encompass everything that makes us geeks is inherent in the “identity crisis” that the show runs into in some segments. At times, it’s incredibly sincere, like when a cast member expresses his dream of meeting Star Trek’s George Takei (and just wait until the heartfelt ending). At its worst (and we did like the the show), Fangasm struggles to fit the cast into a story-driven reality format, as evidenced when the guys are tasked with lighting a gas grill. Are we being asked to relate to a show that makes fun of us?

Ultimately, does the production know what to do with its seven interns? We spent most of  our time wondering: is this a celebration of the geek? Or a one-hour long practical joke put together by the mean girls to show during the pep rally? Are we supposed to be contemptuous of them? Because it surely feels like that’s the show’s theme. For a culture that prides itself in being all inclusive, Fangasm spent a lot of time labeling its cast mates as “other”. Sorry, that we’re not The Jersey Shore.

A prime example is the girls-of-comics segment (put on during the National Geek Day celebration). It was mind-blowingly misogynistic, sexist, exploitive and insulting. The full thirty-seconds spent on “Supergirl” shaking her bikini-clad behind at the camera—why? What did that prove? If a cast member had been tasked with doing something like this, we could have explored our own geek crisis, to be accepted, but on our own terms.  But as onlookers, the cast was split along gender lines, with the boys asking for dollar bills and the girls looking horrified. The entire segment seemed there as some sort of ‘look, geeks can be hot, especially when they dress/dance like strippers!’ and McIsaac’s follow up concern to the dancing felt swept under the rug in the name of just having fun. Again, do we want our culture to be accepted by all just so they can re-appropriate it into something it was never intended to be? Are the cast members only present so they can be poked with sticks? Fangasm has to decide.

Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo
Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo

But…ComiKaze! Stan Lee! George Takei!

In the end, the positives definitely outweigh the “concerns”, and the show does have a lot of fun moments (and the castmembers are all pretty likable, even “Macho Geek” Sal, who we get to know the least and is seen doing push ups twice during the show (is he our ‘Situation’?). And the internship at Comikaze definitely looks fun, a huge expo where all things geek, nerd and comic book are celebrated. And, again, there were many truly sweet moments in the show in which you really root for the cast members, especially in the last few minutes, when George Takei makes a special appearance.

The casts’ genuine appreciation for what they are doing—working with Stan Lee!—and their support of each other speaks to all the best things about the geekdom. The producers have done a great job of picking our representatives. The seven interns deserve every opportunity that this show will give them; and hopefully the show can appreciate them as much as they seem to appreciate each other.

Fangasm is produced by the creators of Jersey Shore, 495 Productions, with Executive Producers SallyAnn Salsano and Joel Zimmer. It premieres on the SyFy channel on Tuesday, September 24th at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Rating: 3/5

Stan Lee Conquers The Martians At This Year’s Comikaze Expo!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: It looks as though exclusives for this year’s Comikaze Expo (November 1 – 3) are already coming down the pipeline, and this one is simply too cool to pass up.

Topps has revealed an exclusive Mars Attacks card that will debut at the convention, featuring none other than ‘The Man’ himself, Stan Lee. The image featured on the card is absolutely hilarious, and better yet, the card will be absolutely FREE.

Take a look at the limited-edition card below, and let us know if you’re headed to this year’s Comikaze! We’ll be there (of course), and we’ll definitely be picking up a few of these (though they are limited to 2500)! Prints of the fantastic art will also be available at the Topps booth, and they’ll be signed by artist Joe Jusko!

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Comikaze Expo Featured In New Syfy Reality Series ‘Fangasm’!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: This sounds like a great watch, and some fantastic coverage for Stan Lee’s Comikaze (which we, of course, are HUGE proponents of).

This September, Syfy is set to introduce a new docu-series (is that a nicer word for a reality series?) that follows seven geeky superfans on their quest to obtain an internship with Stan Lee.

Fangasm spotlights seven very different people whose niche uber-obsessions run the gamut from comic books and collectibles to science fiction and fantasy to cosplay and live action role playing. Living together and working together at Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo, Los Angeles’ largest pop-culture convention, the cast must contend with each others oversized personalities and conflicting passions as they vie for a opportunities within Lee’s organization. Because when different passions come together – you get a real big bang. Fangasm debuts Tuesday, September 24 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on Syfy.

These roommates stop at nothing to prove their fan-cred to each other, debating everything from favorite superheroes, Star Wars vs. Star Trek, and even what they would do in the event of a real zombie apocalypse. And while the claws do come out, this hilarious and loveable group is ultimately bound together by a shared joy of fandom.

Over the course of the season, the eager group dives into their internships at Comikaze as it prepares for the upcoming Comikaze Expo – the comic, gaming, anime, sci-fi, fantasy horror and general pop-culture expo held each November in Los Angeles. The massive convention is a year-round business, run by Lee, Regina Carpinelli (who guides the interns as their supervisor) and Cassandra Peterson (better known as Elvira Mistress of the Dark). The pressure is on for the interns, who all have high hopes of earning an actual job with the organization. Throughout the summer, they are thrust into a myriad of assignments, both in the field and at the Comikaze Expo headquarters. They pitch comic book ideas to Lee, clean a storage space belonging to Elvira, and pull out all the stops to plan for the star-studded Comikaze launch party. Along the way they get to meet the original Mr. Sulu himself, George Takei, a truly emotional and dream moment for one of the interns.

Sounds pretty awesome, huh? Fangasm is set to premiere on September 24th on Syfy, and Comikaze 2013 hits LA on November 1st! Tickets for the convention are on sale now, and if you enter the promo code GROOVY (because Bruce Campbell WILL be in attendance), you’ll net a sweet discount. Be sure to let us know if you plan on watching Fangasm, and read more about each contestant below!

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ANDREW DUVALL – 27 – Valdosta, GA (Hometown) and Los Angeles, CA
Andrew always dreamed of being the Captain of the Starship Enterprise, but instead he works for Enterprise Rent-A-Car. When he’s not in his Star Trek uniform watching Star Trek marathons he can be found playing Magic: The Gathering. Sometimes he’ll do both at once. Andrew is self-aware in the best possible way, and loves making people laugh.

DANI SNOW – 26 – Burbank, CA
Dani was raised on the original Star Wars movies and the works of Tolkien. Reading Harry Potter and watching Lord of the Rings did not make her popular, but after high school she blossomed socially, and gravitated towards fellow geeks. She’s played a pirate at a Renaissance Pleasure Faire, and tours the convention circuit with The Damsels of Dorkington, a comedy troupe. She now spends her days doing special effects makeup on short films, performing comedy whenever she can and using her Harry Potter knowledge at her job to help identify copyrighted material online for the franchise.

KRISTEN HACKETT – 23 – New York, NY
Kristin is a single and sexy comic book fangirl living in New York City. She loves that the city she lives in is also the dwelling place of her favorite superheroes, namely Spider-Man and Nightwing. Her three passions in life are blogging geek culture, comics and fashion. With All-American good looks she is often hit on by jocks and meatheads; however, she’s only attracted to super dorky and nerdy guys. Her passion for comics and graphic novels is evidenced by her massive collection and commitment to travel the country to attend every comic convention possible, which she covers for her websites. She admits she is a hoarder when it comes to collectibles, and she was even compelled to create a giant spreadsheet for her collection of 600+ graphic novels. The obsessions are only overshadowed by her closet full of custom cosplay outfits. A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, Kristin enjoys designing and creating her own costumes.

MIKE REED – 22 – Ybor City District of Tampa (Hometown) and New York, NY
Mike considers himself the ultimate comic book and superhero fan. He loves all DC comics and wants to live his life like Superman. He’s an active cosplayer and founded his own group called Team Avalanche, making amazing costumes and putting on shows across Florida. Even though he’s a nerd, he has quite the charm on the ladies. By night he will go to the club with a confident swagger, and by day he will sport spandex. Though he just received an amazing promotion at his job, he’s willing to quit for the opportunity to be an intern for Stan Lee’s Comikaze.

MOLLY McISAAC – 24 – Soldotna, AK (Hometown) and Seattle, WA
Molly is determined to show the world that not all fangirls are “the comic book guy.” A self-proclaimed fashionista and cosplay queen, she blasts away nerd stereotypes by being incredibly social and fond of the nightlife. Steadfast in her feminist beliefs, Molly is often labeled a “difficult woman” or “kind of crazy,” but it’s just because she’s incredibly confident and not afraid to be loud if she doesn’t agree with someone or something. This makes dating difficult – especially since she only likes successful, professional geeks! But her social views do not mean her geeky interests fall to the wayside: she’s particularly fond of anime, comic books, cosplay, video games, and LARPing. With incredibly sharp wit, an army of fanboys, and a secret belief that she’s more intelligent than most people, Molly is a powerful force to be reckoned with.

PAUL PERKINS – 22 – Sacramento, CA
Getting this internship would be a double win for Paul. In one fell swoop he’d have a job and move out of his parent’s house. It’s every true nerd’s dream! Paul is passionate about all things comic books, sci-fi and Yu-Gi-Oh tournaments. He is a huge film buff with a massive collection of over 2,000 movies. While Paul is opinionated and outspoken, when it comes to girls he crawls right back into his shell. He lacks confidence around women, which he says is part of the reason he hasn’t had a girlfriend in over four years – that and the fact he likes to dress up as a Marvel superhero.

SALVATORE FRINGO – 25 – Amsterdam, NY
Salvatore is not what you’d call a shy geek. He’s loud and vocal about what he loves, and what he loves are superheroes. While he’s a huge fan of the heroes of the Marvel Universe, he doesn’t discriminate against any characters because of their publisher. He may not be a gifted engineering genius like his comic book idol Tony Stark, but he does teach kids how to create their own superheroes, all while he dresses like Iron Man. He thinks of himself as a new breed of geek because he’s “attractive, funny, cocky…but with a sweet side.” He’s hoping that sweet side will be sweet enough to land him his real life Pepper Potts.

Geekscape 275: Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo’s Regina Carpinelli and Lisa Foiles!

by Jonathan

Super Geekscape friend Regina Carpinelli, founder of Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo, finally visits Geekscape to talk conventions and Magic the Gathering! Joining Reggie is Lisa Foiles, who many of you might remember from Nickelodeon’s ‘All That’, but who is also one of the best gamers we’ve ever had on the show! We talk the new Devil May Cry, JJ Abrams doing Star Wars and internet stalkers! Plus! Jon Schnepp calls in to talk about his new Kickstarter for ‘The Death of Superman Lives! What Happened?’ and we get his take on the Justice League movie!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:52 — 22.4MB)

Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo 2012 In Pictures!

by GeekscapeStaff

Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo took place this past weekend (September 15-16) in Los Angeles and you best believe that Geekscape was there! Our home for the weekend was booth #1148 and friends like Travis Langley (author of Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight), the ‘Batgirl Spoiled‘ cast and the Space Command team all stopped by for a visit. The following pictures are just a small taste of the fun we had this weekend, enjoy!

Stan Lee’s Comikaze Unleashes A Zombie Apocalypse!

by Jonathan

Stan Lee’s Comikaze is just a few weeks away and we just received word that zombie fans will have a lot more to look forward to at this year’s convention.

The con has just added a 75k sq ft Zombie Apocalypse obstacle course. You can say that SDCC did this back in July with the AMC sponsored Walking Dead obstacle course but here are the major differences:

One, this one’s inside. The Zombie Apocalypse is conveniently located in Hall K and takes about 35 minutes to complete. That sounds a bit more intensive than the Walking Dead one, which I heard had little kids on the course. Two, there probably won’t be kids on the course. As Comikaze head Regina Carpinelli stated in her email to me, “this Zombie course is something we took very serious… We partnered with a major theme park and a company that does crazy, endurance obstacles- American Gladiator stuff.” So it’ll probably be a little more American Ninja Warrior than the walk-through course we got at SDCC.

Because of the added intensity, the Comikaze Zombie Apocalypse costs an additional $30.00. But the course is not recommended for children 12 and under so again, there won’t be any danger of tripping over a kid that has no business being there.

As the Comikaze website states, “if surviving the Zombie Apocalypse is not something you’re interested in, fans can pay between $75.00 – $150.00 to be transformed into a flesh and brain eating zombie by SFX artists. Zombies are expected to terrorize, chase, and infect the survivors to their heart’s content. Stan Lee’s Comikaze embraces all zombie culture. There will also be appearances from Norman Reedus (Daryl from Walking Dead), and Tony Moore, the original Walking Dead comic artist.”

So there you have it, zombie fans. Start lumbering towards Los Angeles from where ever you’re buried and you might just make it in time for Comikaze’s opening on Sept. 15th at the LA Convention Center!

Rumor: LA’s “Comikaze Expo” To Become “Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo”?

by Jonathan

Last November, I was one of the many geeks here in Los Angeles who attended the brand new Comikaze Expo at the LA Convention Center. I was also one of the many who had a great time (the Geekscape booth actually did more business at Comikaze than we did at either WonderCon or SDCC that year). But the new convention wasn’t perfect, with an awkward floor-plan, some understaffing issues and a hall that wasn’t quite right for it’s size. Still, ask anyone, including Comikaze organizer Regina Carpinelli, and they’ll tell you that the event was a success.

But was it enough to ensure that Comikaze would survive to see another year? In today’s “You’re Either Comic-Con or Your Not” convention landscape, even the nationwide Wizard World conventions are unable to keep attendee’s interests. So what’s a Con to do to stand out from the pack?

You rebrand yourself by associating your name with a marquee talent that is instantly recognizable to your target audience. Comic book writer Mark Millar successfully launched Kapow! Comic Con two years ago in London, bringing to Europe some of what made Comic Con so great back in the day (all the Hollywood flash without ignoring the comics). Just this morning, readers woke up to GeekChicDaily buying themselves a new life as the Nerdist News Network, a branch of Chris Hardwick’s popular Nerdist brand. Why not? It’s a smart thing to do.

So why do I think Comikaze Expo is becoming Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo (or Excelsior Expo or Generalisimo-Con or something similarly Stan Lee)? Well, something has to be going on.

First, Comikaze canceled its upcoming spring one-day expo that was going to be held at LACC. Why? I’d like to know. I was looking forward to it. But maybe it’s because Regina Carpinelli is too busy globetrotting with Stan Lee to even return my phone calls or emails.

Here she is in Park City during Sundance:

And she’s also been seen with Stan Lee on enemy territory at last month’s Wizard World New Orleans. Actually, since last summer’s Pow! Entertainment, Comikaze Expo, Geekscape SDCC 2012 party, Regina and Stan seem to have become BFF.

Am I feeling like the jilted lover? Would I want Stan Lee to buy a piece of Geekscape? Probably not. I love Stan Lee, but at our first meeting, Stan was having a tough time getting what Geekscape was all about:

 

All I’m really saying is two things:

– Regina, call a guy back, will ya?

– Expect something big to be announced involving Stan Lee and Comikaze Expo. I can’t say what but I’m guessing a merger/acquisition of some kind.

UPDATE: As I was writing this piece, Comikaze has taken down their homepage. But look what I saw moments before they did! A screen grab of a news story that POW!, Regina and Stan probably don’t want you to see until later this week. That’s what you get for ignoring calls, Reg!

CONFIRMED!