NYCC '13 Wrap Up Review

The Calm Before The Storm

Now that I have had time to recover and to soak in all that I have experienced at NYCC last weekend I thought I would give a review of the convention as a whole.  NYCC was held October 10^th to the 13^th and I was there for all four days and it was a whirlwind of fun and excitement.  I’m still recovering from convention hangover so it must have been a rocking time.  Like all shows there were a couple new things that were implemented some good and some well not sure if it was good or not.  But mostly it was all good so read on to see what I thought of NYCC.

NYCC'13 Cosplay Pictures - Mainly Doctor Who Cosplayers

There were a lot of cosplayers at NYCC this year and like it or not it is becoming quite the fad and business.  Its rise in popularity even spawned a reality show on SyFy which was quite interesting in its own right.  Here I put together a collection of Cosplay pictures I took during the four days I spent at NYCC.  If you are looking for scantily clad girls and guys pictures then this isn't the gallery for you.

NYCC '13 Sunday

R2 - D2

Sunday is here and it is the final day of NYCC'13.  So far it has been a blast and generally for me Sunday is a day I leave early and head home.  In past years the booth signings and panels were of topics or talent I am not a fan of or haven't heard of.  It is also kids day and lots of the activities are geared towards children and that is a pretty cool thing as it is important to get children into reading comic books and science fiction and fantasy books to help keep the genre going.  Plus it is really cool seeing all the children dressed up as Batman, Spider- Man and Wonder Woman walking around the convention.  With that all said this year I did not leave early on Sunday as there was something very important to do later on in the afternoon.

NYCC '13 Saturday

Full House For Doctor Who

Saturday at NYCC. Saturday is the day that it is wall to wall people on the show floor.  Where it would take you 5 minutes to walk an aisle on Saturday it takes much longer and a lot of patience. If you are not careful you could easily be swept up into a tsunami of people and be carried away to god knows where. Well actually to a part of the show floor you were not heading too.  At all costs I try to limit my time on the show floor on Saturdays and only go on it right when the show opens or later in the day when more panels are taking place or the masses go and feed at the overly priced food court.  I lucked out. I had little trouble on the show floor when I got up there around 4PM as I headed to the Valiant booth to get my free exclusive for attending the panel.  The crowed at that time was not bad and I was able to navigate around the show floor with some considerable ease.  I've never had it that easy on a Saturday and well am pretty lucky that I guessed right for once.

NYCC 2013 Thursday

The Calm Before The Storm

With the excitement of Thursday's Doctor Who missing episode news looming in the air I spent most of the day in New York City gearing up for NYCC.  While I was in the city early i spent a majority of the day in the press lounge talking to fellow bloggers and pros about most stuff in the geek world.  It was fun meeting people who do the same thing as I do and interesting to find that everyone loves the same thing and have a passion for all things geek.  What was encouraging was the amount of females that were there as often you read articles on lack of female's in the geek world but ladies you were represented pretty well in the press and fans.

Fangasm

Thursday was preview day with some panels but none that caught my eye.  I mainly walked around getting signatures from the likes of Greg Rucka, Tim Seeley and Batman writer Scott Snyder plus i bumped into part of the cast of Fangasm.  Thursday was a good day to walk around and get your bearings and to get a bulk of your autographs from your favorite creators.  What Thursday also gives you is less people so that gives you some time to talk to the creators for a good time.  I was lucky enough to have a good conversation with Shane Davis about his upcoming hardcover with Mark Waid for Legendary.  Plus I also talked sports with Peter Tomasi and we ragged on each other's baseball teams mine being the Red Sox and his being the Yankees.

How To Survive NYCC

How To Survive NYCC

By Jeff Zyra 

Going to conventions whether it is comic book, sci-fi, multimedia or what have you can be either very fun or very stressful.  Most times it is very stressful as well laid plans never happen and you have to improvise on the run.  Take it from me no matter how well you plan you can never predict the human element.  Something always goes wrong. It always does its inevitable.  So here I have a nifty list of things to be prepared for NYCC or any convention you plan on attending.  So like the Joker says, “And Here We Go.”

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Invades NYCC With Seven Super-Powered Panels/Premieres

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

invades New York Comic Con

with Seven Super-Powered Panels/Premieres

Presentations include Justice League: War,

Superman 75^th Anniversary, Batman: Arkham Origins,

Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics premiere,

two Warner Archive Collection spotlights PLUS

Special Friday Night Paley Center event featuring Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Jason O’Mara, Diedrich Bader, John DiMaggio,

Bruce Timm & Molly Quinn added to WBHE panels

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment brings a fanboy buffet of super hero-inspired presentations to New York Comic Con this week, October 10-13, with the spotlight covering several exciting upcoming releases: the highly-anticipated animated film, Justice League: War; a star-studded salute to Superman’s 75^th Anniversary, including the premiere of a Zack Snyder/Bruce Timm-produced animated short; the World Premiere of an all-new documentary, Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics; new revelations from Batman: Arkham Origins, the next installment in the blockbuster videogame franchise; insightful Warner Archive Collection panels on both Alex Toth and classic, yet forgotten TV super heroes; and Warner Archive Collection’s special Friday night panel featuring Batman: The Brave and the Bold at The Paley Center for Media.

The chronological schedule for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment’s seven panels, and two associated autograph sessions, is as follows:

Thursday, October 10

5:00-6:30pm

Room 1A06

World Premiere of “Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics”

Behind every great super hero is an even greater rogues gallery, and that’s where the spotlight lands in the all-new documentary, “Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics.” From the Joker and Deathstroke to Lex Luthor and Darkseid, the film investigates the inner-workings of the most nefarious collection of baddies in comics history. Join Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and DC Entertainment for the World Premiere of this compelling film, which is narrated by everyone’s favorite villain, Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings & Star Wars films).  “Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics” will be distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on October 25, 2013.

Friday, October 11

Noon-1:00pm

“Justice League: War” Autograph session

James Tucker, Jay Oliva, Andrea Romano (possible surprise guests)

Autograph area – Table 2

NYCC News Starts Early With "The Shadow vs Grendel" By Matt Wagner

DARK HORSE AND DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCE AN

EPIC CROSSOVER EVENT!

 

New York Comic Con kicks off with news of an all-new Matt Wagner series ‘The Shadow vs. Grendel!’

NEW YORK, NY, OCTOBER 7–Days before the doors open on one of the year’s largest events in pop culture, Dark Horse Comics and Dynamite Entertainment announce the first in a series of upcoming crossovers. Matt Wagner will write and draw an all-new Grendel story steeped in the pulp-noir world of The Shadow!

The Shadow is one of the most renowned and enduring pop-culture creations of all time, a multi-media character that established the original archetype of the modern super-hero. Grendel, Matt Wagner’s epic saga of dark aggression, has been a trailblazing powerhouse of independent comics for over thirty years and, for many fans, the elegant and deadly Hunter Rose is the quintessential version of the character. Combined, these legendary and iconic characters represent over a century of publishing history!

Best-selling author Hunter Rose is secretly the masked assassin and criminal overlord known only as Grendel. When an arcane artifact comes into his possession, Grendel finds himself thrust into a world for which he seems destined, where style and violence intersect to form a dazzling golden age. He will soon discover that this New York also has a fearsome protector—a dark and mysterious avenger whose name is spoken in hushed whispers, The Shadow!

“Ever since the smash success of my two previous crossover events (with Batman), I’ve had many offers over the years to see Grendel cross blades with a varied host of other characters,” comments Grendel creator, Matt Wagner. “But none of those opportunities ever excited me as much as this possibility. I’ve been a huge fan of The Shadow for many, many years and my love of the character finally saw fruition when I got the chance to literally re-define his origins by writing The Shadow: Year One for Dynamite. To have the chance to both write and draw The Shadow facing my own creation is something of a dream come true! It's also adds yet another instant classic to my long legacy of Grendel projects with Dark Horse Comics.”

“I'm looking forward to this project for many reasons, not the least of which is Matt Wagner's return as both writer and artist of Grendel” said Dark Horse president and publisher, Mike Richardson. “The fact that I share Matt's enthusiasm for one of the greatest fictional characters of all time, The Shadow, makes it all the more exciting. Dark Horse and Dynamite are proud to announce this great comic series from one of comics' premier creators.”

“I’ve known and been a fan of Matt’s since Grendel first appeared in the early ‘80’s, and one of the first prestige comics I bought was the Terminator by Matt with James Robinson. Matt’s an incredible story teller and has written three series for Dynamite, including The Shadow: Year One” said Dynamite publisher, Nick Barucci. “When the idea for a Grendel/Shadow cross-over was suggested, and Matt stated that he would write it AND illustrate the series in a Prestige format, let’s just say that you can’t quantify the excitement in our offices. This is such an incredible series, and the first of more projects that Dynamite and Dark Horse are announcing.”

This exciting new three issue series will be released in three 48 page prestige format issues in 2014! Look for more details in the months to come, and check out this exclusive interview on Comic Book Resources!

DARK HORSE ANNOUNCES NEW YORK COMIC-CON 2013 SCHEDULE!

DARK HORSE ANNOUNCES

NEW YORK COMIC-CON 2013 SCHEDULE!

OCT 3, MILWAUKIE, OR— It's here! New York Comic-Con 2013 is upon us, and Dark Horse Comics is delivering a full slate of signings from your favorite creators!

SIGNINGS IN DARK HORSE BOOTH #1636

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10

3:30 p.m. ELFQUEST: Richard and Wendy Pini

5:00 p.m. HALO: Frank O’Connor, Christopher Schlerf

6:00 p.m. MASS EFFECT: Mac Walters

7:00 p.m. EVE ONLINE: B. Börkur Eiríksson

8:00 p.m. Tommy Lee Edwards: Project TBA

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11

10:00 a.m. SCIENCE FICTION COMICS: Ron Randall (Trekker), Michael Dialynas (Amala’s Blade), Ulises Farinas and Erick Freitas (Gamma)

11:00 a.m. MASS EFFECT: Mac Walters

12:00 p.m. THE FIFTH BEATLE: Vivek J. Tiwary, Andrew C. Robinson

1:00 p.m. NEW SUPERHEROES FROM GREAT CREATORS: Mike Norton and Dennis Hopeless (The Answer!), Bryan J. L. Glass (Furious), Donny Cates (Buzzkill, Hunter Quaid), Eliot Rahal (Hunter Quaid)

2:00 p.m. HORROR COMICS: Alex de Campi (Grindhouse, Smoke/Ashes), Chris Peterson (Grindhouse), Tim Seeley (Ex Sanguine), Tom Mandrake (To Hell You Ride), Jonathan Maberry (Project TBA)

3:00 p.m. HUSBANDS: Brad Bell, Jane Espenson, Sean Hemeon

4:00 p.m. ELFQUEST: Richard and Wendy Pini

4:00 p.m. CONAN, STAR WARS, THE MASSIVE: Brian Wood

5:00 p.m. THE STAR WARS, STAR WARS: DAWN OF THE JEDI: Jonathan Rinzler, Jan Duursema

6:00 p.m. DARK HORSE SUPERHEROES: Frank Barbiere (Blackout), Joshua Hale Fialkov (Skyman), Fred Van Lente and Freddie Williams II (Brain Boy), Josh Williamson (Captain Midnight)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12

10:00 a.m. LONE WOLF & CUB: Kazuo Koike (Courtesy of Wikia: Masters of Animanga)

11:00 a.m. THE SHAOLIN COWBOY: Geof Darrow

12:00 p.m. WHEDONVERSE COMICS: Dan Dos Santos, Jane Espenson, Scott Fischer, Victor Gischler, Rebekah Isaacs, Georges Jeanty, Steve Morris (Angel & Faith, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Serenity)

1:00 p.m. GRENDEL 30^TH ANNIVERSARY: Matt Wagner

1:00 p.m. Greg Rucka: Project TBA

1:00 p.m. BUZZKILL: Donny Cates, Geoff Shaw

2:00 p.m. THE LEGEND OF KORRA: Bryan Konietzko, Joaquim Dos Santos, P.J. Byrne (voice actor for Bolin)

*Ticketed event. Come to the Dark Horse booth when NYCC opens on Friday and Saturday mornings for the chance to draw a signing ticket while supplies last.

3:30 p.m. THE TRUE LIVES OF THE FABULOUS KILLJOYS: Becky Cloonan, Shaun Simon

4:30 p.m. HORROR COMICS: Victor Gischler (Kiss Me, Satan!, Clown Fatale), James Harren (Abe Sapien, B.P.R.D.), Cameron Stewart (Sin Titulo, B.P.R.D.), Evan Dorkin (Beasts of Burden)

5:30 p.m. THE MASSIVE: Brian Wood, Garry Brown

5:30 p.m. MIND MGMT: Matt Kindt

6:30 p.m. ELFQUEST: Richard and Wendy Pini

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13

10:00 a.m. BLOODHOUND: Dan Jolley, Robin Riggs

10:00 a.m. THE WHITE SUITS: Frank Barbiere, Toby Cypress

10:00 a.m. AMALA'S BLADE: Michael Dialynas

11:00 a.m. ITTY BITTY HELLBOY: Art Baltazar, Franco

12:00 p.m. MASS EFFECT: Mac Walters

12:00 p.m. Tommy Lee Edwards: Project TBA

12:00 p.m. S.H.O.O.T. FIRST: Justin Aclin, Nicolás Daniel Selma

1:00 p.m. ELFQUEST: Richard and Wendy Pini

2:00 p.m. MONSTERS! & OTHER STORIES: Gustavo Duarte

2:00 p.m. HALLOWEEN LEGION: Diana Leto

3:00 p.m. STAR WARS: SHADOWS OF ENDOR: Zack Giallongo

IMPORTANT: All giveaway, limited edition, and exclusive items are available while supplies last. Free prints, comics, or posters are provided for each signing while supplies last. You may bring items to sign or purchase them at the Dark Horse Store. We reserve the right to restrict the nature and/or limit the number of items to be signed, at our discretion. 

Please note that lines may be capped or tickets issued for any signing as needed. Inquire about your favorite signings as early as possible. Some restrictions apply. All events are subject to change.

DARK HORSE / PARTNER PANELS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10

3:15 p.m.–4:15 p.m. Rewriting the Classics: Modern Sci-Fi in Comics!, 1A10

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11

11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Drawing on Your Nightmares: Dark Horse Horror, 1A22

11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Comics and Hollywood: What Creators Need to Know, 1A08

12:45 p.m.–2:00 p.m. Editors on Editing, 1A08

1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m. Full-Color Fantasy: Fantasy Comics Past, Present, and Future!, 1A14

5:15 p.m.–6:15 p.m. Wikia [Live] Presents: Learn from the Animanga Masters, 1A14

6:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m. Whedonversity: A Look at the Future of Buffy and Serenity in Comics!, 1A06

6:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m. Spotlight on The Fifth Beatle: The Story of Brian Epstein Story, 1A01

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12

6:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m. Breaking into Comics Right Now, 1A01

DC ENTERTAINMENT IS FRONT AND CENTER AT NEW YORK COMIC CON

DC ENTERTAINMENT IS FRONT AND CENTER AT NEW YORK COMIC CON

75^th Anniversary of Superman Celebrated with

Historic Display of Iconic Film and Television Costumes,

Moving DC Entertainment Beyond the Convention Floor

Spotlight Also Shines Brightly on Batman,

Neil Gaiman’s Return to Vertigo’s Seminal Series THE SANDMAN,

Green Lantern ‘Lights Out’ Crossover and Much More!

BURBANK, Calif. (September 17, 2013) – DC Entertainment, home of the World’s Greatest Super Heroes and the comic book industry’s most talented artists and writers, today announced a stellar program of New York Comic Con panels, signings, announcements and other events certain to excite fans of all ages, led by a jaw-dropping display of eight historic Superman costumes from the big and small screen in celebration of Superman’s 75^th Anniversary.

With an array of costumes previously worn by the likes of Christopher Reeve, Henry Cavill, Brandon Routh, Dean Cain and Tom Welling – the scope of this epic exhibit will expand the publisher’s convention presence beyond the floor of the Jacob Javitz Center and into the building’s public entryway – making DC’s expanded footprint undeniable to convention attendees and the public at large, and making for a convention-wide 

75^th anniversary celebration of The Man of Steel. A star-studded panel honoring the Man of Steel and discussing the beloved character’s many personifications, impressive history, and ongoing relevance within society and entertainment, is also in the works.

DC Entertainment will further put its stamp on this year’s convention through appearances by some of the biggest creative names in the comic book industry – including the writers and artists from Batman, Green Lantern and Superman family of titles, MAD Magazine and many more. Legendary author Neil Gaiman’s acclaimed SANDMAN series will also be a highlight as fans clamor for the first issue of 

THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE, a centerpiece of the ongoing reinvigoration of the Vertigo imprint. Additionally, for the first time DC will host over 50 creator signings at an exclusive DC Entertainment area in the increasingly popular Artist Alley.

The largest English-language publisher in the world will continue to make its mark with a packed schedule of panels, and fantastic collection of additional appearances and signings, exclusive announcements and other events.

· As their epic BATMAN: ZERO YEAR storyline expands into the rest of DC Comics – The New 52 and BATMAN VOL. 3: DEATH OF THE FAMILY prepares for its October release, superstar creators Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo will share the latest insider’s view on The Caped Crusader and their unique creative process. A Batman panel featuring this “dynamic duo” and creators such as John Layman, Ann Nocenti, Peter Tomasi and James Tynion IV will be a convention highlight. Following this year’s show, Snyder and Capullo will be the guests-of-honor at a Q&A and signing for BATMAN VOL. 3: DEATH OF THE FAMILY on Monday, October 14th at 7:00 p.m. the Union Square Barnes & Noble in NYC.

· Set for release on October 30, Vertigo’s THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE will also be a convention highlight as Neil Gaiman returns to the iconic comic book series that launched his career. Vertigo will be celebrating its 20^th year in publishing through panels, signings and more, casting a spotlight on the imprint’s horror, mythic fiction, and sci-fi titles – including the dark fantasy COFFIN HILL, the epic adventure HINTERKIND, and THE SANDMAN spin-off THE DEAD BOY DETECTIVES as well as the new series THE WAKE, TRILLIUM, FBP: FEDERAL BUREAU OF PHYSICS and more.

· Kicking off on October 2 and spanning across all GREEN LANTERN family titles throughout the month, the “Lights Out” crossover event will change the Green Lantern universe forever! Convention attendees will collect more behind-the-scenes knowledge on this ambitious storyline by attending the October 13 panel featuring creators Bernard Chang, Van Jensen, Justin Jordan, Charles Soule, Brad Walker, Robert Venditti and more. The storyline ties together every Lantern of every Corps who has ever appeared in any comic book – ever. Nothing is held back, and devoted fans will want to know more!

· Fresh off the release of FOREVER EVIL #1, written by comic legend Geoff Johns with artwork by the infinitely talented David Finch, as well as the unprecedented “Villains Month” unveiling of 52 villain-centric 3-D Motion covers from across The New 52, fans will get the chance to learn more about the FOREVER EVIL storyline (and all of the dastardly villains that everyone loves to hate) at the Justice League – Forever Evil panel on Saturday, October 12. Boasting a collection of DC creators that includes Finch, Ray Fawkes, Matt Kindt, Joe Prado, Ivan Reis and more. Convention attendees will also get a sneak preview of the all-new documentary “Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics,” which investigates the inner-workings of the most nefarious collection of baddies in comics history. Narrated by legendary film bad guy Christopher Lee, “Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics” will be released by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on October 25.

· Get an inside look at INSIDE MAD, the hugely anticipated collection being released on October 29 from “The Usual Gang of Idiots” at MAD Magazine. Those looking to get an additional dose of the iconic magazine’s acclaimed wit and snark can visit the Mad About MAD panel on October 12 – led by Editor John Ficarra and a laughter-inducing cast of characters.

· A wide variety of exclusive offerings will be available throughout the weekend at this year’s New York Comic Con – including giveaways throughout the weekend as well as FOREVER EVIL #1, BATMAN #24 and SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN #1 variant covers priced at $10 each. DC Collectibles also has two exciting convention exclusives lined up for New York, including a DC Nation: Super Best Friends Forever Poison Ivy statue and DC Super Heroes of Green Lantern 3.75” action figure two-pack featuring Hal Jordan and Blue Lantern Saint Walker. Each of these exclusive offerings will be available for sale at the DC Collectibles Boutique at the Graphitti Designs booth (#755).

· Fans can get all the latest information on New York Comic Con and other DC Entertainment events by downloading the free DCE Events app for iOS and Android smartphone users. It’s available for download today on Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store. 

Can’t make the Con? DC Entertainment’s website is the go-to place for behind the scenes coverage and in-depth interviews. Visit the “Con Away From Con” page at http:// www.conawayfromcon.com.

Torchwood's Eve Myles Added To NYCC Guest List

Eve Myles who plays Gwen Cooper on Torchwood will be one of the many guests at this years NYCC.  She will be there from Friday to Sunday signing autographs for her fans.  NYCC takes place on October 10 - 13 at the Javits Center in Mid Town Manhattan, New York City.