CA – The Bat: Improv in the Dark

Mi’s Westside Comedy Theater
1323-A Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 451-0850

Motor City Comic Con Returns on May 19th-21st

Press Release:

Comic fans and pop culture enthusiasts from all over are gearing up for what is set to be one of the best Motor City Comic Con events yet with exciting panels and several recently added guests unveiled to the public today (follow this link to see the panel schedule). Stars from Weird Science, Guardians of the Galaxy, Arrow, Freaks and Geeks, American Pie, among others will be featured in panel discussions. Several media guests have also been added to this year’s lineup including Rob Schneider, Ron Perlman, Barbara Eden, Sean Astin, Herbert Jefferson Jr., Robin Lord Taylor, Ross Marquand, Kristy Swanson, James Remar, Marky Ramone, Ani-Mia and many more. For the first time at Motor City Comic Con, the Michigan premiere of a full-length feature film, The Space Between, by Amy Jo Johnson, who played the pink Power Ranger in the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, will be featured. This year’s Motor City Comic Con will take place Friday, May 19 (12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.), Saturday, May 20 (10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and Sunday, May 21 (10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) at the Suburban Collection Showplace, located at 46100 Grand River Avenue in Novi. Complete information about the event, tickets, panels and VIP passes is available at www.motorcitycomiccon.com.

The weekend event features more than 300 creators, writers, illustrators and actors who will greet the fans, sign autographs, take pictures, and provide panels and Q & A discussions, while many super fans are dressed in their pop culture best. A popular event is Saturday’s cosplay contest where a mix of celebrity judges determine the best costume winners, presenting prizes and gift packages. Motor City Comic Con’s annual Saturday night bash celebrates comic con weekend with entertainment, refreshments, and light hors d’oeuvres for the public. Sunday is Kid’s Day featuring kid-friendly activities. In addition to the previously announced guests, newly added Motor City Comic Con guests feature:

Aly Michalka: Actor and musician known for her film appearances in Easy A, Bandslam, Sequoia, and Weepah Way for Now. Television appearances include: iZombie, Hellcats and Two and a Half Men.

Ani-Mia: An International Cosplayer who writes for Otaku USA Magazine – the premier anime and manga magazine in the U.S., makes appearances at conventions and judges costume contests.

Amy Dumas: An American professional wrestler and singer, better known as Lita, is currently a WWE analyst. She performed as a WWE wrestler from 2000 to 2006 and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014.

Austin Amelio: An actor and writer best known as Dwight on The Walking Dead, Nesbit in Everybody Wants Some!!, Thomas in Putting the Dog to Sleep, and David in Over Again.

Billie Piper: The UK singer, dancer and television star is best known for her role as Rose Tyler in Doctor Who. Piper can also be seen on Penny Dreadful. Other television film roles include: The Ruby in the Smoke, The Shadow in the North and Secret Diary of a Call Girl.

Dennis Rodman: A retired NBA basketball star who played for the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Nicknamed “The Worm”, Rodman is recognized as a Detroit Pistons’ Bad Boy and as one of the best rebounding forwards in NBA history. Rodman was a New World Order wrestler in the 1990s and appeared in the television show The Rodman World Tour, and in the action films Double Team and Simon Sez.

Frank Cho: An American comic strip creator, writer and illustrator best known for his work on the professionally syndicated strip Liberty Meadows. Cho was also the writer and illustrator of the first story in the Marvel NOW! Savage Wolverine series.

Hannah Kasulak: Known as Casey Rance in FOX Network’s The Exorcist, Kasulak has appeared in Filthy Preppy Teens, The Fosters, How to Get Away with Murder, True Blood and Nashville.

James Remar: Known for his various film and television roles from over the last four decades, Remar has appeared in The Warriors, 48 Hours, The Cotton Club, Django Unchained, Dexter, Mortal Kombat Annihilation, Tales from the Darkside, Sex And the City, 2 Fast 2 Furious, among many others. He can also be seen in the upcoming second season of Hulu’s The Path.

Jason Douglas: Known for his role as Tobin in seasons five and six of The Walking Dead and for his recurring appearances on Breaking Bad, Nashville, and Revolution, among others. Douglas has voice lead nearly 200 characters like, Beerus in the Dragon Ball Z films as well as Krieg the Psycho in Borderlands 2.

John E.L. Tenney: A Michigan native, Tenney is an author and one of the most recognized investigators of UFO, paranormal and occult phenomena in the U.S. Tenney is co-host on the paranormal reality show Ghost Stalkers and has appeared in Unsolved Mysteries, Paranormal State: The New Class, Ghost Adventures and Paranormal Lockdown.

John Francis Daley: An actor, screenwriter, film director and musician best known for his role as Sam Weir on Freaks and Geeks and as Dr. Lance Sweets on Bones. Daley plays keyboards and sings for the band Dayplayer, and he co-wrote Horrible Bosses and will be a co-writer for the upcoming Spider Man: Homecoming film.

Jordan Trovillion: An actor, singer and Michigan native known as the host of the comic book and nerd culture TV show Comics Continuum. She has also appeared in Comedy Central’s Detroiters, Lifetime’s Secrets in the Walls, among others. Upcoming projects include The Life and Death of John Gotti and Mercy.

Joseph Gatt: A U.K. native known for his roles in Pulse, Chuck, Eagleheart, Game of Thrones, From Dusk Till Dawn, The 100, Banshee, Second Chance, Teen Wolf, True Detective, Star Trek Into Darkness and Thor. Gatt can currently be seen as The Man in Z Nation.

LeVar Burton: Best known as Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Nemesis; host for PBS’s Reading Rainbow, and as Kunta Kinte in Roots. Burton is also an accomplished director and has directed episodes for Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Enterprise.

Martin Starr: Known for his role as Bill Haverchuck on Freaks and Geeks, Starr has appeared in Knocked Up, This is The End, King of The Hill, among others. He is currently reprising his roles as Gilfoyle on the third season of Silicon Valley.

Nicola Scott: An Australian comic book artist who has worked exclusively for DC Comics. Her work has appeared in titles such as Wonder Woman, Batman, Teen Titans, Superman, Birds of Prey and Secret Six, among others.

Ross Marquand: Known for his breakout roles as Aaron on The Walking Dead and as Paul Newman on Mad Men. He is also an accomplished voice over actor and has worked on productions such as Phineas & Ferb, Conan, among others.

Scott Wilson: An American actor known for his appearances in nearly 50 films such as Harvey Oberst in the 1967 film In the Heat of the Night, and Dick Hickok in the 1967 adaptation of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, among many others. Wilson is also known for his role as Dr. Hershel Greene on The Walking Dead.

Tim Bradstreet: Known as Marvel’s go-to cover artist, Bradstreet is an Inkpot Award-Winning artist and is known for his work in Vampire: The Masquerade, The Punisher, The Punisher MAX, John Constantine: Hellblazer, among many others.

Tom Payne: A U.K. native known for his roles as Paul “Jesus” Rovia on The Walking Dead, Leon Micheaux in Luck, and Rob Cole in The Physician. Payne has also appeared in several U.K. television series such as Skins, Casualty and Waterloo Road.

Tony Todd: A horror and sci-fi film icon best known for his roles in The Candyman, Sleepwalk and Platoon as well as roles in the Hatchet and Final Destination franchises. Todd can also be seen in Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen, The Rock, The Crow, Lean on Me, Bird, Night of The Living Dead, and Star Trek: The Next Generation, among many others.

Vic Mignogna: Best known for his prolific voice over work in the anime industry involving Japanese anime characters and video games. Mignogna’s most notable character is Edward Elric from the Fullmetal Alchemist series, and he was the voice role of Broly in the Dragon Ball Z films.

Wil Wheaton: An actor, writer and voice actor known for his roles in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Flubber, The Guild, Eureka, and The Big Bang Theory. He also appeared in Stand by Me, Toy Soldiers and Criminal Minds, among others.

Amy Jo Johnson: A film maker, musician and actor most known for her role as Kimberly Hart in the series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Julie Emrick on the series Felicity, and Jules Callaghan on the award-winning series Flashpoint. Johnson recently launched her debut feature film The Space Between.

Anthony Michael Hall: Known for his roles as Farmer Ted in Sixteen Candles and Brian Johnson in The Breakfast Club, Hall went on to become the youngest cast member in history on Saturday Night Live.

Barbara Eden: Named one of America’s 200 Greatest Pop Icons of the 20th Century, Eden is best known for her role as Jeannie on NBC’s I Dream of Jeannie television series which ran for five seasons. Eden’s memoir Jeannie Out of The Bottle was recently published and debuted as No. 14 on the New York Times Best Seller List.

Big Van Vader: Known for his early wrestling career in Japan, Big Van Vader went on to also beat competitors throughout Europe and Mexico and eventually, leading him to three World Heavyweight Championships. Following his WWE career, Big Van Vader returned to All Japan Pro Wrestling to form a tag team with Stan Hansen.

Dave Gibbons: A British comic book drawer and writer who has worked with comic publishers around the world. Some of his work includes: Doctor Who, Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Captain America, Doctor Strange, Hulk, Predator and Aliens.

Herbert Jefferson Jr.: An American film, television and stage actor best known for his role as Lieutenant Boomer on the original Battlestar Galactica TV series. Jefferson also appeared as Roy Dwyer in Rich Man, Poor Man and its sequel Rich Man, Poor Man Book II, Maxwell Fall in Emmy Award winning series The Law, Muntzy in Knight Rider (1982), among others.

Ilan Mitchell Smith: An American academic and former actor best known as the co-star in Weird Science, Smith has also appeared in The Wild Life, The Chocolate War and Superboy. For the past 35 years, Smith has been a role-player/Dungeon Master, Miniatures gamer and Indie/Board gamer.

John Barrowman: Singer, dancer, host and actor best known for his role as Malcolm Merlyn in the series Arrow. Barrowman’s Malcolm Merlyn character has made guest appearances in The Flash as well as on the CW’s Reign. He has hosted ABC’s Sing Your Face Off, among other major events.

Josh McDermitt: Comedian and star of AMC’s The Walking Dead, McDermitt made his television debut on NBC’s Last Comic Standing in 2006. He was casted in TV movie Rehab for Rejects and as Brandon on Retired at 35. McDermitt can also be seen in Middle Man and Odious.

Karolyn Grimes: As a child actor, Grimes became best known for her role as Zuzu on the film It’s A Wonderful Life. Grimes currently serves as the unofficial ambassador for the film, traveling the world and speaking at screenings, benefits, conventions, etc.

Kelly Le Brock: An American actress and model known for her acting debut in The Woman in Red. She also appeared in Weird Science, Hard to Kill, Betrayal of the Dove, Tracks of a Killer and Hard Bounty.

Khary Payton: Known as King Ezekiel on AMC’s The Walking Dead and Aqualad in Young Justice. Payton has been a voice actor for characters such as DC comic book hero Cyborg, Specialist Wasabi from Big Hero 6: The Series, Grimlock from Transformers: Robots in Disguise, Azrael & Killer Croc in the Batman: Arkham franchise, among others.

Kristy Swanson: Known for her appearances in Pretty in Pink, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992), Big Daddy, Knots Landing (1987-1988), Nightingales (1989) and B.L. Stryker (1989), among others.

Lou Ferrigno: Ferrigno is most known as playing the “Hulk” in the CBS series The Incredible Hulk. He has also appeared in other television shows, such as the CBS series The King of Queens and the film I Love You, Man.

Marky Ramone: Best known as the drummer (and last living member) of the legendary punk rock band the Ramones. In 2002, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and since then has been featured in the comic book TV series Killogy and appears in Killogy: The Animated Series.

Mena Suvari: Dubbed by People Weekly as an “All-American Girl,” Suvari is known for her film debuts in Nowhere, the American Pie film series and American Beauty. She also appeared in Loser, Spun, Rumor Has It, Domino, American Horror Story (2011), among others.

Michael Rooker: Best known as the blue-skinned alien Yondu Udonta in Guardians of the Galaxy, a role he will reprise in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2; and his role as Merle Dixon on The Walking Dead.

Rob Schneider: An American actor, comedian, screenwriter and director known for his sketch comedy series on Saturday Night Live as well as his starring comedy roles in Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, The Hot Chick, The Benchwarmers and Grown Ups, among many others.

Robin Lord Taylor: Dubbed as “favorite breakout star of television,” Taylor is best known as Oswald Cobblepot or The Penguin on Gotham. Known for his role as Sam on The Walking Dead, and as Abernathy Darwin Dunlap in Accepted.

Ron Perlman: With a career spanning over three decades, Perlman has worked alongside diverse actors like Marlon Brando, Sean Connery, Dominique Pinon, Brad Dourif, Ed Harris, John Hurt, Jude Law, Christina Ricci, Federico Luppi, Sigourney Weaver, Michael Wincott and Elijah Wood. He is also known for his roles in Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army; biker chief Clarence Morrow on Sons of Anarchy, Norman Arbuthnot in The Last Supper and vampire leader Reinhardt in Blade II, among others.

Sean Astin: An actor and author known for his film debut as Mikey in The Goonies, Astin held the title role in the Rudy film and as Sam Gamgee in the Academy Award winning trilogy The Lord of the Rings.

Sean Gunn: Best known for his role on Gilmore Girls as Kirk Gleason, Gunn can also be found reprising his role as Kraglin (Yondu’s right hand man) in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Shannon Elizabeth: An American actress and former fashion model who is known for her comedy roles in American Pie, Scary Movie and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. She appeared in the horror films such as Thirteen Ghosts, Cursed and Night of the Demons.

STING: An American retired professional wrestler, actor, author, former bodybuilder and WWE Hall of Famer, he is regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. Sting earned 25 championships during his 30+ year career, including 21 between WCE and TNA.

Thomas Ian Nicholas: An American film actor, singer, musician, producer, director and writer best known for playing Kevin Myers in the American Pie series, Henry Rowengartner in Rookie of the Year and Walt Disney in Walt Before Mickey.

Zack McGowan: Known for his role as Roan on the CW’s The 100 and as Captain Charles Vane in the Black Sails series. McGowan’s character is planned to recur on Agents of Shield and as Shkelgim in Universal’s Dracula Untold.

For more information regarding Motor City Comic Con guests and events, visit the website.

SF – SF Sketchfest Tribute: Fred Willard

SF Sketchfest pays tribute to comedian Fred Willard, with an event moderated by Kevin Pollak and appearance by special guests Christopher Guest, Robert Klein, Laraine Newman and more on Sunday, January 22, 2017 at 7:30pm.

Fred Willard is an American Comedy Treasure and has been an important part of SF Sketchfest’s history for 15 years, first attending the festival in its second year. Tonight we celebrate the man himself with a special panel with Fred and some of his collaborators from over the years, including Robert Klein, Christopher Guest, Laraine Newman and more, moderated by Kevin Pollak. A Second City and Ace Trucking Company alumnus, Fred Willard is known for his quick wit and improvisational expertise. He has appeared in over 70 films, including “Waiting For Guffman,” “Best In Show,” “This Is Spinal Tap,” “Roxanne,” “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” and “WALL-E.” He has appeared in over 1,000 television episodes, from “Get Smart” and “Fernwood 2 Night” to “Everybody Loves Raymond” to “Modern Family.”

Presented as part of SF Sketchfest! It’s the city’s greatest comedy festival, with a variety of sketch and improv, film and television tributes and reunions, solo performers, podcasts and stand-up comedy performers. See the greatest names live and in person!

Get tickets at the link!

Marines Memorial Theatre (MMT)
609 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

SF – Futurama: Why Are We Still Doing This?

David X. Cohen, John DiMaggio, David Herman, Maurice LaMarche, Phil LaMarr, Lee Supercinski, and Billy West on Friday, January 20, 2017 at 10:00 PM!

Press Release:

A lot can change in a year. But in the case of the still-canceled animated show “Futurama,” well, nothing has. But once again we’re getting the gang back together to perform classic “Futurama” scenes live on-stage, take your questions in a Q&A, and general tomfoolery. Scheduled to appear are cast members John DiMaggio (Bender), Billy West (Fry, Zoidberg, Professor Farnsworth, Zapp Brannigan), Maurice LaMarche (Kif, Morbo, Lrrr), Phil LaMarr (Hermes Conrad), David Herman (Scruffy, Larry), executive producer and co-creator David X. Cohen and producer Lee Supercinski. Come, because Hypnotoad commands it.

Presented as part of SF Sketchfest! It’s the city’s greatest comedy festival, with a variety of sketch and improv, film and television tributes and reunions, solo performers, podcasts and stand-up comedy performers. See the greatest names live and in person!

Get tickets at the link!

Marines Memorial Theatre (MMT)
609 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

SF – King of the Hill 20th Anniversary Reunion

Mike Judge, Pamela Adlon, David Herman, Toby Huss, Kathy Najimy, and Stephen Root. appear on Thursday, January 19, 2017 at 7:30 PM for a “King of the Hill” 20th Anniversary Reunion and Live Read.

That boy ain’t right! Hard to believe it’s been twenty years and 258 episodes since Hank Hill and his family hit the airwaves! To celebrate the milestone, SF Sketchfest is proud to welcome creator Mike Judge (who also voiced Hank) and original voice actors Kathy Najimy (Peggy Hill), Pamela Adlon (Bobby Hill), Stephen Root (Bill Dauterive), Toby Huss (Khan Souphanousinphone, Sr.) and David Herman (Buckley) for an evening of conversation, Q&A and a live read of a classic “King of The Hill” episode!

This show is part of the 16th Annual SF Sketchfest. It’s the city’s greatest comedy festival, with a variety of sketch and improv, film and television tributes and reunions, solo performers, podcasts and stand-up comedy performers. See the greatest names live and in person! SFSketchfest.com.

Get tickets at the link!

Marines Memorial Theatre (MMT)
609 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

SF – Adventures of Pete & Pete Reunion

Press Release:

“The Adventures of Pete & Pete,” Nickelodeon’s beloved show, which ran in different incarnations between 1989 and 1996, follows two brothers, both named Pete, and their adventures in the town of Wellsville, New York. Surreal, hilarious, and touching, the show has a rabid following and an eclectic list of guest stars, like Steve Buscemi, Iggy Pop, Chris Elliott, Gordan Gano, Debbie Harry, LL Cool J, Ann Magnuson, Marshall Crenshaw and Selma Blair.

After a sold-out 20th anniversary show in 2013, Pete and Pete returns with cast members Michael C. Maronna (Big Pete Wrigley), Danny Tamberelli (Little Pete Wrigley), Toby Huss (Artie, the Strongest Man in the World), Alison Fanelli (Ellen Josephine Hickle), Rick Gomez (Endless Mike), Pete & Pete house band leader Mark Mulcahy, and series creators Chris Viscardi and Will McRobb, for a night of clips, conversation, music, scene readings and more on Friday, January 15, 2016 at 7:30 PM! $30 All Ages

Presented as part of SF Sketchfest!

Get tickets at the link!

Marines Memorial Theatre (MMT)
609 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

CA – King of the Hill Signing

Meet Denis St. John, staff artist at Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates, at the Schulz Museum on Saturday, October 10, 2015 at 1:00 PM. St. John has also created art for Garbage Pail Kids and Wacky Packages from Topps, and written for Vampirella. His own comics include the graphic novel, Amelia, and the monster fan zine, Monster Pie, that he created with Stephen R Bissette. St. John will share copies of his new dinosaur comic, King of the Hill, and draw monster sketches for visitors.

Charles M. Schulz Museum
2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

CO – Still Life Las Vegas Signing

James Sie appears at Tattered Cover on Monday August 17th at 7:00 PM read from and sign his debut novel Still Life Las Vegas, in which the magical collides with the mundane, and memory, sexual awakening and familial ties all lead to a place where everything is illuminated, and nothing is real. Threading through this coming-of-age story are beautiful, heart-wrenching graphic illustrations by artist Sungyoon Choi.

About this author:
JAMES SIE was born and raised in Summit, NJ., the son of immigrant parents, a Chinese father and an Italian mother. After attending Northwestern University, he lived in Chicago for many years, working as an actor and an award-winning playwright of literary adaptations. Currently, he lives in Los Angeles with his husband and son, where he works as a voiceover artist in animation, most notably in Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness; King of the Hill and Jackie Chan Adventures.

Tattered Cover
1628 16th Street, Denver, CO 80202

NV – Still Life Las Vegas Signing

James Sie appears at Barnes & Noble on Saturday August 22, 2015 at 3:00 PM to sign Still Life Las Vegas!

About this author:
JAMES SIE was born and raised in Summit, NJ., the son of immigrant parents, a Chinese father and an Italian mother. After attending Northwestern University, he lived in Chicago for many years, working as an actor and an award-winning playwright of literary adaptations. Currently, he lives in Los Angeles with his husband and son, where he works as a voiceover artist in animation, most notably in Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness; King of the Hill and Jackie Chan Adventures.

Barnes & Noble
567 North Stephanie Henderson, NV 89014
702-434-1533

SF – Salute to NewsRadio

Dave Foley, Maura Tierney, Stephen Root, Vicki Lewis, Khandi Alexander, and Andy Dick appear for the NewsRadio 20th Anniversary reunion on Saturday, January 24, 2014 from 1:00 – 2:30 PM! Presented as part of SF Sketchfest.

Press Release:

Celebrate 20 years of the hilarious, irreverent sitcom set in the world of AM radio as the cast of “NewsRadio” come together at SF Sketchfest! Dave Foley (coffee-addicted news director Dave Nelson), Maura Tierney (obsessive overachiever Lisa Miller), Stephen Root (eccentric billionaire station owner Jimmy James), Vicki Lewis (quirky secretary Beth), Khandi Alexander (Three-Card Monte loving news anchor Catherine Duke) and Andy Dick (bumbling news reporter Matthew Brock) will take the Marines’ Memorial stage for an afternoon of stories, reminiscing and questions. $30 All Ages

Get tickets at the link!

Marines Memorial Theatre (MMT)
609 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

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