Tag: SDCC 2012

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!

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

SDCC 2012 Wrap up: The Aquabats Super Show!

by Shane O'Hare

The legendary group of super powered teenagers return for their 2nd SDCC, this time with an entire season of their hit show “The Aquabats! Super Show!” in the can. Come with me, we’re going to dig into what went on during their panel, roundtable interview and the concert at the House of Blues!

The day started off fantastic, working the booth in my Aquabats! gear feeling pretty much a pimp. Time for the panel and interview and I am walking at a nice pace towards the meeting room. High as a kite, so excited to see what great things will happen, when the absolute worst happens! My SD card in my phone imploded. All my pictures and notes from the week were toast. Gone. POOF! My big Aquabat fanatic heart sank. Then it fell even further into depression when I saw the line. It went down the hall, around the corner and looped back THREE times. I slumped down in the hallway and nursed the dieing battery in my phone. Sadness overcame me. I was defeated even before I started. Then I spied the guys from Toddland. The great group of guys that make the new Aquabats! merchandise! I walked over to say high again and to chat more about their products. I walked up and talked to the head beard himself, Todd Masters.

Shane: “So how did you guys come about making this new merchandise for the Aquabats?”

Todd: “Well we all are the old Paul Frank Kids. We created the original belt for the Aquabats. So we were already fans.”

Shane: “Now all your products I’ve seen on the floor are REALLY cool. Where do the designs come from and what is the logic behind them all?”

Todd: “Well we basically make things we like, we make the shirts and wallets and sweaters for us and like minded people are attracted to us. Also everything kind of goes together, the Aquabats wallet goes with the Adventure Time sweater and so on.”

Todd assured me they were just fans making gear for a group they appreciated. Being able to make the pajamas from the “Floating Eye of Death” episode was really really fun for them.

After our brief chat I returned to my wall charger of despair. Knowing I’d never be able to make it into the panel, I was just going to wait for the press round-table. Then again, my eyes spied another friend. JP from The Hub wandered into view. I ran up to say hello and he recognized me and quickly pushed me into the panel. Then my bad luck with my busted SD card started to balance out when I saw our own Matt Blackwood up front saving a seat for me! PLUS HE HAD A WORKING CAMERA!

Photo Credit Todd Williamson/ Invision for The Hub/ AP Images.

The panel started out with normal ‘bat vigor. The lights went out and the opening from the Super Show! played on screen while the ‘bats ran up and took their places. Also joining them were directors Matt Chapman (AKA Strongbad) and Jason deVilliers. The most surprising guest was the panel moderator. Gerard Way!

Photo Credit Todd Williamson/ Invision for The Hub/ AP Images.

The panel went smoothly. Finding out how Matt Chapman met the Aquabats and conversely how they met Gerard Way. Way back when, before MCR, Way was making vinyl figurines in a small shop in New Jersey. One day the Homestarrunner crew came in and wanted some of their own. The rest is history.

We saw some funny bloopers and clips, and even were able to see a commercial that was removed from air just DAYS before the episode went out. It was one directed by Mega64 and it was called “Garage Door Escape”. It was a product that mimics some of Indiana Jones greatest escapes. We see a kid hit his garage door close button, and run through an obstacle course consisting of skeletons, poison darts, boulders and magma. The ultimate goal is to slide under the garage door before it closes, insuring survival. They said The HUB pulled that at the last minute, I’m assuming it’s because if the kid didn’t make it he wouldn’t have “survived”. At the end of it his Dad watering the lawn says “Nice survival son!”. Kind of morbid, but very hilarious.

It also wouldn’t be an Aquabats event if a baddie didn’t show up. This time Snakey walked in from down the hall and caused a ruckus.

Photo Credit Shahab Zargari of Verbicide Magazine
Photo Credit Todd Williamson/ Invision for The Hub/ AP Images.

As you can see he was a menace. He knocked over an easel and pulled all the mic’s off the table. Shortly thereafter the panel was over and all who were there to interview them stayed in the room preparing for the round table. Mulling around I started talking with a couple of guys. I met Ryan Brunty of Insert Coins 21+ arcade in Las Vegas and Shahab Zargari of Verbicide Magazine. Shahab really saved me with these pics from the interview, my SD card was still fried.

The actual interview was fairly mellow. The Aquabats looked very tired, and The Bat Commander was answering most of the questions. The most crucial piece of information was that the HUB is in talks to get the show renewed for a second season, but nothing is confirmed. When asked about a possible soundtrack for the show the band did say they had full length versions of all the songs either recorded or planned out. My hopes are high for some great music to come out of the show. We all shook hands and the group went and recorded some clips for HUBWORLD. I gathered my things and headed home. The next day called for all my energy as I was going to the concert at the House of Blues!

I arrived at the House of Blues and got my press ticket. Brandishing my entire Cadet Uniform I was ready to have a great night. I got some food and partook in the free bar. Now everyone who told me they would be at the show, WEREN’T! I’m looking at you Ben Dunn and Molly Mahan! I did bump into Matt Blackwood again and he snapped some more pics for me. I walked up to the bar and realized I was standing next to Shawn from Mega64! I said hi and we chatted for a bit and I followed him back to the group.

Eric Baudour, Garret Hunter, Shawn Chatfield, Rocco Botte, Lovable-Bill, Bryan Abou Chacra and Derrick Acosta of Mega64

What comes next is stories that are only told in movies and dreams. Eric Baudour and Bryan Abou Chacra and myself, right before the band came on, drank some pretty big shots of tequila and went downstairs into the pit. The second The Aquabats came on stage the crowd erupted into a frenzy. I instantly lost Eric and Bryan for the rest of the show. The ‘bats opened up with “Cat with Two Heads”, a classic from way back when. They played some old, some new and some that wasn’t theirs.

In normal fashion a monster showed up to terrorize the band. A GIANT DINOSAUR!

Photo Credit Matt Blackwood

After he was defeated the Bat Commander shouted “MAN! THAT WAS A TOUGH DINOSAUR DRAGON!”. Then we hear a voice exclaim that this wasn’t a real dragon and he knew who a real dragon is! Out walked Strongbad, from Homestarrunner. In reality it was Matt Chapman in a wrestling mask. Then a childhood dream came true. I witnessed Strongbad sing his hit song Trogdor while the Aquqbats played the tune!

Photo Credit Matt Blackwood

I was having a blast. The show just kept getting better and better. Another great guest was a San Diego local band that had been around forever called Rocket from the Crypt. They played one of their classic songs “Young Livers”. I had never heard of this band before but I was very impressed with their performance. More and more great songs churned out. When the band played “Burger Rain” the crowd from the VIP balcony dropped paper cheeseburgers down in a wonderful rain. It was truly a sight to behold.

The show ended and the crowd dispersed. I was sore, wet and satisfied. The HUB really has a passion for their fans and their shows. They put on a fabulous panel and a one of kind concert.

So you. If you don’t already have the HUB call whoever is your TV provider and demand it. Let’s keep support great people who love to make the world happy.

Awesome! When Gandalf Paid A Surprise Visit To Comic-Con Hall “H” Line!

by AllieHanley
Ian McKellen from the Hall H line with an unidentified fan standing next to him.

Sir Ian McKellen, aka “Magneto” and “Gandalf” made a unique visit to the Hall H line the night before Peter Jackson debuted footage from both of his new films, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey(2012) and The Hobbit: There and Back Again(2013) at the San Diego Comic Con. At around midnight the mega-star came down to the line of fans with no fanfare, body guards, or retinue of assistants and just told everyone he saw the line from his hotel room window at The Hilton. He knew they were in line for Hall H and that the film he stars in would be featured the next day as part of the Warner Bros. roll out of films coming 2012-2014.

He exclaimed, “You are all crazy!” to the crowd as he smiled and waved playfully to the swarm of fans.  I would have thought that after a few minutes of that he would have been on his way back up to his room but he actually posed with fans for pictures and signed autographs for at least a half hour in the line.

He even took this photo with longtime Geekscapist Alice Acheron!

Fans of the film were very respectful and no one at anytime rushed or pushed to be near the star. The only rude comment made in the half hour was myself yelling for him to turn around so I could get a photo with my I-Phone (see above) in which he obliged willingly. Everyone near me started snapping pictures and the shot would have been dark if it had not been for everyone’s flashes going off. The moment itself was really cool and just part of the magic that can happen at Comic-Con Intl.

Here’s a video I took of Ian’s surprise appearance:

Comic-Con 2012: Interviews With Cast And Crew Of Doctor Who

by Stephen Prescott

As you are all well aware, the cast of Doctor Who along with head writer Steven Moffat and new executive producer, Caroline Skinner attended San Diego Comic Con last weekend. I was lucky enough to get some time in front of a camera with them and here are the results.

Enjoy and be sure to check out my Doctor Who podcast at AMadManwithaBox.com

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

by Scott Alminiana

When last we left I had managed to make it through Preview Night and Day one of SDCC and had seen Shawn battle to the death with a Power Ranger. If you haven’t read Part I yet check it out here. That was only half the story though, I now bring you Part II of my journey through Comic-Con.

Day Two: One of my buddies lives in San Diego and he was gracious enough to let me crash on his couch for the duration of SDCC. This was great because it meant I didn’t have to spend money on a hotel room but it did have one major draw back. Since parking downtown can be a nightmare I decided that I would take the trolley and save myself the hassle (and some money) of finding parking. I parked at Qualcomm stadium, home to the San Diego Chargers and got on the trolley only to find it packed. Not only was it packed but it got worse with every stop. We were like sardines in a can. Personal space was non existent.

When I finally made it to the convention and made it off the massively over-crowded trolley I decided to go get in line for some panels.  Being a huge fan of Community I wanted to see their panel which was scheduled for 10 am in Ballroom 20. Being that I’m a newbie to the whole thing I foolishly thought getting in line at 9 am would be plenty early to guarantee that I got in. Oh how I couldn’t be more wrong. The line weaved it’s way from the inside of the convention, outside and down some stairs and back up to some tents. After 30 minutes of waiting it was pretty apparent that I wouldn’t be seeing the Greendale gang that day so I abandoned my plans and headed back to the Geekscape booth to form a new battle strategy. It was during this time that my efforts to try and get a Court of Owls mask from the DC booth comes into play. It’s a long story in it’s own right, check out the story of that here.

After a quick lunch consisting of greasy pizza in the Gaslamp it was off to the Marvel: Ultimate Comics panel. It was a good panel, the panellists (Marvel EIC Axel Alonso, Editors Sana Amanat and CB Cebulski, writers Sam Humphries and Nathan Edmonson, and artist David Marquez) talked about some of the big things that are coming to the Ultimate universe in the form of the ‘Divided We Fall’ event that is spanning the books.  They also announced a new mini series Ultimate Comics Iron Man: Demon In The Armor that will be debut in October and written by Nathan Edmonson with art by  Matteo Buffagni. They also showed the cover to issue #1 of the series before opening the floor to questions. Most of the questions were fairly standard and forgettable but there was one question that stood out above the rest. A kid who looked to be maybe 17 and was your stereotypical nerd asked this question (this is almost verbatim), “I know you can’t confirm it but if you were going to how would you, even though I know you can’t confirm it, how would you do an ultimate version of Anti-Venom? How would you?” The panel tells him that they don’t have any plans for the character but don’t want to discuss their take on the character because it would then pigeon-hole them if they did. The fanboy did not like this answer and quickly fired back with “…well I’m JUST sayin’…” at which time Axel Alonso jumped in and asked him, “well if how would you write the ultimate version of Anti-Venom?” You could immediately hear a collective grown from the audience as soon as Alonso asked that question. Fanboy’s explanation was painful and went something like this, “well I think he should get hit by something like radioactive and then he’d have radioactive poison running through his body!” Yeah, the kid just basically described Venom, good job. Axel Alonso told him he deserved a free tshirt for his pitch and gave him one, I think they just wanted Anti-Venom boy to go away…and so did I.

Once that panel ended I hit the floor again to take in the sights. I actually ran into a guy I used to work with years ago, SDCC has that way of bringing people together. Spent the rest of the day wandering around and checking things out and just taking in all the sights. Earlier in the day I had managed to score a wrist band to see the new Marvel One-Shot: Item 47 at a theater in the Gaslamp at 7 pm. Not wanting to get shut out of yet another free event I made sure to get there early and get in line. Luckily since I had a wrist band this proved not to be a problem and was able to get in. Check out the Geekscape reveiw of it here to see what we thought of it. Getting out of the theater and getting our bags, which we had to check in prior to the screening proved more difficult than getting in. People were freaking out and loosing their minds trying to get their stuff back. As usual chaos rained supreme amongst the nerds. Once that was all said and done with it was time to call it a night and get a fresh start for Saturday.

Day Three: Saturday at SDCC is the craziest day out of all. Everyone know this but knowing it and seeing it are two different things. After once again dealing with a crammed trolley ride to the convention I met up with a friend and we went and sat in on the comiXology panel. It was an interesting panel. It’s crazy to think that digital comics have only been around for a few years and has come so far. I like the idea of digital comics and know that it will play a big part in the future of comics but my sticking point on them has always been the price. If I’m going to pay $3.99 for a comic I’d rather have a hard copy of it. If they lowered the price on digital versions I’d buy them in a heartbeat. I love the push that Marvel is doing by giving you a free digital copy with some of their books. That’s a cool cross promotion and a smart move.

After that panel we went across the street and checked out the Batmobiles that were on display. It was awesome! Then we ran into Wil Wheaton at Starbucks before meeting up with Eric, who was in line for Hall H. We spent the rest of the day hanging out in line and relaxing, while holding on to hope that we would get into Hall H to see the Marvel panel. Sadly we did not get to see that but we did get to see a bunch of those crazy bible-thumpers try and convert people that were in line. Can I just say that I absolutly hate those guys, super fucking annoying. On the plus side though, we did manage to get an awesome picture of the Jesus guy   standing next to the booty ring toss van. Anal play and God together at last! Thus endeth my Saturday at SDCC.

Day Four: Waking up on the final day of SDCC was a sad event. I was exhausted but also was sad to know that it Comic-Con was coming to an end and I’d have to wait another year to do it all over again. The trolley ride proved to be far less stressful than the prior two days and I even managed to find a seat. My first stop once I got to the convention was the Marvel booth. I had finally caved and decided to pre-order the ‘Phase One’ 10-disc blu-ray set. Once that was purchased I met up with my buddy at the Oni Press booth where they were selling advanced copies of Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life in color! I bought a copy of the ‘Evil Edition’ which features Matthew Patel on the cover. I then got in line and was able to get Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O’Malley to sign it. After that I made a few more purchases and then decided to go check out the Marvel: Amazing Spider-Man panel. It was a mostly lackluster panel but they did briefly discuss Alpha, who is going to be Spider-Man’s new teenage sidekick and how he’s connected to Peter Parker. Look for Alpha to debut in issue #692.

The last panel of the day in Hall H was the Sons of Anarchy panel which I was lucky enough to get into. I’m a big SOA fan and can thank my brother for getting me hooked on that show. The entire cast was present and they showed fans the opening scene to the first episode of the upcoming season. During the panel, we found out that Ron Pearlman is the worst member of the cast when it comes to riding a motorcycle. Fans gave Pearlman a giant round of applause when his Make-a-Wish appearance as Hellboy was brought up. The entire panel was a fun time with the cast-members swearing like sailors…or to be more accurate, members of a motorcylce club. The ladies in the audience lost their minds a few times, especially over Charlie Hunnam (Jax) and Theo Rossi (Juice).

After that panel let out it was time to call it a day and make my way back to Qualcomm stadium to fetch my car and hit the road. All in all I had a blast at SDCC 2012 and it wouldn’t have been possible without Mr. Jonathan London and Geekscape. So a very big thank you to Jonathan and Geekscape for letting me experience the madness that is San Diego Comic-Con!!! Until next year….

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 at SDCC 2012! Ian Kerner Breaks Down Saturday’s Hall H!

by Jonathan

Ian Kerner sat in Hall H today and in this episode breaks down all of the amazing things that he saw, from Superman to Godzilla to 13 minutes of The Hobbit! Ian did not see Marvel’s announcements at the time of this recording but you can find our breakdown here!

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:31 — 5.4MB)

Geekscape at SDCC 2012! Jonathan Talks to ‘Walking Dead’ Artist Charlie Adlard!

by Jonathan

The Walking Dead comics artist Charlie Adlard stopped by the Geekscape booth to sign some ‘Doc of the Dead’ posters so I seized the opportunity to have him record a quick Geekscape with me! We talk comics, zombies, art and music!

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:12 — 8.5MB)

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!

Locked And Loaded? ‘Geekscape – The SDCC 2012 Preview!’

by Jonathan

We’re in San Diego for SDCC 2012! Shane O’Hare and Zack Haddad join me for a Comic-Con preview! We’ve walked the show floor and we’ve seen what is coming your way on this long Comic-Con weekend! We’ve got details from Iron Man 3, Pacific Rim, Total Rekall and more! We talk about the Twilight fan who was hit by a car trying to run across the street without a walk light! Plus! What are we looking forward to this year and what’s our advice for surviving the Con!?!

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:23 — 19.1MB)

Brave Nerd World: Comic-Con Pre-Show

by Stephen Prescott

Heidi and Stephen got to sit down in person for this one. (yay!) Listen to them ramble on about San Diego Comic-Con and maybe even pick up a sly tip or two if you are attending this year.

You’ll be able to find us at both the Geekscape booth and the Geekscape/Comikaze party on Thursday night so be sure to swing by and say hi!

Here is Amy Ratcliffe’s great piece on Surviving Conventions that gets mentioned in the episode.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 58:26 — 80.2MB)

New ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ Soundtrack Available At Comic-Con

by Shawn Madden

La-La Land Records has announced that a second soundtrack release for ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ is set for release July 2012 following the sell-out success of ‘Batman: The Animated Series – Original Soundtrack From The Warner Bros. Television Series, Volume One’. The soundtrack will be exclusively available July 12-15th, 2012, and on Preview Night July 11th, 2012, at Comic Con from La-La Land Records at Booth 429 before going wide on July 19th, 2012 through the label’s official website.

BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES: VOL 2 (4-CD SET)
Literally years in the making, La-La Land proves the wait was worth it with this amazing 4-CD set of previously unreleased music from arguably the greatest animated television series of all time! The set’s 36 page booklet is packed with in-depth liner notes that take you through a treasure trove of astounding orchestral scores; music that rivals any blockbuster feature film. Composers Shirley Walker, Harvey R. Cohen, Carlos Rodriguez, Lolita Ritmanis, Michael McCuistion, Carl Swander Johnson and others are musically represented here, as well as Danny Elfman’s iconic theme. Limited Edition of 3500 Units. Comic Con price $60

Complete details can be found on Worlds Finest.

Source: Worlds Finest

We Bring Maximum Carnage! The “Geekscapepod” For June 30th, 2012!

by Jonathan

Nick Gregorio joins me for a brand new Geekscapepod! I review Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter and Ted! I’m excited to play The Walking Dead Episode 2 and Nick and I talk about the best Spider-Man video games! “Guardians of the Galaxy” is coming to theaters in 2014! “Big Hero 6” is coming from Marvel and Disney Animation! Edgar Wright has begun some “Ant Man” work! Before Watchmen continues to be good while the Punisher sets his sights on the Avengers! What’s Nick’s problem with Jim Lee? And HUGE news for Geekscape and Comic Con! Plus, my brother Daniel remembered.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:02:20 — 37.8MB)

Toys”R”Us Announces Ten Comic-Con Exclusives Including TMNT, MLP and Adventure Time!

by Jonathan

SDCC 2012 is right around the corner! And what do we all love the most about Comic-Con? Well, THE EXCLUSIVES of course! We aren’t happy just lighting our hard earned money on fire! No! We need PROOF that we’re willing to spend it on things we should have given up decades ago!

And today Toys”R”Us has announced their SDCC line-up of exclusive toys, including ones from the Ninja Turtles, Adventure Time, My Little Pony, X-Factor and Predator franchises! Check ’em out!

Offered in partnership with Entertainment Earth® at Booth #2343, customers will find official San Diego Comic-Con merchandise based on Adventure Time™, Mad Magazine®, MY LITTLE PONY, Predator, Regular Show™ and Winx Club®.

So which ones are you gonna b-line for when the doors open up?

Comic-Con International Show Exclusives

Toys“R”Us Exclusive San Diego Comic-Con Adventure Time™ Finn and Fionna figure set from Jazwares®, Inc.

Finn and Fionna are off on a new adventure, and this time they’re taking on Comic-Con International in San Diego! These two-inch versions of the fan-favorite characters come with miniature Comic-Con “Talent” badges, granting access to the show. Afterwards, Finn and Fionna can travel home with Comic-Con goers for $15.

Toys“R”Us Exclusive San Diego Comic-Con Just Us League Of Stupid Heroes™ Batman® and Robin® Two-Pack from DC Direct

Just in time for MAD® Magazine’s 60th anniversary, comes Alfred E. Neuman’s unique take on Batman and Robin. Striking fear into the hearts of criminals everywhere – or at least the ones that scare easily – evildoers everywhere won’t know how to handle MAD’s version of the Dynamic Duo. These Caped Crusaders can strike mirth in the heart of collector’s homes for $50.

Toys“R”Us Exclusive San Diego Comic-Con Classic Masked Predator Cloaked Action Figure from NECA

Stalking out of the classic 1987 film, this version of the Classic Masked Predator, cast in translucent plastic, is nearly invisible in his stealth form. Standing at 8-inches tall, collectors can bring this Predator on new hunts with 20 points of articulation, extendable wrist blades and a removable backpack. The Predator can stealthily travel to any location for $20.

Toys“R”Us Exclusive San Diego Comic-Con Regular Show™ Mordecai action figure from Jazwares®, Inc.


Decked out to rock with his favorite back in a “Fist Pump” t-shirt, Mordecai is taking a well deserved break from his “hard work” as a park groundskeeper. Fans can take Mordecai home and flip through his exclusive sketch book, filled with behind the scenes drawings from the creative team behind “Regular Show” for $15.

Toys“R”Us Exclusive San Diego Comic-Con WINX Club® Princess Bloom doll  from JAKKS® Pacific

Once an ordinary girl, Bloom lived a normal life in the city of Gardenia until she met Stella, a princess from the planet Solaria. Coming to Stella’s aid, Bloom discovered her magical powers and joined Alfea, the best fairy school in all the realms. Now Winx Club fans can take home this 11.5-inch articulated version of Bloom with a sparkling torso, as well as a shimmery blue and black outfit, which perfectly complements her tinted, glitter and gem Belivix wings. Princess Bloom is ready to flutter home with conventioneers for $30.

First Look Items Coming Soon to Toys“R”Us Stores Nationwide

Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope DVD with Morgan Spurlock and Joss Whedon Mini Figures from NECA


Fans can find their copy of Morgan Spurlock’s newest film exploring the history of Comic-Con, which started as a fringe comic book convention and has grown into the pop culture event of the year. Spurlock explores this phenomenon by following the lives of five attendees at Comic-Con International 2010. This widescreen DVD comes with miniature versions of Morgan Spurlock himself, as well as fan-favorite writer/director Joss Whedon. This item is ready for home viewing for $30 and will be available in Toys“R”Us stores nationwide after the convention.

HALO 4 Master Chief from McFarlane Toys

Based on the highly-anticipated video game, HALO 4, by Microsoft Studios & 343 Industries, this first look Comic-Con Exclusive shows the new version of the HALO series’ most iconic character, the Master Chief. Last seen at the end of HALO 3 entering into a cryonic sleep, the Master Chief is awake and ready to face new threats and mysteries. While visitors to Comic-Con can take the Master Chief home for $15, those unable to attend this year’s show can find him and the rest of the HALO 4 line in Toys“R”Us stores this August.

MY LITTLE PONY ZECORA from Hasbro®

MY LITTLE PONY collectors can corral ZECORA from the EVERFREE FOREST! This glow-in-the-dark version of the fan-favorite rhyming zebra can’t wait to share her magic and sage advice with all of her new friends. ZECORA is available as a sneak peek at Comic-Con International in San Diego for $10. For those not able to visit the show, ZECORA will trot into Toys“R”Us stores nationwide this fall.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles™ 10.5-inch action figures from Playmates Toys, Inc.

With the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles set to return in an epic TV series on Nickelodeon this fall, it’s time to get reacquainted with everyone’s favorite pizza-loving amphibians. Fans can find 10.5-inch oversized versions of Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo based on their new look from the upcoming show with these special edition action figures. Packaged with their signature weapons and additional accessories, each Turtle is individually sculpted with multiple points of articulation. Plus, the back shell on each Turtle opens to offer weapon and accessory storage. The brothers are sold separately for $30 each or buy all 4 for $100 before landing in Toys“R”Us stores nationwide this summer.



X-Factor® 3 ¾-inch Collector Pack from Hasbro®

After graduating from Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, and spurred by the miraculous resurrection of Jean Grey, the original X-Men team formed a new super group of mutants called X-Factor. Now, fan can collect 3 ¾-inch versions of Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Angel and Iceman – along with two of the team’s most influential villains Apocalypse and Mr. Sinister – in a specially designed package featuring artwork from the 1986 issue of X-Factor #1. Fans can use their telekinesis to grab this item for $50 at Comic-Con International in San Diego before it becomes available at Toys“R”Us stores nationwide in August.

All Toys“R”Us San Diego Comic-Con exclusives are limited editions and are available on a first-come, first served basis.

Still Not Over Firefly’s Cancellation? Comic Con Has a Panel for You!

by Molly Mahan

It’s official, and we now have details! As previously reported, Browncoats everywhere can celebrate (while I roll my eyes) at San Diego Comic Con International this year for the 10 year anniversary panel of the one-season wonder Firefly panel. Panelists will include your beloved Captain Nathan Fillion, Joss Whedon, Alan Tudyk, Adam Baldwin, Sean Maher, Michael Fairman and many more! The panel will be held Friday, July 13, at 12:30 PM, and is brought you by SCIENCE (the channel, not the school subject).

Although not much of a fan of the show myself. if Gina Torres makes an appearance then I may suffer the Whedonites and try to find my way in. I love her and her work prior to Firefly and Serenity, and would love to hear what she’s currently doing.

SCIENCE will also be hosting other panels, including one for Dark Matters: Twisted But True and one about Time Travel (F’ yeah!) from the podcast Stuff You Should Know.:

TIME TRAVEL: SCIENCE FACT OR SCIENCE FICTION?  STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW WITH JOSH & CHUCK, Thursday, 7/12/12, 4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

SCIENCE presents Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant, hosts of the Top 10 iTunes podcast STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW, as they lead a discussion about time travel with some very special celebrity guests for a live from Comic-Con taping of their podcast.  Josh and Chuck’s loyal fan following, chemistry and insatiable curiosity are core to the launch of SCIENCE’s upcoming series Stuff You Should Know, as the two pioneer the way for what likely will be more introductions of talent discovered and incubated online finding a place on new platforms.  Join Josh and Chuck and the SCIENCE team at Comic-Con for an exclusive sneak-peek of Stuff You Should Know, as well as limited edition Comic-Con exclusive giveaways from SCIENCE.

 

FIREFLY 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY, Friday 7/13/12, 12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m.

It has been 10 years since the crew of Serenity took flight in Joss Whedon’s short-lived but now revered series, Firefly.  SCIENCE will reconvene, for the first time in a decade, Captain Mal Reynolds and the crew from the ship, calling all Browncoats to unite at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con.  The cast ofFIREFLY will talk about the past, present and future of Firefly, 10 years after its debut.  SHINY.

 

DARK MATTERS, Friday, 7/13/12, 7:15 p.m.–8:15 p.m.,

This summer, SCIENCE returns to the laboratory to unearth history’s most sinister tales with the second season of the breakout series Dark Matters: Twisted But True.  Join USA Today’s Brian Truitt; John Noble; Executive Producer Rocky Collins; and science historian Michael Stevens as we take a closer look at the forbidden research records on the most shocking scientific studies ever executed.  From gruesome lobotomy experiments, to controversial CIA studies, to spine-chilling accounts of live human transplants, the all-new season shows that science fact can be stranger, and even more entertaining, than science fiction.  The six world premiere episodes take audiences inside a real-life Twilight Zone, where shocking CGI re-creations illustrate unforgettable tales of genius gone horribly awry.  DDark Matters: Twisted But True premieres Saturday, July 14, at 10:00 PM (ET/PT).

Brian Gilmore Will Crush You! The “Geekscapepod” For June 24th, 2012!

by Jonathan

Geekscape mainstay Brian Gilmore visits the Geekscape couch to talk some serious news and reviews! We discuss spammy Russian sex dealers, rural Chinese sex toys and reminisce about the growth of Geekscape! “Taken 2” and “Dredd” get trailers but which is worth watching? Jonathan talks “Safety Not Guaranteed” while Gilmore tears up at “Brave”! Are Firefly fans the most pathetic fans in Geekdom? The Nintendo 3DS XL sounds lame while a Castle Greyskull card holder sounds awesome! PLUS! How 60s TV Batman saved Batman, Marvel Mania Hollywood menus revealed and a Pixar artist draws R Rated movie scenes!

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 42:53 — 26.1MB)

‘Masters Of The Universe’ Character Created By Geoff Johns Gets Digital Comic And Figure

by Shawn Madden

In April DC announced to many fans delight that they were going to be doing an all-new ‘He-man And The Master Of The Universe’ title (don’t worry it’s not part of the New 52…whew) and starting yesterday they would be producing a digital-first comic book.

The series would be one-shots of characters by various creators. The first of them being a character that Geoff Johns created when he was eight years old…Sir Lazer Lot. The character will even be getting an action figure that we will see debut at San Diego Comic-Con.

 “I’ve been a huge fan of HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE since I was a kid, so it’s cool to write a story for this new series — not to mention teaming up with Howard Porter and John Livesay, my old FLASH partners in crime,” stated Geoff Johns. “And to create an all-new character that will become an action figure – Sir Laser Lot — it’s beyond fun. I’m going to buy like 100 of them.”

MOTU Sir Laser Lot

The digital series will debut new chapters twice a month on Saturdays. The second chapter (7/14) is written by Mike Costa with artwork by Jheremy Raapack and it tells the story of He-Man’s most trusted companion, Battle Cat.  The third digital chapter (7/28), written by Kyle Higgins with artwork by Pop Mhan, is an adventure with the captain of the Eternia guard, Man-At-Arms.

Source: DC

 

SDCC 2012: Marvel Legends Uncanny X-Force

by Shawn Madden

Well, if you’re not an Uncanny X-Force fan…I don’t know whats wrong with you. One of the most exciting exclusives for SDCC is this right here.

“This year, collectors have a chance to hook their adamantium claws into the new Marvel Legends Special Edition Uncanny X-Force Collectors Pack. Featuring six-inch scale figures of Archangel, Wolverine and Psylocke, the characters are seen in their costumes from the Fall of Archangel story line. The set even comes in a collectable display box with exclusive art by comic artist Clayton Crain!”

The Marvel Legends Special Edition Uncanny X-Force Collectors Pack is available for an approximate retail price of $49.99 at HasbroToyShop.com and Hasbro Booth #3329 at San Diego Comic-Con.

Now with an already released Fantomex figure you’re probably thinking “Well, shucks. This would be perfect if only I had an Uncanny X-Force Deadpool!”

Fear not X-fans! It is on its way. In September we will see a third variant of the Marvel Legends Deadpool…this time in his X-Force suit.