Nerd Events Now Covered by Satellite Radio

Sirius Satellite Radio announces coverage of the upcoming Star Wars nerd fest known as Star Wars Celebration V.

A pretty cool idea really and one that could definitely be applied to coverage of panels and interviews for a more interesting fan event such as The San Diego Comic-con. Let's hope the staff at Comic-con International take notice of this idea. You could be sitting at home or walking the floor of the event and listening to the next big Hollywood panel in Hall H while it was happening.

Here are the offcial details for Sirius' plans for SWC5:


STAR WARS CELEBRATION RADIO
It’s four days of everything Star Wars™. This special limited-run channel takes over SIRIUS XM Stars Too from August 12-15, broadcasting from the official Lucasfilm convention.

The limited-run channel will feature interviews with stars from the Star Wars movies, as well as behind-the-scenes talent and celebrity fans. And that’s not to mention the droid races, costume pageants and more.

Star Wars Celebration Radio is hosted by Raw Dog Comedy’s Mark Says Hi and Cinemagic’s Dave Ziemer. Tune in from Thursday, August 12 through Sunday, August 15.

SDCC 2010 – The Good, the Bad and Man, the Very Ugly

The San Diego Comic-con is the only five day event I can think of that will both wear you out and energize you at the same time. There is something going on somewhere nearly every hour of every day of the show. The frenzy and excitement was palpable and spilled over out onto the streets surrounding the convention center and its cluster of hotels more than it ever had before. You can’t help but be charged up by the madness surrounding you.

We came, we saw and we spent lots of cash. The 2010 Comic-con was one of the best and most exhausting. We loved it. But it also has now marked a definitive change to the way the convention is run and what kind of fan attends. This is no longer your father's comic convention. It's a pop culture extravaganza!

So to sum up the hits and misses, here are my picks.

The winner of SDCC 2010:

Scott Pilgrim Vs Comic-con

Everybody wins. Based on the amount of money and time Universal, it’s marketing team and the film’s director and cast spent at comic-con hyping this film (based on the awesome graphic novel series), it better open big on August 13th. I have never seen any film marketed as hard as this one was anywhere at any time. The hardcore push included three surprise, free screenings, a standing room only panel event, cast hosting the Eisner Awards, director and cast making t-shirts and posing for photos with fans outside all afternoon for four straight days. Most film directors and their cast promoting any new film project at comic-con simply breeze in and out for a one hour panel and are likely back on a plane to LA before you make to the other end of the hall. You have to give it up for this group sticking it out and schlepping its pride and joy for the entire duration of the event!

Marvel Films

Despite one of the worst panel time slots of the weekend, late Saturday night, Marvel ended up crushing one out of the park with the presentation of the entire cast of ‘The Avengers’. A film not even written yet and due in summer of 2012. The mainstream media was all over this one. The news was the most published story of the convention. People I know who don't give a crap about comics or comic movies had heard of this event before I returned home.

Green Lantern’s Light

If it was not for Ryan Reynolds savvy quick thinking in recognizing a good marketing opportunity when he sees one by reciting Green Lantern’s geeky oath to a young lad in the audience, Warner Bros would have looked like empty handed fools compared to the Marvel Films blowout that followed. The WB didn’t have anything of significance to show or tell for their big 2011 Comic Book movie. Thanks to Reynolds saving that snooze of a panel, they now have their marketing launch.

Indie Comic Publishers

Thanks to the likes of Scott Pilgrim, Oni Press got the kind of fan attention at the show typically only relegated for the big two super-hero publishers with lines wrapping around their booth daily. Same can be said for the Walking Dead series from Image Comics but AMC had a much cooler WD booth (set up to showcase the upcoming TV series this fall) than Image could ever hope to afford. Viz Comics had Priest. Dark Horse Comics big draw are it's creators (Mignola, Ammano) and not always the material (Upteenth and meaningless Star Wars comic). This kind of attention is only as strong as the movie or Television tie-in was looking for these publishers. The lines are not going to continue year in and year out only for the quality of their funny books.

Which brings up to…

Losers of SDCC 2010:

Comic Books in general

There are those who will be in denial about this but 2010 will be the year everyone will mark for Comic-con as the game changer. The publishers are slowly dying while Hollywood entertainment only grows stronger at Comic-con. The publishers cannot compete for fans attention inside the convention center and the same can be said for the battle over their wallets the rest of the year. The buzz of the show consistently surrounded film or TV news. Both inside the center, out on the streets and during the parties. Even SDCC's grand Eisner Awards for the best of the best in comic publishing are attended less and less by both fans and creators who are actually nominated. Yes, popular film and TV panels are based on actual comic books but the modern fan is just not that interested in the pulp compared to the big screen. Or video game. Or television series. Or iphone app.

And in that vein…A Tie! DC & Marvel Comics

DC Comics absolutely wasted a golden opportunity with SDCC to launch bold new projects and list new, fresh talent months after their big corporate shake up that put Jim Lee and Geoff Johns in charge. Instead they simply continued to list projects currently in motion or that everyone has known about all year. And just when we thought the worst DC and Dan Didio had to offer was over comes the ego known as “JMS” and his not-very-original ideas for both Superman (Walking Cross country! Identifying with "the man"!)& Wonder Woman (New crappy costume! Tries to find out "who she really is"!). Apparently he didn’t read DC comics in the ‘70s. Or the '80s. Or the '90s. “Oh and hey, Bruce Wayne is (still) coming back! Uh, is the audience still here?” No they are over in Hall ‘H’ digging on 'Tron Legacy'. Coming soon to a theater near you!

Oh and how did you like the breaking news for DC's staff during the event? Your offices are moving from NYC to LA. And soon! I might feel sorry for them if they just didn't suck so bad.


The Marvel Comics booth on the floor of the convention sums up what’s going on at Marvel and it really has nothing to do with comics anymore. The space was filled with movie props, actors, licensing news and laptops manned by booth babes so fans could be lured in and coaxed into subscribing to Marvel Digital’s online service. The biggest COMIC announcements they had were both projects meant to fix failures. First up was the (sort of) confession that they wanted to correct and make the fans forget about the past couple of years of crappy Spider-Man stories post the “One More Day” event. Aren’t you suckers glad you bought those weekly Spider-Man books for the past year? The other ‘biggie’ announcement from Joey Q was that Disney has tasked Marvel’s creators to re-launch the catalog of Crossgen Comics. Riiiight. Because Super-hero comics are dying, fantasy concept comics that didn’t sell the first time around MUST be the answer! And for a second year in a row after promising…Marvel still didn’t have the rights secured yet for the long waited Alan Moore Miracle Man reprints. And hey Marvel...you guys DO know you still own the X-Men, right? When is the last time that series was interesting? Oh right, it was the second X-Men film!

Toy Vendors acting as retailers

Despite the predictable hype and long lines during the early days of the show, Both Hasbro and Mattel toys found themselves with excess toy exclusives by the weekend. While each company certainly did have popular items that completely sold out, by Saturday morning you could literally walk right up the store counter in each booth and order plenty of the rest of the junk. These companies over reached in an economy where every disposable dollar is precious to any collector. We were happy to see that there are indeed limits to the crap. One nameless insider confirmed you can bet on a scaled back selection at the con next year.

The ugly:

The easy story to post here is the one about the two nerds fighting over a seat in Hall ‘H’ Saturday night before the Marvel panel. One nerd stabbed at the other with his only weapon on hand…a pen. No doubt the assailant was imagining it was his lightsaber. But no, the REAL ugly was witnessing a horde of middle-aged, very overweight women descending upon HBO’s ‘True Blood’ cast on the floor of the show as they mistakenly thought they’d hit the booth and sign for fans. That idea didn’t last long as the crazed and delusional women crushed the booth and cut off floor traffic in all directions. Security shut that party down quickly. No doubt to each actor’s great relief.

But hey, you can always learn something at Comic-con. Like the fact that the ‘Twilight’ films are for crazed teen-age girls and ‘True Blood’ is for very crazed and lonely 30 or 40-something women. Yeah I'm a nerd and like me my toys and movies and stuff but at least I don't sit around daydreaming that these things will bite my neck and and make orgasmic faces while doing so. Top that for ugly at the show.

See you next year SDCC, when you will bring us new films like The Avengers, Dark Knight 3 and yes even more Twilight. And maybe some decent comics.

SDCC 2010 – Post Event Bitching Getting Old

There is no arguing this year’s event was the most crowded and over the top. You don’t have to surf far into the blog-o-sphere to read complaint after complaint about crowds and lines or the predictable lamenting from aging comic fans that the show is less about comics and more about Hollywood marketing.

Boo Hoo. Tough shit.

The fact of Comic-con is this: There are those who can take the insanity and even enjoy themselves and then there are those who simply can’t hack it any longer. These are the nerds who go and then come back bitching like they were surprised they couldn’t get into a panel about TV’s ‘Chuck’ had to wait in long lines for that exclusive action figure.

It’s funny to read about how they all have the answer to the question of lines…such as clear Hall ‘H’ between panels, limit access, sell different tickets and even the ridiculous: “make the show days longer”.

Here’s the real answer for those folk: STAY HOME. Don’t go.

Why subject yourself to what you consider misery when there are thousands of eager attendees dying to go?

Comic-con is only going to get larger, no matter if they remain in San Diego and expand or move to another city. The problems will always be the same until people just decide they don’t want to go and attendance drops. But that’s never going to happen. Save the money on travel, food and hotel, buy your exclusive crap from the show on eBay. View live online reporting and feeds from any panel you could want to see from the comfort of your couch. Watch G4 TV coverage for the big creator interviews.

“But I’ve gone every year since the ‘70s!”

So what? That kind of statement entitles you to nothing. If you are one who comes back from Comic-con bitching every year then it’s proof are too old, comic publishing as you have known it is dying and it’s time to make room for the new fans of pop culture and the modern media you ‘don’t get’ yet. They WANT to stand in line in their costumes and make friends while they wait for the ‘Scott Pilgrim Experience’.

The old San Diego Comic-con is dead. All hail the new, crazier, monstrous, Comic-con!

Now whiners, move out of the way.

TRU's new IPO

As predicted by the Bittergeeks last winter, Toys-R-Us is finally moving forward with plans to go public with a new stock offering this summer. We had predicted it would happen before the third quarter when all the new, fall toys are reset in stores and buyers and the media get the chance to see what might be selling early. Giving a glimpse at how the 2011 Holiday season may shape up.

Toys-R-Us leaders plan to raise $800M to help them alleviate some debt and likely invest in new inventory and store remodels. Their symbol on the Nasdaq with simply be "TOYS". We have not seen anyone list the actual release date of the IPO or what the opening price of the stock may be. My guess is that it would open shy of $20 per share.

There is a plenty of negative response on many of the business sites. Several vocal investors don't think the value of the IPO will hold over time much less rise and be profitable. It's a bit surprising since TRU really turned the business around from imminent disaster nearly three years ago. And they did so in a very difficult retail environment over the past two years. They have proven they can compete with Wal-Mart and Target during the all important Christmas shopping season. The main question is can they maintain both traffic and sales during the rest of the year.

They have their bad buyer issues still. They continue to invest in too much crap (half the boys action aisles, retro candy, pet supplies?!) and don't move quickly enough to dump dead ideas, brand or inventory (Hulk, Indiana Jones, Speed Racer, Star Trek, Hannah Montana, etc).

But, they will have very strong summer movie brands in the coming years to help drive 2nd quarter sales and within the next couple of years a new generation of video game systems will be released and all the rage for at least two solid Holidays.

We say: If the IPO opens under $16/share it's a buy. If it opens north of $20, it's not likely going to be profitable for some time and fluctuate wildly during the year and drive impatient investors crazy.

Comic Book SWIPE FILE

Terry Dodson's new cover for Uncanny X-Men 520, 2010.

Adam Hughes's cover for Wildcats/X-Men: The Modern Age. Late '90s.

At least try harder Dodson...flipping the male and female hero and adding a third character didn't really hide the fact that this is still a cover swipe. And at least pick the cover of an artist you haven't been trying to ape all your career.

LOST Opportunities

I’m certain this headline will be used all over the blog-o-sphere this week because it's just so fitting.

So it’s all over and everyone is dead. Or always have been dead. Who the hell knows.

Here is the ultimate lesson of the television phenom LOST: If writers and producers of intricate or challenging new television series don’t come to the table with a solid beginning, middle and end of a story, don’t waste anyone’s time and money. Shows like HEROES and FLASH FORWARD just learned this painful lesson the hard way this year. Everyone thought LOST was the only exception to the rule and had it all figured out.

Turns out they never did. It's one thing if a network pulls the plug on a series but there is no excuse when you've had over three years and seasons to map out where and how the series ends. Think about this...in three years the writers and producers could not figure out how to answer key questions.

This was a wasted season for LOST and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the men behind the curtain never knew where they were ultimately going. Oh, they had the images and vision for production (Jack closing his eyes) but zero idea how to resolve key plot points or many character's issues. And it was evident from the get-go in this last season. I'm not even talking about the sideways world. The writers floundered all season long and wasted so much precious screen time with the madnening and rediculous first six or so episodes of season six with our castaways trapped, sitting around in a temple set with the other 'Others' of the island. And to prove that storyline and all that screen time was a waste, it was never even recounted in the two hour recap that debuted before the finale. Nothing that happened in the temple was important to the main characters or the island's storyline.

The last episode of the series aptly titled “The End” was the best single episode of this final season and that’s saying a lot. Yes, there was great emotion, character reunions, action, humor and suspense in this final show. But answers? Not so much. And the producers, Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof, have been claiming in the recent media junket that they intend to leave some mysteries unanswered or up to viewer interpretation. They should have been men enough to mention about 95% of the mysteries would remain unanswered.

I’m sorry, but that kind of claim is nothing but a pure cop out. The writers had painted themselves into so many plot corners over the years that they simply gave up trying to figure out how to tie it all together. I’m not going to bother to list all the issues that remain unanswered. Other fans sites and forums have such laundry lists nicely compiled. Google ‘em up if you still care. Plus it’s too much work and if the series creators can’t summon the energy to tackle them, why should I at this point?

A quick spin of the web on the Monday morning after the cry fest shows the mainstream media thought the final episode was satisfactory and yes emotional or are content to concede the finale went out in a LOST sort of way.

Dig deeper around the ‘net, check out the real fan sites and you’ll find a very different response. Once the emotion and feel good moments of the cast together at the end of the finale fade and you start to think about what we didn’t get out of ‘The End’ or this entire final season for that matter, a flood of frustration and realization will overcome any fan that we, the week-in, week-out viewership of this series (not even those who only watched this series via DVD sets or repeats) were left in the dust. Much like the tragic character Ben Linus, the hardcore, devoted and long suffering viewer was ultimately ignored and passed over by the creators. So it's fitting the one image that plays over in my head out of six seasons of episodes of LOST that best sums it up for me is when Ben finally confronted the island's protector and ultimate manipulator, Jacob.

Loyal devotee: “What about me?”

Jacob/ Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof: “What about you, dear viewer?”

“They are all just dead…you figure it out from there.”

Ben's reaction to that kind of response is how many of the fans feel today.

The bidding war for SDCC passes has begun!

Despite the fact that Comic Con International warns patrons that purchased passes to the annual event aren't transferable, plenty of people are already beginning to auction off tickets to the long sold out show.

A quick look across ebay confirms the most recent single ticket/ four day pass has sold easily for around $500.00. And it's only mid May. As of this posting there are at least three active auctions for similar tickets, each already easily heading towards the same final total amount.

It's one thing for the seller to hand off the ticket confirmation print out that is required at the door for badge pick up but it's another matter entirely to produce an ID that proves you are the same person listed on that piece of paper. Bidders are taking a huge risk. Unless the seller can meet you at the door and pick the pass up for you, it's unlikely the con will take any pity on you and just hand you a badge when the name and address on their list don't match up with your ID.

That money is long spent and user IDs long since closed down for any seller by the time the bad news plays out. One of the passes sold was by a brand new seller. That dude will likley be long gone off ebay by July and just made an easy $500.

And if you think $500 for a single, four day pass is high, wait until they finally start confirming which superstars and events are actually scheduled for the event. If there is ever a case for buyer beware in the nerd world, this is it.