At Comic-Con... Bent-Con reigns

The Bent-Con Family

Sean Z - bottom left
Jody Wheeler -bottom right
Salvador Hernandez -top left
me

And just some of us.

Me and Captain Marvel/Photon

25th Anniversary of the Gays in Comics Panel Recap

pic from Evelyn Braddock

Last night, I attended my 4th Gays in Comics Panel at Comic-Con. This was a special event because it was the 25th anniversary of the panel. This time, gay writers, artists and creators took the stage to share their stories about comics and why this panel is very important.

Before the event took off, founder and moderator Andy Mangels received an Inkpot Award, a prestigious honor given to someone who provide top service to Comic-Con. After that, we had many of the panelists share their stories and some bits of history. Here are a few:

• Trina Robbins, was a pioneer for queer comics. She also put a Black lead character in her stories. Please google her, she has done a lot.

• Charles "Zan" Christensen, founding member of Prism Comics is happy there are gueer comics to publish.

• Joe Phillips shares his story of coming out and drawing comics. He said he was drawing men through the eyes of a big Black man.

• Ivan Velez, Jr is celebrating 25th years of his comic Tales of the Closet. ‪Ivan Velez, Jr said that he felt invisible all his life. It was the reason why he start writing comics.

• Steve Englehart, created the 1st out gay superhero, Extrano in 1987 DC Comics' Millennium. It was very risky to do at that time.

• Ted Abenheim, has been a fighter and tireless advocate for gay comics. He will continue doing what he can to push gay comics forward.

• Writer Gail Simone said to be fearless in all that you do. 

• The godmother of the gay comic movement Ramona Gregory provides words of encouragement.

• The creator of Elfquest, Wendy Pini, told producers that her musical will have gay male leads or there's no show.

• Cartoonist Eric Shanower talked about criticism for making the JL look too gay. The guy turned out to be a closeted gay.

• Andy Mangels stepped down as moderator last night. He thanked everyone for been there and wanting to be there.

It was a great night to be apart of gay history that actually involved geeks.

"We're Still Flying" The Best Moment of the Firefly 10th Anniversary Reunion at Comic-Con

Question of the Day

If you could, would you attend Comic-Con?

Drama on the Comic-Con Floor

So much happened yesterday at Comic-Con. I'm still recovering from the craziness that took place over the last 24 hours, let me break it down for you.

•  The 1st meal I had on Wednesday night was at 11pm. It was a grilled cheese sandwich which gave me food poisoning.
• I couldn't really sleep and I had to be there at 5:30am to get the Jem doll.
• I stood in line from 5:50am to 8:30am for a ticket for the doll. And one I got the ticket, the  time stamp was for the afternoon.
• During that time, I got sick and had to carefully and cutely throw up in the bushes. Only a few folks saw me, one guy checked on me. He thought I was dealing with a hangover.
• Because I was sick, I didn't eat all day. Then, I was growing super weak from standing and walking around the main floor. Luckily, we had a VIP lounge for Professionals. 
• I tried to help a friend get some his (toys) items since he didn't get a ticket. Once I finally got to the check-out line, my wonderful bank freaked out and canceled my card.
• After arguing with them for 30 minutes, they let the purchase go through, but they claimed my card was being comprised. So now, I have a temporary account... I HATE Bank of America! I think I need to go to Chase.
• After all that drama, I was dead. I went back to the hotel and crashed for 7 hours. I guess I need it.

All in all, I'm still having a great time.

I'm heading out for Comic-Con

Hi all,

I'm leaving for Comic-Con today! I got a brand new iPad and some geeky shirts for the occasion. So look out for a lot pics and posts for the next 5 days!

Comic-Con Poster for The Walking Dead Season 3

Here is the official Comic-Con poster for TWD, including Michonne and the Governor

get excited

Special Edition JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS Doll to be available at Comic Con

I'm SO EXCITED about this! A company called, Integrity Toys has stuck a deal with Hasbro to release a special line of JEM dolls!

The first release will be Hollywood Jem and it will be available at Comic Con, so you already know, I'm getting one!

Here's some of  the press release:

Integrity Toys, Inc., under license from Hasbro, Inc., today announced a brand-new series of high-end collectible fashion dolls based on the 1980's ground breaking animated series JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS, launching at 2012 Comic-Con International in San Diego.

Inspired by the "TRULY OUTRAGEOUS" characters created by Hasbro over two decades ago and cherished by fans and collectors alike ever since, this nostalgic retro doll line is designed to pay homage to both the animated series and its original companion doll line, originally marketed from 1985 to 1987. Created for fans by fans of the rock 'n shock pink haired pop-culture icon and her outrageous world, this classic commemorative line will feature the high-end details, quality accessories and ultra-limited edition sizes that fans of Integrity Toys have come to appreciate through the years.

This first doll in this exciting commemorative collection will be JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS Special Edition Doll: HOLLYWOOD JEM, one of the most requested animated-based looks. This doll will be available for purchase at the HasbroToyShop booth #3329 during Comic-Con International in San Diego at an approximate retail price of $125 and following the convention, at WWW.HasbroToyShop.com.

I can't wait to see what else they have in store. The Stingers, Jacqui Benton, Regine Craig Phillips! Again, I'm so excited!

Bent-Con 2012 is On The Way

I'm excited to tell y'all that our website is up and running. The successful LGBT Comic Con is back, Bent-Con 2012 is coming in the Fall!

As one of the Directors of this event, I can't tell y'all how proud I am of my fellow geeks for making this happen. Please check out the site and let me know what you think.

Go here http://bent-con.org/

New Trailer: Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope

This is me, but I'm in designer fashions instead of costumes

My Recap of Comic Con 2011

Comic Con '11 was an event this year. It was cool, but I noticed that San Diego needs to step it up if it wants to maintain the flow and the folks. But in all, it was fun.

So let me tell you about it.

• I took a train to San Diego and it was fun, in a Murder on the Orient Express kinda way.
• The gays represented this year! We are taking over.
• The panels were good and engaging.
• I felt like the organization of Comic Con was off. They need new management.
• The folks in the next room in our hotel were having sex to disco and they were STRAIGHT.
• Tara from Buffy stayed in our hotel. We ran into her on the stairs.

Me and WW Crew, Javier and Peter

• I hung out a few Wonder Woman fans Saturday night. We had a great dinner and great time hanging out at the beach.
• I went to a writing session and I learned a lot. So Amazon Studios, I'm peeping you.
• My partner came this time, but he was tired of the crowds.
• The crowds were nerdier, crazier and a tad bit hotter.

Me and Robert Kirkman, the creator of The Walking Dead

• I met Robert Kirkman! He created The Walking Dead.
• We couldn't set on the floor anywhere. Apparently, it is a fire hazard. Also you can't plug up your laptops either. I was told you can't have wires showing.
• I waited for two and half hours to see the True Blood panel. It was worth it, but I wish the Comic Con folks would empty out the main ballroom. Folks sit in there all day, making it hard for others to get in.
• The vendors are crooks. They get a hold of the Comic Con Exclusives and sale them for almost 10 times the price. That should be illegal.
• I didn't spend as much as I thought I would.
• I just found my Gucci sunglasses! I thought I lost them at Netroots Nation.

That's it.

New Pics: Comic Con 2011 part 2

Highlights from Gays in Comics Panel at Comic Con

This marks the 24th year of the Gays in Comics Panel here at Comic Con. It's always an interesting group of folks.

This time around we had Andy Mangels (USA Today bestselling author of Star Trek novels and Iron Man: Beneath The Armor) hosts Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead, head of Image Comics's Skybound imprint), Chip Kidd (author, editor and designer, Bat-Manga, Rough Justice), Dan Parent (creator of Archie's new gay character and series, Kevin Keller), Jon Macy (writer/artist Teleny and Camille and Prism Queer Press grant recipient for Fearful Hunter), Paul Cornell (writer, TV's Doctor Who and DC Comics's upcoming Stormwatch and Demon Knights), Greg Pak (writer, Incredible Hulks, co-writer, Alpha Flight, Herc) and a video appearance by J. H. Williams III (co-writer/ artist, Batwoman).

So here are the highlights:

• Batwoman's face is based from Traci Lords
• Women are not having the best time in creating comics. In fact, it was the first time there were no women in the panel.
• Robert Kirkman learned that he is a bear (and a cute one I might add).
• The need for diverse characters are growing at rapid speed.
• Robert Kirkman said Marvel was very supportive of his gay characters.
• Paul Cornell said being a Doctor Who fan was a gay euphemism.
• Robert Kirkman announced a new comic for 2012, 'Thief of Thieves' there will be a Trans character.
• Archie Comics' Kevin Keller makes it easy for parents to talk about gay people.
• 
  
  Chip Kidd written a graphic novel on Batman with a gay villain.
• Archie Comics will address DADT and gay marriage. Dan Parent said that Kevin shows us how to be patriotic & gay.
• Marvel's Hercules is bisexual... I didn't know that.
• Paul Cornell said there were 4 complaints about Captain Jack kissing the Doctor.
• Kevin Keller will have a 5 year jump where the Archie characters will attend Kevin's wedding.
• 
  
  Jon Macy wants to promote sex positive stories with gay characters.
• The room was packed with gays! We are taking over!

SDCC '11: The X-Men Panel

 So I went to the X-Men Panel and learned a few things about the upcoming split of teams and the new titles.

Here's a rundown:

• The teams will split carrying on the new philosophy about mutants.
• Cyclops may not be in the X-Men anymore.
• The rift between Emma and Cyclops grows.
• Hope/Jean are a big part of 2012.

• Wolverine's son will continue to like men (Thank Hera)
• The Scarlet Witch will also play a part in the X-Men universe.
• Cyclops may die, someone else may carry on his ideas.
• The re-numbering of Uncanny X-Men will represent the new purpose of the mutants.

• Havok, Rachel and Lorna also play big parts in Schism.
• Schism will shake EVERYTHING up for years.
• Someone will die in X-Factor.
• We will see more of the AOA universe.
• The New Mutants will be okay.

New Pics: Comic Con 2011 part 1

The Comic Con Trailer for True Blood

Marvel Studios will NOT have a panel at Comic-Con

Comic Con received some interesting news or maybe a set back. Marvel Studios will NOT bring anything to Hall H (the big ballroom), making it the fourth movie studio to sit out of Hall H this year.

Hero Complex reports:

“Go big or stay home,” is how one Marvel insider put it, and that logic is seemingly embraced by rival Warner Bros. with “Man of Steel,”  the 2012 feature-film revival of Superman that is conspicuously absent (at least at this point) from the Hall H program. “The Dark Knight Rises,” Warner’s follow-up to its billion-dollar Batman film in 2009, is also M.I.A., but Gotham City filmmaker Christopher Nolan has never set foot in Hall H so this latest absence may add to his mystique, but it won’t shock anyone. 

The sci-fi epic “John Carter” is also a notable absentee in Hall H, but Disney is holding it back for a very specific reason — it will be a centerpiece (along with “The Lone Ranger“) at August’s D23 Expo, the Anaheim event that is being constructed as a Disney-dedicated rival convention.

This is not a total loss; they will be present at Comic Con, but the details are unknown.

Are Movie Studios Running Away from Comic-Con?

The power of the geeks can be a tricky thing; either it works for Hollywood or it doesn't.  So far, it's not fairing so well.  In fact, it may changed the overall power of Greek Prom a.k.a Comic-Con.

This year, several studios will not showcase anything for the event.

Warner’s main studio operation is bringing nothing. Ditto Disney and DreamWorks. The Weinstein Company, a perennial presence, will also sit this one out. Even Marvel Entertainment, whose panel for “The Avengers” was a highlight of Comic-Con 2010, is on the fence about whether it will mount a major presentation. 

Comic-Con, as a growing number of movie marketers are realizing, has turned into a treacherous place. Studios come seeking buzz, but the Comic-Con effect can be more negative than positive. The swarm of dedicated fans — many of whom arrive at the convention in Japanese anime drag or draped in Ewok fur — can instantly sour on a film if it doesn’t like what it sees, leaving publicity teams with months of damaging Web chatter to clean up. 

“It’s a red-letter opportunity, but you shouldn’t go simply because it sits there on the calendar,” said Michael Moses, co-president of marketing for Universal Pictures. “You have to be absolutely certain you have goods ready that can really make a difference for your film.” 

But there is an opposite effect too, 'We love it and everyone hates it'.

Last year, folks loved the 'Sucker Punch' preview, but once that mess hit the screens, it was torn apart.  This also happened to 'Scott Pilgrim' and 'Tron 2'. So in some ways, our viewpoint may not be all that powerful.

However, this could be a blessing in disguise. With studios backing down and fans demanding better stuff... Will this force Comic-Con to return to it's roots? Less studios, more independent projects and comics? This could be a start of something good.

source

Comic Con's TicketLeap Apologizes and Explains the Madness

Saturday continued the Comic Con badge drama for the 3rd time. Folks still didn't get their badges and now many of them don't want to go to Comic Con.

TicketLeap's CEO Chris Stanchak sent a message on the site's blog, trying to ease pain of the SDCC hopefully attendees.

TicketLeap Users,

Yesterday our platform experienced capacity issues for a 4 hour period. During this time, most functionality was either slow or unavailable. We are very sorry for the frustration and problems this caused our users. We know how critical TicketLeap is to you and no amount of unplanned downtime is acceptable. I want you to know how seriously we take this situation.

The problems on TicketLeap yesterday occurred in association with an on-sale we conducted for the wildly popular event “Comic-Con International.” While we knew the event was going to put significant demand on our system, we did not expect the traffic we received.

In December, we conducted a test sale of 1,000 tickets in coordination with Comic-Con International to gauge the traffic to the platform and to work out any problems in a controlled fashion. After the test run, we made various optimizations to meet this demand level and scaled up our architecture with Amazon Web Services significantly.
The traffic we received yesterday was several orders of magnitude higher than our high end estimate. Due to the heavy strain on the system, users for all events across our system received “Over Capacity” errors. This prevented ticket buyers from buying tickets and it prevented event organizers from managing their events.

Throughout the day, we worked to adjust the scale of our infrastructure with Amazon in an effort to meet this demand. Unfortunately, we discovered a bottleneck that didn’t allow the platform to scale as needed. We are working with the highest levels of leadership at Amazon on this issue and will be delivering a detailed technical write-up in the coming days for those who are interested.

For anyone who bought tickets on Saturday to any event on TicketLeap and did not receive their confirmation email, we will be resending those confirmation emails on Monday to ensure that you received them. If you would like to resend them manually in the meantime, click here: http://www.ticketleap.com/resend-tickets/
For anyone who has any unresolved problems, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your account representative, to our support team, or to me personally.
Thank you for your patience.
Regards,
Chris Stanchak
CEO
TicketLeap, Inc.

Thanks for the apology, hopefully they can get these badge back out again. No one should miss Comic Con because of this.