Yesterday I attended Kansas City's annual PlanetComicon, which is a sci-fi, comic book, and pop culture extravaganza for all of us poor, culturally isolated midwesterners.
As expected, it was well worth the time and money...well, maybe not the money, but more on that later. Here are the highlights, lowlights, pros and cons, details, points of interest, and other noteworthy details:
KENNY BAKER!!!! R2-D2 himself! He's just the second victim in my brush with Star Wars greatness, after having met Dave "the real Darth Vader" Prowse last year. Mr. Baker was very fun and seemed genuinely happy to be there. $20 bought an obligatory autographed photo. Now I just need an Anthony Daniels C3PO autograph to go next to it. Maybe next year!
Walter Koenig--First of all, I realize that the chance of him reading this is slimmer than Karen Carpenter's waistline (too soon?) but I've got to say it. I can't apologize enough for what happened: I NEARLY ROBBED CHEKOV! Actually it's not as dramatic as it sounds. We asked for an autographed picture, personalized for my daughter. We posed for a photo. I was trying to get a 3-year old to smile while standing next to a stranger. We took the pic, shook hands, and walked away. Next thing I now, I'm awakening from a heavy phaser stun in the back of an ambulance and my wallet is missing...no wait, that was another time...don't you hate it when you get phasered and robbed?.....okay, actually, I heard a heavily accented "Excuse me" and turned to see him approaching rapidly behind us. I realized immediately what had happened, and promptly handed over another $20. So now Chekov thinks I'm a crook. Great. I'll put that on a resume some day. I really do feel sorry for it all though, and want to apologize again. He didn't seem like he was enjoying the show. I think there was a lot of Star Wars support and virtually no Star Trek support. Being bi-sci-fi myself, I like them both.
Kurt Busiek!! Great writer. I think he summed up Countdown...or Countdown to Final Crisis...or Countdown to Mediocre Storytelling....or whatever we call it now better than anyone I've heard or read. He pointed out the problems without excess trash-talking. Can't wait for Trinity.
This is getting long, so here's the lightning round: Brinke Stevens: okay, whatever, not for me...Tony Moore: great artist, looked busy....Cheap comics: they were everywhere. good stuff....Star Wars costumes: neat, but I detected a distinct "locker room" odor around some of the stormtroopers...there is a lot more to say, but wandering around the convention center has left me exhausted. Time to kick back with a classic issue of Justice League (only 50 cents!) and relax for a while.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Dave Stevens....R.I.P.
For those who haven't heard, Dave Stevens has passed away.
In case you don't know, in addition to many other accomplishments, Dave Stevens created The Rocketeer.
It seems like there have been several comic book related deaths recently, but this one really bothers me. I love the Rocketeer. I have ever since I first saw him. The Rocketeer rose to popularity just as I was becoming seriously obsessed with comics and superheroes. I eagerly awaited the movie. I bought the souvenir magazine, the bendy figure, the pvc window stick-on figure, the trading cards, the comics, the Pizza Hut kid's meal....everything and anything with that classic gold helmet on it.
Later on in high school, we had a "dress like a Disney character" day. I hate Disney movies for the most part...and then I remembered The Rocketeer! It was a Disney production. So I tediously cut and painted a ridiculous amount of cardboard to recreate the helmet and jetpack. I found a shirt and pants that, while not matching the movie, were at least the same color. So with that, I was off. Of course all the other students in their Mickey Mouse and Little Mermaid costumes had no clue what I was, but I didn't care. (now that I look back I feel a little too similar to the "Tron guy" who keeps showing up on late night TV....hmmmm....maybe I should have kept the costume...)
As I type this, I realize I don't even have the Rocketeer DVD...I'll have to fix that.
In case you don't know, in addition to many other accomplishments, Dave Stevens created The Rocketeer.
It seems like there have been several comic book related deaths recently, but this one really bothers me. I love the Rocketeer. I have ever since I first saw him. The Rocketeer rose to popularity just as I was becoming seriously obsessed with comics and superheroes. I eagerly awaited the movie. I bought the souvenir magazine, the bendy figure, the pvc window stick-on figure, the trading cards, the comics, the Pizza Hut kid's meal....everything and anything with that classic gold helmet on it.
Later on in high school, we had a "dress like a Disney character" day. I hate Disney movies for the most part...and then I remembered The Rocketeer! It was a Disney production. So I tediously cut and painted a ridiculous amount of cardboard to recreate the helmet and jetpack. I found a shirt and pants that, while not matching the movie, were at least the same color. So with that, I was off. Of course all the other students in their Mickey Mouse and Little Mermaid costumes had no clue what I was, but I didn't care. (now that I look back I feel a little too similar to the "Tron guy" who keeps showing up on late night TV....hmmmm....maybe I should have kept the costume...)
As I type this, I realize I don't even have the Rocketeer DVD...I'll have to fix that.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Toy Fair--Get Your Wallets Ready
Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard about the recent Toy Fair in New York. And if you have been living under a rock, you're probably the sort of invertebrate creature that wouldn't really care about such mammalian endeavors, unless you're Patrick Star. Patrick Star might care about the small plastic distractions we call action figures. But I digress....
Anyway, Toy Fair is a time for manufacturers to show off what they've got planned for the new year. If you really haven't heard about this, check it out at sites such as www.cooltoyreview.com.
In a nutshell....why do people say that? what nutshell? I'm not eating nuts right now, in fact I seldom do, especially the kind you have to crack yourself....uh...anyway in a nutshell, here's my take on the upcoming year:
AT-TE---whoa! Gotta have that.
Star Wars in general: gotta love the vehicles, we'll see about the rest...burned out lately.
DC Universe: I'm completely geeking out over this stuff. Especially the 3 3/4" DC line!
Indiana Jones: I love Indy, but I can already see the massive clearance section at Wal-Mart. This will be the overkill toy of the year that fights everything else for shelf space. It happens every summer with at least one toy line. (think Spidey.)
That's enough for now. Gotta get to work on that second job to pay for this stuff.
Anyway, Toy Fair is a time for manufacturers to show off what they've got planned for the new year. If you really haven't heard about this, check it out at sites such as www.cooltoyreview.com.
In a nutshell....why do people say that? what nutshell? I'm not eating nuts right now, in fact I seldom do, especially the kind you have to crack yourself....uh...anyway in a nutshell, here's my take on the upcoming year:
AT-TE---whoa! Gotta have that.
Star Wars in general: gotta love the vehicles, we'll see about the rest...burned out lately.
DC Universe: I'm completely geeking out over this stuff. Especially the 3 3/4" DC line!
Indiana Jones: I love Indy, but I can already see the massive clearance section at Wal-Mart. This will be the overkill toy of the year that fights everything else for shelf space. It happens every summer with at least one toy line. (think Spidey.)
That's enough for now. Gotta get to work on that second job to pay for this stuff.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
How am I supposed to collect toys if nobody sells them?
The DC universe and JLU figures are really driving me crazy. I've only found 1 DCU figure at my local Target. I drove 45 minutes to find 1 Orion at another Target. I found 1 Red Tornado at TRU. My brother found an Etrigan for me. I've never seen more than one of these figures. I've never seen Penguin at all. I had to get the Metamorpho build-a-figure piece off ebay.
As for JLU, still no sign of Hawkman. I was lucky enough to get Mr. Miracle recently, but I bought the only one I've ever seen. If I hadn't made it to Target that day, I'd be out of luck. Same for the Grodd 6-pack. Glad I went shopping that day.
I'm sure other people have the same problem. They have to...there's such a shortage of figures I don't see how anybody can collect anymore. And think of the kids...there's no way a kid can get all of these.
As for JLU, still no sign of Hawkman. I was lucky enough to get Mr. Miracle recently, but I bought the only one I've ever seen. If I hadn't made it to Target that day, I'd be out of luck. Same for the Grodd 6-pack. Glad I went shopping that day.
I'm sure other people have the same problem. They have to...there's such a shortage of figures I don't see how anybody can collect anymore. And think of the kids...there's no way a kid can get all of these.
Galactica 1980 (or, The Fanboy's Nightmare)
I received the dvd of Galactica 1980 for my birthday. I asked for it. Really, I did. I'm a BSG fan from way back.
I've seen Galactica 1980 before, and I knew it was bad, but the dvd has made that clearer than ever before. It's a bad show when you watch one episode per day or week. It's a terrible show when you try to watch 4 hours of it all at once.
Honestly, someone should do a study to see if purchasers of the dvd have a higher suicide rate, or perhaps a higher incidence of depression. Heck, they probably have higher rates of substance abuse as well. You need something to get through more than 5 minutes of "The Super Scouts." (if you don't know what that means, consider yourself lucky)
I spent today catching up on V the series. Now that's good TV. It picks up right where the mini-series left off, with the same characters, and moves in a reasonably logical direction. Plus there's lots of 80's style action...you know...slick soldier-of-fortune type dudes running around with submachine guns in improbable yet eerily realistic plots. Kinda like the A-team with reptilian aliens.
Mmmmmm.....goood.
I've seen Galactica 1980 before, and I knew it was bad, but the dvd has made that clearer than ever before. It's a bad show when you watch one episode per day or week. It's a terrible show when you try to watch 4 hours of it all at once.
Honestly, someone should do a study to see if purchasers of the dvd have a higher suicide rate, or perhaps a higher incidence of depression. Heck, they probably have higher rates of substance abuse as well. You need something to get through more than 5 minutes of "The Super Scouts." (if you don't know what that means, consider yourself lucky)
I spent today catching up on V the series. Now that's good TV. It picks up right where the mini-series left off, with the same characters, and moves in a reasonably logical direction. Plus there's lots of 80's style action...you know...slick soldier-of-fortune type dudes running around with submachine guns in improbable yet eerily realistic plots. Kinda like the A-team with reptilian aliens.
Mmmmmm.....goood.
Spider-Man: I haven't given up.
Okay, the more I think about the "One More Day" thing, the more I hate it. But what's done is done.
The "Brand New Day" stories have been decent. I actually kind of enjoy them. Simple, old-school Spidey action. The problem, however, is that despite copious explanations from Joe Q. I still don't get the whole OMD thing. I still don't like it, either. So no matter how good the new stories are, they will always be tainted by OMD. Like many fans, I'm still unsure how this connects with the last 20ish years of continuity.
But maybe we're jumping the gun...maybe there's a "punch line" yet to be seen that will make it all better.
Maybe.
(But I kind of doubt it.)
The "Brand New Day" stories have been decent. I actually kind of enjoy them. Simple, old-school Spidey action. The problem, however, is that despite copious explanations from Joe Q. I still don't get the whole OMD thing. I still don't like it, either. So no matter how good the new stories are, they will always be tainted by OMD. Like many fans, I'm still unsure how this connects with the last 20ish years of continuity.
But maybe we're jumping the gun...maybe there's a "punch line" yet to be seen that will make it all better.
Maybe.
(But I kind of doubt it.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
