From Friday evening until Saturday evening, I was in an undisclosed location, part of the Commerce Department’s program of keeping random individuals as “designated survivors”.  Given the billions of dollars generated by America’s pop culture complex, they feel that during Comic-Con and other large events, select journalists, bloggers, and other internet individuals should be ensconced elsewhere, and kept off the web should something drastic happen.  (Think I’m joking?  Stan Lee was sidelined with laryngitis, now William Shatner is wheelchair bound!)

Of course, that didn’t keep me from using a friend’s phone to check out the new Wonder Woman, but otherwise, I spent it poolside, surrounded by some of the most fabulous men on the Jersey Shore.

But I’m now back in the sweltering center of Manhattan, and I’m trying to beat the riptide…

Movie Wars (Friday edition)

There’s a new comic book movie coming!  It features a strong female character!  Who is bisexual!  Directed by two sisters!  And Joe Quesada is involved (along with Jimmy Palimiotti)!
Take that Marvel and DC!

Meanwhile Joss Whedon hints at FOUR female roles in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

*You can’t buy publicity like this.   (oops.)

The Associated Press (and their member news organizations) report on sexual harassment at Comic-Con.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Amid the costumes and fantasy of this weekend’s Comic-Con convention, a group of young women drew widespread attention to a very real issue – allegations of sexual harassment at the annual comic book convention.

Geeks for CONsent, founded by three women from Philadelphia, gathered nearly 2,600 signatures on an online petition supporting a formal anti-harassment policy at Comic-Con.

Conventioneers told Geeks for CONsent they’d been groped, followed and unwillingly photographed during the four-day festival.

The Geeks for CONsent website.

*He’s our #1 fan!  (Or “You are Number 6.”)

I’m actually the first comic book fan,” Martin told the crowd at a Comic-Con panel dedicated to his comic book work on Thursday.
As a young comic fan in 1964, Martin attended the first comic book convention ever held in New York City, attended by what he remembers as 30 people. He met Flo Steinberg and Steve Ditko there, but more importantly, he said, he was first in line and received a badge designated “#1.”
“All of you are my children,” the author told the crowd. “God help me.”

* Somewhat lost in the churn, here’s the full text of Eric Stephenson’s Keynote Speech From Image Expo 2014: Diversity, Originality, Grave-Robbing [Video]

[A tip of the pint glass to Comics Alliance.]

*Red Giant, the small comics publisher with big ideas and great comics will hold their own panel on Thursday, with shareholders.

ORLANDO, FL, Jul 24, 2014 (Marketwired via COMTEX) — Red Giant Entertainment Inc. /quotes/zigman/14573714/delayed/quotes/nls/redg REDG-10.53% , an innovative Intellectual Property company specializing in high quality characters and content for use in a variety of media and entertainment, is pleased to announce that it will host a live Shareholder Video Report following the Company’s return from San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 7pm ET.

* “You shall not pass.” or “What is the color of… the state of New York?”

Daniel Radcliffe had the plane ticket, had the hotel room, had his Con pass and serial number, but forgot one important detail…
‘He’s stuck in Toronto with visa problems,’ a source told the New York Post, explaining why he couldn’t get the rubber stamp in time. ‘[The U.S. embassy’s] computer system was down.’
According to the paper, Radcliffe is in the process of upgrading his P-2 visa — for foreign actors and entertainers — to an O-1 visa for ‘the individual who possesses extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics’.

*  John Ficarra, the brains behind the “usual gang of idiots”, is interviewed.

* Marvel vs DC Movie Wars: Family Style!

A conversation with Fazekas and Butters wouldn’t be complete without addressing the green arrow in the room — specifically, that Butters, who is now one of the showrunners on a Marvel project, is married to author/writer/producer Marc Guggenheim, who is one of the showrunners for Arrow, based on a DC Comics property. Is there a Marvel/DC rivalry going on in their home?

* “Is Megan Fox campaigning for a “Lumberjanes” movie?

* You are here (and here, and here, and possibly there).

channel-52-multiversity-503e0-103669Grant Morrison and DC released the above map of the Multiverse.  Here’s a large version.  What ar at the six intersections near the outer rim?  The LA Times’ Hero Complex has the interview!
The missing numbers: 14, 24, 25, 27, 28, 46, 49 (seven question marks).  No #52?

* Hall H… abandon all hope of standing in line?

And that’s Friday!  Thanks for waiting!