Philly and the Wiz

A several part series of the Saturday of 2009's Wizard World Philadelphia comicon.

Phillygirl and I arrived just after 9 to the Philly convention center, on a rainy morning. We got to wait outside the building but protected from rain until the doors opened at 10 AM. New this year: wristbands instead of badges. Thought it was cheapness, but hear it's because of bootleg badges past years.

First entering, I noticed the lack of the big Marvel and DC Booths. No free pins, posters, and signing schedules. I usually spend a lot of time checking the DC booth and meeting artists/writers, so that was a big change for me.

However, we were looking at the World War Z books and there was Max Brooks! I asked about 5 questions and he was chewing...but turned out to be so smart, funny and nice. When I said that as a librarian, I'd be useless after the zombie invasion, he said "we have a military to protect people like you!". He said the Zombie Survival Guide comic should be out this October.


We went to the 5-6 PM "Writing the Undead" panel with Max, Fred Van Lente, and John Russo I'll discuss later.

One other great thing about not having a mass of crowds is you get more facetime with bigger names. We met J.G. Jones (52 cover artist). He said he's writing and drawing a graphic novel...and he signed my two Batwoman 52 covers. He did say he had "moved on" from the canned All Star Batgirl project. boo. But nice guy all around.



PhillyGirl at the Wizard booth:


Much more later...

comic film dates

Mark our calendars!

Marvel Spider-Man 4

Three Marvel Studios superhero pics will debut in summer 2011, including the May 6 bow of Sony's "Spider-Man 4."That's to be followed by the June 17 release of "Thor," which was to have opened in summer 2010, and the July 22 opening of "The First Avenger: Captain America."

multicharacter superhero tentpole "The Avengers" from July 15, 2011, to May 4, 2012.

"Iron Man 2" remains the same: May 7, 2010.

Mickey Rourke in Iron Man 2
Marvel wouldn't confirm Rourke's involvement, but he's planning to join Downey, Sam Rockwell and Samuel L. Jackson, with Scarlett Johansson the frontrunner to play the Black Widow.

John August to write "Preacher" film
He has quite a task to compress this sprawling, raunchy and devoted fan favorite. We'll see..

Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen's The Comedian) to make "Losers"
DC-Vertigo comicbook about a band of black ops commandos who are set up to be killed by their own government. They barely survive and set out to get even.

Love

Love can not be retconned.

He would burn it---

The answer to the Marvel Question: What would you do with one more day?

More New York Comicon Guests:
I've talked with Steve McNiven at several shows, just a smart and nice guy who loves libraries! The only bummer is that he will not sketch at shows-- maybe it's his slow pace that made Civil War run late.
...I hate what Marvel has done in One More Day, but teaming Dan Slott and Steve McNiven is nearly impossible for me not to buy. Both are two of the best in comics right now.
-a 25-page lead story by Slott and McNiven setting up Spider-Man's Brand New Day.



The Luna Brothers The Sword 1-3 all sell out
If you read this blog you know I am a fan of The Luna Brothers. I even had a letter published in Girls once. If you haven't given their latest series a try, I would suggest it. I think their character development and art are unique in the comics world.

Man, three people are sick at my work, I've been tired since New Year, and friends L and J were both sick over Xmas. On the good side, the weather is sunny and 6oplus degrees here.

miracle mile

Leaving tomorrow for Chicago! The weather has turned to near record highs- tough for the 45, 000 marathoners and the 1.5 million spectators. Have to work until 9, then pack - still haven't unpacked all in the new house.

I read the first arc The gunslinger born of the Dark Tower comics, but I don't intend to continue. I think if I had read the source books I would be invested. It's like the Buffy comics; without the TV characterization the comic reads flat to me.
the seven-issue miniseries will be released in a hardcover collection on November 7 with extra material that includes a feature on the methodology of colorist Richard Isanove and a message from Stephen King. The second Dark Tower miniseries, The Long Road Home, is slated to begin in February 2008, when the creative team of David, Lee and Furth will reprise their roles in the making of the comic, beneath the watchful eye of King himself.

SpiderMan the musical news
director Julie Taymor and the show's backers are looking for a space to put it on. Bono and The Edge, who in this context sorta sound like a superhero team themselves, developed both the book and the lyrics for the production

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer out on DVD

200 million blogs

A tech analysis firm said currently there are 200 million abandoned blogs, and 2007 will peak with 100 million active blogs. No wonder my bloglines for comic blogs is overflowing!
But, there have been some blog shutdowns of late: Focused Totality. The Brill Building. Absorbascon for 1 month.

It's hard out there for a blogger.

Working hard on the final details for the March 24th MidJersey Comicon.
Midlantic staters come on out! Big guests like Michael Golden, Mike Oeming, Chuck Satterlee, and lots of great indie creators and dealers. The NYCC was fun, but if you want real face time and not to be pushed and prodded and overheated, small comicons are the real deal!

New York Comiccon panels------
It was interesting to see 'big name' comic bloggers, but I didn't get what I wanted out of the panel, which was to contrast the old with the newcomers.

Galleycat - covers publishing, many writers and aspiring writers read
themes- comic numbers attractive to mainstream publishers
fun snark/random bitching
curiosity of fans all along, now it's cool and legitimate to like comics

comics212 some people only know Neil Gaiman from his books, add more context for the rest of the non fandom world
Heidi The Beat- news and views from blogs to larger part of media

RSS feeds- expect them- comics212 finds that annoying not to see whole page of site "it's so pretty"

real people read your blog; Heidi: only say on blog what I would to their face. There was a discussion about that, whether you could be polite and review work and then meet the person.

Knowing a lot of people in the industry can be good, but also a disadvantage
Don't 'play to comments'
As time goes on, it's harder to be the same small community it was

Newsarama- Chris said the site is old looking and badly designed

MARVEL INITIATIVE- only saw the end of the Quesada led panel.
Moon Knight pro-registration comes knocking for MK
Oeming Omega Flight June 2007 has punches but characters you can enjoy, take jerk like US Agent and put him in Canada
SubMariner June 2007 Namor not in great place
Slott Great Lakes Initiative

I booed the dude who got up and said "it would have been sweet to kill off Aunt May" ; some others did; then someone yelled out to "kill Mary Jane too". Marvel boys can be such punks!

VERTIGO-
Came in for Q&A, missed the person who was taken out after yelling at Vaughan; he was sitting back behind the podium.
Not a question of quality with V titles
Sales on Vertigo titles, "long term strategy is for everyone in the room to have more children."Brand is growing a culture
I didn't agree with Azzarello who told all of us if we buy other comics we aren't "the ideal Vertigo customer". I buy for me, the library, and tell patrons- that's pretty ideal.
Diggle talked about Hellblazer
Someone asked if the Vertigo universe is in DC continuity and "Constantine does not live in any world with Superman in it".

DC Nation-
This panel is a total sideshow with Didio as the carnival barker.
Countdown - Paul Dini- $2.99 an issue for 52 issues (!)
Event of the year...starts May 9 after the last 52, on 5/2
Jimmie Olson must die - foolish not to tap Kingdom Come
Seduction of the Innocent - Mary Marvel has mentors, is at a crossroads, takes surprise turn
Ray Palmer- Atom
Villians Defiant- two contentious supervillians together
Crypto issue "put to sleep"
Manhunter saved- changed mind 2x
Captain Carrot
Flash not as directionless as it seems
Dini read All Star Batman? "when I was a kid"
McKeever writing more
Diversity in comics? "White folks hate it" "committed to diversity in DC line to reflect buyers"
Firestorm find a home
Mike Norton exclusive to DC

Stephen King - Dark Tower panel
Let JJ Abrams and Lindelof option the rights to Dark Tower for $19
painter Isanove got Quesada - Q asked about painting over Jae Lee's work instead of Q's- he said "well, when you are working with a better artist". I almost fell out of my seat!