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.

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.

Hall3

Hall2

Waiting

You get to see people like The New England Brethren of Pirates.Pirates1

The Ghostbusters of New Hampshire Ghostbusters

GhostB1

GhostB_501_roller

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.501_base

Star_wars

Starwarrior

Wookie_face

Leia

Sam Jones

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

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.

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 Bart

Author Matthew Bartlett.

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

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).

Me (left) and John Murphy (right).

The Game of Thrones celebrities.

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

Arya of Game of Thrones.

Arya2

Arya of Game of Thrones.

Snow_dani

 

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.

Miltos Yeramelou.

Syrio2

Syrio3

Groot

Groot.

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

Catwoman

Catwoman.

Batgirl_Robin

Robin and Batgirl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harley_Joker_Riddler

Harley Quinn, the Joker and the Riddler.

Mr_T_JasonAnd 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 manyCostume_crowd2 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.

Alien

2014-09-13 13.20.20

Freddy Krueger and Jason Vorhees.

Borg

A Borg from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Horns

Loki

Harley_Joker

Harley Quinn and the Joker.

Big_Guy

HauntedAcres 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.

Cosplayers

Costume_crowd3

Danerys_Tardis

Frozen’s Elsa taking a trip in the Tardis.

Deadpool_WW

Deadpool and Wonder Woman.

Mech_warrior

Dredd

Judge Dredd.

2014-09-13 12.06.18

Groot.

Gosselin

Artist Karen Gosselin.

Mr_T_Stacey

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

Princesses

Puppet

Ralphie

Ralphie from A Christmas Story.

Saints_3D

Silverlady

Steampunk

2014-09-13 10.28.54

A Medieval Deadpool.

Me with author Rob Watts.

Me with author Rob Watts.

Tardi

Things1_3

Vulcan

Star Trek’s Starfleet officer

WreckRalph

Wreck-It Ralph.

The Dome and Kriana of Sci-fi Saturday Night.

The Dome and Kriana of Sci-fi Saturday Night.

Disney Princesses.

Disney Princesses.

Droogie1

A Droogie.

WW_Batman

Wonder Woman and Batman.

Guardians

Guardians of the Galaxy.

A Droogie.

A Droogie.

Brave's Princess Merida and Silk.

Brave’s Princess Merida and Silk.

Performers from Fright Kingdom.

Performers from Fright Kingdom.

Convention attendees.

Convention attendees.

2014-09-13 10.07.31

 

2014-09-13 14.46.30

Rikki Simons, the voice of Gir.

Rikki Simons, the voice of Gir on Invader Zim.

Thor_Block

Thor and Voltron

Puppet

‘Identity Thief’ Arrives on DVD in June

Hit the Road with Melissa McCarthy and Jason Bateman in the #1 Comedy of the Year From the Producer of Ted  & the Director of Horrible Bosses, Identity Thief

Smart, Funny and Surprisingly Touching” – Rafer Guzman, Newsday

Take Home the Hilarious Unrated Edition on Blu-Ray Combo Pack Including UltraViolet, DVD & Digital Copy with Alternate Takes, a Gag Reel & More on June 4.

Universal City, California – A mild-mannered businessman and the spend-happy con woman who stole his identity embark on an uproarious, cross-country road trip in the number one comedy blockbuster Identity Thief, available on Blu-rayCombo Pack, DVD, Digital Download and On Demand June 4, 2013, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.  Identity Thief’s fearlessly funny stars – Jason Bateman (Horrible Bosses) and Emmy® winner Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) – charmed critics and audiences alike with their off-the-wall outrageous banter.  Directed by Seth Gordon (Horrible Bosses), Identity Thief  also features an all-star ensemble cast including Jon Favreau (Iron Man series), Amanda Peet (2012), Tip ‘T.I.’ Harris (American Gangster), Genesis Rodriguez (What to Expect When You’re Expecting), John Cho (Harold & Kumar series), Robert Patrick (Safe House) and Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family).

Both the Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD include an unrated, extended version of the film featuring exclusive footage not shown in theaters, as well as a gag reel and making of the featurette with interviews with the film’s creators and cast.  Exclusive to the Blu-ray Combo Pack are bonus features including alternate takes, a behind-the-scenes featurette highlighting the stars’ unique comedic contributions and an insider tour with one of the movie’s most memorable characters.

The Blu-ray Combo Pack allows consumers to view Identity Thief anytime, anywhere on the platform of their choice.  It includes a Blu-ray disc, a DVD, a Digital Copy and UltraViolet for the ultimate, complete viewing experience.

  • Blu-ray disc unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring perfect hi-def picture and hi-def sound.
  • DVD offers the flexibility and convenience of playing movies in more places, both at home and away.
  • Digital Copy provides consumers with a choice of to watch on devices such as iPhone®, Android, computers and more.
  • UltraViolet is a revolutionary new way for consumers to collect their movies and TV shows in the cloud. UltraViolet lets consumers instantly stream and download to tablets, smartphones, computers and TVs. Now available in both the United States and Canada.

Bonus Features Exclusive to the Blu-rayTM:

  • Scene Stealing: Capturing the Humor of Identity Thief:  Inspired by comedy classics Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Midnight Run, Identity Thief brings comedy geniuses Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy together for an unforgettable cross-country journey.
  • The Skiptracer’s Van:  Robert Patrick, in character as The Skiptracer, details what is important to him, especially his van, which subs as his office, home and perpetrator container.  He gives a tour of the exterior, the “deep” interior and the cabin, replete with all of the supplies that he may or may not need.
  • Alternate Takes

Blu-rayTM and DVD Bonus Features:

  • Gag Reel
  • The Making of Identity Thief: Featuring on-set footage and interviews with the filmmakers and the first-class comedic cast, this featurette brings audiences inside the making of the year’s funniest film. 
  • Unrated and Theatrical Versions of the Film

SYNOPSIS

Jason Bateman (Horrible Bosses) and Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) lead an all-star cast in this hilarious blockbuster hit. Unlimited funds have allowed Diana (McCarthy) to live it up on the outskirts of Orlando.  There’s only one glitch: she’s financing her shopping sprees with an ID stolen from Sandy Patterson (Bateman), an accounts rep who lives halfway across the U.S. With only one week to hunt down the con artist before his world implodes, the real Sandy Patterson is forced to extreme measures to clear his name.  From the director of Horrible Bosses and the producer of Ted, critics are calling Identity Thief  “smart, funny and surprisingly touching” – Rafer Guzman, Newsday

www.identitythiefmovie.com

https://www.facebook.com/identitythief

FILMMAKERS

Cast: Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, Jon Favreau, Amanda Peet, Tip ‘T.I.’ Harris, Genesis Rodriguez, Morris Chestnut, John Cho, Robert Patrick, Eric Stonestreet, Jonathan Banks

Directed By: Seth Gordon

Screenplay By: Craig Mazin

Story By: Jerry Eeten, Craig Mazin

Produced By: Scott Stuber, Jason Bateman, Pamela Abdy

Executive Producers:  Dan Kolsrud, Peter Morgan

Director of Photography: Javier Aguirresarobe, ASC

Production Designer: Shepherd Frankel

Edited By: Peter Teschner

Costume Designer: Carol Ramsey

Music By: Christopher Lennertz