Tagged: San Diego Comic-Con

Exclusive: Hallmark Ornaments to debut at SDCC 2010

Hallmark will return to Comic-Con this summer with a line up of exclusive DC Comics, Star Wars, and Simpsons products for the event to introduce enthusiastic collectors (that’s you,
fanboys…) to the world of “Keepsake Ornaments”. Just in case your calendar isn’t marked yet, Comic-Con
International falls on July 21-25 this year, at the San Diego Convention Center in California. Here’s the run-down:

75 Years of DC Comics features the publisher’s three most iconic heroes bursting into action from the very comic books in which they made their first cover appearances—Wonder Woman in Sensation Comics No. 1 (January 1942), Superman in Action Comics No. 1 (June 1938) and Batman in Detective Comics No. 27 (May 1939). Limited run of 750. (more…)

Archie hits postage stamps in July

  • News
  • January 4, 2010

Man, he won’t even choose on a stamp, will he?

Archie is now part of the 2010 Stamp program from the US Postal Service. The stamps are expected to go on sale in July during the San Diego Comic-Con.

If you didn’t have someone getting you freebies at San Diego Comic-Con…

  • News
  • August 14, 2009

…the nice folks at Random House & Suvudu have set aside a few things for you:

• Mark of the Demon signed by author Diana Rowland
• Child of Fire signed by author Harry Connolly
• Luck in the Shadows signed by author Lynn Flewelling
• Black and White signed by authors Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge
• G.I. Joe vs. Cobra signed by author Pablo Hidalgo
• Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi/Death Troopers Double-sided Promotional Posters signed by authors Aaron Allston, Christie Golden and Troy Denning
• Star Wars-The Essential Atlas signed by authors Daniel Wallace and Jason Fry
• G.I. Joe Above and Beyond signed by author Max Allan Collins
• The Comic-Con Exclusive: Talisman Issue #0 signed by colorist Nei Ruffino
• Mirrored Heavens signed by author David J. Williams

All you have to do is submit your name, email
address, mailing address and which prize you would like to win to info@suvudu.com between 12:00 AM on August 10, 2009 and 12:00 AM on August 21, 2009.

An Unshaven Rant: Should I worry about the 2009 Chicago Comic-Con?

  • News
  • August 4, 2009

Hello ComicMix dwellers (and loyal FOMAFers…). I come to you today a bit… deflated. Why you ask? Because I just took a sneaky-peak over at the Chicago Comicon’s exhibitor list and program schedule. Long story (…forthcoming…) short? It’s not looking great on paper. This angers and frustrates me to no end, but I digress. The more I get angry at this, the brighter the silver lining comes creeping in. Confused? Now, I ask unto you my loyal readers, all seven of you, to take this brief journey with me on the anger-train. After we reach the end of the journey, you’ll see why our last stop is in Happyville.

The Backstory

The Chicago Comicon (as long as I’ve known it, mind you) was built on the ‘Wizard World’ platform. (Yes, I know it predates Wizard, but that’s not how I experienced it.) Growing up on comics in the 90’s meant Wizard was my one-stop shop for all the hip and trendy news about comic books… whilst the “internets” was still in it’s primordial-ooze phase. My first con, sadly, was right prior to my senior year in high school. Even back then (and if you ask Glenn, or Mike, or Russ, or really, a lot of people patrolling this site) it wasn’t that long ago, this con was pretty darned cool. I’m a mid-westerner mind you, so trekking to SDCC is NOT in any Chicago-kid’s budget. But it never mattered. SDCC was always at the beginning of the summer, and Chicago’s was at the end. There was enough time for people to calm down, and as Dan DiDio says (said) every year… “Chicago’s con is always about the books. Always about the fans.”

Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and Image all put up HUGE booths where fans could grab free schwag like buttons, posters, and bookmarks. Samples and previews of forthcoming issues adorned tables behind which our favorite creators were signing piles of their own penned materials. Beside these mammoth booths sat smaller publishers, just as happy to show off their wares. And of course beyond that lay the monstrous sea of dealers, and beyond that still, the indie and mainstream friendly confines of Artist Alley. When time came that one could be sick of this massive room of geekocity, there sat a bevvy of panels where the pros came to sit and talk to their fans nearly face to face on a multitude of topics. Some came for the sneak peaks of the years books to come, some (like me) came for the free hints and tricks to learn in the schooling panels, and some came for screenings of geek-laden cinema. All in all, it was wrapping up Christmas Channukkah, my birthday, and your birthday all in one long weekend.

And every year since, for the next 7 years, I went as a fan. Last year I went for the first time as a “semi-professional (having published a graphic novelette in 2008. Over the course of these last 8 years now, looking onto my 9th, I’ve begun to see my “Rome” begin to crumble. (more…)

Cease and desist letter to ComicMix for posting ‘Astro Boy’ image

  • News
  • August 4, 2009

UPDATE 8/5/09: The issue has been resolved between Imagi and us. See here for more details.

So we got this in our feedback form recently:

From: Rebecca Henning

Email: XXXXXXXXX@wwllp.com

To Comicmix.com:

This law firm represents Imagi Crystal Limited (“Imagi”), the exclusive owner of the copyright in the as-yet-to-be-released CGI Astro Boy Movie and various images and depictions of the anime character Astro Boy, including the depiction at this link: http://comicmix.com//news/2009/07/23/sdcc-astro-boy-panel/  (the “Image”).

It recently has come to our attention that without authorization you have posted the Image at the link set forth above and represent that it is related to and/or connected with the Astro Boy Movie and/or sponsored or endorsed by Imagi (the “Posting”).

Please be advised that the Posting constitutes, among other things, false advertising and unfair competition in violation of Imagi’s exclusive rights, and further constitutes infringement of Imagi’s protected rights under the Copyright Act, all of which subjects you to a claim for injunctive relief and damages. Accordingly, on behalf of Imagi, we hereby demand that you immediately remove the Posting from your website, and further, that you immediately provide written confirmation that you have done so.

Be further advised that if you do not comply with the demands set forth above, Imagi will have no choice but to institute an action against you — and any persons or entities acting in concert with you — which will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Please confirm to us right away that you have complied with the demands of this letter. Otherwise, Imagi will have no option other than to act promptly to protect its rights.

This letter is not intended as a complete statement of the facts or of Imagi’s rights, remedies and causes of action, all of which are hereby expressly reserved.

Very truly yours,

Rebecca Henning
Weissmann Wolff Bergman Coleman Grodin & Evall LLP
9665 Wilshire Boulevard, Ninth Floor
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Tel. 310.858.7888

And here is our reply:

Ms. Henning:

The image in question has been removed.

To play it on the safe side, we have also removed the article in question, and every article related to the Astro Boy movie from our web site.

Obviously, we will be unable to trust any Astro Boy images that we get from third parties, because they may simply be claiming to have permission to promote Astro Boy and we simply don’t have the time to check to see if, say, Summit Entertainment is in any way connected with Imagi… so it would just be easier to not cover the movie at all. Or the DVD release. Or the comic book adaptation, which will certainly be entertaining to explain to the publisher.

For that matter, we should probably be concerned about showing any images from other Imagi productions, such as Gatchaman, Highlander, TMNT, or Gigantor. We’ll just skip covering them as well. And we should also notify all of the other people and news organizations who are providing press coverage on the web for any Imagi properties to be careful running any images related to their properties, lest they run afoul of lawyers. I can think of a few large websites running your precious image right now, I’m sure their thinking will mirror ours.

It’s a shame. You could have handled this like the nice folks at Guinness World Records. When we used an image on their web site to promote an article about them, they wrote a very polite letter, did not threaten legal action at all, and provided us with alternate images to use. Even though our usage of the image clearly fell within fair use, we were happy to replace the image because we appreciated the tone and their efforts to find a useful solution.

But hey, you’re just doing your job. So are we. And right now, it’s going to be a lot easier to do our jobs by not having anything to do with Imagi products, certainly not by promoting them in any way. And I’m sure it’s going to be a lot easier for other folks to do the same.

Glenn Hauman
ComicMix

#SDCC: What did we learn on the Show tonight, Craig?

  • News
  • July 30, 2009

SDCC StormtrooperWe’ve now had a day or three to recover from the convention, and there are a few things we’ve learned– some particular just to this convention, some that will hold for the year to come, and some that are permanent changes to the way we’re doing business.

  • We’ve almost hit the point where we can have a virtual shadow convention alongside the real one. I would argue that this may be the major lesson of the convention, particularly now a few days after the con when everybody is uploading their videos to YouTube and pictures to Flickr. Keith R.A. DeCandido illustrates the phenomenon for his Farscape panel: “clear-8568651There’s a whole mess of YouTube video from the tenth anniversary panel I moderated: One recorded on some guy’s iPhone. One recorded with a video camera. And another. And yet another. And yet still another. Look, another one! These frelling things don’t end. They just keep going. And going.” Nine separate video feeds for a panel on a show that’s been off the air for a while.
  • Even more, you could follow the convention in pretty close to real time between twittering and liveblogging. It was possible to have a news site write articles straight from Twitter feeds, with photos to match as well. And now after the fact, you can get full collections of panels on YouTube for much of the show. Not enough, alas– I haven’t found a feed for everything yet, but give it time. In fact, this may be the cast for lots of people as the streams are reaching far more people than could fit in the rooms.
  • The show has gone seriously mainstream– so much so that late night TV made note of the convention. A lot. From Jimmy Fallon to Craig Ferguson, many shows made reference to the convention. G4 was able to do live remotes from the show, the same way MTV might for Spring Break or ESPN might from the tailgating at the Super Bowl. And the promotions out on the streets were on the level of what’s outside the Super Bowl stadium.
  • And yet with all that, the show is comparatively easy to hob-nob around, setting aside the issue of sheer volume. A lot of the actors were out in the wild, as it were, and there were no ill-effects reported– stars could walk around in the main dealers room without being seriously molested, and yet still approachable. And of course, if any celebrity felt like he was going to be  mobbed, he or she could just put on a mask and walk around without being noticed, just another mask in the crowd.
  • Best of all, the show is still untamed. Marketing people were complaining that they weren’t getting exactly the kind of traction they hoped for? Not enough Twitter love from the nerds? Screw you and your marketing plan. Try talking to your audience for a change. Or even better, listening to them. You think it’s just dumb luck that everybody loved Flynn’s Arcade?

All in all, San Diego is still a good show. It’s exhausting, it’s insane, but it’s still the standard to beat.

#SDCC: Doctor Who, David Tennant and ‘The End Of Time’

  • News
  • July 26, 2009

In one of the most anticipated panels of the day, writer/executive producer Russell T Davies, David Tennant, director Euros Lyn, and executive producer Julie Gardner (not pictured) discuss their creative process and experiences working on Doctor Who, television’s longest-running science fiction series, along with a few tips and teases about what’s to come in the (sob) short time left.

While there was healthy applause for Davies, Lyn and Gardner at the beginning of the panel, the crowd went wild for the entrance of Tennant, wearing a glittering Stormtrooper T-shirt and jeans. He was a bit mock-taken aback– “they told us nobody knows Doctor Who in America.”

Pretty quickly they went stright into the trailer for Tennant’s finale on the show, “The End of Time” airing Christmas 2009, featuring the return of Donna Noble, her grandpa, and the Master. After showing of the trailer, Tennant said it went by too fast and demanded that it be played again. No one objected.

Davies accepted the Guinness Book of Records award for the series’ longevity, which he accepted on behalf of the late Verity Lambert, the show’s founding producer.

After that, the floor was opened to questions.

How they do everything on such a small budget? Julie Gardner: “We go over budget.”

Tennant says seeing his face on grocery store cakes, t-shirts and kids’ pants is not something they prepare you for in drama school.

Someone in the crowd yells that she loves Tennant. Tennant replies: “We love you — each one of you in a slightly individual way.” Tennant threw out bunches of quips in the panel, such as “Tonight you’re going to see the premiere… the legal premiere… of ‘Planet of the Dead’,” and “There’s a new rumor every day at Comic-Con. Apparently, I’m playing The Hobbit!”

Does the tenth Doctor wear a brown coat because Tennant likes Firefly? Tennant: “Never heard that one before…” but he likes that show.

Did you steal things off the set? Gardner: “I think John Barrowman just stole things off the set so he could be strip-searched on the way out.”

Would Tennant come back for charity specials or anything else? “It’s the 50th Anniversary in 2013, isn’t it? I dunno… That’s not me making an announcement. There’s no plan. Don’t Twitter that! That’s not a thing! Yet!” Waaaaay too late, David.

One of Tennant’s favorite Doctor Who memories was hearing Elisabeth Sladen, a voice from his childhood, call him “Doctor” during a table read of “School Reunion.” Tennant will be in an upcoming Sarah Jane Adventures episode, called “The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith.”

Did Tennant’s Shakespearean training prep him to play Doctor? Tennant was stumped. Gardner offered: “Well, you did meet Shakespeare in an episode…”

David Tennant on the end of his run and his replacement: “Come on the journey and cry and sing with us. And three weeks later you’ll think Matt Smith is the best thing ever. There is no one in Britain who has worked with Matt [Smith] who hasn’t raved about him. I’ve met Matt and chatted with him a couple of times … and he’s going to be brilliant. Which is annoying.”

Any regrets in leaving the show, David? “I am leaving the series
slightly sad that I didn’t get to snog Bernard Cribbins. I snogged all
the rest.”

#SDCC: Overheard at San Diego Comic-Con, Day 3

  • News
  • July 26, 2009

The rumbles from the floors and halls… and as soon as people recover from hangovers, the parties:

”Last time I trusted you guys, you said Nikki and Paulo were going to be awesome.” – Jorge Garcia

“I didn’t understand the meaning of fans until I came to Comic-Con last year.” – Ludacris

“You’re now officially old. I’m calling it: 10PM on July 25th, 2009.” – Kevin Smith on hating Twilight fan-girls

NOT OVERHEARD, OR EVEN HEARD, AT THE FUTURAMA PANEL: The voice actors.

#SDCC: DC Universe — now with the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents!

  • News
  • July 25, 2009

thunder1-4828226While they had nothing quite as surprising to announce as the Marvelman announcement yesterday, the DC Universe panel at SDCC had some interesting tidbits come out of it. The highlights, as per CBR’s liveblog:

  • DC has finally acquired the rights to T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. This has been a long time project for Dan DiDio.
  • Geoff Johns will be writing a Flash ongoing after Flash: Rebirth and Blackest Night: Flash conclude.
  • Sterling Gates, of Supergirl fame, will be writing a Kid Flash ongoing series to accompany Johns’ main title.
  • James Robinson starts his Justice League of America run with issue 38, a Blackest Night tie-in. His line-up will include Mon-El in a new, Superman-inspired costume, Dick Grayson/Batman, and Donna Troy.
  • An upcoming issue of Booster Gold will guest-star G4 TV personality Blair Butler.
  • Deathstroke will become the leader of the Titans later this year(?!).

A Wonder Woman letter-writing campaign, unfettered love for Metapmorpho, and more at CBR.

#SDCC: Marvel’s Super Hero Squad Show! Hero Up!

  • News
  • July 25, 2009

If you’re anything like me, your interest in the upcoming animated Marvel Super Hero Squad Show was pretty low, based as it is on a line of toys and comic strips meant for kids too young to know that proper superhero stories involve lots of rape and horrible gory messes. Which is to say, I thought it would be fine for its target demographic, but a little too lowbrow to have the same level of grown men in tights and Neil Patrick Harris musical numbers that the discerning adult requires.

But then there was the Q&A panel at San Diego Comic Con.

Now, what if I told you that Stan Lee was voicing the Mayor?

What if I told you Kevin Sorbo was voicing Ka-Zar?

WHAT IF I TOLD YOU GEORGE TAKEI WAS VOICING GALACTUS?!

Well, if the Marvel liveblog is to be believed, it’s all true. Some other highlights:

  • Steve Blume, who voiced Wolverine in Wolverine and the X-Men and Wolverine vs. The Hulk will be reprising his role here.
  • Tom Kenny, the voice of Spongebob Squarepants, will be playing the roles of Iron Man and MODOK. Other casting announcements here. 
  • “Over 40 years we have seen many interpretations,
    and Marvel has a history of poking fun at themselves- this is a show I can watch, and want to watch with my 8-year-old.     There is humor on an adult scale,” said Marvel E-I-C Joe Quesada, who’s also the show’s Executive Producer.
  • The plot, according to producer Matt Wayne: “All the heroes are in Super Hero City, the
    villains in Villainville, Dr. Doom wants all the pieces of the
    shattered Infinity sword, Iron Man is trying to make sure that doesn’t
    happen.”
  • The associated video game is out October 20th and will feature the main voices from the show.
  • You’re going to see the Heroes for Hire, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Paste Pot Pete, and Screaming Mimi in the first season.
  • Premieres Sept. 19th on Cartoon Network.

Q&A action, reactions to the teaser they played, and some priceless Stan Lee quotes at the full liveblog.

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