Archive for the 'Comics' Category
August 30th, 2009, 2:35 pm by Jayson Peters
UPDATED here Sept. 3-4.
The Phoenix Comicon crew will host a meet-and-greet 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, at the Hyatt Regency’s Sundance Room, where organizers will make their first guest announcements for the 2010 event and attempt to fill open volunteer staff positions. This will be followed at 7 p.m. by a walkthrough of the Phoenix Convention Center, the con’s new venue.
Attendees have to pre-register to be eligible for fabulous door prizes.
Through 2009 the con was at the Mesa Convention Center, but organizers and guests wanted bigger digs.
Phoenix Comicon 2010 will be May 27-30 at the Phoenix Convention Center.
See also: Nerdvana’s local convention calendar
Posted in: Comics • Events • Conventions • Phoenix • Phoenix Comicon | Post a Comment »
August 26th, 2009, 9:47 am by Jayson Peters
Ah, Colorado. Crisp mountain air, meth-contaminated comics books and armed robbery — meddling kid and Klingon style!
Investigators this week announced they have broken up a massive methamphetamine ring that brought weekly drug shipments to the Denver area through Phoenix, then laundered the profits with half a million dollars’ worth of collectible comics books — including some Superman and Batman first editions. The fiends! (Bagged as they were or not, I wonder if those valuable books are now worthless after exposure to the harsh chemicals used to make meth?)
  Also this week, the FBI dubbed a bank robber in more than a dozen hits in Arizona and Colorado “The Shaggy Bandit” for his resemblance (?) to the hirsute character from “Scooby-Doo.”
Reading that story led me to this blog post about weird weapons used by Colorado Springs criminals, which mentioned a story from earlier this year about a convenience store robbery in which a Klingon Bat’leth sword was used.
Is Colorado becoming a nexus of the bizarre?
Posted in: Comics • crime • Scooby-Doo • Shaggy Bandit • Star Trek • This and That | 2 Comments »
August 20th, 2009, 3:51 pm by Chris "KeL" Adams
 That Geoff Johns certainly is one busy guy. Seriously, how does he find time to sleep at night? Not only is he writing several comic books a month, including Blackest Night - DC’s big summer event, he’s also writing and producing on a Flash movie, now he’s also co-writing “Shazam!,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Hopefully, this project will have more success than the previous attempts which have languished endlessly in development limbo. DC seems to be doing their best to play catch-up with their rivals at Marvel, who have a strong slate of projects in development, including Captain America, Thor and The Avengers. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Comics • Movies • Geoff Johns • shazam | 1 Comment »
August 16th, 2009, 10:26 pm by Jayson Peters
You may have noticed a new item on the right-hand side of the page: the local convention calendar. Here are the current contents for those reading via RSS feed:
- North American Discworld Convention: Sept. 4-7, 2009, Tempe Mission Palms
- LepreCon 35: Oct. 2-4, 2009, Phoenix Mesa Marriott
- International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival: Oct. 15-18, 2009, Madcap Theaters
- Saboten-Con: Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, 2009, Hilton Phoenix East/Mesa
- Dark Con: Jan. 14-17, 2010, Grace Inn Ahwatukee
- LepreCon 36: May 14-16, 2010, Phoenix Mesa Marriott
- Phoenix Comicon: May 27-30, 2010, Phoenix Convention Center
- RandomCon: July 9-11, 2010 (tentative), Grace Inn Ahwatukee
Expect this feature to grow or shrink (hopefully, just grow) to reflect the activity level of the local con scene. The blockbuster San Diego Comic-Con or Gen Con Indy they are not, but the Valley has quite a busy community of people dedicated to bringing fans together with talent — all year long. Check ‘em out, you won’t be disappointed.
As always, if you see something I’ve neglected or messed up, send an e-mail to the address in the sidebar or tweet @nerdvana. Or, just leave a comment below!
Posted in: Books • Comics • Events • Gaming • Movies • Music • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • Television • Collecting • Conventions • fandom | Post a Comment »
August 15th, 2009, 8:52 pm by Chris "KeL" Adams
 “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” opened the summer movie season with a lack of critical or fanboy acclaim, it did however make a sizable chunk of money, so of course a sequel is in the works. There has been little reason to hope the follow-up would be any better. That all changed this week with the news from the Hollywood Reporter that Oscar-winning screenwriter/director Christopher McQuarrie (”The Usual Suspects“, “The Way of the Gun“) has signed on to write the movie.
Not only is McQuarrie a talented writer himself, he’s planning on working directly from the comics. The first Wolverine mini-series by the legendary team of Chris Claremont and Frank Miller will be McQuarrie’s template. The four-issue storyline depicts Wolverine’s struggle to come to terms with his bestial side while in Japan and is widely regarded as one of the best tales in the character’s history.
The last couple of Batman movies have shown that a faithful translation of existing storylines and themes can have spectacular results. Hopefully, that trend will continue with the next Wolvie flick.
Posted in: Comics • Movies • claremont • mcquarrie • miller • wolverine | Post a Comment »
August 14th, 2009, 11:38 am by Jayson Peters
 Image: Archie Comics Betty or Veronica?
Archie Comics is entering dangerous territory with a six-issue story arc that answers that question for carrot-topped everyman Archie Andrews.
For decades the hapless high schooler has been town between sweet, blond girl-next-door Betty and raven-haired heiress Veronica. Now he will propose to one of them in next week’s issue No. 600, and twins aren’t far behind. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Comics • Archie • Collecting • Nerd rage | 1 Comment »
August 13th, 2009, 1:09 am by Chris "KeL" Adams
 Television is getting a little more mindless, but in a good way for a change. The Hollywood Reporter writes that AMC has picked up the rights to develop Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard’s zombie comic “The Walking Dead.”
The grim comic details the day-to-day fight for survival in the wake of an undead apocalypse. The book has been a runaway success since its 2003 debut, becoming the best selling black-and-white book on the market today.
Frank Darabont, no stranger to life and death struggles for survival (The Shawshank Redemption, The Mist), is on board to help write, direct and produce the series.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Comics • Horror • Television • AMC • Robert Kirkman • The Walking Dead | 2 Comments »
July 30th, 2009, 4:09 pm by Jayson Peters
VIZ Media has launched a Web site for theier online manga magazine IKKI where you can check out the opening chapters of Japanese graphic novels for free in electronic form.
Hit the jump for descriptions of the titles, some of which would not be deemed suitable for young children. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Books • Comics • Manga • Free stuff • Internet | 1 Comment »
July 27th, 2009, 3:00 pm by Chris "KeL" Adams
 Well, another Comic-Con is in the books. The weekend only elevated the already rampant insanity that is inherant when you gather 125,000-plus fanboys/girls and the objects of their obsessions in one area. After spending most of the day Friday making the rounds of the convention floor and seeing the sights, I decided to take it easy and spend Saturday going to panels.
Slideshow: San Diego Comic-Con: Days 3 & 4
First up was the always entertaining “Black Panel.” Most of the programming at the con has a fun and humorous tone, but every year panel moderator Michael Davis goes above and beyond to make sure attendees have a good time. This year, some of the guests included, rappers Ludacris and Prodigal Sunn, comic writer and BET president Reginald Hudlin, artist Denys Cowan and original Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Comics • Comic-Con • Conventions • San Diego | 3 Comments »
July 25th, 2009, 9:07 am by Chris "KeL" Adams
 This is not me in costume. The comic con is in full swing. Friday was a hectic day with the convention floor more packed than ever. The lull that seemed to run for most of Thursday is definatly over. Things were hectic and I loved every minute of it.
Slideshow: San Diego Comic-Con: Day 2
Full disclosure time, I took a new personal leap in the realm of geekdom. After getting numerous nerdy tattoos, I decided that the time was ripe. I’ve officially given up any pretense at being anything other than the full-blown comic dork that I am. I decided to embrace that feeling and just run with it. So this year, I attended the con in costume.
I’ve gone to the San Diego Convention nine out of the previous ten years. In most of those years, I’ve shaken my head and even mocked those who participated in cosplay. That being said, I must admit I had a great time doing it. I talked to dozens and dozens of friendly people, met those I wouldn’t have normally, got tons of compliments and even picked up a few gifts from new friends. As geeky as it sounds, walking the floor in full costume was an entirely new experience and I’m so glad I did it.
As busy as Friday was, Saturday stands ready to pack in even more fans. Saturday is traditonally THE day of the con. Tons of panels, numerous appearances by stars and relentless activities on the convention floor. The normal wall-to-wall insanity of the convention is going to be cranked up to 11 and will sweep everyone along with its tide of wildness.
Posted in: Comics • Comic • Comic-Con • Conventions • San Diego | 1 Comment »
July 24th, 2009, 3:20 am by Chris "KeL" Adams
Whew. The first day is over and much excitement was had. Crowds seemed to be down after the insanity that was Wednesday’s preview night. However, some areas remained packed. The “Twilight” panel was one of the toughest panels to attend with many fans standing in line from the wee hours of the morning to ensure they’d get a prime spot. Incredible footage was shown for numerous movies including James Cameron’s “Avatar” and Matthew Vaughn’s “Kick-Ass.” Given the reaction from the assembled crowd, I don’t think the latter will be without a distributor for very much longer.
Here’s a few photos of the first full day of Comic-Con.
Posted in: Comics • avatar • Comic-Con • Conventions • San Diego | Post a Comment »
July 23rd, 2009, 11:53 am by Jayson Peters
Even Google is in the spirit for San Diego Comic-Con 2009, as seen in its homepage illustration:
See also: And I thought I was the only one who celebrated…
Posted in: Comics • Comic-Con • Google • Internet • San Diego | Post a Comment »
July 23rd, 2009, 11:41 am by Jayson Peters
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind director Michel Gondry has replaced Hong Kong comedian Stephen Chow as director of the Columbia Pictures adaptation of the TV series The Green Hornet, a studio spokesman said Thursday.
Nicolas Cage and Cameron Diaz are also in talks to star in the movie, Columbia Pictures spokesman Steve Elzer said.
- ‘Eternal Sunshine’ director to do ‘Green Hornet’ | AP
See also: Kevin Smith buzzing on Green Hornet
Posted in: Comics • Movies • Green Hornet | Post a Comment »
July 21st, 2009, 12:01 am by Chris "KeL" Adams
 After the massive hit of “The Dark Knight,” DC Comics has been silent on the big screen, but that’s set to change soon. The Hollywood Reporter has an interesting article about the state of affairs with DC Comics’ current slate of movies. Most interestingly is the news that Geoff Johns, one of the brightest stars in DC’s writing stable, has written a treatment and will be a producer on a Flash movie.
Johns is pretty much the king of the castle right now when it comes to the DC Universe. He’s the brains behind this summer’s biggest event in comics, Blackest Night. Whenever they’re looking to make a splash with a book, DC turns to Johns. So if he is being entrusted with a Flash movie, you can bet DC’s putting some serious muscle behind the project to ensure its success.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Comics • Movies • DC • Geoff Johns | Post a Comment »
July 20th, 2009, 9:25 pm by Jayson Peters
According to the Tampa Tribune (AP story here), a Florida man is being sued by DC Comics for copyright and trademark infringement because he was selling figurines that resemble characters from the 1960s Batman live-action TV show.
 Johnny's Resin Kits John Stacks, who ran johnnysresin.com (”closed” at the time of this posting, though pages are still accessible to Google search), marketed the resin model kits as representations of the actors who played Batman (Adam West), Robin (Burt Ward), Catwoman (Julie Newmar), the Joker (Cesar Romerot), Batgirl (Yvonne Craig), the Penguin (Burgess Meredith), the Riddler (Frank Gorshin), Egghead (Vincent Price) and King Tut (Victor Buono).
The entrepreneur claims in the articles above to have working relationships with several of the actors represented, but this seems to be a matter of dispute — either that, or these stars of yesteryear are understandably trying to distance themselves from his predicament.
In a marketplace flooded with often sub-par, mass-produced toys and collectibles, it’s fairly common these days to find talented fans making — and sometimes selling — custom action figures and models. It’s pretty well understood, though, that selling such items is risky business at best. When it’s a likeness of an actor, that’s a different matter altogether — especially if one has the backing of said celebrity. But it’s also far less profitable.
Posted in: Comics • Television • Batman • Collecting • DC • lawsuit | Post a Comment »
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