I'm a big fan of Denver Comic Con for a laundry list of reasons, but there are two that really stand out at the top of my mind. The first one is the fact that DCC fully supports literacy by way of Pop Culture Classroom and the other reason is that this is the only convention that I have ever been to, that actually manages to recreate the magic of our favorite pop culture moments. 

That last reason is a big deal to me, because it's one thing to meet your favorite stars and shake their hand, but we do such a thing because they brought a special joy to our lives and to feel that moment come to life once again, regardless of how brief it may be is what makes the difference between a convention, and an experience.  

Denver Comic Con fully understands this fact, which is why they not only bring in top notch guests, but put together incredible panels and events that give our memories that wonderful jolt and today's announcement from them is another fine example of that since they will be hosting a reunion of the casts of The Karate Kid and The Outsiders. That's right, Ralph Macchio who played Danny in the first three Karate Kid movies and Johnny Cade in Outsiders, will be joined on stage by the villains of the first Karate Kid film, Johnny (William Zabka) and Kreese (Martin Kove) and his co star from The Outsiders, C. Thomas Howell (Ponyboy).

So, let me just go ahead and say that this is an absolutely fantastic announcement. This is a cast reunion from two incredibly iconic films from the 1980's and man, I'm already planning in the back of my mind my schedule for the weekend so I can make sure to attend the panel. I mean, who didn't love both of these movies if you grew up in the 80's? They were filled with vibrant characters and tons of fun and you rooted for Danny and Ponyboy and you wanted nothing more than to watch Kreese and his Cobra Kai lackeys lose at the tournament. 

Seeing these guys on stage will be exactly what I mentioned before, that trip down memory lane that unlocks the wonder of that first time experience when you saw these movies and to sweeten the pot, the entire cast will be present all weekend long to meet their fans and sign autographs and well, there's a good chance you'll find me in line to snag a few signed photographs for my collection. So I can't emphasize it enough, with DCC bringing in epic guests like this, tickets are going to go fast, so get yours from the DCC Website as soon as you can and I'll see all of you at Denver Comic Con 2016 and at the Karate Kid/Outsiders reunion.

When I think of Denver Comic Con, a giant smile crosses my face because of all of the incredible moments and memories this con has brought into my life. I've seen top tier celebrities inspire and excite children about literature just by standing on the stage and reading a book and I was even able to attend a beautiful geeky wedding presided over by George Lucas.  

The list honestly goes on and on, but there is only one memory when it comes to DCC that I can label as bittersweet. It was at the end of DCC 2012, right before the doors closed when the PA system came alive with the voice of Stan Lee as he announced to the crowd that he would be joining all of us at Denver Comic Con 2013. To say I was excited would be an understatement.

I mean, there are legends and then there are LEGENDS when it comes to the comic book world and Stan is clearly the latter of the two because his work in the industry...essentially created it. We've all read his work, we've all shared in the incredible stories and characters he has created over the years and so many artists and writers have had their careers influenced by his contributions. With that in mind...the bittersweetness of the whole matter, was the fact that Stan had to cancel his appearance at DCC 2013 due to other obligations.

But good things come to those who wait and the bittersweetness is now wiped away and the wonder and joy of that moment in 2012 has come around full circle since Denver Comic Con announced today that Stan Lee will be in attendance for DCC 2016 and quite frankly I'm still in shock over this particular announcement. This is someone that I have always wanted to meet in person and to have the opportunity to do that now...well the anticipation alone is bringing out the kid in me. To sweeten the pot, Stan will be singing autographs all weekend long and he will even have a panel in Main Events on Saturday, June 18th, an event that I expect will be nothing short of spectacular.

I have no doubt that Stan will be one incredible draw to the convention, so by all means, if you haven't picked up your passes yet, do so now at DCC's website, because tickets are going to go a little faster now and I look forward to seeing Stan and all of you at Denver Comic Con in June.

I can only imagine how difficult it is for any actor out there when they are given the role of an iconic character from any franchise. After all, it's now their job to not only bring this person to life as only an actor can, but at the same time pay homage to the character and keep all of the core traits he or she may exhibit in the source material.

Over the years I've seen some actors give it their best and fail in this venture, but often times they get it right. But there are only a handful of actors that make the character better than the original, and there is one such actor out there whose talent and dedication to his craft has helped him accomplish just that...Steven Yeun from The Walking Dead.

Now I say that, because everyone who watches the show, loves his portrayal of Glenn Rhee and with good reason. Not only did Steven bring Glenn out of the pages and onto our television screens, but he made the character his own and in the process made him a series icon. This is a character so beloved and so well done that every single fan of the show was not only heartbroken at the possibility of his death, but tortured by the wait to find out his final fate. If that's not mission accomplished for an actor, I don't know what is. 

But Steven's talent extends beyond being a moral compass and epic zombie killer on the show. His résumé also includes some film work, since he played Kenny in the well received science fiction film I Origins and he's even done a little vocal work on the beloved series The Legend of Korra, since he voiced the character of Wan. He's truly an up and coming star in the industry and the reason I'm taking the time to highlight his career today is because fans of his work will get the chance to meet him this April at Walker Stalker Con in Denver.

Yes that's right. Steven has been added to an already epic lineup of Walking Dead stars coming to the Mile High City this April 2nd and 3rd and this is quite frankly one awesome announcement and I'm fairly certain Steven's line is going to be incredibly busy throughout the course of that weekend and I thank Walker Stalker Con for snagging him away from his busy schedule to meet his legions of fans for a couple of days. So if you're as excited as I am to meet Steven and shake his hand, get your tickets today from the Walker Stalker Con website and we'll see you there come April.

As a longtime horror fan, I guess I have a confession to make, I was never much of a fan of the slasher film craze of the 1980's, despite its powerhouse popularity. After all these films were everywhere back in that era and while I may have watched quite a few of these movies when they came out, for the most part my imagination simply wasn't heavily stimulated...save for one particular franchise. 
 
Yes, despite my ho hum response to a majority of the genre, I managed to stumble upon something special at my video store when I discovered a motion picture series that gave me a completely different take on the genre, taking us places no other film bothered to go and its centerpiece was a stunning villain, one without remorse or humanity and because I'd never seen anything like that before, I was instantly hooked on Freddy Krueger and the Nightmare on Elm Street series.  

To this day, Krueger still gives me chills since he is through and through a terrifying monster. He is a creature driven by revenge and fury and all that matters to him is his bloodlust and that's something you just so rarely see in cinema anymore, a character who is nothing more than a raw force of nature. But the magic of Freddy Krueger and all that comes with him would mean nothing without an actor that could truly bring every evil element of him to life and we all owe thanks to Robert Englund for doing such a fine job with this modern day boogeyman.

It was Robert's detailed and powerful performance that made this monster the icon he is today and even though there's been a reboot of the work, it's Robert's iteration of Freddy we instantly think of and well, his work on these films essentially has made Mister Englund a true legend of the silver screen and for those of us who have always wanted to meet this man and shake his hand for a job well done, that opportunity has come at last because as it turns out...Robert is coming to Walker Stalker Con Denver. 

That's right, he will be appearing both Saturday and Sunday at this event and I couldn't be more excited. Growing up, I put my hands on as much Freddy merchandise as possible, he was character that I celebrated and reviled all at once and I can't wait to walk up and meet the man that brought Freddy to life after all these years and my thanks go out to Walker Stalker Con for giving the legions of Freddy fans this opportunity and if meeting Robert Englund is on your horror bucket list, head over to the Walker Stalker Con website as soon as possible and snag your tickets and I'll see you at the con come April.

Over the past few years, the state of Colorado has been absolutely blessed when it comes to conventions. I mean think about it, it doesn't matter what genre you love or fandom you belong to, there's a home for it here in this state, and what makes our world of conventions so absolutely magical is that every single con out here is run by people who are extremely passionate about the fandom they are uniting under one roof.

That passion makes the weekend that much more wonderful because in addition to all the amazing people you meet who love the same things as you, it actually feels like home. I've always enjoyed the level of comfort we enjoy out here, which is why I was super excited to hear about the fact that Walker Stalker Con is coming to the Mile High City on April 2nd and 3rd.

Now for those of you unfamiliar with this particular convention, Walker Stalker is a celebration of the world of zombies, horror and science fiction and was founded by James and Eric, who visited the iconic town of Senoia, GA where these two gentlemen were able to meet the cast of The Walking Dead and see the sets of the show as well. The joy that came out of that incredible experience simply needed to be shared by others and Walker Stalker Con was born. 

This is a convention that has traveled around the world, having hosted a con in London and they are truly the only con that I've seen that is able to sneak cast members away from the set of The Walking Dead to meet their legions of fans, and they've put together an impressive roster for us. For example you'll get your chance to meet Michael Rooker, Emily Kinney, or Michael Cudlitz and that's just scratching the surface since there are so many more guests that we will be highlighting in the coming weeks for all of you, and to prove a point about how much this con respects the horror genre and its fans...Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund will be in attendance as well. 

Either way, this con looks like it's going to be one incredible weekend for horror/zombie and sci fi  fans as a whole and I'm already counting down the days for this one to arrive. If you'd like to join us at this awesome event, head over to the Walker Stalker Con website to get your passes today and keep checking back with us as we highlight the impressive roster of horror and zombie legends that this convention has put together for all of us to meet come April.