Wondercon 2010!
April 10, 2010 by Richard Oh
Filed under California, Comic Books, Con Reports and Photos, L.A. Sequential
Wondercon 2010 took place on April 2-4, 2010, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Run by the same company that runs San Diego Comic Con every year, Wondercon is paced a bit differently. It’s not as flashy, and it’s not as big as it’s big brother show, but Wondercon really captures a great comic convention, with just enough presence from the media to satisfy any visitor. It’s a well run show in a great location, and is one of my favorite shows every year. The only gripe I had about the show this year was the very uncooperating weather, but it wasn’t enough to dampen my enthusiasm for the show. Now, onto the wonders of Wondercon!
Wondercon Ticket Line. The excitement begins!
DC Main man Fletcher scheduling artists and writers for the DC booth.
IDW and Dark Horse booths standing out through the crowds of Wondercon.
Artist alley, home of my money.
The dance booth, one of the most popular booths at the show.
David Finch pleasing the fanboys with his artistic skill.
Meeting Adam Baldwin at the autograph area was SWEET. Chuck me.
Brent Spiner signs autographs for fans at the autograph booth.
And of course, what good is a con without cosplay? Here are some of the best ones I saw…
Boo!
Stop poking me!
Dude, you need a tic tac.
Deadpool!
Ok. Let's just shake on it and move on dude.
JLA!
I'm lost.
Best costumes of the show.
DC main man Geoff Johns signing for the fans.
Progress on the 4 sketches.
My sketch! Sweet!
See you next year!
Long Beach Comic Con Part Deux
March 1, 2010 by Richard Oh
Filed under California, Comic Books, Con Reports and Photos, L.A. Sequential
Long Beach Comic Con had a one day show to celebrate the success of it’s inaugural show. For a one day show, and a smaller venue, I was very shocked by the amount of creators that came to the show. Mike Mignola, Phillip Tan, Tim Bradstreet, Dustin Nguyen, Stan Sakai, Joe Benitez, Todd Nauck, Ebas, and many more artists and writers came out for this surprising busy show. With strong retailer presence and the star power with many comics creators, this show was a huge success.
Back to the Future car greets LBCC visitors.
Star Wars Car with Yoda.
KITT makes an appearance at LBCC.
Just a really nice car parked next to the theme cars.
R2D2 zooms by the show floor.
Aspen greets visitors as they walk through the door.
Todd Nauck's line starts to form in the morning. His line was steady throughout the whole day.
Booths attract buyers. Great deals all around!
Phillip Tan happily draws a commission.
Stan Sakai calculates his sale to a customer.
Aspen's Frank Mastromauro and JT Krul share a laugh at LBCC.
Steve Niles organizes his trades for shoppers.
Letterer extraordinaire Richard Starkings sign Elephantmen books.
Mike Mignola sketches away at LBCC.
Ebas sketches for fans at LBCC.
Cosplayers pose for pictures.
Superman: I can bend adamantium shields! Cap: NOOOOOO!
Tim Bradstreet sketches a commission at LBCC.
My Phillip Tan commission done at the end of the show. Great ending to a great show. See you back in October!
Long Beach Comic Con 2010 Report!
February 15, 2010 by Richard Oh
Filed under California, L.A. Sequential
On October 2, 2009, the Long Beach Comic Con opened its doors to the public. With an extremely successful weekend highlighted by the appearance of Stan “The Man” Lee, LBCC decided to do a one day show for this coming Saturday, February 20th, 2010. With artists such as Tim Bradstreet, Mike Mignola and Eric Basaldua, expect this show to be an affordable experience for comic fans in the Southern California area!
Here’s a look back to the inaugural Long Beach Comic Con!
Golden Apple and Atomic Comics join forces as their booth greets you as you enter the LBCC doors.
Aspen Comics also greets you near the front.
Jim and Stan Lee sign autographs for the crowd.
Artist Alley was packed with artists. Here, Livesay talks with a potential customer.
Jon Bogdanove draws an awesome Doomsday.
Talent Caldwell talks with other artists in Artist Alley.
Mike Choi draws a sweet Wolverine for a fan.
Shopping galore at LBCC too!
The biggest "booth" of the show was Nintendo's booth. Here, they promote their DS.
LBCC attendees try out the Wii Fit Plus.
LBCC attendees having fun. Have fun this Saturday at LBCC 2010!
I’m With Coco!
January 17, 2010 by Richard Oh
Filed under California, L.A. Sequential, Television
On Sunday, 1/17/10, Golden Apple threw a signing event supporting Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco, selling I’m With Coco posters and with artist Mike Mitchell in attendance. Mitchell told everyone about the rally going on the next day, in front of Conan’s studio at the Universal Lot. He also mentioned the Red Cross will be there as well, asking people to donate money for charitable causes, such as the Haiti earthquake crisis. A long line of people braved rainy conditions and came out to support Team Coco and bought posters. Here are some pictures of the event:
Golden Apple, host of the I'm With Coco event.
Golden Apple's window display for the event.
Owner Ryan Liebowitz gives a Thumbs up for the I'm With Coco posters.
Mike Mitchell in the front of the ever growing line of fans.
The line eagerly awaiting to get a signed poster.
Mike Mitchell getting to work, signing posters.
Mike Mitchell and crew recording the event for posterity.
NBC interns recording fans reactions of the NBC/Leno/O'Brien fallout.
Ryan and Mike ask you to join Mike and Team Coco tomorrow for the rally!
Spiderman 4 News
January 11, 2010 by Richard Oh
Filed under L.A. Sequential
With the news that Spiderman 4 has been scrapped and they are planning a massive reboot, what should the new plot be? I would love to see a script where Spiderman battles it out with the Vulture (John Malkovich would be awesome!), and featuring the Black Cat. I’m hoping that the minor characters (JJJ, Dr. Conners, Aunt May) will be retained, even though both Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst are out, along with director Sam Raimi. I’ve set up 2 proposed casts (one if they cotinued the storyline, and another if they go with “Ultimate Spiderman” and cast the characters back in HS) that might fill Spidey’s big shoes:
Peter Parker/Spiderman: Jake Gyllenhall
This almost happened for Spiderman 2. They look so much alike, they even played brothers in a movie titled Brothers. Gyllenhall is a capable actor and more than ready to sling the webs.
Ultimate Peter Parker: Joseph Gordon Levitt
Joseph Gordon Levitt can portray awkwardness and nerdiness in typical Parker fashion, but can also sound and portray Spiderman if need be. He’s even got the floppy hair that is shown in Ultimate Spiderman.
Mary Jane Watson: Christina Hendricks
In the comics, MJ is a supermodel. It’s time we got a girl who can fill that role and really make men think that we just hit the jackpot everytime she lights up the screen. A natural red head to boot and has the acting chops to go with the looks.
Ultimate Mary Jane: Evan Rachel Wood
Ultimate MJ is a little geekier than her regular Marvel continuity predecessor and is best friend to our hero, as well as being the damsel in distress. Evan Rachel Wood can do all 3, and as a bonus, she even looks great as a red head. Heck, she would have been cast in Spiderman the Musical had it gone through.
Black Cat: Rachel McAdams
I know we heard the rumors of McAdams playing the sultry Black Cat. And why not? Can you imagine her in that costume? YOWZA.
Ultimate Black Cat: Megan Fox
A man can dream, right?
Director: James Cameron
Hey with his track record, he could probably make a blockbuster with rubber bands and empty soda cans. The man is a genius.
Realistic Director: Jon Favreau
Why not? He did a great job on Iron Man, can easily infuse humor and action, and bring Spidey up to date in the modern era. Maybe he can make a cameo too as Happy Hogan.
Any suggestions?
Golden Apple 30th Anniversary!
December 14, 2009 by Richard Oh
Filed under California, Con Reports and Photos, L.A. Sequential
Golden Apple, Hollywood’s Comic Shop to the stars, held their 30th anniversary this past Saturday, December 12. Even with the rain, fans showed up in full force as several publishing companies, such as Archaia, Aspen, Top Cow, and Boom Studios, helped celebrate the anniversary with limited edition comics and prints exclusive to the event, as well as huge sales for comics. In addition, Hero Initiative got Whilce Portacio, Image Comics co-founder, to show up and sketch for the fans for donations. Everyone had a great time, and afterwards, a party was held for all the contributors to this great event. Without further ado, onto the photos of the event!
Aspen's Exclusive print for Golden Apple.
Top Cow's exclusive Angelus cover for Golden Apple by Ebas!
Golden Apple owner, Sharon Liebowitz, at the register.
Hero Initiative's set up at Golden Apple.
Archaia Comics' booth in GA.
Boom Studios' booth in GA.
Top Cow in the back of GA selling books for 1 dollar!
Aspen Comics also in the back with Top Cow selling their print!
Rick Basaldua reviews inking details with a young inker trying to break into the biz.
Top Cow's One Dollar box. One dollar make you holler!
Free comics! Get your comics!
Ebas braves the pouring rain for his fans.
Sensation Comics # 1 CGC 7.0. Anyone want to buy it?
Ebas going right to work for the fans.
Whilce arrives as Ryan Liebowitz shows him where to go.
Whilce immediately begins drawing for the fans in line.
This reporter's Whilce sketch after waiting in line.
The Art of Mike Mignola
December 7, 2009 by Richard Oh
Filed under California, Con Reports and Photos, L.A. Sequential
Mike Mignola, taking in the crowd and enjoying his wine.
On Friday, December 4th, I was able to attend the Art of Mike Mignola gallery at Secret Headquarters in Los Angeles. Not only did they have original art hanging around the store with complimentary wine, but they sold beautiful limited edition prints of Mignola’s Hellboy. Mike was also mingling with the guests, and was sketching for everyone in line. A wonderful night with free alcohol, a happy artist, and delighted fans made this a great event for everyone. Now, onto the pictures.
People waiting in line for Mike Mignola.
More people looking at the artwork hanging on the walls.
The bartender filling up drinks for fan boys and girls.
Some of Mike's art hanging on the walls.
Hellboy with horns.
Beautiful example of Mike's work and use of shadow.
The line to buy prints grew during the event.
The prints that were for sale. Beautiful prints on high quality paper.
One of three splash pages over the bar.
Hellboy and whale. Interesting.
Lions and tigers and Hellboy, oh my.
Pete Wentz and Fall Out Toy Works!
September 6, 2009 by Richard Oh
Filed under California, Comic Books, L.A. Sequential
The line that greeted me when I arrived.
More of the line.
Towards the front.
Front of the line! They waited since 5:30 PM.
The creators with the owner of Meltdown.
Workers of Meltdown shy away from the camera.
Pete Wentz, Darren Romanelli, and Brett Lewis sit down to prepare for the signing.
Why am I not in bed?????
The line starts to buy the book!
Oh my god it's Pete Wentz! The girls went crazy over seeing him.
People brought various items, like album covers for Pete to sign.
Pete was generous enough to even autograph this bass!
Pete takes a picture of a girl with tattoos of his lyrics.
The line still going strong an hour after the signing started.
Disney Buys Marvel for $4 Billion!
August 31, 2009 by Richard Oh
Filed under Blogs, L.A. Sequential
This morning, the comics industry was hit with huge news, stating that Disney had bought out Marvel for $4 billion dollars. What does this mean, and what implications will they have for the books we’ve come to know and love?
According to twitter responses and press statements, the reaction seems generally positive for the most part. Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada states, ”Welcome to this moment in history. Everyone relax, this is incredible news and all is well in the Marvel U. ”
Marvel powerhouse writer Brian Michael Bendis quotes on his twitter, “to the lovely reporters who have emailed and follow me here. no comment. i am too dumb to understand high finance. me write funny books.”
Marvel editor and writer CB Cebulski on his twitter: “Allow me to reassure you right now, guys, that Marvel’s going to continue to produce great comic books the way we always have.”
While most are enthused of the pre eminent entertainment company joining forces with the creative forces of Marvel, there are some creators that are more wary of the transaction:
Artist Jamal Igle: “To Marvel.. good luck with the new ownership. You’ll soon find out why they’re referred to in animation circles as Mouseschwitz.”
Colorist Christina Strain: “Not pleased by morning news.”
I feel that as long as Disney does not hinder any creative decisions and stifles potential ideas for stories, this is a win win situation. The marketing power of Disney and the recognizablity of both companies can only add to the popularity of the characters we know and love. CBR posts some of the implications of this deal here: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=22747
Hopefully, this is the dawn of a new and great era!
And on a funny note, Brian Michael Bendis adds, “no, i did not kill the wasp to make way for tinkerbell. but she would be a kick ass avenger”
Suru Gallery: Celeritas!
August 13, 2009 by Richard Oh
Filed under California, Comic Books, L.A. Sequential
On August 16th, the gallery will close this awesome exhibit. If you can, please go and look at the beautiful art in person. If you can’t make it, here are some photos I took of the exhibition’s opening night.
Welcome to Suru!
The exhibition, Celeritas, awaits.
Front view of the exhibit.
Motorcycle suits on display.
Sweet bike!
Jim Lee's helmet, front view.
Jim's helmet, back view. Sweet.
Jim's helmet, side view. Awesome helmet.
James Jean's helmet, side view. Absolutely beautiful.
James Jean's helmet, frontal view.
James Jean posing with his masterpiece.
Jesse James' fierce looking helmet.
Jesse James' helmet, back view. West Coast represent!
Mike Shinoda's helmet.
Audrey Kawasaki's helmet.
Audrey Kawasaki's helmet, side view. Great job on this helmet.
Joe Hahn's helmet.
Jeff McMillan's helmet. Front view.
Jeff McMillan's helmet, side view.
Jeff McMillan's helmet, back view. Very elaborate piece.
Alex Pardee's helmet, front view.
Alex Pardee's helmet, back view. Amazing!
Mark Dean Veca's helmet, front view.
Mark Dean Veca's helmet, back view. It's got eyes on the back of its head.
Futura's helmet.
Stash's helmet. The skull definitely adds a nice touch.
Usugrow's helmet.
Troy Lee's helmet. Definitely the most creative of the night.
For those who can make it, come out before the 16th and enjoy these sights in person!
