Monday, September 30, 2013

Gyakuten Saiban 4: Naruhodo Minuki


gyakuten saiban 4 / apollo justice: ace attorney cosplay - naruhodo minuki (trucy wright)


Daughter of Arumajiki Zakku and Yumi (Zak and Thalassa Gramarye), Minuki (Trucy Wright) possesses the power of perception like her mother and grandfather, Arumajiki Tensai (Magnifi Gramarye). In Zakku's disappearance, Ryuichi (Phoenix) decided to adopt Minuki as his own daughter which she accepted without hesitation. She adores magic and her favorite trick is Mr. Hat, a puppet that pops out from behind her and wears her hat. She and Odoroki Hosuke (Apollo Justice) are half siblings, though neither are aware of this fact.



This is a pretty cool cosplay of Minuki with a Mr. Hat to boot! I'm not even sure how she managed to carry that puppet beside her... Thanks again to Ophelia for sending this in!


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HeartCatch PreCure!: Cure Marine


unknown cosplay 58 - heartcatch precure! cosplay - cure marine


People would think that after all these years of writing for this cosplay blog that I would know a lot about different characters from anime, manga and games.



Well, you'd be wrong, because I get surprises like this in my inbox quite often!



To be completely honest, the first character that came to mind when I saw this was Sailor Mercury from Sailor Moon... a stylized version of her anyway! But I'm pretty sure this is not the case.



You guys know the drill, comment and discuss who she could be in the comments, but I hope you guys can leave your name next time so that I can credit you properly if you guess right! So many anonymous comments... I wonder if it's because they don't want people to know that they're reading Cosplay Holic? In any case, thanks to Paton Saint for sending this in!



EDIT: Thanks to St. Arcana among many others for letting me know this is Cure Marine from HeartCatch PreCure!


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Sunday, September 29, 2013

Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance: Makinami Mari Illustrious 02


evangelion: 2.0 you can (not) advance cosplay - makinami mari illustrious 02 from comiket 2010


The Provisional Evangelion Unit-05 which Mari pilots drastically differs from previous incarnations of the Eva Unit. It has four mechanical "legs" that end in wheels and a lack of hands which is replaced with a jousting lance and "claw". This unique design requires Mari to wear a helmet-like contraption in order to pilot Unit-05. Her plugsuit is also equipped with several attachments that connect to tubing that apparently help her in moving her unit.



So pretty! I really like her choice of setting for this photograph. Thanks to Quince for sending this!


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The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi: Nagato Yuki 05


the melancholy of suzumiya haruhi cosplay - nagato yuki 05 from comiket 2010


SOS Brigade's "indispensible silent character", Nagato Yuki was included into the Brigade when Haruhi arrived in the room and declared it as her own. Similar to Koizumi Itsuki, Yuki is obedient when orders are given, but it is noted that her loyalties lie more with Kyon rather than Haruhi. She is also very protective of Kyon, as evident when she used her body to shield him from Asakura Ryoko's attack.



Beautiful and daring cosplay! Though I don't remember Yuki actually wearing a bunny outfit in the anime. I thought it was only Haruhi and Mikuru. Thanks to Padme for sending this in!


del.icio.us Tags: cosplay, cosplayer, holic, role, play, roleplay, costume, anime, manga, game, series, character, photographer, photo, japan, comiket, 2010, melancholy, suzumiya, haruhi, nagato, yuki, sos, brigade, indispensible, silent, include, arrive, room, declare, own, similar, koizumi, itsuki, obedient, order, give, note, loyalty, kyon, protective, evident, use, body, shield, asakura, ryoko, attack, beautiful, daring, remember, wear, bunny, outfit, mikuru, asahina, padme, contribution, email, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday, September 28, 2013

First Image of Daryl Dixon From Season Four of ‘The Walking Dead’


Daryl Dixon_WDseason4




The people over at AMC are guts deep into filming the fourth season of The Walking Dead and have thought it best to tease the population of Earth with a teaser shot of Norman Reedus. Why? Because the ladies love that man that's why, but also because San Diego Comic Con is knocking at our door. That's the perfect opportunity to kickstart promotion in between marathon episodes and waiting till October when Season 4 airs.



Entertainment Weekly released this official still from the upcoming fourth season featuring Daryl now covering his face for some unknown reason. Whatever it is, there must be some significance.



Check out the complete image below.



Daryl Dixon




The reoccurring star turned marquee name was left in sorry state last season with the passing of his brother and questions remain about his current state of mind. With the Governor out on the lam waiting to plan his next move, Daryl is going to be look for some revenge. Maybe we'll see some of that once the trailer for the next season is released during SDCC.



The Walking Dead returns on AMC October 13th.



Source: CBM


‘Godzilla’ Smash Puny Hawaii! New On-Set Vid


godzilla poster




The new Godzilla is underway and the filming has begun. Currently, they are on-set in Hawaii, one of the locations the giant loveable lizard will be destroying over the course of his rampage. And now, you can see a little bit of what sort of destruction Godzilla leaves behind when he takes a moonlight stroll. Check out the video below, courtesy of the news folks over at KITV.



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You can check out the full destructive capabilities of Godzilla when it hits theaters come May 16th, 2014.





Thanks to ComingSoon for the heads-up.


Friday, September 27, 2013

‘Walking Dead’ Season 4 Trailer Coming This Friday; Kirkman Talks Season 4 & Chances [REDACTED] Loses [REDACTED]


twd




Taking a break from the grueling filming of Season 4 of The Walking Dead the production is coming to San Diego Comic Con this week. They've got a panel in Hall H on Friday at 1:35pm PST and, as many expected, it's where the first trailer for next season will likely premiere. And thankfully, those of us at home won't have to wait too long to see it ourselves.



The AMC Twitter account posted,



World premiere of #TheWalkingDead S4 trailer coming this friday. Here's your first look at a Season 4 walker pic.twitter.com/DaTFyVnvHL



- The Walking Dead AMC (@WalkingDead_AMC) July 14, 2013



Not only will the trailer premiere at Comic Con but it's expected online soon after. You should already plan on sticking to Nerd Bastards for all your SDCC coverage, but definitely make sure you tune it here Friday approximately 3:00pm PST/6:00pm EST to get your first look at Season4 for of The Walking Dead.



And, uh, oh yeah. That's a walker. Gruesome, ain't it?



Hit the jump for creator Robert Kirkman discussing next season and weighing in on [REDACTED] losing their [REDACTED].





In an in depth and length interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kirkman dished on various things coming the survivor's way next season. He gets into Michonne's mission, what The Governor is up to, how Carl's coping; just lots of stuff about Season 4, which he describes as, "more focused on who these characters are and what they're going through, we got away from that a little bit in season three."



You'll really want to check out the full interview, but here are some highlights,



How is the show different under Scott Gimple's leadership?



More than any other showrunner, Scott actually read the comics regularly and was a huge fan before the show existed and watched the first season and was a fan before he was brought on as a writer in season two. He absolutely loves the material. We are definitely going in some new directions and this will continue to be a different take on the material form the comics but there will possibly be some scenes that are a little bit closer to the comic than we've done in the past. Season four probably has the most number of scenes that are adapted directly from the comic series or very close to what we did. A good deal of that is from Scott and the way he views that material and puts forth that extra effort to work it into the show in a way that it all works.



When does season four pick up? What kind of a time jump will there be?



There's going to be a bit of a time jump. Some time has passed between season three and season four. It's only a few months, we're not nailing down the exact number of days or anything like that. The prison that we see is a very different prison and the characters that we see are very different from the last time we saw them. We go into season four with characters you've known for four years and still find new things to explore with them and new aspects of their character and see that they are growing and changing in extremely dramatic ways due to the strains that this world has put upon them.



Season three was about two divided camps - Rick and the Governor's. How will season four be different with the Governor still out there?



We're telling completely different stories. While the Governor is still out there and still a threat, we're going to see him in a new light and he won't appear until we least expect it. I don't think people are really going to be able to anticipate what we do with the Governor; it's going to be radically different. Once that story unfolds over the course of this season, people will see this is a very different story from season three and we are breaking some new ground with these characters.



The series took a major departure from the comics with Andrea's death. How will we see her death impact everyone?



That death is going to loom large over the entire cast. Everyone is still reeling from it. Michonne (Danai Gurira) in particular is going to have quite a bit going on with her because of that loss. As we meet Michonne coming back this season, she's on a mission to hunt down the Governor. It's something she's very obsessed with. It's big part of her character this season. She did lose Andrea and she lost her because of the Governor. She's not willing to let that guy go or be out there. It's something that may possibly be to her detriment, the fact that she's so dedicated to finding this person. That's something that very much informs her character this season.



Carl could really go either toward the Governor or toward Rick. How will we find him handling a new group of people to care for at the prison considering we saw him kill someone he thought was a threat in cold blood last year.



That's something that has become huge part of Carl's character. That event and the fact that he did that. It's something that Rick has been somewhat terrified by; the fact that his son went to that place and is growing into that person. That's informing both Rick and Carl's actions as they move into this season. There are more people around, there are people from Woodbury that are now living there and Carl is having to deal with this. His behavior is being guided by Rick and his role as father to him. There's some interesting stuff coming up with Carl that I can't reveal right now but there's good stuff ahead.



Kirkman, along with Gimple, also spoke with TV Guide, who asked about those set pictures from a few weeks back in where...SPOILER...





...it appeared Rick may have lost, or at least injured his hand. In the comics, The Governor cuts off Rick's hand in their first meeting, but obviously the TV show didn't follow that course of events. But who's to say they won't?



Pictures have leaked online that suggest - SPOILER ALERT - Rick may lose his hand, like in the comics. What do you say to that?



Kirkman: I will say Scott Gimple is a huge comic fan and may possibly be trying to steer me into letting the show be closer to what the comic books are. Also people could be misinterpreting those photos. Who knows?



Gimple: I may have convinced him. Possibly. We may not know that.



Hmm, so do you think Rick's hand will be on the chopping block this season or what? What are you most looking forward to see in Season 4? And don't forget to be here Friday for the first trailer from The Walking Dead, Season 4, returning to AMC this fall.



Sources: Geek Tyrant, Blastr


Check Out The Official Logo For ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2′


spider




Although The Amazing Spider-Man 2 isn't hitting theaters until May 2014, it looks like marketing is already starting to pimp out the film.



A meetup has been put together by tumblr for this Friday night for fans. No details have been given aside from the time and location and "basic pizza" written on the invitation. But the more interesting part of it all is that it's our first look at the official Spidey logo for this film.



Hit the jump to see the invite.



BPCndYyCMAASep1.jpg_large




You can get a decent glimpse of the logo on Spidey's chest in the bottom right corner, there. What do you guys think of the new logo? I think it looks good.



By the way, for those in San Diego who want to attend the meetup, tickets can be purchased here.



Source: Comic Book Movie, The Amazing Spider-Man Blog


Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Alan Moore Weighs in on Fox’s ‘League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’ TV Project

alanmoore



Once word hit the Internet that Fox was planning on adapting Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen comic as a TV series, fans have been waiting for the Alan-Moore-Shoe to drop. Unsurprisingly, Moore isn't exactly thrilled to see Hollywood messing around with another of his comic book creations, let alone tweaking it twice.


Entertainment Weekly picked up the baton and asked Moore about Fox's plan to turn his iconic comic into a weekly TV show. In patented Moore style, he brought up the failure of the 2003 film adaptation starring Sean Connery to make his point and said:


Me and [co-creator] Kevin [O'Neill] have been chuckling about that one, we only heard about it the other day. When [DC Comics] did the recent Watchmen prequel comics I said all of sorts of deeply offensive things about the modern entertainment industry clearly having no ideas of its own and having to go through dust bins and spittoons in the dead of night to recycle things...


The announcement that there is a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen television series hasn't caused me to drastically alter my opinions. Now it seems they are recycling things that have already proven not to work.


What surprised me the most is how relaxed the tone of Moore's response was, usually he's much more animated in style and word choice, perhaps he's mellowing with age.


I have to agree with Moore concerning the 2003 movie though, it sucked balls compared to the comic series. There's still the slim chance the producers of the TV show might stick close to the source material, but they certainly aren't going to get any help from Moore on that account.


What do you think about the whole thing?



Via: Blastr


The BastardCast vs. #Sharknado, Fried Chicken, and Adam Sandler


nbc-405-art-PODCASTNADO




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This week on The BastardCast, Jason and Jeremy are visited by internet Land Baron Matthew Jackson and a case of the sillies. What will they discuss? All of it.



Oh, you have a thirst for detail and a hunger for madness? Aren't you the lucky bumble bee, cause this week, the boys and guest boy #1 discuss the persuasive charms of fried chicken, Vin Diesel's illuminating Facebook page, NERF's war against zombies and the children who have an appetite for squishy genocide, and the limited brilliance of Sharknado (needs more Nado and more Home Alone references!).



Also on the show: Bryan Singer tweets the back of maybe Michael Fassbender's head (and other parts), a porn company wants to work with Paula Deen (but not her pie), we ask Matt if robots knock-a-da-boots in PAC Rim, a couple of people take issue with the way Captain Kirk fancies cats.



Do you require more sustenance?! Suck on this, Pinky Tuscadero: we've got a full throated discussion on the critical roundhouse throat kick being delivered to Grown Ups 2, wonder about whether the possible X-Force movie could bring about Deadpool's cinematic rebirth while also making Rob Liefeld's nipples hard, and a celebration of the brave cheetah who almost took out Adam Sandler on the Serengeti.



All that and the band, Coco Phunk and the Methhead Conquistadores (w/ special guest Slow Motion Jeez Rocket)

The Cheetah that almost killed Adam Sandler



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The BastardCast: They will find us with no pants and all of the chicken wing bones.


Tuesday, September 24, 2013

4 Other Video Games From Acclaimed Comic Book Writers That Need To Happen


gammasquadcomicgames1




As we reported yesterday, Neil Gaiman is making a video game called Wayward Manor, which sounds like it's going to be just about as Gaiman-esque as possible. See, you play as a ghost who must scare an array of eccentric people out of your gothic 1920s mansion. How delightfully macabre!



Well that got me thinking - what if other acclaimed comic book writers with a thing for dark themes got into making video games? Well, I think that comedy premise might look a little something like this...





gammasquadcomicgames2


IT ALL COUNTS!


Grant Morrison's Meta Mario


Grant Morrison has cast his spell on Nintendo and been given complete control of the Mario universe. From this point on, every incarnation of the plumber, from Captain Lou Albano to miscolored versions of Mario from Chinese bootlegs count. Adventure through a randomized collection of worlds based on everything from Mario Galaxy to Hotel Mario to the live-action Mario Bros. movie.



In Meta Mario, challenge yourself to master the new camera system that places the viewpoint in front of Mario, making it seem as though he's constantly running towards the screen in a bid to escape his twisted reality. Also, every copy of the game will ship with a camera, allowing Mario to constantly drop darkly comic quips about what you're doing. Stages end with an animation of Mario crashing into the screen and briefly "breaking through the fourth wall" before being sucked back into one of an infinite number of parallel universes.



New power-ups will include the Pig suit, Sperm suit and the bald mushroom, which turns you into Grant Morrison himself.


Cosplay Conventions as Get-Rich-Quick Schemes: Just Don’t


Cosplay Conventions as Big Business: Just Don't




When last Valentines' dismal heart-breaker of a con called Amore a Venezia as well as the issue about Cebu City's Cosmaze Carnival treatment of its Guests and Participants first hit the internet via Facebook, we had some really long and slightly belligerent posts prepared on the blog. After three days of sitting on the Cosmaze post in particular, we decided to not publish it - choosing instead to concentrate on the good vibes from our upcoming trip to Japan.



However barely two months after the Cebu incident and another shitstorm involving Olongapo City's Kosupurei Maru has hit the local cosplay community. In circumstances eerily similar to that of Cosmaze Festival, Kosupurei Maru has not only aggravated its participants but has defrauded them of their hard-earned cash as well.



All in all, 2013 seems to have a bumper crop of questionable conventions. In this post, we'll attempt to answer the Hows and Whys of the situation, as well as provide suggestions on how future event organizers can avoid these pitfalls.



Lack of Experience



An event is an event is an event - as least in the eyes of "professional events organizers"; never mind that the events they are used to handling may run more along the lines of barangay beauty pageants and the occasional wedding. Same goes for people who think that just because they attended one (ONE!) anime-related con, they can pull off the same thing with little to no effort.



However, what these people fail to realize is that organizing a convention is not simple at all. It's like being caught between a rock and a hard place; you have two choices to make, and they don't always play well with each other. On one hand, you have the participants who are clamoring for as many fun activities as possible but want to pay as little in admission as possible, as well as the sponsors who want to get the most media mileage for as little cash-out as possible (preferring X-deals, or the F-word in organizing events: "free").



On the other hand, you have all these activities that you want to have at your event that you need to fund - but with the participants and sponsors pressuring you into making budget cuts, you're left with the hard choice of either cutting back on your plans in order to break even, or pushing ahead with your strategy but operate at a loss. The art and science of organizing events is finding the happy medium between the two, and that takes a lot of time and experience.



Which isn't to say that lack of experience is a valid excuse to poorly execute a convention - as evidenced by the Artfield Media team, who organized Cosmaze Carnival. Even if they lacked experience, they had youth on their side. If they were really as determined as they claimed in their open letter about holding the event, they should have banked on their boundless supply of youthful energy to find a way to make things work.



They also had the advantage of having Google-sensei helping them organize their con. If they need to figure out a way to to something (and do it well), they have the technology to get the answers quickly and easily - which was not the case back in 2000 when us old fogies were organizing cons for the first time. Back then it was the blind leading the blind, but now you had access to all this information and you didn't use it? RU SRS?!



Reading the Signs Wrong



Or not reading the signs at all! Some organizers can't seem to get their heads wrapped around the concept of "market research". The Philippines is a huge country, and just because certain things are bankable in Manila - asking a "local cosplay celeb" to attend for example, it doesn't automatically mean that it will have the same pull on the audience in Legazpi or Cebu or Davao.



Market research doesn't have to be complicated. With the advent of the internet and social media, market research can be as simple as going on Facebook to post a poll. You can even make it fun for the polling public by turning it into a contest or a giveaway - at the very least, that will guarantee that a majority of the responses are valid, as opposed to one person spamming the poll just to make sure you invite Ms. Gamer Guuuuurl to your event.



Another way to do market research is to attend events yourself. And don't just limit yourself to one - try to attend as many events as possible. No two events are exactly identical (even if some local organizers have been accused of making cookie-cutter cons LAWL), and you can pick up a thing or two from the organizers. By attending other cons, you can come up with a list of things you can emulate, as well as a list of things to avoid when putting up your own con.



From anecdotal evidence, this seems to be the case with the Amore a Venezia people. Sure, they did their homework - they held the event during Valentines just like the late lamented Victorian Valentine series; they picked a theme-appropriate venue ala Fantasy Quest; they even invited international cosplayers just like Cosplay Mania. However, one thing they seemed to have neglected to do was plain-and-simple market research.



The date they picked was actually too close to Valentines Day - which meant that a lot of prospective participants were unavailable due to their dates with their significant others. The venue they selected was too inconvenient for ordinary con-goers who did not posses their own transport. And tiered ticketing for what is essentially an open event in a public square?! It has "lack of foresight" written all over it. To their credit at least, they admitted to their mistakes - which is a lot more than what the Cosmaze Carnival and Korupurei Maru people ever did.



Cosplay Conventions as Get-Rich-Quick Schemes



As a scam there are easier, more profitable ways - compared to putting up a convention. I mean look at this asshole who ran a Ponzi scheme in Mindanao: not only did he defraud businessmen and government officials, but he nearly got off scot-free. Now compare that to Artfield Media and Kosupurei Maru, who are being flagellated online for their mistakes, and probably ruining their future careers (Google forgives, but does not forget).



Personally, if I had PhP 250K to run an event I wouldn't bother with setting up a cosplay convention - there are plenty of other ways to make that seed fund grow. And let's face it: Kosupurei Maru's PhP 250K fund? That's peanuts. We once handled an event that had well over PhP 1M in funds and we still had to scale down on some of the proposed projects (to be fair though, the event was free and open to the public); throwing around that figure as if it justified the success (or failure) of their event shows bad taste.



If you have your heart set on earning money from what's supposed to be a hobby (that discussion is better left for another day), there are other ways to bank on your talents. You could venture into the extremely lucrative business of cosplay commissions - making props and costumes for other people who do not have the time or talent but have plenty of cash to swish around.



You could go into the buy-and-sell business - putting up a shop (permanent or pop-up at local cons) to sell anime and cosplay goods to fellow fans; with the way the Peso-Yen conversion is turning out these days you are sure to turn in a profit. Lastly, you can put your exceptional photography skills to good use and hold studio shoots for cosplayers for a small fee - the same way portrait photographers charge engaged couples for prenuptual shoots.



There are plenty of other ideas we haven't tackled - but the main idea is the same: putting up a convention strictly for profit is never a good idea. There are too many unpredictable variables and expensive factors to take into consideration - it will probably take you the better part of three years to turn your event from a money pit into a profitable business. In the meantime, it will take every ounce of passion and patience and love on your part to see the event through while it's languishing in negative profit hell.



TL;DR: just don't. Do it for the love, not for the money.



On a related note, here's more examples of failcons: No-Go Kaisho and Project Nu-Otaku Scam-pack. And for further reading: How to Put Together an Anime Convention in Five Easy Steps.



See our follow-up to this post: Cosplay Conventions as Get-Rich-Quick Schemes: A Follow-Up.


Monday, September 23, 2013

2013 Tokyo Trip Day 66: Hide Museum 2013


Continued from 2013 Tokyo Trip Day 66: Odaiba Gundam.



Our last week in Tokyo was spent madly dashing from one end of the city to another catching museum shows and other mini-events. One of these museum shows was the 2013 edition of the Hide Museum, which was put up at two special locations: Diver City in Tokyo and Universal Studios in Osaka.



The original Hide Museum was opened Yokosuka in 2000, and was closed down in 2005 (two years after its initially scheduled closure in 2003). The contents of the museum are now part of the new traveling exhibition - comprised of original costumes, guitars, and other personal effects.



2013 Tokyo Trip Day 66: Hide Museum 2013




2013 Tokyo Trip Day 66: Hide Museum 2013


2013 Tokyo Trip Day 66: Hide Museum 2013




The displays at the Hide Museum 2013 are a curated collection of the best of the best - featuring his most recognizable costumes (Pink Spider, Rocket Dive, etc.) and guitars (including the original pink hearts Mockingbird). There is also BTS movie that features never-before-seen footage from his mucis video shoots and backstage at concerts. The final display is a life-size wax figure of hide, which is oddly appropriate considering one of his labels was called Headwax.



Unfortunately photography is not allowed inside the museum, so we only have external shots of the temporary enclosure and Diver City itself. It's a bummer but it's completely understandable since they make money off the displays. Still, it would've been nice if it was longer or a bit more interactive, as it the brief display does not justify the JPY 2500 tickets.


“Massively Effective” is Massively Awesome



Welcome to "Independents Day," Nerd Caliber's short reviews of noteworthy comics and books NOT produced by a major publisher.



"Ever since those captains of virtue, Mass and Effect, re-entered our lives, it has been nothing but countless rounds of humiliation. If I wasn't already mad, our continuous battles would have driven me to the brink."-PhD



After a futuristic tribunal deems "Mass" and "Effect" colossal failures the two superheroes are relegated to a normal life. So it's to the comic book shop for these two b-level do-gooders. But look out! Their rogue's gallery is not content to allow them to stay retired for long.



Written by Marco Lopez and Bryan Ginn, art by Michael Mayne, and colors by Walt Barna, Massively Effective #1 is a super-charged, action-first story that combines Joss Whedon's quippy dialogue with bright, fun artwork. This particular issue is nearly all-ages, but certainly would work for a young teen audience who would be able to keep up with the storyline.



While many comics have opted for a slower pace with less dialogue and large visuals, Lopez and Ginn aren't afraid to give characters single panels filled with full conversations. But they wisely balance this against whole scenes of battles against zombies and a guitar-playing evil lizard. And it hits the right notes for me. Almost like having a really amazing Spider-Man adventure, without all maudlin whining in the film version of Amazing Spider-Man.



Note: apparently Mass and Effect aren't down with the cape and mask look. It's fine. They carry off the "no-costume" style with panache.



In conclusion, if your comic books aren't so fun anymore or the endless companywide crossovers are just (yawn) meh, you owe it to yourself (and your inner child) to give it a try. It rates three out of three unsheathed Wolverine claws.



Preview this issue at http://www.atomicrexentertainment.com/




Sunday, September 22, 2013

Cons This Weekend (Jan 4-6, 2013)


( Ikkicon 2012)
Happy New Years ! I'm a bit late on posting this weekend's cons - forgive me - I was at a con, had family matters, things of that nature. Now, on average, ever since I started posting these, there usually is about 10 cons somewhere in the country on any given weekend - roughly. Obviously Christmas weekend there wouldn't be as much. This is a listing of anime, comic book, sci-fi cons I've found via searching through four different databases. Assume the con is a three day con but if it isn't, the date will be listed after the con. I'm sure I've made mistakes so if I missed a con that is going on this weekend, leave it in the comments below or email me : cosplayinamerica@gmail.com.

Personally, this weekend I'll be at Taiyou Con in Mesa, AZ in artist alley.


Anim Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
Anime-Zap! (Peoria, IL)
CBC Comic Book and Toy Show (Jacksonville, FL) Jan 6th
Ichibancon (Charlotte, NC)
Jacksonville Anime Day (Jacksonville, FL) Jan 5th
MAGfest (National Harbor, MD) Jan 3-6
North Texas Comic Book Show (Dallas, TX) Jan 5 + 6
Sac-Anime (Sacramento, CA)
ShadowCon (Memphis, TN) Jan 5+6
Sukoshicon: Destination Anime (Fort Walton Beach, FL)
Taiyou Con (Mesa, AZ)

REVIEW : Ikkicon 2012


(Hilton Austin in Austin, TX)

I never really like calling my posts reviews because these are so subjective ! I tend to spend most of my time in artist alley/dealer so my experiences definitely vary from average con goer.
Ikkicon is one of the two main anime conventions in Austin, TX (there are others in surrounding cities like Ushicon in Round Rock, TX). Currently it is the largest attended anime con in the city with 6,000 in attendance (roughly). This year it returns to the Hilton Austin after a one year run at the AT&T Conference Center - I attended that for a day last year.
- Photos + Video after the jump -









Ikkicon will feel very familiar to any con goers - artist alley/dealer hall/art show/maid cafe/cosplay chess/masquerade/video game room and so forth. There's plenty of Texas represented here from the major cities to smaller towns scattered throughout the State. Now San Antonio is a hour away, Dallas is three hours away and Houston is about three hours but there are people I've met who travelled from out of state to this con.
Ikkicon would be what I call a mid-size con. It definitely has the pull to draw people as far away as Louisiana to attend and it'll only get bigger. The layout of the con is pretty simple - two floors and the lobby area. What threw me off is that technically there is no 3rd or 5th floor so the floors jump from Lobby to 4th to 6th (Lobby is actually on the 2nd floor). The layout between floor 4 and 6 are roughly the same and you can easily find the rooms.
There were some glitches - but then again, you expect glitches because not everything can be perfect. I got conflicting dealer closing time from the website to the program book and volunteers weren't aware of the hours - again, I don't expect everything to be perfect.


( Registration line on Saturday around 10 am )
I had forgotten to register so I arrived about 20 minutes before registration open to get in line. Surprise, surprise, there was very little line. Reg open early and there were about 15 people in the pre-reg line. I paid at the con so I basically didn't wait in line. Tip : for bigger cons (like Anime Expo), sometimes it helps NOT to pre-reg so you can get in and out quicker. Your choice is if you want to pay more since usually at-con registration is more than pre-reg.
The line was long for the dealer hall but if you waited about 10 minutes after they open the door, you can just walk right in. Dealer was laid out pretty well and at no point was there just too many people in the aisles ... well - that would be in artist alley where the aisles are smaller.


(Peach Bear wasn't too happy I decided to sit at another table)
At Ikkicon, Peach Bear was nice enough to split their table with me. I had met Kris and Kat before at A-kon (though I didn't remember at first) and they turned out to be soooo much fun ! *almost too much fun*. I had my book as well as new items I was trying out like mouse pads, 8x10 prints of chibi Ejen and cosmetic bag of chibi Ejen... oh, posters as well. I sold pretty decent amount of cosmetic bags so definitely doing more of those. My book sales was just what I expected for a con this size. I have a limited amount of books left so I'm bringing much smaller volume with me to cons now.
I checked out the models, I really wanted to get into collecting but that's an expensive hobby to get into. Recently, I'm into phone charms that I can tie to my camera strap so I picked up a Homura one for $10.


(See more Ikkicon cosplay photos here ; http://instagram.com/cosplayamerica )
Cosplay-wise, there was a lot to see. Homestuck looks to be the biggest fandom but you saw the usual suspects : Panty & Socking, Black Butler, Madoka Magical, Sailor Moon, Hetalia. Surprisingly, I've seen a lot of Jack Frost. Maybe not so surprising. The movie just came out and the cosplay can easily be put together. I counted 8 or more ? Surprisingly, I found a male Jack Frost cosplayer - very unique since mostly females cosplay the character. Some stand out includes : #8 from the 9 movie, Gaige from Borderlands 2, Jonah Jameson from Spiderman, and Charlie Chaplin.
I did managed to do some photo shoots to try out my G15 point & shoot I just got. Ran it through the paces doing videos and found some slight situations I have to work around. When I finally get back to Los Angeles, I'm gonna have one of the images printed up to 11 x 14 and check out how it looks. The image looks fine on the screen and online but does it stand the test if being printed large ? If it passes, I'm definitely incorporating using the camera in addition to the 5D for the next book.
For those who live within a few hours of Austin, I say it's worth the drive to come to this con. Personally, I'm here to share the holiday with my sister and my folks (who drove up from Houston) so going to the con was just the cherry on top :)
Next con : Taiyou Con in Mesa, AZ on Jan. 4-6, 2013.


Saturday, September 21, 2013

MURDER AT WAYNE MANOR - Batman Book Hits the Bargain Bin


OK, Many BAT-BLOG Fans might remember the BATMAN: MURDER AT WAYNE MANOR Interactive Book that came out a few years ago ( 2008 ), it was really cool! Well, some friends up in New Jersey told us their friend recently found it in the Bargain Bin at Barnes and Noble for $6.95! Yes, Around Seven Bucks! The original Retail Price was about $25 so this is a great deal. On a side-note: I just checked Amazon and it's on sale there for $10 but they also have used copies from Book Dealers for around 3 dollars. But hey, you gotta pay postage on that so it looks like the B&N thing is still the better deal! Plus, you get it right away, ha! Thanks to BatDave & BatChick for sharing this fun info. By the way, that's "BatChick" in the photo up above, hiding behind the book!

BATMAN WALLPAPER of THE JOKER - The Art of Jorge Baeza!


Here at the BAT-BLOG.COM we totally love creativity in every form, especially Graphic Art. So, when we recently came across some fun Batman-inspired artwork by our Facebook Friend Jorge Baeza we knew it had to be shared. Jorge has done Illustrations for many mainstream Magazines including GEEK Monthly, HD Review, etc.. The cool thing is he was nice enough to make us an actual Wallpaper Background of THE JOKER for this site!! Check it out, it's AWESOME! Also, to view even more fun art, be sure to click here and check out his website called PIXEL CREATURES! ( Thanks Jorge! )

CLICK HERE For More FREE BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Movie Film Wallpaper Backgrounds!


Friday, September 20, 2013

BLACK AND WHITE BATMAN - Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday!




For this week's "Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday" I thought I would post some FREE BATMAN WALLPAPERS with a Bat-History Theme. Basically, we're covering there major moments: The Golden Age 1940's with the Batman Serial Movie, the 1966 Batman TV Show, and a more Modern-Day version, "Batman: Noel" the Graphic Novel. Please choose which ever one you like the best and if you totally hate them all, ha ha, then please click the button down below for ALL the recent Backgrounds we have posted:

CLICK HERE For More FREE BATMAN Movie Film TV Show Graphic Novel Wallpaper Backgrounds!


New BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Movie Statues and Busts Coming out!




Over at the IDLE HANDS website they recently got their hands on some top-secret promotional material for a few of the brand-new BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Movie Statues and Busts that will be coming out later this year. They appear to be coming out around June/July of 2012.

First, there's a Set of 3 ICON 12" Full-Figure Statues of Batman, Bane, and Catwoman. Then, there are 3 Busts featuring the same characters. The busts will actually come out one month earlier, in June. One cool thing about these photos is we get a better look at Anne Hathaway's CATWOMAN Costume, the Cat-Suit! Check out the Metallic Heels on those Boots. They look like they can do some serious damage!

Thursday, September 19, 2013

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES - Batman Movie Mez-Itz Figures by Mezco Toys





With a Release Date of June 27th, 2012 the MEZCO TOY Company will be coming out with some cool Mez-Itz Vinyl Figures of THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Batman movie. It looks like they'll make New Batman, Bane, and Catwoman Toys! They will also be re-releasing the Bat-Pod Motorcycle and the Tumbler Batmobile (Camouflage Version). It's also important to note that there will be two different sizes of figures: 2-Inch and 6-inch. The vehicles are scaled for the smaller figures. Here are some prototype graphics to give you an idea. As soon as actual product photos are released then you'll see them first right here at the BAT-BLOG.COM. So, please stay tuned! Also, if YOU see ANY brand-new BATMAN Toys or Merchandise then please let us know!

VIDEO - Animation of THE JOKER Monologue from THE KILLING JOKE Graphic Novel in 3-D

Here's a pretty clever 3-D Animation by a Batman Fan & Animator named "jwhit3d". The video features the Joker's famous monologue from THE KILLING JOKE Graphic Novel, check it out! OK, now if you like that then please be sure to visit his website where he has another 3D video clip, where the Joker "Tells a Joke", just click HERE!

CLICK HERE For More Batman The Dark Knight Rises Video!


Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Wacky BATMAN MOVIE CONCEPTS at the L.A. Times' HERO COMPLEX Website



Right now, on the Los Angeles Times' HERO COMPLEX website , they are presenting BATMAN MOVIE CONCEPTS created by Writer Geoff Boucher and illustrated by Sean Hartter. You might remember Sean's artwork on this site ( yes, shameless plug ). Anyways, they are presenting 3 Fake Batman Movie Posters a day for 5 days, 15 total. Well, OK they're more like "Movie Theater Lobby Cards", but you get the idea. Now, here's a LINK to the 1st day & then once there you can follow all of them. They're pretty fun, the basic idea is "What if... certain Movie Directors made a fun Batman film and who would the Actors be?". The choices are pretty interesting.

Batman's HARVEY DENT IS TWO-FACE - Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday!




OK, I know the next major Film Villians in the next Batman movie, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, is gonna be Bane and Catwoman! But I thought it would be fun to pay tribute to the character known as TWO-FACE (Also, Harvey Dent ). So, here are some wacky Wallpaper Backgrounds you will hopefully enjoy, ha!

The first one is a scene from the recent BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY Video Game. This version of the character looked really good & was a great enemy to fight. Next up is an image from an older Graphic Novel. This is from the "DARK VICTORY" comic book storyline. It's got the Joker in there too so that's cool.


Then the last one is my favorite. This is a very detailed photo of the HOT TOYS "Harvey Dent/Two-Face" Figure from their DARK KNIGHT MOVIE Toy Line.

CLICK HERE For More FREE BATMAN TWO-FACE THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Movie Film Wallpaper Backgrounds!