Tag: comic con

TOTLB S13 Rick Remender

Posted on by Juan Muro

At Comic Con International 2018, we had the amazing opportunity to speak with Rick Remender!

Deadly Class is a comic book that Rick Remender, the writer/creator, debuted in 2014! The comic book revolves around Marcus Lopez, a guy living on the streets, trying to transition into a school of assassins! Up until his decision to enroll in the school of assassins, Marcus has lived a pretty rough life! His parents died in a horrific accident, he was placed in a grueling orphanage, and he has done some horrible things as a response. This book tells the story of his enrollment, plus the lives of his classmates!

In April 2018, SYFY picked up the pilot, to make a series, that will release in 2019! THIS is the reason we had the amazing opportunity to speak with Rick Remender during Comic Con! We get to speak with him about some of his favorite scenes that have already been recorded from the pilot, as well as where he thinks (without spoilers) this first season will take us!! PLUS, not only is Rick Remender writing, and creating the TV series so that it doesn’t go astray, BUT the Russo Brothers are also on board!! Amazing creators, and actors, make this show a MUST see when it debuts in 2019!

Weirdly, but awesome, we also speak about the music that will accompany the TV show, and has accompanied Rick as he created the comic book/TV show! Rick talks about needing to get back to making “Fuck You” music! Essentially, getting back to your roots, going out of your way to make music, or any other creation, that YOU like. Not something that will appease the masses, but rock and roll that goes back to it’s roots! Rick sounds absolutely pumped, and excited for this show to debut, which gives us the feeling that he is all in, and that makes us excited! Sounds like SYFY will have a winner on their hands!!

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TOTLB 092 Knights At the Rectangle Table

Posted on by Juan Muro

I KNOW that everyone has been waiting for a normal episode to hit!! Trying to get all of our Comic Con International coverage out to you, but I did also want to make sure that I put a regular episode out, in the middle of it all!!

Episode 92 takes place BEFORE Comic Con International! We all get together at Jon’s comic book shop, Hall of Justice, and, as you know, things get rowdy!! We talk about the spoiler that came of Batman’s wedding, plus all of the things we were excited for, about Comic Con!

No interviews for this one! Just straight laughter!!

Remember, you can ALWAYS let us know what you think! We can only think of so many things to talk about every other week, and would LOVE to get some feedback and ideas from all of you out there who are listening!! You can send mp3s and email to our email address. Also, join the conversations on our Facebook Page and Twitter Page. Also, if you have good feedback, please leave it for us on iTunes and Stitcher!! That’s one way to help us climb the ranks into podcast glory!! You can ALSO leave us voicemail!!! Call the Michael Kuyrk memorial 970-573-6148 and leave us a hilarious message!!!

Hall of Justice Comics & Collectibles
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Credit – Jonthan Garnett, Juan Muro, Gabe Llanas

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DC Universe – Post Comic Con International

Posted on by Juan Muro

So there is currently a massive marketing blitz for DC’s new product DC Universe.  With trailers coming out at Comic Con International San Diego and constant Facebook ads, but what does your $75 a year really get you?  Let’s dig into what we know about DC Universe.

-TV-

Probably the biggest selling point that they are pushing is access to exclusive new television content.  With five featured shows in the DC Universe trailer including three that are are slated for live action and two that are animated.

Titans had its trailer released at SDCC (the now infamous “Fuck Batman” trailer).  Showing us a dark and gritty DC world that we have come to know from the movies and in a lot of ways the CW shows.  This could go either way as far as entertainment goes. Will it lean too heavily on violence and language than story?  Only time will tell.

Grant Morrison’s version of the Doom Patrol seems like the natural choice for source material for the proposed Doom Patrol show.  If you aren’t familiar with this IP than you are in for a treat. This strange group of Super Hero/Trauma Victims had a fantastic run under Morrison, and is currently enjoying a great run under Eisner winner Gerard Way.  Do yourself a favor and check it out, because that will get you excited for what a show can be.

The big question mark is the live action Swamp Thing series.  Very little has been said about this, and it could end up being anywhere between “horrible beyond belief” and “the best show of all time”.  James Wan (writer of Saw, and executive producer on Aquaman) is attached to the project and that is positive. Also attached to the show are writers Gary Dauberman (writer on It and Annabelle) and Mark Verheiden (writer and executive producer on Ash vs. Evil Dead, Daredevil and Constantine).  They have stacked this with some horror and comic heavyweights so this has the stink of good on it. It also isn’t lost in translation that Verheiden was a writer and executive producer on Constantine which could make for a great through line to relaunching Constantine on DC Universe.

Young Justice Outsiders and Harley Quinn are the two announced animated shows.  Young Justice Outsiders is going to be starting on the third season of the very popular show.  Where Harley Quinn will be a new animated show. Curious to see if this will be stylistically more like the animated series that the character was born from, or the newer version that has been presented over the last few years.

On top of the exclusive new shows they will also be streaming a lot of their classic content which could have and incredibly wide range.  I could have anything from a rebooted Powerless to bingeable streams of Batman 66 or Smallville. There is a lot of DC content out there and that is without even looking at the slate of CW shows.

-Movies-

So far the announcements for movies have revolved around the available DC content from the past.  Everything from the fantastic animated movies that have been coming out over the last few years, to the original Batman and Superman films.  There is a lot that they can draw on for this segment of the service.

It will be interesting to see what they do with newer properties like the latest of the super hero films to come out in the theatre.  Will they begin to have exclusive DC Universe releases? Will there be early streaming access for users? There hasn’t been much information about this other than the clips that are included in trailers for the service.  

-Comics-

There will also be a comics aspect to the service.  Claiming that this will be a “curated” list of some of the best that DC has to offer, on demand to your device.  By creating this segment the service becomes something more than just another streaming service. Much of the push has been to cross platform and cross reference content.  Read a Batman comic on your phone or tablet, then watch the movie or animated show that was inspired by the run of comics that you just read. This is a really interesting idea and it seems like it could be a really great way to convert the eyes that see video content into eyes that read comic books.  

-Merch/Social Media-

So the platform is also slated to have some interesting aspects to it that no other streaming platform has ever really included.  Access to exclusive merchandise, a social media platform that gives you direct access to DC creators and the chance to earn exclusives and prizes.  This rounds out what the DC Universe can be, but will it be to much? These have the potential to be the lurking place of super fans that constantly neg the service they are paying for (looking at you WWE Network), or it could be a really interesting new take on what a media company can do with their properties.

For the price of $7.99 a month or $75 a year this is on the same price point as streaming services like Hulu or Netflix.  Will it be able to produce the same level or amount of content? Will this be worth it for casual DC fans or will this only be for the mega fan?  What happens when Marvel announces its service?

There are a lot of questions going into the DC Universe but they are taking pre-orders right now at the DC Universe page!

TOTLB S08 Sherrilyn Kenyon

Posted on by Juan Muro

Hello everyone, and welcome to our first interview for Comic Con International 2018!!

Sherrilyn Kenyon is a #1 New York Times Best Seller, and you can absolutely tell that she LOVES her world/characters!! Her writing started WAY back before she ever wrote her first big hit! Sherrilyn has been writing ever since she was a young woman, at the behest of a family member or two. She has characters in her books now, that she has been imagining, and writing about, for over 20 years!! Because of this, her work is much more informed, and fleshed out than normal authors, as these characters, ARE a part of her family. They have lived, and breathed with her for almost her whole life, and you can feel like through her writing!

With over 70 million copies sold, throughout 100 different countries, she is an international star, with an international following! Hitting the #1 New York Times Best Seller in 2007 for Devil May Cry #2, and in 2010 for No Mercy, Sherrilyn is definitely an author that you do NOT want to pass up!

We spoke with Sherrilyn about two of her upcoming books:

Stygian – “Out of darkness comes the light. From the loins of the Stygian Hell, you are born and you will be called Urian – The flame of our new people. And one day, you will be my blade. My vengeance upon them all. They took my son from me, and I take theirs from them. Together, my precious Urian, we will destroy the human race, and all the Gods of this earth.

Death Doesn’t Bargain – “But so are the demons who have broken free of their eternal prison and are bent on mankind’s destruction. The worst of the lot is Vine, determined to claim their lives for taking hers. She will see the world burn…and has the perfect lure to destroy them and Thorn, leader of the Hellchasers, once and for all. Kalder Dupree has never known a day of mercy. Born to a mer-race who prides themselves on cruelty, he sacrificed himself for the only woman who has ever shown him kindness. Locked in a hell realm, he doesn’t expect anyone to come to his rescue. He accepts the fact that he was born alone and that he twice died that way once by his own mother’s hand Cameron Jack is determined to set Kalder free. As a Hellchaser Deadman, it’s her calling, but her resolve stems more from the fact that she’s the reason he died in the first place. If not for him, she’d still be suffering. And she cannot allow even a not-so-innocent to be tortured for an act of kindness that spared her damnation.”

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Comic Con International – Day 1 – Make “Fuck You” Music

Posted on by Juan Muro

Comic Con International – Day 1 – Make Fuck You Music

I usually wake up at like four thirty in the morning to get ready for work, so waking up at 6am Pacific time was a little bit of a treat.  The sky was grey and dreary when I got up this morning, but man did that kind of visual mood pass away as the day went on.  

So I’m not going to give you a full rundown of the things that I did today.  There were a lot of interviews and a couple of panels but amongst all of that (that will come out on forthcoming episodes of Thinking Outside the Long Box) were these really big moments.

One of the first things that I did today was go to the From the Bridge panel.  The big takeaway was, “We win.” All those years of getting called a nerd or a geek, of getting beat up because you played D&D, or whatever.  That all paid off, because now we are the ones that are the dominant force for entertainment and pop-culture, and that is kind of a crazy thought. At that panel, Nichelle Nichols was awarded the Inkpot award, which has a list of recipients that is a who’s who of genre work.  This couldn’t go to a more deserving a wonderful person.

YouTube has some amazing original programing coming out with the shows Impulse and Origin, but at those panels I saw Tom Felton (one of the leads in Origin) take some time out of his day to be an amazing human being.  At the end of his panel a woman in a Rascal holding a Draco Malfoy Pop rode up to the little divider (that I had just been shooed away from) and started calling out “Tom, Tom.” He saw her, and much to his handler’s chagrin came over to sign her pop and chat with her for a second.  

Moments of kindness and humanness aren’t what celebrity are typically known for, but you would (well you probably wouldn’t but the average person would be) amazed how kind celebrity in this world are.

Got a chance to sit (poolside) with Pia Guerra and chat with her about her book of political comics coming out with Image called “Me the People.”  She and I have very similar politics, and it was refreshing to hear that people out there are still pretty angry about the direction this country has taken, but that they still manage to hold out hope that we can right the shit.  What a kind and empathetic person (surprise), Pia was.

Finally.  I got to sit in on a small press conference with Rick Remender about his upcoming show Deadly Class.  Our readers/listeners will obviously know this as the TV adaptation of Remender’s phenomenal comic book of the same title, and from the sounds of it the show is in good hands at SYFY…his. This conversation was about a lot more though.  It was about music, politics, and how we seem to have lost track of what rock and roll is all about.  It is about doing it all yourself and making music that just says fuck you.

So you have a task today!  Go find your favorite Fuck You music and play it loud.  It’s what Rick Remender would want you to do!

Road Trip – Preview Night

Posted on by Juan Muro

It all starts at 4pm two days ago.

Juan picks me up in a minivan with his wife and kids and we get on our way for the over night drive to California.  

As with most overnight drives it ends up being a crazy blur.  I know what happened, I know the places that we stopped, but holy shit that is a long drive.  When we made it to LA (our first stop to drop off Juan’s wife and kids to visit family) I crashed for a couple of hours.  Then I got treated to lunch at Clearman’s North Woods Inn. This place is old school steakhouse at its finest. I honestly loved their take on the chop salad with bleu cheese and could probably just eat bowl after bowl of it!

It was then time to make the trek from LA to San Diego.  What should have been a two hour drive turned into an ordeal at four, but with good music and good company it wasn’t that bad.  I love spending time with Juan, and I’m excited for what the the weekend will bring us.

We were running late for our first interview, and had to postpone them, but I got checked into my hotel room and then we made our way to the convention center.  Checking in was no big deal, and finding our way around just wasn’t that hard. Honestly the space just isn’t as complicated to get into and navigate as Denver Comic Con is.

Interviews were conducted with Sherrilyn Kenyon (an author of dark fiction)

and Rob Guillory who’s new book Farmhand just came out.  

Getting the first two under my belt kind of put me at ease, and now that I know I’ll be able to get around the convention pretty easy and that I still have the ability to interview people without cracking, I’m cranked.

DC Universe Experience

Posted on by Juan Muro

Pre-Registration for the DC Universe Experience is OPEN – DCUniverseExperience.com

The DC Universe is a subscription service designed specifically for DC fans! It will debut at San Diego Comic Con with over half a dozen immersive, interactive experiences. You’ll be able to immerse yourself in the originals, classics, and upcoming comics that will be made available through the digital service.

More information on the subscription service, and what it will entail/cost will be given out during the convention! For now, just come and see what all the DC Universe has to offer!!

After you’ve registered, make sure to head over to the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, which is directly across the street from the San Diego Convention Center. Among the activities that you will be able to interact with are:

  • Dick Grayson’s Titans loft and uncover clues to his whereabouts
  • Experience the mysterious creations of Dr. Niles Caulder in the Doom Patrol lab
  • Avoid succumbing to the deadly virus in the mystical swamps of Swamp Thing
  • Join earth’s newest superhero team in the Young Justice Watchtower
  • Create mayhem in the Harley Quinn chaos room
  • Step into the sewers with Batman and descend into madness in The Court of Owls
  • Enjoy the first public unveiling of rare artwork and memorabilia only previously seen in exclusive engagements
  • Discover hidden clues and get an exclusive first-look at the DC UNIVERSE digital subscription service
  • And so much more…

The pre-registration makes your admission process go by MUCH faster!

Remember, the details are as follows:

Thursday – Sunday, July 19 – 22, 2018
Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, 401 K Street, San Diego, CA 92101

Use #DCUxSDCC to ensure you’re keeping up with all of the fun and excitement!

 

Ready Player One Experience!

Posted on by Juan Muro

Did you wish that YOU could be Wade, going through the Ready Player One experience? Being nostalgic, and visiting what are now old friends. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment invites you to enter the virtual world of Ready Player One at Comic-Con 2018. Experience the nostalgia of the 80s in this interactive walk-through activation full of nostalgic gaming stations, and authentic film props and costumes. Test your knowledge of the film and 1980s trivia in two challenge rooms and explore the depths of The OASIS, including the haunted room 237 from The Shining.

Where – The Gallery at the Omni Hotel – 628 L Street

When – July 18, 5pm-7pm | July 19-21, 10am-7pm | July 22, 10am-5pm

It’s FREE, all you need is a Comic Con badge and you can get in!!

FUNIMATION ACQUIRES NEW DRAGON BALL SUPER MOVIE

Posted on by Juan Muro


Where are my Dragon Ball fans at? I know that there are many of us!! TODAY, Funimation announced they have acquired the theatrical rights to the new Dragon Ball Super movie, entitled “Dragon Ball Super: Broly.” Partnering with Toei Animation and Twentieth Century Fox on the theatrical release, Dragon Ball will be hitting the big screen in January 2019!


Broly will be the 20th installment in the Dragon Ball franchise, and is based on the story, screenplay and character designs of original creator Akira Toriyama.

As part of the marketing plan, Funimation has become a sponsor of the Dragon Ball North America Tour 2018. This tour will encompass seven cities in the U.S. and Canada and will launch this July at San Diego Comic-Con with a special panel on July 19th that features key contributors to the film as well as celebrity fans.

If you’re a Dragon Ball fan, you don’t want to miss out on the FIRST “Super” movie! “The film will explore the origins of the Saiyans and Frieza. It will also involve the story after the Tournament of Power.”

Laughing Prince Adam – Super7

Posted on by Juan Muro

Are you going to San Diego Comic Con looking for exclusive action figures? Than look no further than Super7!

Laughing Prince Adam figure! Exclusively at the Hordak’s Lair pop-up event during Comic-Con International in San Diego!

Features include:
– New Laughing head sculpt inspired by the viral video
– new pink power sword
– rainbow glitter packaging

To pick up this awesome Prince Adam figure go to Hordak’s Lair – 701 8th Avenue, the 18th and 19th, during the show!!