Tag: SDCC 2013

Geekscape @ SDCC: The Comic-Con Nerd-A-Thon Returns With MC Lars, MC Frontalot, And More!

by Derek Kraneveldt

With just sixteen days to go until preview night, San Diego Comic Con 2014 is fast approaching!

All of us here at Geekscape couldn’t be more excited to attend the show once again (after attending my first SDCC last year, I’ve actually been counting down the days since the moment I stepped back into Canada). We’ll have tons of coverage coming your way, lots of cool stuff to show off (you have seen Hero of the Prophecy, right?), a multitude of guest signings and appearances, an amazing party for you to attend, and way, way more (as if that wasn’t enough). It’s set to be our biggest year at the convention ever, so be sure to visit us at booth #3919 (same spot as last year, baby), and read on for all the details about the fourth annual Comic-Con Nerd-A-Thon!

The fourth annual Comic-Con Nerd-A-Thon hits The Merrow on July 25th, and is presented by Tiny Nightmare Productions, Geekscape, Devil’s Playground Burlesque, and Eat.Geek.Play.

This year’s showcase will feature Nerdcore Hip Hop Legends MC Frontalot, MC Lars, Schaffer the Dark Lord and Dr. Awkward as well as a five­piece geek rock band, Chamber Band. Live “Star Girls” Burlesque performances from Devil’s Playground Burlesque with Courtney Cruz as Storm Trooper and Mia Vixen as the Red Guard from Star Wars.

Tickets are available now for a cool $25 here. Be sure to pick them up soon, as they’re going fast. You can take a look at the poster for the show below, and if you need a refresher on each artist, just keep scrolling. We hope to see you at the show, and be sure to look out for our full SDCC schedule in the coming weeks!

NerdAThonFull

MC Frontalot, known as the “Godfather of Nerdcore” will be co­headlining the show with MC Lars this year. MC Frontalot, called alternately the movement’s godfather ), leads the charge, performing for thousands around the country and at prominent geek gatherings such as Comic­Con, the Penny Arcade Expo and BlizzCon. He’s been featured in Newsweek, CNN, The New York Times, Spin, Wired, Blender, XXL, XLR8R, The London Daily Telegraph, NPR, G4TV, Esquire, Playboy, CMJ, The Guardian (UK), The Wall Street Journal, and scores of city papers nationally and internationally. He has released five studio albums, Nerdcore Rising (Sept 2005), Secrets From The Future (Apr 2007), Final Boss (Nov 2008), Zero Day (Apr 2010), and Solved (Aug, 2011). His sixth, Question Bedtime, is due in September 2014. The documentary feature, Nerdcore Rising: The Movie, which focuses on Front’s live band and the Nerdcore phenomenon in general, debuted at the South By Southwest Film Festival in 2008, and is currently available on Netflix and Hulu.

MC Lars, who is co­headlining this year, is known for his post­punk laptop rap. Lars has been fusing literary themes with high energy beats and touring nonstop since 2003. During his to return to San Diego he will debut some new songs for the first time in America, which will be featured on his kickstarter supported, upcoming album, “the Zombie Dinosaur LP”.

Schaffer the Dark Lord, is a NYC­based rapper and comedian Schaffer the Darklord (STD) has known for his commanding stage presence and brainy, rapid­fire rhymes to skewer such topics as hedonistic substance abuse, sexual compulsion, gender identity, urban anxiety and obsessive cat­enthusiasts. With five full­length albums under his belt and experience touring the nation with such acts as MC Chris, MC Frontalot and MC Lars. STD’s music and live show are equal parts Bill Hicks, Beastie Boys, Prince, Ozzy Osbourne and Darth Vader. He’s made multiple appearances on the Science Channel television program “Oddities,” and when he’s not on the road, he serves as emcee for countless NYC burlesque shows and produces/co­hosts his podcast, “The Epic Piecast.” His latest record “Sick Passenger,” a concept album set during a mysterious therapy session, was released in October 2013 to glowing praise from his cult­like fan base and critics alike. Schaffer the Darklord continues to write, record and perform with great frequency and has no intention of giving up until his masochist rock­n­roll lifestyle destroys him.

Dr. Awkward, is a local San Diegan who has been touring across the country as a nerdcore hip hop artist for the past six years and was on the road with MC Chris last summer. This summer “Doc Awk” joins his friends on stage at this year’s Nerd­a­Thon

Chamber Band, is a full band hailing from New York City, known for their witty and comical songs about love, heartbreak and dragons. The five­piece band plays songs within the nerd­centric realm of awesomeness, of course.

Watch 40+ Minutes Of Microsoft’s ‘Project Spark’!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Back at SDCC, we got a great first-hand look at Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox One / Windows 8 world creator, Project Spark.

Last night, Microsoft Studios streamed a fantastic 40+ minute preview of the Windows 8 build of the title, showcasing plenty of the amazing things that are possible within the world of Project Spark.

Take a look at the video below, and let us know if you’ll be grabbing the free-to-play game when it releases later this year!


Watch live video from project_spark on TwitchTV

Real Life Assassin’s Creed IV Short Film From SDCC 2013!

by Shane O'Hare

So at the end of my Ubisoft Press Party article I mentioned seeing a certain AC 4 actor walking around the ship, doing awesome assassin things, including an awesome  hidden blade kill. Well, film maker Devin Super Tramp has released the amazing film he shot in just FOUR days at Comic Con. Check it out below!

That was so mind bogglingly amazing. Actor Chris Romwell did an amazing job of portraying Edward Kenway in the real world. Be sure to check out the behind the scenes making of from this short film to see how much actually went into this! Keep and eye out for a certain Geekscape writer walking up the stairs of the ship!

Geekscape Interviews: Playboy Playmate Claire Sinclair Talks About Her New Comic!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Lion Forge Comics is a company that we mention often around these parts. Sure, Jonathan is writing one of the newly-announced NBC reboots that everyone is talking about (Miami Vice, to be specific), but all of us at Geekscape simply believe that Lion Forge is a unique, forward thinking publisher that has a very bright future ahead of it. Plus, who doesn’t want to read a Saved By The Bell book?

At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, a multitude of original IPs were revealed by the company. Rampage Jackson isn’t the only star getting his own book: the beautiful, talented 2011 Playboy Playmate of the year, Claire Sinclair also has a title coming from Lion Forge.

In Wonderous, Claire is re-imagined as a broke college student who volunteers for a medical study and accidentally gets a dose of superpowers. As she experiments with her new abilities, she must suddenly put them to the test to fight a sinister super villain – who also happens to be her ex-boyfriend. Claire and Wonderous writer Joelle Sellner were on the scene at this year’s Comic-Con, and answered a few key questions for us about their upcoming book.

Watch the interview in full below, and let us know if you’ll be picking up Wonderous: The Adventures of Claire Sinclair!

SDCC Video Game Round-Up: First Impressions Of ‘Project Spark’

by jake108

Believe me when I say Project Spark is unlike any game that has come before. There’s no easy way of describing it other than in this game, you will have full control to build a world with your own rules, own gameplay mechanics, and own enemies. Developed by an internal studio at Microsoft, this “open world digital canvas” is currently two years in the making and is in the beta process. More on that later.

ps4

The first thing shown to me were the basic set of tools used to form the terrain inside ones world. Creators will be able to adjust the scales, intensity, and distortion of hills, mountains, craters, whatever you’re building with. Next, I was shown a Logic Menu. In this menu, you will be able to design the “brain” of an object or creature. It’s a simplified menu in which you can change two columns in order for something to happen. For example, when you enter the brain of a troll, you will see _____ happens when _____. Those two blanks cane be filled win with “defend” and “attacked” respectively. Keep in mind, you can use this tool to make enemies do goofy things or make them much harder to fight.

ps3

Gamers will also be able to give their creations meaning. In Project Spark, you can create a hero, a purpose, and the journey complete with quests. And yes, you can customize the dialogue for your journey too. If you’re not that into micromanaging everything, gamers will also have the ability to auto-create worlds so that you don’t have to. While it is auto-generated, the environment pieces will always be random. Once you’re all done, you can upload it for other gamers to download and play though your creation. This in turn will allow anyone who downloads your game to change it to their liking. But don’t worry, you’ll still retain first ownership no matter what they do to it.

ps5

While the game appears to be always in 3rd person, gamers will able to create their own games in first person, third person, and even create a sidescroller adventure. When you download a sidescrolling adventure, you’ll be able to change the point of view to first person. Perhaps the most interesting thing I saw running in Project Spark was Geometry Wars made using the tools available in Project Spark.

ps2

SmartGlass will be integrated into Project Spark in the form of a second screen. The SmartGlass app will allow gamers to have the ability to render live gameplay and play it off the Xbox One. This eliminates the use of a controller and you’ll be able to terraform your world with your fingers.

ps6

Project Spark will be free-to-play on Windows 8 devices, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Anything created on the Xbox One will be available on the Xbox 360 and Windows 8 devices. However, in order to play online, gamers will need Xbox Live Gold. DLC wasn’t talked about, but the inclusion of purchasable items such as clothing, enemies, and pieces of the environment were hinted at.

As for the beta, you can find more information here!

SDCC Video Game Round-Up: ‘Dead Rising 3’

by jake108

Dead Rising 3 is set to take place in Los Angeles (but not really), and takes place 10 years after Dead Rising 2. Just as in its predecessors, everything you find in this world is a weapon. You’ll need ’em, as these zombies are more aware and have the ability to alert other zombies in the area. This, in turn, can cause a horde of zombies to surround you and, well, use your imagination. Returning to the franchise better than ever, combining weapons is a must in order to survive the game. Doing combos with these special weapons will earn you more xp and just overall look a lot cooler.

d431

As for the map, the size is bigger. A lot bigger. While Dead Rising 1  and Dead Rising 2 aren’t exactly GTA caliber maps, you can expect Dead Rising 3‘s city to be “way bigger than Dead Rising 1 and 2 combined.” As you can imagine, walking around isn’t necessarily always going to be your primary mode of transportation. In DR3, you’ll be able to drive cars through the city. However, don’t expect to be driving through hordes of zombies. Zombies will in fact be hanging off the side of your car, in front, and in back. This in turn will hamper you abilities. Nevertheless, I’m sure gamers will enjoy driving through the game’s four major districts.

dr32

Perhaps the coolest thing about DR3 is the fact that players will have the ability to go into any building at any time without any loading. Don’t expect to see the same building twice, as DR3 will not contain replicated buildings. Another cool thing to expect is the ability to get your combo weapons out of safe house lockers at any time (think Far Cry 3).

SmartGlass will be integrated into Dead Rising 3‘s story in an interesting way. Players will have the ability to do side quests, look through maps, and find story content through SmartGlass. In DR3, the player will eventually find a handheld PDA that belonged to an agent who has since been murdered by zombies. This PDA will be accessible through SmartGlass. Players will also be able to receive phone calls from in game characters.

dr34

As far as gameplay goes, players will have the ability to play the game in a serious manner, or, if you’re like me, a goofy manner. Or perhaps you can dress yourself in a mix-and-match’d shark costume and go about the game in a totally serious manner. That works too. What’s more exciting is that gamers will be able to enter the Nightmare mode, which is more like the classic Dead Rising gameplay in which there is a timetable and much higher difficulty as opposed to playing the game in a casual do-what-you-want setting.

dr35

Lastly, any and all Kinect support is optional! No need to embarrass yourself should you complete this game with a partner!

Dead Rising 3 is an Xbox One exclusive and should be available on launch day.

Have any questions? Looking forward to Dead Rising 3? Sound off in the comments below!

SDCC 2013: Watch The Teaser Trailer For ‘Adventure Time: Explore The Dungeon Because I Don’t Know’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: This game looks amazing.

Following last year’s Zelda II inspired Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why’d You Steal Our Garbage?, a new trailer for the next Adventure Time video game launched at this year’s SDCC.

The trailer is brief, featuring interviews from a few of the show’s cast members and showing off some short clips of gameplay, but I already feel as though I’ve seen enough. Explore The Dungeon Because I Don’t Know! is a four-player cooperative isometric hack-n’-slash, and I cannot wait to gather a few friends to play it.

Take a look at the trailer below, and let us know if you’re excited! Adventure Time: Explore The Dungeon Because I Don’t Know! hits PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and 3DS on November 12th.

Source: IGN

SDCC 2013: Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag Press Party

by Shane O'Hare

The biggest prescence at SDCC this year was undoubtedly Ubisoft Games. They pulled out all the stops this year in promotion of their three newest games. AC:IV Black Flag, Watch Dogs and Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Their method of promotion was crazy over the top and probably the best thing I have ever done at Comic Con. They hosted a party, on a pirate ship.

Friday night of the convention, I wandered down to the 5th street marina, behind the convention center. When I got there I was shocked to see the setup Ubisoft had (though a few nights before I was informed we already checked it out, but I do not remember!) on the floating museum The Star of India. Custom liveries, an awesome Assassin’s Sail and some 3D projection on the sails. They went ALL out.

I got to the event early, and was waiting for our fellow writer Jake Lopez to arrive. I checked in with the nice gals at the press desk and wandered around. Soon the press line setup in preparation for some AAA+++ level celebs. That is when I ran into an old Con friend, Kristen! It was a HUGE case of small world syndrome. We caught up and she started getting ready to run the press line. When 9:45 came around they started off the festivities, LITERALLY with a bang.

I was less than 100 feet from the cannons and my whole body felt the blasts. As soon as they went off I knew tonight was going to be insane. I contemplated waiting for Jake and Kristen, but the temptation of free booze and food was too much to handle. I jumped on board and was blown away AGAIN! The whole ship was done up with lights and AC4 paraphernalia. On the stern Schick was giving away free straight razor shaves. A pirate told me I needed one but if I lost the beard I’d look like a 12 year old. I grabbed a rum and coke (argh!) and went to the bow. On the way I partook in some next level sammiches. Real talk, this was the best catered food from the entire trip. I put on my best Jack Sparrow swag and hit the Bow. The first game of the night was Just Dance 14. Some Ubi Team members were playing and tearing it apart. The graphics for this game have always impressed me, and the music is always the catchy pop you expect from the radio.

Not physically capable of dancing, I left the bow and went down a level. Below deck was HOT, with all the lights and the people it was only getting hotter. I wandered around, gawking at all the AC4 props and posters. Pirate pictures were being taken at the back, while more game demos were at the front. I got another rum and coke and hit up the games. This was when Jake texted me and said that they weren’t letting anymore people on the ship! Fearing I would have no friends on board and would need to rely on my own social faculties I crushed my rum and grabbed a beer. I went down another level and continued to be blown away. They had a giant projector playing AC4 trailers and a mofuggin DJ! At the bottom level looking up through the hold at the sky, my thoughts that this was going to be a crazy night were just reinforced.

I grabbed a vodka this time from what felt like the eighth bar I passed on the ship and went back upstairs. My journalistic duties had to be met, time to play some games. I went upstairs and posted up behind the Splinter Cell station. That is when I ran into Jake! He informed me of the details of the screw up outside, basically no one was counting how many people were coming on. We both then jumped on the two stations to play. I was playing an introductory level while he played something more into the story. Both were on the 360 and I felt what I was playing was a 99% completed game. The controls were much tighter than previous SC games and the narrative was playing out nicely. Shooting felt fluid and didn’t carry a penalty. There were times when Batman level discretion worked and times where Matrix level shootouts worked. All and all I was very impressed with this iteration.

AC4 SDCC Party (22)
Jake108 Demoing Splintercell

Next up was some AC4 multiplayer, but not after MORE Vodka! We got in line behind some actors who were dressed as Multiplayer characters, playing as themselves. Could that be considered masturbation? At this time I noticed a reoccurring actor. They had a fully decked out Kenway assassin walking around, being filmed. Doing some crowd hiding and various other AC moves. I am pretty sure my confused face will be in the background of some promo footage. At this time it was my turn at the multiplayer. The Ubisoft guy running the station told me the rules, we were playing pistols only and told me the controls. Then I realized that I was up against a couple of celebrities that I did not recognize.  It was time to crush some 1%.

AC4 SDCC Party (21)

Not much has changed since AC3. The same kind of maps and gimmicks  were present. That’s not to say it’s a BAD thing. It was a joy to play. The pistols only mode made for a nice new difficulty twist. You had to present yourself to your target. This gave them the opportunity to guard the shot or flee. This ALSO gave your pursuer a chance to line up his shot on you. There were some cheap moments where I was killed with no real feedback as to what I did wrong, no indication of enemy or kill cam happened a few times. I don’t know if it was all random or just glitches. When it was all said and done I finished third, behind another journalist and an Ubisoft employee. We were playing with PS4 controllers but it was running on a PS4 dev PC. I snapped some pics while they were changing the gametype but they came out awful.

AC4 SDCC Party (24)

After that I got another drink and tried to get in on some Watch Dogs. What I got to watch was the last play of the night unfortunately. The game looked GORGEOUS and it was playing at a smooth as silk frame rate. They had a LAN VOIP setup and a Ubi rep was walking players through the mission. I really wish I was able to get a chance to play, but just as I was ready to sit down they closed it off for the night.

I met back up with Jake as he just finished up a round of AC4. We parted ways from there, he going back to his hotel and I went back to the bar.  The DJ started to kick it into high gear, some great EDM started filling my ear holes. The heat of the ship was getting to me so I jaunted upstairs. Just in time to see a Woman in some VERY high heels lose her shit and fall down the stairs. She caught herself just before disaster. Boat stairs and fashion DO NOT MIX!

Back up top I saw the place was packed. The Hollywood elite were there and I barely recognized any of them. I then ran into Kristen again and her friend whose name escapes me. We were in line to get our final drinks of the night before the bars closed when I felt a tap on my shoulder and a whisper in my ear.

Spring Break

AC4 SDCC Party (35)

The sultry voice poured the motto of our vacation into my brain. I turned around and it was our boy Derek! He made it onto the ship after all! His expression was priceless, his ability to comprehend the moment was gone. I had to bring him back to reality and tell him that yes, we were on a mother fucking pirate ship. We crushed the drinks and hit the dance floor. The four of us doing our best White person dance moves crammed in the bottom of the shipped danced til a few minutes before closing. W e decided to leave it there and head home. As we were leaving I caught Kenway assassinating a sexy pirate girl, though I couldn’t figure out why. There was no way she had ANY hidden blades on her.

Be sure to click on these Vines for some more footy!

SDCC 2013: Watch The First Trailer For ‘Arrow’ Season 2!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: During this year’s fantastic San Diego Comic-Con, The CW revealed a cool first trailer for the highly anticipated second season of Arrow. Apparently it reveals some pretty heavy spoilers for the show’s first season, so seeing as I still haven’t caught up, I haven’t actually watched the preview myself.

I’m hearing that great things are in store for the show’s second season, so I better get caught up quickly! Arrow returns on October 9th!

Check out the season two trailer below, and let us know what you thought of the first season!

http://youtu.be/HaGbiHSLvuo

SDCC 2013: Watch A New Trailer For ‘Lego Marvel Super Heroes’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: We’re finally approaching the fall release date of Traveller’s Tales highly anticipated Lego Marvel Super Heroes, and the developer has released a cool new character trailer for the title.

This preview features a ton of new characters, some of Traveller’s Tales classic humour, and plenty to fall in love with. I’ve been wanting to check this game out forever, and this fall can’t come soon enough.

Watch the new trailer for Lego Marvel Super Heroes below, and let us know what you think! The game hits Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, Playstation Vita, 3DS, PS3, PS4, and PC this Fall!

SDCC 2013: Watch A New Trailer For ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: During this year’s incredible San Diego Comic-Con, Lionsgate debuted a fantastic new trailer for the wildly anticipated The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

Katniss and Peeta’s incredible victory has given people something that the capitol never wanted them to have: hope. As Katniss and Peeta are the source of this hope, they clearly need to be exterminated (and in a subtle and non-obvious way). I have to say that while I didn’t love (or even really like) the first Hunger Games film, Catching Fire appears to be a much more serious, much more adult picture, and based on this new preview, I’m now quite fascinated with how things may turn out.

Take a look at the new trailer for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire below, and let us know what you think! The film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Jena Malone, Woody Harrelson, and plenty of others, and is set to hit theatres on November 22nd.

Did you manage to get into Hall H for this one? Let us know what you saw!

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a “Victor’s Tour” of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) – a competition that could change Panem forever.

SDCC 2013 Video Game Round-Up: Namco Bandai Announces ‘Soul Calibur II HD Online’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: This is certainly one of the biggest (and best) gaming surprises of this year’s Comic-Con.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Namco Bandai’s Soul Calibur II, the company has decided to rerelease the game as a downloadable title. Oh yeah, and they’ve also updated it with full high-definition graphics and online multiplayer.

Awesome, right?

Soul Calibur II HD Online is set to hit PS3 and Xbox 360 later this year. No word has been given on the state of the original release’s console specific characters, but seeing as a Wii U version was not announced, you sadly won’t be fighting as Link any time soon. It’s been years (nearly 10, in fact) since I’ve played Soul Calibur II, but the game was an incredible achievement in fighting games, and I’ll certainly be checking out this updated version.

Take a look at the first trailer for the rerelease below, and let us know what you think! We’ll be sure to keep you updated on the title as we learn more!

http://youtu.be/76NxqWjf7Dc

SDCC 2013 Video Game Round-Up: ‘Forza 5’

by jake108

I admit, I never caught on to the Forza craze that is ever so popular now. For all gamers out there who can relate to that sentence, and who at least like racing games a little bit, you should be excited for Forza 5 by the end of this article.

Let’s start with Forza‘s new user interface. The new UI admittingly looks a lot like the current Xbox 360 dashboard. There’s nothing really snazzy or new about the design, but it works as it is able to condense everything you need and want to know in the realm of Forza. This “living hub” constantly updates with information on races, your friend’s races, new tracks, and the happenings in the game.

forza4

Forza 5 will also feature hundreds of cars. That’s right, hundreds, some of which include Indie and Grand Prix cars. Those of you familiar with the film Rush will also recognize two vehicles from that film usable in Forza 5. Gamers will also be able go into vista mode with these two cars, as one of the new features in Forza 5 is the ability to go into vista mode with every car featured in the game. This is espicially exciting since Forza 5 will be running on a new graphics engine in 1080i and 60FPS. In fact, the developers of Forza had a hand in influencing the graphical chips used in the Xbox One.

forza2

In order to capture the realism behind how a car looks, developers sought to capture the visual imperfections in order to reach perfection. Face it, we won’t see half these cars in real life. Forza is the closest we’ll get and the developers are trying to make it as realistic as possible. To give you an example, tires in the game are going to be up to date will real life data provided with Cal Span. Another example lies within the materials used to create the cars in real life, including each coat of paint used for each vehicle. Doing this allows light to be reflected in different ways as the car is crusing down the track; Since there are three layers, any damage sustained to the car will be represented in such a way that gamers will be able to see the car’s material underneath the paint. In short, damage will be unique and specific.

forza1

Career mode will host 50 or more events in each league that will provide more than 60 hours of gameplay. As you progress through your career, each path will be different depending on the car that you choose. As you purchase new cars to race with, Forza, with the power of the cloud, will show you new car suggestions based on your past purchases. Think Amazon or Netflix’s “because you watched ___”. Also, all paintjobs will now be free.

Perhaps the most exciting thing about Forza 5 is the redesign of the Drivatar. The drivatar is a representation of you as a racer, and it knows the kinds of paintjobs and cars you like. As you drive, the system will be learning your tendencies and will constantly improve. What’s best is that your drivatar will race for you while you’re away and you will get rewards for winning said races. Drivatars will also have failsafes in the event the player starts to cheat or does not play by the rules. Rest assured that any player who constantly drives backwards through tracks will not have a drivatar that does the same. Instead, their drivatar will just really suck. This brings us to our next point; if you spend a long time away from Forza, your Drivatar will reflect that. If you come back and have a bad streak, your Drivatar will also reflect that. In short, always play Forza and never stop playing Forza.

Forza 5 will also feature a full orchestral soundtrack recorded at Skywalker Sound. This will sound great as you race through cities based in real life, just minus the stop signs. Gamers will also be happy to know that every mode in the game will gain you xp and allow you to level up.

forza3

Lastly, Forza 5 will be using dedicated servers for multiplayer. This will be especially great when playing online against opponents you’re comfortable with. Gamers will have the chance to hone in on the type of player they’re comfortable racing against. If you like clean, serious racers, you’ll have ’em as opponents. As for me, if you see a 24k Gold P1 racing like a dick, it’s probably me.

Have a chance to check out Forza 5 already? Share your thoughts below!

SDCC 2013 Video Game Round-Up: ‘RYSE: Son of Rome’

by jake108

RYSE: Son of Rome first made a splash at this year’s E3, and has since been put at the forefront with its companions as launch titles for the Xbox One. At SDCC, I had a chance to sit down with two minds behind RYSE and was able to gather information that is sure to be pleasing for all.

First, I’ll start with the game’s story. RYSE stars a hero set on revenge. The story takes place in the darkest days of Rome’s existence, and with his family dead, our hero has more than one reason to take his anger out on barbarians.

ryse1

Battles in the game’s campaign will be historically accurate. For example, the battle shown at SDCC and E3 can be found in the history books and is commonly regarded as the “Roman D-Day”, due to its amphibious landing. With any luck, each battle will feel meaningful and worthwhile enough to look it up on Wikipedia once we’re done playing. I don’t know about you, but I did this after every mission when playing Call of Duty 2.

What we saw during SDCC was a “small slice” of the final gameplay. It’s also worth noting that the demo, like many others, was in God Mode the entire time. It’s important to note that most of what we saw may change in the final product, and there’s one particular aspect to the game that will be gone by the time it hits store shelves. I’m talking about none other than those silly buttons that pop up above the enemies head to let you know what button to press in the midst of an execution. Sure, the animations look cool, but the seemingly mandatory quick-time event for every enemy was sure to get annoying after the tenth kill. I’m happy to report that those buttons will be removed in favor of adding skill and freedom to the game. Instead of dishing out the same combo over and over, players will have a choice on refilling their heath, receiving a damage boost, or increasing their focus depending on what combo they choose to do and how well they complete said combo. This, coupled with the fact that the demo was in God Mode and difficulty on Easy is sure to quell some fears about RYSE‘s difficulty. Those who love difficulty will also like to hear that a “Nightmare” mode will be available at launch too. Details on that mode, as well as what exactly “focus” does in the game will be released at a later time.

ryse2

The next thing covered was the SmartGlass integration. Through SmartGlass, gamers will have the oppertunity to glance at their friends “timeline” at any given time. Timeline is a feature in which your friends or yourself can view how much of the game or mission you have completed. It updates in real time. Timeline also serves as a strategy guide and will provide hints on the level in play. RYSE‘s SmartGlass integration will also allow gamers to view video of any kind associated with RYSE. These videos will be recorded via the Xbox One’s DVR feature. The best thing about this is that any achievement or challenging part in the game can be viewable via a friend who has already moved onto the next mission.

As for the Kinect functionality, RYSE will incorporate gestures and verbal commands in scenarios in which the hero must command other soldiers to complete a task. However, a Kinect is not mandatory and you may press buttons instead of doing gestures or voice commands (yay).

Later on, I had a chance to play RYSE myself. I was able to fight more enemies as time was not an issue. It was fun slicing enemies and severing arms, and conducting the voice commands. I can see myself trudging along in this game’s story upon release and am excited mostly for its Timeline feature. As a gamer who doesn’t regularly look forward to hack-and-slash titles, RYSE looks to set itself apart by featuring historical battles, freedom to kill how you want, and a challenging campaign. RYSE: Son of Rome is set to release on the Xbox One launch day.

Did you get a chance to play at SDCC this year? Let us know what you thought!

SDCC 2013: Geekscape Goes To Legendary’s Godzilla Encounter!

by Derek Kraneveldt

The first full day of San Diego Comic Con 2013 is on in full force. As I’ve mentioned before, this is my first time in San Diego, and my first time at the convention… and it’s absolutely ridiculous. I’ve seen people and things that I could never even dream of, and have already been through an incredible experience that I’m still thinking about.

That experience, of course, was Legendary’s Godzilla Encounter. Shane, Jonathan, and I had an awesome opportunity to attend the experience yesterday, before it opened to the general public in the evening. The awesome folks at Legendary took us through the encounter just as fans would see it, before letting us back in for sushi, ramen, and photos.

Again, I’m from a small city in Canada, and I’ve never really seen anything in my entire life. Honestly, going through this experience may be one of the coolest events of my entire life (sad, I know).

Tickets for the encounter are very hard to come by at this point. Last I heard, online tickets were completely gone (though this may have changed as of this writing), and your only chance now is to ask the Legendary booth how to get your hands on them (3920, right next to us!), follow the company’s official twitter, and of course, hope that you’re very lucky.

Take a look at some photos from our experience at the Godzilla Encounter below, and let us know what you think of the offsite event. I’d recommend checking it out in full before looking at any of these pictures, as it will most definitely spoil things for you. Also, the most impressive portions of Encounter had a strict no camera rule, so if you want to see the really incredible moments, you’re going to have to find a ticket! Do it!

Outside the encounter:

I thought things were cool just on the outside of the building. Legendary did a fantastic job at converting a warehouse into a building that looked like it had just been attacked. There were signs around the entirety of the building warning onlookers about radiation, and of course, the king of monsters. Opening the Godzilla Encounter iOS or Android app at this point gave you a geiger counter registering off the charts, and a warning that touchdown was imminent.

OutsideEncounter

AtomicLife

KingofMonsters

RadioactiveSign

StrikeZone

Inside the encounter:

Things really stepped up a level upon entering the building. The huge floorspace was divided into different sections and even featured a prop from the original 1950’s Godzilla film. Shindo’s Ramen bar featured actors preparing food and reading newspapers while not speaking to us in English. An awesome Godzilla centric comic-store featured an impressive wall of pages,and dozens of classic Godzilla toys, while a clothing store showcased a plethora of different fashion items.

All of the press members were having a fantastic time exploring the area, checking out all of the warning signs and awesome Godzilla history, when suddenly, an alarm went off. People in hazmat suits appeared seemingly out of nowhere and began yelling at all of us, stating that ‘something was coming’, and that we ‘needed to evacuate the area’. I won’t explain further, as again, I really want you to experience it for yourself, but what came next had Shane nearly shitting his pants, and I’m not joking.

Check out the photos from inside Legendary’s Godzilla Encounter below, and again (if you can), GO SEE IT! Click any ima

ComicShop
Panorama of the seudo Godzilla comic shop.

FashionDoor

FashionModels

FlippedCar

GodzillaFashion

GodzillaModel

JonathanRamen
Jonathan eating sushi from the ramen bar.

Model2

Model3

OriginalProp

RamenBar

Saviour

Toys

TVShopSign

TVWall2
Each television played clips from different Godzilla films, and the TV’s were from the year each film released.

WarningSign

YenShop

Again, I really couldn’t believe that this was all taking place inside a building. It was an absolutely incredible experience, and I recommend it to everyone.

A sleek new poster for the film also debuted at the show tonight. Check it out below, and be sure to visit us at booth 3919, and Legendary at 3920!

godzilla-poster

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!

SDCC 2013: ‘Godzilla’ Director Gareth Edwards Teases Something Big!

by Derek Kraneveldt

We’re busy gearing up for SDCC later this week, and apparently, so is Legendary’s Godzilla.

Director Gareth Edwards has released a special pre-convention message for fans eager to get their first taste of the film. The quick video reveals little of what to expect, but does reveal a viral-marketing link at godzillaencounter.com, which features an ever-expanding story of a mysterious anomaly approaching the California coast.

Take a look at Gareth’s message below, and let us know what you’re hoping to see this week! Coming to Comic Con? Be sure to visit Geekscape at booth 3919!

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?

Geekscape Interviews: Catching Up With Kyle Stevens of Kirby Krackle

by TinyNightmare

Every year I put together a Comic Con show that brings together best and brightest of the nerd realm. I like to call it a Nerd-a-Thon and this year I’ve tricked Geekscape.net into being my partner in crime. MUAHAHAHA!

We’ve put together an amazing two-day line up complete with Geek Rock and Nerdcore hip hop and of course the lovely ladies of Devil’s Playground Burlesque. It just so happens that one of these uber-talented Geek Rock bands that will be playing are my friends, Kirby Krackle. I recently caught up with Kyle Stevens, the front-man of Kirby Krackle to fire a ridiculous amount of questions his way.

TN:  You’ve performed at many comic-cons and your partner Jim was a founder of the Emerald City Comic-Con – When did you first attend SDCC, and which Comic-Con (in any city) has been most memorable for you and why?

KS: Our first album (Kirby Krackle) came out in January of 2009 and being new to touring the comic con circuit, we knew we had to go big and make an appearance that year whether we’d even make a dent there or not as a new band. In retrospect, it was a smart thing to do because from the very beginning we set ourselves up as a booth that invited fans and con-goers to take a break from the madness and found they were more than happy to take a second to put on the earphones and take a listen to what we do; the organized sound in power-pop rock form of everything they were experiencing walking around the con.

TN: There has been a lot of news about events and announcements at SDCC this year – which are you most looking forward to?

KS: Truth be told, I’m just catching up on all the news as we speak! We’ve been so in the trenches with getting our new album out and the tour that it’s been my entire world for the past four months. Besides looking forward to rocking the Merrow with Nerfherder and H2Awesome, I’m really looking forward to the special SDCC W00t stout that was brewed up by Wil Wheaton and Stone Brewing Company for the event. Being a huge fan of the San Diego craft-beer scene I know I’m going to need to track some of that goodness down!

TN: I will definitely have to bring you around the San Diego beer scene. Okay, next question: Who are your comic book heroes?

KS: I’m a big Wolverine fan from back in the day; I was raised on a steady diet of Jim Lee 90’s X-MEN and so that will always be my jam in my heart. I’m a big Marvel guy, as well as much of what Image puts out. What a great time it is to be a fan of comics, and great comics at that.

TN: They’re coming out with a new Wolverine! Which comic to film/TV adaptation has been your favorite so far?

KS: TV and film offerings these past few years have been completely insane. We’re living in the golden times of geek franchises coming to the screen and we’re all so spoiled that we don’t even know it! The Walking Dead is something I can’t get enough of, and the way Game Of Thrones has taken over pop-culture is simply amazing. People can’t get enough, and I always hope new fans of these shows give a moment to take a look at comics and what they have to offer their life.

TN: You have been creating music for many years – How did you come to making “Geek – Rock” ?

KS: Long story short, it was simply a wanting to create something that wasn’t there. It was scary to do since it hadn’t really been done the way we choose to go about it; emotionalizing all of our favorite characters and finding the human element to put into song. Lucky for us, people thought it worked and we’ve been pounding the pavement ever since. Our new album, “Sounds Like You” (out July 9th) is another extension of that; geek lifestyle colliding with pop-culture observances for another 13-song offering to ear-holes everywhere.

TN: So, who are your musical influences?

KS: I try to tap into everything as an influence and see what sends my brain towards a new angle or melody, but my heart-on-my-sleeve influences are Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Indigo Girls, Shawn Colvin, Counting Crows, Matthew Sweet, and ALL 90’s R&B. No joke, those are some of the best jams I’ve ever heard still.

TN: I know every musician has a different songwriting process – how would you describe yours?

KS: Ha! I’m always trying to figure out what my process is, and them moment I think I’ve got it then it changes. It likes to mess with me! Truthfully, many of the new songs were came to me in the shower. I do a lot of thinking there, to the point where my water bill reflects that. How eco-conscious of me, right? Yikes. I mostly start with a melody line and then figure out the guitar part. Sometimes it’s the reverse of that, but nothing never makes the cut if I’m not humming it subconsciously later in the day. It needs to have a hook that I care about. If I don’t care about it, how can anyone else? I’m in the business of creating songs that are fun and catchy / something you’d like to play for some friends in the car. That’s the goal.

TN: I remember you mentioning before that Jim is your other half when it comes to music. How would you describe your’s and Jim’s working relationship?

KS: Jim and I sit down and come up with the ideas together and what makes us laugh, and then I go off and make them (hopefully) sound good in song form. Once I feel it’s in some sort of state to become something cool, I bring it to the band and they rock my face. It’s a great way to do things and it’s worked for us this long that it’s kinda second nature now.

TN: You mentioned Kirby Krackle’s new album is being released on July 9, just before Comic Con Nerd-a-Thon, Are you excited to perform the songs from the new album? Which is your favorite?

KS: I’M SO EXCITED TO PLAY THE NEW SONGS ON TOUR! Can you tell? The songs on the new album were specifically designed to be performed live and get the crowd singing along which is one of the best things to me about playing live. I never take it for granted and always strive to create new tunes that folks will want to yell back at me. That said, our new song “Grandma’s House” is tons of fun and the few times we’ve played it live so far it’s been such a great vibe from the audience. Another song, the Game Of Thrones influenced “North Of The Wall” is the heaviest song we’ve recorded to date. Haven’t played that one live yet, but I’m dying to see how the crowd screams the chorus back at us.

TN: Nerd-a-Thon will be the third stop on your west coast tour with H2Awesome to promote your new album – When did you first meet the guys from H2Awesome and how did their appearance as your openers come about?

KS: We’ve known those guys for about four years now. We’ve had them at KRACKLEFEST, our annual show ECCC weekend in Seattle a few years ago and they’ve had us out to NYC as well. They’re tons of fun on stage and off, and I’m excited for the West Coast to finally be able to experience them.

TN: Do you have anything special planned for the Nerd-A-Thon?

KS: We’ve got some fun experimental performance things to try out…something to get the vibe fun and crazy. We’ll see what happens!

TN: Are you excited to be performing with Nerf Herder and the girls from Devil’s Playground Burlesque?

KS: I was so psyced to hear we’d be perfomring with Nerf Herder! Let’s be honest though, everyone will be waiting patiently for us to get off the stage so the ladies can get up there. We understand how this works…

TN: Ha! That very well may be true, but I am sure you will provide some great interim entertainment. Through the grapevine, or should I say hops vine we’ve heard you are embarking on a new business chapter in your life – care to share?

KS: Totally! Not only am I a fan of the San Diego craft-beer scene, but I’ve also been a homebrewer for years getting ready to go pro and open my brewery this year in Shoreline, Wa. It’s called Charging Hippo Brewing Co. (www.charinghippobrewing.com), and it’s very exciting / fun / scary as hell, all at once.
The nano-brewery movement in the states and across the world is exploding and I’m excited to be a part of it. I’ve spent the past few months narrowing down my first offerings, and most of my stuff is very hoppy and made with a lot of love. Small batches is what we’re talking…I’m not looking to take over the world because I’ve got the band trying to do more and more, but we’ll hopefully make a dent in an area of North Seattle that really needs a brewery to call their own. As you might be able to guess, this year is pretty crazy so far.

TN: What is the geekiest thing you do when no one is around (be honest, we won’t tell anyone … in person)?

KS: Um…I’ve been trying to trigger my mutant powers since my first issue of Uncanny X-MEN at age 9 and thus far it’s not working. What am I doing wrong? I’ll keep trying though.

Kirby Krackle’s new album, ‘Sounds Like You’, released earlier today, and is definitely worth checking out (here). Again, Kirby Krackle is performing on night 1 (July 20th) of the Comic-Con Nerd-A-Thon, and it’s going to be incredible. Look for more interviews in the coming days, and don’t forget to pick up your tickets to the Comic-Con Nerd-A-Thon! They’re selling out fast, so grab them here while you still can!

Night-One-800x1200

SDCC 2013: A Veteran’s Tips For Navigating The Convention, Plus Some Choice Panels!

by AllieHanley

San Diego Comic Con has been around for many years, but for me the geek exodus began in 2007. That first year was a blur; I can hardly recall what I  saw or what I did. However, with each year that I’ve added to my belt, the experience of navigating the vast crowds, the convention floor and the Hall H line have become a way of life. The plan, -or lack of, because trying to plan every detail of the third largest convention in the world is tough. The reality is, for newbies, just go with the flow and try to pick a few things. For me that means a heavy investment of time in Hall H.

Last year I wrote a piece about the Comic Con experience, Press vs. Fan. I came up with the conclusion that I would rather forego the press tables (mostly happening at The Hilton next door) and focus on the fan experience, so with that in mind here’s a few panels I’m looking forward to, as well as some general tips.

Preview Night (Wednesday). The truth is… preview night is a nightmare. People go nuts. Either you have a plan and a mission (trying to buy an exclusive toy and score an exclusive giveaway) or you just let the crowd push you and pretend you are a leaf floating down a raging river. My crew have a mission. We divide and conquer with runs to Mattel, Dark Horse, and more. <If I tell you any more, I’d have to kill you> For an easier go of it – check out the TV pilots screening up in Ball Room 20.

Comic-Con and Warner Bros. Television proudly continue their annual Preview Night tradition, with exclusive world premiere screenings of the pilot episodes of three of the most highly anticipated TV series of the 2013-14 television season-Almost Human, The Tomorrow People, and The 100-as well as an encore presentation of the pilot episode of The Vampire Diaries spinoff series, The Originals, all in Ballroom 20.

comic-con 2010B 155

Thursday: In recent years, Thursday has been the day that Con officials slated as the day to get the “Twilight” movie stuff over. This created some really happy campers, and some pissed-off ones. The unhappy ones complained that the “Twi-hards” had bought all the convention tickets and were making the convention even more crowded. The reality, the con is just massively popular. Anyway, this year there is no Twilight and  so what did the officials plan this year in its place….what mega blockbuster will we be lining up the night before to sneak peek? ….NOTHING. I had been banking on having some sort of -get it over- blockbuster – lets-kick-things-off Hall H panel but this year the opening panels include:

Ron Diamond (program curator, president of Acme Filmworks and AWN.com) presents the best and newest in international animation. Included is Disney’s Oscar winning Paperman along with 10 animated shorts culled from the most notable festivals from around the world. Shows annually at Pixar, Dreamworks, Disney, ILM, Blue Sky, Sony, EA, UCLA, SVA, USC, SCAD, NYU, RISD, Harvard and CalArts.

Thursday July 18, 2013 11:50am – 12:50pm

Early AM Best Bet – Check out hottie Josh Hollaway from Lost – and the panel the features his new TV show “Intelligence” – As a matter of fact – Ball Room 20 has the coolest big bang – for your back all day Thursday.

Afternoon: However, it may be worth the fight – OR NOT – of heading back over the Hall H after lunch – getting in line – and trying to get in for Ender’s Game and Divergent. Harrison Ford will be on deck as well as that awesome young actor from True Grit, Hailee Steinfeld, as well as Abagail Breslin. Ender’s Game pictured below.

enders-game_810x539

In recent years I’ve seen a lot of cool celebs on Friday. At times, my entire crew has defected to the convention floor and smaller -but noteworthy- panels while I’ve stuck it out in Hall H. It’s a tough call because you want to see all the stuff, but then there’s that actor or director that comes out and makes it all worth it. In recent years I’ve seen Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson on the same panel… followed by Francis Ford Coppola (even had a chance to tell him that I liked his wine! …and I was standing 10 feet from Val Kilmer for about 20 minutes and didn’t even recognize him!)

Friday: I’ll definitely be in the front of Hall H (foregoing my round table experience at the Hilton) to see Simon Pegg and Nick Frost discuss The World’s End. No, it’s not another Pirates movie – it’s a comedy starting at 10 AM.

12:15 – Kick-Ass 2 and Riddick – First off. Loved Kick-Ass. Loved the panel for it a few years ago at SDCC and I can’t wait for it this year, but I will miss Nic Cage but even better is VIN DIESEL and the chic from Battlestar Galactica and the small but cancelled show Bionic Woman – Starbuck herself – Katie Sackoff. Ok, back to Vin Diesel. The epitomy of cool will be talking Riddick. As a fan of both movies, and the cartoon, I’m definitely down. The director David Twohy will be in attendance as well.

riddick96

Other panels that day include The Walking Dead, which should be ok. I attended last year in the same slot. Next up is Game of Thrones, – saw it last year – same slot. Then Sony Pictures will show off their new stuff, including The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones – which to me looks pretty good (writers note – I am a young adult writer… so a film like this appeals to me but I know most of my geek friends cringe at the thought!).

However… hang in there because Sony will be showing off ROBOCOP! Loved it as a kid. Loved Peter Weller… loved the whole thing, can’t wait for the reboot. Samuel L. Jackson will be in effect… WILL HE or WON’T He – drop the “F-Bomb”???? I Hope he does!!!

They will also be showing The Amazing Spider-Man 2… – ugh. I know they were losing the rights to remake it – but DAMN, couldn’t we just have had a few more years without it?  Cast appearance has not been announced but last year Andrew Garfield showed up in the audience wearing a low-budget spidey costume… and then pretended to be a fan and ask a dumb question. It went over well, and I loved it – but later in the elevator at The Hilton – his press rep (or whomever represents him) was going off about how “F’-ing this” and “F-ing” that went, and causing a commotion in the elevator with everyone listening to his tirade on the phone all the while my ten year old niece stood there silently with huge eyes… shocked at the profanity rolling out of this guys mouth. Oh wait, that was 2 years ago! These things just roll together somehow after a few years.

Now for the biggee of the day!!! METALICA !!! yes, you read it right. The headbangers from back in the day are hosting a panel for their new 3D / IMAX  movie Through the Never.  All four band members will be in effect.

130115-metallica

Saturday: Only a few die-hards like myself will be making it in to the famed Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures line-up.

I can’t wait to see what a year has added to Godzilla. Last year’s tease – literally BLEW MY SOCKS off! Actually, the entire Saturday program last year blew my pants off! The insanity of Will Farrell and Zack G showing up unannounced, The Hobbit, with it’s HUGE triple wide screens, as well as Geekscape friend Travis Beacham’s Pacific Rim just utterly made the convention for me last year.

Besides Godzilla, we are looking at Seventh Son (fantasy adventure – one of my favorite genres!) with Jeff Bridges (will he be in person – not sure) and Julianne Moore…. as well as cutie from Game Of Thrones – Kit Harrintgon (Jon Snow) and the very sexy Djimon Hounsou.

Followed by 300: Rise of an Empire which stars of course – “Women who KICK ASS” Lena Heady (one of my favorite lady actors right now).

tv-stars-to-movies-300-rise-of-an-empire1_500x360

Gravity: Starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney (highly doubtful they will be showing up and it’s not noted they are scheduled) however… I remember a few years back when Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie showed up for The Tourist. (or was it… her that showed up for Salt?) Anyway, you never know. If they say there are coming – then the already popular – INSANE day in HALL H would just be R I D I C U LO U S with fans!

Lego Movie – I have nothing interesting to say about this title except Will Farrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman. If any one of them shows up (which I’m sure at least one will) then we are money! None are officially on the schedule… but a little birdie tells me we will be seeing at least one of them. BTW: I once rode a ski lift in Canada with Liam Neeson… nice guy and big!

I know you think this is just awesome but the day is just getting started…

Lionsgate will be showing off I, Frankenstein.  with Aaron Eckhart (Two-Face himself!). Can’t wait. The original “Frankenstein” story has so much heart and can still be molded into a story that has meaning today. Can’t wait to see what they’ve come up with.

And then also The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (the best book in the series – hands down). Will the cast be in attendance? Not sure. It’s not listed… c’mon Lionsgate – at least give us an exclusive souvenir or t-shirt!

Last year's 'Women Who Kick Ass' panel.
Last year’s ‘Women Who Kick Ass’ panel.

A L L I E ‘S    T O P    PICK – W O M E N   W H O   K I C K A S S

Fierce, fearless and flat-out fantastic, these female actors have left fans breathless. Michelle Rodriguez (Fast and Furious franchise), Orphan Black‘s Tatiana Maslany, Danai Gurira (The Walking Dead), and others open up about the power and privilege of playing women who redefine the rules and refuse to yield.

Incidentally – my wish list actress for this panel would be Sigourney Weaver… however I did see her a few years a go for the “Paul” panel and I loved her! She is ultimate “Kick Ass” actress for me. It would be hard to beat Aliens 2 and Sigourney’s role in it (as well as all the Aliens movies).

20th Century Fox – hasn’t announced their line-up officially on the schedule. but they have blocked 4:14 – 5:45.

6:00 – 7:00 Thor: Dark World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier – “Many surprise guests” listed as who will be in effect.

thor-the-dark-world-first-official-poster-strikes

7:15 After that panel Kevin Smith takes over fielding questions about Clerks 3 and other stuff. I will probably bag out for this.

Sunday: is kids day at the con. Thank God, they outlawed strollers on the convention floor this year. I have been run over, run down, and banged up by those things the past few years and people with their small kids are just out of control on the convention floor. It’s crowded but do you have to use your kid as a ram!? The floor will be packed with lots of kid friendly giveways but other booths will be getting the frantic pass it out – or haul it out – souvenir giveaways. All three days previously they’ve been on reserve…. having to make all the frebbies last…. Sunday is a free for all. Especially around 1 PM. It’s not guaranteed that you will score some uber cool stuff, but instead of giving you 1 item – they will suddenly be giving you several.

Best Bet – Summit and Lionsgate give out the coolest stuff. They change it up every hour, so keep going. Also, it’s a great day to get autographs (free ones) on the floor. Not in the mood for an autograph – just walk by. Tons of TV celebs will be posted every hour, at different booth signing and meeting fans. Just be prepared for families that create walls that block you from walking around. Imagine that irritating RV driving down the 101, and no lanes to pass – FOR MILES! That’s the convention floor on Sunday. The good and the bad of it. Sunday has always been a day that I have nabbed a lot of swag. Go for it.

Be sure to let me know about your experience on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/allie.hanley.5  or follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/KaBoomSeattle! You can also meet me in person camping out in the Hall H line – Friday night!

Geekscape At SDCC 2013: Visit The Booth, Check Out The Parties!

by Derek Kraneveldt

With just twelve days to go until preview night, San Diego Comic Con 2013 is fast approaching. All of us here at Geekscape couldn’t be more excited to attend the show again! We’ll have tons of coverage coming your way, plenty of incredible announcements about the future of Geekscape, a multitude of guest signings and appearances, some amazing parties for you to attend, and much more (as if that wasn’t enough). It’s set to be our biggest year at the convention ever, so be sure to visit us at booth #3919, and read on for all the details about the third annual Comic Con Nerd-A-Thon!

The Comic Con Nerd-A-Thon is a two night event (July 19th & 20th) presented by Tiny Nightmare Productions, Geekscape, and Devil’s Playground Burlesque.

Night one features geek rock and comic vixens with Nerf Herder, Kirby Krackle, and H2Awesome, while night two will host DualCore, Wordburglar, Danimal Cannon, and Mega Ran. Check out posters for each night of the event below, and head here for tickets. Be quick however, as these are selling out fast! Also, be sure to look for our full SDCC schedule as we get closer to the convention.

Night One:

ComicCon_NerdAthon_2013_A

Night Two:

ComicCon_NerdAthon_2013_A

Event Poster:

ComicCon_NerdAthon_2013_A

Let us know if you’re planning to attend! We hope to see you there!

Fanboy Comics ‘The Arcs’ To Release In November!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Our pals at Fanboy Comics have just announced a new original graphic novel.

The upcoming project, The Arcs was written and created by Michael D. Poisson, and features artwork from The Boys Matt Jacobs and lettering from The Molting‘s Oceano Ransford.

This book sounds incredible, and I cannot wait to see how it turns out. Here’s a short synopsis for The Arcs:

After God has abandoned Earth, the seven Archangels are forced to protect humanity against the rising legions of Hell. Can they pull themselves together to defeat Lucifer and his demons, or are they destined to suffer their own fall from grace?

The Arcs will launch in November 2013, but a free preview will be available on the book’s official site beginning Friday, July 12th.

If you’re headed to SDCC this year, things get even better. An exclusive, full-colour The Arcs print will be available at the convention, which will include a free digital copy of the full graphic novel.

Take a look at the cover art for The Arcs below, and let us know if you’ll be picking it up!

TheArcs

Toys R Us Reveals Incredible SDCC Exclusives!

by Derek Kraneveldt

My trip to San Diego later this month just got more expensive. Toys R Us has just announced their Comic Con exclusives, and unfortunately… I want almost all of them!

There is a multitude of exclusives and first-look opportunities (products available at SDCC before hitting store shelves) up for grabs, including items from awesome franchises like Adventure Time, The Walking Dead, Batman, Transformers, and plenty of others! Check out the items below, and be sure to let us know which ones you’ll be picking up!

Exclusives

8E9F0A5D

Toys“R”Us Exclusive San Diego Comic-Con Adventure Time™ Puppies from Jazwares®, Inc.
Jake and Rainicorn’s puppies have arrived and they’re heading to their very first convention! Say hello to Charlie, T.V., Viola, Kim Kil Whan and Jake Jr.! Fans will find these adorable puppies within the Adventure Time Lady Rainicorn with Pups plush item. Comic-Con goers can collect them all in this one, multi-piece, plush exclusive for $30.

AF9E6BE7-1

Toys“R”Us Exclusive San Diego Comic-Con WINX Club® Limited Edition Deluxe Daphne Doll from Jakks Pacific® Inc.Meet Daphne, Bloom’s sister, the eldest daughter of King Oritel and Queen Marion. Daphne shines golden, bound in Lake Roccaluce since being transformed into a spirit by a dark spell against her. This 11.5-inch doll is a limited edition, and can make its way home with Comic-Con goers for $30.

First-Look

Photographer Dennis Stylist Alfonse

Adam West Batmobile from Mattel®
It’s the iconic Batmobile in the style of the classic Batman television series! With room for two 6-inch action figures (sold separately), this classic television vehicle allows fans to send any dynamic duo into crime-fighting action! Comic-Con goers can take this fan favorite vehicle will home for $60.

6D8A0315

MY LITTLE PONY NIGHTMARE MOON from Hasbro®
Available for the first time in a large scale, the MY LITTLE PONY NIGHTMARE MOON figure is the majestic ruler of the dark in EQUESTRIA. Vowing to have the night last forever, this sister pony of PRINCESS CELESTIA is a dark unicorn Pegasus princess that stands 8.5 inches tall. Push her moon-shaped cutie mark, and the NIGHTMARE MOON figure will play sounds and phrases as her midnight blue, sparkle wings illuminate and move. Her purple mane can be styled with the included comb and barrettes. This pretty pony can gallop home with fans for $25.

997F3FDF-1

MY LITTLE PONY RAINBOW DASH SHADOW BOLT from Hasbro®
Ready for the fun-filled NIGHTMARE NIGHT festival, RAINBOW DASH pony dressed as a SHADOW BOLT villain is all set to pull off her next prank! Fans can now own aMY LITTLE PONY SHADOWBOLT figure of their own with this three inch, purple and black figure inspired by the popular series, My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. This collectible SHADOWBOLT figure features RAINBOW DASH pony’s signature rainbow mane and tail, glow-in-the-dark accents and a SHADOWBOLT cutie mark, and can be purchased for $15.

A8984793

The Walking Dead Comic The Governor’s Daughter Penny from McFarlane Toys™
Nothing is stronger than a father daughter bond, as we see with The Governor and his daughter Penny. Infected early on with the zombie virus, Penny has been cared for and fed by her unconditionally loving father. Penny features 12 points of articulation and includes a bucket of fresh body parts (severed leg, severed foot, severed hand, intestines, heart and Rick’s severed hand) that the Governor feeds to her. Figure also includes a fish tank with trophy heads collected by her father, one of which can be used as an alternate head for Michonne’s Pet Zombie Mike, allowing users to build Michonne’s second pet and Mike’s best friend, Terry. Fans can grab this first look item for $20.

9109E855-1

TRANSFORMERS Masterpiece Acidstorm from Hasbro®
Little is known about the mysterious air warrior Acid Storm. He serves quietly and anonymously under his commander Starscream and Lord Megatron. He speaks rarely, but when he does, it is in passionate defense of the Deception cause. His oratory skill is so great that those few who have heard him speak believe he has a great future among the Deceptions. Acid Storm has no ambition other than to soar high in the sky, seeding clouds with deadly corrosive rain that gives him his name. This sneak peek item can fly home with Conventioneers for $75.

ECFE065A

TRANSFORMERS Masterpiece Soundwave from Hasbro®
Behind his impassive expression, Soundwave is as cold and ruthless as they come. He cares nothing for right or wrong, for the advancement of a cause, or the welfare of his fellow Deceptions. He cares about information, and he acquires it any way he can. He spies on everyone, from the lowliest Autobot scout to Megatron himself. He hoards information the way a miser hoards gold, sharing it sparingly, if at all. No one knows what the true purpose behind his obsessive data collection is, but all fear him for the secrets he keeps. This first look item can be picked up by Comic-Con goers for $120.

E356C102-1

World War Z Gerry Lane from Jazwares®, Inc.
World War Z revolves around United Nations employee Gerry Lane, who traverses the world in a race against time to stop a pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself. Fans can recreate the intense action of World War Z with the new 6-inch Gerry Lane figure from Jazwares for $15. The figure is articulated and includes accessories.

That’s it! I’ve definitely got my eye on that exclusive Adventure Time set. What about you? Remember to visit us at booth 3919!