Geekscape 539: Film Threat’s Chris Gore Talks Virtual Cons!

by JonathanApril 16, 2020

With the Corona Virus keeping us quarantined in our homes and Summer just around the corner, there’s no doubt that major geek events like the San Diego Comic Con are going to cancel or postpone until later in the year! That leaves the door open for 2020 becoming the year of the Virtual Comic Convention! Already, several virtual online comic book conventions have started to spring up to give fans their fix… but how do they hope to compare to the real thing? What do they mean to celebrities, exhibitors, fans and indie creators? Luckily, FilmThreat’s Chris Gore guests on a new Geekscape to share his insight on the future of virtual cons! How did last weekend’s virtual WonderCon go? Can SDCC move to later in the year? Can comic book shops, indie exhibitors and publishers survive until then? And how does this change the landscape for film, TV, comics and videogames going forward? It’s all in this episode so enjoy!

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SDCC 2019: ‘Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3’ Is Adding Cyclops And Colossus For Free In August

by Josh JacksonJuly 18, 2019

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 may be launching tomorrow with a whopping 36 characters in its base roster with three DLC packs on the way, but that doesn’t mean there were no other surprises waiting in the wings. At the Marvel Games panel at San Diego Comic Con, it was revealed that Colossus and Cyclops, two X-Men mainstays that were considered guarantees for the upcoming X-Men DLC pack, would be made available for free on August 30.

Free content aside, this news is especially exciting because this opens up the possibilities of what the X-Men pack will contain. If the four character roster that makes up the Marvel Knights pack is any indication, it’s safe to say that we can expect the same amount. Considering this series started as an X-Men franchise with Legends, it’s easy to see why this section of the Marvel universe is getting so much attention. But now with the no-brainer characters off of the table and other popular members like Wolverine, Storm and Magneto being part of the main roster, the question is who will make the cut? Iceman? Gambit? Rogue? Phoenix? Or a dark horse that we’re all overlooking?

Who would you like to see make the X-Men pack? How about the Fantastic Four set? I’ll give you a guess as to who will be in that one. Until then, keep an eye out for a full review of the game after its July 19 release. If you enjoy the game as much as we did at E3, then look forward to even more content, as extra costumes for every character will be released in the first quarter of 2020.

Mikaela’s Journey to SDCC 2019: Part II

by Mikaela MaxwellJuly 18, 2019

Wednesday morning was scheduled (for me) to be a sweet sweet day of sleeping in, and I guess if you compare me to everyone else in the room technically I did get to sleep in… until 6:15 AM!!?!

Grump-kaela was none too impressed about the early hour, but still happy to have a relaxed lounging morning, with time for hair and makeup and listening to the new Audible Original A Trick of Light created by Stan Lee.

I will be attending the A Trick of Light activation Thursday, and a round table press discussion on Saturday, so don’t worry you’ll be filled in on all the deets about that one in the near future! But I’ll tell you now from the wee bit I’ve listened to, it’s gonna be interesting A.F. !

Just as Matt, Derek, and I finally decided to leave the sweet sweet comfort of our cold hotel room, Jon and Gui showed back up! (Both were gone by the time I opened my eyes at the late hour of 6:15!) Gui discovered you could actually open our hotel room window way way up on the 28th floor, and figured he could probably catch a bird from there. However his fear of seagulls was quickly made apparent as one swooped by and he slammed the window shut. This seagull was relentless though. The bird literally perched directly on our window sill and stared us down. I wanted to open the window and feed it… everyone else wisely protested, and Gui guarded the window with his life. It was pretty entertaining though!

Shortly after Matt, Derek and I ventured out and I decided to put my brave pants on and face a newly discovered fear of breaking my face via electric scooter.

Last year Derek raved about getting to scoot around all over the place with his buddy Matt. Last night Derek tried to get me to ride one of them and I quickly realized I did not trust my coordination enough to not die, and opted instead to pathetically half jog beside him as he scooted to the grocery store.

With much support and encouragement I managed to hop on my first scooter ride! And it was equal parts terrifying and fun. Basically as soon as I got on I turned into a frozen terrified statue, but managed to not fall off, so… win 🤷‍♀️

We got to wander around and see a bunch of the activations in their final stages of set up, and I’m blown away by the amount of presence here. I’m not the best at references, but so many things that even I am aware of are here! From Seinfeld, The Good Place, Superstore, Brooklyn Nine Nine, South Park and on and on!

Around lunch time Derek and I parted ways with Matt to head over the the Amazon Prime Video Experience, featuring activations for The Expanse, The Boys, and Carnival Row. This was my first official SDCC activation experience, and I think it may have tricked me with its ease! We waited in line for about 15 minutes before it opened, and in the time we’re treated to big umbrellas for shade, and offered cold water bottles. In a very short amount of time we were allowed in and provided with a wicked experience.

Upon entering the site you are given special coins and mini churros! There is a giant, beautiful, reflective, colourful structure in the middle surrounded by AstroTurf, covered tables, a large screen with shaded couches which I’m assuming will be for when they show the premieres later this week. As well there are three separate and very different areas that allow you to enter and have an incredibly immersive experience based on each of the featured shows.

We started off by heading into the experience for The Expanse. After again waiting in line for what I assume is a very short amount of time in SDCC reality, sliding doors opened to let us into some sort of Space transportation. We were quickly informed that we‘re on a UN mission to figure out what this attack had been about (I’ve never seen the show, so I’m a little fuzzy on the details), before the doors open at the opposite end and we walk out into a space-tastic wasteland. Quickly our group was split up and we are guided by space people to interrogate/help (?) other space people who have been captured by other space people. It’s a real moral conundrum cause you don’t know whose in the right and suddenly a dispute explodes between different factions and you’re quickly whisked back out into reality. So. Freaking. Cool!

After that we headed over to The Boys activation area. Again we were quickly ushered… well yelled at to quickly get in here! Our group quickly filed into an electronics store that had its front window smashed in by a car, that was currently sat with smoke billowing out of the hood, half in/half out of the storefront. We were quickly informed that we were joining a group of people fighting against the destruction and pain caused in the wake of super heroes doing hero work. We quickly discovered that one of the group members worked at this store and is now missing, so we had to find clues to where he went and what had happened here. Our group had to rummage around this destroyed store and I managed to find two of the clues we were looking for! The whole scene ended with someone who had been planted in our group being murdered by one of the characters and us running out of the store.

I love immersive theatre, and this was so much fun! What a neat way to get people jazzed on a new show. Initially when hearing about this show I was intrigued simply because Seth Rogen is an executive producer (and I’m a big fan of that guy!), but now I’m extra invested and can’t wait for it to air!

After that we went and grabbed a branded and delish (and free!) Carl’s Jr. burger and watched a super neat performance based on The Boys play out on the central shiny structure. Check out our instagram for sneak peeks into these experiences!

After that we waited in an actual line that took actual time, like maybe 30-45min, which is still short by SDCC standards for the Carnival Row experience. After this sooo long of wait (teehee) we sadly were not let into the experience because the cards we were given showed that we were creatures and they didn’t have any more room for creatures, only humans. So I popped a squat and got comfy to wait another 15 minutes.

In the time we waited in line we actually got to see another performance on the central structure, this time a scene from the universe of Carnival Row where fairies were being hunted down by some sort of police and were sadly beaten down.

Once we did actually get let into the Carnivval Row we were immediately treated to some race/class discrimination. Because we had drawn ‘creature’ cards we were allowed in, but were treated poorly, being yelled at to hurry, to not take pictures of the characters, to stand in single file and not move etc., where as when the ‘humans’ were let in they were encouraged to take pictures, told to spread out and get comfy, generally treated respectfully etc.!

After a few moments we were guided into a market where fairies or creatures (I’m not totally sure) were selling their wares. One of them came up to Derek and I and asked if we wanted some love potion, and then proceeded to spray us with this ‘love potion’, so we just love each other now! Then the police people who had let us in game in and were getting mad about stuff so we were ushered into the next area, which was set up as a little cabaret type club room. It was super effing neat.

The cabaret room had a stage rotating through performers, with a fairy type person singing beautifully, and another doing a strip tease type thing, and then the singer again. At this point one of the characters came up and started talking to me, asking where I was from and telling me about where they’d come from and how this space was meant to be a safe space for every species etc.. literally during this conversation a character ran in terrified and asking to be hidden, followed quickly by the police people searching for her and trying to get her. During this we were quickly ushered through the next door and submerged back into muggy reality!

After finishing up at the Amazon Prime Video Experience Derek and I rushed over to the abandoned Horton Plaza to check out the FYE shop, and buy a couple more Stranger Things shirts (because I can’t stop won’t stop loving my fave show Stranger Things). And then popped over to grab a bite to eat and a couple cold beverages before the show floor opened for the evening.

Going into the preview night I knew my first stop would be the Mondo booth… what a didn’t know was that it would be my only stop!

I struggled to figure out exactly how to get into the convention centre, which I had kind of expected after hearing Derek’s stories every year about every employee giving a different answer to the same questions. However as it ended up I entered the centre around row 3000, and needed to rapidly get to the Mondo booth located in row 400. I speed walked as hard as I could without jogging, and still ended up arriving at a line that went all the way from the booth in row 400, and ended near row 900. And this booth only ‘ended’ because it had been capped and there was a courageous Mondo-man, in a bad ass pink jacket, fending people away from the end of the line.

Everyone was being instructed to go away and check back in an 30 minutes, then in an hour, then eventually told that there was no way the Mondo line up would be opening again this night. You’d think that would mean the end of the line and everyone walks away. Turns out that is not how this business works. Right off the bat I decided to hover around the end of the line, figuring that was easier than coming back in 30 Minutes with no clue what was happening. I noticed a few other people milling about so I approached a couple dudes to find out if they were also waiting for the Mondo line. Turned out they were, and we quickly became best line buddies! Well I guess technically we weren’t in the line, but you know what I mean! Turns out Stephen does this on the regular in order to grab those sweet SDCC exclusives, so I was reassured that I was taking the right approach. So were apparently a billion other people.

Flash forward a couple hours later to a hover-hoard of probably a hundred people, and a multitude of bewildered security guards trying (unsuccessfully) to get everyone to scatter away from the Mondo line instead of clogging the congested aisle. The line had dwindled to almost nothing and our glorious Pink Jacket Prophet gathered us around him to share the secret that we would in fact have a shot at getting into the Mondo line! Our hovering paid off when PJP was searching through the crowd for the hardcore hoverers and picked Stephen (and by extension me, due to our newly forged best bud status). So long story short by 8:30 I was standing in front of the Mondo booth, sharing my nervous excitement with the excited for me Mondo employee, as I tried desperately to make sure I didn’t forget which very important things I had just waited almost 3 hours for! I ended up being to get the limited edition (just 125) Batman poster that I had my heart set on, and I felt like I friggin earned it!

After Mondo I awkwardly waddled over to our booth, trying desperately to dodge the sea of people, and managed to get that sweet sweet poster tucked away in the safety of a poster tube! I also found a Derek there, and we took the opportunity to use the last few minutes of opening night to go grab some cricket bars, in celebration of the new Snowpiercer show! Also fun fact, somehow crickets are related to shellfish so if you are allergic to shellfish don’t be trying to get in on that! (Isn’t evolution freaking crazy!?)

When the show floor closed we scooped Matt and Jon and hurried, as fast as our sore tired feet could take us, over to Lolita’s for some tacos!

Everyone had basically collapsed by the time dinner was done and it was all we could do to drag our sorry asses outta there and back to the hotel room. The amount of tired and sore happening in my body definitely made the thought of scootering waaay less scary, and we managed to scoot about 2/3 of the way home!

Now it’s midnight, I’m exhausted, and I’m gonna stop talking. Thursday is gonna be my busiest day and I am tired just thinking about it… but I’m also so stoked about all the neat stuff I’m gonna see and do! Talk to you soon!

SDCC 2019: Horton Plaza Is All But Dead, But The FYE Pop Up Is Well Worth The Walk!

by Derek KraneveldtJuly 17, 2019

FYE is so freaking cool.

As a Canadian, the only real experience that I’ve ever really had with the brand is when visiting their pop-up shops at SDCC over the past few years. FYE does ship internationally, but doesn’t seem to have much of a presence in Canada itself — we also obviously have collectibles in the Great White North, but they’re typically relegated to toy stores or chunks of comic book and board game stores.

Over the past couple of years, FYE has hosted a couple of wonderful pop-up shops just steps from the convention, over at Horton Plaza. With Horton Plaza (and my favourite and probably only Panda Express location) all but shut down, I was absolutely worried that the FYE store simply wouldn’t exist this year.

Thankfully, I was wrong. The store actually opened up a few days before I even got here, and is open from 9:00-8:00 each day (aside from Sunday, when it will close forever at 6:00PM).

I always have a ton of fun perusing the store and falling in love with all of the custom cereal boxes, the expansive collection of (sometimes exclusive) Pop! figures, the custom candy, and more, and once Mikaela and I touched down in San Diego yesterday, the FYE Pop-Up was absolutely one of our first stops. Today I walked away with a super-cool Stranger Things 3 soundtrack on cassette, as well as a neat ‘Welcome To Hawkins’ t-shirt. I also definitely saw more things that I wanted, so it certainly won’t be long until I end up back at the store — some of that IT stuff was definitely speaking to me, and I absolutely love the emphasis on Garbage Pail Kids that the store has this year. Also, I somehow still do not have a box of Booty-O’s at home.

Take a look below at some photos of the cool offerings that I took at the store, and keep scrolling for some info on some of the signings and events that you’ll see at the shop this week!

How do I get these GIANT cereal boxes for my own house?

I’m not a big Spongebob guy, but this jacket was unreal.

This ‘Build Your Own Forky’ was perhaps my favourite product in the entire store.

The most important corner of the store, and yes that is a Camp Know Where shirt.

Including the cutest shirt in the whole joint.

Somehow Agretsuko has eluded me thus far.

Also, it was hard to get a good picture of, but this Sonic the Hedgehog skate deck made me want to start skateboarding again.

Naturally, SDCC hasn’t event started yet, and you could easily go broke just at the FYE Pop-Up. I’d probably head there sooner than later, however, as some of the shirts are getting pretty low on sizes, and from what I was told, what is there is what they have.

FYE also has some signings at the store over the next few days. Here’s what’s taking place at the store:

Tyler Bates signing – Friday 4PM
David Kirschner and Don Mancini – Child’s Play signing – Friday 6PM
Ron English – Cereal Killers – Saturday 5PM
Joe Simko – Garbage Pail Kids – Saturday 6PM

Again, you can catch FYE over at the Horton Plaza from now through Sunday!

Geekscape 515: The SDCC 2019 Preview With Matt Kelly!

by JonathanJuly 16, 2019

San Diego Comic Con 2019 is upon us once again! What is in store for all of us as we venture into “Nerd Spring Break”!?! Geekscape’s Matt Kelly joins us on the show to break down everything that’s happening at the Geekscape booth and what we’re looking forward to! Along the way we share our love for ‘Stranger Things’ Season 3, Matt dives into the gator horror film ‘Crawl’, I do my best to fix pro wrestling and we sing all the way to San Diego (well… kinda). This is a PACKED episode so enjoy! And see you at SDCC 2019!

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The Geekscape San Diego Comic Con 2018 Spectacular!

by JonathanJuly 26, 2018

This is it! The San Diego Comic Con 2018 Spectacular! But it comes with a heavy heart as we remember one of our own: our beloved Jon Schnepp, frequent Geekscape guest and dear friend. We start things off on a somber note with Jon’s good friend Maddox, who shared a booth with Jon as our neighbor at SDCC’s past. We reflect on Jon’s influence on us and share a few Jon memories. Following up are Geekscape booth signees Don Nguyen and Andy Nordvall, discussing their Ink-tober inspired book ‘Siren’s Song’! We catch up with Dweeb Darling Heidi Cox to discuss the return of ‘Stalking LeVar’ and how you can help! The Heart of Geekscape himself Derek Kraneveldt shares some of his SDCC experiences with us and we make friends with Keith and Jen from the animated Twitch show ‘Critically Awkward’! On top of all this, we meet pinball and rock and roll artist Dirty Donny and discuss the culture and history of pinball machines! All said, it’s a very packed episode for a very packed week… and it’s all dedicated to our late friend Jon Schnepp. His GoFundMe is linked in the notes to help with his medical expenses and services. Carry his memory with you, Geekscapists.

Jon Schnepp’s GoFundMe

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SDCC 2018: Derek’s Long-Winded SDCC Recap – Pre Convention And Preview Night

by Derek KraneveldtJuly 19, 2018

…And we’re back.

How has it been a year already since SDCC 2017? It’s absolutely flown by – and speaking of flying, I’m currently sitting at gate E90 at the Vancouver International Airport awaiting my slightly delayed 6AM flight to Los Angeles.

I’m super excited.

Last year I had only been at my current vocation for half a year or so, and as such I hadn’t actually earned enough vacation time to take as long a trip to California as I typically do. If you read last year’s recaps (check them out here if you haven’t and if you want to read a lot of words) you may remember that I arrived at the San Diego airport just before midnight on the Tuesday night, and had to leave the convention on the Sunday morning, long before it was over. Everything happened at what felt like the speed of light, and before I knew it I was taking a Lyft back to the airport.

I had a great time last year, but I’m super happy to be getting a couple of convention-less days with some of my Geekscape family this time around.

Last year I wrote a lot. Before finally turning in each night I published a huge recap of everything that I did, saw, ate, drank, thought, and avoided every day of my visit. I wasn’t sure if I’d do something similar this year, as those pieces were a lot of work, and I didn’t know how interesting they actually were.

In retrospect, I think that people were actually into them. I received a bunch of feedback from friends, family, and people I didn’t know telling me just how much they enjoyed reading each piece, and the interesting perspective that the journals gave to a non-attendee (or even the different perspective that they gave to a standard attendee). I’ve actually had more people come up and talk to me about these pieces than any interview, video, or review that I’ve posted over my near seven years with Geekscape.

A few days ago, in preparation for this trip and to help to try to figure out just what the hell I wanted to put together this year, I read through all of last year’s journals. I really enjoyed reading back on last year’s experiences (and imagine I will be especially grateful that I wrote them when I try to look back even a few years from now), and reading back on the convention made me realize a few important things:

A). Grammar disappears and writing becomes nonsensical when you’re trying to finish a piece at 1AM.
B). Even just a year later, an event like SDCC is such a sensory overload that you pretty much forget everything. I’m super happy that I wrote out my experience – in reading back I had more than a few “oh, right” moments that made me smile and reminisce. I appreciated seeing everything put together in a sort of timeline, rather than just a mass jumble of photos.
C). Remembering the way that I felt last year, I feel like I’m mentally in a better place today than I was then. That’s not to say that I’m in a great (or even good) place today, but I feel at least slightly better than I did then. Phew.
D). I am stagnant. I mean, I was stagnant this time last year, but at this point if I were water, I think I’d be water that has been standing so long that it basically kills you if you go near it. Last year, I wrote of goals and ways that I thought I could better myself, or things that I’d wanted to try based on my experience in San Diego, and… I’ve done none of it. I didn’t start meditating, I didn’t lose weight, I didn’t get a cool new job. Nothing. Reading back made me feel full of shit and, and it really opened my eyes (they really should have been open already) – I need to stop talking about being better, and simply start being better.

In saying that, I want to set a public goal (making it public will make it happen, that’s how this works, right?). I’m going to lose 70 pounds by next SDCC.

But first I’m going to land in California, eat In N’ Out, Panda Express, alternate varieties of Doritos Locos Tacos (we only have the standard in Canada), and simply burn the candle at both ends for ten days or so (a candle burned at both ends burns twice as bright, right?).

Matt and I have been waiting for Panda Express for some time now.

So, here we go again. Based on feedback, reflection, and… a lack of creativity (?), just like last year I’ll be posting a daily recap/journal of my experience at San Diego Comic-Con. The piece you’re reading now will be a recap of my time in California before heading to San Diego, but after this you can expect a daily write up full of convention goodness. I’m hoping to keep the pieces a little shorter and a lot more concise than they were last year, but based on the current word count of this very first recap, I’m not promising anything.

I really don’t get the hot towel benefit that first class gets on flights. It’s not even 7AM and it’s like 25 degrees (Celcius) outside. It’s warm in this cabin, so please put a hot towel on my face that’ll definitely help. I have no idea why this happens. But then again I’ve never been a first-class citizen, so maybe I just don’t have the brain capacity to understand.

Continuing the trend (second year in a row now) of heading down to California with some sort of ailment, I was an absolute idiot and didn’t apply an appropriate amount of sunscreen (or remember to re-apply it) when two days ago I spent several hours in the sun watching the Vans Park Series (skateboarding competition) preliminaries at Hastings Skatepark in Vancouver (man, do I want to start skating again each time I see events like this). My forehead is red (and hurts), my knees hurt (and hurt really badly when I towelled them off this morning), and my arms are pretty red as well. That said, I would take this any day (or every day) over last year’s infected tooth debacle. I’m getting chills just thinking about that one. I even felt a tiny bit of pain in my mouth as I woke up this morning, which reminds me that I’m due for another cleaning and checkup when I get back to Vancouver.

Flight wise, I lucked out (aside from that slight delay) and had nobody beside me on my YVR to LAX journey. Security was painless to get through (you pretty much just tell the TSA agent that you’re going to a comic book convention, they look at you in disgust (fuckin’ nerd), and let you through without another question. Instead of napping, I used my time in the air to start writing this recap, read a few comics (x, x, and x) , watched a little Netflix (x), and before I knew it the plane was landing. After stuffing my carry-on to the verge of explosion last year (even after leaving a few unneeded items with others in San Diego), I decided it best to check a larger bag this year, so I waited around for that before reuniting with Jonathan.

What was the first thing we did? Chiller Club reunion, obviously.

Following Chiller Club, we dropped our things off at Jonathan’s, caught up a bit, and drove to a nearby AC-equipped bougie as shit Starbucks to drink more coffee and get a little bit of work done.

Then it was ‘wrasslin time. WWE’s Extreme Rules PPV started at 4PM, so Matt Kelly found his way back to Jonathan’s place and we sat in the heat for hours to watch the whole thing. Old friend Zack Haddad joined, and aside from a few shitty, why-did-this-happen matches, and the whole thing not being that extreme aside from its title, the PPV overall was an enjoyable one (also I hope Kevin Owens is okay). Also, I think that time moves more slowly in heat like this as, while it wasn’t that long, Extreme Rules felt like it took absolutely forever.

Before turning in for the night, it was time for some food. At this point in my journey, I hadn’t had any In-N-Out yet, so we drove to a nearby location and quickly realized that it just wasn’t going to happen. The drive-thru line was nearly a block long, and the small parking lot was completely full.

Instead, we ended up at some “world famous” place that I’d never heard of until this trip: Tommy’s World Famous Hamburgers. It was a burger place (naturally) that has a love for chilli, which it puts on almost everything, I had a burger with chilli on it (for the first time ever) and some chilli cheese fries (also for the first time ever), and it was fucking delicious. Why have I never thought to put chilli on shit before? Seriously.

That was it for the night! We turned in pretty quickly so we could get an early start on Monday morning.

Monday

I don’t know if its the sunburn or what, but while the temperature in Los Angeles right now is similar to that of Vancouver, it feels fucking hot, and as such the cold shower that I had this morning felt like it might just be the best part of this entire trip (not really).

Matt and I went for breakfast at Cafe 101, which is apparently super famous and has been in a ton of movies. The locale definitely looked familiar, but I couldn’t figure out just where I’d seen it before. The conversation was good, the bacon was super tasty, and the coffee woke me the hell up. Thank goodness.

A ton of exclusives news has been dropping this morning. I always get really excited for what Mondo has to show off at their booth because each and every piece that they do is incredibly beautiful, and being able to pick pieces up at the convention saves me a ton of money on shipping and duty. Prior to my flight to Los Angeles, the only revealed piece that I was really hankering for was the Daniel Danger piece for The Shape Of Water. I loved the film, and have the convention exclusive Daniel Danger Crimson Peak piece from a couple of years back, and I think they would look gorgeous beside each other.

Today, the company revealed some incredible art for Drive, Jurassic Park, and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. I’m going to lose any self control I thought that I had…

Yep. I’m screwed.

After breakfast we went back to Jon’s for a bit before Matt took off to meet up with some old friends. I had some emails to respond to, and Jon was still working on the Geekscape / Dweeb Darlings press release to announce our upcoming SDCC ConQuest Scavenger hunt. We did some running around (I even met a new canine friend at Lodger) before finally sending out the release (after learning that our standard Geekscape email accounts could not be used to send mass emails, of course).

Things were pretty relaxed here for the rest of the day. We went to a giant theatre to see the BIGGEST BLOCKBUSTER OF THE SUMMER, Dwayne Johnson’s Skyscraper. The first thing that I noticed is that the actual auditorium for this screening was tiny compared to what I’m used to in Vancouver – maybe 60 or so seats. Also, Movie Pass is fucking insane, and people who complain about it are just freaking wrong. Give me that shit at whatever price you want and I will pay it happily.

The movie itself was fucking awesome. It was dumb as hell, with some fantastic action, some terrible villains, tons of quotable one-liners, and an amputee The Rock who is somehow still more bad-ass than anyone with all of their limbs. It was a fabulous time, and I’m super glad that we’d decided to see something like that instead of something more serious. It was really a perfect way to kick-off what’s about to be an insane and exhausting week.

Following the movie, we walked over to a nearby In-N-Out burger so that I could finally fill myself with that sweet, fattening, never-frozen never-microwaved burger goodness. Before we ordered, Matt said “Ah man, you better go first. I don’t know what I want,” and I replied by noting “What the hell are you talking about, they have like three options!?” Matt went first, and it wasn’t that hard.

We returned to Jonathan’s, and spent the rest of the night recording a pre-SDCC episode of Geekscape that largely turned into a roast of Matt Kelly and a chat about just how awesome Skyscraper was. You can listen to the episode below, but be warned that there are some spoilers on the ROCK-solid plot of the film.

Following the recording, we crashed hard and turned in just before midnight…

Tuesday

Matt and I left Jon’s apartment at 8am as Matt had to return his rental car before we hopped on an AMTRAK to San Diego. The drop-off was right at the station, which was nice (although it ended up being confusing as hell and we had to drive around the station several times before we found an employee that could actually give us directions to a completely un-signed area underground where the car could actually be returned), and Matt handed his keys to some dude without a uniform who just said “Yo you can give those keys to me.” I was pretty sure that this guy just stole the car, but Matt received a “Thank you for returning your rental” email a half-hour or so later.

We grabbed a quick Starbucks coffee and breakfast sandwich (thank Xenu for cheap food) before jumping on the train. Matt immediately started talking up everyone around us, and I was again envious of his crazy ability to find common ground with everyone. Within three minutes of sitting down he was telling people about the SDCC booth, the Geekscape Podcast Network, and had a business card from some local stand up comedian.

The ride itself was pretty chill and was my first time on a several-hour train ride that wasn’t bursting-at-the-seams crowded (which was just taking me to work, as well). It featured seats, wifi (which actually works pretty well, unlike the wifi on BC Ferries), air conditioning, and a table that I could put my iPad on so I could keep working. 10/10 would train again.

It wasn’t the prettiest view, but it was still a cool time.

From the San Diego station, we walked over to our hotel at the Hilton Bayfront (right beside the convention centre, aw yiss), checked in (where Matt Kelly got some weird story from a girl named Kelli that used to be Kelly), turned the air conditioning to the lowest that it could possibly go to, and then went to meet Jonathan and Heidi at ROCKIN’ FUCKING BAHA.

I had mango salsa, it was phenomenal. I also ordered a beer and didn’t realize that it would be massive (25oz), and instead of eating the tacos that I normally get a spent like $4 more and had a weird bucket that included lobster, steak, shrimp, chicken, and corn on the cob. Fucking delicious.

I can’t wait for more mango salsa.

We all made our way back to the hotel, and Jonathan quickly passed out for a super loud nap. By this time, Courtney had arrived at the airport, dropped her stuff off at her home for the week, and was waiting in the lobby of the Hilton Bayfront. I went down to the lobby instead of subjecting her to Jonathan’s snoring, and we caught up for a bit before deciding to grab a drink.

Courtney had a Maple Old Fashioned, and I grabbed some sort of Amber Ale that I can’t remember the name of (the waitress even upgraded me to a larger size for free because she couldn’t remember what I ordered). Of course, the very second that Courtney’s tiny drink and my Dwayne-Johnson-in-SKYSCRAPER sized beer arrived, Jonathan texted me to let me know that it was time to set up the booth.

We went into the Convention Centre (it’s pretty freaking cool getting early access to the show floor in order to see everything being built) and put the booth together before shooting a small El Chucho short to kick off the Seed and Spark Crowdfunding Campaign for the Stalking LeVar short film that is about to launch.

Following the booth build, we took things pretty easy for the rest of the night. Jonathan, Heidi, Courtney, Gui, Matt, and I went to Lolita’s Mexican Restaurant near PetCo Park for some food (I was still pretty full, so I just had a couple of small Taquitos and a bunch of water), and following that Matt, Courtney and I decided to go to a grocery store to grab some hotel room supplies before turning in for the night. I grabbed a case of 24 bottles of water (for like $2, instead of the $3.50 the hotel wanted for a single one), some coconut water for when I wake up each morning (to keep me hydrated, obviously), and a few granola bars to throw in my bag so that I eat those instead of spending like $40US on a pretzel.

The day felt so relaxed. The Gaslamp district was empty, we didn’t have to wait for what felt like hours to get food, and nearly all of the incredible-looking offsite events were still being built. Wednesday brings preview night, and press previews for a bunch of events that I’m beyond excited for (like LAIKA Live, which remains one of my most anticipated events of the entire week).

Wednesday

After fighting to fall asleep for what felt like hours (until I finally hopped out of bed to grab some earplugs), I eventually passed out and slept in until about 8am. When I woke up everyone else had already left the room aside from Matt, who had already showered and was watching this week’s RAW beside me.

I showered, had a quick chat with Mikaela, and Matt and I made our way to breakfast. We both had some eggs, bacon, and pancakes before walking over to the FYE Pop-Up at the Horton Plaza (look for photos from the shop right here). I found a rad GLOW shirt that I had every intention of buying, but there was only an L (which was too short) and an XXL (which was far too wide). I asked an employee if they had more in the back, and the guy said that everything they had was on the shelf. I said “So it’s only Wednesday and you have like four Glow shirts left?” and the guy kind of just shrugged and walked away. This was definitely a little disappointing, but the place was filled with cool stuff, and was packed with people to the point where it was hard to take photos of some of the offerings.

Side note – sorry about the IMGUR banners from here on out. Geekscape is having major issues uploading images at this time.

Before heading back to the hotel, we decided to walk a few more blocks to the Castle Rock installation that was still being set up at the Children’s Museum park. The area was pretty fenced off and was still mostly being built, but what we saw at this point was freaking awesome – they build a fucking house first of all, there was a car in the fountain, a creepy figure (Georgie?) and a memorial to Georgie (that was too fenced off to get a good photo of at this point). Amazing. We also saw a Stranger Things train station, but we couldn’t get too close at this point as a local news station had taken over the area.

Somehow I convinced Matt to get on one of these rental motorized scooters that are everywhere in San Diego at this point. I don’t think that these existed at last year’s convention, but it was pretty hard to walk 30 feet without seeing one. We used Lime, and it was so convenient and inexpensive. The scooters are $1 to unlock, and then $.15 per minute after that. You push off to start, and then the handlebars show have a ‘Go’ and ‘Stop’ switch to accelerate or brake. The scooters travel way faster than I expected them to, and they were a fun and fast way to get back to our hotel. I even managed a selfie while riding, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen Matt look so excited in my life.

After arriving back at the hotel, I wrote up my FYE piece before meeting up with Courtney. We chatted for awhile before heading back to the convention centre to pick up my badge (which took a total of like four seconds somehow), and then decided that it was time for lunch at… Rockin’ Baha of course! At this point, I wondered just how many times we would hit up the same restaurant before the week was over.

Next up was the first official event of the week, FutureTechLive! This event is open through Sunday, and is located on the second floor of the Omni Hotel. Here, there were a bunch of VR experiences to try, a neat Overwatch photo op (I definitely lost my balance on this one, as the platform we stood on spun around) that netted you an exclusive Overwatch pin once you completed it, and some Bitcoin and other coin vendors. We played a game called Star Wars Jedi Challenge which was a stand-alone headset, lightsaber, and tracking ball thing, where you fight different Star Wars villains with your lightsaber. It was kind of fun, but felt pretty janky, and the field of view on the headset (which was powered by your phone) was quite poor – you would turn your head naturally in order to see where Darth Maul (or whatever villain you were fighting) was, and all of a sudden everything would go blank. It’s also $200 which feels like a lot for what it is. It felt a little bit like Wii launch title Red Steel, but that game is like ten years old and the Wii did way more for your money. We also played a pretty cool four-player cooperative title that was demonstrating a technology called HoloGate. The game we played was a simple first-person shooter that has the four players shooting easy drones and robots, followed by some larger robots and dragons and stuff. The round lasted about five minutes, and while it was simple I probably had a smile on my face the whole time. The setup was pretty neat, and it was really cool having a system to hold the VR wiring (and to keep it safe) while you moved around in the virtual space. We checked out a couple of other things before it was time for me to head to the Hilton Gaslamp for a preview of the DC Universe offsite event.

There is a lot of incredible stuff at San Diego Comic-Con. The offsite events get more and more elaborate every year, and up to today the coolest activation ever remained the Godzilla Encounter from 2013 (read my coverage of that event right here). It’s freaking Preview Night 2018, and tonight I attended not one, but two events that may have surpassed it.

The first was the aforementioned DC Universe offsite. It’s here to represent the aptly titled DC Universe app and subscription service, which should launch in beta in the next few weeks, and in full this Fall. The service is kind of like Marvel’s long running Marvel Unlimited service for digital comics, except that DC Universe includes not only comics, but DC films, television series, animated features, and even some original content like the upcoming live-action Titans series (the costumes from which were on display at the exhibit) and way way more. DC Legend Jim Lee said that the event itself was meant to act as a sort of physical representation of the DC Universe app, and the location was filled with concept art, real props from the Batman movies (like a giant rubber duck, Mr. Freeze’ freeze ray, and the freakin Batmissile), stations where you could try the app out, food, and way more. Inside the building you could find things like “Harley Quinn’s Chaos Room”, in which you suited up in protective gear, donned a baseball bat, and smashed things for 45 seconds, and there was even a small Swamp Thing activation in which an actor took you through the “swamp” while things jumped out at you. You’ll tap into each experience using an RFID bracelet, and a link will be texted to you so you can see photos, videos, and more of you in each piece of the experience. Pretty cool, and pretty seamless.

The DC Universe offsite is open through Sunday, and is an amazing time. You can look for my full write-up on the event on the site sometime tomorrow, but for now you’ll have to settle for just a few photos that are posted above.

The last stop of the evening was an invitational preview to the LAIKA Live offsite that I first wrote about a few days ago. This event was literally heaven. Life-sized versions of Coraline, the Other Mother, Kubo, Sparky, and Norman wandered around the event taking photos with patrons as they chatted and consumed the wonderful food and drink provided. The food really amazed the hell out of me, as it was all themed after different LAIKA properties, and the cupcakes were even decorated with artwork of the distinct hair of numerous LAIKA characters. This, by the way, was only the entrance of the experience. Once inside, you could stare in absolute amazement at actual sets from Coraline and The Boxtrolls, sit in a life-sized version of the Other Mother’s living room, chat with actual LAIKA animators (where I learned that the now rarely used art of stop motion is still evolving, and in the upcoming LAIKA feature Missing Link, they’ve actually added the ability for the puppets to breathe. The whole thing sounds incredible.

Teri Hatcher, the Other Mother herself even showed up in order to help kick off the event and to help celebrate Coraline‘s tenth anniversary. She even saw a little girl out on the street selling giant suckers for a charity called Child Hunger Sucks, brought the girl inside, and let her tell everyone about what the organization does. Pretty freaking amazing. LAIKA Live is in the old Dick’s Last Resort locale, and is also open through Sunday at 6PM. The offsite even has a ton of amazing merchandise for sale (I need more money), and will even have the store open separately so that you don’t have to wait in line for hours and hours if you just want to buy things. That said, LAIKA Live is worth waiting hours and hours for.

Just like with DC Universe, you can look for more from LAIKA Live right here on Geekscape tomorrow!

Now, however, it’s midnight and I need to crash! Tomorrow kicks off with the Mattel / WWE Panel to mark the first full day of SDCC 2018!

Thanks for reading!

SDCC 2018: Go Broke At The Horton Plaza FYE Pop-Up Shop!

by Derek KraneveldtJuly 18, 2018

Last year I had an incredible time at Horton Plaza during San Diego Comic-Con.

First up, I had my first taste of Panda Express there. The orange chicken made my life complete, and I can’t wait to head back for another round this year.

FYE had not one, but TWO pop-up shops last year. One had a variety of FYE offerings, including soundtracks, shirts, exclusive Funko Pop figures, and so much more, while the other was a WWE exclusive store, featuring toys, title belts, cereal, Money In The Bank briefcases, and pretty much every WWE product under the sun.

FYE has returned to Horton Plaza for another pop-up shop this year. This one isn’t WWE specific (though it still has WWE items), but the convention hasn’t even started yet and I’m already about to go broke by shopping at this store.

Seriously, this place is amazing.

It’s also packed. Matt and I visited after breakfast this morning at 11am or so, and the store had a massive line. The Freddy Krueger Funko Pop cereal was flying off the shelves, and apparently they only had four Glow shirts left because the guy working there couldn’t find my size (though I don’t think he really looked, either).

The pop-up even has some artist signings during SDCC:

Thursday, July 19:
Jason Freeny: 6pm – 7pm
Ron English: 7pm – 8pm

Friday, July 20:
Allison Cimino (Rock Love Jewelry): All Day
Jason Freeny: 6pm – 7pm
LIGHTS: 8pm – TBD

Dave Porter From Breaking Bad: 12:00 – 1:00pm

Saturday, July 21:
Andrew Bell: 5pm – 6pm
Jason Freeny: 6pm – 7pm

Sunday, July 22:
Jason Freeny: 6pm – 7pm

Take a look at some of what’s up for sale via my photos below, and be sure to let us know if you plan to attend! The pop-up is open until 9PM on July 22nd!

Man, that Glow shirt (and maybe lipstick for Mikaela), and those Transformers / Ready Player One records really spoke to me.

PS – Sorry for the Imgur links. Geekscape is having major issues uploading images currently!

SDCC 2018! Compete in the First Annual ConQuest Scavenger Hunt!

by JonathanJuly 16, 2018

Exciting news, Geekscapists! To celebrate our 10th Year exhibiting at San Diego Comic Con and our upcoming Stalking LeVar short film campaign, we’ve teamed up with Dweeb Darlings (our partners on the film too) to give you an SDCC experience you won’t forget!

It’s called ConQuest and it’s an SDCC-wide Scavenger Hunt! The RULES are easy!

Look over the below list of Missions!
The Scavenger Hunt runs from Wednesday of SDCC until Sunday at noon!
Use the hashtag #BecomeAFriend on your Instagram to post each Mission for points!
At Noon on Sunday, we’ll count up all the points and declare winners!

Prizes include toys and treats from sponsors like Wowwee Toys, Funimation! and more!

Make a team! Make some friends! But only use ONE INSTAGRAM account per entry! You wouldn’t want to divide up your points, would you?

Now here are the ConQuest Missions! So get ready!

SDCC 2017: Basking In The Soft, Fluffy Company Of Beefy And Co.

by Natalie KipperAugust 6, 2017

Surrounded by plushes of his own design, Menh Voong of Beefy and Co. was living the dream (well, mine at least) at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. The tables at the fore-front of his booth were lined with stuffed critters while apparel bearing his art hung against the back.

The exclusive item for SDCC was Shiny Charipoo, a reimagining of Pokémon‘s Shiny Charizard, limited to 100 pieces. The plush is part of Menh’s Pokepoos line, which includes Charipoo, a traditional Charizard, and Pikapoo, a Pikachu.

One of the more unique features in Beefy and Co. plushes is that they all have extra features, like posable or light-up parts. Take Dragonpoo, for example. Not only are his little purple whiskers bendable but you can pose his serpentine body any way you wish, thanks to a inner skeleton (he is still super-huggable, though).

And a great example of light-up accents can be found in the eyes of the newly-released Catbuspoo (based on My Neighbor Totoro‘s Catbus). Not only do its eyes light up but its head swivels. Catbuspoo is part of the Pop Plush line, joined by Totopoo and Bmaxpoo (think Baymax of Big Hero 6).

Beyond items for purchase, prototypes of future plushes were also on display. One I am particularly excited about is NoNopoo, based on Nohface from Spirited Away. His tongue can be stuffed in his stomach, if you desire, and his expression can be altered by switching around his mouth.

Phoebepoo here is based on a phoenix. It is also a prototype. The photo doesn’t do its bold colors justice.

There were are also two plushes based on Sesame Street‘s Elmo and Cookie Monster (this one can be seen in the header image).

The final prototype was Bulbapoo, based on – you guessed it – Bulbasaur. Not only does the bulb on its back open, which by itself is impressive, but it also has posable vines hidden inside! I can’t get over how ingenious this plush is.

You can find more Beefy and Co. goodness at the official website. And many amazing plushes (some of which from past cons!) can be purchased at the online store.

SDCC 2017: Martin Hsu’s Booth Overflows With Cuteness

by Natalie KipperAugust 3, 2017

Martin Hsu‘s booth at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con was a veritable wonderland of one of a kind paintings, drawings, and custom figures. His works exude a sort of warmth that just make you feel all light and happy inside.

A corner of the booth was dedicated to Martin’s Kindreds figures, the ones on the above picture’s left were customized by other artists: Jeremiah Ketner, Mark Nagata, Emma SanCartier, nimasprout, and Kozyndan. Kozyndan’s entry, the figure encased in the golden globe, had glow-in-the-dark accents! The smaller Kindreds were part of a 10-piece series called “Poppies,” with each figure in the set was hand-painted by Martin. As you can see by the pink “sold” tags, all of these figures were big hits.

Perhaps the biggest news coming from Martin’s booth was the debut of his upcoming figure, Dragon Boy Super. Attendees couldn’t purchase him at the show but you can pre-order the little guy here. He will be part of a 2-piece set with his beloved Dragon Dog, Blacky, whose figure was sadly not available for viewing at this time. I loved how distinct Dragon Boy’s features were. Dragon Boy is one of Martin’s original characters, often portrayed in paintings and sketches, and I am happy to see him in a three-dimensional medium (this will be the second figure of the character made).

I have always loved Martin’s art and his style shines through in these watercolor paintings celebrating powerful women. There were some in the “Little San” set, depicting the heroine of Princess Mononoke in a more child-like, whimsical reimagining. To match San’s were those of a younger Wonder Woman in “Little Diana.”

Mermaids are a theme that Martin had touched upon before but I was glad he chose to revisit it for his “Fairy Tails” set, which mermaid-ifies beloved Disney princesses, like Rapunzel, Merida, and even Elena of Avalor.

I bet you didn’t know that Martin had a pop-up art show in Hawai’i earlier this year. These pins match the some of the art that was created for that event.

My personal favorite art piece from the booth was the one seen above, in which Dragon Boy’s faithful companion, Blacky the Dragon Dog, takes on the role of Snoopy. The playful concept just brought a big smile to my face. I am also a huge Blacky fan (I purchased the pin also seen in the photo) and a proud owner of his plush.

You can find updates from Martin on his blog. More of his goods along with the pre-order for Dragon Boy Super can be found here.

SDCC 2017: Updates Abound At the World Of Capcom Panel

by Natalie KipperJuly 29, 2017

At San Diego Comic-Con’s World of Capcom panel, con attendees were regaled with news from the gaming realms of Monster Hunter, Marvel Vs. Capcom, Street Fighter, Mega Man, and Resident Evil. The panel was basically a “here’s what’s next” showcase and there was a lot of applause when each new title was brought up.

The first on the docket was Monster Hunter: World, launching globally in early 2018. This portion started off with a trailer for the game after which one of the panelists, Tristan Corbett, briefly explained what makes this title stand out. Of course, there will be brand-new monsters to hunt along with old favorites. The game’s ecosystem, with its vegetation and where monsters graze or hunt, is now crucial to survival and hunting strategy. The different environments will affect how the player chooses to hunt. This new title will also feature global online servers as well as drop-in online multiplayer. For more information on Monster Hunter: World, attendees were encouraged to stick around for its dedicated panel coming up after the World of Capcom one (you can read all about it here).

Next up was Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. They opened this section by revealing several new additions to the game’s roster. Joining the already diverse group of fighters are Spiderman, Haggar (Final Fight), Frank West (Dead Rising), Nemesis (Resident Evil), Gamora, and Thanos. They noted that pre-ordering the game will net you exclusive costumes.

The story revolves around the Infinity Stones from the Marvel universe. The developers felt that it was a good time to return to that plot line because, thanks to current films like Guardians of the Galaxy, more people were aware of their existence. The two villains of the series, Marvel’s Ultron and Capcom’s Sigma, have merged to create the title’s big bad guy, Ultron- Sigma.

Ultron and Sigma aren’t the only things that have combined. Fighting stages are now mash-ups from Marvel and Capcom worlds. One example given was the Xgard stage (seen above), a mix of Thor‘s Asgard and Mega Man‘s Abel City.

Companion comics will also be released, with variant covers. The pairs featured in the comics share personality or background traits. For example, Ryu and Hulk both have anger management issues.

After that, the panel moved on to reveal some updates coming to the already-released Street Fighter V. They unveiled a surprise fighter joining the game, Abigail from Final Fight (yes, that burly dude in the screenshot above is named “Abigail”). This hulking colossus is the largest character in the game to date.

New stages were also announced. The first one shown, the Metro City Bay Area, pairs with Abigail and like the character, originated from Final Fight. The other stage was an oldie-but-goodie, Suzaku Castle.

The panel also announced the release of Mega Man Legacy Collection 2, which will contain games 7 through 10. The collection will include extras, like challenges and online leaderboards. It will launch on August 8 for the Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

For those who don’t remember much about these titles, the panel gave a brief refresher. Mega Man 7 is 16-bit. Mega Man 8 was the first 32-bit game in the series as well as the first to have voice acting (extremely awkward voice-acting but I digress). Mega Man 10 returns to its 8-bit roots and introduces the character, Bass. Protoman will be playable in both 9 and 10. Mega Man 10 will also feature stages themed to the Killers (Enker, Punk, and Ballad).

The final game discussed was Resident Evil: Revelations. I say “discussed” rather than “shown” because there wasn’t footage of the game. Instead, attendees were treated to a message from the game’s director, Kōshi Nakanishi (seen above).

We were also given a brief synopsis of the game along with a description of some gameplay features. The game takes place between Resident Evil 4 and 5 with players assuming the role of Jill Valentine, who is searching for Chris Redfield. He was taken captive inside an abandoned cruise ship, the Queen Zenobia, by a bioterrorist organization. There will be a traditional story mode as well as a Raid Mode, which features co-op gameplay.

The panel wrapped up with a trivia contest. And there was much rejoicing.

SDCC 2017: ‘I Am Setsuna’ Is Alive And Well With ‘Lost Sphere’

by Josh JacksonJuly 28, 2017

I Am Setsuna promised to scratch the itch of the classic JRPG fan who longed for the days of turn based battles, Active Time Battle meters, (known more commonly as ATB), and a more methodical game play style. After delivering on a multitude of platforms, Tokyo RPG Factory is back at it with Lost Sphere, a spiritual successor that continues the style introduced by Setsuna. With a new world and new cast, much of the early moments of the game manage to hold onto some familiarity with the first game while showing off a few new tricks in the Comic Con demo on display at Square Enix’s booth.

Using an identical graphic style to Setsuna, Lost Sphere recreates the classic feel of a 32-bit era RPG while using chibi style 3D models for the characters to match the dimensions of the world around them. Much like Chrono Trigger, enemies are spotted on the field, and any enemies around them will join the battle once its time to draw swords. From there, you’ll manage your party by deciding to attack, use special abilities, rely on items to get you out of a pinch, or defend to help reduce unavoidable damage. Positioning plays an important role, since most attacks have a certain radius that can lead to dealing damage to more than just your target, but this is where the biggest change in Lost Sphere surfaced.

With some of the abilities offered, they allowed the characters to line up their attacks to get the most out of them. For example, a shot from one of our allies could potentially pierce through their enemy, draining the HP of any foe unfortunate enough to be lined up directly behind them. While Setsuna did have attacks like these, Lost Sphere made it more noticeable, which in turn made it easier to plan out how we wanted to do the damage. As an extra layer of strategy, it helps the game feel like you’re doing more than just picking options in a menu. That kind of engagement is what separated the great RPGs from the rest back in the day, and it’s no different now.

After exploring this sample of the game, I’m looking forward to seeing what other ways Lost Sphere separates itself from I Am Setsuna. With this classic style of engagement taking a backseat in recent years for more flashy, real time combat, it’ll be interesting to see how far we can ride the nostalgia wave. If the developer’s previous efforts are any indication, then I can’t wait to play more of the game when its released in 2018. With PS4, PC and Switch support, we’ll be able to keep on adventuring whether we’re at home or on the go!

SDCC 2017: LAIKA Works Its Movie Magic In San Diego

by Natalie KipperJuly 27, 2017

LAIKA, the cinema wizards behind film favorites Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, and Kubo and the Two Strings, set up a gallery in San Diego’s Gaslamp District for this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. I had the pleasure of touring the facility this morning and the experience was downright enchanting.

Even before I entered the door, I was welcomed by Norman and Kubo! These characters could be found roaming the Gaslamp near the gallery and were available for pictures. I was soon ushered into the gallery and was given a guided tour through the exhibit’s structures.

The first area was dedicated to the haunting film, Coraline. One of the most impressive pieces in this portion was the set seen above. I was able to get up close and view it from the angle seen in the film as well. Check it out:

It turns out parts of sets can be made from everyday household objects like popcorn or even dog chew toys, whatever works best to get the needed texture and effect. LAIKA was the first studio to utilize 3D printing.

Here we can see some of the skeletal structure of the puppets used in LAIKA’s stop-motion animation films. While the facial expressions may be 3D printed, the innards are made of metal, allowing for easier manipulation from frame to frame.

The next section of the gallery was all about ParaNorman, a movie very near and dear to my heart. The exhibit set-up had many of the models used in the film. There were several figures of Norman in the displays, which makes sense because each one of Norman’s outfit has its own doll. It is less time-consuming than painstaking changing the clothes on a single doll after different scenes.

Like the Coraline section, sets from ParaNorman were also available for viewing. This time, we got a peek at Norman’s family home as well as a hallway in his school. The hallway scene was particularly fun, with so much detail to pick out. It felt like you were sneaking into the movie’s world.

The second to last area was all about The Boxtrolls. The film was a huge production, involving 79 sets, over 20,000 handmade props, and the largest stop-motion puppet built up until that time.

And here that puppet is: the Mecha-Drill. Weighing in at 75 pounds and measuring an impressive five feet tall, this masterpiece of imagination consists of 600 metal, plastic, and steel pieces.

The final displays in the exhibit were dedicated to the LAIKA’s latest film, Kubo and the Two Strings. There were several big set-ups in this area but what caught my eye the most was the diorama that housed Kubo and his friends in a Japanese backdrop.

Kubo and the Two Strings‘ Moon Beast puppet is special for several reasons. One being that it is the first of LAIKA’s puppets to consist entirely of 3D-printed parts (881 of them, to be exact). Another is that unlike the majority of their puppets, which utilize a metal armature skeleton (like the one we saw in the puppet from the Coraline section earlier), the Moon Beast’s innards are made up to the a long posable tube, like the kind found on microphone stands and desk lamps.

Okay, so you know how I mentioned earlier how The Boxtroll‘s Mecha-Drill puppet was, at one point, the largest puppet built? Well, the Hall of Bones Skeleton stole that title once Kubo and the Two Strings was released. The puppet showcased at the gallery was actually a 1/6th-scale version of a much, much larger one. How large? Try 16 feet tall! It’s size was necessary for scenes with both the Skeleton and Kubo (or other puppets or that smaller scale). If Kubo were any smaller, his puppet would not be able to be manipulated at the same level of detail.

If you want to see the giant version of the Skeleton, it will be for viewing, along with other LAIKA displays, at the Portland Art Museum. From October 5, 2017 through May 18, 2018, the museum will host a special LAIKA exhibition. Be sure to check it out if you are in the area!

Geekscape 445: The SDCC 2017 Spectacular!

by JonathanJuly 26, 2017

Here it is! The almost 2 hour Geekscape SDCC Special! San Diego Comic Con 2017 is behind us and what a weekend! We could tell you all about it hear but I think you should listen in for yourself! Joining me at the booth this year to bring you the SDCC experience first hand is our very own Derek Kraneveldt and Courtney Dossett! Jen from ‘7 of Wine’ tips you in on Geekscape’s newest podcast! Lucha Underground and GLOW’s John Morrison drops in to say hello! Nerdcore rapper MegaRan says what’s up! Andre and Ryan from The Monster Squad tell you catch you up with the gang’s latest! The creators of ‘Quince’ tell you about your new favorite comic series! Yehudi Mercado invites you to ‘Hero Hotel’! Heidi Cox reads you the future of ‘Stalking LeVar! Frederick Schroeder, the director of the documentary ‘Stripped’ brings you back to your childhood’s lazy Sunday! And SO MUCH MORE! Enjoy!

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SDCC 2017: Tentacle Kitty Goes Hunting!

by Natalie KipperJuly 26, 2017

I had the good fortune of spotting artist John Merritt as he was traversing San Diego Comic-Con’s Exhibit Hall. He wasn’t hard to spot; the man was balancing one of his Tentacle Kitty plushes on his head (and doing an expert job, I might add). It turned out he was returning to his booth for a signing and I could not resist tagging along.

For those who don’t know, Tentacle Kitty is a friendly cat from another dimension that just happens to have tentacles. She and many of her friends have been transformed into plushes as well as featured in her own webcomic. While there was already a traditional Tentacle Kitty plush, a Huntress version was released just in time for SDCC. With purple paint for camouflage and her face full of concentration, she definitely looks like she is on the prowl (most likely for cotton candy mice, her favorite food).

Tentacle Kitty the Huntress wasn’t the only new addition at the booth. The next wave of Little Ones, smaller relatives of Tentacle Kitty, were also available. These particular Little Ones were labeled “Earth Color” because each one resembles a different variety of cat found here on Earth, like Siamese or Calico. Both Tentacle Kitty the Huntress and the Earth Color Little Ones are now available to purchase at their online store.

In celebration of those plushes’ release, John has cooked up a very special giveaway. Five lucky fans will walk away with a Legendary Golden Tentacle Kitty. Traditionally, this cutie is only given to winners of cosplay contests at conventions. The contest is live on Facebook right now! Go! Go! Go!

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 118 – ‘While At SDCC 2017 We Forgot To Come Up With A Title’

by GeekscapeStaffJuly 25, 2017

Join Derek, Courtney and MATT KELLY(?!) as they discuss the last week at San Diego Comic Con 2017!

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This Week:

Our Tremendous Trio recant their adventures at San Diego Comic Con 2017. They DO talk about video games at some point, and we never do find out the bathroom story.

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My Overwritten Journey To SDCC 2017: Day 3 – Sidewalk Burritos, VR Mechs, and Mango Freakin’ Salsa

by Derek KraneveldtJuly 22, 2017

Read day 0 here.
Read day one-ish here.
Read day two here.

I feel like garbage today.

I figured that it must have been after eight AM, when I woke up, but when I groaned to my bed buddy, Matt Kelly “What time is it?” I learned that it was only nearly seven. This is a pretty typical wake up time for me, but for some reason I felt groggy as hell as I finally made my way over to the shower.

I realized that this feeling was likely due to the absolute zero quantity of water I’d consumed since I arrived in San Diego (it’s been Chillers, soda, and small amounts of alcohol thus far). Zack and I headed out towards the convention centre together, and I attempted to quell this feeling by grabbing a bottle of water another Chiller at the nearest 7-Eleven.

On our way back to the action we chatted about our experiences working in the film industry (which I don’t do a lot of these days and miss dearly), what sort of film experiences that we’d had, our addictive personalities (he’s at the point where he could almost build a house out of Funko POP! figures, while I keep asking my fiancé if we can spend money that we don’t have on a WWE Replica title), cool restaurant experiences from San Diego, how effective Fox’s marketing for The Gifted has been thus far, and subsequently about just how many people will watch a TV show based on a giant image of said show being plastered on the side of a hotel. I see giant Once Upon a Time images on the side of Petco Park every single year, have worked on several episodes of it, and I still haven’t had an inclination to watch an episode. That The Gifted though, that hotel marketing really, really got to me.

As we still had a ton of time before the show floor would open (today I realized that I haven’t actually walked the exhibition halls yet, which I’m hoping to make time for later today), so we decided to check out the embarcadero in the rear of the convention centre. The area featured things like the Adult Swim on the Green, FXHibition, and The Gifted testing facilities. I thought that we may be able to walk around these areas before the convention centre opened, but everything was completely blocked off and there were gigantic lineups outside of each venue. We continued to walk the embarcadaro, admiring things like the #Wrecked setup over the water, the IMdBoat, and mostly the incredibly long lineup for Hall H, which extended into a parking lot that reminded me of the tent city that Vancouver’s homeless population often sets up (though I think that there were significantly less needles here).

I was getting pretty hungry now (and still feeling pretty gross, the Chiller didn’t help for some reason), and I thought that I’d have to go against the approaching thousands back into the Gaslamp district to grab a bite (which would be a terrible, terrible experience). Then we saw it – somehow, away from most of the crowd, tucked away next to an elevator, there was a single food truck. It was called Tacos Mexico, and there I consumed a glorious, dry as hell steak, egg and cheese burrito that was just what I needed. I also took this opportunity to grab a coconut water, and shortly after I downed it I began to feel significantly more energized.
Zack needed to leave in order to get to the booth on time (and grab some sort of LEGO exclusive along the way), and I took the opportunity to stay seated and give my fiancé a quick call (I ended up waking her up, oops).

I didn’t have anything on my slate until 11AM, so I went up to the SDCC Press Room to grab some (real) water, and to utilize the wifi to work on a couple of articles. As far as I know, last year was the first time that the convention actually offered this room, and I really appreciate the fact that the powers at be decided to continue the room this year. Space is a hot commodity around the convention centre (and the entire Gaslamp District), so to have a room away from the crowds, with wifi and water is a freaking lifesaver. In previous years I remember walking the (sometimes miles) for some peace and quiet and wifi (the three go hand in hand), and for the opportunity to actually be able to get some work done. These days, it’s a five minute walk from the booth (and an even shorter walk from the other panel rooms).

11AM fast approached, and I made my way down to Mary Jane’s at the Hard Rock Hotel to meet with some representatives from Skydance Interactive, a division of Skydance that’s less than a year and a half old, who have released two games (that I had a lot of fun with) in the past seven days. It’s clear that the company wanted to make a big impression, as the entirety of the restaurant was adorned in decorations for the two games, Archangel, a giant-mech VR shooter, and PWND, a multiplayer area FPS with some super original mechanics.

I met with one of the Skydance representatives, Matt. While I waited to check out Archangel, which is available now for PlayStation VR and coming early August for Oculus and HTC Vive, we chatted about Vancouver (where I live), and he noted that he recently visited the city for the first time to check out the sets for Skydance / Netflix sci-fi series Altered Carbon. The series itself sounds bad-ass, and I was a little sad in this moment as I once had an opportunity to work on the series, but after the year that I’ve had I rarely find myself doing film work anymore.

Only at SDCC is it okay to play VR without a shirt in a restaurant.

I spent about 15 minutes enjoying the hell out of the PSVR version of Archangel, which Skydance notes as its first original title, stating that it’s “an action-packed, story-driven shooter that was created exclusively for virtual reality.” In the game, “you are dropped into the cockpit of a six-story-high war machine, a one-of-a-kind weapon that must stop a tyrannical corporation from taking over a post-apocalyptic America. Archangel delivers detailed graphics, engaging storytelling techniques, memorable characters and explosive action like no other.”
The game is an on-rails shooter that (as noted above) puts you in the cockpit of a giant mech. The level that I played had the mech making its way through an all but destroyed, desolate city, where I fought waves of varied enemies (including a variety of tiny aircraft that took a lot of ammo to destroy due to their small size and quick movement). The level featured a ton of plot points, and had me getting to know the team of ships assisting me in getting to my destination, as well as the corporate enemy that was all but destroying America. The game was a blast, the story was intriguing, and I’m certainly looking forward to checking out more of Archangel.

The other game being shown off was entitled PWND, which is marketed as a “throwback to the golden age of the high-speed, multiplayer arena shooter” The game, which was conceptualized by Skydance Interactive long before they were Skydance Interactive (CEO Peter Akemann and much of the staff were previously of The Workshop, and Treyarch preceding that. The company notes that “Modernized Rocket jumping controls create a ridiculously fast-paced and highly three dimensional battle experience for PC. In PWND, you don’t score by simply killing your opponents, but by performing a “victory dance” over them before they respawn. ”

I was freaking awful at this game, but I thought that the mechanics were super smooth, and the idea revolving around the “victory dance” was freaking hilarious. You don’t actually receive any points for killing a member of the opposite team – you essentially need to get to them and take the opportunity to teabag them before you’ll score. If you die while in this process, you’ll actually create a “stack”, and the player who is able to perform a “victory dance” on the stack will receive a far more substantial amount of points.

I played two rounds of the game in my time at the Skydance Lounge, and got my ass kicked both times. I think that I was playing with other folks online rather than just the other convention goers present at the lounge, and it was clear that at least a few of the folks that I was playing with had spent a bunch of time on the title in the 24 hours since release. That, or I’m just really, really bad at first person shooters.

You can look for my full write up on Skydance Interactive’s titles, including an interview with CEO Peter Akemann in the coming days.

Next up, I made my way to the FXHibition for an appointment at Sessions: The ‘Legion’ Mixed Reality Experience. I won’t spend too much time on that here, but Sessions marked my first Hololens experience, my first real augmented reality experience, and it was an unreal mix of live actors and insane technology. I had so much fun here, and I really, really hope that Hololens and AR catch on. If this is one of the first really impressive experiences that’s been offered on the platform, I really can’t imagine what companies will be doing with the technology over the coming years.

No cameras or recording devices were allowed inside of the experiences, but I’ve written up a recap of sessions right here. They also let you take a selfie at the end, and I look like a freaking dummy.

I hadn’t scheduled much else for the rest of the day, so I shot Zack a quick message asking if we could go to Rockin’ Baha. We did. Finally, I could put it inside me; the glorious mango/pineapple salsa that had been eluding me all week. I ordered some tacos that I didn’t really care about, and I loaded the hell up on Baha’s homemade (I assume) tortilla chips and incredible, to die for salsa. It was heaven, and along with running into Renee Young (and re-bonding with much of the Geekscape family), it was a definitely highlight of the convention.

I’m feeling pretty exhausted at this point in the day (I’ve done significantly less walking around than yesterday, and have now downed a butt-ton of water so I’m not exactly sure why) so I decided to do a quick walk of the convention floor before checking in with the folks at the booth. If you’ve not been to SDCC before, calling the show floor shoulder to shoulder, in many cases is an understatement. It’s shoulder to shoulder in the less crowded areas, and in the busier areas (Marvel, Netflix, DC, Entertainement Earth, Funko, etc), it basically feels like everyone is inside of each other (and not in a good way). Also, as is the stereotype, for everyone in this culture that bathes and puts on deodorant, there are four or five that should do it more often. Your nose is going to experience some odd things at this convention, and it can strike you pretty heavily if you’re not prepared for it.

I stopped at the Mondo booth to gawk at all of the prints that I can’t afford this year (while also remembering that I still have several at home that I’m still waiting to frame), went to Netflix to check out the neat video wall (and to try to score my fiancé a Stranger Things hat… I failed), and then took a look at all of the new WWE figures at the Mattel booth (where I was also curious to see an Eva Marie doll in the new WWE Superstars fashion doll line). I checked in with the folks at the booth and figured out some plans for after the convention before realizing that another panel that I really wanted to see was just minutes away.

This was the “Life Is Strange: Before The Storm Developer Showcase’ panel (which I was lucky enough to walk right into), in which Tech 9 games talked about their experiences developing the game, answered fan questions, and also gave the first live gameplay demo of a new section of the first episode, which brought us to an area of Arcadia Bay that we’d never seen before. The demo took us SPOILERS AHEAD to an abandoned mill where an illegal concert by the band Fire Walk was taking place. Chloe, who naturally had no business being there, snuck in and proceeded to get into worlds of trouble. We saw a few familiar faces, including Frank and Pompidou, and even Rachel Amber herself, who helped Chloe escape from a pretty sticky situation. The whole demo was a pretty neat reveal, as the developers on stage allowed the crowd to decide which choices Chloe would make throughout the demo. Fans were super vocal about these choices, and the entire room would yell out in unison for certain options, which was pretty cool to be a part of.

In answering a fan’s question, the developers noted that the game would again feature a series of licensed tracks along with an original score, noting that naturally the soundtrack of the game would be important to the story as well as being important to the fans, and that the soundtrack decisions were being made at the same time as high level story points were. They also noted that as you’re playing a different character this time around (Chloe instead of Max), Chloe is going to listen to different music, and so fans should expect a vastly different soundtrack that still feels very Life Is Strange.

One fan noted that one of the things that he had done a lot of while playing the game was crying, and he was wondering if he could expect the same with Before the Storm. The developers gave a pretty simple answer here, stating that “On August 31st you can cry again,” and “Buy your tissues now.”

I was super glad to have made it into this panel. Life Is Strange was my favourite game of 2015, and I’m beyond excited to learn more of Chloe’s backstory, and to simply get back into the world of Arcadia Bay.

https://youtu.be/0lQketFfKZ8

The panel ended about half an hour after the show floor closed, and after much confusion (my group texts were apparently not functioning correctly), I ended up back at the WWE Shop at the Horton Plaza (read all about it here) by myself… and then found everyone else outside just a few moments later. We went to eat at some sandwich shop called Panera (which I kept calling Pandora) which had decent sandwiches (everyone had talked it up and it was nothing special) at a decent price. Their macaroni and cheese was pretty damn good though. While there, we chatted about Puyo Puyo, I ransacked Josh and Megan’s bag from the WWE Shop (it’s going to be hard not to go back tomorrow to grab a New Day water bottle and some Bayley gummy bears), and got pretty in depth about the new Yu-Gi-Oh mechanics (it sounds like a much more complicated game than it was when I played it in elementary school and retired undefeated).

There were plans to go to a couple of events in the evening, but as soon as I sat down at Panera I knew that as soon as I got back to the hotel I would definitely not be going anywhere else. Matt missed out on Panera, so before we settled down Zack and I walked him to Subway (24 hours, woo). Matt went upstairs to eat (when we got back to the hotel), and Zack and I stayed behind and chatted about the differences between Canadian and American playgrounds, Jake The Snake Roberts, small town living, and numerous other random topics.

I head back up to the hotel to finish tonight’s piece, and I realize that tomorrow is my last full day at this year’s convention. I’m flying out mid-afternoon Sunday and recording a Geekscape Games episode earlier that morning, so tomorrow may even be my last day on the floor and around the Gaslamp.

What will I do tomorrow? With time running out, I’m beginning to stress out about it. I’d love to record a piece for this year’s post-SDCC show, there’s that Nikki Bella signing at the FYE WWE Pop-Up Shop, I just read that there’s a Slusho truck somewhere in the area, and I still haven’t spent too much time walking the show floor (or even checked out the Nintendo lounge, IT experience, Petco Interactive Zone, or one million other things).

I’m not ready for this to end.

Geekscape’s Guide to Scream Factory’s SDCC Title Announcements

by SaintmortJuly 21, 2017

As the host of the Horror Movie Night podcast I find it important to say that I’ve seen a lot of horror movies. As a long time fan of horror flicks there are few companies that make my insides tingle quite the way that Scream Factory does. I’ve been blessed to get to chat with Jeff from Scream Factory on multiple occasions (check out the most recent one here).

Tonight at the giant Shout/Scream Factory announcement panel we found out just a few movies coming out near the end of the year. Now keep in mind, this is hot off the heels of the Poughkeepsie Tapes announcement. Since Scream Factory’s acquisition of that particular title was so mind blowing to every horror fan in the world, it’s impossible for any announcement to surpass it. But they definitely still had some big surprises for us.

One last thing to mention is that Shout Factory Select will be releasing Mac & Me and Matinee on Blu-Ray. Both of these easily would have been right at home with Scream Factory but so long as we get lots of special features and maybe a Paul Rudd commentary on Mac & Me then I’m happy enough.

Alright let’s dive in:
Attack of the Puppet People – This is a weird announcement. I remember I saw this film once and it’s a fun dumb 50’s sci-fi horror movie. It’s nothing overly special but it’s got that old timey charm that I can’t resist. I’m definitely curious and invested in seeing this one again as it’s been over a decade since I’ve seen it.

Eye of the Cat – Not only is this the only film announced that I’ve never seen, I’ve never heard of it. It is from the writer of Psycho though so I’m a little interested. The fact that it’s never ever received a home video release makes it even more intriguing.

Darkman 2 and 3 – So this is one that I find to be a fun announcement but not anything I’m particularly stoked for. I recently rewatched the trilogy and while I find the original to be a complete masterpiece the sequels really lack the style and charm that Sam Raimi brought to the table. While I am not a fan of the films, I am curious what special features Scream Factory will include to draw me in.

American Gothic – At the panel this one got almost no response. This is infuriating. This is probably the announcement I was most excited about tonight. American Gothic is a genuinely early and bizarre (but memorable as hell) horror film from the late 80s/early 90s. This should be the top of your “to get” list.

Cyborg: Collector’s Edition – You hear that sound? That’s the sound of Jonathan London crapping himself at this news. The Jean Claude Van Damme classic is getting an elaborate collector’s edition release and the entire Geekscape family could not be more thrilled about it.

Misery: Collector’s Edition – If you were to create a list of the greatest Stephen King adaptations and you didn’t put Misery on your list… then your list is incorrect. As douchey as it feels to type that, it’s true. Misery is a masterpiece of film-making and one of the most faithful adaptations of King’s work. Despite all that (and some awards) the DVD release is bland and mostly featureless. It’s fantastic news that Scream Factory is gonna give us the release we have needed.

Drag Me to Hell: Collector’s Edition – When this film came out I heard so many people speaking poorly of it. I was blown away when I finally got to see it just how fun it was. The energy never let’s go and it’s arguably one of Raimi’s best. While it’s DVD release isn’t lacking in features; I have faith that Scream Factory will make this release a must by (much like Slither).

The Strangers: Collector’s Edition – The Strangers is one of the movies that scared the piss out of me. It’s a beautifully paced and understated film. I have no words for how excited I am to see what Scream Factory has up their sleeve for this release.

Silent Night Deadly Night: Collector’s Edition – The big final announcement, the christmas “classic”. Every DVD and Blu-Ray release has been … fairly tame. I’m ready for Scream Factory to blow us away. In my heart of hearts I hope this leads to release from the rest of the franchise. The infamous Part 2 is not particularly easy to find and Part 5 is an under appreciated masterpiece. This is going to be a big release and i Hope it’s as huge as it felt when it was announced.

Geekscape 444: Previewing SDCC 2017 With Matt Kelly!

by JonathanJuly 17, 2017

We’re here! San Diego Comic Con 2017! Geekscape’s own Matt Kelly joins me on the podcast to preview the week that we might not even survive! We reminisce on Comic Cons past and look forward to what’s going on in the Geekscape booth this time around! Along the way we say goodbye to the wonderful George Romero and Martin Landau! We also rock out to Nerf Herder and brave Stephen Seagal’s overlooked masterpiece ‘The Belly of the Beast’!

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Geekscape 443: Delivering Hatchet Justice With Hannibal Tabu!

by JonathanJuly 10, 2017

Hannibal Tabu is a comic book writer, web designer, futurist, DJ and much much more! And we met through a ridiculous circumstance of me trying to piss people off and in turn getting serious points in Hannibal’s book! And now he arrives on Geekscape to talk about ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’, Netflix’s ‘GLOW’, his new series Irrational Numbers and our plans for SDCC! Along the way I profess my love for ‘Baby Driver’ and Hannibal discusses carrying a hatchet around L.A. just in case justice calls! It gets a little silly so listen up and enjoy!

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LAIKA To Give Fans An Off-Site Experience At SDCC

by Natalie KipperJuly 7, 2017

Are you a fan of Coraline? ParaNorman? The Boxtrolls? Kubo and the Two Strings? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, we have got some great news for you! San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter will play host to LAIKA’s wondrous creations starting July 14th and running all the way through the end of San Diego Comic-Con, July 23rd.

The exhibit, called “The LAIKA Experience,” will display props, puppets (you did know the studio’s movies were stop-motion, right?), and sets as well as offer merchandise for sale, a photo/GIF booth featuring characters from LAIKA films, and daily drawings for a pair of NIKE’s LAIKA-themed shoes. There will even be costumed characters roaming the area!

And if you are going to be at San Diego’s PRIDE Festival on July 16th, be sure to visit the LAIKA photo booth, located just inside the gates of Balboa Park. Attendees will have the opportunity to pose “Mitch Babcock” of ParaNorman, the first gay to be featured in an animated film. Be sure to pick one of the customized LAIKA headbands that will be given out!

If that doesn’t sound cool enough, here are some other reasons to pop in. On Friday, July 21st, LAIKA President and CEO Travis Knight visiting. From 2pm to 3pm, he and author Tony DiTerlizzi will host a Facebook Live tour of the facility. Travis will also be sharing insight LAIKA’s creative process during this time. And from 3pm-to 4:30pm, Travis will be available to autograph merchandise purchased by fans at the exhibit.

The LAIKA exhibit is located at 520 Fifth Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101. Hours of operation are as follows:

Friday, July 14: 2 PM to 10PM

Saturday, July 15: 11AM to 10 PM

Sunday, July 16: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Monday -Tuesday, July 17-18: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Wednesday, July 19: 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Thursday, July 20: 11:00 AM to 11 PM

Friday, July 21: 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM

Saturday, July 22: 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM

Sunday, July 23: 10:00 AM-6:00 PM

Geekscape 442: Taking Comic Books Seriously With Oliver Ridge!

by JonathanJuly 3, 2017

Actor, Writer, Director and film Producer Oliver Ridge may not be a household name but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be taken seriously. He arrives on Geekscape to tell us about his brand new comics to film project ‘Powerless’, bases on the Vault Comics title, and how he found it while walking the floor at WonderCon. We talk about the world of comics to film, do some superhero deconstruction and Oliver tries to persuade me to give Batman another chance! Pretty sure you’re going to love this guy!

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Batman Pin Mates With Camo Batmobile To Be SDCC-Exclusive

by Natalie KipperJune 12, 2017

We have less than 40 days until San Diego Comic-Con 2017 and our friends at Entertainment Earth just announced the second of their exclusives (the first being a Pin Mates set that includes Wonder Woman’s Invisible Jet and the super heroine herself in four different outfits). The new reveal is another Pin Mates set, this time featuring Batman in his Dark Knight costume along wth Bane and the Batmobile in camouflage mode. The wheels on the Batmobile even roll, which I think is pretty dang spiffy.

If you find yourself wondering, “What on Earth is a Pin Mate?,” we’ve got you covered! The product line, created by Bif Bang Pow!, was showcased at last year’s Comic-Con. The idea was to take a simple, nostalgic toy design (in this case, the wooden doll) and meld it with pop culture icons. Each doll’s features are handpainted.

Now, back to this particular con-exclusive. The set is limited in edition to 492 pieces and each one is numbered. The good news is that those not attending the con can tentatively pre-order one now and if there are any remaining after SDCC, those orders will be fulfilled. If they sell out, the pre-orders will be refunded. The Batmobile with Dark Knight Batman Pin Mate Set is priced at $24.99.

Those attending San Diego Comic-Con can find this collectible at Entertainment Earth’s booth, #2343.

Say What? ‘Psych: The Movie’ Is In The Works!

by Natalie KipperMay 10, 2017

Some say the most iconic crime-fighting duo are Batman and Robin but I would argue that the title belongs to characters Shawn Spencer (James Roday) and Burton “Gus” Guster (Dulé Hill) from USA Network’s comedic mystery series, Psych. The show has been off the air for three years but is still a fan-favorite.

For Psych-os hoping for a reunion episode, their prayer has been answered several times over with the announcement that USA Network will air Psych: The Movie this December. The two-hour special gives a glimpse into the lives of Shawn and Gus three years after the end of the show. Lassiter (Timothy Omundson), Juliet (Maggie Lawson), Henry (Corbin Bernsen), and Chief Karen Vick (Kirsten Nelson) will also make a grand return.

If you can’t wait until December, there is a chance you might not have too. Take this with a fistful of salt but there is speculation Psych might be present in some capacity at San Diego Comic-Con this July. The series had been a fixture at the con when it was on the air so it isn’t too farfetched to imagine that the TV movie would be promoted there as well. How awesome would that be?

https://youtu.be/_7rHQ4_8FS0

The Latest ‘Wonder Woman’ Trailer Is All About Dianna’s Origin!

by Derek KraneveldtMarch 13, 2017

Briefly: Damn this movie looks awesome.

Warner Bros. has debuted a brand new, chock-full of new footage trailer for this June’s Wonder Woman, and it’s all about Dianna’s origins.

The trailer takes us through Dianna’s childhood on Themyscira, her meeting of Chris Pine’s character, some of their early adventures, a few action set pieces, and even some comedy. It’s a great new look at the DCCU’s most anticipated film yet, and it certainly excites me further for the fantastic looking film.

Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, when an American pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world, Diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers…and her true destiny.

We Can’t Even Handle This Amazing New ‘Wonder Woman’ Trailer!

by Derek KraneveldtNovember 3, 2016

Briefly: We had our first taste of fantastic, visceral footage from the upcoming Wonder Woman solo flick back at San Diego Comic-Con in July, and since then we’ve been desperate for more.

The Wonder Woman footage was probably the best reveal of SDCC, and I’m so excited that the film’s just-released official trailer is just as impressive.

The incredible action of the first footage takes a back seat this time around as we head to Themyscira to learn just why Diana decided to leave, plus… well, just take a look at the trailer below.

Wonder Woman hits theatres on June 2nd, 2017, and we couldn’t be more excited. What do you think?

SDCC 2016: Watch The First Trailer For ‘Wonder Woman’!

by Derek KraneveldtJuly 23, 2016

Briefly: Following the incredibly gorgeous first poster revealed last night, Warner Bros. has just debuted the first trailer for next year’s Wonder Woman solo film.

This marks a great first look at the anticipated film, and we’re extremely glad that Gadot’s Batman v. Superman performance silenced the internet haters, as she looks even more at home in her own solo film.

Take a look at the trailer below, and be sire to let us know what you think! Wonder Woman hits theatres on June 2nd, 2017.

SDCC 2016: The First Poster For ‘Wonder Woman’ Is So Freaking Beautiful!

by Derek KraneveldtJuly 23, 2016

Briefly: Wonder Woman herself, Gal Gadot, has just revealed the very first poster for next year’s Wonder Woman solo film… and it’s probably the best poster that we’ve seen in recent memory.

It’s an extremely simple image that simply shows Diana, standing sternly with her sword, but it’s the silhouette, contact, and colouring of the poster that makes it truly outstanding. This looks more like art than a piece of marketing material, and I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that I would love to get my hands on one.

Wonder Woman hits theatres on June 2nd, 2017.

Geekscape 419: The SDCC 2016 Preview With Derek and Matt!

by JonathanJuly 18, 2016

San Diego Comic Con 2016 is THIS week and we’re not even close to prepared for it! But regardless, the Geekscape team is in town and we’re doing our best! Geekscape Managing Editor Derek Kraneveldt and SaintMort Show host Matt Kelly join me on this very special episode to talk about our favorite SDCC moments of the past and get ready for this year’s fun! We also catch you up on our PokémonGO obsession, weigh in on whether or not the new ‘Ghostbusters’ film is worthy of a sequel and urge you to discover the amazing film ‘The Hunter For The Wilderpeople’! Oh, and Derek has some very big news to share… a Geekscape exclusive!

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