Star Wars Celebration Adds Lando, Hera, K-2SO & General Grievous

Star Wars Celebration welcomes Billy Dee Williams, Vanessa Marshall, Alan Tudyk, and Matthew Wood!

These new Autographing Guests will be in the Autograph Hall at Star Wars Celebration.  Celebration is very happy to be working with Topps on the Celebration Autograph Hall. For more information on purchasing Autographs and Photo Ops, please check out Star Wars Authentics.

Billy Dee Williams: Lando Calrissian, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back,  Return of the Jedi and Star Wars Rebels

Hollywood icon Billy Dee Williams was an exceptional addition to the cast of heroes in the Star Wars universe, backed by his powerful performance opposite Diana Ross in the films Mahogany and Lady Sings the Blues. Appearing in both Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Williams brought the iconic character Lando Calrissian to life on the big screen.

Williams’ career includes roles in the films Undercover Brother, Nighthawks, Bingo Long, Batman, and Bryan’s Song. He’s been nominated for the Emmy and Independent Spirit Awards, and been presented the TV Land and Image Awards for his performances. In the world of television, Williams has appeared on Dynasty, Lost, NCIS, Night Shift, and Glee to name a few. He has voiced Lando Calrissian in video games, television specials, and in Star Wars Rebels.

Vanessa Marshall: Voice of Hera Syndulla, Star Wars Rebels and Rogue One.

An accomplished artist and author, Williams has been nominated for a Guggenheim Award and won an Hallgarten Award, an honor in the art world.

A graduate of Princeton University with a Masters in acting from NYU, Vanessa Marshall plays Hera in “Star Wars: Rebels,” Gamora in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” Mary Jane in “The Spectacular Spider-man,” Wonder Woman in “Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox,” Poison Ivy in “Batman: Brave and the Bold,” Black Canary in “Young Justice,” and Black Widow in “Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.” In the world of games, she voiced Olga in “Metal Gear Solid 2,” H.Q. in “Socom II” and Jan Ors in “Star Wars: Jedi Knights II.” She is currently the voice of Freeform, and she has also done promos for CBS, HGTV, and MTV.  As a stand up comic and former “plus-size” model, she also created a one-woman show “Got Phat?” – which ran successfully in both LA & NYC.  See www.VanessaMarshall.com for more details.  Follow her @vanmarshall on Twitter and @vanessamarshall1138 on Instagram.

Alan Tudyk: K-2SO, Rogue One

Alan Tudyk is a multi-dimensional actor whose credits span throughout stage, film, television and voiceover entertainment platforms. Over the span of his career, his films have garnered over $2 Billion at the Box Office.

In 2016, Tudyk appeared in Lucasfilm’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” as the scene-stealing and snarky, security droid, ‘K-2SO.’ Directed by Gareth Edwards, the film grossed over $1 billion at the global box office and is the first live action Star Wars spin-off. He also voiced characters in two Academy-Award nominated animated films, playing the ‘Duke of Weaselton’ in Disney’s “Zootopia” and the rooster ‘Hei Hei’ in Disney’s “Moana.”

Tudyk also stars as ‘Van’ in NBC’s new upcoming workplace comedy “Powerless,” opposite Vanessa Hudgens. Danny Pudi, Ron Funches, and Christina Kirk also star. “Powerless” is the first comedy series set in the universe of DC Comics, where the story follows the reality of working life for a normal, powerless person in a world of superheroes and villains. “Powerless” premiered February 2, 2017.

Tudyk is also the creator and star of the record breaking web series, “Con Man.”Executive produced by Tudyk, Nathan Fillion and author PJ Haarsma, the series was funded via Indiegogo, resulting in a record-breaking $3.2 million donation which had the support of over 46,000 fans from around the world. The second season of the series debuted on Lionsgate’s Comic-Con HQ on December 8th. Loosely based on Tudyk’s and Fillion’s experiences starring in “Firefly,” “Con Man” centers on the post-show life of ‘Wray Nerely’ (Tudyk), the co-star of “Spectrum,” a sci-fi TV series canceled before its time that later became a cult classic beloved by fans. ‘Wray’s’ best friend, ‘Jack Moore’ (Fillion) starred as the series’ Captain and has gone on to become a major celebrity, while ‘Wray’ continues to struggle to find his big break. While ‘Jack’ enjoys the life of an A-lister, ‘Wray’ is the begrudging guest of sci-fi conventions, comic book store appearances and different pop culture events. The series explores these events and all the crazy and real things that happen behind the scenes in the world of fandom. In 2016, Tudyk, along with Fillion, also launched “Con Man: The Game” based on the series. The game allows players to build and host their own comic book conventions and can be downloaded for free on iTunes and Google Play.

Tudyk has shown audiences wide versatility in numerous television shows and a plethora of feature films. Most recently he co-starred in the Jay Roach 2015 SAG Award nominated feature “Trumbo,” opposite Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, John Goodman, Louie CK, Michael Stuhlbarg and Stephen Root as well as 2014’s “Welcome to Me” with Kristin Wiig. In 2013, Tudyk co-starred in the well-received Jackie Robinson biopic, “42,” as former Phillies manager ‘Ben Chapman.’ He made his feature film debut in 1998, when he first appeared opposite Robin Williams in “Patch Adams.”

Tudyk’s role in the Disney’s animated feature, “Wreck it Ralph,” garnered him an Annie Award for his role as ‘King Candy.’ He returned to the recording booth to voice ‘The Duke of Weaselton’ in Disney’s Academy Award-winning “Frozen.” He continued his work with Disney Animation Studios voicing ‘Alister Krei’ in “Big Hero 6” and will reprise his role in the upcoming “Big Hero 6” television series on Disney XD. He can also be heard as ‘Ludo’ and ‘King Butterfly’ on the Disney Channel series, “Star vs. the Forces of Evil,” which had its second season premiere on July 11th. Tudyk has also done voice work for many other features, television shows and video games.

His film credits also include: “Wonder Boys,” “28 Days,” “A Knight’s Tale,” “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story,” “Death at a Funeral” (the original UK version), “Knocked Up,” “Tucker and Dale vs Evil,” “3:10 to Yuma,” “Serenity,” “Premature,” “Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter,” and “Transformers 3.” Additionally, Tudyk motion performed the lead robot, ‘Sonny,’ in “I, Robot” opposite Will Smith.

In television, Tudyk was a series regular on the critically acclaimed ABC comedy, “Suburgatory” and he reprised his role in the Netflix revival of “Arrested Development” as ‘Pastor Veal.’ His work on Joss Whedon’s “Firefly,” has been highly lauded by fans and has gained him a strong cult following. Tudyk also appeared in “Strangers with Candy,” “Dollhouse,” “Frasier,” and “Justified.” He also was the host of “Newsreaders,” written and produced by Rob Corddry and David Wain, on Adult Swim.

Tudyk attended the prestigious Juilliard School in New York and has starred on Broadway opposite Kristin Chenoweth in “Epic Proportions,” played ‘Lancelot’ with the original cast in Monty Python’s “Spamalot,” as well as the lead role of ‘Peter’ in “Prelude to a Kiss” opposite John Mahoney.

Tudyk grew up in Plano, Texas and lives in Los Angeles.

Matthew Wood: Voice of General Grievous, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and The Clone Wars

Matthew Wood has been bringing digital technology to the forefront of filmmaking for over 25 years. As a film and journalism major in college, Matthew realized the potential for blending his creative studies with his lifelong passion for computers, and this innovative edge singled him out. He was invited to join Lucasfilm as a part of the Sound Droid development team at age 17 in 1990.

Through the ‘90s, Wood worked on The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Mission Impossible (1994), Con Air, Eraser, and finally Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in 1997 as Supervising Sound Editor, a role he reprised on both Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.

In addition to his work in sound, Wood lent his acting talents to the roles of Bib Fortuna and Ody Mandrell in The Phantom Menace and the voices of Magaloof and Seboca in Attack of the Clones. Revenge of the Sith would allow Matthew to expand his acting in the prequels one giant step further, landing the role of the voice of General Grievous for Revenge of the Sith.

Starting in 2006, Matthew started working on the Emmy award winning Star Wars: The Clone Wars, reprising his role as the voice of General Grievous and behind the scenes as Supervising Sound Editor.  He picked up new voices roles as all the battle droids, Wat Tambor and Poggle the Lessor.

In between Star Wars projects, Matthew supervised the soundtracks at Skywalker Sound on Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood as well as Disney/Pixar’s Wall*E which earned him a BAFTA and Academy Award nominations on both films.

After working with J.J. Abrams on Super 8 and Star Trek Into Darkness, Matthew was the natural choice to supervise Star Wars: The Force Awakens, garnering BAFTA and Academy nominations once again.

Currently, Wood has been very busy as the Supervising Sound Editor on the Star Wars Rebels animated series, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.  He is also voicing a main character “Roger” the battle droid on Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures.

For tickets and further information please go to the website: www.starwarscelebration.com

CA – Rain of the Ghosts Signing

Writer/creator Greg Weisman (Star Wars Rebels, Kanan: The Last Padawan, Gargoyles, Young Justice) appears at Meltdown Comics on Friday October 9, 2015 at 7:00 PM for an exclusive Q&A session discussing his audioplay RAIN OF THE GHOSTS moderated by Anderson Cowan. The event will feature special guests from the cast and crew of the audioplay including Voice Actors: Ed Asner, Vanessa Marshall, Elisa Gabrielli, and more TBA; Composers: Kristopher Carter and Lolita Ritmanis; Co-Producer: Curtis Koller. Admission ($30) includes one FREE autograph from each panel member. A portion of the proceeds benefit Comfort Zone Camp.

Meltdown Comics
7522 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046
323.851.7223

Star Wars Rebels Premieres Season 2 at Celebration

Press Release:

This April, attendees of Star Wars Celebration Anaheim will witness the global  premiere of Star Wars Rebels season two, which continues the epic adventures of the crew of the Ghost and further reveals the early days of the rebellion against the Empire.  Fans will be the first to see the first episode of season two following an encore screening of the series’ two-part season one finale.

At Celebration, there will also be a special Star Wars Rebels panel featuring members of the cast and crew from the Disney XD animated series. Dave Filoni (Executive Producer, Supervising Director), Freddie Prinze, Jr. (Kanan), Vanessa Marshall (Hera), Tiya Sircar (Sabine), Steve Blum (Zeb), Taylor Gray (Ezra) and other special guests will discuss the startling season one finale and offer exclusive sneak peeks of what’s to come in season two.

Lucasfilm Offers Sneak Peak of Star Wars Rebels at SDCC 2014

Press Release:

The Empire. The Rebellion. The Beginning. STAR WARS REBELS, Lucasfilm’s highly anticipated animated series detailing the start of the fight against the evil Empire, is coming this fall – but fans can get a big sneak peek at San Diego Comic-Con.

Lucasfilm’s special panel, The Heroes of Star Wars Rebels (Thursday, 7/24/14, 6:00pm – 7:00pm, Room: 6BCF), will feature executive producer Dave Filoni, as well as the first panel appearance by executive producer Simon Kinberg and stars Freddie Prinze, Jr., Vanessa Marshall, Steve Blum, Tiya Sircar, and Taylor Gray. They’ll discuss making the show and will debut several exclusive reveals from the upcoming series for fans in attendance.

Star Wars Rebels continues the epic tradition of the legendary Star Wars saga with all-new exciting, action-packed adventures. It is a dark time in the galaxy, as the evil Galactic Empire tightens its grip of power from world to world. As the series begins, Imperial forces have occupied a remote planet, ruling with an iron fist and ruining the lives of its people. The clever and motley crew of the starship Ghost is amongst a select few who are brave enough to stand against the Empire. Together, this ragtag group will face threatening new villains, encounter colorful adversaries, embark on thrilling adventures and become heroes with the power to ignite a rebellion.

Scheduled to premiere in the fall as a one-hour special telecast on Disney Channel, it will be followed by a series on Disney XD channels around the world.

Follow @StarWars and @DisneyChannelPR for the latest news on #StarWarsRebels. Stay tuned to www.StarWars.com for more on Star Wars Rebels at SDCC.

CA – Fandom Society Cosplay Ball

Dante Basco, Bryce Papenbrook, Giancarlo Volpe, and more appear at Supperclub in Los Angeles on Thursday April 3rd at 7:30 pm!

Press Release:

The Fandom Society’s inaugural COSPLAY BALL will be the largest cosplay event ever held in Hollywood, CA. This unique event allows fans who arrive early to meet their favorite stars from hit movies,TV shows, and internet series in a personal and interactive environment. The meet and greet event will be followed by an outrageous night of cosplay and special performances. Join us and meet your friends in fandom!

The Fandom Society is a community of fans, celebrating each other’s interests. We help you find your friends in fandom and be a part of a community of fans.

Tickets at the link!

Who’s coming?

So far we have two confirmed hosts, Bryce Papenbrook and Giancarlo Volpe. Bryce Papenbrook is a voice actor and has been in the roles of Eren Jaeger (Attack on Titan), Rin Okumura (Blue Exorcist), Kirito (SAO), Masaomi Kida (DRRR!), and is the voice of Makoto Naegi (SDR). Giancarlo Volpe was the director for Avatar: The Last Airbender and Clone Wars as well as the producer for Green Lantern: The Animated Series. And, of course, Dante Basco, the man behind the idea of Fandom Society. Dante Basco is best known as the voice of Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender, General Iroh from Legend of Korra, and Rufio from Hook.

Event Schedule
7:30PM – 10:30PM Meet & Greet (Open to Guests Under 21 & 21+)
7:30 Doors Open for VIP Ticket Holders
8:00 Doors Open for General Admission Ticket holders
8:30 Intro & Cirque Performance
9:00 AJ Rafael Performance
9:45 The Megas Performance
10:15 Cirque Performance
10:30PM – 2:00AM Cosplay Ball (Open to Guests Over 21)
11:30 Cirque Performance
11:45 DJ Rufio Set

Hosts
Dante Basco
Bryce Papenbrook
Giancarlo Volpe

Special Guests (Updated)
AJ Rafael
The Megas
Jack DeSena
Kevin Michael Richardson
Christine Marie Cabanos
Victor Yerrid and The Rufio Puppet
Adrianne Curry
Kari Wahlgren
Lauren Landa
Mary Kate Wiles
Xander Jeanneret
Yoshi Sudarso
Peter Adrian Sudarso
Meghan Camarena
Blake Foster
Vanessa Marshall
Jason Spisak
Bryan Konietzko
Mary Kate Wiles
Kurt Matilla
Natalie Hoover
Kira Buckland
Erika Harlacher
Greg Cipes
Jake Castorena
Benjamin Diskin

What is Fandom Society?

The main idea behind Fandom Society is that everyone is a fan of something. Whether it be video games, anime, webcomics, comics, etc. someone’s a fan of something. Fandom Society is a way to meet new people within these fandoms and even to meet and interact with people you who would normally be behind a signing booth. The main goal behind Fandom Society is to break down that barrier between the fan and the content creators (because even Dante Basco can be a fanboy). We also want to show mainstream media what it is to be in a fandom and to be into cosplay (let’s pretend HoC didn’t happen).

Cosplay ball means… Cosplay! If you want to create an entirely new cosplay for this party alone, go ahead. Or if you want to recycle one you’re really proud of, do that too! We’re going to have a lot of coverage of this event so bring your best foot forward. The hosts will also be going around looking for the best costumes and you will be put front and center in a fashion show for the entire party to see. I don’t know about you, but that’s some motive to bring a great cosplay.

Now what are you doing? Go and buy your tickets and bring your friends too!

Supperclub
6675 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028

Marina Sirtis Comes to the Final Gathering

 

 

All good things…

From 1997 to 2009, the fans of Gargoyles have pulled together to celebrate the show we love so much.  Our camaraderie has been a joy and an inspiration.  In the twelve years since that first small convention in New York City, many of us have forged lifelong friendships, grown both personally and professionally, and taken away unique experiences from the phenomenon that is Gargoyles fandom. 

But, just as a gargoyle can no more stop protecting the castle than breathing the air, eventually all good things must come to an end.

We, the fans, have all taken Gargoyles full circle.  It is with bittersweet regret that the staff of The Gathering of the Gargoyles announces that this year’s convention will be the last.  Thirteen conventions have made for a run lasting longer than many of us ever imagined when we gathered for the first time in 1997, and for that we should all be very proud.  But do not despair, as we are most certainly going out with a bang!

We are very happy – no, we are ecstatic – to announce that joining us for our final outing will be none other than the voice of Demona herself, Marina Sirtis!  She joins an all-star guest list that already includes Gargoyles voice actors Keith David (Goliath), Bill Fagerbakke (Broadway), Thom Adcox (Lexington), and Elisa Gabrielli (Obsidiana).  And lest we forget, Greg Weisman, the creator of the show, will be joining us, as well, along with at least a dozen other guests from the Gargoyles writing and production team.

So please join us in our last hurrah, our shout in the night, our 13th Annual and final Gathering of the Gargoyles.  This will be the one to remember.  This will be your last chance to experience The Gathering before it’s all over for good.  It’s not too late to grab it.  Let’s make this a party to remember!

To register, visit: http://www.gatheringofthegargoyles.com/g2009/registration.html

 

Convention Guest Update:

As revealed above, The Gathering of the Gargoyles is delighted to announce that Marina Sirtis, voice of Demona on Gargoyles and Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Counselor Deanna Troi, will be one of our many special guests!

Newly confirmed special guests from Gargoyles and The Spectacular Spider-Man also include:

Bill Fagerbakke – Voice of Broadway (G), Patrick Star on SpongeBob Squarepants
Vanessa Marshall – Voice of Mary Jane Watson (S)
Joey Mason – Color Supervisor / Background Painter (G)
Doug Murphy – Storyboard Artist (G)
Daran Norris – Voice of J. Jonah Jameson (S)

Our complete guest list now features over 30 industry professionals, with even more to be announced in the coming weeks!  As always, for complete details, please visit:

http://www.gatheringofthegargoyles.com/g2009/guests.html

Hotel Information:

The Gathering 2009 will take place August 21-24, 2009 at the fabulous Hilton in Universal City, located at the main entrance to Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal CityWalk!

Hilton Los Angeles / Universal City
555 Universal Hollywood Drive
Universal City, California, 91608
Telephone: 1-818-506-2500
Toll free: 1-800-HILTONS

The Hilton is offering a block rate of $159 per night (double occupancy) to Gathering attendees who call for reservations by July 23, 2009.  Please mention that you are with “The Gathering of the Gargoyles” when calling to receive this special rate.  For more information and a link for online reservations, please visit:

http://www.gatheringofthegargoyles.com/g2009/hotel.html

The Hilton has informed us that our room block is filling up fast, so please don’t delay in making your plans to join us!

Dates to Remember:

July 23, 2009 – Deadline for hotel reservations at the Hilton Los Angeles / Universal City to receive the Gathering’s discounted block rate.

July 31, 2009 – Final day of pre-registration.

August 7, 2009 – Deadline for Music Video Contest submissions.

August 21 – 24, 2009 – The 13th Annual Gathering of the Gargoyles. 
Questions? Comments? Contact us at: staff@gatheringofthegargoyles.com