The Diary Of A Con Noob

 

I’m an introvert with a crap-ton of social anxiety issues.  I have my own little set of crazies…. but, I own my crazy.  So, I generally avoid the things that cause me issues… like large events with tons of people.  That’s how it is that I’d never been to a comic con… until today.  Today, I walked into this large event with a ton of people and wanted to yell… “MY TRIBE!  I’ve found my tribe!”  Today, I hung out with my tribe at the River City Comic Expo in Little Rock, Arkansas.

I’m such a comic con noob, that my daughter just informed me that I shouldn’t refer to it as a comic con.  That it is in fact just called a con.  Thanks, Randi.

There were so many great costumes, and I could appreciate all the hard work and love that went into each and every one of them, even if I didn’t know who all of them were supposed to be.  There were little kids that looked so very cute as little Deadpools and Twilight Sparkles, and there were whole families dressed up, like the family dressed as the Teen Titans…..there was even a group of friends dressed as the monks in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  These were all my tribe.  We all hung out together today, and were just all weird together.

I had my picture taken with a real celebrity.  That’s me up there in a fan owned ’67 Impala.  The car’s name is Bela, A Great Thief, and she was actually used in an episode of Supernatural.  When the CW wanted to make a back door pilot for a spin off of The Show….of course, I’m talking about the Bloodlines episode… but knew there would be entirely too much red tape if they tried to get the real Baby across the border to shoot in Chicago, they called up Supernatural Super Fan Stefany Torres who had found and had restored a beautiful ’67 Impala…. made to look exactly like Baby.  And, of course, Stefany allowed them to use Bela as a stand in for Baby.  Because, that’s just what this famdom does.  It was such a pleasure to meet Stefany today, and other Supernatural fans that I met all over that large event center.  I was wearing my Arkansas Chapter of The Women of Letters t-shirt (along with a crap-ton of other SPN gear) so I was easily recognized as a fan.

I also had my picture taken with a Wookie and Cap’n Tight Pants himself!

There were even some friends dressed as Captain Hammer and Dr. Horrible!

I found a few pieces of “merch” (thanks again Randi) that I just had to have… so I bought ’em, and found some freebies too.  And, I brought them home like trophies that I will proudly frame and hang on my wall, or wear like a badge of honor on my t-shirt occasionally to work.

But, let me assure you that my crazies stayed safely locked away today… because I wasn’t in a giant room, at a large event, with thousands of strangers.  I was with friends…. friends that understood my weird, ignored my crazies, and accepted me as one of their own.  As a part of their tribe.

‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ Casts Michael Barbieri

Michael Barbieri (Little Men, The Dark Tower, Killer) has been cast in Spiderman: Homecoming.

The up-and-coming actor has been rumoured to be based on Ganke Lee, best friend to Miles Morales (a Spider-Man from another universe.) However, there has been backlash to this rumour due to the fact that Ganke is an Asian character. This comes not all that long after the recent Doctor Strange issue of whitewashing by casting Tilda Swinton, and the massive backlash towards Marvel from fans.

However, this is just a rumour, and no official word on who he’s actually playing has been released by Marvel.

Barbieri is known most for his role of Tony Calvelli in Little Men and is currently cast as the role of Timmy in The Dark Tower, the TV adaptation of the Stephen King series by the same name.

Spiderman: Homecoming is due for release on July 7th 2017, with Tom Holland (Captain America: Civil War, In the Heart of the Sea, Billy Elliot the Musical) set to star as the web-slinger. He’ll be reprising the role after the characters debut in Captain America: Civil War. 

Other actors to star in this movie include Zendaya (K.C. Undercover, Black-ish), Marisa Tomei (The Big Short, The Wrestler), Tony Revolori (The Grand Budapest Hotel, The 5th Wave), Michael Keaton (Birdman, Batman, Batman Returns) and Laura Harrier (Unforgettable, 4th Man Out) with Robert Downey Jr. (The Judge, Sherlock Holmes, Iron Man) set to feature in the movie as Iron Man/Tony Stark.

 

Marvel Animation Has Confirmed Short Series For ‘Ant-Man’ And ‘Rocket & Groot’

Marvel Animation will be working on a pair of TV short series, titled Ant-Man and Rocket and Groot.

This information came from Variety’s article regarding international projects that will be made in France (due to their tax rebates on animation work). Both series will be made by French filmmakers.

Rocket and Groot will be directed by Arnaud Delord. His work mostly consists of music videos, but the visuals are wonderful and outlandish. This direction will be more than enough to showcase the adventures of Rocket Racoon and Groot themselves.

The team being Ant-Man consists of Kevin Manach and Ugo Bienvenu. They have a more retro-graphic style, which is going to be absolutely perfect for a comic adventure, especially a hero as crazy and fun as Ant-Man.

So far there’s no word on when productions beginning (hopefully soon!) and when we can expect to see the series, but for now, know that something awesome is in the works for Marvel Animation!

New Wolverine Film Gets Interesting Title

So news broke today that the next installment and Hugh Jackmans final appearance as Wolverine may have finally been given a title – Weapon X now those of you who know and love Wolverine as much as me knows that this title ties into the experiment that gave Wolverine his Adamantium skeleton.

Now this throws in a curve ball to the mix as there have been a fair few rumors around the film being linked to the Old Man Logan story from the comic books. This could just be a title that may mean Logan finally finds closure of what was done to him as we saw at the end of X-Men Days Of Futures Past Wolverine was taken away by a young William Stryker who we know was responsible for enlisting Logan into the Weapon X program. But this could also make a lot of sense as it has been rumored that X-23 a female clone of Wolverine (Has the Weapon X program been started up again?) it may fall to Wolverine to be the only one capable of stopping this.

Once again this give us more questions than answers to exactly what story line the film is actually going to be following or it could mean that they will be taking influences from a few of the different story arcs and then tying them together. It appears we will have to wait and see until the next batch of rumors to see if any of the information coming out can be cleared up.

As always for all your feral mutant needs stick with @Deadpool1984 only at skatronixxx.com

‘Harry Potter And The Cursed Child’ Photos Released

New photos of the cast in costume for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child have been released this week.

The plays official website has released portraits of the characters in full costume, and they look incredible.

Photo’s feature the Potter, Granger-Weasley and Malfoy families, both with single portraits and some lovely family photos.

The story will focus on both Harry Potter himself and his son. The official synopsis reads:

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

More portraits, and some great Behind-The-Scenes action are available on the official website of the play.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on sale now, with shows booking through until 2017. The first preview show will open at the Palace Theatre tonight, 7th June.

Devil and Spider and Kingpin, Oh My! – Whispers of a Most EPIC Crossover

The Kingpin of Crime.

The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

All three of these fantastic, iconic characters might converge into one, amazing storyline. Nothing has been confirmed by ‘the superpowers that be’, but both Vincent D’Onofrio and Charlie Cox (the incredibly actors who play Kingpin and Daredevil, respectively, in Netflix’s original show) have expressed vocal and enthusiastic interest in pairing with (or against) our favorite web-slinger.

For those not in the know (and if you’re not, shame on you), Kingpin is one of Spider-Man’s most iconic and frequent villains. And, in his own way, one of the most dangerous. Kingpin is a criminal genius, and always has contingency plans upon backup plans upon master plans, all of them revolving around either furthering his underground empire, or squashing Spider-Man like a bug (pun intended). Pair that with Kingpin’s unnatural strength and utterly ruthless character, and you have one incredibly formidable villain – one that has frequently beaten Spider-Man, in fact.

On a different note, Daredevil and Spider-Man actually team up quite a lot in the comics. They frequently have each other’s backs. Charlie Cox himself pointed out that, in one particularly memorable occasion, Matt Murdock had to defend Daredevil. So Spider-Man put on Daredevil’s costume so that Matt could defend him without revealing his identity.

I’m extremely partial to the idea of Daredevil and Spider-Man pairing up, because they’re basically two sides of the same coin.

Although he is a devout Catholic, Matt Murdock is dark and jaded, because he’s had to fight for every inch against a world that continues to either try and break him, or underestimate him. He constantly hears the suffering of his city – the gritty and the bloody and the horrifying – and it has forced him to, in his own way, become like that. Yes, Hell’s Kitchen needs Daredevil. But it also made him.

On the flip side, Peter Parker (while a Christian) is a devout scientist. He’s a boy genius, who life went far too quickly from dodging bullies and hopeless crushes to dodging bullets and crushing villains. Although his origin story started with death (his Uncle Ben), Peter took a terrible situation and turned it around in the only way he knew how – by using his situation to better the lives of those around him. We all know his famous quote, but we very rarely understand how much he sacrifices for it. He may mask it all with quick comebacks and witty humor, but Spider-Man has lost much – his uncle, his girlfriend, his best friend, his aunt – all in the name of “with great power comes great responsibility”.

Spider-Man and Daredevil both care about the little guy, the every-man (and woman). While the Avengers and Doctor Strange and the Fantastic Four all deal with world-ending and extraterrestrial dangers (sometimes of their own making), they pay very little attention to what happens below skyscraper-level. While they might believe that the suffering of the few outweighs the loss of the many, to Daredevil and Spider-Man, that is never an acceptable solution or compromise.

That’s why, although they might have occasional team-ups with the Avengers, Daredevil and Spider-Man will always work better as vigilantes, as solo acts who occasionally ‘help a brother out’.

Anyway, to bring it all in – I’m 100% behind these two worlds converging. With the end of season 2 of Daredevil featuring the Kingpin rebuilding his criminal empire from prison, there’s a very real chance that he could escape in time to torment Spider-Man. And where Kingpin goes, you better believe Daredevil will follow.

So let’s cross our fingers, knock on wood, and pray to the gods of geekdom that these two worlds and mediums collide. It promises to be nothing short of fantastic – and would open a huge range of possibilities, crossover-wise, between the television and film worlds.

The 2017 film is to be called Spider-Man: Homecoming (and don’t worry, it won’t be another origin story).

So come on, Marvel – bring it home.

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 – Villain Revealed

As always, Marvel is quite adept at keeping revealing plot details of their movies to themselves —characters included. However, thanks to some detective work by JoBlo, we now have the suspected role of a new villain narrowed down to one cast member.

Here’s a main cast list:

• Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord
• Zoe Saldana as Gamora
• Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer
• Vin Diesel as Groot
• Bradley Cooper as Rocket
• Michael Rooker as Yondu Udonta
• Karen Gillan as Nebula
• Sean Gunn as Yondu’s first mate in the Ravagers
• Glenn Close as Irani Rael / Nova Prime
• Pom Klementieff as Mantis / Celestial Madonna
• Chris Sullivan (role unknown)
• Kurt Russel as Peter Quill’s father
• Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha 

Ayesha

Ayesha’s list of aliases is rather long: Her, Paragon, J’Ridia Starduster, and Kismet, to name a few. Thanks to JoBlo’s independent sources we know with certainty that her name in GOTG 2 will in fact be Ayesha. Who is Ayesha? Basically a bunch of scientists came together and created “the perfect human.” She has kick-ass superpowers, and her ultimate goal is to find the perfect mate.

Elizabeth Debicki

So who is this actress, Elizabeth Debicki, and why is she getting the role of such a kick-ass villain? While she certainly looks like a promising Ayesha, with her beautiful golden skin and blonde hair, she has years of experience starring in major stage performances, films and TV series. Her accredited stage performances include the productions The Gift and The Maids, at the Melbourne Theatre Company and the Sydney Theatre Company respectively. Some of the major films she has starred in are The Great Gatsby (2013), Macbeth (2015), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015), and Everest (2015). Most recently she has caught the eye of the public with her performance in the TV series The Night Manager.

So what are your opinions on this casting? If you’ve watched Debicki act before, do you think she suits the role well? Or would you have preferred a different casting? Comment, share and like below, or tweet me @SohoDoll. And as always, “I am Groot.”

Leaked ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Details Emerge

So this morning I have found out that 3 unique bits of information have been leaked surrounding the new ‘Thor – Ragnarok’ movie which is also set to feature the return of Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk. It appears that the story arc will also be absorbing some of the Planet Hulk story line and I for one am very pleased about this as I love reading that story arc. So here’s what we found out from from the leaked information from Joblo.

1) We will see some sort of link to the Planet Hulk story arc that ran in comic book form back in 2006 where the ‘Illuminati’ decided that The Hulk was to dangerous to stay on Earth and tricked him into boarding a space craft before being launched into space. They had decided to send him to a peaceful planet in order to live out his remaining days but the ship was diverted and The Hulk ended up crashing landing on Warworld.

Kevin Feige has always insisted that it would not be a bright idea to do a Planet Hulk movie for some strange reason as I for one would love to have seen it he also had this to say on the matter last year when speaking to IGN.

“I think what’s cool about the Planet Hulk story is it’s all Hulk. He’s a gladiator, he’s fighting all these creatures on another world. Yes, some of those creatures show up in [Guardians of the Galaxy], which makes people think, ‘Oh, maybe it could exist.’ And maybe it could exist, someday. I don’t think that’s the first place we would go though for the very reason that you stated, which is, if we were ever able to do a standalone Hulk movie, 60 percent of the fun would be seeing Mark Ruffalo leading a Marvel movie — and that’s what we would do if we ever went down that road.”

In the Planet Hulk story line we see The Hulk become a Gladiator fighting all kinds of creatures from all kinds of different places but the most noticeable person he fights is the Silver Surfer. We also know that Jeff Goldblum is set to play The Grandmaster  in this movie who is a villain who enjoys pitting superheroes against each other so this also adds fuel to the story we will see bits of the Planet Hulk story arc. Joblo have also said that we will even see The Hulk appear in his iconic gladiator armor from the comic books.

2) According to Joblo we also know that Thor is also searching for the ultimate weapon to reset the universe and that his quest will initially see Thor fighting and then teaming up with The Hulk. We are not 100% sure what the weapon will be but they seem to think it may be the Time Gem which will link Thor: Ragnarok to the Infinity Gems plot line that is building up in the Avengers movies. Having possession of this Gem will litteraly allow Thor to control time and reset the universe.

3) We can also expect to see some majorly dramatic changes in this film according to Joblo’s more random spoilers:

“And speaking of appearances, expect a major change in the look of The God of Thunder himself for this part of the film as he will be sporting a shaved head (but not completely bald) for at least a portion of the film. Also, expect a very different look for Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie, who is traditionally a blonde-haired warrior type in the comics. For Ragnarok she’ll be wearing war paint on her face, much like a Native American warrior, which should be an interesting take on this variation of the character.”

So there we go I cannot wait for more information on this story line and if these rumors come true this film could be up there with the best in the MCU universe.

As always for all your God of Thunder and Hulk smashing needs stick with @Deadpool_1984 only at skatronixxx.com

Of Comic Con and Costumes- London Comic Con 2016

Iron Man? Id like to think so!

An overview of the docks

The most unusual cafe out there?

Furry!

Comic Con is somewhat a yearly event that only comes around in London once or twice a year making the event something that all die hard fans to small, mainstream fans, want to go to. But what is Comic Con? An event that unites fans from all over the place, where you don’t get judged for dressing in an animal costume (shout out to the furries that were in those really hot costumes yesterday) or dressing as your favorite character from a TV show or movie (there’s a lot of people wanting to be Deadpool out there). Comic Con is a time where we can all gather and be ‘weird’ together.

Yesterday, I experienced the wonders of Comic Con myself at the London Excel area, my second time in London and my first ever Comic Con. I can safely say that it was the best experience of my life.

I was sporting a Hydra t-shirt whilst my best friend a SHIELD one so we were far underdressed in comparison to everyone else, but that didn’t stop the atmosphere or the trouble we got ourselves into. The mass amount of people in cosplay we asked to have pictures with was extraordinary and the fact that they all said yes was wonderful. People willing to have their photos taken, to show off their hard work and dedication to their TV programs or movies or just to show how much they truly love or appreciate the fandom. It was such a wonderful experience and it was so nice to see the amount of people dressed up, or the underdressed people like me, experiencing the same atmosphere and feeling slightly more normal together.

Speaking from personal experiences, the atmosphere was so thick with hype and excitement that it was contagious and I certainly caught most of this when waiting in line to meet celebrities. Standing in the line and watching Luke Mitchell (who really is that tall) whilst we waited for our own picture to be taken was something that had us fangirls stuck between the faze of “this isn’t reality” or the “I’m on the verge of fainting” spectrum. Now, being woken up at 4:30A.M was something that I expected would have negative results, being moody or snappy but it was impossible. Seeing people walk around, being themselves, smiling and taking pictures with other people just made it impossible to be miserable or unhappy.

As mentioned, the atmosphere was contagious and so was everyone’s happiness. My friend and I even found ourselves losing any sense of normality (though I suppose that was given when we began the fangirl life) when waiting for our photos to be printed. Like any technology, it seemed to fail on us and we were stood there for a good ten minutes waiting for a picture to print, which is where we caught a glimpse of Nick Blood. In fact, we had photos planned with him next but seeing him there and then, behind stage drinking water and typing on his phone made everything more surreal and it suddenly hit us like Thor’s hammer to the head that this is the same person who played the Lance Hunter, the same person who was sat drinking a water and typing on his phone and that suddenly sent us into a massive spiral in which we began waving wildly to him, thankfully resulting in him laughing and waving back.

After getting our pictures with everyone (and almost dying when Nick Blood asked for our names) we opted for walking around the stalls. Now imagine this, everyone likes cake (unless you don’t, then you probably aren’t normal), and you’re dumped in the middle of a large cake shop where there’s every cake in the world. That? That’s Comic Con with the exception that this metaphorical cake is in fact merchandise of every sorts. Massive fan of a TV show or Movie? Posters, Funko’s- everything. Like Japan? Try the stall with piles of Japanese sweets and foods, or the unique China plates that drew attention to the most unique characters. Now after saving months and months of money we were suddenly faced with the issue and question of which- was our money enough?

The answer was yes. Despite everything for sale and the mass amount of stalls covering an entire arena, everything was surprisingly less pricey then thought. Then there was the fact that if you really wanted something, was it truly expensive? Was a small or large amount of money worth your happiness? A lot of people may argue that you can get a good majority of the stuff that loitered the stalls, that brought the fans from everywhere across the UK, online but that happiness isn’t the same. Granted, you can buy some things online but then there’s the wait, and then you get it and it’s broken or it isn’t exactly what you wanted or the suspension waiting for it has died down and the enjoyment of opening your parcel isn’t as you imagined it would be.

Going to Comic Con and buying merchandise is far different. For a starters, the option to browse a far more varied shopping range is there and instead of looking at a photo shopped or airbrushed photo which is often overly emphasised to draw more attention, you’re looking at the real thing. There is no greater feeling for a fan to be able to look at what they plan to purchase, to be able to look at what you want to buy in person without it being emphasised or changed through the power of photo editing.

The whole day was hectic, the staff were working to their full potential and were there when you needed. Yes, technology did fail at some points and things did get a little disorganised when Elizabeth Henstridge overtook the printers and pictures of people were lost in a chaos with others but it all added to the buzzing atmosphere that marooned us and united us together. You may have been stood in a line for a good couple of minutes as the staff hunted for your picture but what better way to spend a few minutes with the tenth Doctor or Bucky Barnes?

The cosplayers were a dedicated bunch that were practically everywhere you looked, always willing to stop for pictures or a general conversation. There was nothing nicer to see them being so friendly and comfortable within themselves, despite the heat that could have spurred on moodiness. No matter where you went or where you looked, there were cosplayers varying from Sams and Deans to Leonards and Howards. The time and dedication put into even the simplest of outfits was extraordinary and each outfit always left us in awe.

The comic con convention location was amazing in itself. Set at the Victoria Docks, going out for a quick breather to rid yourself of the hot, stuffy air (they should really invest in air con) always meant that you were left with a beautiful view and an open space. It was such an enticing view which, if the convention itself didn’t, brought people together for a moment of serenity and silence, breath taken by the days events, the view and the sudden peace.

If the convention itself hadn’t untied fans by then, then the MYM Buzz interviews were sure to. Fans surrounding a singular small area to watch their favourite stars be interviewed or for the opportunity to ask them the most random questions (in my case, asking Luke, Elizabeth and Nick a simple- Snog, Marry, Kill question- Sorry Coulson, looks like you’re going back to Tahiti). It truly was phantasmagoric just being around these other people who were there for the same reason as you and even if you didn’t speak to them, the feeling of union and happiness was still kindling there.

Despite everything however, Comic Con didn’t go without its fault. The MYM Buzz area just wasn’t accommodating to the fans that were there for their idols. The few rows of seats were snatched up quickly and left people stood to the side in crowds, often delaying other people trying to get through and to another location. Additionally, this also put people at a disadvantage when coming to ask questions of the stars, often getting overlooked for people sat in the seats. The interviews and questions themselves were shortly timed and people were only given a few seconds for their answer, maybe optimized to a minute if you were lucky. Understandably though, the stars were tired and exhausted from their long day of meeting overly enthusiastic fans and undoubtfully just wanted a few moments peace for themselves. I guess we do owe them a lot for turning up to these conventions and entertaining us.

But to me, London Comic Con 2016 is a time that’ll always stick with me and something I can safely call the best time of my life. The celebrities, despite jet lag and the endless queues of fans, questions and autographs, were delightful and never once seemed down, always excited to meet the next fan. The people there carried and created the atmosphere themselves, bubbling with joy and excitement and curiosity all the time in a continuous prose that left you unable but to smile and laugh. The staff, despite the pressure they were put under and the formidable heat that surrounded them, were always on top form with smiles, laughs and jokes themselves and this made everything all the more fun and better.

In short, if you’re questioning yourself on whether you should go Comic Com soon, then the answer you need is ‘Yes I should!’. Comic Con is a time to unite yourself with other people who share a common interest. If you’ve ever felt singled out for liking something that no one else around you likes, then Comic Con is the place to be. Guaranteed you can find self security there and make new friends for the rest of your life and guaranteed you’ll be smiling about it days after the event (I’m still starstruck).

London Comic Con have certainly made my first Comic Con worth remembering and hopefully will have me returning next year or in October. I can happily say, hands down, that it was the best time of my life and I’m sure I can vouch for others, it was theirs too.

1K Subscribers Giveaway & Fifty Shades Of Spray

Hey guys! So I recently hit a subscriber milestone! If you were around when I hit 500 I did a fun video & giveaway! Well, guess what?! I did it again & this time I played a little innuendo bingo. Check it out in the video below!