2021 Comic Con Revolution

Nicholas Dye (Staff Writer/Podcaster)

On December 19, I ventured down to Ontario, California for the 2021 Comic Con Revolution, held annually at the Ontario Convention Center. I was curious to see how they were going to approach Covid protocols and I was greatly impressed with their forward thinking and planning. For those who were vaccinated, a simple check of your vaccination card was required. For those unvaccinated, they required a negative test within 72 hours of attending. Here was the best part…they had a testing facility on site where you could have a rapid test administered for $40. For those of you who would balk at that price, our local hospital charges $100 for rapid tests so I was quite impressed.

Outside of the venue, you were greeted by some of the most iconic vehicles from film and television including KITT from Knight Rider and the DeLorean from Back to the Future. Inside the venue, the badge pick up was run with impeccable efficiency. I was able to pick up my press pass and my daughter’s daily pass in a matter of moments. A QR code was displayed that gave you the entire layout of the convention center as well as autograph alley and the seminar rooms.

Staff was on hand at frequent intervals to direct you and answer any questions you might have. The only comparison I can give this is to that of the Disneyland staff. No convention worker left me without an answer to a question and they seemed as genuinely excited to be back as we were to have them back.

Autograph alley offered several opportunities to meet voice actors from shows like Avatar The Last Airbender and Naruto as well as the original Flash Gordon, Sam J. Jones. Legendary writer Chris Claremont of Uncanny X-Men fame was there and had a massive crowd. The highlight for me was Timothy Zahn. Zahn is the author of The Heir to the Empire saga of Star Wars novels which introduced us the character of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Thrawn has been featured in the animated Rebels show and will be making a live action appearance in the upcoming Ashoka Tano series on Disney+.

We here at NOWHERE CALIFORNIA will be looking forward to attending next year as well and will leave you with these pictures from this year‘s Ontario Comic Con Revolution.

Comic Con@HOME: Kevin Smith And Killroy Were BLEEPING There..

 

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(Joshua Gilmore-Staff Writer)

The first ever San Diego Comic-Con@HOME is a wrap and the only con crud case is traced to some under cooked pizza rolls in Oxnard. Anyways, there is a lot of announcements and other important news that came from this event, but we have to take a traditional trip to HALL H and check in with the Comic-Con icon Kevin Smith.


Well, I should correct myself, in a year where some traditions have had to change and Comic Con is a great example of this, this traditional trip detoured from HALL H to the Fat Cave. Kevin was true to form and lead the viewers through the current happenings in his universe. We learned about new merchandise and the current status of his future projects, but the biggest surprise came in the form of the world’s first look at “KILLROY WAS HERE”


This film was written by Kevin Smith and Andy McElfresh (co-host of the Edumacation podcast) Also, “KILLROY WAS HERE”  has been in the works for awhile and the concept predates Kevin’s heart attack with Krampus in the lead monster role. Now, that time has passed and another Krampus movie has been released, we get KILLROY and the world is definitely ready.

Kevin describes KILLROY as “kind of like a kid Avenger… if you fuck with kids, KILLROY will show up.”  That is pretty evident from the trailer and some evil fucks will be on the business end of Roy’s rage. The cast is stacked with some of Kevin Smith’s regulars and some new talented individuals are in the mix.

Currently, “KILLROY WAS HERE” does not have a release date or studio for distribution, so continue to watch this site or Kevin Smith’s site/social network for any breaking news.

 

Going Under The Sea With DC..

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(Joshua Gilmore-Staff Writer)

Arthur Curry has been the butt of jokes for a very long time and the idea of an actual “Aquaman” movie was the thing of punchlines on seasons of “Entourage.” It’s hard to see any franchise hopes from the Justice League member that talks to fish, but in the right hand, an “Aquaman” movie can possibly win at the difficult game of Hollywood JENGA.

At the recent San Diego Comic Con, the world received its first look at DC Universe’s “Aquaman”..

This is one of those moments where saying, “This is not your father’s Aquaman” would not deserve a swift punch to the face and years of scorn from your friends.

James Wan is at the helm of this film and, from the trailer, things are looking great. The assembled cast and crew have constructed a movie that seems to move past DC’s past issues, such as the “talk bubbles” from the “Justice League” and they have unlocked a world that could only be shown in this modern age of filmmaking.

It could be easy to start naming off the cast, but the names speak for themselves and the trailer raises that volume to eleven. The visuals of this trailer give this creation the possibility of something more than blonde hair and an orange shirt. The views of Atlantis are stunning and gives viewers a chance to be a part of this unique DC world.

Warner Brothers and DC should be looking at this movie with high hopes. The future of DC movies has seemed to become scrambled, it is not a mess, but the focus seems to be misguided slightly. “Aquaman” will hopefully return DC to a track that “Wonder Woman” has started and focus on the league that brought them into the theaters.

AQUAMAN Will Be In Theaters On December 21st

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A New Way To Unlock Your Powers..

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(Joshua Gilmore-Staff Writer)

It’s time for our final conversation from Nowhere California’s adventures at the 2017 Long Beach Comic Expo and this final conversation will help you explore your untapped powers, but not in the self-help/Tony Robbins way and more in the way of MARVEL/DC. In this installment, the guys from Nowhere talk with Kyle Marlett.

Kyle is the creative mind behind the website MutantPowers.net, this is a site that will help the most normal comic book fan unlock some truly unique gifts and these “gifts” come in the form of specially created magic tricks/special effect.

Kyle’s life and love for nerd culture has been an interesting journey, so you know that this was a conversation that needed to take place and it was a pleasure of the Nowhere California team to talk with this creative mind. If you want to see what Kyle might have in store for you, go to MUTANTPOWERS.NET and find out.

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CLICK HERE For Nowhere California Presents Our Conversation With Kyle Marlett

The Time Is Now: A Look At 2 KICKSTARTER Projects..

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(Joshua Gilmore-Staff Writer)

It has never been a secret with Nowhere California that we have made it a point to shine our spotlight on the world of independent creativity. The projects can come from any form of media, if it will spark our interest, we will do everything possible to spread the word.

At the 2017 WonderCon, we crossed paths with two projects that are currently attempting to gain funds through Kickstarter and these campaigns are in their final days. We want to give you the vital information to these projects and, if you see fit, we hope that you will take the time out to support these creative talents.

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The first project comes from the mind of Jemma Young and the goal of this project is to release the first printed collection of “Children of Eldair”. “Children of Eldair” is the comic book that Jemma created and current can be seen online at www.eldair.com

This comic follows Embera and Koe, as they try to piece together Embera’s mysterious past and Koe takes a journey through multiple worlds. This description might be basic, but the reality of the work is amazing.

The clock has not ran out for this project, dive deeper into this world and support the “Childern of Eldair” kickstarter by CLICKING HERE

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The next project is from a past visitor to Nowhere California and the man behind Wannabe Press, Russell Nohelty. Russell is in the final days of this successful project, but there is still time to have your name attached to something special.

This project is for “Monsters and Other Scary Shit: A Monster Anthology”. This is a collection of monster themed entries and these entries are fueled by a group of creators that are ready to unleash something special.

If this seems like a project for you, the time is now and you can still add fuel to these creative fire by CLICKING HERE

Inside The Artist’s Mind..

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(Joshua Gilmore-Staff Writer)

 In the past our convention coverage, our focus would stay on the art of the comic book pages and the creative minds that put pen to page. In this installment of our adventures at the 2017 Long Beach Comic Expo, we are leaving the pages and moving to the wall, so we can talk with artist Michael Matsumoto.

 Michael is an illustrator and a conceptual artist that delves deep into pop culture for inspiration. During his continuing elevation in the art world, Michael has developed a following and has picked up freelance work in the form of commissioned pieces. Also, during this time, he has found a place in the convention circuit and this is where we crossed paths.

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CLICK HERE For Nowhere California Presents Our Conversation With Michael Matsumoto

It was a pleasure to talk with Michael at this event and it was great to put a face to the creator of one of my favorite “Back To The Future” artistic pieces. If you want to check out the work of Michael Matsumoto CLICK HERE for his official website.

The Mind Of Heart-Shaped Skull Crosses Into Nowhere..

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(Joshua Gilmore-Staff Writer)

 Prepare for The Doom Song to echo in your ears and other supernatural oddities to invade your senses, as Nowhere California continues our coverage from the 2017 Long Beach Comic Expo and venture deeper into the world of Artist Alley.

In this installment, the guys from Nowhere talk with Aaron Alexovich. Aaron has built an impressive career through his work in multiple animation and comic book projects, such as AVATAR:The Last Airbender and Invader Zim. Another project that is close to Aaron is the comic book “Serenity Rose”, this book was the brainchild of Aaron’s and is currently in its third volume.

 Now, with credentials like that, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to talk with this talented mind and you can click the link below to listen to this conversation.

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CLICK HERE For Nowhere California Presents Our Conversation With Aaron Alexovich

This was a great conversation and we would like to thank Aaron for taking the time out to talk with us. If you want to check out more of his work, you can CLICK HERE For Aaron Alexovich’s Official Website

JOIN THE FIGHT! Help the HACK PACK!

(Nicholas Dye/ Staff Writer)

The guys here at Nowhere California have launched a new campaign that, at the very least, will get us some awesome shirts made, and at best, we might just earn some money that we can put towards our convention expenses and equipment costs.

We have designed an exclusive “HACK PACK” t-shirt and the short goal is to sell 14 shirts which will get them to print. If we can reach a goal of 50 shirts, then we will actually make some money to put towards expanding our horizons at Nowhere California.

 

The campaign can be found at http://www.booster.com/nowhereca and the shirt runs a total of $19.99 with shipping included. They are 100% cotton high quality t-shirts that you can show off at conventions or comic shops. BUT WAIT!! THERE’S MORE!! The first 14 people who purchase shirts will receive ALL of our interviews and content from the upcoming Stan Lee’s Comikaze before the general public does.

We here at Nowhere California don’t usually like to pander but…OKAY OKAY we have never been above pandering to get listeners and now we hope that same shameless groveling will get you to join the HACK PACK and sport our mildly suggestive t-shirt!! Excelsior!!!!

 

 

COMIC CON 2016- There Is A Witch In The Woods..

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(Joshua Gilmore-Staff Writer)

It’s time to return to Burkittsville, but first we have to take a detour through the woods and take a look at one of the biggest cinema surprises in a very long time. As this year’s San Diego Comic Con becomes a memory, one of the event’s more shocking moments came from an unlikely source.

That was the teaser trailer for a movie known as “The Woods” and this movie could easily have been swept under the rug, but there were a few things that quickly stood out. First, the soundtrack and the tone that was set. “Every Breath You Take” is an iconic song, it’s a song that can have dozens of meaning and that depends on the listener. Also, the meaning could be taken to a different level by the performer and this interpretation was brought to a fitting level in the world of horror cinema.

The next aspect of this teaser trailer would lead the most wayward horror fan to see that there was going to be more to “The Woods” then just another camping trip and I’m talking about the critics comments, as the trailer begin you are quickly met with the glowing praise of this movie. The praise all says the same thing and it’s the start of something huge in the genre.

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Now, this brings us to the 2016 San Diego Comic Con and a special screening of “The Woods.” The reality of the screening was revealed before the projector even warmed up, leaving the select members of the media and a few lucky Comic Con attendees pleasantly surprised. As the screening’s guests waited to enter the theater, crew members took down the promotional posters and banners for “The Woods” to replace them with the real title of the movie.

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The long rumored return of the Blair Witch was a reality and it was kept off the radar of the normally spoiler fueled Hollywood. This movie was written by Simon Barrett and directed by Adam Wingard, both having blood on their hands from the V/H/S film series and modern horror classic “You’re Next”.

“Blair Witch” follows a group of college kids into the woods, as James wants to know what happened to his sister 20 years earlier and the group quickly realize the reality of this legend. As the screening proceeded and word spread, the internet was hit with a new trailer for this cult classic’s sequel.

As a fan of the original, I am excited to see the Blair Witch return and this new movie seems to stay faithful to the classic. The concept of found footage movies have become such a common place in cinema, that the scare factor has been erased and this movie looks to change that.

The critical praise seems to be legit and everyone should be ready to jump in their seats, when “BLAIR WITCH” comes to theaters September 16th

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COMIC CON 2016- JUSTICE LEAGUE TRAILER!

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(Joshua Gilmore-Staff Writer)

The San Diego Comic Con has had a history of shocking first looks and this year that tradition continue, thanks to the creative minds of the DC Universe. During the Saturday panels, DC unleashed a special trailer for the first part of the “Justice League” franchise. This was not just a teaser trailer, it was a full blown trailer…

“Justice League” began principal photography in April of this year and we now have a trailer, there are dozens of question that could be asked and I could care less about the answers. This trailer explodes the universe that was teased in “Dawn Of Justice” and definitely takes a tone shift that was set up with Batman v Superman, but I do not think this is aftermath of that movie’s mixed reviews.

“Dawn Of Justice” and “Justice League” are different worlds to a bigger universe, just like the individual MARVEL movie had a different view compared to the assembled Avengers movies. “Justice League” has more pressure on it compared to the first Avengers movie, most people will want to pull this movie in multiple direction to fit into the current mold and that would be a mistake. DC and Warner Bros. need to stay focused on their universe, so the fans can have a unique world that they deserve.

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JUSTICE LEAGUE COMES TO THEATERS NOVEMBER 2017