Tagged: Adriane Nash

Ostrander Auction update: pricing clarification

Ostrander Auction update: pricing clarification

At various times, we’ve seen pricing for admission to the Comix4Sight Ostrander benefit auction set at $40, $15, and free. So which is it?

The price to enter the room where the auction is happening is $40 with an hour of open bar and food. Zero money goes to Wizard, the admission price covers the cost of the room the hotel charges plus a $5 donation to the Ostrander fund. “The hotel wouldn’t let us do it any other way,” program coordinator Adriane Nash said. “We tried to find a sponsor to underwrite the costs of the room, but couldn’t, and we didn’t want to spend additional money when the point was to raise money.” Apparently, the $15 note on the web site and free price listed in the program book were placeholder items that never got changed until it was too late.

Does that mean if you don’t buy admission to the room, you can’t bid?

Not at all. We will have runners right outside the door taking bids back and forth during the auction, and we’re checking with the hotel to see if they will let people in right after the open bar closes.

In addition, we’re looking into ways to take bids from people who are listening to live streams of the auction at getthepointradio.com.

Items going up for auction will be available for inspection at Booth #1435 on the floor at the Chicago Comic-Con, as well as galleries at Comix4Sight.com, as well as what we’re posting here on ComicMix.

And remember, the auction is Saturday, August 8th, starting at 7:30 Central Daylight Time.

Chicago Comic-Con To Host John Ostrander Benefit

An auction will be held at the Chicago Comic-Con (nee Wizard World Chicago) the evening of Saturday, August 8, 2009 to raise funds for comics veteran John Ostrander, who is undergoing a series of operations and medical treatments to fight off blindness.

A 27-year veteran of the comics field, Ostrander, has long
been suffering from glaucoma. Recently, John underwent a series of operations that might have saved his remaining eyesight. Progress has been made but he faces considerably more treatment in the months ahead.

To help Ostrander cover his costs, a committee has been
organized called Comix4Sight. Solicitations for the benefit auction have gone out, and the response from the comics community has been overwhelming.

“The cost of these John’s procedures has been astronomical, and are only partially covered by insurance. And by ‘partially,’ I’m being polite,” committee co-chairperson Mike Gold disclosed. “John has to
go up to Boston repeatedly for treatment, and on two occasions thus far he had to spend a week there for the actual surgery.

“Like so many other Americans John is without sufficient
medical coverage to cover these types of expenses; sadly, his insurance will
expire in about a year,” Gold noted. “With the assistance of Peter Katz and
Wizard Entertainment, Adriane Nash, Mike Raub and I have organized a benefit auction to raise funds for John’s medical expenses. We will be having this auction Saturday night at the Chicago Comic-Con to be held at the Rosemont Convention Center near O’Hare Field on August 6th through 9th.”

Original art, signed scripts, comics memorabilia,
autographed books and similar items are being donated to the auction. “Within the first 24 hours we’ve received pledges of contributions including original art and signed books by Howard Chaykin, David Lloyd, Dave Sim, Norm Breyfogle, Dick Giordano, Dennis O’Neil, Hilary Barta, Kevin Van Hook, Mark Badger, Michael Davis, Rick Stasi, Paul Gulacy, Joe Landsdale, and, of course, John’s GrimJack collaborator Timothy Truman. We’re getting commitments every day,” committee co-chairperson Adriane Nash stated.

“We’ve set up a website – www.comix4sight.com
– that will be carrying updated information about both the benefit and the
auction items,” Nash continued. “We’ll also be posting the results of the
auction, and any items that came in too late for the benefit will be auctioned off at the site. We will donate any excess revenue to other comics
professionals suffering from major vision issues or to The Hero Initiative.”

Monetary contributions would also be gratefully accepted by check or through PayPal at www.comix4sight.com.
Individuals and corporations interested in making contributions should send them to:

Mike Gold and Adriane Nash
arrogantMGMS
304 Main Avenue,
#194
Norwalk, CT 06851

Batman May Cause A Racket

Batman May Cause A Racket

Usually, when a major motion picture wants to film in a major metropolis, the city and its movie relations department bends over backwards to help the company spend all those millions of dollars.

Not so in Hong Kong.

The Dark Knight (a.k.a. Batman Begins Returns) was, and might still be, going to Hong Kong in November for nine days of shooting in what is generally regarded as a visually spectacular city. But Chinese politicians are balking, siting traffic disruptions and noise pollution. After all, there will be helicoper scenes.

The Dark Knight has wound up several months of shooting in some of the more populated sections of Chicago without incident. In fact, this was a return visit to the "Windy" City, as Batman Begins also did a lot of location work there. As did Spider-Man 2.

Hong Kong is hardly known for its quiet environs, and one suspects the politicos are simply holding out for more money or, as is more commonly known in the industry, "bribes."

Thanks to Adriane Nash for the lead.

Overheard at San Diego, part 5

Overheard at San Diego, part 5

People keep talking, and we keep taking notes…

"One guy asked me if I had my leg amputated to get the job." — Lacey Henderson, pictured at right, who’s been appearing as Cherry Darling to promote the DVD release of Grindhouse. Via USA Today.

"How did they make her look like that?" — A mother with two kids looking at Ms. Henderson working at the booth.

"How do they post for a job like that?" ComicMix‘s Matt Raub

At the pilot screening for ABC’s Pushing Daisies:

Audience member: "There seem to a be a lot of symetric and palindromic references in this show — can you explain?"

(long pause from the writer, director, and cast)

Chi McBride: "Ummm, what?  What did you say? This is COMIC CON.  Repeat your question."

In the hall between panels: "It’s so crowded I couldn’t even get into the ballrooms for the studio panels, and I’m writing for Entertainment Weekly!"

“Hellboy plus Pan’s Labyrinth on steroids.” —Javier Soto describing next year’s Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

Introducing themselves at the GameTap Tomb Raider Re-envisioned panel:

"I’m Stan Lee." –Warren Ellis

"I’m Jack Kirby." –Brian Pulido

"I’m Peter Chung." –Peter Chung

Contributing spies: Kai Connolly, Adriane Nash.

Overheard at San Diego, part 2

Overheard at San Diego, part 2

Waiting for a trolley: "I’m so glad, I just found out that Lucy Lawless is going to be here on Sunday. I hope I get to show her my tattoo!" And in case she doesn’t get a chance, everybody else can see it here.

Neil Gaiman, at the Paramount preview panel: "I’m growing vats of people like you all around the world. Eventually we’ll put a bunch of you in a room with knives, and whoever emerges alive will be the winner and can make the Sandman movie."

On Market Street: "IDT buying IDW? Aren’t they supposed to buy a company called IDU first?"

Marvel Studios has both Doctor Strange and Ant-Man in development as live action movies, along with gosh-darn near everything else in the catalog. The good Doctor, of course, will make his live action D2DVD debut in a few weeks. And, according to a source, a new slate of animated D2DVDs is in the works.

Contributors to today’s column: Adriane Nash, Matt Raub, Mike Gold