Tagged: San Diego Comic-Con

#SDCC: Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards — Almost Live!

The 22nd annual Eisner Awards, the
“Oscars” of the comics industry, will be given out at a gala
ceremony at the Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton Bayfront. This year’s special
theme is “Comics Fiesta.” The masters of ceremony are Bongo Comics’
Bill Morrison and voice actor Maurice LaMarche (Pinky and the Brain,
Futurama
). Presenters include writer/actor Robert Ben Garant (Reno 911, Balls
of Fury), comedian/voice actor Phil LaMarr (Futurama, Family Guy, MadTV, and Free Enterprise),
actor/comics creator Thomas Jane, and lots of cast members from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World; nominees C. Tyler, Laurie Sandell, Peter
Bagge, and James Robinson; and Comic-Con special guests Berkeley Breathed,
Chris Claremont, Milo Manara, Jillian Tamaki, and James Sturm. Other
prestigious awards to be given out include the Russ Manning Promising
Newcomer Award, the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award, the Bill Finger Award
for Achievement in Comic Book Writing, and the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics
Retailer Award.

We’re going to try and keep this as close to real time as possible, with commentary where appropriate. We’ll include the list of nominees below and boldface the winners.

at the Eisner's on Twitpic11:48 PM (all times Eastern Daylight, even though it is neither Eastern nor Daylight): Annnnnd here we go…

11:49 PM: Morbo has welcomed the puny humans to the ceremony!

11:55 PM: Denis Kitchen, the executor of Will Eisner’s literary estate, has just announced that Will’s master work A Contract With God is going to be adapted into a film.

12:03 PM: …but did they have to announce it on the Sabbath?

12:05 AM: And the first winner of the evening… Best Publication for Kids: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz hc, by L. Frank Baum, Eric Shanower, and Skottie Young (Marvel).

12:08 AM: Best Publication for Teens: Beasts of Burden, by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)

12:11: Scott Pilgrim vol. 5: Scott Pilgrm vs. the Universe, by Brian Lee O’Malley (Oni) takes Best Humor Publication, with the award presented to O’Malley by the cast of the film.

12:18: A flurry…

Best Cover Artist: J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)
Best Lettering: David Mazzucchelli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
Best Digital Comic: Sin Titulo, by Cameron Stewart, www.sintitulocomic.com/

12:38: And another fast flurry…

Best Coloring: Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien, BPRD, The Goon, Hellboy, Solomon Kane, Umbrella
Academy, Zero Killer
(Dark Horse); Detective Comics (DC); Luna
Park
(Vertigo)
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team: J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist: Jill Thompson, Beasts of Burden (Dark Horse); Magic Trixie and the Dragon (HarperCollins Children’s Books)

12:47: Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism: The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon (www.comicsreporter.com) Well done, sir.

12:52: Best Comics-Related Book: The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics, by Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle (Abrams ComicArts)

12:53: Best Publication Design: Absolute Justice, designed by Curtis King and Josh Beatman (DC)

12:57: If Harvey wins an Eisner this year, does that mean Eisner will win a Harvey?

12:59: Best Anthology: Popgun vol. 3, edited by Mark Andrew Smith, D. J. Kirkbride, and Joe Keatinge (Image). Presented by Thomas Jane and his popgun, so to speak.

1:04: A twofer for Scott Dunbier and IDW:

Best
Archival Collection Project – Comic Strips
:
Bloom County: The Complete Library, vol. 1, by Berkeley Breathed, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
Best Archival Collection/ Project – Comic Books
:
The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures deluxe edition, by Dave Stevens, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

1:12: More rapid fire, international division…

Best U.S. Edition of International Material: The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric Lemerier (First Second)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material – Asia
:
A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)

1:20: The Eisner Spirit of Retailing Award goes to The Vault of Midnight in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

1:26: The one and only Sergio Aragonés is up to present the Hall of Fame inductions of Burne Hogarth and Bob Montana. Both are tremendous choices, just for teaching alone.

1:33: More wonderful choices– Steve Gerber, Dick Giordano, Mort Weisinger, and Mike Kaluta– wait, Mike Kaluta? I didn’t know he’d died…

1:57: Best Writer: Ed Brubaker, Captain America, Daredevil, Marvels Project (Marvel) Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon)

2:00: Best Writer/Artist: David Mazzucchelli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)

2:04: Best Writer/Artist, Non-Fiction: Joe Sacco, Footnotes in Gaza (Metropolitan/Holt)

2:08: Best Short Story: “Urgent Request,” by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim, in The Eternal Smile (First Second)

2:11: To no one’s surprise… Best Single Issue (or One-Shot): Captain America #601: “Red, White, and Blue-Blood,” by Ed Brubaker and Gene Colan (Marvel)

2:13: Best Adaptation from Another Work: Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW) because dammit, Asterios Polyp shouldn’t win everything.

2:17: The 2010 Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award goes to Marian Churchland:

2:24: Playing catch-up because I went looking for Marion’s art…

Best Reality-Based Work: A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Graphic Album-Reprint: Absolute Justice, by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, and Doug Braithewaite (DC)
Best Graphic Album-New: Asterios Polyp, by David Mazzucchelli (Pantheon)

2:29: And Dave Gibbons is the final presenter of the night, and the final awards are:

Best New Series: Chew, by John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image)

2:32: Best Limited Series or Story Arc: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)

2:34: Best Continuing Series: The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard (Image)

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#SDCC: Scribe Awards/Media Tie-in Writers Panel

#SDCC: Scribe Awards/Media Tie-in Writers Panel

The International
Association of Media-Tie-in Writers
presented the fourth annual “Scribe” awards,
honoring such notable franchises as CSI, Criminal Minds, The X-Files, Star
Trek, Stargate, Star Wars,
and Dr. Who. Nominees on hand include Alina Adams
(As the World Turns), Max Allan Collins (G.I. Joe), Keith R. A. DeCandido
(Star Trek), Stacia Deutsch (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs), Jeff
Mariotte (CSI), Nathan Long (Warhammer), and Dayton Ward (Star Trek). The event was hosted by
moderator Collins and awards presenter Lee Goldberg (Monk).

Following are the nominated works. Winners are highlighted in bold.

BEST NOVEL (GENERAL FICTION) 

As The World Turns: The Man From Oakdale by “Henry Coleman” & Alina Adams
CSI: Brass In Pocket by Jeff Mariotte
Psych: A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Read by William Rabkin

BEST ORIGINAL NOVEL (SPECULATIVE FICTION) 

Star Trek Vanguard: Open Secrets by Dayton Ward
Star Trek: A Singular Destiny by Keith R.A. Decandido
Warhammer: Shamanslayer—A Gotrek and Felix Novel by Nathan Long
Terminator Salvation: Cold War by Greg Cox (Tie)
Enemies & Allies by Kevin J. Anderson (Tie)

BEST ADAPTATION (GENERAL & SPECULATIVE) 

Countdown by Greg Cox
GI Joe: Rise Of The Cobra by Max Allan Collins
The Tudors: Thy Will Be Done by Elizabeth Massie

BEST YOUNG ADULT (ORIGINAL & ADAPTED) 

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs by Stacia Deutsch And Rhody Cohon
Bandslam: The Novel by Aaron Rosenberg 
Thunderbirds: Deadly Danger by Joan Marie Verba 

GRANDMASTER: WILLIAM JOHNSTON

Congratulations to all the winners, including ComicMix’s own Aaron Rosenberg!

#SDCC: The Joss Whedon Experience – UPDATED

I don’t think we really need to introduce Joss Whedon. But just in case, he’s the creator of shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dollhouse, and Firefly – not to mention that just yesterday he officially became director of Marvel’s The Avengers.  He took the stage at San Diego Comic-Con today for the “Joss Whedon Experience,” where thousands of his closest friends gathered to ask him questions without even a moderator between them. Thanks to Marisa Roffman over at Give Me My Remote and her live coverage of the panel, here are some highlights after the jump… and thanks to ecsmith34, we’re getting video.

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#SDCC: Sony Pictures Entertainment: The Other Guys, The Green Hornet, and Priest

#SDCC: Sony Pictures Entertainment: The Other Guys, The Green Hornet, and Priest

Sony
Pictures Entertainment hosted a long format panel to show off a few of it’s geekier wares to the tons in attendance within the hallowed halls of nerditry known far and wide as San Diego Comic Con 2010! The panel began its Priest preview to a packed house. Cartoon Network’s golden boy Genndy Tartakovsky showed off an animated intro to the upcoming vampire hunter flick. Shortly thereafter, the panel moved on to…

The Other Guys–Sony’s buddy-cop-comedy starring Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg (he tells your mother he said Hi…), Eva Mendes, Samuel “What Am I Not In?” L. Jackson and Dwayne “The Toothfairy Rock” Johnson. Director Adam McKay (of Anchorman fame) joined Ferrel, Wahlberg, and Mendes on the dais. After numerous hilarious clips peppered the audience, they opened up the floor for questions. Eva Mendes coyly hit on an “adorable boy in oversized glasses” before he could ask his question. To this, Ferrell quickly noted “BONER ALERT!” to the crowd. Later, he also denoted his love for the city of “The Whales Vagina”, and asked to fight anyone in attendance. They ended the panel with a quick sneak preview of McKay and Ferrell’s “The Virginity Hit”, which promises to be the next generations American Pie. Never mind that Pie is just over 10 years old.

But how about the meat and potatoes of the event, shall we? Seth Rogen came up to the stage to deliver a brand new trailer for his action epic, The Green Hornet. Director Michael Gondry, and vile villain extraordinaire Christoph Waltz joined shortly thereafter… and the two discussed their flick for the fans, whilst debuting a few sundry clips… including a “let’s let crap fly at your face” 3D fight sequence. Rogen noted that the movie is not based that much on the old radio series, but really more so on the mythology and the TV show.

Thanks to Dana Vinson at G4 and Krystal Clark at Screencrave for liveblogging and everybody who was tweeting.

#SDCC: AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’

#SDCC: AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’

I would have expected this panel to take place on Sunday, when everybody at Comic-Con is part of the walking dead. But no matter.

AMC has been here in force pushing the adaptation of The Walking Dead, the Image
comic book series created and written by Robert Kirkman, premiering in
October on AMC. Cast members Andrew Lincoln (Love Actually), Jon Bernthal (The
Pacific
), Sarah Wayne Callies (Prison Break), Laurie Holden (The Mist), and Emma
Bell (Law & Order) joined series creator/director/executive producer Frank
Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile), executive producer Gale Anne Hurd (The
Terminator
), makeup artist Greg Nicotero, and Joel Stillerman (AMC’s senior
VP
) joined Kirkman to discuss the making of the series and to show an exclusive
sneak preview– albeit one toned down a bit from the actual series, because as Hurd explained, this is a family convention. (Maybe that’s why the panel isn’t Sunday. Could you imagine holding this on Kid’s Day?)

ComicVine and DigitalSpy were both liveblogging (or should that be deadblogging?) the panel, including the reveals of new actors and the music composer.

The reaction to the preview was about what you’d expect from the topic matter, equal parts enthusiasm and horror. We’ll add the video as soon as we get it.

(Photo by dblackanese.)

#SDCC: Oni first look with CBS, ‘Suicide Squad’ video game, ‘Astro City’ film option, and other media roundups

#SDCC: Oni first look with CBS, ‘Suicide Squad’ video game, ‘Astro City’ film option, and other media roundups

Collecting a bunch of quick hits between panels:

  • Nikki Finke reports
    that Oni Press and its film-production arm Closed on Mondays
    Entertainment have announced a first-look deal with CBS Television
    Studios to develop the publisher’s comics for TV. Oni already has a lot of buzz this weekend thanks to that Scott Pilgrim movie. But on the other hand, last year’s big Oni property was Whiteout
  • DC’s Geoff Johns mentioned that work has begun on a Suicide Squad video game. Johns said the game, which is being developed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, will be “hardcore violent.” No word yet if it will tie into the Suicide Squad big-screen adaptation announced in February 2009, or if it will tie in with Amanda Waller’s appearances in Smallville or next summer’s Green Lantern film. John Ostrander, the writer most associated with the Squad, is lost in Pennsylvania this weekend and couldn’t be reached for comment.
  • There are now official movie sites for both Thor and Captain America, although they’re pretty much placeholders at this point.
  • Spinoff Online reports that Kurt Busiek’s Astro City has been optioned for a feature film. I’m expecting something like Superman as directed by Robert Altman.

#SDCC Review: ‘Batman: Under the Red Hood’

#SDCC Review: ‘Batman: Under the Red Hood’

[[[Batman]]] needs a Robin. It humanizes him, reminds him of the actual people he is sworn to protect. As a result, he welcomed Jason Todd into his life only to see the second Boy Wonder become his greatest failure. The death of Jason, at the hands of both the Joker and the comic book readers, was a major event in the latter 1980s and cemented the notion that comics, as they matured, also grew darker. The glass case with the retired outfit served as a stark reminder of that failure, pushing the [[[Dark Knight]]] to do better.

Then Jason got better. Well, he returned to life anyway. Apparently, Judd Winick was offered the [[[Batman]]] assignment and immediately wanted to revive Jason for no obviously good reason. So, Jason came back from the dead without explanation, and became the Red Hood, a true vigilante willing to take criminal lives unlike his mentor. The Red Hood also seemed to be a villain and was taunting Batman until they inevitably confronted one another and the truth was revealed.

The story arc, for good or ill, has now been adapted into the latest Warner Premiere animated feature. Batman: Under the Red Hood was written by Winick and is premiering tonight at the San Diego Comic-Con, and being released on Tuesday as a Blu-ray, Standard DVD, or digital download. In the comics, Jason was revived via a reality-altering event linked to the Infinite Crisis but here; he wisely simplifies the story and traces the revival to Ra’s al Ghul, who is portrayed with remarkable sympathy here.

Winick also nicely weaves in flashbacks that trace Batman’s adoption of Dick Grayson, and the youth’s evolution into Nightwing; along with Jason’s arrival and subsequent brief career as the new sidekick. In both cases, the young men revel in being a part of the Dynamic Duo and while we see Dick’s growth, we are never shown Jason having a distinct personality (which was a pretty ugly one in the comics).  The contrast between them is dramatically missing as is the theme that Batman needs a Robin. The current Robin, Tim Drake, is entirely missing from the feature and bonus features.

This 75 minute story uses the conflict between the Red Hood and the Black Mask from the comic book story, mixing in the Joker and Ra’s with cameos from Alfred, Commissioner Gordon and Talia. The action moves quickly enough and the fight sequences are sprinkled in nicely. The only false moment is the early chase between the Red Hood in a car and Batman in the Batwing. Planes fly at many times the speed of an auto and the chase should have ended about a block after it began.

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#SDCC: Starro enslaves entire convention hall

#SDCC: Starro enslaves entire convention hall

This just in! Starro, the hive-minded starfish-shaped ne’er-do-well of DC fame has decided to take over the Earth (again). Unlike previous attempts that alerted the JLA all too quickly, Starro this time methodically hatched his spores all over the 2010 San Diego Comic Con.

Shown here, the first nerdy victim, was obtained for the 50 year old conqueror near the Mattel booth. Mattel, who released the DCU Starro action playset (with Kevin Conroy voice activated narration!) at the con, was asked for comment.

“We here at Mattel wanted to celebrate the glory of Starro the Conqueror. His majestic tentacles enrobe our simple brain matter, and unites us with the singular mind that makes everything seem ok again. And it totally makes us forget about that silly Star Conqueror villain who took thirteen issues to lose to the son of Brainiac in R.E.B.E.L.S.”

It didn’t take long for the 100,000+ fans in attendance to submit their weak minds, and pie filled bodies to the intergalactic leader. The first stop after the con floor? Any panel where Mark Waid is in attendance. That mind has been giving us Starro’s followers many problems these days…. yes….

#SDCC: Overheard, Day 1

#SDCC: Overheard, Day 1

Continuing our world famous “stuff we heard in the halls” lists…

“I’m officially announcing it right now: I’m playing the Hulk in the Avengers movie.” –Jonah Hill at the Megamind panel

“They just recorded the folks in Hall H at #sdcc to use as crowd noise for TRON: Legacy. Man, the imdb page is gonna be HUGE…” —Vinnie Bartilucci

“You can’t write graphic novels thinking about the future movie. That way lies madness…or Mark Millar.” Warren Ellis at the Red panel (hat tip to Theremina.)

“I smell cigarettes and pepper spray… @warrenellis must be here.” —Matt Fraction

“My god has a hammer!” –unknown counterprotestor to the Westboro Baptist Church “crowd”.

“Very strange to hear Teller speak at length. I couldn’t get over the feeling he’s lip-syncing someone else’s soft-spoken voice.” —waxpancake 

If you have anything you overheard, send it to overheard@tips.comicmix.com. Hat tip to IntelGameOn for the pic.

#SDCC: Penn & Teller do something you have never seen before!

#SDCC: Penn & Teller do something you have never seen before!

Good evening, that’s Penn Jillette on the left, and his partner Teller on the right. Together, they are Penn & Teller, stars of stage and screen and hosts of Showtime’s Penn &
Teller: Bullshit!
They came to San Diego with half of the rest of the Showtime original programming crew to share insights into their 35-year-long careers with audience…

…wait a minute…

…what’s that thing in Teller’s hands?

That looks like a microphone.

But that can’t be. Teller doesn’t speak.

Wait– what was that noise?

It sounded like human speech! And it came from Teller!

Amazing! I never knew Penn was also a ventriloquist!