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.

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.

Jul 13 2015

Pictures from ConnectiCon 2015

By Jason Harris

This year marks the 12th ConnectiCon, which was founded in 2002 and the first one was held in 2003. You can find out about it’s history here.

W.B. Mason.

Baymax.

The Lone Gunmen from The X-Files were in attendance.

Bruce Harwood ( John Fitzgerald Byers of The Lone Gunmen)

Bruce Harwood ( John Fitzgerald Byers on The Lone Gunmen)

Tom Braidwood (Melvin Frohike on The Lone Gunmen).

Dean Haglund (Richard ‘Ringo’ Langly on The Lone Gunmen).

Green Lantern.

Prince Charming and Cinderella.

George Takei.

Actress and author Amber Benson.

Queen Amidala and friend.

Thor and Thor.

A Jedi.

The Power Rangers.

Supergirl and friend.

Voice actor Bill Farmer.

Characters from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.

The Voice Acting in Television panel with Kari Wahlgren, Chris Bevins, Maurice LeMarche, Phil Lanarr, Bill Farmer, and Dameon Clarke.

Harley Quinn punching Batgirl.

Dr. Who.

Peter “Starlord” Quill.

Loki.

Bluntman and Chronic.

Harley Quinn, The Riddler, and Robin.

Yoko Littner.

Jun 12 2015

A Night with William Shatner

By Jason Harris

Actor William Shatner was a guest at the Middlesex Community College Celebrity Forum 2015 at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, MA. Shatner was interviewed by Patrick Cook, executive director of public affairs.
Shatner is an award-winning actor, producer, writer, recording artist, and philanthropist. During the almost 75 minute interview, he spoke about Star Trek, Boston Legal, his friendship with Leonard Nimoy who passed away in February, and death. You could tell that he misses Nimoy who he had been friends with for over 50 year ever since filming Star Trek. He talks about Nimoy’s death as memories that have faded away. He also mentioned his charities and his new reality series, Better Late Than Never with Henry Winkler, George Foreman, and Terry Bradshaw.

If William Shatner comes to your area, go see him. You won’t be disappointed. There is always a chance a captain’s chair will be in the lobby so you can try it on for size. Find out about his appearances on his website here.

Sep 17 2014

My Second Trip to Granite State ComiCon (Pictures)

By Dale T. Phillips

Pictures by Dale T. Phillips and Stacey Longo

Once more, I got to travel to another world or a lot of them, by attending Granite State ComiCon, organized by Double Midnight Comics. I was one of two authors at the Books & Boos table. The other author at the table being Stacey Longo. We were signing books for fans, new and old.

Author Stacey Longo at the Books & Boos table.

It was an amazing time at a well-run con, with thousands of fun people enjoying themselves and sharing their special likes of comics, TV shows, books, films, graphic novels, games, and cultural icons of all sorts.

You get to see people like The New England Brethren of Pirates.

The Ghostbusters of New Hampshire

The New England garrison of the 501st Legion.
All three groups make appearances to help raise money for charities. These people put a lot of time and effort into their outfits and shows, and they deserve a big hand for what they do.

Sam Jones

You get to see celebrities, like Sam Jones (of Flash Gordon and Ted fame) and tough-guy actor William Forsythe, both of whom were

Author Stacey Longo with William Forsythe.

extremely gracious and kind to the fans. You also see the people behind the voices of your favorite animated characters such as Richard Horvitz, who voices Zim in Invader Zim, .

Richard Horvitz.

You get to meet writers such as Gordon Bean, Rob Watts, Katherine Silva, and Scott Goudsward, who are all members of the New England Horror Writers.

From left to right: Bean, Watts, Silva, and Goudsward.

From left to right: Gordon Bean, Rob Watts, Katherine Silva, and Scott Goudsward.

Author Matthew Bartlett, another NEHW member, was also signing books at the organization’s table.

Author Matthew Bartlett.

Besides the NEHW and Longo, Chris Philbrook, another author, had his own table at the convention.

Author Chris Philbrook.

During my time at the convention, I also met author John Murphy, who was recently heard on the Sci-fi Saturday Night podcast. I can’t wait to hear their interviews with the cast members of Game of Thrones.

Me (left) and John Murphy (right).

The Game of Thrones celebrities.

Speaking of which, lots of folks were Game of Thrones cosplaying to honor the cast members who were there.

Arya of Game of Thrones.

Arya of Game of Thrones.

Miltos Yeramelou (Syrio on GoT) hosted a Water Dancing class to teach beginning fencers. I watched some of it, and thought it superb– and I’ve been a fencer for over 35 years.

Miltos Yeramelou.

Groot.

You get to see about every superhero and supervillain you can think of.

Catwoman.

Robin and Batgirl.

Harley Quinn, the Joker and the Riddler.

And many other costumes. A guy who plays Mr T. emceed the huge costume contest. I sure wouldn’t want to judge that one, because there are so many cool costumes, it would be too hard to choose a winner!

Two days of fun, and we just saw a small part of it. It’s a total experience, with panels, parties, and participation.

Freddy Krueger and Jason Vorhees.

A Borg from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Loki

Harley Quinn and the Joker.

Haunted Acres is New England’s most exciting haunted attraction, with Maniac’s Midway, live bands, a beer garden, and lots of food and ride vendors.

Frozen’s Elsa taking a trip in the Tardis.

Deadpool and Wonder Woman.

Judge Dredd.

Groot.

Artist Karen Gosselin.

Mr. T with author Stacey Longo, holding her book Secret Things.

Ralphie from A Christmas Story.

Robbie the Robot.

A Medieval Deadpool.

Me with author Rob Watts.

A ruined Stormtrooper.

Batwoman.

Star Trek’s Starfleet officer

Wreck-It Ralph.

The Dome and Kriana of Sci-fi Saturday Night.

Disney Princesses.

A Droogie.

Wonder Woman and Batman.

Guardians of the Galaxy.

Killer Queen.

A Droogie.

Brave’s Princess Merida and Silk.

Performers from Fright Kingdom.

Convention attendees.

Rikki Simons, the voice of Gir on Invader Zim.

Thor and Voltron

Jun 25 2014

Rock and Shock Starts Promoting Its 11th Show

Rock & Shock is getting ready to turn it up to 11! In anticipation of the 11^th anniversary of the horror and music convention that brings 3 days of monsters, music and mayhem to downtown Worcester, MA, Rock & Shock is giving the public an extra early sneak peak at this year’s attendees. While there are still plenty of big name acts yet to be divulged, Rock & Shock is pleased to announce that among this year’s guests will be Brad Dourif, John Ratzenberger, Jeffrey Combs, Nivek Ogre and Fiona Dourif. Meanwhile, King Diamond, Machine Head and Twiztid are among some of the convention’s scheduled performers.

Brad Dourif, the voice of everyone’s favorite flame-haired doll turned serial killer Chucky will be making a rare convention appearance at Rock & Shock 2014. Dourif is a legendary character actor who is best known for his appearances in Rob Zombie’s Halloween 1 & 2, The Exorcist III, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers & The Return of the King, Dune, TV’s Deadwood and his breakthrough role as Billy Bibbit in Milos Forman’s 1975 classic One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. To make the event a true family affair, Dourif will be joined by his real life daughter and True Blood star Fiona Dourif. Fiona’s other screen credits include Curse of Chucky, Deadwood and Paul Thomas Anderson’s Academy Award nominated film The Master.

He has danced with the stars, voiced some of your favorite cartoon characters and even fought for the Rebel Alliance and this October, Cheers‘ very own John Ratzenberger will be returning to the place where everybody knows his name. In addition to portraying Cliff Clavin, postal worker extraordinaire on the seminal Boston-based TV series Cheers, Ratzenberger has appeared in films such as Motel Hell and House 2: The Second Story, competed on Dancing With the Stars and has become the voice of Pixar. Ratzenberger is, in fact, the only actor to voice for a character in every Pixar film; most notably Hamm the Piggy Bank in the Toy Story series, The Abominable Snowman in Monsters, Inc. and Mack the Truck in the Cars.

A legend in both the horror and sci-fi communities, Jeffery Combs will be making his triumphant return to Rock & Shock this year. Combs first made his name as Herbert West, the main character in Re-Animator and it’s two subsequent sequels. He followed that up with appearances in several classic horror films including The Frighteners, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, House on Haunted Hill, FeardotCom and most recently, Would You Rather. However, science-fiction fans will best know Combs for his portrayals of several characters within the Star Trek universe, most notably the Vorta clone Weyoun on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Rounding out the early announcements is Skinny Puppy and ohGr frontman Nivek Ogre. Since forming Skinny Puppy in 1982, Ogre has wowed audiences as both a musician and an actor, appearing in films such as Repo! The Genetic Opera, 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams and The Devil’s Carnival.

Speaking of world renowned musicians, this year’s performers are set to include: King Diamond, who will kick-off the event’s pre-party on Thursday, October 16, Machine Head, Children of Bodom, Epica and Battlecross, who will be rocking the Palladium stage on Friday, October 17 and Twiztid, back by popular demand with their Fright Fest festivities and scheduled to close out the event on Sunday, October 18. A very special guest headliner for Saturday is set to be announced in August, so let the speculation begin!

Tickets for Rock & Shock 2014 go on sale this Friday, June 27^th at 10am and may be purchased at ticketfly.com, FYE stores or at the Palladium box office. There are still plenty of celebrity guests, musical acts and events yet to be announced so make sure to follow Rock & Shock on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram and visitrockandshock.com.

Nov 12 2013

Date for ‘Riddick’ DVD Announced

VIN DIESEL RETURNS AS THE MOST WANTED MAN IN THE UNIVERSE IN A STUNNING NEW CHAPTER OF THE EXPLOSIVE SCI-FI ADVENTURE FRANCHISE

RIDDICK

BE THE FIRST TO OWN IT ON DIGTAL HD DECEMBER 17, 2013

NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN UNRATED DIRECTOR’S CUT WITH ALTERNATE ENDING COMING TO BLU-RAY^™ COMBO PACK INCLUDING BLU-RAY, DVD

& DIGITAL HD WITH ULTRAVIOLET^™JANUARY 14, 2014

ALSO AVAILABLE: RIDDICK: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION INCLUDING RIDDICK, PITCH BLACK AND THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK PLUS THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK: DARK FURY

Vin Diesel returns to the larger-than-life role that made him a global superstar as Riddick blasts its way onto Blu-ray Combo Pack including Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD with UltraViolet on January 14, 2014, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. The film will also be available on Digital HD December 17, 2013. The third feature film installment of the blockbuster series returns to its hardcore action roots with an all-new, no-holds-barred adventure from writer and director David Twohy, creator of the hit franchise.

Debuting an Unrated Director’s Cut with even more intense, heart-pounding sequences not shown in theaters and an alternate ending, the Blu-ray Combo Pack includes bonus features that reveal the behind-the-scenes secrets of the heart-stopping thriller’s incredible cast, uniquely talented crew and cutthroat characters. In addition, Riddick will be available in a new collection that includes all three movies in the groundbreaking franchise: Pitch Black, The Chronicles of Riddick and Riddick plus The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury from Emmy Award-Winning animator, Peter Chung (“Æon Flux”).

In an electrifying return to his signature role, Diesel heads up an internationally acclaimed cast that includes Karl Urban (Star Trek franchise), Katee Sackhoff (“Battlestar Galactica”), Jordi Mollà (Columbiana), WWE superstar Dave Bautista (upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy), Noah Danby (“Defiance”), Danny Blanco Hall (Immortals), Bokeem Woodbine (Total Recall), Matt Nable (Killer Elite), Raoul Trujillo (Apocalypto), Conrad Pla (Immortals), Neil Napier (White House Down), Nolan Gerard Funk (“Aliens in America”) and two-time Grammy Award nominee Keri Lynn Hilson.

The Blu-ray™ Combo Pack includes a Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD with UltraViolet.

Blu-ray™ unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6X the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound.
DVD offers the flexibility and convenience of playing movies in more places, both at home and away.
DIGITAL HD with Ultraviolet lets fans watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can instantly stream or download movies to watch on iPad®, iPhone®, Android™, smart TVs, connected Blu-ray players, game consoles, and more.

Bonus Features Exclusively on Blu-ray^TM

The Twohy Touch—In this short film, writer and director David Twohy explains the development of Riddick, the third feature film in his high-concept sci-fi series. Interviews and on-set footage detail Twohy’s vision and inspiration, as well as the creative collaboration between the filmmaker and star Vin Diesel that takes the cult franchise to a new level.
Riddickian Tech—The filmmakers, including Riddick’s amazing effects team, talk about the extraordinary technologies used to create Riddick’s eye-popping sci-fi elements, from the practical effects to the green screen wonders that made it possible to bring this high-intensity, futuristic thriller to the big screen.
The World Of Riddick—Key members of the filmmaking team, including director David Twohy, production designer Joseph C. Nemec III and director of photography David Eggby talk about the inspiration and influences behind the film’s vivid and unique visuals and savage predators.

Bonus Features on Blu-ray^TMand DVD

Vin’s Riddick—Vin Diesel, his co-stars and the entire filmmaking team provide an inside look at the superstar’s passion for everything from the film’s production and development to his intensive physical training, as well as just what makes Diesel ideal for the role of the indestructible Richard B. Riddick.
Meet The Mercs—From Karl Urban and Katee Sackhoff to Jordi Mollà, Dave Bautista, Bokeem Woodbine, and Nolan Gerard Funk, this featurette spotlights the dynamic supporting cast of Riddick and the characters they portray, exploring what the actors bring to their roles, as well as the weapons and clothing styles that define them to enhance this heart-stopping thriller.
Riddick: Blindsided—A motion comic prequel to Riddick that fills in the gap since 2004’s The Chronicles of Riddick.

SYNOPSIS

Global action-superstar Vin Diesel reprises his breakthrough role in Riddick, the much-anticipated new chapter in the epic adventures of the most wanted man in the universe. The all-new thriller finds the title character trapped on a sun-scorched planet and pursued by ruthless bounty hunters eager to collect the reward for Riddick’s capture—dead or alive. Savage alien creatures, expansive desert landscapes, monster storms, jet hogs and an arsenal of futuristic weaponry make this the most exhilarating episode to date in writer and director David Twohy’s breathtaking series of futuristic blockbusters.

CAST AND FILMMAKERS:

Cast: Vin Diesel, Jordi Mollà, Matt Nable, Katee Sackoff, Karl Urban, Dave Bautista, N, Bokeem Woodbine, Matt Nable, Raoul Trujillo, Nolan Gerard Funk, and Karl Urban as Vaako

Directed by: David Twohy

Screenplay by: David Twohy

Based on Characters Created By: Jim Wheat & Ken Wheat

Producers: Vin Diesel, Ted Field

Executive Producers: Samantha Vincent, Mike Drake, George Zakk

Director of Photography: David Eggby, ACS

Production Designer: Joseph Nemec III

Editor: Tracy Adams

Costume Designer: Simonetta Mariano

Original Music By: Graeme Revell

TECHNICAL INFORMATION –BLU-RAY™

Street Date: January 14, 2014

Selection Numbers: 61125056 (US)

Running Time: 1 hour, 59 minutes/2 hours, 7 minutes (Unrated)

Layers: BD-50

Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 2.40:1

Rating: R for strong violence, language and some sexual content and nudity/Unrated

Technical Info: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1/DVS DD 2.0 (English); Digital Surround 5.1 (Spanish)

Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish

TECHNICAL INFORMATION – DVD

Street Date: January 14, 2014

Selection Numbers: 61124928 (US)

Running Time: 1 hour, 59 minutes

Layers: Dual Layer

Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1

Rating: R for strong violence, language and some sexual content and nudity/Unrated

Technical Info: Dolby Digital 5.1/DVS DD; Dolby Digital 5.1 (Spanish)

Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish

The movie’s official website is www.riddickmovie.com

Mar 11 2013

‘The Best of Both Worlds’ Warps into Theaters

Star Trek: The Next Generation– The Best of Both Worlds Event Transports into Cinemas on April 25

* * * * *

NCM Fathom Events, CBS Home Entertainment and IGN Present a

One-Night Event Featuring the Classic Series’ Third Season Finale and Fourth Season Premiere Remastered into a Feature-Length Presentation

Special Event Will Precede Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3 and

Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Best of Both Worlds Blu-ray Releases on April 30

“You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.” Trekkers nationwide will soon heed those commands as NCMFathom Events, CBS Home Entertainment and IGN present Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Best of Both Worlds, which beams into select cinemas on Thursday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m. local time. The fan-favorite two-part episode – The Best of Both Worlds – is comprised of the third season finale and the fourth season premiere, with Part 1 making TV Guide’s list of “TV’s Top 100 Episodes of All Time.” The episodes have been remastered into a feature-length presentation and will be presented on the big screen.

Tickets for Star Trek: The Next Generation– The Best of Both Worlds are available at presenting theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. The event will be broadcast to more than 550 select movie theaters across the country through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

Fans will enjoy this digitally restored and gloriously remastered presentation in high-definition. The fascinating storyline follows the cybernetic alien race, the Borg, as they abduct and transform Capt. Picard into a half-Borg, half-human called Locutus. Meanwhile, the Enterprise crew must race against time to intercept the nefarious Borg cube before it reaches Earth to enslave humanity.

“Fans have been discussing these historic episodes since they first aired, and we’re excited to present them like never before, newly improved and on the big screen,” said Ken Ross, executive vice president and general manager of CBS Home Entertainment. “This special event will ensure that ‘The Best of Both Worlds’ will remain a classic throughout the 21^st Century — and beyond.”

Created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: The Next Generation premiered 21 years after the debut of the original “Star Trek” series. Featuring one of the most endearing ensemble casts in television history, with seven seasons and 176 episodes, Star Trek: The Next Generation took fans on the remarkable continuing voyages of the Starship Enterprise, set in the 24^th century.

“After the success of the first two Star Trek: The Next Generation events, we couldn’t wait to bring additional seasons back to the big screen for fans to enjoy,” said Shelly Maxwell, executive vice president of NCM Fathom Events. “Fans will be absolutely thrilled with the presentation of these ‘Next Generation’ classics.”

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3 and The Best of Both Worlds will be released on Blu-ray on April 30.

Nov 6 2012

Rhode Island Comic Con Recap

A Great Weekend at Rhode Island Comic Con

by Jason Harris

The New England Horror Writers participated in the first ever Rhode Island Comic Con, which from the crowds that were there this past weekend it will not be a one-hit wonder.

I heard from a lot of people that were happy that Rhode Island now has a comic con to go to. This weekend these convention attendees received an excellent convention with celebrities from movies, television, paranormal investigators, and even wrestling stars.

This convention had more people on Saturday then Rock and Shock had its entire weekend a couple weeks ago. There were two reasons for this. The first reason its the first ever Rhode Island Comic Con and the second reason is the celebrities they had. They had John De Lancie, who played Q on three different Star Trek series, Robert Picardo, who played the Doctor on Star Trek:Voyager and in Star Trek: First Contact, Nicholas Brendon, who was Xander in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and lately was the boyfriend of Penelope Garcia in Criminal Minds, Gil Gerard, who played Buck Rogers in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and Dirk Benedict, who played Faceman on the television series The A-Team. There were plenty of other stars too. It was just too many to name, but you can always click here to see the other guests.

The crowds were like the ocean; never-ending and unrelenting. There were so many people I decided to just take pictures and not get names so a lot of the pictures won’t have captions. It was hard enough taking pictures with the crowds let alone trying to get names.

The NEHW table at Rhode Island Comic Con.

Actor Dirk Benedict signing his book, Confessions of a Kamikaze Cowboy: A True Story of Discovery, Acting, Health, Illness, Recovery, and Life for me.

Author Stacey Longo and wrestler Hacksaw Jim Duggen.

Author Rob Watts standing behind the NEHW table.

Raymond Ramos as Blade.

There will be another post of pictures from Rhode Island Comic Con, maybe even two.

Oct 14 2012

Rock and Shock 2012

My Experience at Rock and Shock 2012

by Jason Harris

Another Rock and Shock has come and gone. The New England Horror Writers were there once again. We have been there for the past four years. This year saw less atttendees then last year, but last year’s guest line-up included Robert Englund, whose line went on forever and never seemed to get any shorter, and Ace Frehley, former lead guitarist of KISS. This year had Heather Langenkamp, of Nightmare on Elm Street fame, Anthony Michael Hall, of televison series The Dead Zone and movies The Breakfast Club and Weird Science, and another former KISS member, Peter Criss.

Before getting to Rock and Shock, the wife and I went to fellow NEHW member Trisha Wooldridge’s house, where we were staying over the weekend. We were also going to be joined by another NEHW member Kristi Petersen Schoonover, who would be arriving later that night. It’s always a party when the NEHW members get together.

After leaving Trisha’s house, we drove to Annie’s Book Stop in Worcester to talk to the owner about her bookstore. The wife and I were picking her brain since we’re opening our own bookstore called Books and Boos in Colchester, CT. It was a very informative 40 minutes.

I was there the entire weekend and Saturday was the busiest day. Friday started off with Breakin’ into the Biz panel, which included myself, T.J. May, Matt Bechtel, and Kristi Petersen Schoonover, who ended up as moderator since there wasn’t anyone from Fangoria magazine there to do the job like there were for the other panels during the weekend. The panel went well and there were a lot of suggestions and advice given to the people in the audience.

Heather Langenkamp, Tracy Carbone, Stacey Longo, Trisha Wooldridge, and Lisa Marie on the Women in Horror panel. Photo by Jason Harris

The audience grew a little bit for the Women in Horror panel, but that was to be expected since Langenkamp and Lisa Marie (Ed Wood, Mars Attacks!) joined NEHW members Tracy Carbone, Stacey Longo, and Trisha Wooldridge. This panel had Jack from Fangoria, moderating the panel. One thing surprised me was that the audience didn’t asked two many questions when that time came. Four questions were asked of people on the panel and two of those questions came from me. I asked Heather how was it working on Just the Ten of Us and if she would do another television show. She said, she would love to do another tv series. It was also nice to hear that she will be in the next Star Trek movie titled Star Trek into Darkness, but she couldn’t say what character she’s playing. It was also great talking to her and Lisa Marie when the panel was over.

Tracy Carbone, Sean Whalen, and Stacey Longo. Photo by Jason Harris.

On Friday, it was great talking with Sean Whalen who was in The People Under the Stairs and Twister, and many other movies. Check out his credits on the Internet Movie Database by clicking here. He gave Carbone, Longo, and myself some good ideas.

I introduced myself to Doug Bradley, who portrayed Pinhead in most of the Hellraiser movies except the last one, since I conducted a phone interview with him a few weeks ago. You can read the article here.

I was hoping to interview Hall on Sunday since that was the day his manager, John Boitano, said would be the best day since it’s the slowest of the convention. On Friday, I had the feeling it wouldn’t happen since there was a sign on Hall’s table stating he wouldn’t be at the convention until 2 p.m. on Saturday. When Saturday came, he didn’t show up at his table until 3 p.m. Later on Saturday evening, he took a break and a sign said he would be back at 5:45 p.m. He didn’t get back from his break until 6:15 p.m. Seeing those signs, physical and figuratively, told me that Hall wasn’t going to keep an interview with me on Sunday. It would have been cool to interview him, but it wasn’t disappointing. I did interview another filmmaker, Ryan Convery, on Sunday about his movie Mourning Wood, which is about “humping zombies.” There will be an article and a movie review coming in the near future.

It was great meeting Tony Todd (Candyman), Brian O’Halloran (Clerks), and Sig Haig (House of 1000 Corpses) this weekend. I won’t get autographs since I am not paying $20 or more for an autograph unless they are selling a movie or a book. I will shake their hands and tell them I love their work.

There was a Horror in the Movies panel on Sunday, which Rob Watts, Bracken Macleod, myself, and Stacey Longo were on. Longo ended up being the moderator when Jack from Fangoria couldn’t do it since he had to do something else. It was attended by a good number of people.

There will be another post with pictures tomorrow.

May 29 2012

On the Road to Two Comic Book Shows

by Rick Silva

Boston Comic Con 2012

Quick introduction: I’m Rick Silva. I’m a relatively new member of the NEHW, but I’ve been involved in the local convention scene for quite a number of years. These days, most of the conventions I attend are in my capacity as a small press comic book publisher, although I’ve been fortunate enough to have had a couple of prose stories published in the last year or two, and have done panels and readings in that capacity as well.

For Boston Comic Con, my Dandelion Studios comics were sharing a table with Joe McGlone of Fallenmage Productions and his comics. We drove in early Saturday morning, and were shown right to our table by the very well-organized convention staff.

The show was held in one of the main exhibit halls of the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. We parked at the Prudential garage both days, which was pricey. I’d originally thought we could get around some of that cost by validation deals, or by moving the car to the street for part of the show, but those options proved to be too much of a hassle and we ended up paying full price both days. I think I will go back to taking the subway in (which I did for Anime Boston) if I attend this show again.

Photo by Rick Silva.

The show itself was lively and well-attended. There were some incredible cosplayers making the rounds. Star Trek, Star Wars, and Ghostbusters fan groups were set-up where the fans entered and the hallway was crowded with people taking pictures. The Ghostbuster guys even had a giant inflatable Stay-Pufft Marshmallow Man.

We had a steady stream of people stopping by our table, and just about all the local small press comic creators I know were present at the show, so I caught up with a lot of friends, and bought some new comics and mini-comics in between selling my own books.

Joe was thrilled to get a stack of book autographed by iconic horror artist Bernie Wrightson, and I bought a copy of Womanthology as a birthday present for my wife and got it signed and sketched in by eight of the contributing artists.

Photo by Rick Silva.

Boston Comic Con has been growing every year. I didn’t get too much time away from my table, but the guest list was really incredible this year, and the fans seemed to be having a great time shopping and meeting an impressive guest lists of great comic artists.

Maine Comics Arts Festival 2012

The Maine Comics Arts Festival is one of my absolute favorite shows for a bunch of reasons.

First of all, it’s all small-press creators. As much as I love buying older collectible comics, there is something really amazing about a show made up entirely by comic creators and their labors of love.

Organizers Casablanca Comics does a great job of getting the word out, and the show is always well-attended, and a lot of the audience are families discovering small press comics for the first time. It also helps that the price of admission is only $5.

Then there’s the setting. The venue is the Ocean Gateway terminal in Portland, a cruise ship facility that sticks out into Portland harbor. Forget about dimly-lit rooms or cavernous conventions halls. This place has huge windows all the way around and a spectacular view of the harbor.

It’s also in walking distance of restaurants, and for our son, the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum.

The Maine Comics Arts Festival was the first convention our son attended, at age 2. This year was his third time at the show. He’s old enough to have some input into the plans, and what he wants is a train ride!

Portland is a little over three hours from Cape Cod, so we got on the road around 6 a.m. To make things a bit more challenging, I’d pulled an all-nighter scrambling to put together the newest issue of our mini-comic series Unpopular Species (a science/nature comic about creatures that are, well, less loved). Gynn did much of the driving while I got some much-needed sleep on the way up to Portland. Fortunately, even Boston is quiet traffic-wise early on a Sunday morning, and the trip went smoothly.

We spent the day taking turns selling comics and taking the Kiddo on train rides. Turns out you can ride all day for one price. Kiddo was thrilled. Unpopular Species was a big hit, and we had a really good show in general. The ride home was exhausting, but we got back without incident.

This was the finale to a whole series of Spring conventions we’d done appearances at for the comics. Starting with Conbust at Smith College, we were at Anime Boston, Boston Comic Con, the Rochester New Hampshire Free Comic Book Day festival, the Southcoast Toy and Comic Show, and finally the Maine Comics Arts Festival. Now, we get a couple months break before a major road trip at the end of July to Baltimore for Otakon. See you out on the road!

Jason Harris Promotions

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