The Guide to Pop Conventions
Posts tagged wondercon
Couldn’t Make it to WonderCon? Watch it Anyway!
Apr 2nd
So I may have been a little hasty in saying that I wasn’t going to be posting any news. Granted, today is a day for trusting no one, but this little tidbit I can experience with my own two eyes. Did you want to make it to WonderCon this weekend, but couldn’t make the trip to San Francisco? It’s not quite the same thing as being there, but Marvel is streaming live from their booth. If you happen to catch this as I press send, I think John Dokes is about to start giving away freebies. Freebies which I usually have trouble getting because a: I’m not an adorable child, and b: John knows me because we used to shop at the same comic book store, so he knows for a fact he’s given me free stuff before.
April Fools Day News
Apr 2nd
I think I hate April Fools Day. No, really, I hate April Fools Day. Not because of being pranked or anything, because for the most part, everyone is too lazy to do anything like that. More because everyone with a Twitter account sees it as an opportunity to write lies. Which for you, isn’t really a problem. Except what I do is read all the news released by various organizations and present it to you in a nice digest form. And I just don’t have the time, patience or desire to figure out what’s real and what is someone’s idea of a joke. Really, who is crazy enough to try to release any kind of important news on April Fools Day anyway? You know no one is going to believe you, right?
I tell you what — come back tomorrow, you’ll have news. Come back Sunday, you’ll probably get an awesome video, assuming I don’t screw things up. Today though, your April Fools joke is you came here thinking you were getting news, and you get an anti-April Fools screed. So go have fun at your WonderCons and GIJoeCons and Anime Detours and what not. We’ll be back with me photoshopping my Halloween costume into photos of Star Trek legends next week.
Wonder Woman Looks Less Weird and Other News Updates
Mar 31st
So we’ve all seen the revamped Wonder Woman costume at this point? Eh, at least it’s better than the one they originally showed.
NEWS!
- Anime SG’s pre-reg is starting on April 1. while Anime Expo and Albuquerque Comic Expo are ending theirs on the same day. Which when you think about it, is a really lousy day to have anything change. Who’s going to believe you?
- Speaking of Albuquerque, they have their Stan Lee VIP tickets up for sale.
- WonderCon got a nice writeup in Variety. The story premise? It’s not San Diego.
- Looks like the documentary “Four Days at Dragon*Con” is going to air on television. Check your local listings… or just make with the clicky.
- Toronto Comic Arts Festival has 262 cartoonists attending at last count.
- Voice actor Tara Platt’s going to be at MTAC.
- A whole mess of news about the VA Comicon can be read here.
Rainn Wilson is a Con Nerd and Other News Updates
Mar 29th
Actors hitting the pop culture conventions to build up hype for their geek-oriented films is nothing new. Actors hitting up the same conventions they used to go to as kids, and admitting to it on national television? That’s a little different. Press play on the YouTubes to see Rainn Wilson, star of the upcoming “Super,” plugging the heck out of NorWesCon.
- It’s one week till WonderCon in San Francisco, so they’re pumping out last minute information updates by the fistful. Check out their interactive scheduler – looks to be pretty nifty. They are also still looking for more would-be comic book artists to join their Comic Creator Connection, so if you are good with the drawing, but need a writing partner, you might want to sign up.
- Matsuircon in Ohio announced a bunch of guests – Micah Solusod, Brittney Karbowski, and Brina Palencia. They also have some super huge secret guest, but like a bunch of meanies, they’re going to make us wait till next week to find out who. Meanies.
- Purchase a 3 day pass by 7PM Mountain for the Albuquerque Comic Expo and you’ll be entered into a drawing to be upgraded to a VIP Package. Although given when I’m writing this, this news may be useless to everyone. Dang time zones!
- Long Beach Comic Con updated their artist list for their one day expo. They are also looking for someone to do a half hour interview about comic cons for students, so if you feel gabby, make with the clicky.
- Rules. They keep us from living in anarchy. And now the cosplay events at Anime Expo in Los Angeles have them.
- The Star Trek Convention in Phoenix has a write up on the official Star Trek website.
- Louisianime pre-reg closes tonight. And once again, here’s hoping that tonight means some time after I’ve posted this blog entry, stupid timezones!
- Are you a Canadian gamer? Then you might want to check out the schedule for the Canadian Games Conference.
- MTAC in Nashville has Vic Mignogna as a guest. And if you think I didn’t spellcheck that name a couple of times… silent G’s trip me up.
Wondercon Commercial
Mar 26th
Wow, it’s creepy how little convention news was released today. Seriously, virtually nothing. The only real thing of note — this commercial for WonderCon. Enjoy!
Escorting Adolph Hitler to the Gates of Hell and Other News Updates
Mar 25th
We’re a geek site, so obligatory “Captain America” trailer that you’ve probably watched a dozen times already.
And now on with the convention news.
- Whole mess of news coming out of Florida Supercon today. Eisner Award winning artist and guy who drew a good chunk of the inspiration for the movie trailer Kevin Maguire is a guest, as is voice actor Troy Baker, and the band Motion City Soundtrack will be headlining the show.
Whole mess of Wondercon news as well. You can check out all their exclusive merchandise here. Neil Gaiman. Mark Sheppard and Toby Haynes will be in a Doctor Who panel moderated by The Nerdist’s Chris Hardwick. And that pretty little piece of artwork to the right by Frank Quitely? That’s the convention guide cover.- Texas Frightmare Weekend has “Hobo with a Shotgun” director Jason Eisener as a guest.
- Flemish cartoonist Brecht Evens will be at Toronto Comic Arts Festival.
- Artist William Hood‘s making an appearance at Derby City Con in Louisville.
- Long list of guest artist updates over at the Heroes Convention in Charlotte website.
- If you are going to GIJoeCon this year, you are probably not going to have to worry about not having anything to buy — they have just under 200 dealer tables reserved for the con.
- Like the black and purple image? Good, because it’s the shirt design for Botcon in Pasadena.
Art Adams Art and other News Updates
Mar 24th
Art Adams is awesome. No one can draw a giant lizard, gorilla, or buxom lass quite like him. Draws a pretty nifty looking Wolverine as well, as you can see by the sketch on the left. What would you say to owning your very own personal Art Adams art? Impossible, you say? Nay! Not if you’re planning on attending Wondercon in San Francisco. Art is auctioning off his art, drawing a full body, 11″x17″ commission piece with the proceeds going to the Hero Initiative. How can you get in on this amazing action? Go to Ebay. Just remember, you have to actually be at Wondercon to get the art.
- The English language voice for “Neon Genesis Evangelion’s” Asuka, Tiffany Grant, is going to be at Comicpalooza in Houston.
- Did you go to C2E2? Take pictures? They want you to upload them to their Flickr group.
- Gallifrey One in Los Angeles’ website for their 2012 event has gone live. As it’s the 15th anniversary of the 1996 TV movie, Paul McGann, the 8th Doctor, is the headlining guest. Plenty more news, guests, and other timey-wimey nonsense on the site.
- Great Caesar’s Ghost, Bob Wall is going to be at Spooky Empire’s May-Hem in Florida! I don’t know how spooky Bob is, but he’s the guy who killed Bruce Lee’s sister in “Enter the Dragon” and one hell of a martial artist in his own right.
- Joe Rubinstein is teaching an inking class at Long Beach Comic Con. The tickets are $35 more than the regular one-day door fee, but Joe is a legend. Really. He has the Guinness record for inking the most pencillers, due to his stint as the inker on the old Marvel handbooks.
- Speaking of legendary inkers, Dan Green is a guest at Albany Comic-Con.
- Speaking of Albany Comic-Con, their ticket website is live.
- Speaking of… absolutely nothing, the Toronto Comic Arts Festival has a bunch of British publishers showing up.
- Going to GameStorm in Washington? You shouldn’t be bored – they have 700 events lined up. That’s a lot of events.
The Batwing is Dusted No More, and Other News
Mar 18th
Sad news today as veteran actor Michael Gough, best known as Alfred Pennyworth from the Batman movies of the 80s and 90s, was reported dead today at the age of 94. If being Alfred isn’t enough for you, he also starred in a bunch of Hammer horror films, played some villains in “Dr. Who” and even married one of the actresses playing the Doctor’s companions. So I figure that’s a decent amount of geek cred right there.
- More guest announcements from Pittsburgh Comicon – Top Cow penciler Eric Basaldua, long-time George Perez colorist Tom Smith, and “guy who created Thanos,, amongst other things” Jim Starlin.
- Wondercon post its gaming schedule and portfolio review schedule. If your artwork gets rejected, you can console yourself with some Yu-Gi-Oh!
- Anime Expo is having an open house on March 19 in Anaheim to look for staff and volunteers.
- NW Pinball in Seattle is also looking for volunteers.
- Looks like Brian Michael Bendis leaked the the Marvel booth schedule at C2E2.
- The Stargate Convention is coming to Chicago on August 19-21, 2011. They’ve also added Paul McGillion to the guest list.
- J. Scott Campbell had to drop out of C2E2.
- Chris Sabat,, aka the angry sounding voice guy on Funimation cartoons, will be at EXPCon in Florida.
- Considering going to Texas Frightmare Weekend in Dallas? You might want to watch the video.
Oh My God, it’s Almost C2E2 and Other News
Mar 16th
Not a ton of news today, especially not compared to yesterday’s onslaught of information. But C2E2 in Chicago is almost upon us, so there are some last-minute updates coming out of the Windy City.
- Marvel Comics displayed some of the exclusive swag they’re going to be giving away at C2E2, including a new mixtape comic, some posters and some buttons that you can only get by attending Marvel panels. Part of me really wants those buttons. Another part of me remembers that I never do anything with buttons and they just end up as clutter in a desk drawer. That’s the problem with free con swag – it’s all shiny and I WANT IT NOW, but really, once you come home from the con, there’s only so much you can do with most of it.
- Avatar Press has up on their website their plans for C2E2, including attending staff, exclusive comics and merchandise.
- C2E2 put out some notes on their convention mobile app. There may be an update to the app, and if it does go wonky, the mobile version of the website should be working. Either way, I’d recommend downloading the app in advance.
- But enough about Chicago! Spokane Comicon is going to have animator Thomas Cook at the show, who worked on shows such as “He-Man,” “Super Friends” and “Scooby Doo.”
- San Japan in San Antonio is hosting Brad Swaile, English dub voice of Light from Death Note.
- Tekkoshokon in Pittsburgh put up their latest newsletter. I’m not entirely sure what is news in there, so you might want to take a look for yourself.
- Wondercon isn’t just Wondercon, it’s also the SF Bay Area International Children’s Festival, for which they just posted the schedule.
A Red Skull Roundup!
Mar 4th
Marvel released an image of Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull in “Captain America: First Avenger” today. I’ll be damned, he looks like the Red Skull. Yay! As opposed o looking like, I don’t know, Batroc the Leaper. AND ON TO THE NEWS!
- Good news to San Francisco-based fans of “Pedro and Me” and “Firearm,” Judd Winick and James Robinson are signed for WonderCon. What? You don’t remember Firearm? Robinson’s breakout book from Malibu? You all disappoint me so.
- Details are out for the Northwest Pinball and Gameroom Show in Seattle. Steve Weibe and Walter Day from “King of Kong” are going to be there.
- Going to C2E2? Check out the official afterparty on Friday. There’s going to be live band karaoke and burlesque.
- Anime Detour in Minnesota has put up their schedule of events.
