New Creators Announced for Emerald City Comicon

Emerald City Comicon announced 5 new creators coming to this year’s big event March 30th-April 1st.

Jason Howard is the artist known for Astounding Wolf-Man, Invincible, Little White Mouse and Super Dinosaur.

Ryan Ottley artist on the popular Image series Invincible  and Hack/Slash, Haunt, Witchblade.

Jeff Krell is the creator of the LGBT comic strip Jayson.

Jim Woodring is an awarding winner creator known for work in his magazine Jim.  He also worked on Aliens and Star Wars titles for Dark Horse Comics.

Gregg Schigiel works on the Spongebob Squarepants series and recent X-Babies. He’s the host of Stuff Said podcast.

Find Geek Love at Emerald City Comicon!

 Emerald City Comicon is giving fans a stellar cast of movie stars, television stars, comic book creators and even Jay and Silent Bob.

 Now your chances of finding the geek love of your life may skyrocket at the Seattle spectacular March 30th-April 1st.

  The Sci-Fi Speed Dating crew and stars of TLC’s Geek Love are coming to ECCC on Saturday only.
 To sign up just go to the  Sci-Fi Speed Dating link and complete the form.

Good luck, “May the Force be with you” so you can find “The One” then “Engage!”

Before Watchmen Announced – A Geek’s View

courtesy DC Comics

  Oh yes they are going there. To the excitment or hate of some fans – DC Comics is daring to go back into the world of Watchmen. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons classic series changed the concept of comic book heroes. To some purists – this move is heresy – their version of doomsday. To an all-star lineup of writers and artists it’s the challenge of playing in a world that’s the holy grail of comics created by the legendary Moore and Gibbons.   

  As I digested the news I kept thinking of the Dune series. Frank Herbert’s original novels are revered as groundbreaking, influential classics of science fiction. Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson, using his late father’s notes, have created multiple new books set in the Dune universe. I love them all. The original novels have a deeper meaning and impact. I still enjoy all the new novels set before, during and after the original books. It’s like pieces of puzzle seeing how characters, worlds and themes are built.

Courtesy DC Comics

  I have to admire the creators of Before Watchmen. To attempt to get into the heads of Alan Moore’s creations is a huge challenge, professional risk, and irrestible opportunity. I really commend Brian Azzarello for daring to go into Rorschach’s mind!

Before Watchmen Announced

courtesy DC Comics

  How do you follow-up the biggest selling graphic novel of all time? DC Entertainment is lining up an all-star cast of creators for new stories expanding on the acclaimed WATCHMEN universe. BEFORE WATCHMEN will be seven inter-connected prequel mini-series building on the foundation of the groundbreaking graphic novel. The move is highly anticipated by fans but controversial.

  “It’s our responsibility as publishers to find new ways to keep all of our characters relevant,” said DC Entertainment Co-Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee. “After twenty five years, the Watchmen are classic characters whose time has come for new stories to be told. We sought out the best writers and artists in the industry to build on the complex mythology of the original.”

Courtesy DC Comics

  Here’s are the creative teams for each character:

  • RORSCHACH (4 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: Lee Bermejo
  • MINUTEMEN (6 issues) – Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke
  • COMEDIAN (6 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: J.G. Jones
  • DR. MANHATTAN (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artist: Adam Hughes
  • NITE OWL (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artists: Andy and Joe Kubert
  • OZYMANDIAS (6 issues) – Writer: Len Wein. Artist: Jae Lee
  • SILK SPECTRE (4 issues) – Writer: Darwyn Cooke. Artist: Amanda Conner

 

Courtesy DC Comics

A new issue will be released each week featuring a two-page back-up story called CURSE OF THE CRIMSON CORSAIR, written by original Watchmen editor Len Wein with art by original series colorist John Higgins.

  There will also be  BEFORE WATCHMEN: EPILOGUE, featuring the work of various writers and artists, and a CRIMSON CORSAIR story by Wein and Higgins.

  “The original series of WATCHMEN is the complete story that Alan Moore and I wanted to tell. However, I appreciate DC’s reasons for this initiative and the wish of the artists and writers involved to pay tribute to our work. May these new additions have the success they desire,” said Dave Gibbons, WATCHMEN co-creator and original series artist.

Courtesy DC Comics

  “Comic books are perhaps the largest and longest running form of collaborative fiction,” said DiDio and Lee. “Collaborative storytelling is what keeps these fictional universes current and relevant.”

  For the entire story here’s the DC: The Source link.

  For more covers and my initial take on this announcement click here.

Scarlet Witch Casting – A Geek’s Dream

 

Avengers Children's Crusade #7 by Jim Cheung courtesy Marvel.com

The actresses who played The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo have cast a spell on this comic book geek. I keep picturing both stars as Marvel’s tragic mutant heroine – Scarlet Witch aka Wanda Maximoff.

  Noomi Rapace starred in the Swedish films based on the Millenium Trilogy. Rooney Mara is playing Lisabeth Salander is the American version directed by David Fincher opposite Daniel Craig.

  Both actresses are stunning on-screen in appearance and their riveting performances.

  An actress who can portray Lisabeth Salander could certainly play Magneto’s tragic daughter who became an Avenger. A fragile woman with such destructive power looming under the surface.

 

Rapace would be perfect as an adult Scarlet Witch in an Avengers sequel. The idea first came to me after seeing Rapace play a gypsy in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Wanda and Pietro Maximoff were raised by a European gypsy family.

  With news that Director Matthew Vaughn and the cast have signed on for a sequel to X-Men: First Class my thoughts turn to a younger Wanda – when she was in Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants. I can’t get the idea of Mara as a younger Wanda in an X-Men: First Class sequel. Producers would have to make Michael Fassbender appear older since he would be playing her father.

AvX #0 art by Frank Cho courtesy Marvel.com

  Fans’ feelings about the Scarlet Witch may change after the outcome of Avengers Versus X-Men. Wanda’s sons are trying to redeem her in Avengers: The Children’s Crusade but she could give in to her dark side and dark chaos magic again in AVX.

 By Editor

UPDATED! Twitter with The Avengers Director and Stars! Samuel L. Jackson added!

Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD in The Avengers courtesy Marvel.com

  Update: Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) will join today’s Twitter session!

  How many fans would love the chance to talk with Joss Whedon? I would probably be speechless or so hard trying to be cool – I’d blow all my questions.

  Marvel is giving you the rare opportunity to chat (via Twitter) with the fan favorite creator and two stars of The Avengers.

  Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Clark Gregg (SHIELD Agent Coulson) will join the writer/director Tuesday, January 31st 2pm EST for a global chat.

Fans can use the @Avengers handle and #Avengers hashtag in a live 30 minute session. The faithful will be rewarded with a :10 second preview of the :30 second commercial appearing in the Super Bowl.

For more details here’s the Marvel.com link to learn more.

“Ferris Bueller, You’re My Hero”

Ferris Bueller's Day Off courtesy IMDB

  This post doesn’t really fit into the comics/sci fi genre but since Ferris Bueller was my hero I hope you’ll let me slip this one by. 

Like many of my contemporaries I rented Ferris Bueller’s Day Off multiple times and “Save Ferris” became a mantra of my youth. When rumblings of a Ferris Bueller commercial is the Super Bowl leaked I immediately hoped for an encore of “Twist and Shout” in the streets of Chicago or maybe a mad chase set to the iconic theme “Ohhhhhhh Yeah.”

I’ve tried to live my life based on one of Ferris (John Hughes) best lines:

‘Life comes at you pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while you might miss it.”

Because I don’t want to spoil it for you – I won’t post the clip. Buzzfeed has the entire commercial here.

Danke Schoen Ferris!