September 2011 Vol. 5 Issue 2
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Dragon*Con: 25 years and still going strong By Mandy Horetski
This year was the 25th anniversary of Dragon*Con, which is one of the biggest conventions for fans of science fiction and fantasy. Dragon*Con has a reputation for being a four day party with multiple fan tracks, which means it is hard not to find something that interests most people. There were the normal events such as celebrity and fan panels, autographs, robot battles, costume contests, three dealers rooms, gaming and much more. There was a new event, the 25th anniversary Masked Ball, which took place on Friday night. The Ball required everyone to wear a mask. If you didn’t have one, you could purchase a mask at the Ball with the proceeds going to charity. The idea behind it was very fun, but the execution was very poor from the way the room was laid out to the choice of music.
Another event that was unique to this Dragon*Con was the Browncoats: Redemption wrap party. Browncoats: Redemption was a fan made film based in the Firefly/Serenity universe. The film was unique because all the proceeds from the DVD and Blu-Ray sales went to charity. It also had the blessing of both Fox and Joss Whedon since it was a for charity project. The movie premiered at Dragon*Con 2010 to a huge crowd and many people who were there for that event had followed the project during the last year. The Browncoats: Redemption project ended on 9/1/2011 after earning $105,000 for charity. The wrap party was a chance to celebrate the end of the project and ended up being a great success for all who attended. One of the biggest events at Dragon*Con is the parade which happens on Saturday morning. 3,500 costumed folks walked down the streets
Photo by Mandy Horetski Mandy poses with The Guild star Felicia Day at Dragon*Con. of downtown Atlanta for the enjoyment of congoers and local folks as well. This was the 10th year the Dragon*Con parade has been put on and it was a smashing success for marchers and watchers both. For most people who attended the 25th Dragon*Con, it was a wonderful weekend spent
with people who shared the same likes and interests. No matter what kind of geek you are, there is something for you at Dragon*Con. More of Mandy’s writing can be found on her blog “The Shiny Adventures of a Browncoat Mom” at http://browncoatmom. blogspot.com and as a contributor to www.geekmom.com.
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New York Comic Con show floor sells out
By Shawn Scott Smith con-news.com
Norwalk, CT, September 29, 2011: Officials at New York Comic Con have announced that the show floor for this year’s highly anticipated convention is sold out. This “sell out” two weeks before the show marks another milestone in the convention’s enormous growth since its debut in 2006. The show floor will occupy the complete exhibit hall of Javits Center as the entire convention takes up 470,000 square feet of space. In total, over 700 exhibitors and 400 artists will participate in this year’s event which will include an expanded autographing area as well as 3 full days of public access to the show. Notably, this year will feature a Vehicle Sponsor, as Chevrolet will host the
New York consumer debut for the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic at New York Comic Con. Additionally, after a hugely successful debut last year, the Cultyard Pavilion will return again this year with over 40 exhibitors featuring art, design, collectible toys, poptech, and fashion. And, in what NYCC is informally calling the “Star Wars Zip Code” in the exhibition hall, attendees will find new Star Wars products from licensees and dealers, as well as a special Celebration VI area. The 2011 New York Comic Con takes place October 13-16, 2011. NYCC, which attracted 96,000 attendees in 2010, celebrates comics, television, movies, toys, games, and the popular arts from around the planet. Exhibitors spanning all these areas of the pop culture universe will participate
in the show including: Activision, AMC, Archaia, Capcom, Comedy Central, Dark Horse, DC, Hasbro, HBO, IGN, Marvel, Mattel, and Xbox to name just a very few. “I think it’s amazing that Chevrolet is leveraging New York Comic Con to launch the 2012 Sonic,” notes Lance Fentsterman. “We are proud to welcome Chevrolet to our show and the fact that they see such value in our audience speaks volumes about the influence and power of the pop culture world. As always, our show floor will be packed with an enormous range of product, promotions and diverse activity. Our intent is to deliver maximum entertainment while also providing a super dynamic business and marketing environment that benefits both exhibitors and consumers.” “Sonic and New York
Comic Con are a natural partnership,” said William Fleck, Northeast regional marketing manager for Chevrolet. “We are trying to market Sonic to early adopters – those who are the first to try all-things-new. They are immersed in pop culture, can spot trends early and have the power to transform a simple trend into a lifestyle. NYCC is the perfect place for us to reach that audience.” Maintaining the spirit of New York Comic Con, Chevrolet will showcase four special-edition, illustrated Sonics and a gigantic, gas-filled flying Sonic. Drawing inspiration from the convention, an artist will work on illustrating a fifth Sonic in real time throughout the show. Chevrolet also will host an interactive scavenger Continued on page 3 See SOLD OUT
cracked goes comikaze
By Shawn Scott Smith con-news.com Los Angeles, Calif., (September 2011) – Comikaze Expo, the largest multimedia pop culture, comic book, horror, anime and gaming convention in California, has announced it will host a series of panel events with award-winning online entertainment destination Cracked.com, including the first ever public table read by the cast and creators of the hit web series “After Hours.” This premiere experience is just one of many exciting panels and crazy events that Comikaze has lined up for this one-of-a-kind expo taking place on November 5-6, 2011 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Cracked.com’s “After Hours” cast and crew, including Jack O’Brien, Daniel O’Brien, Michael Swaim, Soren Bowie, Katie Willert, Cody Johnston and director Justin Viar, invite members to experience and participate in “The Making of ‘After Hours:’ How a Conversation Becomes an Episode.” Mixing pop culture observations,
limitless non sequiturs and weigh-in from the crowd, the evening will result in an inside look at series development, a screening of a not-yet-released episode and live commentary from the Cracked team. In addition to this exciting After Hours panel, the Cracked.com team will be joined by members from three up-and-coming comedy troupes to host the panel “Comedy Troupes Are the New Rock Stars.” For kids growing up in the 70s and 80s, starting a garage band was the “cool” thing to do. Today, the successes of comedy ensembles including Lonely Island and Derrick Comedy have made comedy troupes the single most important creative collective. The “Comedy Troupes Are the New Rock Stars” panel will discuss how comedy ensembles are shaping culture and pushing the boundaries of the entertainment industry. To complete their stunning trifecta at Comikaze, the Cracked.com team will bring their entertaining pop culture commentary to the stage with a performance of the sketch comedy showcase “Cracked LIVE: The 6 Most Bafflingly Hilarious Things Happening in Front of You (Right Now)!” Cracked LIVE! features performances by fan-favorite
Cracked.com personalities, short comedy skits, standup, and completely tolerable amounts of music. Comikaze Expo is thrilled to host Cracked’s team of culture pundits – and the feeling is mutual. “I’m thrilled to be such a big part of Comikaze this year, most especially because they’re letting us do whatever we darn well want to,” said Michael Swaim, head of video, Cracked.com. “It’s an ethos I know the fans appreciate, and we certainly do, too. I can’t wait to show LA’s comic and pop culture fans all the weird wonders we’ve got lying in wait.” Others from After Hours were equally enthusiastic. “Finally, I’ll have a place in Los Angeles where I can talk incessantly about comics and nerd stuff without bothering the staff at Hi De Ho Comics,” said Dan O’Brien, senior writer, Cracked.com. “I can’t wait to spend an entire weekend briefly celebrating Cracked and then passionately arguing about whether or not Miles Morales will make a good Spider-man.” Soren Bowie, editor/columnist, Cracked. com added. “Following this, Thanksgiving will almost certainly be a letdown. And I love Thanksgiving.” The first and only multimedia, cross-genre expo to hit Los Angeles, Comikaze Expo has created a pop culture extravaganza that brings together the best in comics, gaming, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, anime and all other
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cult programming. Its wideranging appeal has attracted celebrity appearances from icons and budding artists of this exciting world, including animators, comic book and anime artists, special effects teams, writers, actors, and filmmakers, among other creators, from both the mainstream and geek worlds. Comikaze’s creators expect 60,000 attendees and more than 300 vendors. The show will kick off with appearances by the father of modern comics, Stan Lee, and Comikaze’s official “Spooksperson,” horror icon Elvira, at the event’s ribboncutting ceremony. This unparalleled event’s wide range of innovative programming and activities provide fans access to their favorite artists and creators. From independent film screenings, live shows and star-studded panels to fan contests, games, portfolio reviews and a masquerade ball, there is something for everyone and more at Comikaze. Family-oriented events are scheduled for Sunday, November 6. In an effort to make Comikaze accessible and affordable for everyone, tickets are only $12 each, and children under 12 are FREE. Each ticket holder will receive their choice of a celebrity lithograph photo valued at $79-$189. For more information about Comikaze, including sponsorship information, vendor applications and ticket sales, visitComikazeExpo.com.
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Kindle launches graphic novel price war
Icv2.com
Watchmen, the all-time graphic novel bestseller for retailers, is being offered by Amazon for the Kindle Fire at $9.99, which may portend the kind of price war that Amazon kicked off in the book market when it first launched the b/w Kindle. Amazon’s advance listing for the Kindle Fire version of Watchmen, which will be released November 15th, shows a “digital list price” (presumably provided by DC) of $17.99, and a “Kindle Price” of $9.99. Watchmen is one of 100 DC graphic novels for which digital editions will be available exclusively on the Kindle Fire (see “Watchmen on Kindle”). The DC graphic novels for the Kindle do not appear to be provided by comiXology; the description of Watchmen refers to the “Kindle Panel View” rather than comiXology’s “Guided View.” ComiXology will be available in the Kindle app store, which offers Android apps. The $9.99 pricing for digital editions has a significant history in the book business because of the channel conflict it caused and the reaction of mass merchants who felt it necessary to match prices.
In 2009, Amazon began selling Kindle editions of new hardcover bestsellers at $9.99, a price below its cost, which was based on a discount off cover price. The move was taken as a loss leader to build sales for the Kindle. Walmart and Target
The pricing also led to contentious disputes between Amazon and some book publishers, who wanted to retain the ability to set their own retail prices and commission Amazon on an “agency model.” Early last year, the dispute between M a c millan and Ama z o n reached the point where Amaz o n ceased selling all Macmillan books for a time (see “Ebook
a development that most attributed to new competition from Apple’s iBooks store, which allowed book publishers to set their own prices. Up to this point, DC has been very careful to protect comic stores from the biggest impacts of digital content, windowing its New 52 releases at full price for digital editions for the first month, and offering comic stores the opportunity to open Digital Storefronts through comiXology so they could sell digital editions of New 52 titles along with print editions. But the Kindle Fire edition of Watchmen is a digital exclusive to Amazon, and thus not available for comic stores to sell, and the $9.99 price is 50% off the retail price for the paperback edition that has been the most popular version of the graphic novel classic. The Kindle Fire exclusives are also not available to DC digital comic Smackdown”). The purchasers that have responded by selling the willingness of a major been buying their comics print versions of those publisher like Macmillan through the comiXology books at $9.99 (also be- to forgo dealing with or DC Comics apps. low their cost of goods). Amazon over this issue DC’s deal with AmaThe resulting disruption of showed the stakes of the zon for the Kindle Fire is the market led to a call by dispute: Macmillan clear- a potentially disruptive the American Booksellers ly felt that the $9.99 price game-changer that could Association to investigate was ultimately disruptive have far-reaching impacts the companies for preda- to its over-all business. on the market for physical tory pricing (see “BookAmazon eventually and digital graphic novels sellers Go to Department caved and allowed Mac- in the future. of Justice”). millan to set its own prices,
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TRANSFORMERS 3 GAMING MICE PLANNED
PRNewswire.com
CARLSBAD, Calif., Sept. 30, 2011 -- Earth will soon shroud in the dark of the moon as the great war between the AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS explodes, threatening to tear our planet apart. Razer, the world leader in high performance gaming hardware, under license from Hasbro, Inc., will unleash a unique Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon Collector's Edition product line to prepare you for the metal on metal battle of epic proportions now available on DVD and Blu-ray. OPTIMUS PRIME, BUMBLEBEE, MEGATRON, and SHOCKWAVE: four legends crafted and transmuted into four uniquely designed Razer DeathAdder mice to give you unparalleled gaming performance while evoking the heartpumping excitement and robot wonder of the Transformers universe. Also included in the product line is a dual-sided Razer Vespula mouse mat. One side represents the Autobots with a speed-enhancing surface, the other of the Decepticons with a control-enhancing surface, to showcase your favored
allegiance as you annihilate opponents with your preferred style of swiping. And finally, an exclusive laptop case designed by Razer, available in the four iconic Transformers brand colors, delivers a sleek and eye-catching storage solution for your gaming on the go. "The Transformers franchise has never been more mind-blowing. Especially now with the Transformers: Dark of the Moon movie, a blockbuster hit across the globe," said Robert "RazerGuy" Krakoff, President, Razer USA. "Fans, whether longtime or newcomers thanks to the films, will love the Transformers product line we've designed. It'll give you our best gaming-grade peripherals wrapped up in the designs of the famed robot universe." "Powerful technology in spectacularly designed hardware – that's what both the Transformers franchise and Razer have in common," said Joe Keane, VP Brand Licensing for the Americas, Hasbro. "And that's why this collaboration is something fans of the brand and gamers alike will seriously enjoy."
GURPS what? By Jondi Soper
Editor in Chief
I am a total science-fiction geek. When many of my other female friends are watching shows like “Dancing with the Stars” and “Glee,” I would much rather be watching Dr. Who, Star Trek, Sanctuary, Stargate, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly or any other show that piques my interests in the science-fiction genre. However, up until recently my role-playing experience had been limited to Dungeons and Dragons and White Wolf. Now, I am not a huge Dungeons and Dragons girl. While I love fantasy, I just never could get into DnD. My heart is in White Wolf’s World of Darkness games. I love to play Vampire and Werewolf in this wonderful world of rot and gothic fantasy with a fairly simple system. When one of the members of my gaming group recently offered to run a GURPS version of Traveler, I have to say I was a little worried. The word GURPS
sounds a little like something that comes out of your mouth when you have had too much fizzy soda and while I had heard of Traveler, I knew very little about the game. Then the Traveler universe was described to me. It is like this amazing mix of Stars Wars meets Firefly with a little bit of Star Trek tossed in just for fun. How had I not played this before? I was a little worried about learning a new gaming system, however. I don’t like change. But, I was shown this wonderful little thing called GURPS Lite. All you need to know about GURPS in a short little booklet. Even better, it’s free for download at www.sjgames.com/ gurps/lite/. The system is incredibly simple, yet it works very well. In a nutshell, you have your stats for whatever it is you are trying to accomplish. You always roll 3d6 and your goal is not to roll high, as in DnD, but to roll under your stat number. The lower your roll, the better your success. The best thing about this system? It can be used to run about anything you could think of.
Is 3D GAMING LAME?
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Survey says gamers not interested gamepolitics.com A new survey of Playr2. com users shows that a majority of its members are not satisfied (or interested) in 3D gaming. Tapping into 1,001 members, the Playr2.com asked them what they thought of the prospect of 3D gaming. Around 44 percent of respondents said that 3D gaming is “unnecessary," while 28 percent said they were "unimpressed" while playing the 3DS. Around 22 percent said that 3D technology impairs the gaming experience. When asked about
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specific devices other than game consoles and hand-helds, a whopping 77 percent said that 3DTVs were not something they would enjoy, while a hefty 65 percent noted that 3D was not a factor in the purchase of a nextgeneration Xbox console. "Rumors are constantly flying around about the
next big console releases, so we wanted to see what gamers would think about the possibility of a 3D enabled console," said Simon Kilby, founder of Playr2.com. "It was surprising to see that the majority were against it, but many seemed to be disappointed by the technology on
the Nintendo 3DS and wouldn't like to see the technology spread to other consoles. 3D, given its current popularity in cinema and television, does seem to be the next logical step in gaming; but I think developers will have to be careful to tackle the issues that the Nintendo 3DS seemed to raise with motion sickness and the like. Our study proves that many think it to be unnecessary or even impairment on the gaming experience; so it will be interesting to see what happens when the consoles are finally released."
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hunt for all attendees of the conference. Winners of the scavenger hunt will take home a variety of impressive Chevrolet swag. As noted, Star Wars will also have its own “Zip Code” at New York Comic Con. There, attendees will learn more about the huge Star Wars fan party coming next August, co-created by Lucasfilm and ReedPOP, order tickets, and purchase exclusive Star Wars Celebration VI merchandise.
Meanwhile, in addition to their significant booth presence, first time exhibitor Hasbro will be the title sponsor of New York Comic Con’s “NYCC Kids!” taking place on Sunday, October 16. Within NYCC Kids!, Hasbro will host the National BEYBLADE Championship where semi-finalists from around the country will battle in head-to-head competition to be crowned the BEYBLADE U.S. Champion. Tickets for NYCC are on sale via
the website www.NewYorkComicCon.com. Limited 4-Day tickets are available. For further information about all ReedPOP shows and activity, please visit Lance Fensterman’s blog, www.MediumAtLarge.net. Convention organizers note that more guests will be announced over the next few weeks and fans should keep their eyes on NYCC’s website and blog for additional comics, entertainment and anime announcements.