Steampunk Roars Into Parsippany New Jersey May 17-19

C.O.G.S. (Community Organised Gathering of Steampunks) is pleased to announce they are just one week out from their second annual COGS Steampunk Expo, taking place at the Sheraton (the one that looks like a castle!) in Parsippany, New Jersey this May 17^th through 19^th.

Pro and casual cosplayers, scifi lovers, tabletop gamers, music fans and families seeking a weekend of affordable entertainment will converge to take in the sights, sounds and fanfare available in every corner of this blissfully inclusive event.

DC Collectibles Heads to DesignerCon with Exclusives

DC Collectibles, DC’s in-house line of high-end collectibles, will make its DesignerCon debut, showcasing some of the company’s most cutting-edge collectibles at this year’s convention from November 16-18, 2018, in Anaheim, CA.

Taking center stage at the show is DC Collectibles’ artist-focused designer vinyl line, DC Artists Alley. DC Artists Alley is inspired by the popular “Artist Alley” convention experience and allows innovative artists to put their eccentric spin on DC’s most iconic characters. At DesignerCon, DC Collectibles will debut a DC Artists Alley convention exclusive variant of HaiNaNu “Nooligan” Saulque’s Nightwing figure. The design embodies Nooligan’s signature offbeat art style and features a “streetwear” makeover of Dick Grayson, complete with casual sneakers and a custom Nightwing varsity jacket. The standard version hits stores in December 2018, but a special-edition black-and-gold Eclipse variant will be available to purchase exclusively at the convention. The con exclusive is limited to 200 pieces and includes an original sketch of a Batman family character, hand-drawn by Nooligan.

SDCC 2018: Shout! Factory Cast Signings, Convention Exclusives & Panel News

Celebrating its 15th year at the convention, pop-culture purveyor Shout! Factory returns to San Diego Comic-Con International in 2018 with a dynamic lineup, featuring signings with cast and creators of popular television shows Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Gravity Falls, captivating panel events, a showcase of new and upcoming theatrical and home entertainment releases, new official Mystery Science Theater 3000 merchandise, Comic-Con exclusive items and engaging booth activities. Fans and convention attendees are invited to join in on the excitement at the Shout! Factory booth (#4118) on the main convention floor.

SDCC 2018: Fox Readies High Stakes Buffy Vampire Hunt!

OK maybe not "high" stakes...but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to say it. ....Don't stifle my art.

To celebrate Buffy the Vampire Slayer, on Saturday, July 21st, 20th Century Fox Consumer Products invites Buffy fans on the first-ever Buffy Vampire Hunt through San Diego.  Every fan becomes a slayer as they must locate each ‘Vampire Nest’ across the Gaslamp District and throughout San Diego’s Convention Center. At each location, fans will be rewarded with a wide-range of prizes including Buffy Funko figures, posters, stickers, pins, t-shirts, comics and much more.

SDCC 2018: The Warner Bros TV Group Lineup

Summer school has never been so much fun as Warner Bros. Television Group (WBTVG) unveils its Comic-Con Class of 2018! With 15 of the Studio’s fan-favorite series making their way to Comic-Con International: San Diego, WBTVG’s graduating class this year will be as epic as ever.

Series stars participating in all the Comic-Con action are fan-favorites and new additions ––including Arrow’s Stephen Amell, David Ramsey, Emily Bett Rickards, Katie Cassidy, Colton Haynes, Echo Kellum, Juliana Harkavy and Rick Gonzalez; Black Lightning’s Cress Williams, China Anne McClain, Nafessa Williams, Christine Adams, Marvin “Krondon” Jones III, Damon Gupton and James Remar; DC’s Legends of Tomorrow’s Caity Lotz, Brandon Routh, Dominic Purcell, Nick Zano, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Tala Ashe, Matt Ryan, Jes Macallan and Courtney Ford; The Flash’s Grant Gustin, Jesse L. Martin, Tom Cavanagh, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker and Carlos Valdes; Legacies’ Matthew Davis; Manifest’s Josh Dallas and Melissa Roxburgh; Riverdale’s KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, Cole Sprouse, Marisol Nichols, Madelaine Petsch, Ashleigh Murray, Mark Consuelos, Casey Cott, Skeet Ulrich, Mädchen Amick, Luke Perry and Vanessa Morgan; Supergirl’s Melissa Benoist, Chyler Leigh, Mehcad Brooks, David Harewood and Katie McGrath; and Supernatural’s Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins — to name just a few, who will join producers to deliver the ultimate experience for fans, with screenings, panel sessions, free autograph signings and media appearances.

NYCC 2017: Amazon Prime Video Reveals The Tick & Lore Environments

Amazon Prime Video is sure to stir up excitement at this year’s New York Comic Con with two of their newest shows hitting the floor of the Javits Center. Enter The Tick and Lore – two cult favorites that will be brought to life in the epicenter of sci-fi fandom in a completely immersive way.

Amazon Prime Video made its first foray into the hero universe with The Tick this past summer, which subsequently took San Diego Comic-Con fans by storm. The Tick will be back in a big blue way for this year’s NYCC and is bringing his companion, Dangerboat, along for the ride.

HASCON 2017: Marvel Legends Continue to Dominate

As expected, Hasbro was not going to waste the opportunity to show off as much new product as possible at their first ever HASCON in Providence, RI. While a full lineup of Black Panther merchandise was absolutely the show stopper, long time Legends fans were lighting the message boards ablaze with talk of new figure reveals and what each character selection means for future waves of action figures. For us at Idle Hands, we read NOTHING into anything Hasbro does these days. It's clear the creatives over there have a wishlist they are running down, including Toy Biz figures in dire need of a Hasbro update, movie and TV stars they can now do justice to with the help of new sculpting technology, and characters they never dreamed they would be allowed to make before as retailer faith in the brand reaches new highs, allowing for waves of characters not weighed down by obligatory inclusions of Captain America, Iron Man and Spider-Man variants. Let's take a look at what Hasbro revealed on the show floor this past weekend...

Long Beach Comic Con Final Guests & Schedule Announced

For those keeping an eye on Long Beach Comic Con, landing in Southern California this weekend, we wanted to give a heads up that the full schedule of panels (60+ HOURS!!) is now LIVE, ready to stimulate and educate, and some additional guests have been dropped onto the 80+ guest list, with more recent additions including Sherilyn Fenn (of Twin Peaks), cosplayer Nicole Marie Jean, artist Cat Staggs and the zombie king himself, artist Arthur Suydam alongside a small army of SCIENTISTS!!! SpaceExpo is a rather unique section of LBCC where you can stick your head in a real space suit, conduct experiments with scientists or hear about the latest findings to set your brains ablaze. Geekery and Nerdery join forces this weekend! There's also an event called Burger Con on Saturday night with bands that are triggering a massive buzz across the music loving nations. FUN FOR ALL!!

Long Beach Comic Con Announces First Guests

Looking to get a little more comic in your comic con? Yearning to photograph your favorite Cosplayers without fear of being trampled by roving gangs of exclusives hunters?? Have we got the show for you! Long Beach Comic Con returns to the Long Beach Convention Center this September 2^nd and 3^rd for a weekend long celebration of pop culture in all the colors of your geeky rainbow! Visit with comic industry icons, discover new comic titles, shop aisles packed with sought after collectibles and superbly talented artists, get a picture with your favorite TV and Movie stars and sit in on inspiring panels with today's most influential entertainment industry professionals... all in one day!

SDCC 2017: Hasbro Exclusive G.I. Joe Cobra Missile Command Headquarters

HERE WE GO!! Time to start making our checklists of all the wallet squeezing San Diego Comic-Con exclusives from every company under the sun. Let's jump right in with Hasbro's G.I.Joe exclusive, and considering the sad state of affairs for the G.I.Joe toy line, we really, really needed a fantastic addition to our collections...exclusive or not!

Cosplay Talent Agency - KOSPRE - Launches In Los Angeles

It was only a matter of time! Capitalizing on the mega popularity of the cosplaying phenomenon and banking on the popularity of the stars of that art form, and in great part, feeding on those cosplayer's willingness to celebrate their skills at conventions and events across the globe with few contacts to make that happen, KOSPRE was born!

KOSPRE, a new cosplay talent agency, has announced its launch and has retained an exciting array of talented and creative cosplay artists that are available to support a wide range of exhibitors at film premieres, conventions, trade shows, corporate and cultural events, concerts and pop culture gatherings worldwide.

New York Comic Con Eliminating Multi-Day Passes

As the east end of the nation begins to thaw out from the last gasp of a very schizophrenic Winter, thoughts turn to the massive conventions lining up for every geek's dollar. New York Comic Con sent out an announcement today expressing that, while that are not ready to fire that starter pistol on ticket sales just yet, they are laying out some new guidelines that may impact a visitor's participation, especially if you were planning on flying in for the whole event.

The blinky email starts with the basics:

- Fan Verification will once again be in play. Anyone who did not register last year will need to get on that. If you registered last year, you are still in the system. The NYCC website explains the Fan Verification process thusly-

Who Is Going To The Overwatch Orgy? Asking For a Friend...

When you get a veritable horde of geeks together in one place, at one time, add music and alcohol...things can get weird real fast. As a species, geeks are mostly awkward land dwellers who could use a shot just to speak to people we like (but never met in person) for more than 5 minutes. Given the right conditions, the situation could turn...messy. Given weeks of planning and preparation, things can get downright pervy!! Maybe pervy is the wrong word. The lobby parties at DragonCon are pervy. I'm talking about sweaty, sticky cosplayers doing things you've only drawn pictures of in the special notebook you think no one knows about, craftily hidden in plain sight on your shelf wedged between the Scott Pilgrim Omnibus and the Puffy Amiyumi Song Book. Until today...

Wintercon Announces Panel Highlights for December 3-4th Convention

Wintercon prepares to roll into Jamaica, NY this weekend with your last chance for convention fun on the East Coast for 2016! It's your last chance to show off your mind-blowing costume! Your last chance to shop for toys, comics, art and collectibles for the holiday season with over 400 tables to choose from! Your last chance to celebrate all things geek with friends and family right in your back yard!

New Jersey Comic Expo Returns to Edison This Weekend!

The state has been buzzing about the upcoming New Jersey Comic Expo, and the time has almost arrived for the family-friendly event to make it’s return to the NJ Expo Center in Edison, at the crossroads of Jersey, in just two weeks on November 19 and 20!

The New Jersey Comic Expo (NJCE) has lined up another exciting weekend of celebrity guests, legendary and top creators in the comic book industry, interactive exhibits and hours of seminars and panels.

Bitches Get Stitches: On Sexy Cosplaying

Oh boy. This is quite the hot topic recently. "Sexy Cosplayers". Love us or hate us, we're here.

Let me back this up. If you don't know who I am, I'm a model, a burlesque performer, and a cosplayer. When I was growing up, I was a lanky, skinny, shapeless, bracefaced, and unibrowed kid. When other girls were getting pretty and shapely, learning how to do their hair and makeup.. I was playing video games and writing fanfiction about marrying Lance Bass (No, I'm not kidding. They were awful and cringey as all getout).

NYCC 2016: Lily Vs LineCon

by Lily Stitches

Hi there, your friendly neighborhood sparkly cosplayer here with my coverage of NYCC on Friday!

It was my first day at the con, and my theme this year was "Cute but comfy!" So I put my hair in pigtails, did my makeup and threw on my Valentine Variant Harley Quinn Bootysuit by Booty and the Geek (check out the website at buttday.com). Luna put on her super adorable pink sparkly Batgirl cosplay and we were quite the pair! We admittedly took our time getting ready, because from our Facebook feeds we kept seeing our friends posting about the absurd line to get into the Javits Center. And we were not disappointed by said line. We rolled up at about 11:15, when in past years we could stroll right up and into the con, this year we were greeted by a swarm of people and NYCC volunteers hollering at everyone to get into the line. No questions just get into the line. We saw friends of ours who said they had been waiting for almost 2 hours. It moved, slowly but surely. And we finally got in around 12:30. We said good bye to our line buddy JR Cosplay who was cosplaying a horrifyingly accurate Zoom and went straight to the Block. Our senses were immediately overwhelmed with the music, the attendees screaming at each other, and the colorful booths of awesome surrounding us. We tried to move around more, but it was wall to wall people.

NYCC 2016: Capcom Scaring Up Game Demos

Capcom is descending upon New York Comic Con 2016 this weekend with terrifying horrors in VR for Resident Evil 7, zombie slaying madness in Dead Rising 4, and frightening new looks for iconic fighters in Street Fighter V. Visit Capcom at booth #1420 to check out playable demos of these exciting games.

NYCC 2016: Dark Horse Programming Schedule & Exclusives

10 DAYS til New York Comic Con slams into the center of New York City, it's Cthulhu-like tendrils now extending out of the Javits convention center and into nearby venues to house some serious star power. While TV and Movies are absolutely becoming a more powerful beast at the east coast geekfest, COMICS are still front and center with fans able to interact with top talent in every booth on the show floor. Dark Horse writes in with their full lineup of..well...everything!!

Bitches Get Stitches: Lily Mashes Buttons at A Video Game Con

Hi there, Lily Stitches here! I'm gonna chat about an awesome convention that's pretty dear to my heart called A Video Game Con.

AVGC is run by one of my oldest friends, Paul Solomine at the Parsippany PAL. I remember when this convention was just a thing he talked about at parties, and I'm so happy and honored I got to be a guest again in its second year!

Let's go back to Baby Lily's videogame days.... my first experience with video games was on an airplane when I was about 6 or 7 years old. I was seated next to another little girl who was flying on her own. She was playing a Sega Game Gear. She was probably older than me, but she was super nice to let me look over her shoulder at whatever game she was playing. I think I may have played some Mario games here or there before that, but this is the moment I turned to my mom and said, "I want a video game." So that Christmas, Santa brought me a Sega Genesis with Jurassic Park and Aladdin. This was before the combo pack with Sonic and generic sports game happened so I guess my parents (or "Santa") grabbed two random cool looking games off the shelf...THAT WERE HARD AS ALL HELL. But there was my love of games, blooming indefinitely from fighting random baddies in Aladdin and eating people as a Velociraptor in Jurassic Park to being 29 years old adventuring Rapture and Columbia in Bioshock, Bioshock 2, and Bioshock: Infinite.