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San Diego Comic-Con 2008
Your one-stop spot for all the ComicMix coverage of the big show!
San Diego Comic-Con International is officially underway here in Southern California, and ComicMix is on location to bring you everything you need to know -- and some things you might not realize you needed to know -- about the people, places and geekery that make it one of the most feared anticipated events of the year for fans of comics and comics culture.
Be sure to bookmark this page and return for a running tally of our convention coverage, including all of the interviews, audio, video and photo galleries you enjoy here on ComicMix.
Want to meet some of the ComicMix team? Be sure to check out our Meet & Greet Schedule at the ComicMix/Insight Studios Table (Booth #2308). You can also follow all of our updates throughout the show on the official ComicMix Twitter Feed and ComicMix on Friendfeed.
News Articles Featured in San Diego Comic-Con 2008
Tue Aug 12, 2008 — by Glenn Hauman
EZ Street trailer from San Diego
If you couldn't see it at SDCC, now you can...
A lot of folks asked about the trailer we were showing at the booth at San Diego for EZ Street, so we're posting it for everyone who couldn't make it this year-- or who couldn't hear it over the crowds.
This is also a good place to remind people that EZ Street is nominated for the Harvey Awards this year, and that the deadline is this Friday. So if you're a comics pro who's eligible to vote and hasn't yet, we'd like to remind you to vote and to keep EZ Street in mind when filling out your ballot.
Mon Aug 4, 2008 — by Karl Cramer
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog at San Diego Comic-Con 2008
Watch the cruel dog puppet make fun of comic fans, and loving him for it
One of the most popular bootleg videos at comic book conventions before the YouTube era was of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog making fun of geeks waiting in line for Star Wars.
Our favorite foul mouthed puppet set his sites on nerds once again when The Late Show with Conan O’Brien sent him to this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. And this time you don’t have to buy burned copies from a weird guy at a booth with Micronaut figures. I kid. I kid. (Oh, and consider this your official "Not Safe For Work" warning.)
[EDITOR'S NOTE: That's PvP webcomic creator Scott Kurtz getting the Triumph treatment around three minutes into the video. Owch! -RM]
Mon Aug 4, 2008 — by Van Jensen
Alex Robinson and Poker at Comic-Con
'Too Cool' creator's wife schools tournament
Alex Robinson, creator of the new Too Cool and Box Office Poison, writes on his blog about Comic-Con, though it has pretty much nothing to do with comics or movies. (And haven't we all had enough of that anyway?)
Instead, the subject is cards:
One proud note: on Saturday night, my wife and I played in this poker tournement at the show. There were about fifty-five players and I didn't fare so hot, going out about number fifty or so (excuses: I was very tired after the show and prefer to play in cash-games anyway). The awesome news is that Kristen managed to hold on, and wound up finishing third. She got to take home a trophy and a wad of cash! Maybe it's time to quit this comics racket and live off of my lovely bride's gambling wages...
Just to boost Alex's ego a little, he was kicking the crap out of me in a game of Scrabulous before it was shut down last week.
Sat Aug 2, 2008 — by Van Jensen
SDCC: The (Maybe) Imminent Demise of Monthly Comics
Douglas Wolk, Joe Keatinge and others talk floppies and the future
I know, I know. More news from San Diego? A full week later?
Apologies all around, but this is too interesting to pass up. Newsarama has a recap of a panel where a few industry folks discuss the potential demise of comics in their monthly, floppy form.
Douglas Wolk and Joe Keatinge are the headliners, and everyone has a different opinion with plenty of insight to back up their thoughts. Things went toward the chicken and egg argument, as illustrated by this quote from retailer Carr D'Angelo:
Wolk asked D’Angelo about difference between the return on investment between monthly comics and graphic novel.
“We call them our perennials,” he said, about graphic novels that always seem to sell. “If we can find a new product we can turn endlessly, it’s like what Scrooge McDuck wants, a machine that turns lead into gold.” He named Persepolis and Blankets as examples, saying his investment was virtually guaranteed when he ordered them – unlike with monthly comics.
“I can never have too many Y the Last Man trades,” D’Angelo said. “It’s an endless supply of business. But I couldn’t do that if there weren’t 60 issues in the first place, building up goodwill, and building up an audience, and building up reviews.”
Fri Aug 1, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Webcomic News Roundup: Comic-Con, Remembered
No more Comic-Con news after this, I assure you...
Comic-Con International might be over, but the 'Net was full of San Diego-related reports this week from webcomic creators. I'll do my best to round-up some of those reports before getting into some of the news with no connection whatsoever to Comic-Con.
By far the most buzz-heavy event of the week in webcomics circles was the night out that began as an innocent webcomic creators' meet-up but later evolved into a drunken cabaret with Star Trek actors Jonathan Frakes and Avery Brooks. As Rich Stevens of Diesel Sweeties put it: "Screw the Holodeck. My reality is way more fantastic."
Here's one of the videos from the event making the rounds -- if nothing else, it's proof that such a surreal moment actually occurred:
On that note (pun totally intended), Scott Kurtz of PvP has a great recap of the events that transpired to make such an event possible, while also providing some video of his own from the night. Goats creator Jon Rosenberg also has a nice assessment of why Star Trek, a great bartender and eagle poop made this year's Comic-Con International such a magical experience. Oh, and Brad Guigar of Evil Inc. joined the chorus with his own recap of "The Night" (as it is now being called).
Continue reading Webcomic News Roundup: Comic-Con, Remembered ›
Thu Jul 31, 2008 — by Van Jensen
SDCC: Dark Horse News
Announcements out of Comic-Con
Dark Horse was nice enough to compile a full list of the publisher's announcements out of San Diego (including a new Martha Washington -- at right -- book).
That's very appreciated, as the lunacy of Comic-Con made it impossible last week to keep up with everything every publisher was doing -- though our ComicMix team did their best to bring you as much news as possible.
Any publishers who want to send over similar news dispatches can hit us up through the usual channels.
After the jump is Dark Horse's complete news breakdown, listed by day.
Thu Jul 31, 2008 — by Van Jensen
Video of the 'Watchmen' Owl Ship
TV Guide gives a virtual tour
In case you're one of the 18 people on planet Earth who didn't go to San Diego last weekend for Comic-Con, you'll be interested in this video from TV Guide, which gives a pretty extensive tour of the inside of the replica Owl Ship from the upcoming Watchmen movie.
Quick…what's lime green, weighs 9,000 pounds and came all the way from Canada? If you said the Watchmen's Night Owl ship, then give yourself a pat on the back. TVGuide.com was lucky enough to score an up-close look from the driver's seat of the actual ship used in next summer’s movie based on the DC Comic. The ship is used by the group of ragtag superheroes who come out of retirement to investigate the slaying of one of their own. It doesn't really get much cooler than that.
Indeed.
Wed Jul 30, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
San Diego Comic-Con 2008 Report
4.5 days of madness condensed into one report!
So... how was San Diego Comic-Con?
I've been asked that a lot in the last 48 hours, so here's my best attempt at wrangling the bucking, spitting beast that was this year's Comic-Con International in San Diego. It's a long one, so consider yourself warned.
First off, it's worth pointing out that I didn't arrive until late Thursday night after a series of travel problems that included (but were not limited to): canceled flights, one missed connection, a sprained ankle (not mine), an hour spent standing in place during a "security breach" situation in the main Charlotte airport, and a pair of storms that seemed quite capable of ripping the roof off a house or sending various farm animals across the road in an airborne state.
Once I was actually in San Diego, however, there was a slightly more manageable form of chaos to deal with. Here were some of my thoughts on the whole affair, as well as some of the highlights from my chats with publishers, creators and various other groups around the show:
Wed Jul 30, 2008 — by Van Jensen
Time Magazine's Comic-Con Awards
All hail the 'Twihards'
Time magazine is just one of the many major media outlets to drop in on Comic-Con last week, and they've just put up some "awards."
Hugh Jackman earns "best actor," for his surprise visit with X-Men Origins: Wolverine footage, of course. Other winners:
Most Popular Costume: The Joker. If Oscar ballots were tallied in San Diego, Heath Ledger's posthumous Best Actor statuette would be a lock. Guys with red lipstick-smeared smiles and purple dinner jackets were as plentiful at Comic-Con this year as those perennials, the Storm Troopers. A few Jokers said their costumes were an homage to Ledger; one confessed it's just more breathable than a Batsuit.
Most Enthusiastic Fans: The Twihards, devout readers of Stephenie Meyer's series of vampire books, Twilight, were the loudest and proudest in Hall H, starting a Twilight chant while they waited, shrieking anytime a cast member, Meyer or director Catherine Hardwicke said anything, and asking lots of questions about vampire hotness. After the panel was over, so many Twihards rushed the movie's booth that fire marshals briefly closed it down. Fanboys, don't look back. The fangirls are gaining on you fast.
"Twihards"?
Tue Jul 29, 2008 — by Matt Raub
SDCC: Leaked Comic-Con Movie Trailer Round-Up
All the cool stuff you missed from Comic Con '08
As many know, Comic Con International has become more about showing off secret footage of upcoming TV and Film projects than about actual comic books, and for those unable to attend this year, or the attendees who weren’t fortunate enough (or patient enough) to make it into the major halls for the presentations, we’ve put together a small round-up of the leaked footage from this year’s show.
NOTE: This footage was not taken by anyone on the ComicMix staff, and we are only linking to previously published video files, so don’t sue us.
Starting it off is the biggest of the projects: the trailer (in two parts) for X-Men Origins: Wolverine:
- Part 1
- Part 2
- The trailer for Disney’s Tron sequel
- Saw V Teaser Trailer
- Friday the 13th Trailer
- Smallville Season 8 Trailer
- A sneak peek at season 5 of Lost
- Finally, an extended scene from the film Twilight
I’d apologize about the unsteady handicam work, but it beats flying across the country and waiting in line for four hours to get a seat, trust me. This seems to be all the footage that has made its way onto the web so far, keep checking back for updates, plus our exclusive Comic Con ’08 video coverage!
Tue Jul 29, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Comic-Con Photo Gallery: Creators, Sights and Swag
Stuff and nonsense from SDCC!
As the Comic-Con chaos winds down and everyone deals with the last of the canceled flights and catch-up time, I figured it was a good time to dump the rest of the photos off my camera and provide a final hodge-podge of sights from the show floor (and beyond). Here, then, in no particular order, is the contents of my camera.
Oh, and keep an eye on ComicMix later today for my round-up of the show and the general San Diego Comic-Con International experience. It's a big one!
By the Power of Hefty Marketing Budgets! It's the Mattel Booth!
Continue reading Comic-Con Photo Gallery: Creators, Sights and Swag ›
Tue Jul 29, 2008 — by Arthur Tebbel & Christopher Toia
SDCC Interview: Mike Mignola on the Hellboy Universe
A short Q&A with the creator of the Hellboy franchise
Mike Mignola, creator of Hellboy has certainly been a star in the comics scene for some years but the spotlight must be shining a little brighter now that his franchise includes two hit movies. We were lucky to get a chance to talk to him briefly at the show this year about the future of his book, the impact of the movies on his own storytelling, and the difficulties of letting go of the art chores on the book.
"If I get hit by a bus tomorrow, I don't know what's going to happen to the book," said Mignola about the notion of passing the book off to other creators. He said he couldn't imagine letting go of the character the way Todd McFarlane has let other people work on his most popular creation, Spawn.
When asked if, given that, it was hard to stop being the artist on the book, Mignola said it was at first -- but he really likes the look of the book these days and he's fond of the work Duncan Fegredo has done for the book. "Besides," said Mignola, "if I was still doing the art it would take forever."
Readers of Hellboy are undoubtedly aware of the way Mignola uses real-world mythology, so we asked him what we should be brushing up on for his upcoming books. He said they were going to be doing a take on some British mythology and that the content would be similar to the second film in a few ways.
We also asked if he was concerned that Guillermo del Toro's film franchise seems to be building to a very different conclusion than his comics are. "The only thing that worries me is that the third movie will come out too soon," said Mignola. Adding that he had a very firm plan for the comics and that this plan might take 15 years to be realized in the comics.
Tue Jul 29, 2008 — by Chris Ullrich
SDCC Interview: Robert Englund on Horror Films and 'V'
'Freddy' talks about the future of horror movies and the new 'V' TV series
Unless you've lived a very sheltered life for the last twenty years or so, you know all about Robert Englund and his most famous character: the knife-fingered Freddy Krueger of Nightmare on Elm Street fame. The films featuring the iconic villan were some of the most successful of all time and spawned several sequels including a cross-over film featuring not only Freddy Krueger, but another well-known and popular character and star of a hugely successful franchise: Jason Voorhees of Friday the 13th fame.
More recently, Englund has taken turns both in front of and behind the camera with roles and directing gigs on films such as 2001 Maniacs, Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer and Zombie Strippers, which also features the acting talents of former adult film actress Jenna Jameson. ComicMix's Matt Raub and I caught up with Englund during San Diego Comic-Con and talked with him about, among other things, how hard it was to get to the convention, his latest projects, his involvement in the new V television series. and what he thinks about the future of horror films.
COMICMIX: So have you had a chance to check out the Con?
ROBERT ENGLUND: Not yet. We got messed up with the traffic. So many accidents, closures, people throwing themselves in front of trains, it took us forever to get here.
I think Comic-Con is jinxed. [Laughs]
CMix: So what brings you to the Con this year?
RE: I'm here with the company Anchor Bay which really responds to the kind of horror-comedy kind of stuff that people like Sam Raimi with the Evil Dead films used to do. I don't know if it's a response to the number of big-budget horror failures of late or that there's so much homemade stuff on YouTube now, but fans really seem able to watch something like a Hellboy 2 or a Dark Knight, which I love, but they also have room for movies like the ones I've been involved with lately such as Zombie Strippers, Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer or Hatchet.
It seems they can tune into a big $200 million blockbuster film one day and then also enjoy a little $2 million film we made mostly for fun. They're what I like to call "cheap thrills." I think there always has to be room for cheap thrills. I don't know if its political or if there's too much CGI or something but maybe that's what movies like Saw or Hostel are tapping into -- people's need for something more simple and fun.
Continue reading SDCC Interview: Robert Englund on Horror Films and 'V' ›
Tue Jul 29, 2008 — by Karl Cramer
SDCC: Mortal Kombat Versus DC Universe Explained
Comic-Con video explains "How will any character be challenge against Superman?"
The biggest North American comic convention wraps up another show. The hall is closed and the lights are off. But the videos from the show floor live on.
Way back when Mortal Kombat Versus DC Universe was first announced fans worried that Superman would be a horribly unbalanced character. A veteran reader of many Silver Banshee attacks Superman storylines, I speculated that since the Mortal Kombat universe was steeped in magic, this would explain how Sub-Zero could freeze Superman or Scorpion could set him on fire. Turns out I was right.
Midway has released the video shown (seen below) at San Diego Comic-Con where creator Ed Boon explained to fans how his guys can beat up their guys. And it looks amazing! The video also explains new in-fight mechanics: close combat and free fall combat. Also in the video were fights featuring Batman, Flash, and Catwoman.
No word yet if the villain from the Superman Returns movie shows up: A rock. A really big rock.
Mon Jul 28, 2008 — by Van Jensen
SDCC: 'Scott Pilgrim' Fights the Universe
Oni Press panel covers next Bryan Lee O'Malley
The big news out of the Oni Press panel at San Diego all revolved around Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim, with an announced title and release date for the fifth book.
It'll be Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe and it'll come out at next year's New York Comic Con. Other than that, all the news was of other books from the publisher.
Newsarama has some coverage.
James Lucas Jones moderated Oni’s panel, which featured a packed room of fans and at least a dozen Oni creators who Jones invited to the podium to talk about their titles as he announced them.
The panel kicked off with artwork for Billy Smoke by B. Clay Moore and Eric Kim. The book is about an elite hit man who’s nearly killed during a botched assignment. He decides his only path to redemption is to kill his former hit man associates.
Jones called it an “adrenaline-fueled thrill ride about an assassin on the path to redemption.” It debuts in early 2009. Matthew Fox has signed on to star in the film adaptation and was at the Oni booth some of the weekend signing autographs.
