San Diego Comic-Con International: Long Time Attendee, First Time Beginner

I’ve been attending San Diego Comic-Con since it was just rows upon rows of long boxes at Golden Hall next door to the the Civic Theatre, when you could just walk up the day of, pay a few bucks and walk right in. I’m not new to this con. But these last couple of years, I’ve been seeing it through the eyes of a beginner…this time in the pursuit of being a creator in this world of pop culture, not just a consumer.

I’m not new to the struggles of starting in a creative industry, from my first career in animation to my current career in advertising. The hardest part of getting into a new industry is getting past being a beginner. You have to embrace the right of passage, there are things you have to learn, and experiences you have to experience before you’re no longer a beginner. If you can’t welcome the struggles of being a beginner, then maybe it’s not something you want to pursue.

To get passed the beginner zone I learned there are three things I need:

Passion
You know if you have a great idea or a stinker. The best stink-indicator is when you look back at your idea next morning and think, “Nope, that was dumb.” But if you’re still working on that concept and are still building it out for months, or years, without losing excitement, you can’t wait to share it, that’s passion. Don’t lose it. Without a paycheck in sight, the only thing to fuel your concept is your love for the project. Without that love it’s no longer a passion project, it’s a task. Find that passion and fuel it.

Persistence
Besides wanting the hell out of something and loving it, you have to get at it. It sounds simple but so many people have the talent, the dreams, and the passion but they don’t do the work. “One day I’m gonna ______.” We’ve all heard this line, we’ve all said it. But until you make something, how do you know you can do it? How will you learn to do it and get good at it? It’s going to take a lot of self-motivated hours but if you have the passion, it won’t feel like work.

Patience
You might have been working at it for a while but you’re not great at it, yet. That’s why you’re a beginner. Have the patience to know you’ll learn, make mistakes, and get better. You’ll need that same patience as you network and build your reputation. One day you’ll get noticed by the right person to give you the shot you deserve, because you have the passion and persisted to put in the work.

Now back to my adventures in being a beginner. It’s been a long road so far. I’m two years in of researching, outlining, writing, researching some more, writing, editing, writing, outlining, writing, editing, writing terrible dialogue, sharing with my friend/editor, editing, and repeating. In that time, I’ve completed scripting three of my five-issue mini series and have the last two outlines waiting for me. It might seem slow but I have a full-time job and kids I love spending time with. But I have the passion and persistence to keep at it. Also, I’m not rushing the beginning part. I want to learn as much as I can each step I take.

At this year’s SDCC I had the opportunity to meet more people in the industry, this time I had more experience and the work to show for it. I was given the chance to share my story and show them who I am as an artist/writer.

For now I’ll keep working on my scripts, continue to learn, and hone my process. I’m making plans for my next story, to take what I learned from creating this series to make the next one even better. Hopefully, my next update will share how I got my break. Until then; passion, persistence, and patience. Goodness, do I need more patience.

2019 San Diego Comic-Con international, San Diego, Convention Center, San Diego, CA

We’ve posted some of our favorite shots from this year’s San Diego Comic-Con international! Check them out here or visit our Photos gallery above.

ConanCon Goes Big with Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Norman Reedus, Isaac Hempstead Wright, and Tom Cruise All in One Show

For the last five years Team Coco has made their presence felt throughout San Diego Comic-Con. From their coveted live show tapings to their many programs featuring standup comics to other connective fodder from the many fun podcasts Team Coco produces through Earwolf at Team Coco House.

This was my third year being fortunate enough to win tickets for a live recording. At the beginning of this regular season, Conan’s show changed formats from the traditional one hour to a slimmer 30 minutes featuring only one guest. But for SDCC attendees, the show was back to full steam with one hour of taping.

Our entertainment started with an SDCC focused monologue, followed by star-studded sketches featuring special appearances by Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) from The Walking Ded, Isaac Hempstead-Wright from Game of Thrones, then finally the special guest of the evening was Tom Cruise, promoting Top Gun: Maverick.

The show ended, for the audience, with an extra recording for web content featuring two dogs dressed as King Kong and Godzilla. Team Coco delivered yet again an amazing experience of star powered entertainment. Thanks for the Conan as Jon Snow Funko POP!

Netflix and The Henson Company partner to produce "The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance"

In 1982, Jim Henson and The Henson Company brought movie-goers on an adventure that would transport them far away from “The Muppet Show” and “Sesame Street”, and drop them on the world of Thra, an apocalyptic land of monsters and magic, where the key to ultimate power and eternal life was found in a mysterious crystal. A masterful display of puppetry, coupled with an innovative turn at storytelling, Jim Henson gave us “The Dark Crystal.”

Almost 40-years later, The Henson Company has teamed up with Netflix to make a return to Thra, with a prequel to the original 1982 film, entitled “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.”

The series features a laundry list of Hollywood’s heavy hitters, including the voice talents of Taron Egerton, Mark Hamill, Helena Bonham Carter, Natalie Dormer, Harvey Fierstein, Lena Headey, Jason Isaacs, Eddie Izzard, Theo James, Keegan-Michael Key, Simon Pegg, Andy Samberg, Anya Taylor-Joy, Alicia Vikander, Sigourney Weaver, Benedict Wong and Awkwafina, just to name a few.

Convention.Life caught up with director Louis Leterrier, actor Taron Egerton, and CEO of The Henson Company, Lisa Henson, to discuss the upcoming Netflix release of Jim Henson’s “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” series.

Indiewire

ON DISCUSSING WHY IT’S TAKEN SO LONG TO COME FORWARD WITH A PROJECT THAT WOULD REVISIT THE WORLD THAT JIM HENSON CREATED IN THE ORIGINAL FILM:

LISA HENSON: We, at The Henson Company, have been developing sequels, prequels, graphic novels, all sorts of content around “The Dark Crystal”, because we believe the world that was in the original movie was so convincing. We felt it had a past, present and future, and we could explore it. Some projects are reboots. This is not a reboot. This is a prequel, and it’s meant to lead seamlessly into the film, so we’re very conscious of anything that was established in the film, in that we would have to be able to get there eventually in our storytelling.

LOUIS LETERRIER: It’s been 37-years since the movie came out. The Henson Company people have made stories, back stories, future stories. The movie is just the center of a very long story. So we had all that stuff to take in, digest, make our own story, but also respect that canon, break from that canon, just have fun with it, make it our own. The show itself, there are a lot of fans, a lot of you guys know the original movie. But there are more people that don’t know “The Dark Crystal.” And that’s who we need to bring into our story. Eventually, when you get to 10 hours, you can watch, as a dessert, the final movie. But it starts in the beginning: The “why.” What happens to these people, and what tips the wall over. That’s really what this show is about.

WHEN ADDRESSING THE AMOUNT OF WORK INVOLVED, FROM CHARACTER DESIGN TO VOICE ACTING, TO GET A PROJECT AS UNIQUE AS THIS OFF THE GROUND:

LISA HENSON: All the characters we designed, they were built even before we cast puppeteers into them, and then last, really, we cast the voices. The design of these characters drive everything, because we have to create every cast member of this show. So, the characters were built in Burbank at the creature shop, and we continued building costumes and some more supporting characters in London once we moved there.

LOUIS LETERRIER: Everything is done by hand. We’re not talking months. We’re talking years. Prepping, looking at the design, deciding on something. We committed to a design years in advance. We do this. We perfect this stuff. We see sculpts. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Most times, it works. We do hair. We do this. We do this. And it eventually becomes your lead actor. And there’s not a single shot where I don’t have a puppet in my frame. It takes a long, long time. Casting comes afterward, but that’s the same thing. You have to aim perfectly ever time. It’s very, very scary, but its one of those things where we were lucky to feel the edge of this razor for years, and just be like, “Now were done. Now were finished.”

LOUIS LETERRIER: It’s a dream of a cast. All these people signed on, and it’s really thanks to Jim Henson and the power of the original movie.

TARON EGERTON: I watched the film originally, I think, probably when I was six or seven. My dad showed it to me. I just thought it was completely enchanting, and fairly quite scary, but in that kind of very exciting way. And so, around eighteen months ago, when I got a call about this, I really thought it was so exciting to be involved with something that I was so enamored with as a kid. It’s very, very faithful and evocative of the original movie.

LISA HENSON: We could never forget the incredibly hard work of the puppeteers. We had twelve main puppeteers on the show who did all the main characters, and it is extreme physicality. It’s such hard work, but for a puppeteer to be able to be on “The Dark Crystal” is a crowning achievement.

TARON EGERTON: From an acting perspective, it’s really quite incredible, watching them do their thing, and the individual personas and characters they bring to their craft. It really is 80% of the performance.

WHEN DISCUSSING THE ADVENT OF TECHNOLOGY AND CG IN THE PRODUCTION OF THE SERIES:

LOUIS LETERRIER: In the 80’s, every movie that came out was important. There were a lot of movies that thematically, visually, but also in terms of film making, were important. They were bringing cinema forward and taking it in a direction it had never gone before. “The Dark Crystal” was one of these movies. When I was lucky enough to meet with Lisa Henson, and begged her to do something with “The Dark Crystal”, I said, “Let’s reintroduce the audience to the wonderful world that Jim Henson and Frank Oz had created.” Now, technology has evolved. CG is the norm now. There is a wonderful artistry of the puppetry that I wanted to keep in the center and really put on a pedestal in this show, but we enhanced everything. Not everything, but the world is bigger thanks to CG. Everything you see is real, but just enhanced here and there. We shot real locations, but then we put three suns in the sky. Changed the mountains, changed the color of the rivers and everything. The puppets, some of them, couldn’t blink, so we helped them blink. But there is no “Everything is CG.” There is more puppeteering. There’s more captured on camera than any movie I’ve ever done.

AND WHEN ADDRESSING THE SPIRIT OF THE ORIGINAL CARRYING OVER INTO THE SERIES:

TARON EGERTON: I think the original movie, for anyone who is a fan of it, fell in love with it. I do think melancholy is an intrinsic part of it. That’s part of the charm of it and the love of it. And so given the fact that Louie and Lisa and the whole team have sat about making the story very much in the spirit of the original, there is an element of melancholy to it, and I think that’s part of its charm.

LISA HENSON: We think this is a really hopeful and inspiring story about heroes who, when faced with a really scary and mysterious threat, pull together and fight as a team. We do have amazing villains. They’re delicious villains. They’re very horrible and very scary. But they’re also funny.

TARON EGERTON: It’s a fantasy show. It’s a family show. It’s about being lost in wonder and adventure.

LOUIS LETERRIER: It is as fun as it is dramatic. It is as small and human as it is heroic and big. It’s about beings coming together, fighting for what they feel is right, and this was important for our writers, and this was important for us. It’s a family show. You will watch it with your kids. These kids will get to grow up and make decisions for this world. Better teach them the right things early on and show them the right things. I think The Henson Company has done that for a long, long time.

ON THEIR PARTNERSHIP WITH NETFLIX:

LISA HENSON: This particular, big, streaming show couldn’t happen until now, but I think Netflix staked a big claim. It just was a really brave move for Netflix to green-light the show because I had been talking about making either a sequel movie or an animated show that was a prequel show. Instead, Netflix green-lit this premium television series that looks just like the movie, which is of a completely different scope than we ever dreamed of doing. We were just in heaven when they told us they were interested in doing that. So I think it’s timely, and I think it could be potentially generational, but this is also a step beyond just nostalgic rebooting.

LOUIS LETERRIER: We could not have done it in a better way, and we did it thankfully with Netflix

“The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” premieres on August 30, 2019 on Netflix.

HT Nerdette Meet-Up at the Con in San Diego

This year one lucky Convention.Life member was just quick enough to get one of the, limited to 100, free tickets to Hot Topic’s HT Nerdette Meetup with Funko during Preview Night of San Diego Comic-Con. It was held at Ginger’s, a martini bar/speakeasy inside Barleymash.

After making our way down a small but tucked away stairway, we were checked in, given two drink tickets and an event wristband with a raffle number printed on it. It was great to meet many other Hot Topic and Funko faithfuls, each full of early energy as the SDCC weekend is just getting underway.

Many stories were exchanged about who was attending what days at SDCC, what exclusives they did or didn’t get, all while enjoying generously portioned passed hors d'oeuvres.

After an hour of everyone settling in and eating, we got to witness a live recording of HT Nerdette’s live unboxing show where we learned more about their SDCC shared exclusives with Funko. The final piece was a surprise Funko POP! in the likeness of HT Nerdette herself, which was revealed as the door prize for the 100 attendees at this event.

After the taping it was raffle time. Hot Topic and Funko provided 10 prototypes as giveaways. Each was bigger and more prized than the next, so you can feel the excitement grow as each winner was called. Completely serendipitous, the biggest and largest prototype was the Infinity War gauntlet by the one attendee who walked in wearing the life-size Hasbro Marvel Legends Series Infinity Gauntlet. It was definitely not planned, the whole floor erupted with cheers and congratulatory laughter. What a great way to end the experience.

Cover Story: The Art of Comic Con 50, Comic Con Museum, Balboa Park, San Diego, California

When you compile a collection of original artwork from the comic book industry’s biggest names over the span of fifty years, there isn’t even a question as to how to put them on display. You mount them on archival, acid-free matte board. You frame them behind UV-resistant glass. You run track lighting, hang the frames securely on pristine painted walls, and you open a museum. Lee, Kirby, Ditko, Steranko, Adams, Moebius, Miller, Eisner, Lee. The list goes on. Icons of modern popular art gathered in one place: The Comic-Con Museum’s “Cover Story: The Art of Comic-Con 50.”

Comic Con’s Toucan mascot

As the first exhibit featured at The Comic-Con Museum in San Diego, California, “Cover Story: The Art of Comic-Con 50" features the original artwork from every San Diego Comic-Con Souvenir Book published since the convention’s inception.

Bill Sienkiewicz (1989) , Michael Cho (2015) , Bruce Timm (2017)

Every year, San Diego Comic Con brings in hundreds of thousands of regular attendees, and each is gifted a souvenir backpack / swag bag and souvenir book. These items have become as collectible as anything found on the convention’s exhibit room floor. The souvenir book features full color artwork from some of comic book’s favorite artists, created specifically for that year’s Comic Con.

Dave McKean (2013) , Matt Taylor (2018)

From thumbnail sketches to finished pieces of painted art, the exhibit celebrates the creators, as well as the creative process. The goal of the exhibit is to “celebrate art as a tool to promote awareness and appreciation for comic books and other related popular art forms.”

Adam Hughes (2007) , Ivan Reis (2010) , Jim Lee (2011)

Frank Miller (1993) , john Romita Jr. (2012)

Along with original souvenir book covers, the exhibit offers up original artwork provided to Comic Con international for the interiors of the book: dedications and well wishes from some of the legends of comic book history.

Original interior artwork submitted by Bob Kline, John Murphy, C.C. Beck, Sergio Aragones, John Romita Sr., Bill Keane, Ralph Bakshi and Will Eisner

A fifty-year legacy on display in a single room. Any lover of comic books or popular media owes it to themselves to view the exhibit and celebrate how artwork is created.

Will Eisner (1975) , Jack Kirby (1972)

The Comic Con Museum is located at 2131 Pan American Plaza, San Diego, CA 92101

https://www.comic-con.org/museum

CCR Ontario: Independent Publishers vs Self Publishing

We got the opportunity attend a panel with some of the best in self-publishing. This kind of intimate environment with this much insight is what makes CCR Ontario such a jewel.

If you look at the image caption above, the name of the panel should have been Self-Publish, Don’t Go Independent. One of their biggest points to publishing on your own is saving your intellectual property. But with that comes all the responsibility of making and marketing your book.

Scheduling
You get to control when your book comes out. When with an independent publisher you might be at the mercy of their queue of other books that already have priority over yours. So your book might have to wait longer than you expected. Or you might not be as quick to writing, or drawing, your book as the schedule dictates by the independent publisher. With self-publishing you can control the timing but you can’t keep your fans waiting too long.

Marketing
With independent publishers, you still have to do a decent amount of marketing for your own book. But the label is doing some of it and the trusted legitimacy that publisher helps. With self-publishing you have to do all the marketing, yourself. From social, to organic, to hyping it to comic book stores, anything to do with making its presence known to the right demographic and showing them how to get your book. That is all your responsibility.

Printing
With independent publishers, they take care of the printing, storage, and distribution. But that comes with them keeping a portion, which makes sense. Some feel they keep too much, some feel it’s worth it. With self-publishing you have to do all of that yourself. One of the biggest laughs was when each talked about where they stored their books, from garages to corners of their houses. But they love that they get to keep 100% of the profits.

Own in it all
Owning their books and their stories is what drives them to continue to self-publish. The thing they say you own for sure are the wins and especially the loses. The reward is very much worth the risk for these folks.

One last thing
When asked for one piece of final advice, they all laughed but agreed, “collect sales tax because that’ll get you.”

Printers they use
Avenue4 - https://avenue4.com/
IngramSpark - https://www.ingramspark.com/
KENESS - http://keness.com/
PrintNinja - https://www.printninja.com/

I’m in the middle of creating my own story and am more than halfway complete writing the series, the insight from this group is important for me. Whether I agree with them or not is one thing but knowing where they came from and hearing why they choose this direction helps me feel that much more informed.

2019 WonderCon, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA

We’ve posted some of our favorite shots from this year’s WonderCon Anaheim! Check them out here or visit our Photos gallery above.

A Tale of Two Conventions: San Diego Comic Fest & San Diego Rocket Con

San Diego has always been a hotbed in the world of comic books.

While both DC Comics and Marvel Comics were born in the beating heart of New York City, there has always been a strong comic book presence here on the West Coast.

San Diego’s Gaslamp District has been home to Comic Con International San Diego for the last 50 years.

Homage Comics and Wildtsorm Studios, helmed by Image Comics founder Jim Lee, were based out of La Jolla, producing some of the biggest names in the industry today: J. Scott Campbell, Ryan Benjamin, Marc Silvestri, Whilce Portacio and Brett Booth.

IDW Publishing, known for publishing modern day “G.I. Joe” and “Transformers” stories is nestled into San Diego’s Liberty Station bay front.

Comic Con International is slated to open the Comic Con Museum in Balboa Park, which will celebrate the history of comic books with a collection of exhibits reaching all the way back into the Golden Age of comic book history.

That being said, Convention.Life is always happy to see new things in the world of comic books sprouting out of San Diego.

The weekend of March 9, 2019 was jam packed full of comic book goodness, with the seventh-annual San Diego Comic Fest being held at The Four Points by Sheraton in Kearny Mesa, and the second-annual San Diego Rocket Con being held at The Scottish Rite Center in Mission Valley!

SAN DIEGO COMIC FEST

San Diego Comic Fest was started in 2012, as a counter point to the grandeur and sometimes overwhelming size of San Diego Comic Con. A group of comic book fans and veterans decided that they needed to start a convention reminiscent of the earlier, smaller versions of Comic Con. In its seventh year, the idea is holding strong.

As I walked in to the lobby of the Four Points by Sheraton, I was immediately greeted by a large-scale reproduction of an iconic image from the 1902 film “Le Voyage Dans La Lun (A Trip to the Moon)”, by Georges Meilies. They would be screening the film that weekend. With most conventions screening anime all hours of the day and into the late night, it’s refreshing to see something unique like this.

Entering the exhibit hall, it felt like time stopped at the start of the Modern Age of comic books, and I had been transported back a few decades before variant-lenticular-chrome-sketch covers were ever invented.

Racks of comic books blocked the windows, filled with images by Jack “The King” Kirby, John Romita Sr., Neal Adams and Steve Ditko, among other legends.

Toys, that were originally meant to be played with, and have now become collectibles, were stacked on tables and shelves, calling out to my youth.

Original artwork could be found on every table in the exhibit hall. Original pages published by DC Comics, Marvel Comics and Disney. One of the greatest things I have ever had the pleasure of seeing at a convention, I found at San Diego Comic Fest this year: an original commissioned sketch of Captain America by Jack “The King” Kirby. Signed and confirmed authentic. In color, no less. This was a museum piece if I ever saw one. Mind blown.

I was able to speak with legendary artist Sergio Aragones, creator of “Groo the Wanderer”, while he put me to work, helping him organize his table filled with books. The man has the best moustache in the business, and probably the quickest wit, to boot.

I spoke to Stan Sakai, creator of the great samurai rabbit “Usagi Yojimbo”. We discussed the evolution of his artwork and style from his first drawing of Usagi to his most recent. Such a great talent and giant in the world of comic books.

Outside of the exhibit hall, I was treated to part of one of the most in-depth series of lectures I have ever experienced, moderated by comic book historian Arlen Schumer. In the panel, he chronicled the rise of comic book artist and visionary Jim Steranko, from his early work in “Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos” into “Captain America” and “Doctor Strange”. Schumer followed the artist’s career from under the wing and shadow of Jack Kirby, into the psychedelic imagery and art of the mid -70's. Such an impassioned performance, filled with unique insight.

Suffice it to say, San Diego Comic Fest was great experience. Going into its seventh year with such success and content, it’s easy to imagine that they will be around for much, much longer, and continue to grow exponentially.

SAN DIEGO ROCKET CON

Down the road, at the Scottish Rite Center in the heart of Mission Valley, the second annual San Diego Rocket Con was on full tilt, complete with a replica Delorean from “Back to the Future” and a Doc Brown cosplayer meeting us as we entered the front door.

San Diego Rocket Con is the brainchild of the owners of San Diego comic and hobby shop “TC’s Rockets” located at 5155 Waring Road, San Diego, CA 92120. It was created in hopes of “revitalizing the quality of collectors shows” and promoting “the congregation of fellow geeky trades such as trading cards statues, comics, games, cosplay and so much more.” It’s a promise that they deliver in spades.

Rows and rows lined the main exhibit hall of the convention, packed full of deals:

Toys from the 1960’s and 1970’s. Toys from Japan. Custom and boutique toys. Toys for today’s collectors. Toys strictly for playing. Toys that should’ve never been made. Toys they didn’t make enough of.

Comic books reaching back into the Golden Age. Comic books released the week before the convention. Trade collections and art books.

Playing cards. Trading cards. Sports cards. Statues and action figures. Vinyl and diecast.

And as I slowly meandered through the aisles of vendors, I ended up at the end of the room, which put me face-to-face with Flash Gordon, himself. Special guest to the convention, actor and cult hero, Sam Jones! He was holding court to an audience of captivated fans, sharing stories and speaking genuinely to each and every person who took a second to say hello. People say that you shouldn’t meet your heroes, out of fear that they won’t meet up with your expectations, but Sam Jones accessible, funny, intelligent and outspoken. I was able to speak to him for a few minutes, on a number of topics ranging from what we’re both collecting to why we both love attending conventions. Special guest, indeed.

The second hall held even more vendors, with the room’s centerpiece being a Nintendo “Super Smash Brothers” tournament held on the raised stage. The tournament consisted of about 75 gamers, sorted into brackets, competing for prizes and (to some of them, more importantly) bragging rights. I made my rounds through the competitors, and asked them each if they thought they had a shot at winning the tournament. There was no shortage of confidence in any of them. With controllers in hand and headphones strapped to their heads, they dove into the tournament and prepared for button-mashing battle.

The convention ended with a car full of things I probably didn’t need, but really, really wanted. I had a meaningful conversation with Flash Gordon. I took photos with professional cosplayers, and I watched a bunch of gamers pushing their skills on a 64-bit battlefield.

In its second year, San Diego Rocket Con made good on their efforts by putting on a high quality collectible show. They’ve put themselves on the right track, and I look forward to attending their 2020 convention.

A fun-filled weekend of comic book everything at San Diego Comic Fest and San Diego Rocket Con.

Unboxing: 1000toys RIOBOT The Iron Giant [Diecast]

I just picked up this amazingly articulated 1000toys RIOBOT The Iron Giant diecast figure. This roughly 7.25” figure is well made with the right balance of diecast metal and PVC. Almost every joint can be bent and turned, minus the fingers. But that is made up for with three sets of hands. Knowing their audience, 1000toys provided three heads with slightly different eye expressions. This figure also has option to change out his mouth to show his teeth. The “S” being a clip in an interesting solution but does miss out on having the chain around his neck. Watch the full unboxing and get a feel for the figure by clicking the video link below.

The Iron Giant is one of my favorite animated films. I have the Ultimate Iron Giant from Trendmasters still in the box and a very well played with Trendmasters Remote Control The Iron Giant, so well he’s missing an arm. As a huge fan, I regret not getting Mondo’s deluxe version but couldn’t get myself to spend the initial capital for a figure I want to take out of the box and enjoy with my kiddos. I definitely can’t get myself to pay what it’s going for on eBay. Wow, does this figure feel like an affordable second chance. It’s not too large for my desk at home and it’s pretty sturdy I feel comfortable letting my 10-year-old handle the figure. By the way, he’s a big The Iron Giant fan too (patting myself on the back).

[Product Details]

・Product Name: RIOBOT Iron Giant
・SRP: USD120（Outside of Japan）
・Size: 16cm
・Release Period: August 2018
・Pre-order Start: February 16, 2018
・Weight : 400g
・Material: ABS/Diecast/PA/PVC
・Parts Included : Exchangeable Hand Parts x 2 sets, Exchangeable Head Parts x 2, Exchangeable Teeth

THE IRON GIANT and all related characters and elements (c) & TM Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

LBCE Spotlight: Kyla's Keepsakes – SteamPunk Emporium

We were going through Long Beach Comic Expo when I caught Joel stopped dead in his tracks with his face about a foot away from a messenger bag hanging in one of the exhibitor’s spaces. I shifted my eyes to the bag and saw a large intricately sewn “WHOVIAN” with hints of the show built into the logotype. Both gawking at the detail, that’s when we met Kyla. You should have seen our faces when we found out she hand embroidered it.

Kyla is living the creative person’s dream, making pieces of art she likes while making a living out of it. All of her wearable art is made by her, each is done one by one with her hands. Considering the uniqueness of each piece, she’s able to keep them at a reasonable price. Or what she calls, “Affordable Couture.” It embodies her tagline: One of kind items for discerning ladies and gentlemen. Whatever it is, it’s working evidenced by how many people we saw coming and leaving with something accompanied with a smile.

Kyla didn’t always have this completely figured out. She got her degree at the Philadelphia College of Art with a focus on ceramics and glass. Which she jokingly said she never used since. Kyla then went into teaching and after 20 years of frustration with the educational system, she dove into what’s she doing now.

You can catch Kyla running the convention circuit here to get your hands on her amazing handmade wares or visit her Facebook page here to stay up to date on the latest creation.

…

Website: kylaskeepsakes.com
Facebook: facebook.com/KylasKeepsakes
E-mail: Dragolin68@gmail.com
Phone: (602) 315-6022

Long Beach Comic Expo 2019: Full Programming Guide

Time to plan your Presidents’ Day weekend at the 2019 Long Beach Comic Expo. This family-friendly event will include over 150 exhibitors, high-profile industry guests, and plenty of panels and activities for every pop-culture interest. Below are just a few examples, scroll down to view the full Programming Guide.

Captain Marvel: Origins: A look at Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers, with two of the writers who know her best: Gerry Conway, who introduced the "Ms. Marvel" version of Carol in the 1970s Ms. Marvel comic series; and bestselling novelist Margaret Stohl, whose The Life of Captain Marvel comic retold the character's history as a lead-in to the upcoming feature film starring Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson.

Space Expo: A con-within-a-con experience that’s all about space exploration and hands-on STEM education! Featuring experts in their respective scientific fields, kids (and kids-at-heart) can have fun with science-based interactive experiments! Space Expo's Guests of Honor are NASA InSight scientist Farah Alibay and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer Troy Lee Hudson.

C3 Presents: Comics: Breaking In and Staying In: The road to a career in comics and the creative arts can take many twists and turns — and they don't stop once you get in. Join Marvel Comics publisher John Nee, DC Comics/Valiant Comics/Lion Forge editor Joseph Illidge, artist James Jameson (American Gods), and cartoonist Javier Hernandez (El Muerto) for a riveting discussion of the different ways they've developed their careers.

Women on the Dark Side: Not all female artists and creators are about unicorns and glittery vampires. Hosted by Anne Toole (HALO: Lone Wolf), Kate Jonez (author, Santa Muerte), Susan Lee (Wraith of Love), and Madeleine Holly-Rosing (Boston Metaphysical Society), attendees can get some critical insight from women who create truly dark and challenging art and content, with just a touch of humor and whimsy. Whether it’s comic books, novels, or art, these are the women who are creating content that connects with our deeper, darker side.

Long Beach Comic Expo 2019 tickets are on sale NOW. Kids 10 and under get in FREE, with a special discount available for all Long Beach Unified School District students. Get you tickets here. For additional information about the expo, its exhibitors, and the attending special guests go to longbeachcomicexpo.com.

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FULL PROGRAMMING GUIDE

Saturday, February 16, 2019

Room 104B

11:00am - 12:00pm: Voice Acting: Secrets of the Stars
Speakers: James Mathis III, Arryn Zech, Eric Bauza, Rikki Simons
Description: Some of the most exciting voice actors working today take part in a very special panel! James Mathis III (the voice of Black Panther), Eric Bauza (Master Splinter, Bugs Bunny), Rikki Simons (INVADER ZIM's GIR and Bloaty), and Arryn Zech (Blake Belladonna in Rooster Teeth's RWBY) share stories about their work in the recording booth and answer fan questions about bringing fan-favorite characters to life.

12:00pm - 1:00pm: GOTHAM’s Tze Chun: Delivering a TKO to Comics
Speakers: Tze Chung
Description: Come join GOTHAM writer/producer Tze Chun (ONCE UPON A TIME) for a freewheeling panel that will answer your questions about the hit series' just-started fifth season even as it raises more about what's to come. Plus, a look at TKO Studios, Chun's new comics publishing company that's introduced binge-reading and other innovations to the world of comics, making waves just two months since its debut at the end of 2018! Moderated by comics historian Jessica Tseang (AMC's SECRET HISTORY OF COMICS).

1:00pm - 2:30pm: Storytelling on the Page
Speakers: Ron Marz
Description: A Long Beach favorite returns! Top comic artists work from the same script to demonstrate – in real time – how to break down a comic book story. Gain new insights into how to both write and draw a page from beginning to end. Writer Ron Marz (GREEN LANTERN, SILVER SURFER) provides the script for the artists. Hosted by Buddy Scalera (DEADPOOL) of Comic Book School. Sponsored by Marvy/Uchida markers.

2:30pm - 3:30pm: Horror, Fantasy, and Folklore: Making the Timeless Timely
Speakers: Ponsak Pichetshote, Norm Harper, DJ Kirkbride, Javier Hernandez
Description: Creators Pornsak Pichetshote (Infidel), Norm Harper (Haphaven), DJ Kirkbride (The One and Future Queen), and Javier Hernandez (El Muerto) take part in a wide-ranging discussion of how their works update and expand familiar themes for modern stories and contemporary audiences.

3:30pm - 4:30pm: Batman, Batwoman, and Beyond
Speakers: Kevin Nowlan, Rick Leonardi, Marguerite Bennett, Joseph Illidge
Description: It's the Dark Knight's eightieth anniversary! Join BATWOMAN and DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS writer Marguerite Bennett, former Batman editor Joseph Illidge, BATMAN BEYOND artist Rick Leonardi, and legendary Batman artist Kevin Nowlan for a discussion of the past, present, and future of one of the most enduring characters in pop-culture history.

4:30pm - 5:30pm: Breaking Into Toy and Product Design
Speakers: Logan Lubera, Mandie Roman, and Ray Makowski
Description: Learn the secrets of creating cool geek stuff for crates and shelves alike straight from the experts. From t-shirts to collectible statues, what makes a great product? And how does someone new break into the industry? Join Loot Crate Creative Directors Logan Lubera and Ray Makowski and Mandie Roman of JapanLA Clothing, Loot Wear, and her own company, Geeky Glamorous, for an informative conversation moderated by Toy-Wizards.com Editor-in-Chief Loryn Stone.

Room 104C

10:30am - 11:30am: The Fine Art of Character Design
Speakers: Joel Adams, Bobby Timony, Logan Lubera
Description: How does a character's look reveal strengths, weaknesses, and personality? What choices go into the color of a shirt, the thickness of the hair, or even how many loops go on the belt? Comic Book School's Buddy Scalera (Deadpool) leads a discussion with three experts in the world of character design: King of the Hill veteran and comic book artist Joel Adams, Loot Crate Creative Director Logan Lubera, and multiple Harvey Award-nominee Bobby Timony (The Night Owls).

11:30am - 12:30pm: FilAm Creative: Voices Live!: FilAms in Comics, Animation, and Film
Speakers: Bobby Pontillas, Patricio Ginelsa, Mark Nazal
Description: Filam Creative: Voices hosts a special live podcast recording at The Long Beach Comic Con Expo! Join Voices hosts, Arlyn Dela Pena and Walter Talens, athey have a conversation with special guests Bobby Pontillas (Oscar nominated Director at Taiko Studios, Disney), Patricio Ginelsa (Director of feature films Lumpia and Lumpia 2, music videos by Black Eyed Peas), Mark Nazal (VFX artist, two time Emmy award winner Gotham and Lucifer), and other special guests as they talk about the contributions of Filipinos in comics/animation and film, their own work, how they got their starts, and so much more.

12:30pm - 1:30pm: Geeks Got Your Back
Speakers: Shawn Crosby, Meg Hartman, and Susan Fox
Description: Anti-harassment has become a hot topic within the geek community over the last several years. Whether it is anti- harassment policies or grassroots awareness, more and more geeks are looking for ways to make the geek community a better place to everyone. Come join us as we discuss ways in which we can all just be a little more excellent to each other.

1:30pm - 2:30pm: GeekFest Filmmakers Panel
Speakers: Jackie Dallas
Description: Learn how to create low-budget, high-concept genre films from this year's batch of talented filmmakers touring with the Year 6 Tour.

2:30pm - 3:30pm: GeekFest Program 1 - Fan Films (Marvel/DC)
Description: Little Man of Steel, Red Hood It, Rise of the Catwoman, Deadpool the Musical 2

3:30pm - 4:30pm: GeekFest Program 2 - Geek Girls ROCK!
Description: Planeman, Once Upon a Costume Live, CC, Nano

4:30pm - 5:30pm: GeekFest Program 3 - Star Wars Fan Films
Description: Star Wars: The Toys Awaken, Star Wars: Dresca, One Day I'll Become The Lightsaber Maker, Star Wars Dark Legacy.

Sunday, February 17, 2019

Room 104A

11:30am - 12:30pm: TOKYOPOP Presents: International Women of Manga
Speakers: Mallory Reeves
Description: Celebrate diversity in manga by joining TOKYOPOP to learn about our new exciting original titles by diverse female manga creators from around the world. With a varied selection of genres and art styles, there's something for everyone from these talented creators, including our special guest, writer Mallory Reaves (the upcoming KILALA PRINCESS) who joins us for a Q&A session!

12:30pm - 1:30pm: Sunday Conversation with DC Comics' Dan DiDio
Speakers: Dan DiDio
Description: Dan DiDio invites you to join this afternoon chat to talk about your favorite comic book memories and why we all love this medium and give you a sneak peek at events occurring across the DC Universe. All are welcome; no RSVP required!

1:30pm - 2:30pm: Justice League Detroit: A 35th Anniversary... Celebration?
Speakers: Gerry Conway, Chuck Patton
Description: In 1983, DC Comics' Justice League franchise was reinvented with a lineup that would include Aquaman in a leadership role and showcase new members Commander Steel, Vixen, Gypsy, and Vibe. With Aquaman a billion-dollar franchise and the others mainstays of the WB's "Arrowverse," it's time to reconsider the JLD legacy with the team's writer-artist team of Gerry Conway and artist Chuck Patton!

2:30pm - 3:30pm: JOE ON JOE Presents: G.I. Joe Fandom Today!
Speakers: Jeremiah Stafford, Paul Galliano, Curtis Herod
Description: A special LIVE recording of the popular JOE ON JOE podcast celebrates what may be the greatest toy line of all time! Host Joe Slepski and a panel of G.I. Joe experts discuss the various aspects of the brand – toys, comics books, TV shows, and movies – and how the fans have kept G.I. Joe thriving for more than half a century!

3:30pm - 4:30pm: Fanbase Press Presents: The Past is Now! Nostalgia in Comics & Graphic Novels
Speakers: Norm Harper, Bobby Timony, Marguerite Bennett, Todd Nauck
Description: Pop culture's obsession with the '80s and '90s is reverberating through comics and graphic novels like PAPER GIRLS, STRANGER THINGS, and more. Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon moderates an engaging panel about the past in the present and future with guests Marguerite Bennett (MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS), Todd Nauck (MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000), and Bobby Timony and Norm Harper (THE SEQUELS).

Room 104B

11:30am - 12:30pm: Space Expo Presents: SCIENCE IMITATES FICTION (And Back Again)
Speakers: Ron Marz, Gerald Blackburn
Description: 50 years ago, humans took a giant leap and stepped on the Moon. Many of the people responsible for getting us there were inspired by science fiction comics and novels. This panel features a former NASA engineer who worked on the Apollo Moon missions talking about how comics inspired him, along with comic book writer Ron Marz (GREEN LANTERN) talking about inspirations from real life space exploration he took for his work. The panel will be moderated by Ben Dickow, President of the Columbia Memorial Space Center, which sits on the birthplace of Apollo, the site the famous Apollo Capsules were built just up the freeway in Downey.

12:30pm - 1:30pm: Space Expo Presents: NASA's New Horizons Mission
Speakers: Gene Perry, Dennis Schnell
Description: Presented by employees of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, this panel highlights the New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, touching on the New Horizons probe itself and all of its scientific instruments, a timeline of the mission including milestones and scientific discoveries, details and latest findings on the newly discovered Ultima Thule, and highlight some of the other exciting New Horizons programs: Juno and Bennu.

1:30pm - 2:30pm: Webcomics Advocates Presents: The Webcomics Gathering
Speakers: Brendan Creecy, Eddie DeAngelini, Ambrose Quintanilla
Description: Join Webcomics Advocates co-founder Brendan Creecy (BRAX THE ALIEN ROCKER) and webcomic creators Eddie DeAngelini (COLLECTORS), Ambrose Quintanilla (GOPHER-IT COMICS), and moderator Kristen Parraz (the COMADRES Y COMICS podcast) as they celebrate and discuss the exciting world of webcomics! They will also give any webcomic creators in the audience 30 seconds to promote their comic to the crowd. All creators and fans are welcome!

2:30pm - 3:30pm: DIY Comics: Publish, Don't Perish
Speakers: David Pepose, Rob Kutner, Russell Nohelty, Kate Leth, Christie Shinn
Description: Kickstarter, Patreon, the "Image model": whether it's the first comic you've ever published or just the most-recent, there are many different ways to reach your audience. These freewheeling panel showcases the paths taken by a wide range of creators: writers David Pepose (SPENCER & LOCKE) and Rob Kutner (SHRINKAGE, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart), cartoonists Kate Leth (ADVENTURE TIME) and Christie Shinn (DEMON BITCH: SHE SUCKS), and writer/publisher Russell Nohelty (THE COMPLETE CREATIVE). Moderated by writer Rylend Grant (ABERRANT)

3:30pm - 4:30pm: Animated Lives: Behind the Scenes of Creating Cartoons
Speakers:  Larry Houston, Chuck Patton, Ian McGinty, Samantha Glow Knapp
Description: Cartoon-industry veterans Larry Houston (X-Men: The Animated Series), Chuck Patton (G.I. JOE, Kulipari: Dream Walker), Ian McGinty and Samantha Glow Knapp (Welcome to Showside!) take part in a fun-filled discussion about their experiences in making cartoons for television. From sharing personal stories of the business and how the process has changed over the decades, to describing how their skills have served them in other creative fields, it'll be a strong finish to your Long Beach Comic Expo experience

Room 104C

11:30am - 12:30pm: Cospositive: Cosplay With Confidence
Speakers: Ivy Doomkitty
Description: International cosplay superstar Ivy Doomkitty leads a discussion focusing on body image and confidence in oneself, self-worth, ways to work on confidence, and how to stay positive in the community when faced with negative people or negative comments on social media. Other topics covered will include cosplaying regardless of age, gender, body type/size, disability, etc. and having respect for one another.

12:30pm - 1:30pm: All-CAPS: Tales of the Comic Art Professional Society
Speakers: Bobby Timony, Christie Shinn, Norm Harper, Barbara Randall Kesel
Description: Comic Art Professional Society of Los Angeles members share stories of their careers in comics. Join legendary editor Barbara Randall Kesel, irreverent creator Christie Shinn (DEMON BITCH, SHE SUCKS), and Eisner Award nominee Norm Harper (RIKKI) and multiple Harvey Award nominee Bobby Timony (THE NIGHT OWLS) for a freewheeling conversation moderated by CAPS member Loryn Stone.

1:30pm - 2:30pm: GeekFest Program 4 - SciFi
Description: NarcoLeap, The Shipment, Paleonaut

2:30pm - 3:30pm: GeekFest Program 5 - Comedy
Description: Dark Specter, Portrait of a Superhero, Gryphon, Animo Galactic Galaxy

3:30pm - 4:30pm: GeekFest Program 6 - Geekcetera
Description: The Indies Prop Wars: Prop Harder, Metroid: The Sky Calls, Hot N Nerdy

4:30pm - 5:30pm: Level Up Your Cosplay! with Ivy Doomkitty
Speakers: Ivy Doomkitty
Description: Have you been cosplaying for a while but feel like it's become stagnant? Do you want to figure out how to turn a basic costume into a stellar one? Seasoned costume professionals show how you can turn up your costume to over 9000! Q and A to follow!

Guide subject to change

Comic-Con Museum, SAM: Storytelling Across Media Symposium, spotlight on Jim Lee

2019 is going to be a banner year for Comic-Con. Not only will the organization celebrate its 50th birthday in America’s Finest City, but it will venture off into a new frontier with the opening of the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park. The museum will document the long and storied history and relationship between Comic-Con and San Diego, and will celebrate all things comic book related, from its early beginnings to its current influence on all things entertainment media related.

While the museum hasn’t provided an official date for their grand opening, there continues to be an anxious buzz emanating from the walls, reflecting the anticipation of amazing things to come. The museum has already started holding special events, prior to their official opening, giving attendees a small glimpse of the museum’s potential.

Recently, Convention.Life was invited to participate in a very special event being held at the museum. Comic-Con held a one-day symposium for aspiring artists and writers, as well as professionals, interested in the art of storytelling.

The event was called SAM: Storytelling Across Media, and Comic-Con didn’t hesitate at pulling out all stops, inviting some of the comic book industry’s biggest names to be special guests for the day. Guests included: DC Comics Co-Publisher and Chief Creative Officer (and comic book legend) Jim Lee, writers Julie Benson and Shawna Benson, and writer-of-all-things J. Michael Straczynski.

The symposium’s panels focused on teaching methods for creative and successful storytelling across all media: Animation, Sound and Music, Film, Comic, Board Games and Video Games. Additionally, guests held panels in storytelling in Long Form / Short Form Writing and Augmented / Virtual Reality.

Convention.Life sat in on the first panel of the day, which turned out to be a spotlight on DC Comics Co-Publisher and Chief Creative Officer (and, again, comic book legend) Jim Lee.

It isn’t often that one gets the opportunity to sit in a room of 50 people, alongside one of the masters of the comic book genre, as he freely gives out his secrets for effective storytelling.

On the basics of storytelling in the comic book medium:

There are three kinds of shots. There’s the wide Establishing Shot that’s good for establishing location, relationship between objects. Then there’s the Medium Shot which is good for conversations, interpersonal dialogue between characters or objects. Then the last shot is the Closeup. The Closeup is used mostly to convey emotion. Every artist will create a different series of shots, and that actually is part of style that you don’t see. So, there’s the style of how people draw faces or bodies, but you don’t see the storytelling. You feel it as you read the story. It’s all in the hands of the artist.

Lee continued, focusing in more on the fine details of the storytelling, and creating a visual world that has roots in real life.

Within a shot, there is foreground, middle ground and background. They all have varying degrees of detail. All these little details, to me, they do tell a story, and when I draw a panel, I do think about that. I think about the objects in the background. I think about their clothing. I think about the way they sit and stand. I think about their histories that brought them to that moment. No one may care about that, but I feel like it does add something that readers subconsciously pick up on, and understand who these characters are, without having a whole mini-series to explain who they are.

Typically, in the medium of comic books, it starts with the writer. They create the story, panel by panel. It is the artist’s job to interpret and tell the writer’s story through images. In discussing the difference in workflow with writers of differing styles and control over the story:

“Panel 1, establishing shot, Gotham City.” That’s Brian Azzarello.

Alan Moore would be “It is April 13, 1993. If you look in the almanac, it was a hazy day, full of humidity. 87 percent. Please note this with a dial in the foreground. Please use the Helvetica font on that device to indicate…” I mean, there were scripts where it was 3 pages of single-spaced information about one page.

So its different.

I think that, what happens when you work full script, is that it allows the beats on the page to better reflect the emotional content of it, because [as a writer] you might have something that you really want to convey in a story, and the artist either missed it or doesn’t put the attention needed.

But there are times that I deviate from it. I think the whole point is like ‘What’s the information that has to be conveyed on this page, and what’s the best visual look for it?’ We always encourage artists to deviate as needed, if they think they can create something that looks visually more appealing.

When speaking about working in the strictly visual realm of comic books, as opposed to other types of storytelling, another of the artist’s jobs is to overcome some of the medium’s disadvantages:

When talking about storytelling, what’s interesting today, I was thinking about all the other people that are going to talk about how they create for their mediums. Every medium has shortcomings and pros and cons. One of the things that people talk about in comics that’s missing is there’s no sound, but I disagree. When I read comic book, I don’t see the sound effect. I don’t read it. I just hear it.

In closing, Lee reminds the aspiring writers and artists that practice always makes perfect.

It’s always refinements of refinements.

The symposium concluded with Lee raffling away every piece of artwork he did during the seminar. A signing followed in the museum lobby afterwards, with Lee signing everything put before him by his adoring fans. He was there for an hour, signing and talking with everyone, continuing to tell stories.

Jim Lee has been drawing comic books for the past 30 years. He is a founding creator of Image Comics and is currently DC Comics Co-Publisher and Chief Creative Officer.

Twitter: @jimlee
Instagram: @jimlee
YouTube: @jimlee
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jimlee

The Comic-Con Museum is located at:
2131 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park
San Diego, CA 92101
You can find out more about the museum on their website: https://comic-conmuseum.org

DesignerCon Interview with Camilla d’Ericco: The Most Down-to-Earth Surrealist Painter

Saying that it was a pleasure to interview with Camilla d’Errico, is an understatement. Her passion for her work, and fun-natured personality were infectious. Never mind that we dig her work, talking with d’Errico made us bigger fans of her as an artist and a person. She was kind enough to share some of what makes her works what they are and gave us some insight into what drives her creative choices.

Coffee, Comics, and Listening to Her Parents
d’Errico started early on as an artist in comics making ends meet as a barista. She remembered her first San Diego Comic Con in 1998, when she was one of just a handful of women at the show. Looking around DCon, d’Ericco expressed her excitement at the representative diversity in a typical pop culture convention these days.

She remembered how tough it was starting out and how her parents supported her pursuit of art as a career. But seeing her struggle, they suggested she go to college as most parents would. They felt getting a degree would help her cause. Looking back, she thanks them for that nudge. d’Errico explains that going to Capilano College is where she learned about painting. She also remembers being told she wasn’t a good painter. Looking at her work, the list of gallery showings, and successful collaborations, we’d beg to differ.

In fact, d’Ericco shared a story from early in her career of how she wandered into a gallery in Vancouver where they were doing a snowboard show. She had just finished a series of snowboard artwork for Ride, who sent samples of all eight boards to her. d’Errico thought it was a perfect match, she can’t house eight snowboards in her studio apartment, maybe they can be part of the show.

Unfortunately the gallery didn’t take the snowboards but instead were more interested in selling the actual art, which d’Errico explained were just on paper, but they sold. Later, the gallery owner asked her for more artwork but this time on canvas using acrylics. d’Errico said to herself, “Yeah, I’ll give it a shot.” And that’s what launched her into being a painter.

Beyond Canvas
These days you can find d’Errico’s work on more than just snowboards and canvas. She shared that about 10 years ago she realized that people only have so much wall space for prints, and decided to branch out into merchandising. With dye-sublimation becoming more common, so was the trend of wearing art. d’Errico’s work lends itself to fashion and so her fashion line was born.

About two years ago she was wandering around San Diego, where d’Errico ran into a shop that had an amazing collection of vintage plates. She fondly remembered the one piece that grabbed her attention; it was an ostrich head on a woman’s body in a Victorian dress. She was so amazed by the work; d’Errico hunted down the plate designer and started collaborating to start her plate series.

d’Errico explains collaboration has been a big part of her work. She goes out into the world and sees something then reaches out, or someone reaches out to her. If a project feels like the right fit and the timing is right, she’ll go for it as a way to stretch her creative legs into different media. Some of these collaborations have gone into bigger partnerships with Disney, Vizkids, and Hasbro to name a few.

Documentation and/or Commentary
Authenticity in the emotion of d’Errico’s paintings is important to her. The paintings she creates come from some place within her, to drive the concept. When talking about her works, d’Errico described her paintings as her diary and how each show is an entry in that diary. She talked about how she can look back at past shows and remember where she was in her life at the time.

A recent example of this was her show, “Sky,” at the Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles. The concept was a reaction to the division happening in America, a country she has family in, and a country she loves deeply.

“My show, ‘Sky’, was me showing the world, we’re all connected, and we’re all multi-cultured. Every single person here comes from multi-culturalism, and especially America.” She explained that every piece has a sky in it, which was inspired by an Italian saying, “We all live under the same sky.” d’Errico talked about the usage of butterflies, “to show the connectivity. Butterflies migrate and they’re everywhere in the world. They’re transformative; they bring life to the world because they’re pollinators.”

The collection of paintings and drawings d’Errico created was to empower people, “and to show the world that we should love each other’s uniqueness.” She did this by making her most diverse works to date.

Looking to the future she describes the next show will be her interpretation of the Zodiac at the Haven Gallery. This will not be as politically charged but it will be inspired by what she’s connected to. An example is that she might make the Cancer interpretation in honor of her friend/coordinator, who is a Cancer herself.

Camilla the Fan
We asked, “If you didn’t have deadlines and had eight hours to do whatever you wanted, what would you work on?” Without hesitation, d’Errico exclaimed that she would work on her fan fiction, specifically her stories from The Walking Dead. Oh, yeah, she writes too and has gotten some great responses. If you’re interested in her other hidden passion, join her Patreon to get access. Here’s another one that may get you to click, she’s written and vampire novel series. Yeah, you’re interested.

One of our favorite nuggets about d’Errico was finding out she is a big Masters of the Universe fan. Unintentionally, she happened to see a text during the interview that seemed to pull her out of what she was saying. She apologized then explained there were limited Skeletor cereal bowls at the Funko booth and was excited to get one later during the show. No apologies, that got nerd-points with us. She’s just as much a fan as she is a creator.

Which brings us to Bee-ra, one of many of what d’Errico calls her Fuzzbutts. Last year she partnered with Planet Bees to raise funds by doing a series of bees. And the response was so overwhelmingly positive; her Fuzzbuts became another extension of her personality, the fun cute version of herself. She took the opportunity to celebrate her 20-year anniversary at SDCC by creating POP Bees, where Bee-Ra, Harbee Quinn, and BeePool made their appearance.

One Person Making a Difference
We ended our interview on a somber but good note with d’Errico about Stan Lee, no words, we shared sad smiles and the feeling of eyes welling up. Earlier in the interview she reflected on how much Stan Lee meant to her, knowing him and seeing what he has done inspires her. “It made me realize that one person can change the world.” She made the point that everyone starts small but can make an impact. Again, it was more than a pleasure to converse with Camilla d’Errico; she was inspirational. If you get the chance to catch her at one of her many shows, stop by and say, “Hi.” She’s as fun, charming, and inviting as her work.

…

Website: camilladerrico.com
Instagram: instagram.com/camilladerrico
Twitter: twitter.com/helmetgirl
Facebook: facebook.com/camilladerricoart
YouTube: youtube.com/user/camilladerrico
Deviantart: deviantart.com/camilladerrico
Etsy: etsy.com/ca/shop/TheCamillaStore

RIP Stan Lee

It has been a week since pop culture icon and legendary comic book creator Stan Lee passed away at the age of 95. While the world remains in mourning for a man that has touched so many lives, it would be remiss for the contributors here at Convention.Life to bare witness to this watershed moment without sharing in the celebration of his life and work.

I just wanted to take this opportunity share a memory. That’s all. My personal tribute to Stan.

When I was younger, I was your typical latchkey kid. My parents both worked during the day, one as a nurse and one in the military, and for a majority of my youth, that would mean that when I got home from school, I was to adhere to the strict rules of my parents: “Don’t open the door for anyone. Don’t use the stove. Just do your homework until we get home from work.” That was fine with me. I was a responsible kid. “Helicopter Parents” didn’t exist yet. I was completely happy being home alone for a short time.

Sometimes, though, I would forget to put my house key in my backpack, which meant that I couldn’t get into the house for a couple hours until my parents came home. When this would happen, unfortunately ever so frequently, I would open the door to my garage and stay in there.

We kept an old leather couch in one corner of the garage. It was next to the garage door, so ambient light from outside could leak in while I laid down on the couch. After the first couple times this happened, I ended up hiding a few comic books under the couch cushions, so I could lose myself in stories of Spider-Man, The Avengers, the Hulk, The Fantastic Four and The X-Men. There wasn’t enough light in the garage to do homework, but there was enough to flip through my stash of comics.

Those characters, those comic books, reaffirmed important lessons that my parents tried to teach me. They taught me to be a good person above all else. They taught me the importance of family. They taught me we aren’t all the same, and that we are all flawed, but that being different is okay. They taught me that teamwork makes the dream work. They taught me that “With great power, comes great responsibility. They taught me that the ideas of a single person, when put out into the universe, can effect change for generations to come.

They also taught me different languages. They taught me new words. They taught me alliteration. They taught me onomatopoeia. They taught me about the subtleties of dialogue. They taught me negative space and forced perspective. I learned how to draw human figures in motion.

There are an innumerable amount of lessons that I have learned, both directly and indirectly, from comic books.

As I grew older, my interests naturally expanded into other things, but I still had a passion for comic books in one way or another.

Many things have happened since my days on the garage couch. I inherited my Uncle Noel’s collection of comic books that reached back into the early 1970's. I’ve attended San Diego Comic-Con almost every year since 1993. I’ve worked as a photographer, covering conventions throughout Southern California. I’ve traveled to different countries, meeting some amazing people along the way - celebrities, authors, illustrators, Hollywood studio executives, cosplayers and comic book fans alike. I’ve even had several opportunities to speak to Stan, The Man, himself.

Regardless of where my life has taken me to this point, I can trace a lot of it back to an old leather couch in my garage. I can trace a lot if it back to the comic books stashed under the couch cushions. I can trace a lot of it back to a single guy, and the characters he created.

Thank you, Stan Lee. Thank you for speaking your ideas out into the universe, and planting seeds of imagination. It is an invaluable legacy you leave behind.

Prospect has what other SciFi movies are missing, the human element.

Within seconds of the film starting, I felt the need to put on a space helmet and ensure my air filter was fresh. Prospect didn’t use too many high production tricks, just a few tastefully sprinkled visual notes to immerse you in this world. I’m a sucker for a slow burn with the time being spent on showing me who the characters really are, and I got that with this feature film.

A strong side note: the wardrobe/costumes were beautifully crafted and intentionally created, they were characters themselves. The individual suits felt like visual representations of each character’s traits.

I can’t recommend this film enough to those tired of SciFi movies that build a script around a new visual effect, or a ridiculous catastrophic event, especially the ones that don’t show how people would actually react in those situations. Prospect is the type of movie that will have a strong cult following and I’m excited to be there from the beginning.

Prospect stars Sophie Thatcher, Pedro Pascal, Jay Duplas, and is written and directed by Zeek Earl and Christopher Caldwell. This is also the first feature film distributed by Gunpowder & Sky’s label DUST. DUST is now on my radar thanks to this movie and I can’t wait for more innovative storytelling from these creative minds.

SYNOPSIS: A teenage girl and her father travel to a remote alien moon, aiming to strike it rich. They've secured a contract to harvest a large deposit of the elusive gems hidden in the depths of the moon's toxic forest. But there are others roving the wilderness and the job quickly devolves into a fight to survive. Forced to contend not only with the forest's other ruthless inhabitants, but with her own father's greed-addled judgment, the girl finds she must carve her own path to escape.

If you’re still reading and are the type to be the above mentioned ravenous cult following movie goer, come back here after seeing the film and check out the early short film from 2014. It’s amazing to see this concept evolve but keep to the original intent. I’m officially a fan of Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell. Creatives like them inspire me to stay up and keep writing my own work.

Ain't no party like an HT party

This year, Los Angeles Comic Con had approximately 100,000 attendees over its three days from October 26, 2018 through October 28, 2018.  On Saturday night, 75 lucky fans were awarded with the unique opportunity to attend a special after-party on Hot Topic’s tab! It was an amazing night full of food, fun, drinks, exclusive Funko-sponsored giveaways, and the company of a bunch of toy collectors talking about all things vinyl and pop culture. 

What better way to end a long day of awesomeness at the 2018 Los Angeles Comic Con than to party on into the night as a guest of Hot Topic, hosted by Hot Topic’s Nerdette, at an intimate meetup at Downtown Los Angeles’ Lucky Strike bowling alley and restaurant?   

Convention.Life joined in on the festivities.  Consider us lucky beyond words. 

After the convention floor shut down, we made our way past The Staples Center, through LA Live, and to the front doors of Lucky Strike, where we checked in and got our super swanky Hot Topic private event wrist bands. We were also handed a non-descript red raffle ticket that would turn out to be the key to hidden Hot Topic gold. 

For the next two hours, we traded stories, compared collections, and shared a post-convention dinner against the backdrop of neon bowling, free drinks and Game 4 of the MLB World Series playing on four giant TV screens.  HT Nerdette made sure everyone felt like they were at home, and talked to every single person at the meetup. One of the nicest people you’ll ever meet at a convention.  Hands down.  High fives and a bunch of laughs.  Genuinely happy to be there. 

As the night drew to a close, we all gathered at the front of the room, non-descript red raffle tickets in hand.  Usually, when you’re given non-descript red raffle tickets, it usually means that a few huge prizes are given away, to a few lucky people, while everyone else walks away with a non-descript red raffle ticket souvenir.  This was definitely not the case at the meetup.  At the end of the night, EVERYONE at the meetup went home with a Funko-sponsored / Hot Topic Exclusive raffle prize.  EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON. These prizes were nothing to sneeze at, either.  We saw Harry Potter prototype figures, autographed exclusive cereal boxes, New York Comic-Con Exclusives, Conan O’Brien San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive Pop figures and Disney prototype mystery mini figures, just to name a few. Suffice it to say, everyone walked away from the event happy.  

Thank you for an epic night, HT Nerdette.  We can’t wait until the next meetup! 

Check your local Hot Topic stores, or go online, to find exclusive Funko merchandise.   

You can find HT Nerdette on Periscope, where she lets viewers in on all upcoming Hot Topic merchandise. 

L.A. Comic Con: Screening the Future of Pop Culture

We go to these conventions to celebrate pop culture and the worlds they transport us into. This time I decided to take an early look at future pop culture influencers by checking out a few screenings. My two favorites were the first episode of Deadly Class, of course, and the wild ride that is Mandy, goodness gracious almighty. Or maybe just I like posters that are heavy on the redish/purpleish/pinkish hues. Don’t worry, these are spoiler-free comments.

Of course I covered Deadly Class’ screening at LA Comic Con, it’s no secret I am a fan of Rick Remender and especially this book. And if I’m going to get the opportunity to see the first before it airs in 2019, damn right Imma be up in there. And it was glorious. As Remender said in our interview at SDCC, he ensured fans we would see a live-action version that is true to the book. The casting couldn’t have been more spot-on and director Lee Toland Krieger captured the tone and mood felt as I flipped through the pages when originally taking in the story as a comic. If you have the chance to see it at a convention ahead of time, don’t hesitate. If you have to wait until 2019 to catch it on SYFY, it’ll be worth it. Thanks to the Russo brothers for giving this the push it needed and giving Remender the room to make it what he wants it to be. I can’t wait for the rest.

Then there’s Mandy. Oh, my goodness, Mandy. The Halloween season may be over but fans of this genre should be happy this wonderfully gratuitous gem is now available outside of the theaters (Youtube, Amazon). If you’ve seen it, buy it. If you haven’t let your senses get washed over with full-Cage awesomeness, grab at least one friend because everyone knows a trip is better with company. Go see it and know you’ll never be the same, but we still love you.

2018 LOS ANGELES COMIC CON, LOS ANGELES CONVENTION CENTER, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

We’ve posted some of our favorite shots from Los Angeles Comic Con this past weekend! Check them out here or visit our Photos gallery above.

LBCC 2018: Royal Rumble of Comics, Collectibles, Wrestling, and The Mighty Luchador

When we first walked into the exhibit hall we heard a muffled clashing sound toward the right/back wall area. It was early, so we figured it was the sounds of setting up and we didn’t think twice about it. As we walked the exhibit hall and got closer to the noise only got louder. Then we saw it, a wrestling ring?

I’ve seen wrestling stars at conventions before and have seen a wrestling ring with some quick demos or two but the difference this time: there was a full program with a set area for a crowd to gather and get in on booing the bad guys. There seemed to be a storyline building throughout the day and the narrative was paid off with a headlining event at the end of the night. Click here to watch the main event unfold with none other than 2015’s WWE Hall of Famer, Rikishi!

Rikishi’s KNOKX Pro Entertainment did a great job putting together an integrated, fun, and inviting, space for the kids (and parents) to enjoy live wrestling. The interactive experience was a bonus added layer of entertainment. As fans of wrestling during the Attitude Era, Steve (fellow Convention.Life correspondent) and I had a blast watching it all unfold.

The wrestling didn’t stop there, even the exhibitors "brought it." In this talent highlight we met with Carlos Flores, and when we say talent, Carlos is brimming with it from all directions. We were greeted by Carlos' fully branded booth promoting The Mighty Luchador, specifically his latest vinyl creation, Señor Fuego. Standing at a full 7” tall and a removable jacket, I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. I came back a few times and debated spending $65, show special price ($74.99 online).

I think I will regret not picking up this vinyl awesomeness but even more, I’m upset with myself for having such tunnel vision. I was so focused on the purchase of Señor Fuego, I forgot there were so many other options. At the very least a comic or even one of the sweet shirt designs. Well, if he doesn’t sell out before the next show I see Carlos, I HAVE to get something. All of Carlos’ works displayed at LBCC was just a taste of his talents. After chatting with him I learned he’s an Art Director, Filmmaker, and a well-versed Motion Designer. After checking out some of his projects on his site, I recognized seeing most, if not all, of them as a consumer. He’s created works for clients such as Beats, to The CW and some of the DC T.V. show opening titles, to Disney Infinity demos, to Coors Light, and even stage graphics for Demi Lovato. Here’s the best part about all of this, I had to dig this info out of Carlos. He didn’t blurt any of these things out to try to impress, he was there to share The Mighty Luchador works. He was so excited to talk about this passion project of his and what a fun creative outlet this it is for him.

It shows in the craft and care he puts in the work. Super talented and humble, I don’t think Carlos would say that about himself because, well, he’s so humble. But I’ll say it for him, he’s super talented and very humble. Next time you’re at a convention and you see The Mighty Luchador, don’t make my mistake of not getting something. Trust me, I won’t do that again. Señor Fuego shirt, I’m looking at you.

As for the rest of LBCC, it had everything else we love and look for in comic conventions from the comic books themselves, to rare collectibles, and the creative mashups represented in the many pieces of apparel and pins. Now that it’s over, the bad news: the next LBCC is a year away. The good news: LBCE is happening in only five months, oh yeah!

…

KNOKX PRO ENTERTAINMENT
Website: https://knokxpro.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KnokXProEntertainment
Twitter: @knokxpro
Instagram: @KnokXPro
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Rhyno2012

The Mighty Luchador
Website: https://www.themightyluchador.com/
Twitter: @mightyluchador
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyLuchador/
Instagram: @themightyluchador

Carlos Flores
Website: https://carlosoutpost.com/
Twitter: @carlosoutpost
Instagram: @carlosoutpost
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/caflores