WormholeRiders News Agency

Tag: Comics

Armageddon Expo: Auckland, New Zealand

Hey scifi fans!

First of all, apologies for the late report. It’s exam season in New Zealand right now, and everyone’s been pretty swamped in study.

Anyway. Onwards and upwards!

The Armageddon Expo was held in Auckland, New Zealand, from October 23rd to October 25th. A huge event, it annually covers all aspects of geekdom – anime, comics, gaming, and of course, sci-fi. Also wrestling. Heh.

The original scifi guest line-up included Stargate SG1 and Stargate Atlantis stars Ben Browder, Torri Higginson, Lexa Doig and Corin Nemec. Unfortunately many of them had to pull out, with good reason.

Ben had actually managed to attend the Australian event just a week before, but he’d had to abruptly return back to the States due to a family emergency. Best wishes to him and his family!

He was sincerely very sorry for not coming, and promised to be back at next year’s event!

As disappointing as it was that we missed Ben, Corin and Lexa… we were fortunate enough to welcome Michael Shanks and Torri Higginson (Michael’s first time in New Zealand)! You can’t really complain when you’re in the company of those two!

I met up with the lovely Champa Maciel (JandyraCJM) early Saturday morning. I don’t quite know how she survives in New Zealand with that strong Australian accent! (CJ: “I can’t believe Zoe just said that!”) I joke!

We went our separate ways for a while, and met up for panels and autographs.

I heard she got pretty chummy with some of the Weta Workshop gang, which is great! Weta is a multi-award winning visual effects company, based in Wellington, New Zealand. They, along with Weta Digital, have been involved in special effects for huge movie hits, such as Avatar, Lord of the Rings, District 9, Eragon, King Kong and many more. Amazing stuff!

CJ: I’d popped by the Weta Workshop booth when we first arrived. I knew that the overwhelmingly cool Magnus Hjert (Marketing) would be there, and hey presto! We spent about twenty minutes getting to know each other face to face (we had been in cyber-touch, thanks internets!), and had a wonderful discussion about their work and humungous Hobbit battle. Magnus is a fantastic NZ/Swedish specimen; chilled, laid back, open and friendly.

I returned later in the day to rendez-vous with the talented Greg Broadmore, lead designer (for weapons, vehicles and technology in ‘District 9’), who was clocked in for book signings. We had previously met at ‘The Art of District 9’ event in Wellington, and as soon as I approached, he stood up and shook my hand with “OH HELLO! How are you? Nice to see you again!”. Memory of an elephant! The following discussion was absolutely flooring. He had read my WormholeRiders report (“HOW?!” I said, “It was only posted yesterday!”). Thank YOU, Google Alerts. “Wow, you didn’t write just a little bit!”.

We here in the world’s sheep-pen are fortunate enough to have such close access to the industry-shattering work these guys are accomplishing. The idea is to let others experience it from a distance, bring the continents closer together, to capture the essence of the atmosphere so that others can richly appreciate it as well. Greg was extremely enthusiastic and complimentary on the report, and made me promise to keep in touch with them. Wonderful guys!

On top of which, Greg himself never falters in his creative zeal. He is constantly producing books of his spellbinding art work, most recently steam punk designs, and watching him doodle the most incredible, sprawling cartoons across the signing page of a book in two minutes flat. Well, it was just jaw-dropping! If anyone is interested in his work, or any others on the team, please visit them at www.wetanz.com.

Also, the ‘One’ Ring from the famous trilogy was on display, amongst many other film memorabilia. DROOL!

Zoe: Torri’s panel was the first event of the day! We went in expecting a quiet, polite, gentle woman. Oh. My. Frelling. Gosh. That woman is irresistable.

You expect her to be reserved and in control like Weir, but noooo. She’s more ‘badass’ (and CUTE) than a ninja turtle on a motorbike! During her panel she said something (which I can’t really quote here…AHEM!) that landed her in the biggest national newspaper in the country. She’d clapped her hand over he mouth and said “there aren’t any children in here are there?! Don’t tell anyone I said that!” and two days later she was quoted in our national newspaper. Let’s just say, it was Hobbit-related, so the audience welcomed her comments with a joyful uproar! That poor woman! We have audio-recorded the panels, and are in the process of transcripting, so we’ll have those coming to you in a couple of weeks.

Now, photo ops. Michael Shanks. I have to say, in Stargate SG1, Daniel Jackson was an instant hit with me. I started watching in season 10, when I walked in on my daddy watching Family Ties. The dynamic between Daniel and Vala was the first thing that hooked me on the show. So meeting him was a pretty big deal! And he was amazing. He was more awesome then I’d thought he’d be. He was constantly joking, smiling… and hugging! Just saying-when that man hugs you… he doesn’t let go! Not that I’d want to let go or anything… but when I let go, he didn’t. Also, he tends to initiate the hug without you asking. It was petrifying.

Anyway, I won’t bore you with the details of my photo op. I love how photo opportunities at conventions in New Zealand are so long! Mine took a full five minutes, so I manage to get lots of quality time. Oh! I have to mention this, though: After the photo, I was walking back to my friends, when a random con-goer grinned at me, breathed in deeply and remarked “YOU SMELL LIKE SHANKS.” Weirdest/most awesome part of my day. I swear. I didn’t even know what to say. I think I just stood there twitching. “…thanks?” I’m never washing the tank top I wore on that day though.

Wow, that sounds unbelievably creepy.

CJ: Zoe, unbelievably creepy! Just kidding. The autograph sessions with Torri and Michael were a bundle of positive energy bursts! Michael is such a… well…a dude. He had his beloved cap on, ruggedly groomed…totally duded out! The guy is wonderful. It may be an actor trait, but he talks to everyone so openly, so warmly, and he’s so extremely down to earth. It was his first time in New Zealand and he was mightily excited about doing some sightseeing.

And Torri…well..Torri had mentioned her adoration for Shakespeare at her panel (She had just finished performing ’Much Ado About Nothing’) So I mentioned it to her, and how we had just finished performing ‘Macbeth’. WELL. From that point on it was all hounds on the loose! We squeed and geeked out over Shakespeare, theatre and literature for about seven full minutes. I glanced at Torri’s handler to see how she was taking it, but Ms. Handler just had this great big grin on her face, almost as splitting as the grins that were breaking our own.

We then mentioned that we live in a wine country region of NZ: Torri practically drooled, and made me swear I’d bring her a bottle or three next time she visits. The woman LOVES New Zealand, she was so excited about her visit, but more on that in her panel discussion. I asked her, please, not to judge as I’m from Australia (ZOE!!!), so the dear woman wrote on our photo “I love NZ! (and Aus ;))”. Squish!

Besides which, she was babbling in geek heaven at being so close to Hobbiton– enormous fan right there! It was a bubble of joy to meet her, the loveliest, giggliest, sweetest woman one could ever meet; Sincere, humble, generous and absolutely in love with her fans! You actually just want to clamber awkwardly over the table and bundle her up in the most gigantic huggle possible.

Zoe: Torri’s autograph line moved the slowest. She makes sure to have a proper conversation with every single person, and she’s just the loveliest person ever! I have to say, I did not expect such a bright personality. She’s just so great, and so funny! She’s actually got to be one of the loveliest actresses I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. When I went to get her autograph, there was no line… (I have a system) … and she was just sitting there. I walked up to her, and BOOM. She was asking me questions about school, about life, about New Zealand… she’s just a gorgeous person to talk to! Torri actually attempts to make proper conversation, and she’s just so adorable. Her Canadian accent is super-strong. I love it!

Also, the presence of Michael Shanks totally compelled me to buy an autograph. I wasn’t going to…but I did. It was nice talking to him again for another long while, though! HE’S SO FUNNY. I seriously love how much personal time we have with the stars at this particular convention.

Now unfortunately on day two of the event, I’d woken up with a monster headache. I couldn’t even function. So I missed Shanks’ panel. Which was devastating… I HEARD IT WAS HILARIOUS. *sigh* Champa covered it though, so she’ll be able to fill in my blanks. Also, Shanks was (apparently) wearing a really nice long sleeved top and his hair was scruffy… even MORE devastating. He was wearing a hat in both of my photos. He seems to really like that hat so I didn’t have the heart to ask him to take it off. It would have seemed like I cared more about the photo than the actual experience otherwise.

CJ: First up on the menu, we attended the panel hosting the gorgeous Miracle Laurie (Yes that IS her real name) of Dollhouse fame. Miracle plays the character of November in the wonderful Joss Whedon series, and she was just a joy from beginning to end! Amidst a barrage of interesting anecdotes and questions, the actress was absolutely overcome by the presence of two cosplay fans (dressed as Elmo and Cookie Monster), and begged them up on stage for a photo.

The giggles were endless! Miracle commented on the irony of her character’s name, which coincides with her wedding in November, 2010. Congratulations Miracle! We hope her fiancé enjoyed the mass video of Miracle’s cheering Kiwi audience!

Miracle discussed her Pacific Island blood (on her mother’s side), and she had brought along her Poi for a fun demonstration on the stage. For those not in the know, Poi is a type of danced performed by Pacific Island women and girls, and is hugely performed in NZ by the Maori people. It utilises two balls, swung by a piece of string from each hand, and takes great skill and coordination. Miracle was roared for a demo, and conquered the feat with aplomb to the resounding cheers around the hall. That girl can DANCE!

Michael’s panel was just uproarious laughter from beginning to end. From the very first moment he lumbered painfully onstage (he was running typically late, and turned up bleary-eyed, scruffy, with a paper cup of coffee clutched in his hand), to the devastating close of his happy hour, everyone was in stitches! The panel was moderated by a Kiwi television celebrity, who warmed the crowd up deliciously in preparation for the tumultuous fun of Shanks. The panel swept by all to quickly, and everyone booed at the untimely conclusion. STAY TUNED FOR TRANSCRIPT.

Zoe: I was back on day three of the convention, which was a public holiday, if anyone’s wondering what I’m doing out of school on a Monday. But I’d skip school for a convention any day.

I got my photo op with Torri on that day. I must say, I liked it! She was said “let’s do something silly!” and we both have our tongues out. She was extremely chatty! And adorable. She recognised me from Saturday and the first thing she said was “HEY CUTIE!” *grin. pause. straight face.* “Go study.” …I seriously have so much love for her. She has so much personality, it’s painful. Every time I saw her during the weekend, she was always making jokes and acting like a total goofball. Shucks she’s amazing.

CJ: SHE REALLY IS!

Zoe: Later on in the day, I was talking to the same lady who had told me I smelled like Shanks. And she’d looked through all the photo ops and she said “no one really got a full blown grin from Shanks… they were all so tight lipped.” RIght. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

Anyone catch the Barney Stinson tone there? No? OK.

So I got another photo op. I did. And I managed to make him laugh. So he’s laughing in my photo op. Challenge beaten. I love Shanks. I really do. Both the guests were so amazing! Also, I adore the photographer at this convention. He messed up the camera like three times during this op. In the first picture, Shanks blinked. He brought the camera up to show both of us. THAT IMAGE WILL FOREVER BE BURNED INTO MY BRAIN. Shanks is laughing and his eyes are shut and… it was actually so funny. I’m laughing just thinking about it!

In the second picture he’s laughing a little less but at least his eyes are open. I wasn’t allowed to get a copy of the first picture… unfortunately. But that’s okay, I have a mental image that will make me laugh for the rest of my life. I don’t even know what was so funny about it. I’ve just never seen super-photogenic Shanks take such a flunky photo before.

Also, after this photo op, my friends were eating at the café, so I was on my way to meet them… and was tweeting about the op, when I accidentally bumped into someone. I exclaimed “OH MY GOSH I’M SORRY!” and the guy said “oh no sweetie, my fault.” in a really nice British accent. I adore British accents more than anything. I was a little taken aback. I started thinking “whoa, this guy is pretty old, but he’s weirdly attractive in some aspects…”

And then he smiled and looked like he was about to say something when a fangirl came bouncing along and yelled “PAAAAAUL CAN I HAVE A PHOTO!?” He half grinned at me and excused himself. I was kind of shocked, not knowing what happened. Apparently that was Paul McGann, the Eighth Doctor from Doctor Who.

HOW DID I NOT KNOW THAT!? I’d seen pictures, but normally he had long hair in photos. Now his hair was cut and it was all nice and…erm… normal. Aw man! I should’ve said more, but still, he was so lovely.

We’ll have full transcripts coming up in the next couple of weeks. Thank you guys for reading!

I hope this report wasn’t too personal for you all.

–SuperrHuman (Zoe) & JandyraCJM

Asia-Pacific Team

December 3, 2010
Sanctuary: A lightly ‘comic-al’ Hero II: Broken Arrow

Hailing all you Sanctuary fans out there!

On this posterior side of the Gemini’s 25th Anniversary Gala, welcome to yet another exciting Kate Freelander (played by Agam Darshi) episode! You know, considering that there was so much controversy raging in fandom when her character was introduced, I don’t think anyone can possibly deny that she has blended beautifully not only into the Sanctuary team, but into the overall tone of the series.

We have been blessed with a thread of deliciously insightful revelations, and small glimpses of her journey from lone ranger, to a woman more comfortable with herself and with her beloved teammates. Altogether,’ the Freelander’ has grown to become more…sociable? Civilised? Loveable?

Okay, well so far it’s been very touchy/feely with the Kate-centric narratives, but this week we saw her juxtaposed with the nostalgic return of everyone’s favourite super-hero, THE ADJUSTERRRRRRR a.k.a Walter (an alias for the always refreshing Christopher Gauthier). Although it is a more-or-less stand alone episode, Hero II provides what could be described as the inevitable employment of Ms. Freelander’s *aherm* “mad skills”. I mean, c’mon really, Hero and Hero II: Broken Arrow are basically as geeky as the geekfest gets; we’ve got scifi, comic books, comic book heroes, comic book movies, San Diego Comic Con quips, corny catch-phrases, and (most importantly) spandex.

These episodes provide the meeting point between every corner of fandom; a blissful unity of nerds, geeks, dorks, and hot people.

While Hero II: Broken Arrow oozes coolness in every way possible, it is not merely a showcase for mindless sensationalism. This is a trait with which the Sanctuary team have gloriously comported themselves throughout every single episode of the whole series. Every narrative in the story arcs has contributed to a gorgeous harmony and balance between sensational ‘wow-factor’, reflective and shrewd thought, and the velvety richness of deep-seated human emotion. The series is intelligent; fans have even been known, having watched one episode or another, to go on the internet and research historical or scientific references from the show. Thank goodness for Google.

In contribution to this ying-yang balance of the show, Hero II: Broken Arrow is predominantly just plain cool. However it also drives home the earnest ethical and moral standards of the powerful Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping), and reinforces the symbiotic relationship Kate Freelander now has with her fellow teammates.

The bantering bet between Henry Foss (Ryan Robbins) and Kate at the very opening of the episode sets the fun tone for the entire narrative, right down to Magnus’ motherly reprimands. There are two wonderful character spotlights switched on in this episode, apart from the usual Magnus-centric plot of the series. The first, and obvious, is the demonstration of Kate’s intergratedness with her teammates by the complete opposite means, separating her physically and mentally from their familiar base of operations.

This exile, as it were, from the team and family she has come to love and trust, serves to strengthen her bonds by placing her in the cold solitary confinement of a primal super-hero. It is interesting to watch the effect that the suit (which we mustn’t forget, is a living abnormal; a symbiotic assembly of telepathic bacteria) has on Kate, reverting her social behaviour to the very primal instincts of a female predator.

She stalks her prey with a seductive and deadly grace, while her rational decision-making abilities and judgement are thrown to the wind. Her raw, feminine power is delicious to behold. The climax to her hunt is reached beautifully, as she grabs Magnus by the throat and shoves her up against a piece of iron (whilst deep inside, the hearts of all fans are melting down in horror).

Magnus makes a choked appeal to the humanity inside of Kate, and once again we are privy to the stripping away and the poignant exposure of her soul…it all pours out through her eyes. Magnus and Kate have shared many of these tender little moments where in the midst of chaos and violence, there’s a little momentary cocoon of strength and calm between them. This trust and family bond is repeated at the end in the beautiful closing scene between the two of them.

The other spotlight, which also serves as a filler for goings-on since early Season 2, shines warmly on the endearing Walter. Not only has he now become a ‘somebody’ in the world, but we find that the outside pressure and attractive business ventures of the movie industry have changed him. In a nutshell, it’s a return to the early days of comic book superheroes: the black-and-white division between good and evil, the journey of a normally insecure guy from the fringe of society, to fame, to self-compromise, followed by an epiphany and a redemption of sorts, followed by a fight for his own integrity with the studio bigwigs.

Like any geeky comic-book fan, he tries enthusiastically to turn his fantasy into a reality by continually ghosting the Sanctuary team’s mission, but is ultimately ordered to stay put at the base of operations while the ‘big cheeses’ do their work. As usual. Watching the real action from a distance. Until they need his …erm…expertise, that is.

Obviously his slip leading up to the whole situation with Virgil St. Pierre (bless his parents for choosing that name), guested by Matty Finochio, makes him keen to redeem himself in both the Sanctuary team’s, and his own, eyes. Ultimately, he protects his integrity and stands his ground against the power of the movie industry. The Adjuster indeed!

As for Virgil, well he’s some character. It was interesting, his sneering superiority complex seemed a bit too pretentious at first, but then it turns out that most of his behaviour is pretty pretentious, being, as Magnus blandly puts it, a ‘child with money’ (“how mature!” he says). The way he goes about his business is in direct contrast to the way Magnus does, like a kid who has so much money and no boundaries. Even his tardy exit in pursuit of Kate just cries out as a somewhat foolish childish blunder. Not to mention that he also no sense of ethics of any sort. He’s like a spoiled brat who’s used to having his own way, short-tempered and patronising. Playing with his toys just because he can.

I LOVE the overall stylistics of this episode; the creators have carried the classic comic-book theme of the episode all the way, no holding back! It takes us right back to the good ol’ days of the first comic book movies ever made. Many of the creative camera wipes are from a comic stylised freeze-frame, swiping to another, and then the action continues smoothly from the graphic image.

It makes you feel like you’re reading a series of comic frames, except that they move: FANTASTIC! Even some of the visual effects, such as Kate’s flying leaps and slinky scaling up sheer walls are reminiscent of the old Spiderman or Catwoman superhero movies. Like I said: here is an episode that brings nostalgia in so many forms! Right down to the final ‘A’ shape that the abnormal suit makes in homage to Walter, the comic-styled corniness is utterly ravishing; from the superhero spandex, to the catch phrases, Walter’s adorable melodramatic shirt-ripping, to the stylised dialogue of super-Kate and super-Walter.

Even the grunty voice super-Walter speaks with is just tasty, especially when Virgil imitates it mockingly, and his butt is ultimately kicked. You know, Helen was right: It’s better without the catch phrase. This week’s episode was too much fun to be taken too seriously. A geektastic romp from start to finish, bringing back our favourite geeky memories, together with a sensational appeal all its own.

GEEKS UNITE! LONG LIVE SPANDEX!

Bring on Animus. Every week ups the gasp notch just little. By the end of this spectacular season, nobody will be breathing…

Thanks for popping by WormholeRiders and reading. Please feel free to post constructive feedback or discussion down below. You can also click the Avatar/icons to talk to me on Twitter.

JandyraCJM.

November 23, 2010
Wil Wheaton Wows World With Wicked Wonderfulness!

Well, hello again!

I promised you all that I’d get you the PHXCC convention video panels I recorded courtesy of Phoenix Comicon up as soon as possible and here is the first one! This is the Wil Wheaton panel from the Friday of the convention. Wil starts off with two short stories that he’d written and then follows those up with a question and answer session. I hope you find it as hilarious and awesomely entertaining as I did! Enjoy!

Please feel free to leave a comment here or by visiting me on Twitter by clicking my avatar imag e to the right. Thank you.

MeaganSue

June 24, 2010
Phoenix Comicon Follow Up: Kids Need to Read, The Guild Panel feat Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton

Well, hello again!

Sorry for the delay in getting this last report on the Phoenix Comicon up. I was sick and then out of town for awhile… But anyway, down to business!

First we looked and indeed there was R2-D2!

Saturday was one of my favorite days of the con. The very first thing I had on my agenda was The Guild panel featuring Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton. They are so funny together! I’ve got this whole panel on video which I will be posting, so check back for it soon!

Again, I must emphasize the amazing work that some people put into their costumes. I met this woman who made her own Codex costume! For all of you Lame-Os who haven’t watched The Guild yet, Codex is Felicia Day’s character’s avatar in the game that the web series revolves around. This costume was by far one of my favorites from the entire convention. And, honestly, I think it’s about time you dropped what you are doing and watched this show. Seriously. Just follow my superlative advice already and watch it! ;D

After that, I walked the exhibit hall a little more and found some amazing things. If you are a comic lover, then Phoenix Comicon is for you! There are literally thousands of new comics as well as many, many back issues. You will no doubt find what you are looking for.

There were even issues of The Guild comic for sale!

There are also loads of different collectable figurines, buttons (or pins), some “Monster Purses” and I found some really nifty (and by “nifty” I mean, completely geekified) belt buckles. There are also loads of different collectable figurines, buttons (or pins), and some really nifty ‘Monster Purses’!”

Another thing I love seeing around any convention is artwork. I stumbled upon this beauty while browsing. For the life of me, I can’t remember who drew this. If anyone knows, please leave me a comment down below so I can give credit where credit is due. This was amazing to see in person and I wish I had the money to have purchased it for myself. It has the mainline stars who attended the con this year.

After that, I had a little business to attend to and then the day was over for me since I didn’t have tickets to the Geek Prom. Yes, I know I originally wrote that the Prom was on Friday, but I was mistaken. And, by the time I figured out that it was on Saturday and I could have attended, it was already sold out!

This event was to sponsored by Bookmans and helped to raise money for the Kids Need to Read charity and Wil Wheaton, Felicia Day and John Scalzi all went to party it up with all the geeks. From what I’ve heard, it sounds like it was a blast! I’m going to be sure not to miss it next year.

As I mentioned before, this is my last report on the Phoenix Comicon. I was sick all day Sunday and couldn’t make it for the last day. I was SO upset that I missed Stan Lee! I’ve met him before and he is seriously the coolest guy ever. If you ever get a chance, go meet him!

Well, thanks for reading folks! Stay tuned for the Wil Wheaton panel video that’s up next and The Guild panel video that will be up after that.

And, as always, feel free to leave a comment down below or chat me up on Twitter by clicking on my picture.

~ MeaganSue

June 12, 2010
Phoenix Comicon: Friday – Felicia Day, Wil Wheaton, SGU’s John Scalzi, Pac Man, Pinkie the Ghost and Hammerhead!

Hello everybody! Well, I survived the first full day of Phoenix Comicon!

I said yesterday how much I love all the costumes that people create and there were so many great ones today! Two of my favorites would have to be Pac Man with Pinkie the Ghost and Davy Jones with Hammerhead Maccus from Pirates of the Caribbean 2.

I wandered around the exhibitor’s hall a little bit more today and then hopped in the line to meet Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton. The line wasn’t too long and moved fairly quickly. Before I knew it, I was up to the front! I bought The Guild season 3 DVD’s from Felicia and she was kind enough to sign the cover for me. She is seriously such a sweet person!

Sometimes in an autograph line you are really rushed, or the celebrity just slaps their name on whatever you have and hardly looks at you at all, but she took the time to chat with the fans individually. She was also taking pictures with people even though it wasn’t her scheduled time and I was lucky enough to get a picture with her! Of course, you know me and my love of funny face pictures, so I asked if she would make a face and she did not disappoint!

Next up was Wil Wheaton. I asked him to sign the dvd cover for season 3 of The Guild as well since he plays a major role in that particular season and, I hope, in the seasons to come. He was really funny and a really nice guy. I asked him to take a funny picture with me and my cousin and I had been planning on just taking my normal crazy pictures side by side, but Wil said, “You know what would be awesome? If you two act like you’re just taking a picture and I photobomb you!” And you know what? He was correct. It’s probably one of my all time favorite pictures. Ever. And that’s saying something coming from me!

Okay, just another friendly reminder to all of you who have yet to take my extremely good advice and watch The Guild webseries, now would be the time to do it. Go on. Watch them right now! We’ll wait for you… Good job! And now, you can bask in the glow of the amazingness that is those pictures with me. You heard me. Bask. Now you understand. I’m glad we’re all on the same page. Anyway… Where was I… Ah, yes!

After meeting Wil and Felicia, it was time to head over to the room where the Stargate: Universe panel with John Scalzi was taking place. If you have a chance to see a panel with Scalzi, I suggest you take it! He is hilarious! He talked about what he does for the show. In his words, “You know how sometimes you’re at a convention and there’s somebody who says, ‘In episode five, you guys did this thing and it just doesn’t make sense. And I was just wondering why you thought you could get away with that?’ I’m that guy before that guy is that guy.”

So, what does John Scalzi do? He reads through the scripts, finds the little inconsistencies that us more hardcore fans will eventually see and he catches them before they get put on film. Basically, he’s the guy that keeps us from ripping our hair out, falling on the floor and screaming, “WHYYYYY?!” at the top of our lungs when we see something that doesn’t work with what we know to be true in whatever particular universe it is we happen to be watching and I thank him for that. There is nothing worse in my mind than getting pulled out of the story by noticing something’s off. There’ll be more details on Scalzi’s panel later, so stay tuned!

Once that panel was over, I had some business to attend to and then it was time for Wil Wheaton Presents: The Awesome Hour! And I can tell you friends, it was indeed an awesome hour. And a little more since Wil let us run over by about 10 minutes once he knew there was no other panel scheduled after his. I have a video of this hysterical panel that will be posted as soon as the re-mastering is completed, so check back for it! Trust me, you don’t want to miss it.

And that brought my day to a close. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the Geek Prom, also known as Wil Wheaton’s Rock Band that was in the ballroom of the Hyatt tonight because of a prior commitment, but I’m sure it was a blast and I can’t wait to hear about it tomorrow.

And now, I’m heading to bed so I can be well rested to tell you all about the exciting things I’ll be doing tomorrow. One of which is attending The Guild panel with Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton! I’ll be recording it (unless for some reason it turns out not to be allowed) and will have it up as soon as possible for your viewing pleasure. Until tomorrow! And as always, feel free to contact me on twitter by clicking on my avatar or leaving a comment down below!

~ MeaganSue

May 29, 2010
Phoenix Comicon: Preview Night – Wil Wheaton, Comics, Dren and Fun!

Hello again!

First our special thanks to Ms. Kate Davids of Phoenix Comicon for all her wonderful help!

Howdy from the Southwest Desert! We’ve actually been having unseasonably cool(ish) weather this week here in Phoenix, which is probably nice for the guests of the Phoenix Comicon as they are surely not used to our normal temperatures. (Cool-ish temps being around a balmy 80-95 degrees (Fahrenheit, ~32.2 Celsius).

Thursday night started off with lines for pre-registration. Luckily, I was able to skip this long line because the wonderful people of Phoenix Comicon were kind enough to grant WHR with a media badge. All photos except the cartoon of me are courtesy of the great team at Phoenix Comicon.

I love preview night because there are not as many people around and you can get the layout of the land so to speak, so you know where you’ll like to spend time browsing between your panel times. I met some awesome comic illustrators and even got a sketch of myself by R.K. Milholland! You can read his webcomics at www.somethingpositive.net.

The Exhibitor Hall is packed full of great finds. I got a copy of Blackest Night signed by Geoff Johns himself! (Blackest Night is a comic about a personified force of death resurrecting dead superheroes and trying to eliminate all life and emotion from the universe…)

There are all sorts of wonderful costumes to see all over the place from anime to Mario. Costumes are probably one of my most favorite things to see at any given con. I’m constantly amazed at people’s creativeness while making their own costumes.

While wondering around I found the Star Wars booth with plenty of Storm Troopers to keep it safe. They even captured someone! Everyone at the booth was very friendly and I hope I get more chances to go back and visit with them.

Like with any good con, there is always tons of free, yes you read me right, FREE swag. At Phoenix Comicon, tonight it was posters. There were tables and tables of free posters. Of course, if you’re not quick, you’ll miss out because they fly like hotcakes! I really enjoyed the stuffed toys table which I took a shot of for Zoe (@Superrhuman).

I also saw the poster for David Hewlett’s new movie Splice that opens on July fourth and I burst out laughing at the name of the creature. See, her name is Dren and if you know anything about me, you’ll know that I am a ridiculously large fan of Farscape. And if you’ve ever seen Farscape, then you’ll also know that they have their own made up swear words and Dren happens to be one of them. (Well, I thought it was funny and I know you Farscape fans do too! Don’t deny it!) This movie looks really intense and amazing!

I also got to see a glimpse of Wil Wheaton signing autographs. Unfortunately, the line was around the room, so I didn’t have time to get in it, but I’m planning on getting one tomorrow if at all possible. I asked via Twitter and found out that Felicia Day will have copies of the Season 3 dvds of The Guild for sale tomorrow which I’m planning on purchasing and having signed by her and Wil. He’s a major character in season 3 and, from the last episode; it looks like he’ll be sticking around for season 4! I don’t know if it’s just me, but after seeing Wil on The Big Bang Theory as Evil Wil Wheaton, the first thing I wanted to do once I saw him was scream, “WHEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTOOOOOONNNNNNN!” Just me? Okay then… Moving on.

Well, I had a fantastic preview night! There was even a screening of Warehouse 13! I assumed it would be a preview of a new episode from the new second season, but I was wrong. They screened the Edgar Alan Poe episode from season 1, but it was still really cool to watch it on a big screen with people who enjoy it as much as I do.

And now I’m heading to bed. I’ve got a full day tomorrow and I need to be well rested! I’ll be Tweeting and Twitpic’ing during the day, so if you’d like updates, follow me on Twitter by clicking on my picture.

Hope to see you back soon!

~ MeaganSue

May 28, 2010
Phoenix ComicCon Convention – Live Four Day Coverage!

Hey there convention fans!

Well today is the day we have all been waiting for! What day?

Here at WormholeRiders we are pleased to announce “Live from the Convention” news coverage of the fantastic Phoenix Comicon, a four day convention event. Rest assured that WHR will be there for you the fans of comics and science fiction! All our thanks to the team at Phoenix Comicon and Ms. Kate Davids! Oh and please use the hash tag #PHXCC in your tweets about the con. Thanks!

The Phoenix Comicon takes place starting today and runs the entire weekend Memorial Day weekend, May 27th-30th, 2010. We will be tweeting LIVE from the convention all four days starting tonight at approximately 6 PM Pacific time. The WHR team is very excited to be reporting on this convention! There are many awesome guests this year. There are many stars we will report on. The celebrities are wonderful people and our team are most looking forward to report on the following:

The fabulous Ray Park! Ray is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Darth Maul in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Toad in X-Men, Snake-Eyes in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and Edgar on Heroes.

The wonderful James Marsters from Caprica, Buffy and Angel! Our reporters love James and our reporters of WHR had the delightful pleasure of visiting with at WonderCon San Francisco 2010 courtesy of Light Speed Entertainment!

Science fiction super stars Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher) and LeVar Burton (Geordi) both from the beloved series and movies Star Trek: The Next Generation. Both will be appearing at Phoenix ComicCon convention LIVE!

And perhaps my favorites,the talented comic book and movie legend, the creative master Mr. Stan Lee. Stan will be signing autographs and of course is the co-creator of Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, the X-Men and so many more we cannot possibly mention them all here!

AND last but certainly not least, the very lovely and gifted Ms. Felicia Day (pictured below), the creator and star of the fantastic series “The Guild“,

As you may already know Felicia Day created, writes, and stars in the web series The Guild which finished it’s third season on November 24, 2009. If you have not seen “The Guild”, you must rectify that situation immediately!

Click the image or link below so you can watch all three seasons (12 episodes per season, 5-10 minute episodes) at www.watchtheguild.com. Do it. Now!

You may also leave me directed tweets for news coverage suggestions by visiting me or WormholeRiders on our Twitter pages.

Simply click the avatars left and below right to let me know what conventions news you would like me to focus on.

We will do our best to internalize your requests!

Thank you! 🙂

MeaganSue

May 27, 2010

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