Long before an Arizona company took over and ultimately failed to deliver with a vaporware MMO and lackluster third-person shooter, Stargate SG-1: The Alliance held a lot of promise, as you can see from the firsthand beta preview from Past to Present Online.

Head on over to GateWorld for more information and some gameplay videos of this first-person shooter.

And get the digest version of Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment’s failed Stargate Worlds online roleplaying game and Stargate Resistance third-person shooter here.

Detailed new look at unfinished Stargate video game — no, the other one is a post from: Nerdvana. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Paranorman characters at 2012 Phoenix Comicon

This Saturday saw thousands of enthusiastic pop culture disciples descend on the Phoenix Convention Center with costumes, cameras, cash and a craving for cool collectibles. Insanely large crowds filled the halls at Saturday’s Phoenix Comicon, but the re-imagined lay out of the exhibit floor, with much wider aisles, made for a far less claustrophobic atmosphere than last year’s weekend show.

A slew of spectacular events happened on Saturday, including an appearance by Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Brain Eating Contests, Geek Speed Dating and the Geek Prom. You would have to be faster than Speed Cameron (see Amazing Arizona Comics) to cover more than a handful of the almost 300 programming presentations that went down on Saturday, but here is a recap of some of the incredible events I was able to cover (and a couple that I unfortunately missed).

Erin Gray

Ms. Gray has become a popular regular on the convention circuit and she wowed the large crowd at her panel with stories about her career, how she got into acting and how that led to the celebrity representation agency she now runs (Heroes for Hire). She also talked about her experiences playing one of TV’s first strong female lead roles, Colonel Deering , in the Buck Rogers series.

Erin related a funny and touching story about her two-year old son’s introduction to Hollywood movie-making when she brought him to the Buck Rogers’ Draconian spaceship set. They arrived just as an action scene was being shot that involved Buck (Gil Gerard) running from an explosion, carrying his robot sidekick ‘Twiki’ in his arms. The set exploded and faux rubble covered the hero as he fell to the ground. Erin then noticed her son who was crying, “Mommy, Buck Rogers is dead!”

The hero got up and tossed the boy a big fake boulder and made him laugh, as the crowd in this panel did as well. The group’s excited reaction to Ms. Gray’s appearance proves that Buck Rogers is indeed alive and will remain so for many years to come.
SEE Buck himself (Gil Gerard ) this Sunday at 10:30 a.m. in room 121.

Spider-Man (Timothy Davis)

The panel artists were very gracious nonetheless and had some great answers to silly questions, like “Who would win in a rock, scissors and paper battle between Spider-Man and Deadpool?” Artist Mark Brooks immediately snapped this hilarious answer, “Deadpool would bludgeon [Spidey] in the head with the rock, stab him with the scissors, then cover him with the paper!”

I asked the group why modern comic book covers are so generic and lack any details regarding the story contained within, unlike old-school covers that had word-balloons and art that hinted at the book’s storyline. The consensus was that it often just comes down to a lack of time, in that artists are often commissioned for the cover art long before the comic’s story is even written. Another consideration is the “5-foot rule,” that the artists must adhere to, meaning that the book’s cover must be easily recognized and read from 5-feet away and that it must stand out in order to compete with a wall of other comics. These are all understandable issues, but I still want my word-balloons and to be able to tell what the story is about, just by looking at the cover. [Let’s hear your thoughts on this?]

I also queried the panel about artist/writer relationships in regards to character creation and ownership, using the Stan Lee/Jack Kirby creative controversy as an example. Mr. Brooks summed up his stance by saying that neither creator has ownership rights in this case, because the character(s) belong to the company in the end, so it’s really not a problem that any of these artists have encountered.

This was a very fun and informative panel and Mr. Olazaba promises some very cool things in the works for Peter Parker/Spider-Man for the web-spinner’s 50^th anniversary coming up this summer.

Brose Brothers Productions

The Victorian-era artisans covered where to find genre-themed weapons and weapon accessories, what type of paints & putties to use on your creation; how to avoid the “steampunk tax” when merchants realize why you want their goods (i.e. clock parts, etc.) for steampunk purposes; and some dos & don’ts of weapon manufacturing, including why you don’t want to use real steam, unless you are a qualified engineer. Hint – it’s very dangerous!

Steampunk Fashion Show – I missed this one (regrettably) but the word on the exhibit floor said it was amazing and included steampunk versions of the Wizard of Oz characters as well as many other marvels of fashion-model mechanization. I’ll be firing up the time-machine (or hitching a ride on the TARDIS that I keep seeing moving about the main convention floor) to go back and check this show out.

Dr. Midnite & Nurse Nocturna

Don’t Adjust the Set also featured the sultry Becky B, creator of Camp Cinema, a monthly event that gives cult favorites a chance to shine on the big screen once again. Becky will be hosting The Exorcist at the FilmBar on Friday, June 8; and Child’s Play on Friday, June 22, 2012. The goal of both movie hosts is to bring back the fun movie-viewing experience in the tradition of Vampira and Elvira.

Sunday at the Con – Monday is a holiday, so stay and play ALL day at the last day of the 2012 Phoenix Comicon. Programming for the day includes meeting movie stars like Ed Asner, Gil Gerard, Jon Bernthal and Alexis Cruz, Science-Fiction & Fantasy Poetry, How to build your own Dalek, the Phoenix Comicon Film Awards and “Being Nerd in the Workplace.” There will also be a plethora of pimped-out costumes, amazing artists and spectacular shopping opportunities. Don’t miss the last day of the con!

Steampunk Wicked Witch (Julie Pelletier) & Steampunk Dorothy Gale (Sam Encarnacion) w/ "Toto"

Read ALL the Nerdvana 2012 Phoenix Comicon coverage HERE!

Phoenix Comicon: Saturday’s synopsis is a post from: Nerdvana. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Batman & Dalek at Phoenix Comicon

Friday was another fantastic day of fun at the 2012 Phoenix Comicon. Astounding outfits were observed, rampaging robots ran amok, wars of wit & wisdom were waged, incredible art was examined in every aisle and a new “King of the Geeks” was crowned.

There were over 225 events programmed at Friday’s con, with affairs ranging from apocalypse preparations, to film and gaming events, to Yo-Yo demonstrations. Here are some of the highlights of the day’s activities.

MAR D CAOS

Comic Book Trivia – Comicon Activities & Events coordinator Bob Bretall and his son Stephen hosted this panel where they quizzed the crowd with questions like; which superheroes were part of the original Champions super-team; what do the letters in SHAZAM’s name stand for; and what is the proper pronunciation of Mr. Mxyzptlk? Graphic Novel prizes were awarded to the winners and there are two more sessions of the trivia questions to come on Saturday & Sunday respectively. If you think you have an encyclopedic knowledge of everything comic books, be sure to give this panel a try.

Local Authors - If you like to read local authors, be sure to go by booth #342 and pick up a copy of the Comicon debut of Erin Lausten’s new novel, Cibola’s Promise, a western steampunk adventure about a race for treasure and a cry for vengeance. Erin also has copies of her other book, Unexpected, a novel about a snarky time-traveler. Also, be sure to hit up booth #359 for Brick Cave Media’s plethora of printed prizes, including Sharon Skinner’s new novel, The Healer’s Legacy.

Star Wars Fashion Show – Original Star Wars inspired costumes were on display while models strutted their stuff to the soundtrack of Episode IV. Participants included younglings, droids, Jedis, a Republic Officer, a Han Solo look-a-like, Jabba the Hut (Who knew he had fashion sense?), Boba Fett , a zombie Mandalorian and a leathery-looking bull-horned Mandalorian who won the competition.

Authur Suydam

Zombie Jeopardy – Contestants played regular-style Jeopardy, but with zombicentric categories like Zombie 101, Max Brooks, weapons and George A. Romero. The event was hosted by the Department of Zombie Defense (DOZD) and the team even worked themselves into some of the answers. Like Zombie 101 for 500, “If you were a zombie, you would fear this the most.” Question – What is DOZD?

Arthur Suydam – World famous fantasy artist and the creator of the iconic Marvel Zombies comic book covers, Authur Suydam, has a huge booth (# 849) set up at this year’s Phoenix Comicon. He has dozens of different prints and posters from his iconic comic covers, as well as many non-comic themed prints that you probably haven’t seen before. Suydam is a personal favorite and I picked up an extremely cool Norman Rockwell style zombie print that turns a trip to the local soda shop into a nightmare.

Celebrity Nerd Poets – Just before the Friday evening Nerd Poetry Slam, local poetry celebrities Vocab Malone, Kevin “Chesko” Briancesco, Laura Lacanette and The Klute (complete with Cthulhu face-mask) talked about the beginnings of the Nerd Slam and how the movement has grown throughout the country. They also shared stories about acceptance, or lack thereof, of their nerd-leaning poetry and offered advice for participants in the 2012 Phoenix Comicon Nerd Poetry Slam.

Nerd Poet - The Klute

PUGS Finale - The end of the evening left a tough choice for deciding whether to take in the Zombie Walk, check-out the Steampunk Ball, watch the Nerd Poetry Slam, or attend the Phoenix Ultimate Geek Showdown (PUGS) finale. But, as PUGS was so much fun the night before, I had to see who would win the competition.

The Phoenix Ultimate Geek Showdown pits two geeks debating against each other over tantalizing topics like, who has the best chest, Khan or Clooney Batman? Friday brought together the finalists from the previous night’s competition with the following results.

Who was the better wizard, Gandalf or Dumbledore?
Winner: Gandalf (Robert) – “His staff is way better than a little wand and he has a better posse.”

Which is the better atomic-powered dinosaur, Grimlock or Godzilla?
Winner: Godzilla (Brad) – “Grimlock only comes up to Godzilla’s knees.”

Who is the sexier superhero, Thor or Captain America?
Winner: Captain America (Richard) – “We all know that people who carry hammers are compensating…”

Who is tougher, Ripley or Sarah Connor?
Winner: Ripley (Art) – “Ripley annihilated a whole hive of aliens; Sarah Connor only had to deal with ‘Arnie.’”

Who is the better sidekick, Chewbacca or Spock?
Winner: Chewbacca (Richard) – “Chewie stands by your decisions and helps you out, no matter what.”

Which is he better time-machine, TARDIS or the Delorean?
Winner: Delorean (Art) – “As the driver of the Delorean time-machine, you have control over where & when you go.”

Bob Leeper | Nerdvana

Events coming up at the Phoenix Comicon this Saturday include the Steampunk Fashion Show, the debut of Dr. Midnite & Nurse Nocturna, William Shatner and movie stars galore, art auctions, brain-eating contests and the Geek Prom. Read ALL the Nerdvana 2012 Phoenix Comicon coverage HERE!

Dr. Midnite & Nurse Nocturna

SATURDAY, don’t miss Dr. Midnite & Nurse Nocturna (Jeremiah Wilkerson & Andrea Beesley) at the “Don’t Adjust the Set: Nextgen of Horror Hosts” event, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. (Room 131BC).

Phoenix Comicon: Friday recap is a post from: Nerdvana. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

May the Force be with you. Always.

Star Wars turns 35: ‘A story of a boy, a girl, and a universe’ is a post from: Nerdvana. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Via EVT’s Mandy Zajac

Phoenix Comicon headlines EVT’s Get Out Weekend is a post from: Nerdvana. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Mesa to open high-tech business accelerator this year eastvalleytribune.com/money/article_… via @evtrib

— Nerdvana (@nerdvana) May 25, 2012

Mesa to open high-tech business accelerator this year is a post from: Nerdvana. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

A Lost Dutchman adventure game eastvalleytribune.com/local/apache_j… via @evtrib

— Nerdvana (@nerdvana) May 25, 2012

A Lost Dutchman adventure game is a post from: Nerdvana. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

G4: Viper sim, lightcycle races and more at Maker Faire is a post from: Nerdvana. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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Az Ghostbusters (L-R) Patrick, Duncan and Alex

The 2012 Phoenix Comicon kicked-off Thursday evening with amazing artists, creative costumes, a plethora of pop culture commodities, pleasurable panels and zombie zaniness. Many con vendors felt that the Thursday attendance was much larger than expected; and that could be a harbinger of humongous crowds over the upcoming holiday weekend.

Many attendees were busy buying costume accessories for the weekend events like the Geek Prom and the Steampunk Ball, while others were grabbing hard-to-get con exclusives before they are all gone. Everything appeared to be going off without a hitch, which is a testament to the organizers’ ten years of experience with the event that first happened in 2002.

Con veterans will attest that there is so much to see and do at a pop culture event like the Phoenix Comicon that you have to budget your time wisely and selectively pick and choose the things you want to see. While others are content just to wander aimlessly and take it in as it comes. Here are a few of the highlights I experienced in my meanderings on opening night.

The Department of Zombie Defense (DOZD) – This is a great group of guys that are having a blast, blasting zombies and keeping us all safe from a potential uprising. I had a lot of fun talking to this team at booth #1063 and you can read the DOZD interview HERE.

Benjamin and Franky

Among the great art available, I saw a very cool Simpsons as The Avengers art print at the BIGCHRIS’ table #827 and he also has some incredible raffle opportunities going on. There were a couple remote control robots running around the floor, making for some great photo ops, and there were plenty of costumed characters taking pictures with friends and fans. I ran into a couple of adorable tykes, Benjamin and Franky, that were decked out in their Spidey and Woody (Toy Story) gear and hamming it up for the cameras.

Sketch-off – I attended the first of four Sketch-off events where a group of artists create sketches of crazy ideas thrown out by the audience. The artist and assignments in round one were: Al Sparrow, drawing Goku versus Batman, Jeff Pina, sketching Darth Vader versus Voldemort , Whilce Portacio, drawing Edward Scissorhands giving Wolverine a haircut, Ryan Kincaid, sketching Ghost Rider versus Spawn and my favorite of the event, Stuart Sayger, drawing Flash Gordon versus the Flash.

There will be two more rounds of the Sketch-offs on Friday and one on Saturday before all the art will be auctioned off with the proceeds going to charity.

PUGS Contestants

Thursday’s PUGS covered the following topics:

Which would you rather have, Harry Potter’s wand or the power if the Force?
Winner: The Force (Zarah) – “With the force you can do anything you want!”

Which kills children more efficiently, Battle Royale or Hunger Games?
Winner: Battle Royale (Audrey) – “In Battle Royale, you are guaranteed to die!”

Which is the better spaceship, the Millennium Falcon or Serenity?
Winner: Serenity (Robert) – “Serenity has the better crew.”

Who was the most brilliant mind of the 1980’s, Doc Brown or Dr. Egon Spengler?
Winner – Doc Brown (Ben) – “Found the best use ever for a Delorean!”

Who has the better sword, He-Man or Lion-O?
Winner: He-Man (Art) – “Sword is bigger, firmer and more unique.”

Who is the tougher dwarf, Gimli or Lannister?
Winner: Lannister (Brad) – “Doesn’t have to hide behind a beard.”

Who will die first in a horror movie, the jock or the bimbo?
Winner: Bimbo (Richard) – “Everyone wants to see her the least.”

Who has the better chest, Khan or the George Clooney Batman?
Winner: Khan (Miguel) – “The greatest nipples ever captured on film.”

The eight PUGS winners will be back for the final competition on Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. This event is hilarious and highly recommended.

Other events to look for on Friday are the Bleeding Cool Fan Awards (Phoenix Comicon’s own awards event), the Star Wars Fashion Show, Geek Speed-Dating, two more Sketch-off events, the Steampunk Ball, the Zombie Beauty Pageant and the Zombie Walk.

Read ALL the Nerdvana 2012 Phoenix Comicon coverage HERE!

Cactus Brick (L-R) Kamaki, Londa and Steve

Phoenix Comicon: Thursday – Opening night overview is a post from: Nerdvana. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.