Nov 27 2015

Black Friday Deals from Books & Boos Press

We at Books & Boos Press wants to give our readers a chance to fill their Kindles and other e-readers with spiders. We are giving away e-book copies of Where Spiders Fear to Spin by Peter N. Dudar from Nov. 27 through 30! Don’t miss this chance to read this novella by Dudar, who is a Bram Stoker Award Finalist.

Where Spiders Fear to Spin tells the tale of former soap opera star Sadie Mills, a woman literally haunted by her past whose final days are filled with horror. Her daughter resents taking care of her, her former lovers are dying off one by one, and her dead husband’s vengeful ghost has returned from the dead to drag her to hell.

To get your free copy, click here.

Along with giving away Spiders, we have lowered the price on Insanity. You can now get $2 off the e-book or print copy of Insanity Tales II: The Sense of Fear until Nov. 30.

The collection features eleven stories from six of New England’s finest storytellers. David Daniel, Stacey Longo, Dale T. Phillips, Rob Smales, and Ursula Wong each have two short stories in the book; Vlad V. contributed a novella. Multiple Bram Stoker winner Joe McKinney (Crooked House, Plague of the Undead) wrote the foreword.

The book is a themed anthology: each author based their stories on different senses, going beyond the traditional (sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste) to elements such as a sense of doom, of powerlessness to control the future, and a sense of false hope.

If you want some Insanity, click here.

Nov 25 2015

Pictures from Super Megafest Fall 2015

By Jason Harris

The 2015 Fall edition of Super Megafest happened over the weekend and it was a great two days with celebrities, authors, artists, vendors and cosplay. Here are the pictures from the convention.

Actor John Schneider (The Dukes of Hazzard).

Actress Catherine Bach (The Dukes of Hazzard).

Actress Judith Hoag (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [1990]).

Actors Leif Tilden and Michelan Sisti (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [1990]).

Actor Kevin McNally (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl).

Actresses Natalie Skyy (Sons of Anarchy) and Arryn Zech (Red vs. Blue).

Authors Matt Herring and Stacey Longo at their The Art of Genre Writing panel.

A alien has burst onto the convention scene.

Author Herring at his Dr. Who 101 panel.

Nov 19 2015

Talking with Ken Reid, The TV Guidance Counselor

By Jason Harris

Courtesy of Ken Reid’s Tumblr page.

Ken Reid is a stand-up comedian and a podcaster, TV Guidance Counselor. He will be attending the New England Super Megafest this weekend. He will be performing Friday night at the Cosplay Comedy Kickoff Party. I had the pleasure recently to ask a number of questions about

Q: In 2003, you decided to try your hand at stand-up. What was the impetuous behind that decision?

A: I had been in bands from 1996-1999 or so, I am in no way shape or form a musician, but always wanted to perform. Once the band broke up and I had no musicians to ride the coattails of I thought stand up was my only route. I always liked comedy and watched tons of stand up, so i gave it a go.

Q: How many stand-up engagements do you perform in a year?

A: I average about 2 a week so 100-150 a year is probably about the normal.

Q: Do you have any engagements coming up? If yes, where and when?

A: I’ve taken the rest of 2015 off for the most part for a much needed breather, but I’m still doing the podcast weekly and will be back to frequent shows in 2016. My updated schedule is always at ikenreid.com

Q: When did the idea for your podcast, TV Guidance Counselor, come about?

A: Friend and fellow comic Sean Sullivan basically told me that I have all these TV Guides, when people come over my house we often will flip through them and discuss old shows, why not just do that as a podcast? I wanted to do a podcast for a long time but didn’t have a great idea that would be different from the usual two comics just chatting format, until Sean threw that at me. I also do almost no pop culture stuff in my stand up, despite that occupying a huge part of my brain, so it was a great excuse to exercise a lot of that stuff.

Q: When did you start collecting TV Guides?

A: As early as I can remember. There are photos of me at age 2 with a TV Guide in my hand.

Q: What issue made you want to collect TV Guides?

A: Not sure if it’s a specific issue really . I like having the little digest sized time machine on hand.

Q: Are you still collecting?

A: Not new issues, but if I see some old ones I don’t have, I grab them.

Q: What were some of your favorite shows growing up?

A: Just the Ten of Us is a lifelong favorite, Newhart, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, The Adventures of Pete and Pete. The Facts of Life. Weirdly I’ve been lucky enough to have people who’ve been on all those shows guest on my podcast.

Q: What are some of your favorite shows now?

A: Weirdly I don’t watch too much new stuff. I like The Flash, and I still watch Supernatural. Fringe was the only show I watched weekly as it came out and LOVED in the last few years. I think it is the best sci-fi show of all time.

Q: Who are some of the people you would like to have on your podcast?

A: I do have some dream guests. Paul “Pee Wee Herman” Reubens, Cassanda “Elvira” Peterson, John Larroquette, John Waters.

Q: You will be at Super Megafest in November and the Pop Culture Expo in December, are these the first conventions you have been a guest at?

A: Weirdly no. Gary at North East Comic Con has had me do live TV Guidance Counselors at the last few. I always have a good time. Last year, I did the stand up show at Super Megafest, which was also fun.

Q: What drew you to being a guest at a convention?

A: They asked, and I’m almost always there anyway, so it’s a win-win.

Q: Are there any comedians you looked up to growing up?

A: Dana Gould was my absolute #1 for sure. I was also always a huge Bob Newhart fan.

Q: Who are some comedians today that you would suggest people go see?

A: Hmm….I’d still go with Dana Gould.

Q: Do you have any advice for anyone who wants to become a comedian?

A: Don’t do it! But if you must be prepared to be terrible for at least two years even if you think you are. Don’t do it with a goal in mind, just do it to enjoy doing it and you’ll be fine.

If you are free this weekend, go to Super Megafest to hear Ken and to meet a lot of celebrities. Find out more information here.

Nov 15 2015

Pictures from RICC 2015 Part 2

By Jason Harris

Welcome to the second entry of pictures taken at this year’s Rhode Island Comic Con.

Actor Travis Wester (Euro Trip).

Swamp Thing and Poison Ivy.

The Honkytonk Man.

Wendy Darling and Matt Murdock.

Actor Tom Wright (All My Children).

Princess Leia.

Author Stacey Longo.

The Stay Puft Marshmellow Man.

Lori Petty (Tank Girl).

Disgust, Fear, Anger, Joy, and Sadness with a convention attendee.

Ace Ventura dancing with a fan.

Actor Dean Cain (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman).

The Walking Dead panel.

The Scarecrow.

Actor Seth Gilliam (The Walking Dead).

Ant-man.

The Baroness.

Actress Margot Kidder (Superman).

R2-Q5

R2-D2.

Wrestler Sean Waltman.

Me with Orlando Jones (Sleepy Hollow).

Nov 12 2015

Pictures from Rhode Island Comic Con 2015

By Jason Harris

Actress Terry Farrell (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Hellraiser III).

The Faces of Star Trek panel (from Left to right): Marina Sirtis, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Terry Farrell, and moderator Clare Kramer.

Mario and Tonto and a Rhode Island Comic Con volunteer photo-bombing in the background.

Actress Jodi Lyn O'Keefe (Prison Break).

Actress Barbara Eden (I Dream of Jeannie).

Actor Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy).

Actor Lorenzo Lamas (Sharknado 3, Renegade)

Another entry of pictures from Rhode Island Comic Con 2015 will be coming in the next couple of days.

Nov 6 2015

Lou Ferrigno, the Original Incredible Hulk, at Rhode Island Comic Con this Weekend

By Jason Harris

Lou Ferrigno. Photo by Jason Harris.

Lou Ferrigno, the original Incredible Hulk, is in town for the fourth Rhode Island Comic Con, which starts this afternoon and runs until Sunday, November 8. We sat down at the Dunkin Donuts Center to talk about bodybuilding, the Incredible Hulk, and being the personal trainer for Michael Jackson.

Ferrigno discovered weight training 52 years ago at the age of 12, he said.

“When I was a kid, I was really skinny. I was just obsessed with power. I wanted to be powerful. I discovered weight training and I knew it would make me feel good about myself.”

Ferrigno wanted to be a hero like Hercules. He would watch old Hercules movies, then want to be a modern day gladiator or some other heroic character from the movies or comic books.

“I would fantasize about being the Hulk because of the way I was built.”

One day, he received a phone call about auditioning for the role, which at the time was being played by Richard Kiel. Kiel played the character of Jaws in two James Bond movies. The reason behind the switch was because director Kenneth Johnson’s son was on set one day and said Kiel didn’t look like the Hulk in the comic books, Ferrigno said. They contacted hundreds of people, including him, to audition.

“They called me, I went down for the screen test and immediately they hired me. And the next day, I was filming. In 48 hours, I went from bodybuilding to show business.”

Everything he did for the role came naturally to him, Ferrigno said.

“When I did the pilot, I used a lot of the animalistic behavior the way the character should be.”

One of his favorite moments on The Incredible Hulk was meeting Cary Grant, who came to the set with his nephew to get a picture taken with him.

“I was excited because he was one of the top movie stars in the world. That was one of my exciting moments because of the fact I was well respected.”

Ferrigno enjoyed working with Bill Bixby, who he considered “a very talented actor.” He was a fan of Bixby’s television shows The Courtship of Eddie’s Father and The Magician.

“I learned a lot from him. He was an icon. I was excited to learn from him and watch him.”

Ferrigno’s portrayal of the Incredible Hulk ended in 1990 with television movie, The Death of the Incredible Hulk, but he has continued with the character by voicing him in the UPN cartoon and in the current Marvel movies that started with The Incredible Hulk in 2008. The job was given to him after the director heard him say “Hulk crash” and “Hulk smash” at New York Comic Con seven to nine years ago, he said.

In the last few years, Ferrigno has been on Celebrity Apprentice and in an episode of Star Trek Continues.

“It was great because you’re on a show with a bunch of egos, celebrities,” Ferrigno said about Celebrity Apprentice. “I’m glad I raised 100,000 for my charity [the Muscular Dystrophy Association]. It taught me what it’s like to be with other celebrities. It was fun, but the hardest thing was no one wanted to be fired so you’re forced to look at other people’s faults. That was tough.”

Ferrigno did mention that “Donald Trump is a loose cannon.”

“I was very tense because you’re in the boardroom three times a week. You have to be careful how you conduct yourself. So with me, they were afraid of me, because when we were in the boardroom I just spoke my mind.”

Ferrigno has always been a fan of the original Star Trek so he was happy to play slave trader Zaminhon on Star Trek Continues when Vic Mignogna asked him. He wasn’t happy with the makeup, which took five hours to apply, he said.

“I knew I wanted to play [the character] because it was against type. I enjoyed playing that character.”

His upcoming movie Instant Death will be released next April. You will see him do things in the movie that audiences have never seen him do before, he said.

“I would say it’s my best work ever.”

Along with his acting, he continues giving advice about being a person’s own personal trainer at his website here or being a personal trainer to stars like Chuck Norris and Mickey Rourke. He was also Michael Jackson’s personal trainer for 20 years, which came about because he was a good friend of Jackson’s doctor.

“He learned a lot from me and I learned a lot from him,” Ferrigno said about Jackson.

You can meet Ferrigno at Rhode Island Comic Con this weekend. Find out more about the convention here.

Nov 5 2015

Kid’s Con Returns to Rhode Island Comic Con

Rhode Island Comic Con announces activities for the littlest fans

A mainstay in the Rhode Island Comic Con event schedule, Kids Con sets the stage for an exciting weekend for the younger generation of fandom. Kids Con is a series of organized activities within the walls of Rhode Island Comic Con, the Biggest Show in the Smallest State, slated for November 7th and 8th at the Rhode Island Convention Center and Dunkin Donuts Center area. Activities are designed for fans 12 and under.

Some of the activities scheduled for the two-day program include:

Puppet making and “How to be a Puppeteer,” hosted by Julio Robles. Robles is a former student of Michael Earl, the original man behind Snuffleupagus and Forgetful Jones on Sesame Street. Julio is a puppeteer and a puppet builder and has been featured in TV shows such as The Steve Katsos Show and movies including “What’s Your Number?” Recently Julio finished work being a puppet teacher to the Stratton cast of Avenue Q. He currently spends a great deal of time working on his YouTube page called ScrapsTV.
Comic Construction Workshop, hosted by Matt Ryan. Ryan is a freelance illustrator and cartoonist. His work appears in his own comic, Food Fight, the 2015 Massachusetts Children’s Book Award nominated The Nearly Calamitous Taming of PZ and the Junk Food comic strips.
Roger Williams Zoo’s Zoomobile will visit with the children with the animals.
A gaming tournament hosted by Rhode Island Comic Con sponsor, GameStop. Kids will compete in video games Mario Kart and Smash Brothers.
A magic show by Dezrah Blinn.

Aside from these scheduled events, Kids Con will feature story time with costumed characters as well as a princess dance party and a heroes vs. villains dance-off.

Commenting on this year’s Kids Con, coordinator Jillian Aldrich said, “It’s going to be the biggest Kids Con yet! Tons of games, crafts, and events!”

Kids Con is free to attend with a paid admission to the convention. Tickets for Rhode Island Comic Con are currently on sale through Ticketmaster, or by visiting http://www.ricomiccon.com. Daily tickets start at only $29.00 and a three-day weekend admission is $75 in advance, $85 at the door (if available). For kids ages 6 to 12, a weekend admission is $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Kids under 6 are admitted free.

In its fourth year, the award-winning Rhode Island Comic Con, produced by Altered Reality Entertainment, expands to three days, two venues, and over 100 celebrity guests, including actors from Star Trek, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, Sons of Anarchy, Agents of Shield, and Transformers, among many others. Comic book artists from Marvel, DC and the independent market all converge on downtown Providence. Gaming, cosplay, and after parties all add to an exciting schedule of events and panels.

Nov 2 2015

The First Reading of the Em-Dashes

by Jason Harris

The Em-Dashes (from left to right): authors Melissa Crandall, Stacey Longo, Terry George, John Valeri, and Dan Foley.

The Em-Dashes, a writer’s group in Connecticut, read together for the first time at the Manchester library on Oct. 28. The group’s members are Melissa Crandall, Stacey Longo, Terry George, John Valeri, and Dan Foley Most of them read from their stories that will be included in a collection to be published by Books & Boos Press next September.

Author Stacey Longo.

Author Terry George.

Author John Valeri.

Author Dan Foley.

Nov 2 2015

Rhode Island Comic Con Announces Panel Schedule

In a few days the Biggest Show in the Smallest State, Rhode Island Comic Con organizers have announced the schedule of panels, celebrity Q&A sessions, and special events.

According to the convention’s Programming Director, Michael Gianfrancesco, “The programming staff has worked hard to put together what we think is an entertaining and diverse offering of amazing panels for our guests this year. We are excited about all of our major offerings and are thrilled to have guest celebrity moderator Clare Kramer (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Bring it On) from geeknation.com working with us to make these events even more of a memorable experience for attendees.”

Saturday’s events include:

Buckler and McGregor: The Making of the Panther
The Faces of Star Trek
Under the Helmet: The Men who Played Boba Fett
Magical Objects
Cosplay Workshop: Foam Armor
Q & A with Neal Adams
Ride Along with Sons of Anarchy
The Voices of Batman
The Weekly Pull Live
It’s a Homestuck Life
Spirit Connections Gallery Readings with Spirit Medium Tiffany Rice
Behind the Masks and Uniforms: Star Wars Characters
Everything Wrong With: A Day in the life of CinemaSins
Limitless Cosplay: Cosplay Your Way to Self-Love
Back into the Pensieve: Ridiculous Harry Potter Theories You Forgot About
Cosplay Workshop: Wig Styling 101
Explore the Supernatural
Dealing Toys with Travis Landry
Q & A with Jason Momoa
Q & A with David Prowse
Growing Up Geek: Nerd Parents Raising Geek Offspring
Introduction to Lightsabers
Cosplay Workshop: Hands On Molding and Casting
Q & A with Ron Perlman
Creating Worlds with Chris Claremont
The Voices of Sailor Moon
Find Your Nerd Herd
Cosplay for a Cause
Q & A with Amy Jo Johnson
Super Beard Bros. Presents: The Newlywed Game
Transformers Unmasked
Bringing Back the Good Stuff: Reviving 90’s Retro Nostalgic Entertainment with Erica Crooks
Who wants to be a Super Millionaire?
A Celebration of Carrie Fisher
Comedy Show with Ron Funches
RICC 2015 Cosplay Contest

Sunday’s schedule includes:

Ghost Facers versus Ghost Hunters
Has the Sorting Hat Ever Been Wrong?
Living the Cosplay Life
Meet The Legions: A look at the costumes, charity, and camaraderie of the 501st and Rebel Legions
Cosplay Workshop: Sewing Basics
The Voices of Spongebob
Mike Grell: A Retrospective
Orlando Jones Live on Stage
Dr. Who 101
Charlton Comics: The Movie
Spirit Connections Gallery Readings with Spirit Medium Tiffany Rice
The World of The Walking Dead
How to Be a YouTube Star
Q&A with Henry Winkler
Inside The Outsiders
Dressed to Impress: How to make an Impact on the Judges of the Costume Contest
Dynamic Drawing for Toys
Cosplay Workshop: Head Casting Demonstration
Kids Cosplay Contest
A Look Inside the Tardis: Dr. Who Stars Speak
Bishonen Pretty Boy Swag
King of Comic Con
Meet the Power Rangers

Gianfrancesco went on to comment, “In addition, we have added a slate of informative and unique fan panels, which cover some of the more specific fandoms. We have panels on Dr. Who, Harry Potter, and comic drawing. We have even added a cosplay workshop room with hands-on demonstrations of molding, sewing, and wig styling. It’s going to be a great year for all our guests at RICC!”

For specific locations, times, and descriptions for each event, please refer to Rhode Island Comic Con’s website.

Tickets for Rhode Island Comic Con are currently on sale through Ticketmaster, or by visiting www.ricomiccon.com. Daily tickets start at only $29.00 and a three-day weekend admission is $75 in advance, $85 at the door (if available). VIP and celebrity packages are also available.