I was never, as one fan in the Sanctuary panel put it, an "Amandaholic"; but that quickly changed on July 25th at roughly 3pm upon having the privilege of meeting Amanda Tapping for a one-on-one interview at Comic-Con 2008. I felt like I had been shown the path of Enlightenment and I didn’t even have to read the Book of Origin… oh sorry that was a different panel.
Read MoreExhibit A – the Hall H press cattle pen, where market press-beef are kept shoulder-to-strap, with the worst possible sightlines of the stage (during the panel for The Watchmen), whilst staff photographers are allowed the premium photog spots exclusively. This kind of discrimination will probably do nothing to increase goodwill when faced with the sight of on-coming redshirts, now seen patrolling in twos and threes. Red shirts caught patrolling alone might be a mite uncomfortable in the fearing-for-their-life category. And this is only the Second Day. By Sunday, the revolution should be well underway, if Comic Con were to live up to the subversive sensibility it is visually famous for.
One red shirted tyrant in Ballroom 20 may have been put in his place for the time being, but the correction may be temporary, as he patrols the aisles, ever on the lookout for anyone leaving so much as a shoelace out of line. Anyone carrying a camera must, of course, be shot. And the mess swept up just as soon as possible.
Read MoreThe first full day of Comic Con saw a British invasion of sorts as new Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat and outgoing executive producer Julie Gardner presented, followed by a discussion of Torchwood with Gardner and cast members John Barrowman, Gareth David Lloyd, and Naoko Mori. As you may know, Anthony Head has been on Doctor Who and James Marsters was on Torchwood last season. Steven Moffat and Julie Gardner were introduced to the packed Ballroom 20 crowd to thunderous applause. Once seated, the moderator started with a few questions of his own before giving the floor to audience members.
Read MorePink shuttles and red shirts – not the worst things to face off with the first day of the con, but necessary evils. (Now pondering the word ‘necessary’) But at least with the buses, there is the option of walking. With the redshirts waxing tyranical over their little bits of ballroom turf, threatening you with eviction at every turn and shutter click, one wonders that if the powers at Comic Con really wanted their con goodwill and Hollywood marketing heft spread to the world beyond out there on the web, that this form of small tyranies isn’t off-putting and counter-productive. For some redshirts, tiny tyranies may be all they know, that and pointing to the exit that is either the furthest away, through dark tunnels and dank back passages, or blocking off perfectly acceptable exits due to "blockages." Yes, that communist-era word was actually uttered; tree fell over in the woods, I heard it.
Read MorePhotos courtesy of David Mello.
Repo! The Genetic Opera First Look: Terrence Zdunich, Darren Smith (composer), Darren Lynn Bousman (director), Alexa Vega (Spy Kids), Bill Moseley (The Devil’s Rejects), Ogre (the band Skinny Puppy), Paris Hilton.
Read More
