This is pretty neat news: Wikipedia came across my photos of John DiMaggio and David X. Cohen on Flickr, (from the San Diego Comic-Con in 2007 at the Futurama panel) and asked me to change the license on them to a CC Attribution license, so that they could use it. I’m a big fan of Wikipedia (and Futurama), so I did just that. Here are the entries on David X. Cohen and John DiMaggio.
(Sorry, I skipped Sunday so I could rest, but here’s my wrap-up of the Comic-Con.)
This was another great Comic-Con and I enjoy going. From the games, comics and toys to the movies, people and fun, Comic-Con is a great place to be. There’s nothing else like it in the world. If you haven’t been I highly recommend that you make plans to go in the future. Just be prepared.
(And now here’s the part with my constructive criticism.)
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Last Saturday at the Comic-Con started off with a trip to the Simpsons panel (in Hall H) to celebrate the release of “The Simpsons Movie”. Speakers included Matt Groening (creator of “The Simpsons”), Bill Morrison (head of Bongo Comics), Al Jean, David Mirkin, Matt Selnick, Matt Selman, Michael Price, David Silverman, Matt Warburton, Don Payne, and Yeardley Smith (the voice of Lisa). They discussed the Simpsons Movie, the next season of the TV show and took questions from the audience. We learned that Groening’s favorite character is Ralph Wiggum, who oddly enough will be the front runner for president in an upcoming episode next season. They also discussed the upcoming Simpsons Ride, which will be replacing the “Back To The Future” ride at Universal Studios. (Make like a tree and get out of here.)
The audience was treated to a few clips including the opening of this year’s Halloween episode. In it, we watch Marge dealing with the Fox network pop-up promos (American Idol, Family Guy, 24 and House) show on the screen in front of her. She dispatches of each of them in a comical and unique way that leads to many laughs and applauds from the audience. When it came to the fans questions the one that interested me most was one directed at Groening about his “Life in Hell” comic. (I’ve been a fan of his “Hell” comic since the early 80’s.) It seems that he still carries a grudge against the San Diego Reader, which disliked his comic strip because the publisher didn’t like the two gay characters, Akbar and Jeff. Doh!
After the Simpsons panel, we headed for the Heroes panel, which was on the other side of the convention center in Ballroom 20. It seems that in order to have seen the Heroes panel, we should have skipped the Simpsons panel and gone to wait in line for Heroes. Several hundreds, if not thousands of people were waiting in line to see the cast of Heroes at this panel. While Ballroom 20 is a little smaller than Hall H (at nearly a 6,500 person capacity), it’s layout isn’t as organized or conducive for large crowds. So we didn’t get in for Heroes, but then a lot of other people didn’t either.
We did get in for the next panel for Battlestar Galactica. We got some great pictures and then waited for the Futurama panel. I’m a big fan and am glad the series will be returning. The panel included Matt Groening (creator), David X. Cohen, Ken Keeler (writer), Peter Avanzino and Dwayne Carey- Hill (animation directors), PLUS actors Billy West (Fry), Katey Sagal (Leela), John DiMaggio (Bender), and Maurice LaMarche (Kif Kroker)! Applause filled the room as the Groening took the stage for intros.
Lucky fans were treated to a video clip of an upcoming (straight-to-DVD) movie: “Futurama: Bender’s Big Score!”, which will be delicately sliced and reconfigured into 16 episodes aired on Comedy Central in 2008. Everyone in the audience got a copy of a mini comic promoting the return of the show and the movie. (You can win your own mini comic as part of the swag, if you enter our contest!) Plus we were pleasantly entertained by a cast reading of the mini comic. The Futurama panel was fun and the mutual appreciation between the cast and the fans was very evident. Saturday was another great day, even if we missed the Heroes panel.
Next up: Comic-Con Wrap-up (Sorry, I skipped Sunday so I could sleep).
Another great day of Comic-Con started and we made it around the many booths throughout the convention floor. We were at the Heroes/NBC booth taking pictures of the wonderful artwork by comic artist Tim Sale, when suddenly someone appeared before me. I was surprised by the appearance of Masi Oka, the actor who plays the role of Hiro Nakamura on the show. He must have teleported directly next to me, because I never noticed his arrival. Luckily we got a picture of him before he quickly disappeared, as a huge crowd followed him. Seeing celebrities at the Comic-Con isn’t unusual on the convention floor, but you’ve got to be lucky and at the right place.
Then there were the celebrities that were expected, like Stan Lee, at the Hasbro booth talking about his new action figure. Seeing Stan stand strong among all the cheering fans was a great moment. He’s super in front of a crowd and it was good to see him. Also at the Hasbro booth was Sgt. Slaughter, who was giving out autographs to his legions of fans. He still looked as tough as I remembered him from 20 years ago and I bet he could still snap you like a twig. He was surrounded by tons of new and old G.I. Joe toys. I bought the 25th anniversary figures and got some great pictures too.
We met up with our friend Gabe Swarr, who was in a panel Friday afternoon. It was about “Pitching an Animated Show” and included Jon M. Gibson, Jorge R. Gutierrez as well as some network executives. They gave the audience some great insight into the world of animation and even gave us a sneak peak at an upcoming cartoon they created. These guys are a lot of fun and you can learn a thing or two from them too.
We went by the Mr Toast booth and I got a new brown T-Shirt! Dan Goodsell always has some great stuff on hand. Sometimes it’s hard to choose what to buy. Then over at the Kleeman and Mike booth, we saw Randall Christopher and also met Rex Russell for the first time. (He’s the voice behind Kleeman.) We picked up some swell stickers and a fun cartoon on DVD. I can’t wait for his new stuff to come out.
We saw celebrities and friends at the Comic-Con. That was a really fun Friday!
As the first full day of this year’s Comic-Con began you could feel the excitement. Now attendees could catch glimpses of celebrities and stand in line for their chance to get some Comic-Con exclusives. A lot of toys that were popular 20 years ago are making a comeback, but I guess that’s true with a lot of stuff every year. The nostalgic toy market continues to grow. It also seems that the vinyl toy market is getting more popular, as many exhibitors already have or plan to have their more popular items/characters go vinyl.
In order to get the Comic-Con exclusives you have to get a ticket and get in line. You usually need to get a ticket or you won’t get an opportunity to purchase the exclusives. Every year it is a common sight to see tons of people crowded around the booth areas. It’s a balancing act for exhibitors to garner people and popularity as well as controlling the chaotic crowds that form while they try to hand out tickets fairly. The gold and silver “Flamboyant Destro” sold out quickly, but you might find them sometime at the Hasbro Toy Shop or possibly on eBay for a small ransom.
It was cool that I saw Wil Wheaton. I’ve been a fan of his since he was Wesley Crusher.
I think that last Wednesday evening was one of the busiest Comic-Con Preview Nights on record. It’s a great perk to be able to spend a few hours getting a sneak peak of the Comic-Con. Attendees arrived ready to see all the show exclusives and exhibitor booths on the convention floor. The place filled up quickly with happy faces and the excitement grew. The show gets bigger and more popular every year and I wonder how the center will handle the ever increasing fan base going into the future.
After perusing the show floor and seeing some friends, we strolled across the street to enjoy dinner at one of the many fine restaurants in San Diego. We went to McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant and had a lovely dinner. At the table next to ours just happened to be actor James Hong, which was kind of cool. Overall, Preview Night went well with the fans and we enjoyed our sneak peak into the show. It was a great night and we were ready for more.
It’s contest time again at Old Man Musings! Enter to win a swag bag from the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con! I’ve got three (3) bags to give away and one lucky winner will also win a G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary card deck Comic-Con exclusive! Good luck everyone!
Rules
1. Enter by using the contact form with your real name and mailing address.
2. One entry per person, multiple entries will disqualify you.
3. Deadline to enter is Friday August 10th, 2007 @ 8 PM (PST).
4. Free shipping within the continental USA. Shipping elsewhere is paid by winner.
5. The winners will be chosen randomly.
6. Winners will be notified by email and must respond within 72 hours of notification.
Update: The winners have been drawn and notified. You should receive your swag in the mail in the upcoming weeks. Thanks to everyone who participated!
Since each of 4 days of the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con were sold out, there’s a good chance you didn’t get in if you didn’t preregister. Last year over 123,000 people attended the event and I imagine that we’ll see another record amount this year too. With all the exhibitors and hundreds of hours of programming on all aspects of comic books and pop culture, the Comic-Con was definitely the place to be.
An interesting thing I noticed with the show this year was that even though it was sold out it felt less crowded than last year. Perhaps the maximum capacity limits that were put in place this year were less than last year’s, after the crowd control issues that occurred. When I went last year, I felt a little claustrophobic with the hordes of people everywhere. It made walking on the show floor a real feat. But this year the masses of people felt more thinned out. A lot of exhibitors that I talked to felt there were less people in attendance this year, as compared to last. (Perhaps all the people were at the panels instead…)
Please stayed tuned for my recap of each day - Preview night Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. (Well, I’m actually taking Sunday off because I’m exhausted from all the fun and merriment.)
Plus there’ll be another Comic-Con Swag Bag Contest from Old Man Musings.
While you wait, please enjoy our pictures from the Comic-Con.
It’s time for me to enter the splendiferous sights and sounds of the SD Comic-Con. Be sure to check back later with Old Man Musings for lots of news and pictures.
Update: Enjoy some of my pictures from Preview night up on Flickr. More to come!
Update 2: Just about everything is sold out except for Sunday. The place is packed!
Update 3: All tickets for the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con have sold out! WOW!
Last Update: My coverage on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
It’s time to dance and do the twist cause Marvel will have their very own booth at the San Diego Comic-Con this year. That’s right! Unlike in recent years past, Marvel’s presence is bigger and better with their super signing and presentation schedule. What that means to you is more Marvel comics, toys, video games, movies and celebs! Since there’ll be so many Marvel writers, artists and editors giving out autographs, they’ll have two stations going nearly non-stop to bring all of them to you. Check out Marvel’s signing, event and panel schedules on their site.
First off, I know that this wonderful artwork that was done by Sergio Aragones is of the 1972 New York Comic Art Convention, but I thought it looked great and it serves as fond and fun reminder of how it was at the comic conventions of yesteryear.
Next up is big news which I’m sure you’ve heard: Saturday One-Day Memberships to the San Diego Comic-Con have sold out! So I hope you got your tickets already. We all knew it would happen, with the popularity of the convention and the crowds last year, it was just a matter of time. Not to worry if you can’t make it, I’ll fill you in later this week about all the glitz and glamor that is the Comic-Con.
If you are going and want the Comic-Con exclusives, you’ll find this checklist to be quite helpful in your pursuit of obtaining all the rare items that you can only get at the San Diego Comic-Con. Happy hunting and bring comfy walking shoes.
If you’re a fan of Stan Lee like I am, you’ll want to know that the man will be at the Hasbro booth (#3213) Friday, July 27 @ 12:45 pm. He’ll be there promoting the Marvel Legends’ Stan Lee action figure ($14.99) created by Hasbro as an exclusive product for the 2007 San Diego Comic Con. Plus at the Hasbro booth you’ll find lots more including toys from the recent Transformers movie, Star Wars, the upcoming Indiana Jones movie, Marvel and G.I. Joe. (Sgt. Slaughter will also be at the Hasbro booth Friday, Saturday and Sunday!)
Update: The Hasbro Booth will have a free G.I. Joe give-away item - G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary card deck.
Update 2: San Diego Comic Con exclusives are online at Hasbrotoyshop.com now. You can use promo code: comic2007.
The Too Much Coffee Man Opera! It has been awhile since I picked up the comic, by artist/writer Shannon Wheeler, but it’s a good read. Turning the comic book into an opera seems like a tall order, but the buzz around it has been percolating. It has a perfect blend that is sure to keep you awake.
In the first opera based on a comic book, the Too Much Coffee Man Opera – presented by Comic-Con International: San Diego – jumps to life in a staged concert presentation July 27th and 28th at the Horton Grand Theatre. The contemporary opera, based on Too Much Coffee Man, a syndicated comic strip featured in books and alternative weeklies nationwide, blends modern caffeine humor and traditional opera.
It’s your first look into the Comic-Con programming. I see a lot of promising panels over those four, fun-filled days. I’m getting ready and excited, how about you?
We’re counting the days to the biggest event of the year: San Diego Comic-Con International. The best way to make sure you can attend the specific day you would like is to register in advance. The show is held over four days, Thursday through Sunday, with a Wednesday preview night on July 25. It’s a huge event with wonderful opportunities to interface with lots of comics, toys, games, cartoons, anime, TV, movies… and more.
When you go, I’d suggest bringing plenty of cash, comfortable shoes to wear, hand sanitizer, food/snacks and water. Also be sure to dress comfortably - this is sunny San Diego. You don’t have to dress up, but the masquerade contest is a lot of fun. Most of all come with an open mind, a good attitude and get ready for lots of fun and excitement! (And plenty of walking.) -See you there!
Update: The complete programming for the San Diego Comic-Con is up! Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun!
The San Diego Comic-Con is only a couple of months away and they’ve just released new updates. Like every year, toy and other manufacturers release some great Action Figure Exclusives at the show. Unique collectibles like G.I. Joe, Hellboy, Transformers, Naruto, Star Wars, Marvel and DC are available in very limited quantities.
Plus if you’re a Heroes fan, they’ll be returning to the SDCC with more surprises for you on Saturday, July 28th. Until then, enjoy their exclusive interviews with the Heroes creator Tim Kring, actor Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura), and artist Tim Sale.
Plan ahead and get ready to go! Here are some fast facts about the SD Comic-Con.
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Dragon Quest IV by Square Enix  |
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Final Fantasy IV by Square Enix  |
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Spore by Electronic Arts  |
