Tag: San Diego Comic Con

Geekscape Roundtable: What We’re Looking Forward To At SDCC – Panels!

by GeekscapeStaff

With San Diego Comic-Con just a few days away, everyone here at Geekscape is getting prepared for our biggest convention ever. As always, there will be more to see and do in San Diego this week than is humanly possible, so each of us has been scouring the schedules and deciding exactly what is most important to us while we’re there.

While deciding what we need to do and see, and what we’d be okay with missing, we thought that we’d include all of you in the fun as well. Here’s part three of our pre-SDCC round table, where we share the panels that we’re most looking forward to at San Diego Comic-Con.

Thursday

How to Get News Coverage for Small Press Publishers
What makes the difference between an item that will get news coverage, previews, or interviews, and what doesn’t? Many publishers have no idea what to submit to the press, how to submit it, and why they are being overlooked for coverage. Comic journalist Rik Offenberger (First Comics News, Archie Comics) moderates this panel on just what it takes to get coverage, with the comic journalists themselves telling you what they are looking for in your submission. Panelists include (in alphabetical order) Albert Ching (Newsarama), Glenn Hauman (Comic Mix), Holly Golightly (BroadSword Comics), Rich Johnston (Bleeding Cool), Alan Kistler (Comic Mix), Heidi MacDonald (The Beat), Chris Squires (Buckley Radio), Tanya Tate (First Comics News), Chris Thompson (First Comics News), J. C. Vaughn (The Scoop), Josh Waldrop (M1W Entertainment), and Bryan Young (Huffington Post, Big Shiny Robot). Find out what it takes to self-promote and make a significant impact on your ability to sell your comic.
Thursday July 18, 2013 10:30am – 11:30am
Room 8

Lame, we know. I (Derek) am always on the lookout for a new learning experience, and if that experience can help better Geekscape and the content it features, why wouldn’t I be in attendance?

Video Games to Movies: Is the Golden Age Upon Us?
11:00am – 12:00pm Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
Join some of the top industry professionals as they discuss the challenges, opportunities and the future of what many are calling the next dominant supplier of franchise films to the studios: Video Game-based movies! Are we in for the long anticipated “Golden Age” of video game to movie adaptations? Expect surprises and a glimpse into what is on the horizon for some of the biggest video game characters/franchises as they begin their journey towards the silver screen! Panelists include Adrian Askarieh (Hitman, Agent 47), Tim Miller (Blur Studios, attached to direct Deadpool feature), Justin Marks (producer, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li), Patrick J O’Brien (VP of EA Entertainment, currently developing films based on Need for Speed, Dead Space, Mass Effect and Dante’s Inferno), C. Robert Cargill (Sinister, Dreams and Shadows, Queen of Dark Things, Deus X), and moderator Ben Fritz of The Wall Street Journal.

Our buddy, Adrian Askarieh was on the show a few weeks ago to talk video game movies and had a bit of insight on the direction that Hollywood is headed. If he’s half as knowledgeable on this panel as he was on Geekscape, this one is a must. Plus, you get to find out if that Deadpool movie is ever really going to happen!

Askeriah is also producing the upcoming 'Deus Ex' film.
Askarieh is also producing the upcoming ‘Deus Ex’ film.

Batman: Arkham Origins
Witness the next installment in the blockbuster videogame franchise. Developed by WB Games Montréal, Batman: Arkham Origins features an expanded Gotham City and introduces an original prequel storyline set several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City. Taking place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous criminals, the game showcases a young and unrefined Batman as he faces a defining moment in his early career as a crimefighter that sets his path to becoming the Dark Knight. As the story unfolds, players will meet many important characters for the first time and forge key relationships. Get the latest reveals from a panel headed by WB Games Montréal creative director Eric Holmes and actors Roger Craig Smith (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and Troy Baker (The Last of Us, Bioshock Infinite), the voices of Batman and the Joker, respectively. Batman: Arkham Origins will be released worldwide on October 25.
Thursday July 18, 2013 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Room 6BCF

Considering we don’t know if this game is going to stand up to the previous two or by a shadow of the franchise’s former self, this panel may be a must for those of us who want answers… and we DO want answers! Next to GTAV, this is my most anticipated game left this year. I’ll be damned if I have to wait until October 25th to get my fix in!

Vertigo: Defy
Vertigo is ready to blow your mind with the next wave of trend-setting comics! From horror to mythic fiction to sci-fi and beyond, see what amazing new ideas are coming your way from the imprint that’s on a mission to defy all your expectations! With Mark Buckingham (Fables), Jeff Lemire (Trillium), Scott Snyder (American Vampire, The Wake), and others.
Thursday July 18, 2013 5:45pm – 6:45pm
Room 6DE

I’m a sucker for Syder and Lemire. Snyder’s The Wake is one of my favourite new miniseries, and I can’t wait to see what happens next! I own nearly all of Lemire’s books, and Trillium looks absolutely badass. I couldn’t possibly miss an opportunity to hear the two talking about their next projects!

Only one month to go until 'Trillium' finally hits shelves!
Only one month to go until ‘Trillium’ finally hits shelves!

Friday

ElfQuest: 35 Years of Pointed Ears
Wendy and Richard Pini (ElfQuest, Masque of the Red Death), Paula Rhodes and Stephanie Thorpe (ElfQuest-A Fan Imagining), and Rob Beschizza (managing editor at Boing Boing) celebrate three and a half decades of “the first American manga” and longest-running fantasy graphic novel series. Even if you’ve followed ElfQuest from the beginning, prepare to be surprised by what’s planned as the story builds to its most ambitious chapter yet, Final Quest. Plus, meet ElfQuest’s newest partners in the worlds of publishing, licensing, and even academia in a visual presentation followed by Q&A.
Friday July 19, 2013 6:30pm – 7:45pm
Room 8

I don’t know if I’ve used Geekscape as a forum for discussing my intense ElfQuest fandom before… but I’m a pretty intense ElfQuest fan. I have one panel that I’d like to attend on Friday and this is it! After accosting Stephanie Thorpe at a party 2 months ago and cross-examining her about the latest news on ElfQuest, I’ve had to wait for this panel to get my true answers! If you’re a wolf rider like I am, you’ll be there Friday night!

Saturday

A&E Bates Motel
The Bates Motel is open for business in San Diego! Executive producers Carlton Cuse (Lost) and Kerry Ehrin (Friday Night Lights) will release new footage from the highly acclaimed A&E drama series Bates Motel exclusively for Comic Con attendees. The executive producers will be joined by the cast, including Academy Award nominee Vera Farmiga (Norma Bates), Freddie Highmore (Norman Bates), Max Thieriot (Dylan), Olivia Cooke (Emma), and Nestor Carbonell (Sheriff Alex Romero) to discuss the show’s unique backstory and creation. Fans will get an opportunity to hear more about season 2, debuting in 2014 on A&E, and will have a chance to ask the cast and creators questions during a Q&A. Moderated by Tim Stack from Entertainment Weekly.
Saturday July 20, 2013 10:00am – 11:00am
Room 6A

Want to know the one thing I didn’t love about the first season of Bates Motel? How damned short it was. Sure, there’s a season two in the works, but it won’t premiere until well (well) into 2014! To have a chance to see new footage, as well as hear directly from the creators and actors, is an opportunity that I do not want to miss!

Jay Glatfelter and Jack Glatfelter (Jay and Jack TV, The Married Man Show) and special guests get lost in TV talk. The co-hosts of the popular Lost Podcast with Jay and Jack discuss Lost three years after the airing of its finale, as well as other TV shows that have filled the void, such as Once Upon a Time, Person of Interest, Game of Thrones, Justified, and many more.
Saturday July 20, 2013 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Room 29A

Of course, my second most anticipated panel is LOST Podcast and Beyond. There are other bigger panels on my list, but in terms of actually being able to get into the likes of Hall H or Ballroom 20 without feeling guilty for missing other panels is a different story.

Behind the Scenes with Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead Game Series
Join Robert Kirkman (Creator of The Walking Dead comic series) and Telltale Game’s Dan Connors (Telltale Games, CEO) and Kevin Bruner (Telltale Games, President and CTO) as they discuss the inspiration behind developing the critically-acclaimed game series. Along with PlayStation’s Don Mesa (Director of Product Planning & Platform Software Innovation, SCEA), the team will walk fans through the origins of the game, reveal details on exciting new gameplay features exclusive to PlayStation Vita and include a little sneak peek on what’s to come for next chapter of The Walking Dead game series. A moderated by Greg Miller (Executive Editor, IGN).
Saturday July 20, 2013 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Room 23ABC

You know full well how much all of us at Geekscape love Telltale’s The Walking Dead. Having just finished the 400 Days DLC, we’re hungry for more. This panel is set to include what is bound to be a very exciting origin story about the series, as well as a sneak peek of season two? Yes please.

One of gaming's best characters, like, ever.
One of gaming’s best characters, like, ever.

Batman: The Animated Series Turns 21
Pop the champagne! The landmark television production Batman: The Animated Series turns 21 this year. Spend an hour with the creative core of this groundbreaking series — Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Alan Burnett, and Eric Radomski — as they recollect the dynamics of crafting a series that would have a resounding influence on Dark Knight properties — and the entire animated television landscape — for two decades and counting. 
Saturday July 20, 2013 5:45pm – 6:45pm 
Room 6DE

Aside from the few video game panels I want to attend, (Arkham Origins, Splinter Cell: Blacklist), I’m incredibly excited for Batman: The Animated Series Turns 21. While the series is almost as old as I am, I’m tempted to show up to the panel with the handmade cape my mom gave me when I was three years old.

Lion Forge Comics Fall Lineup: Knight Rider, AirWolf, Saved by the Bell, Punky Brewster, Miami Vice, and more!
Some of your all-time favorite TV shows from the ’80s are coming to comics with Lion Forge! Joining the event will be creators Joe Philips (Doctor Who), Rick Burchett (Lady Saber), Carl Reed (Lion Forge), Lorenzo Lizana (Lion Forge), Brandon Easton (Thundercats), Joelle Sellner (Jackie Chan Adventures), Geoff Thorne (Leverage), Jonathan London (Geekscape), Shannon Denton (DC/WildStorm), Flex Alexander (Snakes on a Plane), David Gorden (Bulletproof Knights), and some surprise guests.
Saturday July 20, 2013 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Room 26AB

This is it, the panel in which we talk about our brand new Lion Forge comics! I’ll be on stage talking about Miami Vice with my editor Shannon Denton and the creative teams behind the rest of the great Lion Forge Fall Lineup, including recent Geekscape guest Brandon Easton! If you want the down low on the digital comics downloads, look no further than this panel! We might even give away some free stuff!

The future of comics? We think so.
The future of comics? We think so.

Well, that’s it! I’m sure we’ll be slipping into other panels as the days go by, but everything you see above is definitely worth waiting in line for. We’re all getting unbelievably excited for the convention, and can’t wait to see you all there!

Don’t forget to visit Geekscape all throughout the week at booth #3919!

Geekscape 297: The 2013 San Diego Comic Con Preview Episode!

by Jonathan

The 2013 San Diego Comic Con is right around the corner! We’re old veterans here at Geekscape, but that doesn’t mean we’re any less excited when Comic Con rolls around each year! To help us prep, 20 year SDCC veteran Matt Raub is in the studio breaking down the Must Dos and Must Avoids, as well as sharing some of his greatest, and worst, Comic Con memories! Also joining us is Nick Gregorio, longtime Geekscape friend but first time Comic Con attendee! Plus! Sci Fi master Marc Zicree calls in to give us an update on Space Command and give some great Comic Con advice and author Marcus Sakey calls in to geek out with us, talk about his new book ‘Brilliance’ and discuss his insane job hosting The Travel Channel’s ‘Hidden City’! See you in San Diego!

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:31:09 — 36.6MB)

Geekscape Roundtable: What We’re Looking Forward To At SDCC – Exclusives, Art, Products, Etc!

by GeekscapeStaff

With San Diego Comic-Con less than one week away, everyone here at Geekscape is getting prepared for our biggest convention ever. As always, there will be more to see, do, and buy in San Diego next week than is humanly possible, so each of us has been scouring the schedules, products, and exclusives lists and deciding exactly what is most important to us while we’re there.

While deciding what we need to buy, and what we’d be okay without, we thought that we’d include all of you in the fun as well. Here’s part two of our pre-SDCC round table, where we share what we’re most looking forward to at San Diego Comic-Con. Today, we’re talking exclusives, art, products, and more!

Shane O’Hare

Part 2 baby! The list of my most looked forward to exclusives and artists is pretty damn diverse. Of course it goes wuthout saying The Aquabats and the Mega64 Boyz are first on my list. The ‘bats have their concert going on the FIRST night, so it will be a HUGE start to the weekend. Then the Mega64 crew has their booth, you can expect me to drop some cash night one there. The author of the amazing looking The Fifth Beatle graphic novel, Vivek Tiwary will be there alongside the two incredible artists, Andrew Robinson and Kyle Baker. I cannot wait to interview these guys, AND get my hands on the book!

Key art for 'The Fifth Beatle'
Key art for ‘The Fifth Beatle’

The SWAG I want is the SWAG I get. The super cute My Little Pony exclusives are a must for me. A tradition I’ve had the last few times is hittin up the Mr. Toast booth and grabbing their con exclusive. This year it’s ZOMBIE BACON!. And I GUESS I’ll grab the Blizzard Zergling plush for a friend. Let’s not forget about Bandai’s exclusive Power Rangers Gold Legacy Morpher, that thing just looks INCREDIBLE. I got my eyes out for any cool and exciting hats or helmets to add to my collection!

ZombieBaconExclu

Jake Lopez

I’m not much of a collector, so when I buy something at Comic-Con, it’s usually something I’ll keep. This year will be no different. My first order of business will be to secure this classic Batmobile, which is priced at $60:

Photographer Dennis Stylist Alfonse

In any case, Entertainment Earth is usually my first stop. I may snag a Walking Dead exclusive while I’m there. I also have my eye on the Yes Anime booth; they’ll have some Superman and Batman figurines that are sure to attract attention.

A01

Have a look for yourself, and maybe you’ll see something you want!

As for vendors, I will be visiting the RoosterTeeth and Penny Arcade booth. Nothing but good experiences there and they always have something great for sale! And don’t forget to ask them to sign, they’re typically happy to!

Derek Kraneveldt

As I noted in Tuesday’s piece, this year’s SDCC is pretty much my first convention. I hear that it’s expensive, and that you essentially always spend more than you’re anticipating, which is a little bit terrifying (but if I get cool stuff out of it, it’ll be hard to be disappointed).

I’ve scoured through the entire list of exclusives on the official site, and I think that I’ll do pretty well. There was very little that stood out at me as I NEED THIS, which is likely only because I’m not looking forward to paying everything off when I get home.

In any case, here are the products that I’m most looking forward to picking up at Comic-Con:

PVZSDCC CVR600

The Plants vs. Zombies comic is set to be digital only for some time, but the first chunk will be available at Comic-Con. I’m a huge PvZ fan, and for a measly $2.00, this one will be hard to pass up. I’m hoping to score an interview with writer Paul Tobin as well, and figure out just how he turned a silly, tower defence game into an enthralling comic book.

SKI_SDCC2013_Exclusive

The Squid Kids Ink 10-Doh! figure looks super cool, and that’s the only reason I want it. For $20, it would look pretty cool sitting on my desk.

8E9F0A5D1-800x459

My girlfriend’s birthday is coming up (in fact, I’ll be missing it while I’m in San Diego), so maybe this cool exclusive Lady Rainicorn + Puppies set will partially make up for it?

pacific_rim_thorp_Kaiju

Artist Ash Thorpe has two awesome Pacific Rim prints up for grabs. Framing them and mounting them both on my wall will surely make me more popular, right?

Aside from that, I’ll probably have a hard time not buying things once I’m there in person. This is definitely my list of must-haves however! I’m also on the lookout for Gary Frank, as my father has sent me on a quest to obtain a sketch from the venerable artist.

comic-con_logo

That’s it for today! Look for part three in the series on Saturday!

Readers, are you headed to the convention? What are you most looking forward to?

Mondo Unveils Amazing Comic-Con Exclusives!

by Derek Kraneveldt

With less than one week to go until San Diego Comic-Con, news and exclusives are starting to come out fast.

Following Toys R Us last week, the latest company revealing so good that we have to share exclusives is none other than Mondo. The company will have a variety of limited edition prints available at their booth (#936) throughout the convention. Some of the prints will even be available for pre-sale starting this Friday, so if you’re quick, maybe you’ll actually be able to get one.

Take a look at all of the new prints below, and let us know what you’ll be trying to pick up. I wish I had the cash for all of them. For more details about the pre-sale, as well as poster signings, head to Mondo’s official blog.

pacific_rim_tong_variant
pacific_rim_tong_regular

Pacific Rim by Kevin Tong. $45 regular, $75 variant.

pacific_rim_thorp_Jaeger

pacific_rim_thorp_Kaiju

Pacific Rim Jaeger and Kaiju by Ash Thorp. $50 each (both of these framed, opposite each other are going to look INSANE).

pacific_rim_zouravliov_colorway_1

pacific_rim_zouravliov_colorway_2

Pacific Rim by Vania Zouravliov. $50.

The rest of the posters can only be acquired by pre-buying, so again, be sure to head to Mondo’s blog for all of the details.

dark_tower_struzan

Dark Tower by Drew Struzan. $275.

Metropolis - Final

Metropolis - Final

Conan by Martin Ansin. $50 regular, $75 variant.

SPIRITED AWAY VARIANT

HOWLS MOVING CASTLE VARIANT

Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle by Olly Moss. $90 each.

Incredible, right? I would love to purchase each and every one of those beautiful, beautiful images. Instead, I’ll probably have to limit myself to one! What are you planning to buy?

A San Diegan’s Guide To SDCC

by TinyNightmare

San Diego Comic-Con is a week away, and all of us OG Gamers and nerds will be using our well-honed gaming strategy and critical path-building skills to plan which panels they want to see, which celebrities they hope to meet and how they’re going to handle the 8-hour-long lines.

Being from San Diego I am lucky I have somewhere to stay ( and no, you cannot crash on my couch – sorry).

However, if you know anything about SDCC, whether  you are a local or not, you know the weekend is going to be expensive. Well-aware of the popularity of the event, hotels have increased their prices to match the demand, and many rooms are renting for over $400 a night! CRAY-Cray!

Your wallet after SDCC.
Your wallet after SDCC.

Airline algorithms have also noticed the increased traffic to San Diego in late July and are charging around $200 extra dollars per seat. If you haven’t already organized your travel and lodging, be prepared to spend even more; nearly all the hotels in San Diego are booked, and services like AirBed and Breakfast are charging $800 per night for local couchsurfers. Although there are couchsurfing websites you may be able to look into – it’s better than the convention floor! Besides, San Diegans have a reputation for being nice, so I’m almost 75% sure you won’t get brutally murdered.

After all that money getting here, you’ll need to eat. SDCC is right in the middle of Gaslamp Historical District, and honestly SDCC is the ONLY time this place is cool. Its overrun by nerds during SDCC instead the usual drunken jock crowd that tend to congregate here.

Since it is SDCC, and the only time of the year this part of town is absolutely awesome, you will want to check out the awesome events going on outside the convention hall (a local put a list together on Facebook) and buy a few things in the 460,000-square-foot Exhibit Hall and . (We’ve already written about the toys we want, like the exclusive Adventure Time puppies or the Transformers Masterpiece Soundwave.)

Imagine you are a San Diegan, because rent will still be due on the first of the month. Here are a few tips to enjoy the weekend without breaking your budget:

credit-cards

Don’t put anything on a high-interest credit card

Seriously, I live in San Diego and it is expensive! That one time you splurge on a $20 burger, or an $8 slice of pizza, trust me it isn’t a splurge. That’s how much it costs here, especially Gaslamp. We’re nerds, we can do math. There’s still time to search for a new credit card with a 0 percent interest rate. Start with the best cards from NerdWallet and make sure your $800 AirBed and Breakfast room isn’t going on a card that charges 20% interest!

800px-Refresh_005

Don’t buy food anywhere you have to sit down

I live in San Diego, so maybe I’m just biased but, you’ll have plenty of time for sitting when you’re waiting overnight for NBC’s Community Panel (Sunday, Hall H, hosted by Chris Hardwick). Instead, save on cash by eating only from places where you have to stand up: convenience stores and even those pretzels they sell in the convention center lobby.

If you really want to plan ahead, fill your backpack with delicious foodstuffs like granola bars and fruit; that’ll save you from a mid-afternoon snack attack where the only thing you can afford to eat comes with its own packet of orange nacho cheese (which is never actually cheese!).

But if you really want good food, go outside of downtown. Check out “restaurant row” on 30th street in North Park. It’s a $15 cab ride and well worth it if you need a break from the hustle and bustle.

limes_guy

Don’t buy anything you can’t carry

It’s way too easy to run through the Exhibit Hall like a katamari on Red Bull, grabbing everything that looks shiny until you have action figures spilling out of your arms. Because I have somewhere to go every night, I avoid those big bags like the plague or trust me – I WILL FILL IT. I’m a girl, its what we do. So I only hold on to what I can carry in my arms. If it isn’t worth carrying in my arms all day or immediately taking it back home (in your case your hotel room), then I probably don’t need it. When you run out of toys you can hold in your arms or pack into your Thinkgeek Bag of Holding, you’re done.

money

Don’t get defeated by money-sucking minibosses

Most of us are still Level 1 Financial Ninjas. We’re slowly making our way through the Financial Timeline of Adulthood but can still easily get tripped up by something stronger than we are, like an original animation cell from Spirited Away or a night spent drinking overpriced cocktails just because you heard that Joss Whedon was going to show up at the bar. (Pro tip: he’s not, unless its our Nerf Herder show – we hope.)

Last tip: whenever you feel like buying something, go sit in a line for a panel instead. It’ll take up a few hours, you’ll make new friends and you won’t be able to spend a single cent until the panel’s over.

How are you planning to spend your Comic-Con? Let us know in the comments – and don’t forget to visit the Geekscape crew at Booth 3919 in the Exhibit Hall and at Comic Con Nerdathon!

ComicCon_NerdAthon_2013_A

Geekscape Roundtable: What We’re Looking Forward To At SDCC – General Experience, Memories, And Events!

by GeekscapeStaff

With San Diego Comic-Con just one week away, everyone here at Geekscape is getting prepared for our biggest convention ever. As always, there will be more to see and do in San Diego next week than is humanly possible, so each of us has been scouring the schedules and deciding exactly what is most important to us while we’re there.

While deciding what we need to do and see, and what we’d be okay with missing, we thought that we’d include all of you in the fun as well. Here’s part one of our pre-SDCC round table, where we share what we’re most looking forward to at San Diego Comic-Con. Today, we’re talking the general experience, memories, and coolest events.

Jonathan London

Easily my most anticipated thing about San Diego Comic Con each year is the Geekscapists. Yes, seeing all of the cool announcements and discovering new things to love on the show floor or on the streets of the Gaslamp District are great, but nothing makes the San Diego experience more rewarding than seeing old Geekscapists and meeting new ones. It’s insane to think that this will be our sixth Comic Con since starting Geekscape, and every year we make new friends and see old ones that we don’t get to see any other time of the year. At least a few times at each Comic Con, I’ll have someone come up to the booth and introduce themselves as a long time fan of the show or the site and it’ll make everything we do hear seem so that much more worth it. And the silent Geekscapists are everywhere, even in our seventh year! Heck, I didn’t even know Derek Kraneveldt EXISTED until a few months ago and he’s been a supporter since the Geekdrome days!

I always look forward to spreading the Geekscape name and making new friends. This year, we’re sharing our booth with the folks at Lion Forge comics and getting people hyped about their upcoming comic books, of which I’m writing one. We’ll also be doing some promotion for the upcoming Geekscape co-produced ‘Doc of the Dead’ and revealing the ridiculous first footage from our new project ‘Paul London: Hero of the Prophecy’! I only wish that Paul could be there to see it (but he’ll be off on another wrestling adventure)! Plus, we’ve got our two sponsored back-to-back Nerdtacular concert series, which will know doubt cement Geekscape into the hearts and minds of a fresh new batch of Geekscapists!

Oh, and I get to meet Derek Kraneveldt in person too… I’m excited for that because I’m not sure he exists. Hell, I’m still not sure Shane is real. And was Matt Kelly EVER real…?

Shane O’Hare

This is my 9th SDCC. I’ve been going since 2004, starting out as a lowly nerd who strolled up to the convention center and bought a 4 day kid’s pass to the “reporter” I am now. Comic Con will ALWAYS be the highlight of my summer. Forever the memories are ingrained of the random rave that kicked up while watching the masquerade performance and getting drunk and ending up at the wrong hotel on the otherside of town.  This being my first event as Press, the doors have opened up. The events and interviews are going to be crazy. Aquabats, My Little Pony, Power Rangers, The World’s End, Evil Dead and more. I cannot comprehend the how fun it is going to be to really work the Con. The Geekscape Co Sponsored event Nerd-A-Thon is also going to be amazing. I cannot wait!

Jake Lopez

Between my family members and I, the San Diego International Comic-Con is treated as a week long holiday. The joy and excitement this event brings simply cannot be measured.

I was 18 when I went to my first Comic-Con. As with every other first-timer, I unknowingly stepped into a huge culture shock. I’m sure I did not walk the entire floor my first day, or even my second day. That year also saw my first real interview with some of the minds behind the Halo universe, an interview you can still find today somewhere on the internets. I was young, excited, and amazed at what exactly I was experiencing there at Comic-Con. And that’s the thing, year in and year out, those feelings never change. You’ll always feel young when walking the floor (I mean that figuratively, not physically).

The next year at the Con, I witnessed the last panel for LOST, a panel that ended with Somewhere Over the Rainbow playing over the loudspeakers immediately after Damon Lindelof told the crowd of 5,000 strong that he’d “see us some other time.” This memory belongs to me, but is shared with thousands others that will all recite it with just as much enthusiasm and excitement as if it happened ten minutes ago.

Yes, I am one of the newcomers to the Con and no, I don’t remember what it was like before the big Hollywood studios came over to promote their lineups. It doesn’t make me sad. While I believe there are some unwarranted panels, it doesn’t exactly hinder the experience for me. If the Con didn’t begin to encapsulate more than comic books, we wouldn’t have the full world in which our people reside in. Geeks don’t love JUST comic books. We love video games, movies, television, anime, cosplaying, partying, AND comics. Comic-Con is expanding, and with each new year, and each new expansion, the event grows. The memories become more plentiful. You’ll meet more people, and above all, you have more fun.

My past experiences at the Con have made this convention the end all be all to the greatest gathering of media in the world, and it will be treated as such when I arrive in San Diego next week. Hope to see you there!

Derek Kraneveldt

Sadly, I’ve only been to one convention in my entire life: Emerald City Comic Con way back when I was a youngin. With that said, despite reading all of the SDCC tips and watching all of the SDCC videos across the entire internet, I still feel as though I have no idea what to expect. And I couldn’t be more excited.

I can barely imagine an event with that many attendees. Hell, more people go to Comic Con than live in the city I reside in. It’s perplexing to even think about!

I’m excited for everything. Checking out panels, scoring interviews, being fed by game companies while playing games that aren’t even out yet, covering things that would be impossible to cover from home. It all sounds like a blast, and it sounds like so much fun that it couldn’t possibly be real. What I’m most excited for, however, is clear: meeting the rest of the Geekscape team. That’s right, I’ve been working with these people for nearly a year, speaking with them constantly, some of them daily… and I’ve never met a single one of them! I’m beyond excited for that to change.

Aside from that, I’m excited for the future of Geekscape! With announcements coming from Doc of the Dead and Lion Forge Comics, It’s simply enthralling to be a part of this team.

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That’s it for today! Look for part two in the series on Thursday!

Readers, are you headed to the convention? What are you most looking forward to?

San Diego Comic-Con Tickets On Sale February 16th!

by Derek Kraneveldt

SDCC 2013 is just 5 months away, and today it was revealed that badges are set to go on sale Saturday, February 16! You’ll want to mark your calendars and book the day off work: chances are if you’re not ready to buy the moment they go on sale… well, you’re not getting in!

 

All the info you’ll need is available (unsurprisingly) at comic-con.org.  Adults will be looking at $175 for a 4-day pass (including preview night), and prices of course drop from there!

 

Will you be going? Sound out! As always, Geekscape will have a booth, and I’ll be there attending my very first SDCC!

 

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Geekscape’s 13 Things To Look Forward To In 2013!

by GeekscapeStaff

So, while everyone is busy looking back at 2012 (it’s in the past guys!), here at Geekscape we’re looking forward to the future! While we may not yet have hoverboards or robot butlers, there are still plenty of good things coming this year.

13. Geekscape Goes Live!

Starting this week Geekscape goes live. Yep, you heard (read) that right. Now, not only do you get a weekly podcast but from here on out you’ll get a live show where you can call in and talk to us. We’ve got plenty of awesome guests coming next year so stay tuned to this site to see just who will be on the show. Oh, and don’t worry, Jonathan won’t be the only one on air.

12. Big Doc Of The Dead Announcements

We can’t tell you what they are yet. But we’ve got some big Doc Of The Dead announcements coming your way. Seriously, we can’t tell you yet.

11. Ni no Kuni’s Western Release

This one might be flying under most of your radars but we here at Geekscape are such big fans of both Level-5 (the Professor Layton series) and Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, etc.) that it has become hard for us to contain our excitement. Both the Nintendo DS and PS3 versions of the game have sold well in Japan, and when the PS3 version finally hits later this month we’ll be rushing to play this RPG version of a Hayao Miyazaki film. There’s no word on the DS version leaving to Japan but here’s to hoping that we’ll also see it soon.

10. The Superior Spider-Man

Already one of the most controversial stories from Marvel, this new era of Spider-Man shows quite a bit of promise and we’re pretty damn excited to see where writer Dan Slott takes it.  The first issue of Superior Spider-Man hits shelves next week and it’s definitely going to be at the top of our stacks. Well, most of us at least. Writer Shawn Madden already has three of the variant covers on hold.

9. The Conclusion Of “Death Of The Family”

One of the year’s biggest and best stories won’t conclude until February and we are on the edge of our seats wondering what’s going to happen next. Who is going to live? Who is going to die? Did Batgirl get her mothers finger on ice quick enough? How else will The Joker torture the Bat-family? While some of the New 52 may be disappointing the hell out of us, Scott Snyder has not failed to deliver and we can’t wait to see just how this story ends. Just…don’t kill Damian’s dog.

8. The Last Of Us

Want to get excited for a new IP? Watch this, watch this, and now you can’t wait. Not a PS3 owner? Buy one; Naughty Dog’s new game will be worth it.

The game was announced at the 2011 Spike VGA’s, and since that day (December 10th, 2011 to be exact), it’s been right at the top of my radar. It’s still tough for me to believe that The Last of Us is a current generation title. The game hits shelves (and my PS3) on May 7th, 2013.

7. Wondercon

Wondercon returns to Anaheim this year and Geekscape couldn’t be more excited. We’ll have surprise guests and announcements at the Geekscape booth and if last year is any indication, Wondercon in Southern California is shaping up to be the next big thing. Yes, it’s just a warm up to San Diego, but for people looking for something more manageable with more accessibility to creators and exclusives, Wondercon fits the bill. Plus, it’s still very, very much about comic books… and San Diego can’t really say that anymore.

6. The Walking Dead

After a strong end to a generally underwhelming second season, we really didn’t know what to expect when AMC’s The Walking Dead returned in the latter half of 2012. We certainly didn’t think we’d see 8 phenomenal episodes in a row, that’s for sure. Now that 2013 is upon us, we’re eagerly awaiting the second half of the season (beginning February 10th). Shit is about to hit the fan, and we couldn’t be more excited!

Not that those 8 episodes is all that The Walking Dead will be bringing us this year. A fourth season of the show was recently confirmed, a first person shooter is on its way via Activision, and let’s not forget 12 new issues of the phenomenal monthly comic by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard.

It’s going to be a great year for zombie fans. We just hope that we hear something from Telltale before 2013 is up!

5. Marvel & ABC’s S.H.I.E.L.D.

If you say you’re not excited for Marvel bringing their cinematic universe to television, then we have to say that you’re out of your mind. With the return of Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson teamed up with Joss Whedon writing the pilot mixed with the endless possibilities of expanding the Marvel Cinematic Universe even further every week, this may just be the television series we’re most looking forward to.

4. GTA V

Whoever said you can’t go home again obviously never lived in San Andreas, because GTA V is coming this spring (we’re betting the same Rockstar Games release window of late April) and with it comes the return of the greatest locale in any GTA game. We can’t wait to meet the crew, pull some heists, run over bystanders (who should know better by now), off-road it through the backwoods, para-glide, swim with sharks, pilot a sub and explore the world of GTA V. If there’s a game we’re looking forward to the most this year, this is it.

3. A Year Full Of Geektastic Movies

If you thought this year was a good year at the movies then you obviously haven’t been paying attention to next year’s line-up. We could easily make a list alone based on the releases that are coming to theaters with films such as Man Of Steel, Star Trek Into Darkness, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug, The Wolverine, Pacific Rim, GI Joe: Retaliation, Thor: The Dark World, Evil Dead and many more. Oh, how many more there are.

2. San Diego Comic-Con

No matter how many awesome movies and videogames come out in May and June, our summers are always anchored by Geekscape’s yearly trip to SDCC in July and hanging at the Geekscape booth. And 2013 promises to be the best year yet, with the return of the Geekscape booth, tons of geek meetups, awesome exclusives to buy and breaking news about pretty much EVERYTHING. It’s Spring Break for Geeks and Geekscape is king of the beach. Specific Geekscape things that we’re looking forward to are the return of Shawn Madden’s Trivia contests for prizes, Shane O’Hare’s Brony Cosplay and making another year’s worth of friends!

1. Iron Man 3/The Start Of Marvel Studios “Phase Two”

Sure, we already covered the movies that would be hitting theaters. But when Marvel’s The Avengers  (aka the biggest movie of 2012) ended, we all wanted more. So, there’s no question as to why Shane Black’s Iron Man 3 got it’s own position at the top of our list. Lets be honest here and admit that we can’t wait to see Robert Downey Jr. suit back up again and begin Marvel Studios “Phase Two”. With Shane Black, the man behind Lethal Weapon and The Last Boy Scout, in the directing chair and an all-star cast that includes Ben Kingsley as Iron Man’s arch-nemesis The Mandarin, this promises to not only be Tony Stark’s best cinematic outing but quite possibly Marvel Studios best as well.

Did we miss something that’s on your list? Do you think things should be in a different order? What do you mean you still haven’t read Amazing Spider-Man #700?! Sound off in the box below! As big a year as 2012 was, it looks like for us geeks, 2013 is set to be even bigger!

San Diego Keeps Comic Con Through 2016

by Molly Mahan

Previously, Comic-Con International had extended its contract to 2015, but today, in a joint announcement, CCI and Mayor Jerry Sanders revealed that Comic Con was to stay in San Diego through 2016. Additionally, the city committed to a $500 million expansion of the convention center, to appease the event organizers. With the annual event attracting over 130,000 attendees, the expansion is greatly over due—as any seasoned Con goer can tell you.

CBS8 reports:

“It’s not only an enormous source of pride, it’s an enormous source of revenue for San Diego — for the city, for the hotels, for the shops and for the restaurants. The economic impact is out of this world,” Sanders said.

The convention pumps $180 million into the local economy and provides the city of San Diego with $3 million in sales and hotel room tax income, Sanders said.

That revenue goes directly to city services, like public safety and library hours, according to Councilwoman Lorie Zapf. The convention center expansion will allow Comic-Con to host more attendees and conduct more panels, so there will be more jobs to support them, she said.

So what do you think? As a native Californian, I am of course pleased I don’t have to travel  very far for the experience. Is there another city (or state) you’d like to see Comic-Con International travel to, or is it so ingrained in your mind that it can’t possibly be the same any place else?

Comic-Con 2012: Peter Jackson’s Final Production Blog From ‘The Hobbit’

by Shawn Madden

So, while not showing all of the footage that was shown at this years San Diego Comic-Con (sorry guys)…this does feature the 11-minute opening that we were shown that gives a behind the scenes look at the filming and touches of new footage. This video also does feature some extras shot by Peter Jackson at this years Comic-Con.

I know that not everybody gets to Comic Con, so I thought I’d bring a little bit of Comic Con to you! Here’s a bit of what I saw in San Diego, and what those in Hall H got to see of The Hobbit! This is THE HOBBIT Production Diary #8, covering Comic Con and the final days of principal photography on the film. – Peter Jackson

Source: Peter Jackson

We Survived SDCC 2012… Almost! The Geekscapepod For July 21st, 2012

by Jonathan

San Diego Comic Con is in the rearview mirror and it’s time to look to the future! ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ has risen… but is it a satisfying conclusion to the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy? Also, what’s up with Geekscape at SDCC? Why no more interviews? Also, why is Geekscape kicking so much ass right now? PLUS! What’s worth checking out on the Geekscape site? A lot!

Subscribe to the show on iTunes!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:01 — 10.3MB)

Trailer For ‘Marvel Cinematic Universe – Phase One: Avengers Assembled’ Box Set

by Shawn Madden

Have you been wondering just what comes in the ten-disc Marvel Cinematic Universe – Phase One: Avengers Assembled Box Set? Well we now have a trailer for you detailing just what you will be getting. Minus the access denied folder with contents that not even I know. Trust me…I am dying to know what’s in it. Our own Scott Alminiana has pre-ordered this set after we saw it on the floor of this years San Diego Comic-Con. Will you assemble and purchase this ultimate collection?

SDCC 2012: The Geekscape Post Mortem / State of the Union!

by Jonathan

When I first started Geekscape in December of 2006, one of the first decisions I made was to apply for a San Diego Comic-Con booth. At the time, all applications sat at the end of a potential 4 year wait-list, but I knew that Geekscape was something that I wanted to create that would stand the test of time and that I could afford to be patient as it grew. In the Summer of 2010, Geekscape had its first booth on the SDCC floor. At the time, the wait-list was rumored to be 7 years and today, as Geekscape looks back on its 3rd year on the SDCC floor, the wait supposedly sits at 10. I haven’t always made the best decisions with this brand, but applying for real estate on the floor of the fan biggest convention in North America has easily been one of them.

And this year was our best year yet, both in terms of exposure, excitement and even sales. In fact, I was happy to discover that by 10am on Thursday, the morning of the first full day, we had sold more Geekscape t-shirts than during all four full days of last year’s SDCC. All weekend, while Scott Almaniana, Shawn Madden and the Geekscape press corps ran around bringing you fantastic Con coverage, Shane O’Hare and I weathered the constant barrage of visitors, fans and signings at the Geekscape booth. This summer, more than those past, the evidence was undeniable:  Geekscape is bigger and better than it ever has been. And I feel as though we’re just now really getting started. Thank the Old Gods that I’m patient, right?

The reasons for this surge in popularity are several, some planned, some not. First off, our site is finally something that can fully engage and keep an audience. With Shawn Madden and company keeping a steady stream of content on the site since our March relaunch, our numbers have steadily grown. At the time, we were the Top 260,000th site on web, with an average 30k pageview/month count. It was quite the sad state of affairs. In less than 6 months, we’re now on the verge of cracking into the Top 100,000 sites on the web with an average pageview/month of over 200k. We still have a ways to go, but there’s no denying that our mantra of consistency and quality is starting to show results. Add to this the brand new ScapePods, both regular and hopefully quality, and we’re really cooking with gas. In fact, I’ll soon be announcing some more audio podcasts to add to our slate of shows as I move my focus from the written content, now in solid hands, to the podcasts. They were our very start and I think that we can do more to get them out there to the audience that they all deserve… even The Saint Mort Show. Look for tweaks on the site in the coming months to help up the quality in what we do around here.

The FP‘s JTro and X-Men: First Class‘s Lucas Till drop by to say “what’s up” to Geekscape!

Another thing that’s helped us get our name out is our increase in friends. Geekscape was built as a resource for all like-minded geek creatives, and having folks like Doug Jones, Marc Zicree, Charlie Adard, Brea & Zane Grant and many others start to use it as a way to get the word out and share in our excitement is really rewarding. Their fans become excited about Geekscape. Geekscape fans become excited about their projects. And everyone wins. On Thursday, as my voice first started to fail (and I still had both our Comikaze/Stan Lee party and the Comics on Comics panel to go), Geekscape friends Jason Trost from The FP and Lucas Till from X-Men: First Class dropped by to talk to me about their upcoming project “Wet and Reckless“. I don’t have much news for you yet, but you know that as soon as I can share, you’ll see it shared on Geekscape! Across the board, creators like Mega 64, Jon Schnepp, Iain McCaig and more were excited for the first time to see what Geekscape had in the works (and there’s a lot).

On Friday, voice recovered as much as possible, The People VS George Lucas director Alexandre Philippe dropped by to deliver me a rare Japanese version of the film’s blu-ray (there is no US blu-ray).

In addition, we did an interview for our new Geekscape co-produced film Doc of the Dead with Fanboy Comix and held a fundraising poster signing with The Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard (in an hour we raised $1,000).

I was also finally able to begin recording some GeekscapePods to send to you fine folks. My intent was always to record more throughout the weekend, but the fact is that between keeping the booth running, helping the autograph signings and maintaining everything else, I definitely overestimated my ability to record. I did get Charlie Adlard, FX legend Iaian McCaig, MMA fighter Nate Quarry (who dropped by and surprised me as I was closing up shop Friday night) and Sean Becker and Teal Sherer to record some things for you. In the end though, not recording more content for you guys is something that I regret and next year I hope to have both Shane O’Hare and Matt Kelly there to give me a chance to get you some more pods! I would also like to record some more pieces from Geekscapists walking the floor and sharing their experiences. So I’ll plan accordingly and here’s to next year (because we did already pay for next year so start making plans to be there)!

“More podcasts next year!”

The final positive of this year are all of the new friends that we made. I had a tough time leaving the booth and only managed to do so for about 10 minutes a day to walk the floor (although I did manage lunch on two days which I thank Shane O’Hare so much for allowing me to do)! In that time, I went and bought a Zomb for Laura and got to see Geekscape friends like Kevin Eastman and Daniel Corey at their respective booths. I also had a slew of new friends come to the booth like our booth neighbor Maddox, pro-wrestler John Morrison (who will be on an episode of Geekscape very soon) and convention wild-man Keith Apicary (who did not get kicked out!).

So that was our year at San Diego Comic Con from my perspective and some hints of what’s to come. Super Action Man made an appearance on the final day to scare some visitors (into loving him) and scripts for the next Geekscape project after Doc of the Dead went to a few folks in the know in order to get the ball rolling for next year. It’s an incredibly exciting time for Geekscape and things are only going to get better. San Diego Comic Con is always a benchmark for how far we’ve come over the years and a few days removed from this year’s experience, I find myself both amazed and grateful for how far we have come together in the years since I ordered booth space back in December 2006. Thank you all so much for being a part of it and just you wait to see what’s next!

SDCC 2012: One Geek’s Journey Through The Madness Of Comic-Con (Part I)

by Scott Alminiana

San Diego Comic-Con 2012 is now over and I’ve been trying to get back to some semblance of a life, which has proved to be mildly difficult to do. See, this was only my second time ever going to SDCC. My first time was back in 2010 when I went for a single day. This time I was able to get my geek on for the entirety of SDCC thanks to Geekscape. Let me just say that going from one day to every day is a giant leap. To say that my ass was beat by Sunday would be an understatement. Regardless, it was still one hell of a ride. I’ve decided to just break down my experience into one article as opposed to doing multiple articles. It’s mainly due to the fact that some of the panels I went to were more entertaining than others and therefore

Preview Night: Myself and Shawn Madden arrived into the heart of Whale’s Vagina at around 2 pm. We made our way over to the Hyatt where Shawn was staying with Mr. London and Geekscape’s own Rarity cosplaying brony, Shane O’hare. Once the luggage was dropped off I headed over to the convention center to pick up my badge. Seeing as it was only 3 pm and the floor didn’t open until 6 pm, Shawn and I decided to head into the Gaslamp District and grab some lunch and check things out. Lionsgate was going to show a free screening of Dredd later that night so we went by the theater to see if there was a line forming yet. There wasn’t so we went to TGIFriday’s for happy hour. After some much needed 1/2 priced appetizers and a long island iced tea (I was on vacation, don’t judge me) we headed back by the theater and found that there was a line forming but it was still early so we weren’t too worried. We killed some time until 6 pm rolled around, at which point I headed back to the convention center to check out Preview night while Shawn decided he would go grab us a prime spot in the line for the movie.

Upon setting foot on the convention floor my first thought was “where the hell is the Geekscape booth?” I knew it was booth #3919 but I had no idea where that was. Luckily, SDCC has giant banners hanging above the aisles letting you know what aisle number you’re on. Unlucky for me though was the fact that the floor was packed with people trying to get their hands on all the exclusives available. It was mass chaos on the floor with people pushing and shoving trying to get around, it was a nightmare. After what seemed like an eternity I finally found my way to Geekscape’s home for the duration of SDCC met some of the other writers for the site. It was good to finally put faces to names for the first time and after pleasantries had been made I decided to leave the madness of Preview Night behind me and head back to the theater to meet up with Shawn. It was 7:30 pm by the time I got there and a small but decent sized line had started to form. We had a good place in line for the movie…or so I thought.

Lionsgate had been advertising this free screening of Dredd all over twitter for at least a week but what they failed to advertise was the fact that it was  press screening of the movie and that seating was super limited. This was a fact no one in line knew until about 9:30 that night when a second line started forming next to the one we were waiting in. To say that the whole thing was a giant clusterfuck and was horrible organized would be a huge understatement. Needless to say, after they let in every member of the press only about 20 people from our line were let in. Yeah, we waited for about 3 and a half hours only to not get into the movie. Sucks to be us. After we let our geek rage subside we decided to call it a night and get some rest for day one of SDCC.

Day One: First stop was booth 1515 to pick up a 50 Shades of Grey button for a friend back east. Why they were giving out 50 Shades buttons at SDCC I have no idea but picked one up I did *Yoda voice*. After that I did some wandering around the floor and took buku photos of everything. Then I made my way to the Geekscape booth to say my hellos and meet up with Eric Diaz and our friend Noah. While waiting in the booth I  did manage to snap a pic of Katniss Everdeen as she attempted to assassinate Jonathan. Luckily for Jonathan’s sake, brony extraordinaire Shane O’Hare was close by and able to use his magical pony powers to defeat Katniss and save Jonathan’s life. True story. 

Most of my day was spent wandering around the convention floor and taking a shit load of pictures like a Japanese tourist at Disneyland. I even made an impulse buy that I am in no way shape or form ashamed of despite the fact that perhaps I should be. What was that impulse buy you ask? It was a Wampa hat of course! You know, because every person really needs their own Wampa hat. All I’ve got to say about this is that I think I look absolutely fabulous in it and that it will keep my noggin warm the next time I find myself on the frozen tundra of Hoth. 

There was a press conference for Disney that afternoon that I was fortunate enough to attend. It consisted of 3 seperate Q&A press conferences for Frankenweenie, Oz: The Great and Powerful, and Wreck-It Ralph. First up was Frankenweenie with Tim Burton there to answer questions about his latest stop-motion movie. Burton said that this movie was something that was very near and dear to his heart and he was very glad to be able to return to it and expand on his original idea.  When asked what it was like to walk out onto the stage at Hall H and feel the love from the huge crowd, “It’s amazing you know, I wish my family treated me that way. I walk in the door and no one says anything, so it’s nice for a change to get that sorta thing (laughs). I remember coming here back in the late 70’s when it was at the Holiday Inn. It’s amazing what it’s turned into.”

Next up was the press conference for Oz: The Great and Powerful. It featured director Sam Raimi and stars Mila Kunis and Michelle Williams. Let me just say that I’m usually not one to get star-struck but when I saw these two beautiful women walk on stage I instantly fell in love twice. My jaw damn near hit the floor but being as I was about 10 feet from them I had to forcibly keep my jaw closed and make sure I didn’t start drooling. Yeah, they are that gorgeous in the real world. This was a good press conference in which some good questions were asked. When asked what it was like to step into the world of a beloved classic Rami had one of the single greatest responses I’ve heard. “We all love The Wizard of Oz movie but we were careful to respect it. But really ours is a different story, it’s a story that leads up to The Wizard of Oz. It’s a story about how the wizard came from Kansas to the land of Oz and how a slightly selfish became a slightly more selfless man. And its the story of how he became the Wizard. It’s a fantastic story that answers that question… It’s not really a remaking The Wizard of Oz, so it’s not really something we had a problem we had to deal with.”

The final panel of the day was for Wreck-It Ralph and was just a lot of fun. John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman were in attendance and both of them just hilarious. Naturally video games were a hot topic through out this press conference. When asked what their favourite games were growing up Reilly’s answer was “I am dating myself by saying this but I was the test audience for Space Invaders. I spent a lot of money on Space Invaders.” Silverman loved Pitfall, Joust, and was big on Centipede. Everyone was eager to know how hard it was to get video game companies to license out their characters and as it turns out most of them were all too eager to let their characters be used in the movie. Wreck-It Ralph just reminds me so much of my youth and I can’t wait for this one to come out.

My first day at SDCC may have been over but the was just beginning. Thursday night was the Geekscape party that we co-hosted along with Stan Lee’s Comikaze, I’d tell you all  about it but then Jonathan would have to kill me. All I can say is that I saw a Predator crumping, Dark Helmet win the costume contest, and that I saw Geekscape’s own Shawn Madden get in a break-dance battle with the red Power Ranger. I’m not making that up, that really happened!

Come back tomorrow for part II and find out where my journey through SDCC lead me next.

Geekscape Comics: ‘The Walking Dead #100’ Already Going Into Second Print

by Shawn Madden

Issue number 100 of The Walking Dead had a print run of 380,000 copies and it’s already sold out. Having already broken one record becoming the best-selling comic book in initial orders for any publisher since 1997…could it be on the path to breaking even more records?

I spoke with a local shop owner who also owned one of the busiest booths at this years San Diego Comic-Con and he went on to state that the book was flying out of his hands at record numbers on the first two days alone and he was even selling the limited variant covers at a couple hundred dollars a pop.

I even decided to check out eBay and variants such as the one above are even cranking out averaging about $400 a piece. With such a high demand we could see this book going into multiple printings much faster than usual. With this many copies sold in just one week since its release this issue could very well be on the path to breaking even more records and setting a very high bar.

SDCC 2012: Stan Lee’s World Of Heroes

by Matt Blackwood

Stan Lee announced the lineup of his new World of Heroes YouTube channel on Thursday, and despite being about as diverse as you can get in tone and style, every show does seem to fit Lee’s mandate of showing a “different side of herodom.”

Here’s the lowdown:

Geek Therapy
A scripted show starring America Young as a shrink specializing in nerdy neuroses.

Fan Wars
A sort of People’s Court in which Judge Jace Hall presides over fan debates such as who would win in a fight between the Avengers and the X-Men. Viewers will recognize the format from Lewis Black’s late Root of All Evil. The courtroom setting differentiates it slightly from the Nerdist channel’s Tournament of Nerds.

Bad Days
What happens when Batman locks his keys in the Batmobile? Find out in this series of bite-size cartoon vignettes showing all those times things don’t go quite right for our favorite heroes.

Geek DIY
Craftswoman extraordinaire Bonnie Burton (“Admiral Sackbar”) invites famous friends to join her as she takes on new fan-related projects.

Stan’s Rants
Stan Lee gets all up in your face to let you know exactly what he is thinking about a current development in the comics world and beyond.

Academy of Superheroes
A reality competition show in which aspiring real-life superheroes (yes, really!) learn everything they need to know from celebrity guest instructors.

SuperFans
Adrianne Curry visits and interviews real fanboys and girls around the country whose obsessions have taken over their lives and homes.

Chatroom of Solitude
Jeff Lewis, Phil Lamarr, and others portray supervillains who communicate (squabble and talk trash) over Skype. The hilarious highlight of the previews. NSFW.

Super.Model
An action series about a fashion model with super powers.

Head Cases
Peter David is still writing this sitcom he describes as Cheers with superheroes.

SDCC 2012 Video Game Round-Up: Avengers: Battle For Earth

by Matt Blackwood

I got a chance to play Avengers: Battle For Earth, the upcoming Marvel Universe fighting game for XBox Kinect, and…

Well, it’s not fully assembled.

The camera had some trouble distinguishing between different gestures, necessitating a precision of movement that doesn’t feel intuitive. And sometimes movements would be lost completely, which is especially frustrating considering the calories you burn jumping and gesticulating like a madman.

But keep in mind that the game won’t release until November, so they have plenty of time to work out these bugs. And once they do, the gameplay should really excite fans.

Designers clearly put a lot of thought into how different characters move. Far from the button mashing of MvC, you really feel the variation in what powers you’re unleashing.

Whether extending the arms and fingers like jazz hands to expand Venom’s tendrils, rapidly pushing forward to activate Iron Man’s repulsor blasts, or making a hugging motion with the Hulk to rip up a chunk of earth, you can really feel that you’re affecting the game’s colorful world.

And when you swing your imaginary hammer and see the thunder really called down on your opponent, it can be Mighty fun.

UPDATED! Geekscape SDCC Booth #3919 Schedule!

by Jonathan

The Geekscape Booth Schedule for the 2012 San Diego Comic Con

We are still adding guests!

Be sure to check back regularly as we confirm new guests and signings throughout the next two weeks! The will be our best and biggest year ever!

The Geekscape SDCC is Booth #3919!

Wednesday, July 11th

Preview Night!

Thursday, July 12th

11am – 12pm – The Geek Girls Create Meet Up! – Leah Cevoli (Robot Chicken), Stephanie Thorpe (every single thing on the internet), Helenna Santos Levy (American Reunion), Kristen Nedopak (Skyrim Parodies), Crix Lee (COO GirlGamer.com), Jessica Mills (Awkward Embraces)

12pm – 1pm – Shelf Life‘s Yuri Lowenthal (Ben 10, Prince of Persia) & Tara Platt (Naruto)

1pm – 2pm – The Comedy Film Nerds Book Signing with Chris Mancini and Graham Elwood!

3 – 4pm – We Will Bury You‘s Brea Grant (Heroes, Dexter) and Zane Grant

4 – 5 pm – Marc Zicree – Author of The Twilight Zone Companion

JUST ADDED to 4-5 pm! Doug Jones (Hellboy 1&2, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Watch, Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer)

5:30 – 6:30 pm – Writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Lost, Middleman)

Friday, July 13th

12pm – 1pm – Juan Manuel-Rocha & Fanboy Comics Signings!

2pm – 3pm – SG Browne – Author of Breathers, Fated and Lucky Bastard

4:30 – 5:30 pm – Artist Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead)

Charlie will NOT be signing any Walking Dead material. He will solely be signing Doc of the Dead posters for charity.

5:30 – 6:30 pm – The Vacationeers (Stars and writers of upcoming film It’s a Disaster)

Saturday, July 14th

11am – 12pm – The Space Command Poster Launch/Signing with Marc Zicree and more!

12 pm – 1pm – The Stars and Creators of FearNet’s Holliston

1pm – 2pm – Director Jon Schnepp (Metalocalypse)

2pm – 3pm – The Guild director Sean Becker and star Teal Sherer previewing their new project “My Gimpy Life”!

3pm – 4pm – Doug Jones (Hellboy 1&2, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Watch, Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer)

Sunday, July 15th

1pm – 2 pm – Artist Melissa Sanchez (artist of the 2012 Geekscape SDCC Print)

2pm – 3 pm –  The “Batgirl Spoiled” Team Signing – ‘Batgirl’ Marisha Ray, ‘Harley Quinn’ Tara Strand plus more!

An SDCC Veteran Tells You What You Really Need To Know At Comic-Con!

by Shane O'Hare

This is the time of year. San Diego Comic Con is about to begin. This will be my 9th SDCC, and over the years I have developed a keen sense of how to have a crazy fun and pain free adventure into the Geek Mecca. Come with me as I give you some Tips & Tricks from a SDCC veteran. If this is your first year, make sure to check out the guide written up by our own Scott Alminiana! It is perfect for the guy who just doesn’t know what kind of adventure Comic Con is.

First off, the look. Yeah, comic con is the pinnacle of bad fashion and geek T-Shirts. Yeah, it’s okay to wear your 10 year old Joker shirt, but please look tidy. The old, virgin me (literally and figuratively)used to wear the Cargo shorts, Hookups Shirt and Golfing hat. FUCK I thought I looked so fly, but I didn’t. I looked like the comic shop owner from The Simpsons. If you look like an adult, you will be treated like an adult.

Next politeness. Be overly nice. The people working booths are going to be tired and worn thin, so you don’t wanna be THAT guy. Don’t ask a cosplayer to see her tits, even if you had cool Two-Toned hair like I did.

Wanna know what one of the most funnest panels that you don’t think would be fun for the everyday geek? Burn Notice. Or really any of the USA networks panels for that matter. Burn Notice is just Bruce Campbell being Bruce, having fun with the audience and telling funny stories. One year I went to it and he was giving out $20 bills to fans that asked flattering questions. Best part? Everyone in the audience gets a ticket, you go to a secret room hand them the ticket BOOM! Free shirt!

So with most of the common sense out of the way, lets get into the nitty gritty. Preview. Fucking. Night. If you are lucky enough to get into the most exclusive night then you are a lucky goose. First off, DO NOT BRING ANYTHING! The only thing open Preview Night is the convention floor, so it will be packed. The entirety of the attendees will all be sharing the same room together. There wont be a couple thousand in Hall H. There wont be the hundreds hanging out in Ballroom 20. They will all be there with you, cluttering up the main floor. If you have a bag or anything extra to carry, you are going to be bumped, torn and jostled more than an unwanted baby. Do not plan on buying anything either. Yeah, the Death Star collectors set from last year was fucking rad, but I saw a dude literally start crying from having to carry it around the floor for a few hours. Use preview night to check out some of the great booths, like GEEKSCAPE #3919 and pick out some stuff you wanna buy. Do your shopping Thursday or Sunday.

Now we all know the best part of the Con after hours is the fucking parties. There are a shit ton going on all around San Diego. Downtown has a bunch of bars and clubs that cater exclusive events such as the Suicide Girls from years past, after they were banned from SDCC. But you asked “Shane! I am not cool enough to get into some of the exclusive events, an I spent the most of my bribe money on Hasbro Exclusives (Like I am going to). WHAT PARTIES CAN I GET INTO?”. The easiest and cheapest party if you wanna see some cool people, isn’t even a party at all. It is the downstairs lobby bar for the Hyatt just a few blocks away from the convention center. Just wander in and hang out with the important people. This is the place where the famous tussle happened. This is also where I drunkenly yelled at whom I thought to be a random blonde, ended up being Tricia Helfer from BSG. I think I may have called her a stuck up bitch. I can’t remember much from that night.

Now we get to the most important part of the convention. Trying to hookup with hot chicks. Now, for most of you it is going to be a hard task. Most girls hot girls will have their shields up from all the picture requests and just want to head home with good old Mr. Hitachi Magicwand. The dorky nerdy girls will be oblivious to your come ons and more focused on the sweet swag or the KAWAII anime hats. So lets say you strike out preview night. Then Thursday. Then Friday. Saturday morning comes and you are getting desperate. You start browsing Craigslist while in line for signings. You’re getting drastic. Well NEVER FEAR SHANE IS HERE! Most people are aware of the grandiose masquerade. Ballroom 20 turns into cosplay heaven. You will most likely be geared to wandering into the giant ballroom to watch the fun. DO NOT DO THIS! This is a mistake. Instead get into the line dedicated for the ballroom overflow. This will lead you into the Sails Pavilion. Where SDCC has provided you a wonderful room for festivities. They put up a big ass projector and broadcast the costume contest via CCTV for you to see. There are tables, chairs and most importantly BOOZE! The vodka cranberrys they make here are cheap, get you drunk (possibly crunk) and ready for fun. Keep feeding yourself booze until the contest is over. Then you will see the Sails Pavilion turn from modest theater to FANTASTIC NIGHT CLUB! A DJ emerges from the back, the lights go down and the music goes up. What was before a group of conservative and quiet nerds is now a raving mosh pit of drunk party goers. People in costume jumping, dancing and twirling glowsticks is really a sight to be seen. Speaking as an electro DJ, the music is usually pretty good. The best part though is the fruit. The low hanging fruit. AKA the girls who couldn’t get into the Stan Lee party and are bummed out are now drunk and in their slutty Anime Nurse costumes looking for fun. Buy them a Vodka Cranberry, make it a double, and apply dance moves. No one cares how bad you are at it, the only light will be glowsticks and strobes. If you do not care about what kind of costume she is wearing, this is your place to pick up some ladies. This goes to about 1 AM!

PROTIP: Behind the curtains just beyond the DJ booth are more tables. Perfect for an anonymous encounter with a cosplaying lady.

Afterwards if you are still standing, you can find a golf cart and drive it a few blocks to the Hyatt and randomly join up with a BSG tweetup.

So that’s that! Come, have fun, be flexible with your schedule and life will be glorious this weekend. HEY! If you are clever enough with tools, you could make a GoPro mount for your shoes! Perfect for those booth babe photo ops!

Before The Doors Open: Photos From The SDCC Floor!

by Shane O'Hare

Today me and our fearless leader got into the San Diego Comic Con and snapped some photos of the show floor, before ANYONE else! Take a look below!

SO! Come! Stay a while and listen! We are at booth #3919! And keep checking the site for updated schedule of special guests!

The Geekscape Guide To Surviving Comic-Con 2012

by Scott Alminiana

Comic-Con 2012 is only a few short  days away and we thought it was the perfect time to give you some tips on how to successfully survive it. These are essentials to help you wander and enjoy the craziness that is San Diego Comic-Con! Just writing this is making me that much more excited for Comic-Con. This is comparable to the feeling I used to get as a kid when I would anxiously await Christmas. Sorry I digress, without further udo I present to you the Geekscape Guide To Surviving Comic-Con 2012:

Snacks and Water: This is a must have for anyone who is going…especially if you plan on going to Hall H, in which case you will probably want to double the amount of snacks and water you bring. Having snacks and water is important because 1) the food and drinks there aren’t cheap at Comic-Con, plus there’s that whole waiting in line for them part and 2) waiting in line for food/drinks cuts into the time you could be at panels…or more likely, in line for those panels.

Comfortable Shoes: Nothing is worse than when you’ve been walking all day and your feet are just killing you. That’s where comfortable shoes come in. I’m going to be wearing my Nike Free’s, they are like walking on a cloud. No seriously they are that comfortable. Get yourselves some comfortable shoes, no one wants to see you walking around barefoot like those girls you see in Vegas after a night of clubbing. Ewww no thank you.

Have a Plan of Action: There is a ton of shit to do and see at Comic-Con, so figure out what you want to do. Prioritize. If there’s a certain panel you want to see then you’d best figure out when/where it is and get there early. A big part of Comic-Con is the waiting in lines for the shit you want to see. So be prepared to wait. Also you should have a back up plan just in-case you can’t get into the panel you want to see. 

 Have Cash Handy: Sure, most everything takes plastic now-a-days but for those unforeseen events. I knew a guy once who went to Vegas for the weekend and the bank put a hold on his funds due to “suspicious activity” once he was there and wouldn’t you know it, he couldn’t get the hold lifted due to it being the weekend. Needless to say his weekend was ruined and his good time was not so good. Don’t be that guy at Comic-Con. Wouldn’t you hate to see that exclusive action figure get away from you because you didn’t have cash on you?

A Pack of Gum: Just because you’re a geek/nerd doesn’t mean you don’t care about having bad breath. I’m sure that artist and that hot Slave Leia you talk to will appreciate it. This is actually a good segway into the next item on the list…

Deodorant: That same artist and hot Slave Leia will also especially appreciate your not reeking of B.O. Anyone who has been to Comic-Con before knows that a big problem with having that many geeks in place is the massive stench of B.O. wafting through the air. Bantha fodder consisting of a dead Tauntaun carcass has a more pleasant odor. Do your part to help fight the plight of body odor. Just because you’re a geek/nerd doesn’t make it okay to smell bad. I’m actually contemplating bring a can of Axe body spray just to spray anyone who smells bad. Yeah, Axe is for douches but if you get sprayed with it it’s your own damn fault.

Phone Charger: This just goes without saying. Need I even give an explanation? I made the dumb move of forgetting my charger the first year I went and my phone died on me half-way through the day. There are a lot of memories that will forever remain only in my brain due to my blunder. You can bet your ass I wont make that mistake this time.

Emergen-C and Hand Sanitizer: Lots of people in one place equals buku germs. Take an Emergen-C first thing in the morning and the hand sanitizer as needed. You can thank me later.

Pain Meds: That much insanity in one place for five days is bound to give you a headache eventually. Now you’ll have something to fight your aches and pains with. Ta-da!

The Blood of Your First Born Child: …because something’s at Comic-Con are just worth it. Shhhh don’t ask, you’re better off not knowing.

Pace Yourself: This is maybe the most important thing on the list. Just know that you won’t be able to do it all. So pace yourself and don’t try to do it all. Remember, you’ve gotta make it to the finish line and that’s a five day trip.

The My Little Pony Friendship Express Trolley Sighting

by Shane O'Hare

We recently posted about the My Little Pony goings on during Comic Con. Specifically that San Diego Metro and The HUB were turning one of the trolleys into the MLP:Friendship Express! Now a intrepid user Fabian has spotted and recorded the Trolley in San Diego. Check it out below.

OMGOSHOMGOSHOMGOSHOMGOSHOMGOSH!!! I am jumping with delight! I cannot wait for Comic Con! If you are attending the convention be sure to ride the trolley, and come by the Geekscape Booth #3919 and say hello to your truly!

‘The Expendables 2’ Exclusive Comic Con Poster.

by Shane O'Hare

If you are a fan of the Expendables, and really who isn’t, then Hall H is the place you want to be.

Not only is Lionsgate hosting a gigantic panel that features the likes of Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, and Randy Couture. They are giving away, to the first 250 attendees THIS poster signed by the cast!

Geekscape Comics: Marvel NOW Point One Teaser

by Shawn Madden

Marvel has released a new teaser following up some of their announcements about Marvel NOW. This appears to possibly be one of many teasers showing characters that they will begin to push more. Information will be revealed about Marvel NOW at San Diego Comic-Con and we will have announcements for you throughout the week.

Find out more about Marvel NOW! Point One, Friday July 13th, at the Marvel Cup O’ Joe panel, 3:15 PM PST, during Comic Con International 2012!

Can’t make it to the convention? Follow along on the Marvel Events App & events.marvel.com, the best way to get exclusive videos, real-time announcements from the convention floor and up-to-the-minute panel, in-booth, and signing schedules of all your favorite Marvel creators!

And don’t forget to join the conversation on Twitter with #MarvelNOW!

Source: Marvel

The Aquabats Have Super Rad Merch for Comic Con 2012

by Shane O'Hare

The crazy cool teenaged superheroes The Aquabats! will be some heavy hitters this year at San Diego Comic Con! Not only will they have a panel on Friday, but merchandizer ToddLand will be selling some crazy cool gear at their booth! Take a look at their menu of cool!

 

So if you are able to attend the con, check out booth #3449

Get These Awesome Posters Just In Time For Comic-Con!!!

by Scott Alminiana

Well folks, Comic-Con ’12 is fast approaching. It’s just 5 loooong days away! Here’s something awesome to help hold you over until it arrives.

Andrew Heath is a graphic designer and he has some awesome prints available in honor of this years Comic-Con. The Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2 print is a limit edition run of only 15. It is 18″x24,” hand numbered and signed and goes for $50. The rest are either $10 or $20. They are available for purchase here. What do you think, do you want them as badly as I do?

First Look At Matt Damon In ‘Elysium’

by Shawn Madden

Neill Blomkamp (‘District 9’) will be releasing the first look at his upcoming sci-fi flick ‘Elysium’ at San Diego Comic-Con but we have the first look at Damon in the movie for you right now. Yup…Damon is bald in this movie. And what is Chemrail? I don’t know. I will be attempting to attend the panel in Hall H and fill you guys in. Key word: attempt.

Set in 2159, Damon plays a man who takes on a daunting mission in a world where the very wealthy live on the pristine, man-made space station called Elysium, and fight to keep the citizens of Earth from illegally immigrating. Political subtext!

Co-starring Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, William Fichtner, Alice Braga, Diego Luna and Wagner Moura, “Elyisum” opens on March 1, 2013. Take a look at bigger pic below.

 

Source: The Playlist

The Details On Marvel Studios Short Film ‘Item 47’

by Shawn Madden

After ‘The Avengers’ hit theaters it was revealed that Marvel had a shot a short film in secret. The short film that will be featured on the Blu-Ray as well as receiving a screening during Comic-Con next week is titled ‘Item 47’. Now thanks to Entertainment Weekly we have details on the cast and just what the 12 minute ‘Item 47’ is about and how it is expanding the Marvel universe.

The film is the latest in the company’s series of shorts dubbed “One-Shots,” a comic book term for stories that wrap up in one issue. Lizzy Caplan (Party Down, pictured) and Jesse Bradford (Flags of Our Fathers) star as a down-on-their-luck couple who find one of the discarded alien guns from the finale to The Avengers — and proceed to make some incredibly bad decisions.

Item 47 refers to the gun itself, which S.H.I.E.L.D. would like very much to retrieve from the hapless young troublemakers. “The world is topsy-turvy now. There’s been an alien invasion, and things are crazy,” explains Marvel Studios co-president Louis D’Esposito, who directed the film himself. “So when this gun ­literally fell into their lap, this is a sign: We’re going to rob a few banks, we’re going to buy a boat, we’re going to the Caribbean, and all our problems will be solved.”

Two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents (Maximiliano Hernández, returning from Thor and The Avengers, and Lost’s Man in Black Titus Welliver, making his Marvel debut) are given the job of cleaning up the mess and stopping this modern Bonnie and Clyde (not coincidentally named Benny and Claire.)

The goal was to show some non-superpowered people reacting to the aftermath of The Avengers. “Anything that expands the world and shows you the more human elements of it, that just makes the world more colorful and fun for the average viewer,” says Eric Pearson, who wrote the screenplay for Item 47, as well as the previous two One-Shots: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer and The Consultant.

 


First Look At ‘Iron Man 3’ Concept Art Poster For San Diego Comic-Con

by Shawn Madden

Well it look’s like next week if you are attending San Diego Comic-Con you will be able to snag one of these posters for ‘Iron Man 3’ featuring some of the concept art. Tony Stark? Check. Extremis armor? Check. Awesome? Check.

Source: EW

First Plot Synopsis For M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘After Earth’

by Shawn Madden

M. Night Shyamalan has recently wrapped on his post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie ‘After Earth’ starring Will Smith and son Jaden Smith. The film was written by Gary Whitta (‘Book Of Eli’) and we now have our first plot summary.

In After Earth, one thousand years after cataclysmic events forced humanity’s escape from Earth, Nova Prime has become mankind’s new home. Legendary General Cypher Raige (played by Will Smith) returns from an extended tour of duty to his estranged family, ready to be a father to his 13-year-old son, Kitai (played by Jaden Smith). When an asteroid storm damages Cypher and Kitai’s craft, they crash-land on a now unfamiliar and dangerous Earth. As his father lies dying in the cockpit, Kitai must trek across the hostile terrain to recover their rescue beacon. His whole life, Kitai has wanted nothing more than to be a soldier like his father. Today, he gets his chance.

Did this spark your interest? Going to Comic-Con? Well there will be a panel for ‘After Earth’ you can attend on Saturday, July 14th. . “The SDCC panel will include the film’s screenwriter Gary Whitta and cinematographer Peter Suschitzky, as well as the team behind the tie-in comic book After Earth: Innocence, artist Beni Lobel and writers Robert Greenberger and Michael Friedman. Peter David, author of the After Earth prequel novel, will also be there.”

The surprise twist is that even after all the movies he has made that we hated…we are all probably going to watch this. Let’s hope for the best this time around. I’ll be attending the panel at SDCC and will definitely let you guys know how it looks.

‘After Earth’ hits theaters June 7, 2013.

Source: Filmofilia