Spokane Comicon 2009 recap

Wow, I am still on cloud 9 after an amazing 3rd show. Each year the Spokane Comicon continues to grow in all areas such as attendance, tables, costume contest, new things to do and flat out hype! There was an electricity in the air early on. Maybe it was the line that started forming at 8am and grew and grew and grew. It was so cool seeing all the people lined up around the corner and coming back down the hall. We had 200 people through the doors in just the first hour we opened and the main show floor was absolutely packed.

Special guest artist Art Thibert is a true professional and a gentleman. He was so nice to fly in from California and do anything we wanted really. My personal favorite part of the day was when Mike Watson, Art Thibert and I conducted a Superman Panel. We discussed many things related to Superman including past and present comics, Smallville tv series, what direction should a new Superman movie go towards and what's next for Art Thibert to name a few things. The crowd erupted in applause when Art announced he would be working with writer Kevin Smith on a new Batman title.

The day was full of things to do. New this year were three exclusive prints created just for the show from local artists Daniel M. Davis, Levi Skeen and Bellingham artist, Ben Hansen. Also new this year was a full day of programming such as free hourly raffle prizes, hourly panels were held in the Senate Chambers (Battlestar Galatica, Superman, "Shadows in the Garden" short film screening, Web Comics Panel and Ghost Hunting How and Why), Gaming tournaments were held in the cafe dining area and of course our second go around for our costume contest. We had way more participants this year and it made it much harder to decide. Ultimately it came down to two: Rorschach and Captain America. Captain America won best adult costume based on audience applause and a gift certificate to the Comic Book shop on Division for $50!

Everything ran smoothly and the reason why is because I had the best group of student volunteers from both SFCC and SCC. Their willingness to do "whatever it takes" to make the con the absolute best made all the difference. They were on hand all day attending to the special guests needs, dealers, attendees questions and setting up and taking down of the rooms. Every single one of them showed maturity beyond their years. Special thanks to Oscar, Sheena, Mike Watson for their leadership and dedication from the start.
Nearly 600 fans came out for the 3rd annual Spokane Comicon. No matter their reason for attending, gift bags, special guests, costume contest everyone left having fun. With over 50 tables, and 5 special guests this was our biggest show yet. I can't wait for next year!

All photo's copyright Rachel O'Brien 2009

Countdown to Spokane Comicon

It's time for fans of comics and pop culture to unite this Saturday May 30th, 2009 at Spokane Falls Community College. We are in the home stretch of the 3rd annual Spokane Comicon and I can't wait. After many months of planning and preparation I am really excited to unveil to you all our best show yet! There is so much more to see and do this year it's scary. In this final email update I wanted to cover some basics along with a few more announcments.

When: Saturday May 30th, 2009 from 10am-5pm

Where: Spokane Falls Community College in Student Union Building 17 (SUB)
3410 W Fort George Wright Dr. Spokane, WA 99224

Parking: Parking is free for the event! Parking lot P9 (First parking lot turn on the right after the digital reader board) is the closest to Bld 17. If you miss it you can turn into the second turn on the right too. Please see link for map http://www.spokanefalls.edu/College/_images/SFCCmap.gif

Set up/Take down: All dealers, artists and guests can set up starting at 7:00am until showtime at 10:00am. Please plan accordingly. All dealers, artists and guests are required to remain set up until the end of the show at 5:00pm unless first discussed with event coordinator.

Admission and gift bags: General Admission is only $5 which gives you access to the main show floor, all panels and free gaming. Children 10 and under are free with paying adult. Gift bags are free for the first 100 paid attendees. Attendees must pay full price per one gift bag. Children 10 and under will not receive a gift bag without purchase.

Gaming update: This year Spokane Comicon will feature both tournament gaming and free gaming across the hall in the cafe dining area.

The first will be a Magic card Type 2 Constructed tournament. Registration is will be happening from 10am-11am and costs $5 to enter. Tournament will begin at 11am.

The second type of gaming will be a Super Smash Bros tournament which begins play at 11am. $5 tournament fee.

Free gaming is included in the price of general admission. Make sure to get your hand stamped to you can freely go between the main show floor, panels and gaming area. Either type of gaming tournament will cost and additional $5 to enter.

Costume Contest: Craig from the Comic Book Shop is the man. Craig donated a $50 gift certificate and a $35 gift certificate for the costume contest. The $50 will go towards the best adult costume and the $35 will go for the best child costume!

Finally, a few other updates to report. Be on the lookout for our ad in the Spokesman Review in this Sunday's paper in the "Today Section" by the movie theater show times and in the Spokane "7" section this Friday 29th. There will also be a write up about the con in this Thursdays Spokesman Review too. I will post it on the web page once it is published.

The Hero Initiative will be raffling an exclusive print by local artist Levi Skeen which is really sweet. http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/81/l_b203051714704d219f87e083ea635c63.jpg

Also newly added to the con is WACOM Technology. WACOM is the world's leading manufacturer of pen tablets, interactive pen displays and digital interface solutions. They will be doing live deomo's at their table and offering up a great raffle prize of their own. Please take a look at our "What's New" section of our webpage for more details and watch a cool video of their product. http://www.spokanecomicon.com/

Last thing fans. DC Comics sent me their care package this past week. I was blown away how much they stepped up from last year. I won't ruin the surprise but I hope you all like buttons. There will be plenty of goodies in the gift bags and on the freebie table for everyone!

I can't wait to see you all there! Got con?

Nathan
____________________________
Nathan O'Brien
Spokane Comicon Founder & Coordinator
http://www.spokanecomicon.com/

Spokane Comicon Update

Hello fans, we are only 17 days away until show time. With a few days left everything is coming along smoothly. Special thanks to all of the students from both SFCC and SCC who have been a part of our comic con committee meetings from the start. Their enthusiasm and ideas have been refreshing. Here are some updates from the front line.

First off we are sold out of tables! This is a first for our show in only our third year.There are both new and returning artists and dealers to our show. Make sure you plan on spending some time here as we have over 50 tables to check out!!

This year we doubled our free gift bags for the first 100 paid attendees. These gift bags will come loaded with lots of goodies from DC Comics and Dark Horse Comics to name a few. This year's exclusive item is an unmounted 35mm film cells from the Warner Bros movie Watchmen. Each film cell strip is from a key scene in the movie. You can view some scene examples on our web page by clicking on our Gift Bag tab.

I am really excited to announce some additions to our program of events. First off our Special Guest of Honor: Art Thibert will be joining Neal Bailey at noon for the Superman Panel. Art is the current inker/finisher on DC comics weekly title "Trinity" featuring Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. Neal is a writer from Supermanhomepage.com and Smallville the magazine. Come for some answers, stay for the stories.

Another addition to the program of events are the Barony of Wealdsmere. They will be outside of the Student Union Building 17 (SUB) all day. At 12pm they will be holding a full combat tournament for your viewing pleasure. Then at 3pm they will be going at it 3 on 3 style.

Finally, all three exclusive prints are now posted on our site to be viewed. These prints where created just for this years show. The three prints are done by artists Daniel M. Davis, Ben Hansen and Levi Skeen. These prints won't last long so plan on getting there early and picking one up. All three artists will be there selling the prints and signing them at their respected tables. Please visit our website and click on the Con Exclusive tab for futher details.

Keep checking our site for updates as we still have more announcments planned including details about our gaming tournament.

Best,
Nathan
____________________________
Nathan O'Brien
Spokane Comicon Founder & Coordinator
http://www.spokanecomicon.com/

HUGE Spokane Comicon update!

Wow, where do I begin. I have so much to report to you all, it's scary. Let's get it on.

First off, I jumped the gun today. I had stated on the website that I would make the program of events public on May 1st. With the drive in movie that I am sponsoring on Thursday 30th, midnight screening of Wolverine and work on the 1st and Free comic book day on Saturday I knew I might have the time to get the website update, so I did it today!
The program of events is up and about 99.9% complete. There are some really cool panels planned from Battlestar G, Web comics, Short Indie film screening and much more! Go to our site to read it all. http://www.spokanecomicon.com/

The guest list got a couple new additons today too. First off I am really excited to announce that writer Eric Trautmann will be coming over the mountains to join us. Eric is really hot right now and I am glad he can make the time. You can read Eric's full bio here.
http://www.eric-trautmann.com/bio
In addition we are happy to have John Aegard from The Comfort Guide. The Comfort Guide adapts Airline safety techniques to relevant subject areas. The Comfort Guide and artist Steve Lieber did a very funny guide in the back of this years Emerald City Comic con program. Check out more of these cool guides on thier site. http://www.comfort-guide.com/

A brand new category was added to the web page titled "Con Exclusives" In it we've got a brand new exclusive that was just emailed to me today. Daniel M. Davis of Steam Crow who will be coming all the way from PHX Arizona and he created a limited print titled Monroe Street Trouble - 12x18 print. Limited to 40 prints. Printed on 50 yr archival photo film. Signed and numbered by the artist Daniel M. Davis at the Steam Crow table. $20 each. You can view more of his work at http://www.monstercommute.com/

Finally, I added another great $1 raffle prize. From the insanely popular DC Comics series we have a copy of Green Lantern #25 1st Print signed by artist Ethan Van Sciver. I am jelous of whoever wins this.

We only have 33 days left until show time. For those of you who are thinking about getting a table or not consider this. I only have 4 tables left until we are sold out. The price break for a table expires April 30th. After that price for a table goes up $10 if there are any left.


Believe it or not I still have more news to report, but I will save that for another update.
Keep checking out website for more updates. The countdown is on!

Best,
Nathan
____________________________
Nathan O'Brien
Spokane Comicon Founder & Coordinator
http://www.spokanecomicon.com/

Spokane Comicon Update

Hello and a very happy spring to you all. Now that we are less than 48 days until the third annual Spokane Comicon I thought it was time I sent out another update.

First off planning for the show is coming along very nicely. A huge shout out to everyone on the con committee for their support. As my show has grown it's nice that I have people who are just as excited as I am to bring it to life.

My email has been blowing up all week with many table questions and requests. I sold a personal best 5 tables on Friday alone. As we stand today we have 38/48 tables filled. That being said I have had other inquires about space from dealers and artists but they have not gotten back to me about what they have decided. If all of those people can get back to me (you know who you are) with in the next week there is a strong chance that we could be sold out of tables for the first time in the show's history! Here are some key dates if you are still on the fence.

Prepay prior to April 30th, 2009.
Vendor fee is $60 for one 6' table.
Artist Alley fee is $40 for one 6' table.
Additional table fee is $20.


Payment after April 30th, 2009.
Vendor fee is $70 for one 6' table.
Artist Alley fee is $50 for one 6' table.
Additional table fee is $20.


If you haven't been to our website lately then you've missed some recent updates. One update is our ad in Wizard #211 is out. It can be seen in the "Shows and Cons" section. Another update is we've released a few of the $1 raffle prizes with more to come. Three of the items made public is a rare Watchmen mini poster from Osaka Japan, Batman #442 lithograph signed by George Perez and Marv Wolfman and just announced Infinite Crisis #1 signed by Jim Lee and George Perez! Any of these valuable prizes can be yours for just one dollar!!

Spokane Comicon is proud to have Brain Randolph at our next show representing the Hero Initiative. Please make it a point to check out his table. He'll have some really cool items for sale as well as his own raffle for something I am sure to be awesome. All the proceeds go toward supporting those in the comic industry in need. For information about the Hero Inititive please visit their site. http://www.heroinitiative.org/

A guest note is that local artist Gabe Strine will not be able to join us all day as planned. Instead Gabe is still planning on stopping by to take part in a special Web Comics Panel. More details about that and other programming coming very soon!

Finally, Spokane Comicon will be sponsoring the drive-in movie of Twilight at Spokane Falls Community College on Thursday April 30th at dusk. Come by and check out the movie if you are a fan or want to see if for the first time. It'll be a lot of fun.

Please keep checking back on our site http://www.spokanecomicon.com/ for more updates. As we continue to get closer to show time I have lots more updates to announce, including panels, program of events, con exclusives, gift bags, and more! Until next time fans.

Jackie Bauer?

Kiefer Sutherland and his sister Rachel Maybe it's because we think of him as the ultimate loner on the TV series "24," but we were shocked to find out that Kiefer Sutherland has a twin sister. Rachel is a post-production supervisor working in film and television in Toronto. But when her big brother, Kiefer, (he's seven minutes older) made his feature film directorial debut in 1997, Rachel was there for him. She acted as second assistant property master, grip, and costumer when Kiefer went behind the lens to shoot "Truth or Consequences, N.M."

You can read more about celebrity couples here. http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/getback-celebrity-twins.html

ShamWow Guy In Slap, Chop Bust

TV pitchman battered hooker in South Beach hotel room brawl

MARCH 27--Meet Vince Shlomi. He's probably better known to you as the ShamWow Guy, the ubiquitous television pitchman who has been phenomenally successful peddling absorbent towels and food choppers. Shlomi, 44, was arrested last month on a felony battery charge following a violent confrontation with a prostitute in his South Beach hotel room. According to an arrest affidavit, Shlomi met Sasha Harris, 26, at a Miami Beach nightclub on February 7 and subsequently retired with her to his $750 room at the lavish Setai hotel. Shlomi told cops he paid Harris about $1000 in cash after she "propositioned him for straight sex." Shlomi said that when he kissed Harris, she suddenly "bit his tongue and would not let go." Shlomi then punched Harris several times until she released his tongue. The affidavit, a copy of which you'll find here, notes that during the 4 AM fight Harris sustained facial fractures and lacerations all over her face (she is pictured here in mug shots snapped following busts in 2008 and 2005). After freeing his tongue, a bleeding Shlomi ran to the Setai lobby, where security summoned cops. Harris refused to cooperate with officers, who recovered $930 from her purse. "Both parties had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from their persons," police reported. In a brief telephone interview, Harris declined to answer TSG questions about her run-in with Shlomi, though she did say she is considering a lawsuit against the pitchman. Asked if she worked as a hooker, Harris declined comment. As seen in the below mug shot, Shlomi was also injured during the fracas and, court records show, was treated at Mount Sinai Medical Center. While Shlomi and Harris were both arrested for felony aggravated battery, prosecutors this month declined to file formal charges against the combatants. Police records list Shlomi's occupation as "Marketing," but make no mention of his affiliation with the ShamWow or the Slap Chop, both of which sell for $19.95 (plus shipping and handling).

The Dunk Contest That Wasn't

I love basketball. I always look forward to the NBA's All-Star Weekend and watching the different skills challenges on Saturday before the game on Sunday. The Dunk Contest is the crown jewel of Saturday night. Last year was electric when a big man Dwight Howard won doing his best "Superman" dunk. This year former UW star and current NY Knicks guard Nate Robinson was in the contest...again. I thought it was a rule that you could only compete twice. This is Robinson's third time. I enjoyed watching him the other times because he's 5'nothing and can leap out of the gym. This time is felt too staged. A mouse vs an elephant, David vs Goliath, Superman vs Lex Luther. Yep, that's what they billed it as. Dwight Howard even went into a phone booth to don the cape again for a ho-hum dunk on a 12' hoop (regulation hoop is 10'). Still it was too easy. So Nate Robinson came out in an all green jersey and ball as his sort of kryptonite. Two of his dunks I have a huge problem with. One Nate jumped off a teammates back. I know they can use props, but using another person as leverage? What's the difference between that and a trampoline? The the final dunk was over Dwight "Superman" Howard himself. Dwight was a good sport, but Nate cheated again. Nate pushed off on Dwight's shoulder to give him the leverage to clear his head. Sorry, ehh, fault. His dunks where stale. We've seen this the last two times. Same old Nate, except this time he was hot doggin it after every dunk. That's the Nate Robinson that UW fans remember. Immature, and overly cocky. No body wanted to see him dance, let alone several times. Still, I can't wait until next year. As of now this generations MJ, Lebron James as declared that he will compete in the next Slam Dunk contest. Watch his final dunk on this clip here.

HOLY CRAP BATMAN..

JIKES. WARNING this audio link is full of some intense profanity. Jeeze.

"T4" Producer -- Bale's Tantrum Was No Biggie

Posted Feb 3rd 2009 12:30PM by TMZ Staff

It turns out Christian Bale's expletive-filled, volcanic explosion on the set of "Terminator Salvation" was a "non-event"... according to a guy who wasn't the brunt of Bale's tirade.

Bruce Franklin -- assistant director and associate producer on the film -- told us "Christian is a method actor and was completely immersed in his scene ... his reaction was from the heat of the moment."

The target of Bale's attack -- a director of photography named Shane Hurlbut -- was not fired from the movie, despite Christian's threat that if Shane screwed up one more time, he should be kicked to the curb.

Franklin said Bale was under a lot of pressure because of his crazy "Dark Knight" promotion schedule, and that the crew -- Hurlbut included -- ended up shooting for another seven hours.

http://www.aolcdn.com/tmz_audio/020209_christianbale.mp3

Last week was Pie week so....