Rediscovering The Magic: Special Edition! Marvel Cinematic: We Don't Need Your Civil War!

Back at All-Con 2016, Rick Gutierrez of United States of Geekdom & Rediscovering The Magic and I did a panel on the original Civil War comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general.

Here now is the audio of that panel: Rediscovering The Magic: We Don't Need Your Civil War!

All-Con 2014 - Day Four

Sundays at a convention tend to be the slowest, most sedate days.  The final day of All-Con 2014 proved to be no exception.  The halls were relatively empty when the day's events officially started at 9 am.  Deadpool had very few people to serve his famous flapjacks.  Then again, given the reason why said flapjacks are famous, most people were reluctant to take them anyway. 


    Still, Jedi Cole and Rick Gutierrez of United States of Geekdom were ready to kick the morning off with All-Con's most popular early morning zoo podcast - Jedi Cole's Morning After.  The fact that it's also All-Con's only early morning zoo podcast is not important. 



What is important is that dozens of people - fighting either hangovers or the sleepless nights caused by the people in the next room over who were up all night earning their hangovers - turned up to eat from tiny cereal boxes, enjoy a few laughs and win prizes like a never-emptying Guinness baby bottle!


Immediately afterward, the same room hosted USG's All-Con Wrap-Up show.  Joining Jedi Cole and Rick in commiserating over the awesome weekend were Hey Kids Comics! co-host Andrew Farmer and Cult Film Fanatics host Roy Buckingham.  I also got to speak a bit about my experiences doing panels and podcasts with these gentlemen.  Hopefully I'll be able to do the same again next year.




After that, I had to dash to my final two panels of the weekend - a double feature of Secret Origins: The History of American Comics and All About Arrow. With my final bit of hosting duties discharged, I had some time to take one final batch of cosplay photos.  A shame most of the cosplayers had departed at that point and a goodly number of people were already packing up to go.

Still, I did discover one lively group of Gothamite Steampunk Cosplayers downstairs waiting in line at the Neither Noir booth, who were willing to camp it up for me while waiting for their shot before the best professional cosplay photographers in Dallas.











I should note that this was one thing about All-Con this year that I think much improved on previous years.  This year, Neither Noir was allowed to set up shop in the lower lobby, near the information booth on the ground floor.  I think this helped to eliminate traffic problems on the second floor, where they had previously been set up on a corner before the grand ballroom most of the big events are held in.  In times past, it was not uncommon to have complete bottlenecks every hour, on the hour, as events let out only to run into a wall of cosplayers eagerly waiting to have their pictures done.  This year, I don't recall seeing or hearing about any similar problems in the lobby.

That is, I think, the best summation of All-Con 2014.  It was an improvement on previous years and it was a good time all around.  I can't wait to see what 2015 has in store!

All-Con 2013: Day Three

Sundays at All-Con are always Superhero themed.  Naturally, I was dressed appropriately as Green Arrow.  Not just for the sake of Superhero Sunday, mind you, but also because my final panel of the Con was a history class All About (Green) Arrow.  The costume was much the same as the last time I'd worn it, save for a redesigned beard and a new quiver that I could more easily draw out of.

My definition of a successful cosplay has become "one that leaves me posing for more pictures than I take".  I say this because the last few times I've dressed as Green Arrow, I wound up taking much fewer pictures than on the days I was wearing a different costume.  So forgive this con reporter being briefer than the rest.

Rick Gutierrez of  The United States of Geekdom dressed as Finn The Human from Adventure Time. 

The original Jay Garrick Flash.

 

A rather obscure one this - R'amey Holl, Green Lantern of Sector of 700.  She later went on to win Best Hero and Best in Show at the day's superhero cosplay contest.

Here is Reese of Reese's Pieces (the geek girl blog - not the candy) as Pixie from X-Men. 
You can read her report on All-Con here.

 

 

C. Viper and Rose from Street Fighter

Me and Kimmie Britt of IHO Geek as Green Arrow and Black Canary.

All-Con 2013: Day Two - Part One

Note To Self: The next time you teach a class at a convention, do not agree to a 9 AM start time the morning after you're up until 4 AM driving home from a late night performance. Good advice to anyone, I think.

My first class of the day - indeed, the first class of everyone's day on the second day of All-Con 2013 was Time Keeps On Slipping: The History of DC Comics.   Naturally speaking on such a complicated and difficult subject involving multiple time-lines, alternate universes and other wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey matters required a good deal of inspiration.  And what better inspiration could there be than dressing up like The Doctor?


Of course I was far from the only Doctor Who in attendance.  Heck, I wasn't even the only Tom Baker Doctor present.  Of course having all these Doctors running around risks warping the space-time continuum.  If one isn't careful one can wind up with a Pair Of Docs.    



Geddit?  Paradox!  Ha!

Doctors of all kinds abound at All-Con as The United States of Geekdom held a second showing of Doctor Horrible's Singalong Blog Saturday morning.  This time, the show was prefaced with an evil laugh contest, with the winner winning a small statue of the character of Penny.  I'd show you a picture of the proud winner but modesty forbids my putting my own picture in a report more than twice.

Besides, I'd much rather show you a picture of this amazing Dr. Horrible cosplayer and the equally amazing Penny cosplayer who was with him.  To my astonishment, she said I was the only person who realized she was supposed to be in costume.  I sympathize.  Many's the convention I cosplayed Jack Knight only for people to think I was just some random steampunk with goggles and a bomber jacket.


With that done and no solid plans until my next panel in the early evening, I opted to wander the floor and take a few cosplay pictures.  I swung past the ADD booth and snagged this picture of my friend Rikku, who was dressed as Yoko Littner from the anime Gurren Lagann.  This is an old costume for her but it's the first time I've ever snagged a pic of her in it.


I think Browncoats may outnumber Whovians at DFW cons.  At least, it seems like I saw just as many characters from Firefly as I did Doctor Who characters on Saturday.  Take this pair - Jayne Cobb and the most cheerful Malcolm Reynolds I've ever seen.


Here we have a Kaylee, in her pretty dress from the episode 'Shindig'.



Mash-up costumes are a common theme at many conventions now.  Take two films or shows and combine them together to make something new.  This can get quite wacky at times and/or prove quite brilliant.  I think this example is brilliant - Jayne Cobb as a Ghostbuster!  Shockingly, his proton pack is not name Vera. 



Of course you'll see the more mainstream science-fiction and fantasy represented at a big convention like this.  Jedi and Sith abound.  And then you get something truly intricate and impressive like this Queen Amidala from Star Wars: Episode One.  


Video game character cosplayers, like Cammy from Street Fighter here, are also a common sight at All-Con.


My favorite animated movie of the past year was Wreck-It Ralph.  So it did my heart good to see this trio, bringing Venelope, Ralph and Candlehead to life.


 Meeting new people is part of the point of a convention, of course.  But meeting up with old friends is also quite fun.  Friends like my buddy Taffeta Darling, who spent Saturday playing the part of Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors when she wasn't hosting her own events.


Also in attendance was frequent Taffeta Darling collaborator Lhars Ebersold.  You might recognize her as the Pris to Taffeta's Zhora from my Dallas Sci-Fi Expo photos.  This day, she was resplendent as the best damned Mystique I've ever seen.  And I've seen a few.  You can check out Lhars' artwork here.


It was at this point that your reporter found himself in need of a nap and a meal and departed the convention proper to seek out both.  The morning was over but my day was just beginning... 

Cult Film Fanatics!: Freaks and the Black Cauldron

SOURCE: Cult Film Fanatics!: Freaks and the Black Cauldron

Once again, I was part of the expert panel for the most recent episode of Cult Film Fanatics (sponsored by United States of Geekdom).

WARNING: This podcast does contain a lot of adult language and content.

Roll 2 Play - A New Game Shop in DFW.

Roll 2 Play has been a staple of Dallas/Fort Worth conventions for as long as I can remember. Until recently, the small business ran entirely through booths at conventions and their website. Today, that changed as Roll 2 Play opened up their first storefront.

Located in Coppell, Texas, just a little bit south of the intersection of Sandy Lane and Denton Tap Road, the Roll 2 Play store boasts lots of tables and chairs for in-store gaming as well as an entire backroom devoted to free-play. Numerous gaming events will be scheduled throughout the week. A shame it's a bit out of my way - otherwise I'd love to attend their Munchkin night.

It wasn't quite SDCC but there were a few points during the day where navigating the store was a tricky task. It was made slightly trickier by the cosplayers who were in attendance for the costume contest, as well as several members of The 501st and U.S.S. Navras cosplay groups. The two groups were holding a friendly competition to raise funds and collect games for their respective charities. The Trekkers won in the end but a game like this lets everyone win!




Adding to the comic-convention feel were a number of celebrity guests, including The Trials and Tribulations of Miss Tilney author David Doub, my friends from the United States of Geekdom podcast and the lovely and talented Taffeta Darling of Curves And Comics.



It was a good afternoon, all in all. I got to talk with some old friends, make a few new ones and I finally tracked down a copy of Monty Python Fluxx! So if you're a gamer in the DFW area looking for a fun place to play or you're a gamer anywhere who is looking for a nice, friendly game shop that will ship you what you want, give Roll 2 Play a try.

Cult Film Fanatics: Mystery Science Theater 3000

SOURCE: Cult Film Fanatics: A Tribute to Mystery Science Theater 3000!

I was part of the expert panel for the most recent episode of Cult Film Fanatics (sponsored by United States of Geekdom), devoted to my favorite TV show of all time - Mystery Science Theater 3000!

Join us!

All-Con: Day Two, Part One. A Pictoral Report

Showered, shaved and highly entertained by a viewing of the latest episode of Green Lantern: The Animated Series and the Super Best Friends Forever short on DC Nation, I headed down to the floor for the 10 AM screening of Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog.





I was the only member of Amber Does Dallas who showed up for this show - unsurprising as I figured everyone else would be sleeping in, all the better to gear up for our show late that night. The crowd, too, was smaller for this Saturday morning show. I was surprised to see a lot of parents with children in the audience, having never really thought of Dr. Horrible as being a family show.





Still, Rick (of United States of Geekdom fame) and I soldiered on, held an "evil laugh" contest for all the children present (most of them were too shy to say anything, let alone laugh) and set about trying to do a clean riffing of Dr. Horrible. We were, thankfully, successful in this regard and Rick said he thought the jokes were better when people weren't trying to be as dirty as possible. I'm inclined to agree.

After grabbing lunch, I ran back to my room and changed into my Doctor uniform. I regularly cosplay The Fourth Doctor from Doctor Who at local events and I had a photo-shoot planned with DFW Cosplay Gallifrey - a group of like-minded Whovians here in Dallas who enjoy dressing up like The Doctor and his companions and enemies.

Once I was out of the sweat suit (a wool scarf is rarely a good idea in Texas, even in March!), I hit the floor and snapped a few more pictures of the other cosplayers.




Classic Captain America





Cosplay Queen and special Con-Guest Amaya De'Morte, as Rogue from X-Men.




The White and Black Queen of the Hellfire Club from X-Men.




Poison Ivy




Catwoman




This quite comely Red Sonja is a member of Assassination City Roller Derby, who were offering several seminars upon the awesomeness of roller derby throughout the weekend. Some may question the effectiveness of her armor but I'll let them be the ones to put on the skates and test her metal.


Shortly after catching the tail end of the Roller Derby panel, I went out with my friend Chrispy, her husband Joe and their friend Liz for a quick dinner (and by dinner I mean cheese fries) at the pub down the street from the hotel before I had to go teach my last class of the panel - another history course on the eras of American Comics.

Cult Film Fanatics - The Who's Tommy & Barbarella

SOURCE: Cult Film Fanatics: The Who’s Tommy and Barbarella

I was part of a panel for the most recent episode of the podcast Cult Film Fanatics, now hosted by United States of Geekdom. So if you ever wanted to listen to me muse on the irony that a musical based on the author's experiences getting off of drugs requires you to be high to appreciate it or wax philsophical on the importance of PG rated movies with nudity to teenage boys of a certain generation... here you go!

All-Con: Day One, Part Two. A Pictoral Report

The history of Anime & Manga class proved to be not nearly as popular as I'd hoped. Granting that All-Con isn't as heavily devoted to Anime as many other local cons (Dallas has three regular Anime conventions of note), I had hoped to fill the larger room they'd given me for my second class. Still, it was a fun time.

After grabbing some dinner, I hit the Dealer's Room to browse around and check out some more cosplay costumes. Thankfully, everyone was polite even though I had to explain that I was practically broke. And by practically I meant completely. Though what I lack in riches, I can more than make up for in press. So here's some websites you should all consider checking out.

Steampunk Stitchery - though their website is still under construction, their wears looked quite well made to my admittedly untrained eye. If you're into Steampunk but can't sew yourself, give them a look see.

Henry Melton -A local science fiction writer and a heck of a nice guy, I'll be checking his work out sometime soon.

DreamHats.com - They were kind enough to try and help me find the right floppy brown hat for my Fourth Doctor costume.

Ties That Bind - an interesting web-comic I have yet to get into that far.

Neither Noir - the best professional cosplay photographers in the business, bar none.

Supergirl, of course.

Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Not sure what character she is, but it's a nice looking costume.
Apparently she works for a local events site called Samaze.com

"This book is crap. They make me look like Hitler and sound like an idiot.

Find out who created this, hire them, then fire them!"

Yes, J. Jonah Jameson, in all his glory.

I don't think she's any particular character. But there's something about a blood-soaked school girl that just demands that you take pictures. Perhaps it is the bloody bat?

I closed the night out with an MCing gig. My acting troupe, Amber Does Dallas, was co-sponsoring a screening of Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog along with The United States of Geekdom. While we weren't able to shadowcast the show legally (something we've been wanting to do for a long time) we did prepare a special pre-show based on a song by Felicia Day from The Guild.

The show itself went well, save for one jackass who kept standing up in front of the projector. It's rare that I riff on a show I actually like but if Mike Nelson can take on Casablanca I can take on Doctor Horrible. The show was over at 11 but I decided to head to bed early and skip the room parties. I had a long day ahead of me tomorrow.