Monthly Archives: December 2010

2010 in Review: Ranking California Comic-Cons

Leave a reply

I ended up going to four comic book conventions in 2010, mostly in Southern California (plus one in San Francisco). Based on this year’s experience and past experiences, here are my thoughts on each show.

1. Comic-Con International

DC Nation - Grant Morrison and DarkseidComic-Con International in San Diego is the ultimate pop culture fan experience. They have everything you could possibly want to see, including comics, movies, video games and more. The downside: they have everything everyone else could possibly want to see, too. So it’s crowded, hectic, and requires planning months ahead in order to make sure you have a ticket and (if you need one) a hotel room. Comics publishers have a major presence, as do movie and video game studios, collectibles manufacturers, etc. and there are so many events on the schedule that you’d need a group of 20 people to see everything. If you can, try to go more than one day. This is the con I’m most familiar with, having attended every year since 1990.
CCI 2010 report.

2. WonderCon

Captain America and Iron ManComic-Con International’s little sibling, WonderCon in San Francisco, is a nice balance of everything San Diego has to offer, but less crowded and less, well, insane. Comics take up a bigger part of the show, with the major publishers always well-represented, but movies and TV have a presence here as well. I’ve been to the last 3 cons.
Wondercon 2010 report.

3. Long Beach Comic Con

Hulk Smash Puny Convention!Only in its second year, Long Beach Comic Con makes a great impression as a convention that’s actually focused on comics and the people who make them. The artists and writers area is the central feature of the main floor. Programming is light, but the mid-level comics publishers have a strong presence. The emphasis on authors and the light crowds (this was only its second year) make it a good place to meet artists and writers without standing in incredibly long lines.
LBCC 2010 report.

4. Anaheim Comic Con

Flash TrioWizard World’s return to the LA/OC area, despite the name change, is more focused on pop culture than comics. There’s little publisher presence, minimal programming, and a major emphasis on celebrities and dealers. Good for costume spotting. It’s fun, but if I had to pick one or the other, I’d definitely go with Long Beach. Technically this was its first year, but I understand Wizard World is trying to make all of their shows the same type of experience.
Anaheim 2010 report.

And Beyond

There are a lot of smaller cons that I either haven’t been to at all or haven’t been to recently. The roughly-bimonthly Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention at the Shrine comes to mind, for instance, and the California Comic Con in Yorba Linda. And aside from WonderCon and APE, I’m not really familiar with the Northern California scene — or, for that matter, the Inland Empire here in Socal.

Are there any other California-based fans here? What cons do you like to attend?

Speed Reading

1 Reply

Gingerbread Flash (Merry Christmas)

7 Replies

So for Christmas this year I decided to make a Gingerbread Flash. Pretty appropriate considering the old Gingerbread Man story and the taunt that he would yell while running at cookie crumbling speeds: Run, run as fast as you can; You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man.

I made two attempts with varying success. This is the first time I had done anything by myself involving Gingerbread men and even then I was using a Trader Joe’s Giant Gingerbread Man as a template. I used a combination of  cake and cookie frosting (should have just used cake frosting) and it was a fun learning experience overall.

Flash 1.0 (Barry):

My first attempt at Gingerbread Flash. You can tell it is Barry because of the belt and the blue eyes.

Flash 2.0 (Wally):

My second attempt came out a little better. This is kind of a mix of looks for Wally: JLU/New Comic Costume emblem, with exposed green eyes and centered belt that meets in the middle.

The Fastest Gingerbread Men Alive!

Merry Christmas, from everyone here at Speed Force! And a very special thanks to all the guest contributors helping out over the last couple months; Shag, Dave Huang, Liquidcross, Brandon, Frank Lee Delano, KC Flash, Dave Sun, Ken O, Greg Elias, Kojo Manu, Adam Komar and anyone I might have left out, You guys are awesome! Can’t wait to see more fantastic stuff from a very talented Flash community.

Keep it Flashy

–Devin “The Flash” Johnson

Blue Lantern Barry Announced for DC Universe Classics

10 Replies

Right after DC Direct releases Blue Lantern Barry Allen for Wave 6 of their Blackest Night line of action figures, Mattel announces the release of Blue Lantern Barry in the upcoming Blackest Night-themed Wave 17 of the acclaimed DC Universe Classics Series:

Okay, I’m always excited for just about anything Flash, especially when it comes to action figures, and I hate to be ungrateful but do we really need another Barry in the DC Universe Classics Line so soon? Yes, I can understand the inclusion of the figure because 1) It’s cheaper to reuse a mold than to commission a new one, 2) Blackest Night is DC’s most successful comic event to date and I would be foolish to expect them not to try and cash in on it and 3) Barry is the main Flash again and DC is determined to avoid highlighting any other speedsters until Barry has been firmly established in every medium.  Still is it too much to ask for even a Zoom? I’m already kind of burnt out on Blue Lantern Barry (after the Heroclix and the aforementioned DC Direct version) and I can never get enough of Zoom. Although what I would really want is Wally or Jay.

I will say that the Blue Lantern uniforms are still very striking visually and despite my annoyance at essentially already owning three of the same figure (Wave 7, TRU Gold Repaint and Giants of Justice) and having to add yet another repaint to my DCUC collection, I still may pick this up. Funny how I complain yet still plan on purchasing it anyway.

As far as this one versus DC Direct’s version? I’m digging the glossy paint job on the DC Direct version a lot more, that and the overall sculpt is just more pleasing to me. Especially since I prefer to have less articulation in my figures. I will say that Mattel has done a great job at making the many points of articulation on their figures less noticeable but I still find them to be less appealing. I’m going to have fun comparing and contrasting them once I have the DCUC version as well.

DC Universe Classics Wave 17 will also feature Hal Jordan as a White and Black Lantern, Violet Lantern Wonder Woman, Orange Lantern Lex Luthor, Indigo Lantern Atom, and Yellow Lantern Scarecrow. The Collect and Connect figure is going to be the modern version of the Anti-Monitor. A Red Lantern Mera was planned to be included but she was scrapped due to the cost of tooling another figure. There are plans to include her sometime down the road. The wave is planned for release in late Spring next year, just in time for my birthday.

–Devin “The Flash” Johnson

Interview: Greg LaRocque on “Flash: The Return of Barry Allen”

11 Replies

Today’s guest post is the first in a series of interviews by Greg Elias on The Art of Speed.

In 1988, Wally West was powerless, penniless and nearly homeless. With Flash #15, the creative team of writer William Messner-Loebs and artist Greg LaRocque began their memorable take on the title. Throughout their run, Loebs and LaRocque established the touchstones of Wally’s life in Keystone City, including many of the character’s major themes and a supporting cast that remains vital. LaRocque was also on board when writer Mark Waid took over, starting with issue #62 in 1992. Wally West continued to bloom under Waid, reaching new levels of confidence and self-assuredness each month. Wally’s road back from that low point played out over five years and 64 issues.

Each and every benchmark during that time, including the landmark issue #50 and introduction of a new Flash costume, was seen through the eyes and pencils of LaRocque. Previously associated with a highly- regarded body of work on Legion of Super Heroes, his style would end up defining the Flash for longer than any artist since Carmine Infantino or Irv Novick.

Perhaps no storyline is more closely identified with the development of the Wally West character than 1993’s The Return of Barry Allen. Within, Wally is faced with the shocking apparent return of his deceased uncle and mentor, Barry Allen, the second Flash. This was LaRocque’s last stand on the title – his final run with the character he had drawn from the depths of poverty and doubt. We asked LaRocque about his work on the story, focusing on the construction and the subtleties of putting together a super-speed coming-of-age.

Q: One of the things that defines The Return of Barry Allen is the super-speed action sequences. You’ve got Johnny Quick and Max Mercury in the mix, along with Wally West, Jay Garrick and “Barry Allen”. Given the larger cast, and each character having the same power (and somewhat similar costumes), what were some of the challenges in constructing these memorable scenes? Was there an attempt to define each character’s own “style”?

GREG LAROCQUE: That is best demonstrated in the construction scene when Max Mercury teaches Zoom a lesson in technique. Mark wrote it out for me in the script & it was a challenge to visually portray the different ways the cast displayed their skills. With Max, he was all about grace & fluidity, like water, like mercury. Zoom ran & moved effortlessly because he was the fastest & gloating. Jay & Johnny were the traditional full speed ahead runners.

Quick note on Wally. I never drew him running. He GLIDES like an ice skater.

Continue reading →

Flash #8 Preview Available

5 Replies

DC has posted a preview of Flash #8 (arriving next week), along with the final covers by Scott Kolins and Stanley “Artgerm” Lau. It’s the second of two Rogue Profile issues by Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins. Francis Manapul returns next issue for the second story arc, “Hot Pursuit.”

For some reason I didn’t expect them to actually call the book “Reverse-Flash Rebirth.” Read on at the Source or at CBR.