July 20, 2012
Comic-Con was a lot more fun and a lot less overwhelming than usual this year.
Maybe it’s because we skipped the busiest day to go the San Diego Zoo. Maybe it’s because we picked our battles on what we tried to do. Maybe it’s because last year we crammed the whole experience into a single day, and having three days felt like a luxury in comparison. Or the fact that the logistics of getting to and from the con were so ridiculously complicated (more about that later) that they made the convention seem relaxing.
Whatever the reason, the floor did seem a bit less crowded this year. Both of us remarked on the fact that we never felt trapped as we usually feel on the busiest days.
(Skip to the photos if that’s what you want.)
Thursday was the day I spent mostly on the floor, exploring. I hit the usual haunts: DC Comics, Sideshow Collectibles, Studio Foglio. DC was really plugging their upcoming fighting game, Injustice: Gods Among Us.
Sideshow seems to be displaying more figurines (and a wider variety) every year. Their Lord of the Rings figurines are absolutely incredible. Though I’m not sure what the target audience is for the life-sized Han Solo in Carbonite or Boba Fett. I can’t see putting one of those in my living room. They also had a very cheesecaky Poison Ivy statue. I overheard someone saying they couldn’t see themselves buying it because it would be like having that lamp in A Christmas Story. At another booth I discovered that you actually can buy that lamp.
Continue reading at K-Squared Ramblings…
May 31, 2012
Returned tickets just went onsale for Comic-Con International, and have probably sold out by the time you read this. If you can’t make it to San Diego, check out a local or regional comic con.
If you’re in the Los Angeles area, Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo is coming up in September and Long Beach Comic Con in November. Or visit one of the smaller shows like the bimonthly Los Angeles Comic and Sci Fi Convention. [Edited to add:] Here are my write-ups & photos from last year’s LBCC 2011 and Comikaze 2011, both of which I’d recommend. I haven’t been to the smaller LA Comic/Sci-Fi Con in a few years.
Convention Scene has a huge list of fan conventions for comics, sci-fi, and all sorts of other interests. And don’t miss Speed Force’s own Tips for Comic-Con.
August 12, 2011
As fandom moves onto the next big convention of the season, I hope you’ll take a few moments to look back at San Diego and the people who dressed as the Flash (and related speedsters) at Comic-Con International.
United Underworld’s incredible gender-swapped Justice League, featuring Psykitten Pow’s Flash. Photo by John Austin.
It turns out that the Flash was the inspiration for the group theme:
“A couple of us like to do female versions of preexisting male characters. One of our friends, Psykitten Pow, she had a female Flash,” says Tallest Silver, who organized the group and who dresses as Batma’am. “One night, we were all hanging out and I said how funny it would be if we had a whole Justice League with swapped sexes.”
Photograph by Chuck Cook Photography.
The group previously appeared at WonderCon, and Psykitten appeared as the Flash last year. Read the rest of this entry »
August 1, 2011
I’ve completed my full convention write-up for this year’s Comic-Con International. Here’s hoping I’ll be spending a few more days in San Diego next summer!
July 25, 2011
The frenzy of Comic-Con International is over, and San Diego returns to normal…until next year. I was only there one day this year, but Devin and I both followed the event online to collect all the Flash news we could find.
Here’s a quick round-up of Speed Force’s convention coverage.
Flash Comics News
A special thanks to @SpeedsterSite, @BitterWallyWest and @TheFlashReborn for asking questions in DC’s panels and around the floor, and posting about their experiences on Twitter. It was also great to meet all three of you finally.
Flash Collectibles News
Photos
Around the Con
Analysis and Commentary
I should have my convention write-up finished tonight or tomorrow soon. [Update: It's up!] In a week or so, after everyone has had a chance to post their convention photos, I’ll publish a full round-up of costume sightings.
July 24, 2011
DC released a lot of information over the weekend in San Diego, which I’ve pieced together from CBR, Newsarama, and reports from fans’ conversations with Dan Didio, Francis Manapul and others.
Read the rest of this entry »
I missed the Flashpoint panel at Comic-Con, but Flash-related news can be pieced together from CBR’s report, Newsarama’s liveblog (which, due to technical difficulties, was only visible after the panel ended), and @SpeedsterSite was there live-tweeting the panel.
Kid Flash Lost
Newsarama quotes Sterling Gates: “Issue #3 is sort of a love letter to the Flash family. It’s very much about Bart and his relationship with the Flash family.” CBR continues, “Bart Allen is my favorite character so it was a pleasure to write this story.”
Scott Kolins is coming in to do a few pages of Kid Flash.
Gates via CBR: “The end of issue #3 dovetails into ‘Flashpoint’ #5 in a way that I don’t think a lot of people are expecting, and we do something with the Speed Force that’s never been done before”
On the Unexpected: CBR: “Gates said he was excited for the unexpected matchups possible in Flashpoint.‘”Where else do you get to see Kid Flash fight Brainiac?’” Newsarama: “Nome says that Gates threw a lot of ‘crazy stuff’ at him in the scripting of the Kid Flash miniseries.”
Other Flashes
Geoff convinced Sterling not to use John Fox in Kid Flash: Lost but Hot Pursuit instead
So there was a reason to include John Fox in that Flash Secret Files book last year.
“You’ll see the fate…or possible fate of Jay Garrick” – @ in kid flash lost 3 of course
Newsarama says a question about Wally West “got a lot of applause,” and noted that he would appear in Kid Flash #3. According to CBR, Gates stated that “Wally will show up in ‘Kid Flash’ #3, and not in the way you expect.”
Citizen Cold
A fan asked: why Captain Cold? Newsarama: “Berganza noted Geoff Johns’ fondness for Captain Cold as motivation.”
July 21, 2011
DC has four sessions on The New 52 at Comic-Con, and it sounds like they’re presenting on a different chunk of their line each day. The Flash wasn’t in today’s presentation, but people asked about it during the Q&A session. More specifically, people asked about the fate of Wally West, and for once, Dan Didio actually gave a straight answer.
From CBR’s coverage:
Asked about Wally West and his family, DiDio said “there are no plans for Wally West in the ‘Flash,’” because that series is about the “uniqueness of who [Barry Allen] is and how he moves through the world.”
Newsarama has a little more detail:
A fan who liked the multiple generations of speedsters asked about Wally West and his family in the DCnU
DiDio: “Right now there are no plans for Wally West in the new Flash series”
The series focuses on the uniqueness of how someone who moves and thinks near the speed of light lives.
Q: “I’m here to still talk about Wally West…”
DiDio: “okay…”
Fan: “Last year you said you took Wally off the table so Barry could be the sole focus, and now you’re still saying that again.”
DiDio: “We did say that last year cause we did want to build Barry Allen up as much as possible, and this year with the relaunch even more so”
Fan: “How does that work when you have four Robins running around?”
DiDio: “I think we could do that with all the characters” He ended the conversation by saying “I think we’ll be sticking with Barry for awhile.”
As you might imagine, I have some thoughts on this. I’m going to save them for later so that I can collect them properly.
This morning, my Flash/SDCC Twitter search erupted in comments about the Flash speeding around San Diego on a Segway. It wasn’t long before someone posted a photo. Photographer @NandoVel writes:
Flash on a Segway. I don’t know if that means he’s Flash-ier or just lazy.
The goofy moments like this are always the ones that stand out most for me. I’m really looking forward to actually being on-site tomorrow.
Update: Here’s another shot, this one from @mattkindt.
In other SDCC news, Flash artist/writer Francis Manapul has posted his signing schedule for the con.
July 18, 2011
Christopher Schmitt is organizing a Flash photo shoot in San Diego.
Time: Friday, 11:00 AM
Place: Ballroom 20 Lobby, next to Sails Pavilion
Duration: 15 minutes.
The goal is to get as many people in Flash and Flash-related costumes (Zoom, Kid Flash, Rogues, etc.) as possible. Call it a Flash mob, if you will.
If enough people show up, the plan is to also set up some action shots as well. There will be a signup list to make sure that the people in costumes can get copies of the photos.
Update: It’s up on the unofficial event schedule.
