Month: September 2019

NYCC 2019 SWAG Alert: Resident Alien, The Orville & More Signings From Dark Horse

New York Comic Con is almost here and many comic companies are revealing their schedule for the show. These events can be great opportunities to pick up SWAG either at Panels like Marvel or signings like Skybound.

Dark Horse is the latest to reveal their plans, including signings. The publisher stands-out from other publishers by providing items such as cards, comics and posters to be autographed, in case your floppies or trades aren’t handy.

In addition, Dark Horse sometimes host talent from television shows, and this year is no exception.

Friday, October 4, from 4:00 – 4:45 pm, cast and creatives from the upcoming SyFy series, Resident Alien, including fan favorite, Alan Tudyk, will be signing. There is a limit of three items per person, with prints provided by SyFy and Dark Horse.

Sunday, October 6, from 1:30 – 2:15 pm, The Orville will be doing a signing. There is a limit of two items, with Dark Horse providing a print.

Both signings require wristbands that can be drawn for when the show opens both the day before and of each signing. Head over to Booth # 1554 for a chance. Check out below for the entire Dark Horse autograph schedule and rules for the wristband events.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3


11:00 a.m-11:50 a.m.

FLAMING CARROT: Bob Burden 

12:00 p.m.–12:50 p.m.

WANDERING LUMINATIONS, BUNNY IN THE MOON, LOST CONSTELLATIONS: THE ART OF TARA MCPHERSON: Tara McPherson

1:00 p.m. – 1:50 p.m.

STRAYED: Carlos Giffoni, Juan Doe
TRAIGE, TOMB RAIDER: Philip Sevy 

2:00 p.m.–2:50 p.m.              

BLACKSAD: Juan Díaz Canales, Junajo Guarnido

3:00 p.m.–3:50 p.m.

MANOR BLACK, HARROW COUNTY, TALES FROM HARROW COUNTY: Cullen Bunn

BEASTS OF BURDEN, THE MASK, BLACKWOOD, DORK!, MILK & CHEESE, CALLA CTHULHU, THE ELTINGVILLE CLUB: Evan Dorkin

BEASTS OF BURDEN, DORK!, MILK & CHEESE, CALLA CTHULHU: Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer

4:00 p.m.-4:50 p.m.

SNOW, GLASS, APPLES: Colleen Doran

5:00 p.m-5:50 p.m. 

CRITICAL ROLE: VOX MACHINA ORIGINS II, STRANGER THINGS, STARCRAFT: Jody Houser

CRITICAL ROLE: VOX MACHINA ORIGINS II: Jody Houser, MSASSYK

CRITICAL ROLE: VOX MACHINA ORIGINS II CONVENTION EXCLUSIVE COVER: Babs Tarr

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4

11:00 a.m–11:50 a.m.

BERGER BOOKS –
INVISIBLE KINGDOM: G. Willow Wilson


EVERYTHING, SHE COULD FLY: Christopher Cantwell


SHE COULD FLY: Martín Morazzo


TBA: Peter Milligan


LAGUARDIA: Tana Ford


RUBY FALLS, THE SEEDS: Ann Nocenti 

THE MASK: Christopher Cantwell

12:00 p.m.–12:50 p.m.

GRENDEL: DEVIL’S ODYSSEY, GRENDEL: Matt Wagner


GRENDEL: DEVIL’S ODYSSEY, HELLBOY: SATURN RETURNS: Brennan Wagner  

1:00 p.m.–1:50 p.m.

BLACKSAD: Juan Díaz Canales, Junajo Guarnido

2:30 p.m.–3:20 p.m.

COUNT CROWLEY: David Dastmalchian, Lauren Affe

4:00 p.m.-4:45 p.m.

RESIDENT ALIEN: Peter Hogan (Resident Alien co-creator / Series Writer), Chris Sheridan (Executive Producer), Alan Tudyk (Harry Vanderspiegle), Sara Tomko (Asta), Corey Reynolds (Sheriff Mike)

WRISTBAND REQUIRED

  • NO POSED PHOTOGRAPHY
  • LIMIT 3 ITEMS PER PERSON (MAXIMUM)
  • ALLOWED ITEMS:
  • 1 PURCHASABLE COPY of RESIDENT ALIEN GRAPHIC NOVEL, from Dark Horse Comics
  • 1 FREE PRINT PER PERSON provided by SYFY
  • 1 FREE PRINT PER PERSON provided by Dark Horse Comics
  • OTHER RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY—SEE STAFF FOR INFO

5:30 PM–6:20 PM

FINAL FANTASY, VAMPIRE HUNTER D, YOSHITAKA AMANO: THE ILLUSTRATED BIOGRAPHY, THE SKY: Yoshitaka Amano


WRISTBAND REQUIRED

  • NO POSED PHOTOGRAPHY
  • LIMIT 2 ITEMS PER PERSON (MAXIMUM)
  • ALLOWED ITEMS:
  • 1 FREE PRINT PER PERSON provided by Dark Horse Comics
  • 1 OTHER ITEM
  • OTHER RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY—SEE STAFF FOR INFO

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5

11:00 a.m.–11:50 a.m.       

FINAL FANTASY, VAMPIRE HUNTER D, YOSHITAKA AMANO: THE ILLUSTRATED BIOGRAPHY, THE SKY: Yoshitaka Amano

WRISTBAND REQUIRED

  • NO POSED PHOTOGRAPHY
  • LIMIT 2 ITEMS PER PERSON (MAXIMUM)
  • ALLOWED ITEMS:
  • 1 FREE PRINT PER PERSON provided by Dark Horse Comics
  • 1 OTHER ITEM
  • OTHER RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY—SEE STAFF FOR INFO

12:00 p.m.–12:50 p.m.          

THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY: Nick Filardi

BAD LUCK CHUCK: Matthew Dow Smith, Lela Gwenn

1:00 p.m.–1:50 p.m.            

THE LEGEND OF KORRA: RUINS OF THE EMPIRE: Michelle Wong

WRISTBAND REQUIRED

  • NO POSED PHOTOGRAPHY
  • LIMIT 2 ITEMS PER PERSON (MAXIMUM)
  • ALLOWED ITEMS:
  • 1 FREE PRINT PER PERSON provided by Dark Horse Comics
  • 1 OTHER ITEM
  • OTHER RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY—SEE STAFF FOR INFO

5:00 p.m.-5:50 p.m.

MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000: Todd Nauck

BLACK HAMMER/JUSTICE LEAGUE, HELLBOY: Michael Walsh

BLACK HAMMER/JUSTICE LEAGUE, STRANGER THINGS, THE MASK, CRIMINAL MACABRE, FIGHT CLUB 3, WILLIAM GIBSON’S ALIEN 3: Nate Piekos 

6:00 p.m.-6:50 p.m.

ELFQUEST: Wendy Pini, Richard Pini

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6

11:00 a.m.-11:50 a.m.

MINECRAFT VOLUME 1: Sarah Graley

MINECRAFT: STORIES FROM THE OVERWORLD, MODERN FANTASY: Rafer Roberts 

12:00 p.m.–12:50 p.m.         

DISNEY: SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, DISNEY THE LITTLE MERMAID, SOUPY LEAVES HOME: Cecil Castellucci

DISNEY PRINCESS, DISNEY: RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET: CLICK START—A-SELECT-YOUR-STORY ADVENTURE: Amy Mebberson

DISNEY: RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET: CLICK START—A-SELECT-YOUR-STORY ADVENTURE, DISNEY FROZEN: Joe Caramagna

DISNEY: ALADDIN FOUR TALES OF AGRABAH: Diego Galindo 

1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.       

THE ORVILLE: David Goodman (Writer/EP), Brannon Braga (Writer/EP), Jon Cassar (Director/EP), Adrianne Palicki (Commander Kelly Grayson), Penny Johnson Jerald (Dr. Claire Finn), Scott Grimes (Lt. Gordon Malloy), Peter Macon (Lt. Commander Bortus), Jessica Szohr (Lt. Talla Keyali), J Lee (Lt. Commander John Lamarr), Mark Jackson (Isaac), Chad Coleman (Klyden)

WRISTBAND REQUIRED

  • NO POSED PHOTOGRAPHY
  • LIMIT 2 ITEMS PER PERSON (MAXIMUM)
  • 1 PURCHASABLE COPY OF THE ORVILLE COMIC from Dark Horse Comics
  • 1 FREE PRINT PER PERSON provided by Dark Horse Comics
  • OTHER RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY—SEE STAFF FOR INFO

NYCC 2019 SWAG Alert: Free Heart Attack Poster & Signing From Skybound

Skybound Entertainment, Robert Kirkman’s imprint, will be exhibiting at this year’s New York Comic Con with Image Comics at Booth # 1444. They will have a number of convention exclusives for sale and host signings for some of their creators.

Though the full signing schedule has yet to be released, the creators for the new YA series, Heart Attack, will be in attendance. You can find writer, Shawn Kittelsen, and artist, Eric Zawadzki at their signing on Friday, October 4, at 5:00 pm.

Fans won’t able to bring a copy of Heart Attack to the signing since the first issue doesn’t drop until November. However, the first 100 attendees will receive a free poster for Kittelsen and Zawadzki to autograph.

LightBox Expo: Hollywood’s Next Place To Promote Animation?

LightBox Expo (LBX) held their inaugural show recently in Pasadena. The art-focused event attracted exhibitors from different media including video games, comics and animation. It had some nice SWAG opportunities, but more importantly, LBX could be a show with great potential.

Animation, in particular, was well represented, with plenty of talent in Artists’ Alley, in addition to big studios like Sony, the people behind Spider-Man: Enter the Spider-Verse.

Some studios, like Netflix and Warner Bros, even held panels promoting upcoming projects. There were a few giveaways at the Scoob! panel including a button from the animators, Reel FX Creative Studios, and appropriate snacks.

A few other Hollywood companies also offered nice SWAG at their booths.

The Disney booth handed out posters promoting a couple of their television shows. Amphibia is an all-ages fantasy adventure about a teenage girl who is transported to a magical island, with frog people, and learns to become a hero. The Owl House is a horror-comedy set to premiere in 2020.

DreamWorks had plenty of stickers from their movies Trolls, How to Train Your Dragon and Boss Baby.

They also handed out pins from their hit Netflix animated show, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.

LBX could become a very promising show if it continues to grow. There is already a significant entertainment presence on the show floor and in panel rooms. Though it may not attract “big time” actors for signings because of its art focus, LBX could serve as a place Hollywood studios can promote their animated shows and movies.

Titans Season Two; Fan-Faves Perfect For DCU Push at NYCC

This past summer, when the DC Universe (DCU) streaming service showed-up at San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) with a Titans subscriber-appreciation poster, inexplicably the poster image gave no indication of what to expect from season two. This was a huge, missed-opportunity to get subscribers and potential subscribers excited for the debut of fan-favorite characters, Deathstroke, Superboy and Krypto. Fortunately, after wrapping-up the season one cliffhanger, the Titans season two premiere episode (dropped September 6) spent the last few minutes giving viewers a glimpse of these new faces (including Bruce Wayne, sans cape & cowl).

Titans poster given to DCU subscribers at SDCC. Nice… but no sign of season two characters.

Last year, Titans debuted at New York Comic Con (NYCC) with a Wednesday night, pre-convention premiere. And as the content provider’s inaugural, original series, Titans was featured on much of the DCU promotional SWAG.

Titans posters, comics, & pins were a big part of the DCU promotional SWAG at NYCC 2019

Hopefully, this year’s Titans SWAG at NYCC incorporates the new characters seen at the end of S2:E1, and the characters introduced later in season one: Wonder Girl and Robin (Jason Todd). DCU would do well to highlight these characters as fan favorites, capable of enticing new subscribers.

Part of the DCU Titans promotional SWAG at NYCC 2018 included an autograph signing featuring many of season one’s heroes (Robin, Raven, Starfire, Beast Boy, Hawk & Dove). And it’d be outstanding if part of the NYCC 2019, DCU Titans SWAG included an autograph signing featuring the other important characters (Wonder Girl, Jason Todd, Superboy, Krypto, Deathstroke and Bruce Wayne/Batman).

This would be an absolutely perfect companion piece to last year’s autograph poster …and an indication to subscribers that the DCU has a Long-term, well-thought-out plan for the Titans, that’s well worth the price of admission!

NYCC 2018 autograph poster for DCU Titans

New episodes of Titans, season two, drops every Friday on DCU.

Continue reading Titans Season Two; Fan-Faves Perfect For DCU Push at NYCC

It: Chapter Two: From SWAG Heavy Hype To Theaters

As the week’s widest theatrical release, It: Chapter Two is sure to come away as the weekend box office champ.
The movie’s dominating presence in theaters is reminiscent of its huge San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) presence this past July 17-21. It: Chapter Two was all over San Diego, and as a result, the movie’s Sept. 6, release may have seemed a long-time-coming to SDCC attendees. But the time has come… and audiences are finally getting a chance to see if “It” lives up to the hype.

Part of that hype is the SWAG created to market and promote the horror flick.

With It: Chapter Two as the centerpiece of both the Wednesday taping of the Conan Show, and the Warner Brothers (WB) hosted, ScareDiego annual event, the movie was the biggest and most desired game in town during SDCC Preview Night.

At both events, Conan O’Brien hosted a Q & A featuring the movie cast, and gifted audiences with the coveted Pennywise, Conan Funko Pop!. Other than the exclusive footage shown at ScareDiego, the events were very similar. However, in addition to the Funko Pop!, The ScareDiego audience also received an enamel pin of the iconic “It” red balloons.

The Funko Pop! was highly prized, but the most exclusive It: Chapter Two SWAG at SDCC was the coveted movie cast signing!

On Thursday, the first full day of the convention, WB hosted a cast signing at their huge booth on the convention showroom floor. The signing event could only be attended by those lucky-enough to score wristbands through an online lottery, and was limited to less than 100 people.

The poster was signed by the whole, “Losers” cast, including:

Jay Ryan
Jessica Chastain
James McAvoy
Isaiah Mustafa
Bill Hader
James Ransone
Andy Bean
Andy Muschietti- Director

While the signed poster SWAG was available exclusively to attendees of the signing event, It: Chapter Two SWAG at SDCC could also be had by any & everyone walking around downtown San Diego during the five-day event. As the cover subject of the Entertainment Weekly (EW), Comic-Con Bonus Issue, the movie was front-&-center-of-attention, as street teams passed-out copies of the magazine to passers-by.

With the Conan show, ScareDiego, a cast signing, and an EW cover story, it seems the It: Chapter Two marketing and promotion teams were hellbent on making sure most, if not ALL, con-goers walked away from SDCC with an awareness of the movie’s impending release. And with SWAG as physical souvenirs of the It presence in San Diego, the movie hasn’t been far from the minds of SDCC attendees since late July- when the convention ended.

Now, with the movie finally in theaters, it’s difficult to tell what effect the SDCC awareness will have on box office receipts. But if the movie does well… ESPECIALLY on opening weekend, hopefully the WB marketing machine and other promotions teams will take note of, and emulate, the “It” formula…

…Just think of all the wonderful SWAG opportunities!

The evil clown Pennywise has returned to torment the grown-up members of the Losers’ Club and can be seen in theaters now!

DuckTales: Incorporating The Disney Afternoon Universe

In the 90’s, quality children’s animated programming could be found on broadcast syndicated television every weekday afternoon.

Young viewers were ready for an escape after arriving home from school. Some of the most memorable programming came from Disney Afternoon with shows like TaleSpin, Chip ‘n Dales Rescue Rangers and Gargoyles.

One favorite, DuckTales was recently relaunched in 2017 — bringing the adventures of Scrooge McDuck and company to a new generation.

The show’s second season has served as a springboard to reintroduce characters from Disney Afternoon. Already, new versions of Darkwing Duck and Don Karnage have debuted.

Then at this year’s DuckTales panel during San Diego Comic Con, it was announced even more fan favorites will be making a comeback in the third season. These include Darkwing’s Gosalyn Duck and Taurus Bulba and TaleSpin’s Kit Cloudkicker and Molly Cunningham.

Appearing from other cartoons will be the Rescue Rangers and obscure characters, Rhinokey and Butterbear from The Wuzzles. Even classic characters, Daisy Duck and Goofy plan to visit Duckburg.

Many of these announced characters (and those unannounced like Bubba the Caveduck and Gene the Genie) join the already extensive existing cast on the awesome poster given to attendees at the signing.

Talent included:

Matt Youngberg – Developer
Sergio Angones – Developer
Tad Stones – Creator of Darkwing Duck
Kate Micucci – Webby Vanderquack
Ben Schwartz – Dewey Duck
Bobby Moynihan – Louie Duck
Paget Brewster – Della Duck

The original art serves both as a nod to the present and a glimpse to the future of DuckTales, making the poster great promotional SWAG. Knowing that beloved characters from the past are coming next season generates excitement and nostalgia. Plus, meeting celebrities and receiving autographs is always a fun experience.

DuckTales recently returned from hiatus and the rest of the second season can be viewed weekday afternoons at 3:00 pm Disney Channel or weekday mornings at 7:00 am on Disney XD.

NYCC 2019 SWAG Alert: Marvel Exclusive Variants

New York Comic Con, one of the biggest shows in the industry, is fast approaching and the show is an opportunity to pick up great exclusive SWAG.

Marvel will have a significant presence and the publisher recently released their panel schedule for the four-day event. As they have done before, special exclusive variants will be handed out to attendees at certain panels.

At the Spider-Man Spectacular panel on Thursday afternoon (1:30 pm – 2:30 pm, Room 1A24), non-specified SWAG will be available.

On Friday, at the Marvel: Cup O’Joe panel (1:30 – 2:30 pm, Room 1A06), a yet to be announced exclusive variant will be handed out to audience members.

There are two opportunities to pick up SWAG on Saturday. The first chance is at the Marvel Comics: Marvel Fanfare panel (2:15 pm – 3:15pm, Room 1A06), where an exclusive Absolute Carnage: Miles Morales #2 variant containing a classified image will be given to attendees.

Later, at the Marvel Comics: X-Men panel (5:00 pm – 6:00 pm, Main Stage) people can receive a stunning exclusive variant cover version of Powers of X #5 illustrated by Arthur Adams.

Many of these exclusive variants handed out at panels are highly sought-after items by collectors.

This can make these panels hard to attend and require staking a claim early to guarantee a seat. Two of the three variant covers still need to be revealed but this SWAG is usually worth the effort.

All of the Marvel Panel Programming can be viewed below.

MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT PANELS SCHEDULE:

THURSDAY, October 3rd

Making Comics the Marvel Way

1:30 – 2:30 PM ET, Room 1A24

Talent Scout Rickey Purdin and an assortment of Mighty Marvel Guests take you behind-the-scenes and show you how a Marvel comic book is made! Learn about every aspect of production including writing, penciling, inking, coloring, editing, and more – with creators on hand to offer personal insights and anecdotes. If you’re interested in the ins-and-outs of the comic book industry, this is the one panel you can’t miss!

Spider-Man Spectacular: A This Week In Marvel Special Event

2:45 – 3:45 PM ET, Room 1A24

The return of Spider-Man 2099! The hype for Ghost-Spider, Miles Morales, Mary Jane, and more! Join This Week in Marvel cohosts Ryan Penagos and Lorraine Cink for a deep dive into all things Spidey with writers Saladin Ahmed, Seanan McGuire, and Leah Williams. Hold onto your butts for news, reveals, swag, and more!

FRIDAY, October 4th

Marvel: Cup O’Joe

1:30 – 2:30 PM ET, Room 1A06

Join Marvel’s Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada and special guests as they look back across decades of Marvel history and share their personal experiences from some of the most defining moments in the Marvel Universe!  Don’t miss this intimate behind-the-scenes look at some of your favorite Marvel characters and stories.  PLUS – attendees of the panel will receive an exclusive variant comic to be announced!

Marvel Games Panel

3:00 PM – 4:30 PM ET, Madison Square Garden

Get an inside look at the latest and greatest from Marvel Games! Attendees will see exciting new content from Marvel’s Iron Man VR and Marvel’s Avengers, with many unannounced surprises and panel exclusives. Hosts Angelique Roche (Marvel’s Voices) and Josh Saleh (Marvel’s Let’s Play) will be joined by Bill Rosemann (VP & Creative Director, Marvel Games) and other special guests from titles throughout the Marvel Games family!

MARVEL COMICS: Next Big Thing

4:00 – 5:00 PM ET, Room 1A06

From War of the Realms to House of X to Absolute Carnage, 2019 was jam-packed with all-new thrilling tales – but what’s next for the Marvel Universe? Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski, Donny Cates (Absolute Carnage, Guardians of the Galaxy), Al Ewing (Immortal Hulk, Marvel Comics #1000), and Dan Slott (Fantastic Four, Tony Stark: Iron Man) are here to tell you! What universe redefining events will Incoming lead to in the coming year? And – what other senses-shattering stories loom on the horizon at the House of Ideas?  Find out in this can’t-miss panel! 

Marvel’s Runaways

5:30 – 7:00 PM ET, Madison Square Garden

Marvel’s Runaways is headed back to Madison Square Garden with an action-packed panel you won’t want to miss!  Be the first to experience the premiere episode of the highly-anticipated third season with the stars and creative forces of Marvel’s Runaways. After the exclusive screening, join Jeph Loeb, Head of Marvel Television, along with the cast and executive producers, to discuss what’s to come in season three. All episodes of Marvel’s Runaways season three drop on Friday, December 13th only on Hulu.  

SATURDAY, October 5th

MARVEL COMICS: Marvel Fanfare with C.B. Cebulski

2:15 – 3:15 PM ET, Room 1A06

This is your chance to meet the head of editorial at Marvel! In an exclusive and intimate panel experience, Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski, along with living legend Chris Claremont, will talk about anything and everything involved with Marvel Comics. Who were their favorite characters as kids – and have their favorites changed? Who is on Chris’ dream team of X-Men? Ask these questions and more in the Q&A! Plus – attendees will receive an exclusive Absolute Carnage: Miles Morales #2 cover featuring a CLASSIFIED image that you won’t be able to get anywhere else!

Marvel’s Hero Project

3:30 – 4:30 PM ET, Room 1A06

In life, it doesn’t take wearing a suit of iron, carrying a mythical hammer or swinging from spider webs to be a real hero. Sometimes the person who can make a positive difference in the world is the person who simply sees a problem and has the passion to find a creative solution. Come experience, for the first time ever at NYCC, Marvel’s Hero Project – an inspiring, brand-new, unscripted series that reveals the remarkable, positive change several young, real life heroes are making in their own communities.  Join some of the creative team behind this series for a world premiere screening of the first episode along with a special Q&A that you won’t want to miss! Marvel’s Hero Project will premiere with the launch of the new streaming service Disney+ on November 12, 2019.

MARVEL COMICS: X-Men – Dawn of X

5:00 – 6:00 PM ET, Main Stage

The Dawn of X is about to break! Join Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski, Senior Editor Jordan White, and merry mutants Ed Brisson (New Mutants), Tini Howard (Excalibur), and Benjamin Percy (X-Force) on NYCC’s Main Stage in a discussion about the revolutionary new status quo for the X-Men. Plus – be the first to hear exciting new announcements for the Children of the Atom! Stay until the end of the panel to receive an exclusive variant cover version of Powers of X #5, featuring a stunning Dawn of X-inspired image by Arthur Adams!

SUNDAY, October 6th

Women of Marvel (Including the World Premiere Screening of Marvel Rising: Operation Shuri)

12:15 – 1:45 PM ET, Room 1A06

From comics to games, animation and more, the Women of Marvel assemble to celebrate nerddom and all the women who help make it great! Join the conversation as some of the best talent in the industry discuss the creative process, being a woman in entertainment, and what they’ve got planned next.

Then stick around for the world premiere of “Marvel Rising: Operation Shuri”!