Anne Rice Heading to New York Comic Con

Anne Rice, the legendary author who has defined vampires for a generation of readers and writers, will be a Spotlight Guest at New York Comic Con (NYCC) in 2012. Show officials note that the announcement of Ms. Rice's participation at NYCC is just the first of several announcements about author appearances, author programs and book publisher participation at the show that organizers will be making in the coming months. Providing literary distinction at a pop culture event replete with major guests and artists from every part of the pop culture universe, Ms. Rice, who became an international phenomenon in 1976 with the publication of Interview with the Vampire, is certain to attract widespread attention at New York Comic Con among her many fans. Show officials note that other leading celebrity guests from the worlds of comics, entertainment and film will also be announced in the very near future.

Booker Vs the 2012 Star Wars Lineup

Now that October is out of the way, I can sit on my ass and catch you up on the rest of New York Comic Con, including every ounce of information we yanked from our toy buddies! We'll kick things off with Hasbro's Star Wars offerings for 2012. Consider this a sneak preview for NY Toy Fair (February), which will be here before you know it! Matt Booker explains all the plastics of the Star Warsiverse...

Hasbro's Star Wars line up for spring 2012: All new SW will start to hit stores Jan 30th just prior to the Episode1 3D movie release mid Feb.

NEW LINE - Movie Heroes (24 figures)

This line will replace Saga Legends and feature classic repacks along with all new figures
Wave one looked like saga legends refresh focusing on Episode1 and then wave two will bring in new sculpts and features, and light up sabers with non-replaceable batteries that should last a long, long time, and play feature accessories that are all removable. It’s kid orientated, but fans will love it too as there’s some great new sculpts and features to be found throughout the line.

Jedis will have button activated have slashing action. Some will have projectiles while others will have different play features. For instance, young Anakin has pod racer gear consisting of a removable, missile firing jetpack that looks like his pod racer engine and a removable helmet that’s just like the one in the film. Classic Ep1 Padme in Theed battle gear will have a working grapple line backpack. An all new R2D2 will have 32 different sound FX phrases!! We were used to 3-4 in a toy, so this should be fantastic.

In the panel, we were told more will be revealed at NY Toy Fair in Feb and they hope to show a figure with light up blaster features. So plenty of play value coming soon with features for kids which are removable for collectors to display as new, movie authentic figures. They serve a dual purpose and should be well received as there are some great pieces!

Note that most of the figures on display were early prototypes and had factory marking numbers on their foreheads. (these were not signs of Satanic worship or markings of the Illuminati as I had theorized. –Paul)

Wave 1 on shelf 1/30:
Darth Maul (attack posture whipping around), Battle Droid, Super Battle Droid, R2-D2, Qui-Gon Jinn (mid battle pose), Shock Trooper, Destroyer Droid, Obi-Wan Kenobi (in mid battle pose), General Grievous, Darth Vader, Clone Trooper (with flight pack) & Yoda

Wave 2 on shelf February:
Obi-Wan Kenobi (on guard), Darth Maul (on guard), Padme Amidala, Anakin Skywalker (jetpack), Qui-Gon Jinn (on guard) and Jar Jar Binks (a no-shenanigans version!)












Figure & Vehicles packs : Class One Fleet ( mini rigs for the old skool fans) on shelf 1/30
Darth Maul with Bloodfin (aka Sith Speeder), Ben Kenobi with Mini Naboo Royal Fighter, Clone Trooper with Barc Speeder and rounding out Wave One was the Episode One deco of the STAP and Battle Droid.

Medium Vehicles: Wave one on shelf 1/30
Reissues of the 1999 Sebulba and Anakin Podracers are on the way that are upgraded and enhanced, featuring new photo etched panel lines. The AAT (Droid Tank) will have a new interior that can hold 2 figures inside and movie accurate deco. Also on tap is a new deco on Darth Maul’s Sith Infiltrator.

Wave two on shelf February
100% Brand New Naboo Starfighter with pop out weapon pod missile launcher on the sides a bit like the ones seen on the cloud car. This will also feature a new cockpit design that has a removable R2 dock. No electronics though! Also on shelves will be a redco’d Republic Fighter Tank and Anakin's Jedi Starfighter

Clone Wars
Plenty of refresh figures from key episodes like Chewy and Mace Windu. Phase two clones will be making their way into the line just as they have in the cartoon series. The line includes all new phase two armoured Captain Rex with a non removable helmet, all new Obi Wan and Commander Boss from the Republic Commandos (which we hope means we will some day see all of Delta Squad in clone wars toy form as they are mainly just repaints.)

Wave 1 on shelf 1/30:
Savage Opress, Mace Windu (with the severed head of Jango Fett??!! REALLY??!! probably not, but it is fun to think so!), Cad Bane, Yoda, Chewbacca, Anakin Skywalker, Aqua Battle Droid, Clone Commander Cody, Plo Koon & Clone Trooper.

Wave 2 on shelf April:
Republic commando Boss, Captain Rex, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Aayla Secura.

Battle Packs Wave 1 on shelf 1/30
All refreshed strong products from key scenes in the Star Wars saga with some redecos. On tap are Rebel Heroes: Han Solo, Chewy and C-3PO, Republic Troopers: Hardcase, Cut Up and Bomb Squad, and Geonosian Arena Battle: Ben Kenobi, Jango Fett and a Battle Droid. All of these include plenty of gear to add to the Galactic Battle Game ..dice, cards, etc.

Vintage
Over 55 figures on the way. The line ups have moved around a bit from what was announced for 2011 and some have been pushed back till next year including a few reissues and 24 NEW figures, some of which were announced at this presentation. They are aware of the distribution problem and they aim to make it a lot better and easier to get product in 2012.

New figures will have a new coloured boxed vintage 21 card back styling.

Wave One end of Jan:
Qui-Gon Jinn, Ratts Tyrell & Pit Droid (which was due out in 09 but was replaced last minute by Clegg Holdfast), Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul, Battle Droid (which fully folds down just like in the movie), Naboo Royal Guard, Doltroy Dofine (great articulation and cloth goods), Quinlan Vos (Extended Universe character that’s had more love than any other EU character in the past 8 years that I can think of), Anakin Skywalker with Training Droid from Episode One, Ben Quadrinaros & Otoga-222 (Big face as they have known him at Hasbro) and Queen Amidala in black dress from Ep1

Wave Two: March
Mon Calamari Pilot from the deleted scenes, Luke Skywalker Jedi -Building his light saber from deleted scenes, Rebel Trooper (Colonel Craken) - Endor Buner Raid from deleted scenes, Leia and Lando in Sandstorm Gear - reissues with new accessories.

The deletes scenes characters proved to be a challenge for the packaging designer as there were no crisp images for the card back, so they will be composite art

Wave 3: April
Luke in Hoth Gear (that will fit on the new Taun Taun), Imperial Navy Commander, Clone Wars Season 1 Anakin (in a realistic style.. card art will be a composite art again), Darth Malgus (all new from the new game SW the Old Republic by Bioware) & Darth Vader (non removable helmet, all new sculpt which has as much articulation as you can possibly get)

Wave 4: April
Aayla Secura, Nom Anor, 501st Clone Trooper, Dr. Cornelius Evazan, Kithaba (vintage Barada done for the first time properly since 1995) and fan requested figure Wedge Antilies ... so one day we will all find him.

Wave 5: April
More fan requested figures (ie; do overs so you can actually score) Han Solo in Hoth outfit with welding gear, Barris Offee (soft goods cloak), Bom Vimdin, Arc Trooper Commander - Fordo, Rebel Fleet Trooper (cos we all need an army of these grunts to fend off the empire while R2 gets off the Tantive with the plans!), Logray (Great figure! Lets hope they get the colours correct this time) & Gamorrean Guard - 2 per case please, Hasbro. This was the best figure of last year. Such a great piece.

All Reissued figures will have their original 2010 card back packaging -not going to be refreshed to the 2011 vintage 21 back card styles.











Vehicles in vintage packaging for the first time:
AT-AP with new deco
V19 Torrent fighter
Obi Wan’s Jedi Starfighter

Titaniums are back! 9 packs for the whole year.
Now in three packs starting with an Episode 1,2,3 focus

Wave 1 on shelf 1/30:
Sith Infiltrator, MTT, Naboo Starfighter / AT-TE, Republic Gunship, Halfire Droid / Tri-Droid, Turbo Tank and Anakin's Starfighter

All are repackaged items, but great product with some new decos.

Roleplay 2012:
Darth Maul Double-Bladed Lightsaber (on shelf 1/30)- bare bones- no electronics- 5ft fully extended and blades fully collapse inside the handles.
Ultimate FX Sabers - Anakin, Vader, Luke (Green)
Electronic Helmets - NEW Darth Maul with printed eyes and reissues of Vader and phase one Clone Trooper
Non Electronic Masks: Captain Rex and Vader

Blasters: Boba reissue and Rebel Fleet Trooper.

Fighter Pods:
Going for the Playground craze market similar to Squinks and GoGos. These are highly collectible and low cost entry level for all ages. They are of soft & squishy foam style plastic. Over 130 to collect in 2012! There’s no official game rules, but its a last man standing game that kids can free play and use the pods in many ways to knock down all your opponents’ figures down. They will be making loads of different characters and Porkins is in the first release!!! SKUs include…

Class 1: Celebrate the legendary Star Wars saga that changed the universe forever! This exciting new collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and took us to a galaxy far, far away. These incredibly cute figures also come with fighter pods to battle your friends and enemies in your own Star Wars universe (or your bedroom) - great fun for collectors of all ages! Figures are around 1-2 inches, includes 4 random figures and 2 pods. Characters include Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padme Amidala, Kit Fisto, Darth Vader (masked and unmasked!), Chewbacca (x2), Jeb Porkins Red Guard, Luke Skywalker, Captain Rex, C-3PO, Darth Sidious, Akankin Skywalker, Darth Maul, Boba Fett, Clone Commander Cody, Storm Trooper, Blond Guy (aka Luke in Stormtrooper gear), Aayla Secura, Han Solo in hoth gear, Yoda, R2-D2, Jabba the Hutt, Qui-Gon Jinn, Clone Trooper, Jango Fett, Han Solo in carbonite, Lando Calrisian, Snowtrooper, Sandtrooper, Tie Fighter Pilot, Han Solo in Stormtrooper gear and Bossk who seems to have adopted the last name "Eater" for the sake of..child..playability?! Vehicles which hold the pods include Anakin's Starfighter, a Snowspeeder, the Millennium Falcon, Sith Infiltrator and the AT-AT (which holds 2 pods!)

Class 2: includes 8 figures, 4 pods & 1 special vehicle pod. Will also include 2 exclusive figures per pack!

Class 3: includes 12 figures, 6 pods & 1 special vehicle pod. Will also include 2 exclusive figures per pack!

Jedi Force:
New for 2011 will be figure 2 packs- Ep1 Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, Darth Maul and Blood Finn Speeder Bike

2012 Exclusives:

Walmart “Discover the Force” range on shelf 1/30 - All have new style packaging with a pair of old school red and blue 3D glasses that work with the image on the back of the card.

12 different Phantom Menace figures: 4 which will be reissued later in the year in vintage packaging ( Mawhonic, Aurra Sing, Naboo Pilot, Gungan Warrior), 2 that are in the general release “Movie Heroes” range without 3D glasses ( Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn with soft goods). Only released in this range: Ric Olie, Yoda, Tusken Raider, Destroyer Droid, G8-R3 and Darth Maul.

Royal Starship Droids Battle Pack - 4 R2 Units from the classic scene -all will be build a droid parts and have their harnesses. Pack includes R2-R9, R2-A6, R2-B1 and R2-D2.
Mos Espa Arena Battle Pack – Anakin, 3PO, Sebulba, Rodian and 2 Pit Droids.

Dewback – Just a repaint of the previous one without a Sandtrooper.
Vulture Droid - Repaint in the classic Phantom Menace movie colours

Target: Two 2-packs that re-issue key Sith characters.
Emergence of the Sith 2 pack - Darth Sidious and Darth Maul
Rise of Darth Vader - little Anakin Skywalker with Naboo pilot helmet and Darth Vader.

Role Play Electronic Vader helmet and saber pack - All reissues.

Toys R Us: Pod Racer Pilots pack on shelf 1/30 - Re-issues of Clegg Holdfast, Gasgano, Dud Bolt, Mars Guo and Teemto Pagalies. ..will also come with the banner for each racer as seen in the film!


Info from Questions from panel:

Class One Boba Fett on bike and Republic Attack Ship are on the way but no release date yet.

Next new Darth Maul should have ball jointed elbows.

Fighter Pods blind packaged ships will be totally random in foil bags and smokey-painted pods.

Obi Wan from A New Hope should come on a vintage card again.

No plans of doing more official SW Star Cases for 2012, but they are thinking about it for 2013.

New Vintage Vader will not have a removable helmet.

Concept figures are on the top 5/6 ideas of things to come back to but not in 2012.

Spring will focus on Episode 1 and then the rest of the year will be balanced on all 6 films.

No plans for Fighter Pods carry cases just yet but its a great idea.

Next Big Vehicle will be revealed at New York Toy Fair in February.. The Legendary Mark Bordroux designed it. (I speculate it will be the Naboo Star Ship to go with the Episode 1 theme. Matt hears it may be the Droid Drop Ship or Rebel Transport. Droid Drop Ship makes sense as the new Droid figure can fold up the way it is supposed to!)

Future vintage product should all be available in the UK

No way to make the blister easier to remove from card back to let openers keep the card back mint.

Vintage Vader on A New Hope card should be the next Vader release. Adam Paulus from Galactic Hunter showed he knows more than the staff !
So loads of great new products for 2011 and as it’s a movie year, there’s loads of Darth Maul, who will be back in the spring in the Clone Wars cartoon series. It should be a great year for Star Wars with Episode 1 in the cinema in 3D and the 4th season of Clone Wars continuing on TV …the brand will be in the spotlight all year!

CLICK HERE for round 1 of Star Wars toy images from New York Comic Con!
CLICK HERE for round 2 of Star Wars toy images from New York Comic Con!
CLICK HERE for our gallery for Star Wars Fighter Pods!

Quick note: Went on a toy run yesterday and saw Clone Wars Mace Windu and the awesome looking Aqua Battle Droid on the pegs, so these release dates may be a little off!

NYCC: Day 1 Kicked My Ass, But We've Got Hasbro and Mattel!

But I do it out of love, so my butt will survive. Conni, my second unit photographer is a freaking rock star and has turned in over a thousand pics. She may have shot more than me today. SHOCKER. I am humbled and ashamed. Got home a bit late and had to do the dump and sorting first, but we've battled through the pain and posted a few choice folders to the Flickr. Here's the skinny...

It all started with an (admittedly) rather pathetic exclusives selection you'll find at the bottom of the pile. I blame the companies for making exclusives and not telling anyone about them, but I was just lazy about it. CLICK HERE for the NYCC overview with separate folders for the most awesome of those exclusives. This should also be the link you bookmark, as it gives you an aerial view of the show.

Hasbro may have showed a ton of new toys at San Diego Comic Con, but that doesn't mean they hit the big apple without premium plastics at the ready. I managed to get an awesome viewpoint of those figures you wanted a closer look at from the Marvel Universe line as well as pretty zooms of the new Marvel Legends including Daken, Madam Masque, Thunderball, Fantomex, Bucky Captain America, Arnim Zola and more! We also found an 8 inch Destroyer to tower over your Thor as well as a Frost Giant to knock around, and the stars of the case...THE AVENGERS! This grouping includes your first really good look at Hulk, who seems a bit bland in action figure form. Still, I'm sure I'll love every second of screen time he gets.

Also booted up for New york Comic Con 2011 coverage is Hasbro Star Wars, which I hear includes more than a couple of items that mysteriously disappeared from the cases, and Hasbro's amazing G.I. Joe figures and multi-packs that I can't stop raving about. DREADNOKS MULTI PACK!! SLAUGHTER'S MARAUDERS MULTI PACK!!! The geeky mind spins.

I had just enough awake time to squeeze out two folders for Mattel including DC Universe Classics, 2 packs and METRON, the first of those subscription figures along side the long awaited Larfleeze action figure!! Stop paying 100 bucks for that DC Direct one on ebay, kids!! Before I collapsed into a heap, I launched the WWE folder so you can get your testosterone driven he-man fix. You're welcome.

WANT MORE?? Well fuck, you should have been watching my Twitter this morning!! Go get em.

Thanks to Matt Booker for ridiculous conversation, Conni & Dave for awesome back up and Zach Oat for having wonderful old timey mutton chops. More tomorrow!!

NYCC: Anchor Bay & Roger Corman Class the Show Up a Bit

WHAT: Legendary producer Roger Corman and Corman’s World documentary preview highlight Anchor Bay Films Theatrical and Anchor Bay Entertainment DVD/Blu-ray™ Releases at the 2011 New York Comic Con show – the East Coast’s largest fan and genre gathering!

WHEN: Thursday, October 13th through Sunday, October 16th

WHERE: Jacob K. Javits Convention Center – Booth #430 - 655 W. 34th Street, New York, NY 10001

DETAILS: Oscar™-winning producer Roger Corman will be making a rare appearance at the 2011 New York Comic Con on Saturday, October 15th to sign posters from the upcoming ABF documentary Corman’s World. ABE will also showcase the latest previews and posters for their upcoming Blu-ray™ and DVD titles!

EVENTS: Saturday, October 15th 5:30 – 6:30pm : Roger Corman poster signing at ABE Booth #430 - Mr. Corman will sign exclusive Corman’s World theatrical posters specially printed for NYCC. PLEASE NOTE: Autographs are limited to the Corman’s World poster and ONE other Roger Corman related item only!!!

In addition, watch the latest previews from upcoming Anchor Bay Entertainment Blu-ray™ and DVD releases, spanning every major genre including:

Television: “Camelot: The Complete First Season,” “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena,” “Spartacus: Vengeance,” “The Walking Dead S1 Special Edition,” and “The Walking Dead Season 2”

Horror/Sci-Fi: Apollo 18, The Divide, The Howling Reborn, Ice Quake, Metal Shifters, Scream 4 and The Wicker Tree

Action/Thrillers: 13, 5 Days of War, Battle Royale and Carjacked

Manga: First Squad, Redline

In what’s become a NYCC tradition, there will be daily (sometimes hourly!) giveaways of exclusive ABE DVDs, Blu-rays™, merchandise and premiums during all four days of the 2011 New York Comic-Con!

NYCC: Toy2R / Tenacious Toys Signing Schedule

Toy2R, masters of vinyl art toy, have their all star lineup prepared to strike New York Comic Con this weekend, fully armed with one of a kind creations and short run exclusives that will BLOW YOUR DAMN MIND!! Here's the skinny...

Toy2R / Tenacious Toys Booth #876

FRIDAY OCTOBER 14TH:
- 1PM: Rsin & Matt Anderson
- 3PM: Mr. Munk
- 4PM: Nasty Neil & David Foox

SATURDAY OCTOBER 15TH:
- 11AM: JCRivera
- Noon: Jon-Paul Kaiser
- 2PM: Jason Freeny
- 3PM: OsirisOrion, NEMO & Bob Conge (Plaseebo)

Also on hand will be original customs by the artists above but also these talented artists from around the globe (most available for purchase):

Kid Ink Industries

Pocket Wookie

DUST

Ian Ziobrowski

JAY222

Wasted Talent

Valerie Gudell

Carson Catlin

AW177

ViseOne

Monster Kolor

Nerviswr3k

Jon Malmstedt

Mesmithy

Zam

Frank Mysterio

Mister Darkboy

I, personally, am hoping they bring their little plastic bear that looks like it is growing grass all over its body. I will have one of those, please. Moss Man needs a buddy.

For more images and info of the exclusives of NYCC, CLICK HERE!!

NYCC: VIZ's Asian Invasion with Naruto and Voltron

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, has announced a packed schedule of events, panel discussions, promotional giveaways, theatrical film premieres, and rare guest appearances for the 2011 New York Comic Con, taking place at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City, October 13th – 16th. VIZ Media will be located in Booth 932.

The annual New York Comic Con is the largest gathering on the East Coast dedicated to comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. Complete details on New York Comic Con is available at: www.newyorkcomiccon.com.

Digital technology and distribution has forever changed the way fans read and purchase manga, and VIZ Media will showcase its industry-leading VIZ Manga App for the Apple iPad™, iPhone™ and iPod™ touch in a fun interactive demo as well as its online manga web portal at VIZManga.com. VIZ Manga currently features more than 40 popular manga series and over 400 volumes.

This year, VIZ Media is proud to welcome Junko Takeuchi, the Japanese voice of Naruto, who will participate in a special NARUTO SHIPPUDEN panel discussion on Friday, October 14th from 1:15pm to 2:15pm in Room 1A22. Come welcome the actress for her first-ever U.S. appearance, and hear her experiences performing the voice for the world’s most popular ninja!

VIZ Media will excite NARUTO SHIPPUDEN fans even more with a special U.S. theatrical premiere of the latest action-packed feature film. The NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE: BONDS event will be on Saturday, October 15th at 6:00pm at the School of Visual Arts Theatre (SVA), located near the Javits Convention Center at 333 West 23rd Street. Join Junko Takeuchi to celebrate the U.S. premiere of this exciting new film. Check a posted schedule at the VIZ Media booth for designated times for free ticket giveaways! All fans that attend the premiere will receive a special Heroes of Anime gift bag that includes the new NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™: Ultimate Ninja Impact™ PSP video game from Namco Bandai Games of America (released on October 18th), in addition to other fun NARUTO collectibles.

VIZ Media is pleased to welcome Masayuki Ozaki of Sunrise, the co-creator and Executive Producer of the hit anime TIGER & BUNNY, currently streaming on VIZAnime.com. He will participate in a can’t-miss TIGER & BUNNY panel discussion, taking place on Sunday, October 16th from 1:15pm to 2:15pm in Room 1A03.

VIZ Media also welcomes VOLTRON FORCE head writer Brian Smith, and two of the lead artists, Jacob Chabot (Vol. 1) and Dario Brizuela (Vol. 3) from the upcoming graphic novel series for an in-person booth appearance and signing session at on Saturday October 15th & Sunday October 16th at 3PM.

Fans can hear exciting updates about the company’s upcoming releases, as well as get the scoop on groundbreaking new projects at the VIZ Media Panel, set for Sunday, October 16th from 10:45am to 11:45am in Room 1A23.

New York Comic Con visitors are also invited to sample VIZ Media’s ART FOR HOPE, a special limited edition digital art book anthology to be sold through the VIZ Manga App and VIZManga.com, with 100% of net proceeds supporting ongoing disaster relief efforts in Japan. Attendees can receive a limited edition ART FOR HOPE preview poster, available for a suggested minimum donation of $5, with all proceeds benefiting Architecture for Humanity.

Finally, don’t miss special product giveaways at the VIZ Media booth, including a special collectable 25th Anniversary tote bag, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN temporary tattoos, SHONEN JUMP screen wipes, and on Sunday, VIZ Kids Day, MAMESHIBA headbands, VIZ Kids manga samplers and full color posters featuring VOLTRON FORCE and MAMESHIBA.

NYCC: Marvel Invades your TV

The biggest pop culture event of the fall is almost here and Marvel Television will be at New York Comic Con with never-before-seen footage and exclusive announcements!

First, join Jeph Loeb, Marvel’s Head of Television, on Friday, October 14th in Room 1A22 for Marvel Television Presents: Anime on G4 from 5-6pm for news on this cutting edge animation! Who will voice Blade when G4’s Blade anime premieres? You’ll find out…and see exclusive footage from the hotly-anticipated series. Plus, don’t miss the world-premiere of the X-Men anime with a special screening of Episode 1!

Then, on Saturday, October 15th get in line early for Marvel Television Presents, from 3:45-4:45pm in Room 1A10! Join Loeb as he updates fans on everything Marvel TV, from upcoming animated series on Disney XD to the latest on live action shows in development. Want to see a new clip from next year’s Ultimate Spider-Man animated series? Or the second season premiere of Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes!? This is the only place to see them…and some other cool stuff we can’t dare reveal!

“Everyone at Marvel Television knows we have the best fans in the world and we’re coming to New York Comic Con with some new material worthy of those fans,” explained Loeb. “If you’re an Avengers fan, Spider-Man or, just a fan of awesome television, then you’re going to want to be at these panels. And you never know which celebrities might surprise us with a visit!”

For more on Marvel’s plans for New York Comic Con, visit http://marvel.com/nycc2011

FREE ZOMBIES at New York Comic Con!

Diamond Select Toys has a long tradition of giving out free Minimates at their convention appearances, and this year's New York Comic-Con will be no different. However, since it's only a couple of weeks before Halloween, they decided to make this year's giveaway extra-spooky. The free Minimate will be from their upcoming Maximum Zombies Minimates line, and will be a Zombie Civilian in a sealed bag. Giveaways will happen at the DST booth (#338) starting at 10:00 AM on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, WHILE SUPPLIES LAST -- there will only be a limited number given out each day. (Note: Giveaways will NOT occur at noon, as they have in the past.) It's first come, first served, so you will want to make their booth your first stop of the day, and pick up the exclusive Maximum Zombies two-pack (seen here backing up the Zombie Civilian) while you're in the neighborhood!

New York Comic Con Extended to Four Days

After hosting nearly 100,000 fans, guests, and professionals at the 2010 edition of New York Comic Con (NYCC), organizers of the annual event have decided to extend the length of the show by an extra day in 2011 in order to accommodate even more attendees as well as provide additional programming and business opportunity for the artists, creators, and exhibitors who are the foundation of the show’s success. New York Comic Con has experienced exponential growth since it was launched in 2006. The show now occupies the entire Jacob K. Javits Center and the addition of another day of activity assures that the convention can continue its expansion into one of the largest annual events in New York City. New York Comic Con is a celebration of the pop culture universe, covering comic books, anime, movies, television, toys, and games. It attracts fans from around the world, exhibitors and guests from the full spectrum of popular culture, and tremendous media attention -- almost 4,000 members of the press attended the show in 2010 and stories appeared in hundreds of outlets ranging from blogs to live national TV broadcasts.

The dates for the next New York Comic Con are Thursday, October 13 – Sunday October 16, 2011. The show will be open to the public for the first time for three full days – Friday (10/14), Saturday (10/15), and Sunday (10/16). This will mean more hours and opportunities for fans to interact with their heroes throughout the popular culture universe and allow show organizers to expand the Cultyard and New York Anime Festival -- two shows-within-the-show -- which serve the burgeoning indie toy and anime and manga communities. NYCC’s additional day of convention activity will take place on Thursday (10/13) with academic programming beginning at 12 noon. The convention floor will officially open for professional hours and a new fan preview night on Thursday from 4pm – 7pm. NYCC’s professional hours provide a quality business atmosphere for exhibitors while providing VIPs and media a chance to see new products and merchandise in an exclusive setting. For the first time, a very limited number of dedicated and committed fans will also have access to the convention floor during this professional time. These fans will only be admitted if they purchase the new, limited quantity, full 4-day pass to NYCC. Tickets will go on sale on February 7 at 12 noon Eastern Time. Further details are below.

In other ReedPOP news, officials note that their international expansion, which is an essential component of the group’s business and its embrace of the pop culture universe, has had a marked success with the recently concluded Singapore Toy, Games & Comic Convention (STGCC) which took place December 10 – 12, 2010 at Suntec Convention Center in Singapore. ReedPOP acquired STGCC in April, 2010. The global pop culture appetite is growing significantly in the region, and the chance to meet comics creators at STGCC was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many fans. Critically acclaimed comics writer and STGCC guest Gail Simone commented after the event: “STGCC is a world-class pop culture event in one of the most amazing places on Earth. I can’t wait to come back!”

“NYCC’s expansion to four days is in response to our immense growth,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for ReedPOP. “Our show has simply gotten too big to take place in three days. Additionally, the evening hours for professionals on Thursday will provide even more flexibility for both exhibitors and other industry pros to participate in this key part of the show. Meanwhile, our success in Singapore, coming hard on the heels of our success with NYCC, has been incredibly energizing. Our international growth is central to ReedPOP’s core mission to open up new markets for our exhibiting customers and guests and to spread the currency of cool to fan boys and fan girls in all corners of the globe where popular culture thrives. Further, our global approach allows us to broaden our offerings at every event we organize. The success of STGCC is closely linked with the success of NYCC because pop culture is universal, and what we learn in Asia may be applied to NYCC and vice versa. We want to delve into all areas where pop culture exists, from fashion to comics, from books to film, and we want to learn from other cultures. I am ecstatic that this philosophy seems to be working so well for ReedPOP. The physical growth of NYCC, the expansion to four days in 2011, and the recent success of STGCC are milestones in the growth and extension of ReedPOP as a brand serving passionate fans and dedicated professionals. We are humbled by the support we have received and excited to continue our mission in the year to come with new additions to our stable of events.”

As noted, a limited number of fans will be provided access to professional hours from 4 to 7pm on Thursday, October 16th at NYCC in 2011. A total of 10,000 4-day passes are available for purchase, and this 4-day pass includes admittance to the convention floor both on NYCC's three dedicated public days as well as on Thursday during professional hours. There will be no single day tickets sold for Thursday. There will be 3-day passes available for purchase for Friday – Sunday, and there will be single day passes available for Friday – Sunday, as well. Tickets for NYCC will be sold via www.nycomiccon.com beginning at 12 noon Eastern Time on February 7.

In addition, tickets for the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), which is also organized by ReedPOP and which will take place at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center, March 18 – 20, 2011, are now available via the C2E2 web site, www.c2e2.com. Further information about all ReedPOP shows and activity is available through Lance Fensterman’s blog, www.mediumatlarge.net.

NYCC 2010: Shiny Collectibles

While not every company on the planet graced geekdom with their presence at New York Comic Con this year, there was certainly enough to keep me sweating..especially when you consider the show has yet to learn how to keep a crowd moving so I've practically got PTSD from the ordeal. We decided it would be best to put all the links in one place for your clickifying pleasure, so sit back, relax, and let the joy and longing wash over you simultaneously as you peruse the vast wonders of toys, statues and vinyl art figures across the show floor.

GO HERO / ZICA : with Buck Rogers Mego-like figures and 12 inch wonders including a George Romero figure I'd love to see made!! He's standing next to the little zombie girl from Night of the Living Dead. Awesome 2 pack potential!

TONNER : Makers of amazing dolls that surpass the humdrum name. This year on display you'll see new Harry Potter, DC Comics Stars, Alice in Wonderland, Firefly, Twilight, Lord of the Rings, Tron, Muppets and some original costume designs collectors are sure to freak out over.

SQUARE ENIX : Killer toys never stop coming in from across the water. This year Square Eniz brings us new Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker figures, Assassin's Creed, Bleach, Halo Reach and Final Fantasy XIII

HASBRO : Stealthly hidden within the crowded confines of the Marvel booth, Hasbro brought their super hero all stars into the light with new Super Hero Squad figures and vehicles, a second look at the incoming wave of Marvel Legends 6 inch figures (YAY!), Marvel Universe scaled movie figures for Thor and Captain America, the main Marvel Universe line complete with a super sized Sentinel, super sized Frost Giant & Loki, super sized Goliath and a Giant-Size X-Men 6 figure boxed set!

DC DIRECT / DC UNLIMITED : Putting your displays at the corners of your booth is great...in theory. In reality, I got knocked over more times than Webster at the Million Man March. Never the less, I got the goods. Check out the new True Blood statue, DC Comics action figures and statues, DC Unlimited video game action figures, World of Warcrack..I mean craft and Starcraft figures, the newest Batman action figures, Brightest Day action figures, the hot Ame-Comi Heroine series PVC figures and the newest statues and busts you'll be hunting for.

DARK HORSE : With a fine selection of varied licenses including Domo (that little killer brownie monster who kills kittens when you masturbate), Dexter, Tim Burton, The Peanuts, Bettie Page, Eerie and Disney!

ART TOYS : You'll forgive me lumping this all together, but when you are fighting through the crowd, can't shoot past people that don't get that blocking the whole front of a table for a conversation means no one else can see the artists' work and generally clueless about who has made what to begin with, it is a losing battle. I did see some fantastic things before I had to pull the ejector lever, so I hope you enjoy them as well.

The Costumes of New York Comic Con

Ahhh..the power of costumes. On a hot woman, the geek elements of her Zatanna outfit draw you in and give you an excuse to take a picture of her whilst her boobies keep you transfixed until it has become somewhat uncomfortable for both of you. Now take the same costume and put it on a somewhat hairy guy and you've got instant and epic comedy. Double Rainbows have nothing on a man in fishnets and a top hat. With all this fun, there is also horror. For instance, a child sized Flash costume should not be worn by a 300 lb man. The result looks as if he might explode at any moment, showering the crowd in peanut MnMs. There is also the horror of the rushed, unskilled costumer who is so desperate to get in on the fun, nothing will stop them. Many a duct tape warrior has fallen prey to this thinking. I'll also point out that, while we appreciate your willingness to be naked in public, JUST duct tape..or blue paint..does not a costume make. At least glue some fur to your bits and be Felicia from Darkstalkers if you need to show your goodies to the geeks of the world.

With all that said, I salute the Cosplayers of New York Comic Con and welcome you to click THIS LINK and enjoy them for yourself! Special thanks to Jordana Mariel who snapped a lot of these and was the cutest Hula Hooping Silk Spectre ever.

NYCC 2010: The Saga Continues

I've been doing San Diego Comic Con for around 9 years now, so I'm no stranger to the geek hordes, the obstacles of monolithic cosplayers posing for pictures every 10 feet, the lines to get into panels or the stench from the collective unwashed that will singe your eyebrows off, but New York Comic Con did one thing I never thought a convention that didn't include drinking would do. It kicked my ass.

We started fast and furious on Friday afternoon with Jordana covering costumes and random photo ops (dressed as Buffy the Vampire Slayer from the episode where she was a waitress named Anne) and myself grabbing shots of any toy I could get to before the show opens and I'm tossed around like a Jenna Jameson real doll at a porn convention after party. That went smoothly enough and I managed to get up to Square Enix before the public, brandishing better cameras then mine and screaming their favorite catch phrases in my ear, showed up to block my path. Still it was all fairly calm and I pushed through til my first meeting to see zombies in Red Dead Redemption hit. By then, it was clear NYCC was pulling no punches this year and all their shouting to all points dork attracted a legion of fans of all shapes and sizes that clogged every orifice the convention hall had to offer. Inside the Red Dead booth I learned that zombies will try and eat your horse, and your horse can then become a zombie horse, but the zombies will not try and eat a zombie horse. Interesting. More on that later!

Back into the fray to see how Jordana and the Evil Girl Squad (Lead by Lori who vowed to cover comics with extreme prejudice) were faring and shoot up the plastics before ducking into the IGN theater to get a peek at Captain Marvel fighting Black Adam as well as All Star Superman, coming soon from Warner Home Video. We were told that aside from another Green Lantern animated film on the way, we'd also be getting Batman: Year One. It's clear WB's focus is on the movie properties and building those brands, but with so many great stories to tell, I sure would kill to see someone besides Superman and Batman go at it! Again..more on that later!

Saturday...was a clusterfuck. We called it Codename: Clusterfuck actually. After seeing Heather Buckley into the show and on her way to Saw 3D interviews, I headed off to meet Ryan Buell from Paranormal State where we talked about crazy people and the ghosts they are convinced they are ravaged by. I followed this up with a round table with The Venture Brother's Jackson and Doc, who have sincerely apologized for destroying that super valuable comic in that episode that made you cry yourself to sleep. After getting my Batman mask signed I made a break for Hanna interviews; the tale of a young girl taught to be a ruthless assassin by her father, Eric Bana. Family fun! My lineup had a young Irish girl, Ban the Aussie and a British Director, so accents for everyone. After scoring some food for Heather who was dying on her Thing prequel press line and running into a nearly completely naked Na'vi girl, I made my way back to the floor. Just inside the entrance beyond the escalators, they placed a stage where people danced to a new Michael Jackson Wii game, so as I entered I came across two things; Wookies rocking out to Beat It and a sea of people watching Wookies dance. The crowd was so thick, it was nearly impossible to move forward beyond a slow, drudging walk. How I missed the snarky voice of the SDCC woman reminding people that stopping in the middle of an ilse is not a good idea, as people can't walk through you. Science is awesome. No one seemed to get the laws of displacement and so, the slow march continued. This made shooting the Art Toys nearly impossible, so forgive me if that section of our FlickR is lacking. I did my best!! I made my way to the Young Justice panel and found getting in a breeze. We learned that the new cartoon series can use ANYONE from the DC universe and doesn't shy away from guest stars from the Justice League, so HOOfuckingRAY for that!!! My mind boggles with cameo potential. The day's adventure ended at The Patriot with the Evil Girl Squad and Vodka, until I could take the country western music no longer and gave up. I'd like to thank the 4 Tank Girls I ran into for brightening up this; the most crappiest of convention days.

Sunday allowed me some time to sleep in, but I had more articulated things to shoot and was determined to visit most of my friends for photo ops. I'd had some panels earmarked for my own enjoyment but quickly deserted them upon finding the show seemingly more crowded than the previous day. I ran into a couple of Cosplay girls I knew and took their picture as they expressed their frustration with the lack of space to breathe in the show. My frustration joined them as I found the Walking Dead panel had a line bigger than the space inside the IGN theater and when you add all the people inside who would not be leaving, there was no way I'd get my notes in there. Luckily, Heather Buckly is like a ninja and got the job done. Knowing this, I met up with Jordana (dressed as Silk Spectre 1 from Watchmen) and we did some shopping and said hi to friends at Angry Drunk Graphics and Rocklove Jewelry. We decided my coverage would not be balanced if we didn't hit the actual Anime part of the convention, so we traveled down the long corridoor to what almost seemed like a sub basement. Remember that scene from Roger Rabbit where they break through the wall to Toon Town and everything is singing and dancing? We had arrived. Some kids were on stage dressed in Japanese school skirts belting out a heartfelt rendition of the Pokemon theme song and the WHOLE SHOW FLOOR was joining them. Everyone..no matter where you looked..was singing..except for those few people, like us, who wandered in to get the full effect. The Horror. Anime fans, in large groups, don't really speak to each other as much as they make odd little high pitch noises and break into synchronized dance at any moment. It seems an odd way to communicate. After strolling down one isle of all hand made art and items and seeing someone sketching Batman making out with Superman, we decided it would be best to go back to the main convention hall.

Jordana took off to fight crime and Hula Hoop and I headed over to Image to grab some pictures of Kirkman (creator of The Walking Dead) when I stumbled across Rufus Dayglo, artist for Tank Girl in his first appearance stateside. As you may be aware of already, I'm a freak for Tank girl..and if you were on hand that day, you would have watched me struggle to keep it together as the geek inside me flipped the fuck out. I walked away with a sketch and two full pages of hand drawn art from the comic..and a smile on my face that still hasn't gone away. After saying quick hellos to Dark Horse's Scott Allie and our good friends at Anchor Bay and Magnet Releasing, me and Heather found a tiny little Thai restaurant to hold up in til the crowds thinned out and we could make our way home...exhausted..bruised..battered...and complete.























Side Story: While fighting his way through the crowds of New York Comic Con, a former police officer wounded on the job and forced to use a cane to walk came across Bruce Campbell..or rather vice versa. Rushing through the crowd and annoyed by the countless fans trying to get pictures and autographs they weren't paying for, Bruce came across our hero and when asked by yet another fan for a signature, he exclaimed "I've got to be somewhere and this fat cripple is blocking me." Our buddy, worn down by his bad back, bad leg and a day of pushing through the crowd, turns around to see it is Bruce Campbell being a dick and punches him in the face. Cameras go off like mad and Bruce's handlers advise the man with the cane to disappear quickly as this could get bad. To his credit, the bloody lipped Campbell immediately realized he deserved his licks and laughed it off before vacating the area.

And that, my friends..is Comic Con. Check out all the pics by clicking RIGHT HERE!! There are more stories to tell and more pics to be uploaded, so keep checking back.



Special thanks to Heather Buckley, Jordana and Lori for all the hard work, and Reed for all their access.