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"Big Mike Vs. The Con" Mark Christopher Lawrence Hosts Comedy Nights at San Diego Comic Con

2011-07-20T12:20:10-07:00

#SDCC Peeps if your your looking for a good laugh at Con. Maybe need an actual DATE type moment then check out this show were working on with BIG MIKE. I'll be blogging a little this week as our fearless leader and team members are making sure that the GEEK World as we know it stands tall.

Peace,

David Kamatoy

Lamb's Players Theatre Presents "Big Mike vs The Con
NBC Co-Star of Chuck Hosts Comedy Extravaganzas

San Diego, CA - Lamb's Players Theatre, in conjunction with Prayer Dudz, presents Mark Christopher Lawrence of NBC's hit series Chuck in a two-night comedy extravaganza, "Big Mike vs The Con" at the Horton Grand Theater on July 21 and 22. Mark is joined on Thursday night for a family-oriented "clean comedy" show with comics Jimmy Burns, Lester Barrie, and Scott Wood and guest musician K.C. Murdock. Friday night's show is an edgier, more adult-oriented evening with Chuck co-star Scott Krinsky and comics Chris Clobber and Vicki Barbolak and musical guest Josh Damigo. The two nights are a counterpoint to the wildly successful Comic-Con which runs Thursday through Sunday.

Thursday, July 21
Mark Christopher Lawrence is joined onstage by Jimmy Burns, known as "The Teacher Comedian," "Mister Punchline" Scott Wood, and Gospel comedian Lester Barrie. Jimmy Burns has toured with George Lopez, Arsenio Hall, Brad Garrett, and the late Richard Jeni. Jimmy has also co-hosted "Live from Here with James P. Connolly" on the National Lampoon Comedy Radio Network. Scott Wood has performed at such venues as The Ice House, The Comedy Store, and The Laugh Factory, and was named Stand Up Comedy Champion at the Improv Comedy Club in 2010. Lester Barrie has been the opening act for Ray Charles and been a co-headliner with Mike Epps, Jonnie Witherspoon, and Bruce Bruce. Musical guest K.C. Murdock opens the night with his mix of classic and alternative rock and blues.

Friday, July 22
Mark and his co-star from Chuck, Scott Krinsky, are joined by talented comics Chris Clobber and Vicki Barbolack for a night of edgy and adult-oriented humor. Besides his role as Jeff Barnes on Chuck, Scott Krinsky regularly performs at the Comedy Store and Improv in Los Angeles. Chris Clobber is the co-producer of BrewHaHa comedy and has written for major Las Vegas and Hollywood performers. Named Nikelodeon's "America's Funniest Mom" and "California's Funniest Female," Vicki Barbolak has worked with the likes of Pauley Shore, Rhonda Shear, and Roseanne Barr during her years on stage.. Friday's musical guest Josh Damigo was the 2010 winner in the San Diego Music Awards "Best Acoustic" category and the 2009 "Best Local Recording Artist."

We extend a special invitation for the media to attend and review the "Big Mike vs The Con" show on Thursday, July 21, or on Friday, July 22, for a fun filled night celebrating Comic Con in San Diego. For tickets call 619-437-6000. To learn more about Big Mike vs The Con comedy show visit Lamb's Players Theatre at http://www.lambsplayers.org. For media inquiries or to schedule and interview with Mark Christopher Lawrence, call David Kamatoy/Kamatoy Media Group at 619-940-5648.

Milestone Creator Dwayne McDuffie passes away

2011-02-23T19:07:32-08:00

GRT is sad to report the death of Milestone creator Dwayne McDuffie. The well respected comic writer, animation producer and industry veteran was one of the creators of Milestone Media, who through DC Comics, McDuffie co-founded Milestone Media along with creators Denys Cowan, Michael Davis and Derek T. Dingle. The company's mission statement involved expanding the role of minorities in comics both on the page and off, and they launched a line of superheroes that included "Static," "Icon" and Xombi" – all of which McDuffie had a hand in creating.

A native of Detroit, McDuffie officially joined the comics industry as part of Marvel Comics editorial in the late '80s. While working on special projects for the publisher, he quickly made his name as a writer creating series such as "Damage Control" and helping to redefine the Deathlok character to fan and critical acclaim. He soon left the staff to become a full time freelance writer, becoming a voice in the industry for diversity, particularly fighting against stereotypical portrayals of people of color on the comic book page.

Over the years, the writer contributed to scores of notable comic book launches and series, always with a keen eye on character, regardless of race. In 2000, his character, Static, made the leap totelevision in the Saturday morning cartoon "Static Shock." In 2003, an episode of the show dealing with gun violence earned the writer the Humanitas Prize.

In recent years, McDuffie pursued dual tracks in animation and comics writing. He served as story editor for the popular "Justice League Unlimited" animated series and wrote a number of DC's recent direct-to-DVD animated films. McDuffie had notable runs on comic series "Fantastic Four" and "Justice League of America," often incorporating Black characters into the core of the fabled franchises.

McDuffie's latest work was the script for the "All Star Superman" animated adaptation, which went on Tuesday in stores across America. GRT offers it's sympathies to Mr. McDuffie's family and friends in their time of tragedy. Check out the CBR article for more info,here.

2011-01-29T16:48:04-08:00

Never forget........

*special thanks to Mark Yturralde

Comic-Con 2011 Attendee Registration will open at 9am PT on Saturday, February 5

2011-01-27T15:13:07-08:00

Comic-Con International will open up registration Feb. 5 after having to close down the sales operation twice because of computer glitches.

Comic-Con spokesman David Glanzer said he can offer no more details about the online sale other than that registration will start at 9 a.m. Pacific Time. The convention will have more information on its website closer to Feb. 5 on how to purchase single-day and four-day badges.

In December, Comic-Con launched a test sale limited to 1,000 passes to determine whether it would be able to accommodate the tens of thousands of people who normally want to buy passes without overloading computer servers.

Deluged with a huge volume of aspiring purchasers, Comic-Con’s online system was able to process the sale of the 1,000 passes within 15 minutes, Glanzer said at the time.

Comic-Con tried twice in November to sell single-day and four-day passes to its pop culture extravaganza, but each time, the sale had to be halted after servers were overloaded, and purchasers were greeted with error messages.

Comic-Con has chosen to partner with TicketLeap for the initial ticketing aspect of registration. TicketLeap is powered by Amazon web services, which provides TicketLeap with access to Amazon’s servers and network so they can bring the flexibility required to create a system that matches the needs of the event. Additionally, when researching ticket sellers to partner with, the ticket fee pricing structure became an important issue. TicketLeap is again at the top of the list because they are able to keep costs reasonable for the buyer; they offer a flat $2.00 service charge per ticket.

It is this combination of the ability to adapt to the size of the event while keeping fees reasonable that make TicketLeap a good match for the initial portion of the registration process.

Registration for Comic-Con is more than just managing ticket sales. With over 126,000 attendees and several different departments, ticket levels and types, the requirements for a show of it's size are daunting. Each year EPIC has been able to meet the daunting challenge for the attendees and staff.

Glanzer said, We believe that continuing our partnership with Epic Registration Services will again result in good customer service and a registration process that will continue to work on site as it has in the past. The size of our show makes it a very unique event, and EPIC has proven that they have the equipment, personnel and the experience to meet the needs of Comic-Con and our attendees.

Wonder Woman TV show 'not moving forward'

2011-01-18T12:50:44-08:00

by James Hibberd

EW.com/Inside TV

Jan 7 2011

Wonder Woman wasn’t able to lasso a new home.

Sources tell EW that all the major broadcasters have passed on the much-buzzed about project. Late Friday, NBC was the final network that declined to bring back the superhero.

Warner Bros. TV was actively shopping a script from David E. Kelley that updated the period tale about an Amazon princess who battled Nazis and other bad guys during World War II. One source close to the project said the Wonder Woman team won’t give up on the project, even though it’s “not moving forward at this time.”

One factor may have been the projected cost of rebooting the series, with the studio requiring a rich license fee to bring the iconic character back to life (in other words, nobody wanted it to be another Bionic Woman). The cost means that it’s unlikely a cable network could step up and foot the bill.

The character was last seen on the small screen in the 1970s series that starred Lynda Carter. Kelley’s take incorporated the superhero’s signature lasso, cuffs, and plane in the script, and insiders said it was a serious, non-campy take on the DC Comics character. For years, various writers and producers (including Joss Whedon) have tried to bring back Wonder Woman, but the character has proved difficult to resurrect.

Thank You Martin Luther King Jr..........1929-1968

2011-01-17T18:45:58-08:00

All I'm saying is simply this, that all life is interrelated, that somehow we're caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason, I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. You can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.

— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

King Came Preaching: The Pulpit Power of Dr. Martin Luther King JR., by Mervyn A. Warren & Gardner C. Taylor, InterVarsity Press, 2008, ISBN 083083253X, pg 174

GANTZ...One Night Only Event

2011-01-07T15:27:32-08:00

01/20/2011

NEW PEOPLE and NCM Fathom are bringing the world premiere of GANTZ to movie theaters nationwide for a one night live event on Thursday, January 20th at 8:00 pm ET/ 7:00 pm CT/ 6:00 pm MT/ 8:30 pm PT (tape delayed).This live-action feature, based upon the popular Japanese manga and anime series, is the ultimate survival game. It will be English over-dubbed exclusively for this big screen event.

Following the feature, the two stars, Kazunari Ninomiya and Kenichi Matsuyama will participate in an exclusive live interview that can only be seen at this event

Gantz (ガンツ, Gantsu^?) is a Japanese manga and anime series written and illustrated by Hiroya Oku. Gantz tells the story of Kei Kurono and his friend Masaru Kato who die in a train accident and become part of a semi-posthumous "game" in which they and several other recently deceased people are forced to hunt down and kill aliens armed with a handful of futuristic items of equipment and weaponry.

The Gantz anime, directed by Ichiro Itano and animated by Gonzo, ran for 13 episodes and had a direct sequel called Gantz: Second Stage, which continued the series for another 13 episodes. Both seasons make up the 26 episode series. It was licensed in North America by ADV Films. The anime series is distributed in the United Kingdom by MVM Films, and in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment. Dark Horse Comics started releasing the manga in English in June 2008. A series of two live-action movies based on the manga are also currently in production and will be released in 2011.

cover of 1st Gantz video

GRT's Own Ned Cato Jr, Named Eisner Judge for 2011

2010-12-04T12:35:19-08:00

GeekRoundtable's own Ned Cato Jr, has been bestowed with a great honor, being named as an Eisner judge for 2011. The Will Eisner Comic Industry Award, commonly shortened to the Eisner Award, is a prize given for creative achievement in American comic books. It is named in honor of the pioneering writer and artist Will Eisner, who was a regular participant in the award ceremony until his death in 2005.

Each category is nominated by a five-member panel, voted on by comic-book professionals, and presented at Comic-Con International held in San Diego, California. Jackie Estrada has been the award administrator since 1990.

The judges will meet in San Diego in late March to select the nominees that will be placed on the Eisner Awards ballot. The nominees will then be voted on by professionals in the comic book industry, and the results will be announced in a gala awards ceremony on Friday, July 22 at Comic-Con.

The other Judges are:

Karen Green

Columbia University's Graphic Novels Librarian. Karen began her library's comics and graphic novels collection in 2005. She works extensively with Columbia faculty in a wide range of disciplines to facilitate the use of comics in their courses and has curated a related exhibition, "Comics in the Curriculum." She has also spoken at several campuses around the country, as well as to librarian groups, as an advocate for comics in an academic milieu. Karen writes the "Comic Adventures in Academia" column for ComiXology.com, which examines issues in comics librarianship, and has written about comics cataloging for Publishers Weekly. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art.

Andrew Helfer, who spent over 20 years wearing a variety of editorial hats for DC Comics, editing such titles as Justice League and Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight and writing such titles as The Shadow. He later founded the DC imprint Paradox Press, producing a series of 17 graphic nonfiction "Big Books" on topics as diverse as Urban Legends, Conspiracy Theories, and Scandals. His Paradox Mystery and Fiction imprints introduced readers to both A History of Violence and Road to Perdition, two graphic novels later adapted into successful films. His interest in manga led to encouraging DC to publish the wordless adventures of a tiny dinosaur named Gon. After leaving DC, Andrew continued producing nonfiction comics, writing and editing a series of biographies that included Malcolm X and Ronald Reagan, among others. Currently, he is working on a new fiction comics project while raising (with his beautiful wife Jaimie) their brand new (and equally beautiful) daughter Emilia.

Rich Johnson, who has been in just about all aspects of bookselling, from store manager to buyer to publisher. As the first vice president of book trade sales for DC Comics, he took the forefront in establishing graphic novels in the bookstore and library markets. Under his watch, DC Comics achieved its first New York Times Bestseller with Neil Gaiman's Sandman: Endless Nights. Most recently, Johnson served as co-founder and co-publishing director for Yen Press, a graphic novel and manga imprint for Hachette Book Group. He also co-founded Yen Plus a monthly manga anthology magazine. He currently writes a column for the comic book industry website The Beat. He is also founder of Brick Road Media, LLC, a publishing consulting and packaging firm. He is the author of the graphic memoir My Father's Eyes.

Chris Powell, the General Manager & CRO of Lone Star Comics/mycomicshop.com. He has been with Lone Star since 1990, holding positions ranging from sales to executive management. Chris was a founding board member of ComicsPRO, the Direct Market comic retailers' organization, serves on the board of moderators for the Game Pro Symposium and the Advisory Board for the Game Store Resource Forum, and is a past president and current board member of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

The Eisner Awards are presented under the auspices of Comic-Con International: San Diego, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of and appreciation for comics and related popular artforms. primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contributions of comics to art and culture.

Eisner Awards administrator Jackie Estrada can be reached at Jackie@comic-con.org.

Wonder Woman to Hit TV Before the Big Screen

2010-10-05T21:17:41-07:00

By Brad Trechak

There have been repeated attempts over the past few years to bring the Amazon Princess to the big screen -- including a notable attempt by geek icon Joss Whedon -- though for now it looks like folks have instead turned their attention toward getting 'Wonder Woman' on television again. For those too young to remember, Diana Prince's alter ego had her own show in the '70s starring Lynda Carter.

The most surprising piece of information relating to this news is that David E. Kelley, creator of such television shows as 'Ally McBeal' and 'The Practice', has been assigned to revamp the heroine for television.

It seems a shame that the number three icon at DC Comics is sent back to television while the top two (Superman and Batman) have made successful movie franchises and arguably number four (Green Lantern) is on his way to movie stardom. Back in May, Warner Bros. did say that they're still developing Wonder Woman for the big screen, though as of now there's no word on how far along they are. DC plans to reveal their plans for the big screen by the end of the year.

While there is no doubt that some talent is behind this new concept for Wonder Woman, one can only hope that they don't alter her for television audiences to the point of unrecognizability (like J. Michael Straczynski has just done in the comics). In a world where the big superheroes are finding themselves in movie theaters nowadays, can someone like Wonder Woman survive on the small screen? Is there still a place for live-action superheroes on TV?

Neil Gaiman's Sandman' Coming to TV?

2010-10-04T22:54:36-07:00

By Brad Trechak

Neil Gaiman's epic DC Comics series The Sandman could be getting the television treatment. Supernatural creator Erick Kripke is being tapped by Warner Brothers Television (who has purchased the rights to the property from sister company DC Entertainment) to run this new show. Comics uber-star Neil Gaiman has not been contacted as of yet to be involved with this project.

There have been a few attempts to move The Sandman to another medium, most notably a movie involving Roger Avary. Much like Watchmen, The Sandman would likely lose something in translation which would incur the wrath of the fans. Eric Kripke would likely be taking a huge weight on his shoulders trying to get the concept right should he accept this project.

Please have this show on one of the pay networks like HBO. Don't put it on the CW. If it was on the CW, Dream and Death would end up becoming human teenagers that try to fit into high school or something stupid like that. Keep to the source material. Thank you.