Day Three of scanning Google News for the latest and craziest of Comic-Con!

What’s the Zeitgeist today? Who knows…  I think Comic-Con has settled into a stable pattern of media promotions. Unless someone figures out how to fill PetCo Stadium, or Fathom Events streams panels nationwide, I feel that however Comic-Con runs, this is the model until it either finds more space, either in San Diego or elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the news feed is like it always is…  Mostly coverage to the larger media panels, with some comics news sprinkled in. Not a lot of cosplay posts… those still exist, but it’s the usual stuff.

So, let’s get to it, okay?


First, a few pieces of PR from Warner Brothers, in case you missed it:

A THRILLING NEW ADVENTURE IN J.K. ROWLING’S WIZARDING WORLD IS UNDERWAY

(July 3, 2017 – Burbank, CA) – Principal photography starts today, Monday, July 3, on an all new adventure set in J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World, the second of five films in the series that began with “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” The as-yet-untitled film is being directed by David Yates.

Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne (“The Theory of Everything”) stars once more as wizarding world magizoologist Newt Scamander; alongside Katherine Waterston as Auror Tina Goldstein; Alison Sudol as her sister, Queenie Goldstein; and Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski, the only No-Maj in the foursome.

Oscar nominee Johnny Depp (the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, “Finding Neverland”), who was revealed as Gellert Grindelwald, stars as the powerful Dark wizard in the film. Oscar nominee Jude Law (“The Talented Mr. Ripley,” “Cold Mountain”) takes on the role of Albus Dumbledore—one of J.K. Rowling’s most beloved characters—decades before he becomes Headmaster at Hogwarts. Credence, whose fate was unknown at the end of the first film, makes a mysterious return, played again by Ezra Miller. Zoë Kravitz plays Leta Lestrange, who was glimpsed in a photo as a woman from Newt’s past; Callum Turner is the famed Theseus Scamander, a war hero and Auror, who also happens to be Newt’s older brother; and Claudia Kim plays a young woman we first meet as a featured attraction at a wizarding circus.

DC SUPER HERO GIRLS EMBARK ON NEW ADVENTURES, WITH NEW ANIMATED SERIES COMING TO CARTOON NETWORK IN 2018

BURBANK, Calif. (May 23, 2017) — Production has begun on DC Super Hero Girls, an all-new animated action-comedy series from Warner Bros. Animation and based on characters from DC Entertainment. Featuring fresh character designs and storytelling from Emmy® Award–winning producer Lauren Faust (Super Best Friends Forever, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends), DC Super Hero Girls will be coming to Cartoon Network in 2018.

Mondo was featured in a news article, but I went straight to the source for everything! Prints, records, pins, sculpture…

SDCC 2017 Release Schedule (Live Blog)

Below you can check out our San Diego Comic-Con release schedule which includes posters, vinyl, enamel pins and collectibles, along with a sneak peek at upcoming products we’ll have on display. We will continue to reveal images throughout the week, so be sure to check back! And as always, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates.

Find us at Booth #835. See ya soon!

San Diego Comic-Con through the years

Lost of archival photos from SDUT! 

Comic-Con 2017: Wonder Woman has officially taken over

Ivy Blumberg, 57, and Hayley Greenfield, 27

Ivy: “It’s great characters and we’re a mother daughter pair who like to dress up together. She’s brave and forgiving and caring and willing to give up her life, willing to fight.”

SDUT interviews numerous and various Wonder Woman cosplayers at Comic-Con!

Pittsburgh-based cartoonist announces historic Marvel Comics deal for “X-Men”

Over three years, starting in December, Piskor, of Munhall, will release a series of six 40-page comics titled “The Grand Design” that unifies the first 280 original issues of X-Men into a single storyline; each year, the latest two issues will be republished as a trade paperback including a classic X-Men story.

‘The Walking Dead’ creator says he’s bringing the series to an end

At a panel during San Diego’s Comic-Con, the author revealed his plans to conclude the book part of the franchise imminently.

“I think about two or three years ago, I had a pretty good idea for a definitive ending,” he told those in attendance. “I have known that since then and been working towards that, so I know exactly where I’m going and what’s gonna happen when I get there.”

Kirkman said that the actual ending is top secret and he hasn’t written it down as a precaution. He also said the series could have ended a lot sooner. “There was an ending I had in mind that I was thinking, ‘Oh this would be kind of a cool ending.’ I got to a point where it should’ve happened and I was like, ‘I’m not done yet.’ And this was before the show.

Why We Cosplay: More About Internal Change Than Outside Garb

“You dress up as a character that you connect with, see their struggles, see their interests and you’re able to connect with that,” said the 21-year-old.

But it’s much more than what is visible to the eye, she said. Beyond the costumes, it’s about the inner transformation that takes place once someone becomes part of the “community.”

“Once they are part of cosplay, they feel natural. People feel accepted,” said Eisenzimmer, who talked about her experiences and those of her friends.

Eisenzimmer thinks escapism plays a big part in the interest in cosplay. People have personal problems and through cosplay are able to escape from a community that they don’t feel accepted in, she said.

“It’s a good system to learn about self love because you embrace yourself as a person because the community is so supportive and loving of the people behind the costume,” the cosplayer said.

From self-driving cars to Zoomtubes: an expert imagines the evolution of transport in Mega City One

“And this one here. This is an early study into night-vision from 2000AD. Far from making things safer, the tests showed that it actually made drivers speed up, even in thick fog. And this one here, look, it shows that as cars got more technically advanced, their drivers became more isolated from the road and began to lose touch with what was happening around them. It seems as if old-fashioned drivers actually needed some of that technological primitiveness to remain ‘situationally aware’. So up to a certain point, having things to do actually helped them to drive better.”

Late ‘Batman’ actor Adam West honored at Comic-Con

The presentation included highlight reels of West’s work on “Batman” and “Family Guy,” along with outtakes from the 2013 documentary “Starring Adam West,” which was directed by his son-in-law.

In those clips, West talks about meeting with fans and what he thinks his legacy might be.

“You know, I hear the word ‘legacy’ quite often. And other words like ‘icon.’ You can just call me icon, if you will,” West says. “I don’t know what the legacy would be, except the legacy of making people happy, and adding some kind of instructional influence in young lives. Maybe that’s kind of a legacy.”

San Diego Public Library Issuing Comic-Con Themed Library Cards

In the spirit of Comic-Con, the San Diego Public Library is issuing new cyborg-themed library cards starting Thursday, July 20.

For the past five years, the San Diego Public Library has offered limited-edition Comic-Con library cards and this year will be the first time patrons can choose from three designs.

[…]

There is a limited supply of Comic-Con library cards. The card is free for those applying for a San Diego Public Library card for the first time. Library cardholders who want to change their current card will have to pay $2 for adults and $1 for children’s cards.

An Open Letter From Medusa’s Inhumans Wig

From my perspective, what we managed to create for Inhumans is nothing short of a technological masterpiece. Honestly, I suspect that anyone who disagrees with me likely harbors some degree of unfair bias against me because I’m a wig trying to break into the high-profile, cutthroat world of modern superhero entertainment.

Motion-capture technology in films was not nearly as visually astonishing when Andy Serkis first booked Lord of the Rings, and yet he was subsequently given opportunity after opportunity to prove himself as a talented actor. Tell me: What does Andy Serkis have that I don’t?

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Comes Home to Digital & Blu-ray!


I can’t wait for the CAV laserdisc box set, with the extras and goodies!

Super Heroes to the rescue in homeless outreach

Both teams work together during the outreaches, and this Saturday’s event during Comic-Con International will be the biggest one of the year, as members from Real Life Superhero groups from around the country pitch in to increase the number of costumed characters to about 50.

Together, they’ll distribute about 200 backpacks filled with supplies to homeless people around 16th Street and Imperial Avenue, about a mile from Comic-Con.

Inspired in part from comic book characters and by the volunteer safety group Guardian Angels, Real Life Superhero groups emerged in the 1990s in several countries. In San Diego, the Xtreme Justice League patrols downtown and occasionally in North Park and the College area. Members undergo de-escalation training with the Sheriff’s Department to help avoid physical confrontations.

Red Giant Entertainment Previews Absolute Comics Group Creator Line at Comic-Con with “The Villain”

Orlando, FL, July 21, 2017 –(PR.com)– Red Giant Entertainment Inc. (REDG), an innovative Intellectual Property company specializing in high quality characters and content for use in a variety of media and entertainment, is showcasing the first of their upcoming Absolute Comics Group creator line of titles at Comic-Con International: San Diego this week at Booth #5536.

Absolute’s premiere creator-owned title is “The Villain,” created by comics legend Neal Adams, award-winning author William Applegate, Jr., and international illustrator Mikael Bergkvist. Previews of the series, including cover art by Neal Adams, are on display at the booth.

“The Villain” is the exciting tale of master super-villain John Doe, who falls in love and decides to be a good guy – something that doesn’t come easy to the greatest, most evil foe of all time. His own former criminal empire has unleashed its horrible and devastating revenge, and Jon becomes our world’s only hope.

Orlando Jones Officiates ‘Star Wars’-Themed Wedding as Syfy Opens Pop-Up Chapel at Comic-Con

By the power vested in him by the Universal Life Church, American Gods star Orlando Jones pronounced Melissa and Esteban Martinez man and wife in a Star Wars-themed ceremony at San Diego Comic-Con.

And yes, it’s all legal — the actor and self-professed geek really got ordained, the couple really got a marriage license, and they really said “I do” in front of TV stars, Syfy employees and fellow fans during a ceremony at the cable network’s pop-up wedding chapel in San Diego’s Gaslamp District.

Congrats to the happy couples!

Comic-Con’s First ‘Star Wars’ Panel in 1976 Was a Sleepy Affair

It appears all the small audience saw were a few stills from A New Hope. Listed on a schedule as a “prevue,” the panel was an hour long and held second to the last event on Thursday night.

In a 2013 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mark Hamill talked about promoting the film at conventions in 1976.

“I hadn’t seen the special effects or heard John Williams’ score, but I knew it had ‘cult’ written all over it,” Hamill had told THR. “I think those were the days it was still called The Star Wars. I had a feeling this thing couldn’t miss. It cost less than All the President’s Men that year, just $9.5 million.”

Hamill added: “I thought, ‘It’ll make $40 million if it makes a dollar. Let’s say it gets panned by all the critics, relegated to matinees for kids, and only makes $5 million and there’s no sequel — still it’s going to be so well received there’s no way it’s not going to become, like, a midnight movie shown on campuses.’ I said, ‘If this is even one-tenth of the fun to watch that it was to make, it’s gonna out-gross Planet of the Apes.’ We laughed so much when we were making it.”

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 3 Ways to Build a Better Black Superhero

First, a black superhero must have a social conscience that makes them aware that they are a minority and what that means to them and all others who are marginalized. Being black isn’t just having the colorist shade the skin darker, it’s a significant personal element that motivates the character’s actions. The character doesn’t have to start out full-throttle altruistic and self-aware. In fact, it can be a much more exciting story for the character to start selfish because they’ve been marginalized (“I don’t owe this world anything!”) and slowly come to the realization of their connection to society, even an imperfect society.

Wonder Woman Cosplayers Marched Through The Streets Of San Diego At Comic-Con

Sonic returns to comics in 2018 with new publisher

The announcement does not come as a surprise, although the timing might be sooner than fans expected. Sega confirmed two days ago that it was ending its arrangement with Archie Comics, which had been publishing Sonic comics for 24 years. That news wasn’t a shocker for longtime readers, either — Archie removed Sonic’s comic book line from its list of subscriptions earlier this year, and replaced its Free Comic Book Day offering featuring Sonic with a different title.