I've always found it absolutely magical when a new television show arrives and quickly becomes a phenomenon. It's just wonderful to be able to sit down and discuss with anyone and everyone how cool said new show is and what they love about it because that's really what being a geek is all about, celebrating the stories we love and enjoy. Plus, hey, big time success is awesome for the stars because now they're in the limelight and living their dreams and really...it's a win-win for everyone when you think about it.

But for the modern geek, merely celebrating what we love isn't enough. We need to interact with the stars, we need to know more about them and what makes them tick, which brings us to the wonder of Denver Comic Con. Because they understand our need to immerse ourselves in these universes and once again, DCC has delivered on all fronts because this morning, they announced another big time star will be in attendance at the end of June, and this star is a new one to the spotlight for that matter...Millie Bobby Brown.

Now this young star boasts quite the impressive resume already. She's portrayed young Alice on Once Upon a Time in Wonderland on ABC and worked with BBC America by way of her role as Madison O'Donnell in Intruders and she's even landed a gig in the upcoming 2019 monster epic, Godzilla: King of the Monsters. But the role that has truly put her on the map is one that everyone enjoyed over the fall, since she wowed all of us as the Eggo loving Eleven in Netflix's Stranger Things.  

What makes her appearance at Denver Comic Con this year equally more impressive however, is the fact that she will be joined at the con by Gaten Matarazzo, who plays Dustin on the show and Caleb McLaughlin, who plays Lucas, more or less making this particular announcement a Stranger Things reunion. Granted, there's nothing official when it comes to such a thing, but how cool is it to know that all three of these young stars will be at DCC, a convention that is clearly working hard to land as many big names as possible so the fans can get exactly what they need when it comes to their fandoms.  

Which means I must stress this point once again, get your tickets today. Not tomorrow. Not a month from now. Hop on over to the Denver Comic Con ticket page and snag them right away because it's April, and DCC is still pouring out announcements and one can only wonder what other guests might be headed to Denver come June, and I'll see all of you, with a box of Eggos in hand, in Millie's line when the big weekend arrives. Until next time. 

I often get my recommendations for new shows and movies to watch by way of my close circle of friends. After all, they're my buds and our tastes are usually quite similar so when they let me know there's something I need to see, I do my best to watch it as soon as possible and recently my close friend Scotty let me know that I absolutely needed to see Santa Clarita Diet on Netflix for several reasons, one of them being Nathan Fillion's guest spot on the show. 

I followed his recommendation, and had a hearty laugh at Nathan's role, but what stuck with me most, was the fact that his name came up as one of the key reasons to watch this show and while his role was brief, it was still incredibly impactful and I guess that shouldn't come as that big of a surprise because Nathan is well...an instantaneous draw. Everyone knows his name, and everyone knows that if he is going to pop up in a particular role that it's going to be a good time and the fun that comes with Nathan is one reason why he has such a massive following. 

But perhaps the biggest reason that he's a fan favorite is because Nathan seems to approach every single role with a sense of honesty and realism and that earnest style of acting makes him instantly relatable and it's also made him one of the hottest and most in demand actors around. He's done tons of voice work roles, popped up in pop culture shows everywhere and he is also well known for his roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Castle but he is best known for inspiring legions of Browncoats thanks to his portrayal as Captain Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds in Firefly. 

Truly, one could call Nathan a modern day pop culture legend and the man that can motivate legions of fans to watch a new show just on a cameo alone...is coming to Denver Comic Con 2017. That's not a joke ladies and gentlemen, Nathan was announced yesterday afternoon and he will be at the Colorado Convention Center Saturday and Sunday to greet what will no doubt be legions of fans and well, I'll just say it now...holy cow, Denver Comic Con landed one heck of a guest in Nathan.  

I mean come on, Nathan is about as big of a draw as it gets when it comes to the geek world and to have him at DCC, that's something special. Which means that I cannot stress this enough. Get your tickets now. Don't wait, don't debate, just go get them now because with guests like this being announced left and right, I won't be shocked if tickets once again sell out for this great convention. So head to the DCC ticketing site, get yours today and I will see you in what will no doubt Nathan's incredible autograph line come the end of June. 

With the advent of social media and the 24 hour news cycle, it has to be incredibly hard for actors to truly blend into their roles when they take a new part simply because...we have come to know these people. 

We see every interview they do on television or online. We follow their Instagram and Twitter accounts, giving us insight as to who they are and what they believe in and whether we like it or not, we carry that knowledge into the theater or when we watch whatever story they're starring in, which means the person they are, shines through for us regardless, even in moments when technically, that part of them should not exist for the sake of storytelling.

Which is why the finest actors out there, are the ones who can still manage to shed their real world persona when we watch their performance and they outright become the character they were cast to be. It's a rarity in this day and age but it is a feat that can still be accomplished and one such actor that continues to pull this off, is the ultra talented Stanley Tucci. Regardless of what kind of warm and inviting interview he gives or how he carries himself when he's not cast in a major motion picture, Stanley is that rare type of actor that can easily transform himself in a role and simply become that character.

We've seen it time and time again. He went from playing an uppity fashion designer in The Devil Wears Prada to a loving husband/even keeled diplomat in Julie and Julia and recently he has begun to branch out into the biggest of pop culture franchises with his work in the The Hunger Games saga, an appearance in Captain America: The First Avenger and he'll be featured in Transformers: The Last Knight later this year. But truly, the role that that sticks out for me when it comes to Stanley and his ability to transform is the one that netted him an Oscar Nomination for his turn as the creepy George Harvey in The Lovely Bones. In that particular film Stanley simply morphed into that despicable man and it wasn't until his nomination was announced that I came to realize it was Mister Tucci who played that titular role. 

If anything, Stanley is quickly becoming a modern acting legend and the true cream of the crop in his field and ladies and gentlemen, it pleases me to no end to inform you that Stanley Tucci is coming to Denver Comic Con 2017. Yes, you read that right. This powerhouse thespian and pure chameleon of the screen, will join an already incredible lineup in the Mile High City at the end of June and for your chance to meet this talented thespian, swing by the Denver Comic Con ticket website today and grab your passes now, and I will see you in Stanley's line in a couple of months.

There was a time, not that long ago in fact, where being a geek or a nerd was completely and utterly frowned upon. Sure the stuff we currently love and enjoy was still around, but being able to discuss your love of Doctor Who, Star Wars or Star Trek was nowhere near as easy or acceptable as it is in this day and age.

But thankfully, those dark days where people raised an eyebrow at other folks who happened to be wearing a Starfleet uniform have gone the wayside and while I don't know exactly when or where our attitudes toward pop culture and geekiness as a whole shifted...I do know that throughout the Dark Ages of Nerddom, there was one man working hard to make being a geek a mainstream thing; 'Weird Al' Yankovic. 

Of course, he's a household name now, but back in the 1980's, he was an up and comer, a silly fellow that played the accordion and wore thick glasses and made fun of popular music. But his look, and his act, and quite frankly...his song writing skills caught all of our attention. We had to see what incredible lyrics he cooked up next, what kind of costumes he would put together for his parody videos and decades later, 'Weird Al' is truly a pop culture icon, the writer of a cult classic film in UHF and an artist that is considered to be essential listening for any fan of music.

But while that description more or less examines one incredibly successful career, one that has outlasted most of the acts he has parodied, 'Weird Al' did something spectacular for several generations of nerds...he taught us to be ourselves. Al always made a point to let his nerd flag fly, and not give a darn as to who thought he was being too goofy or too silly and it inspired all of us to do the same, to embrace who we are, to be proud of the things we love and share that with everyone, and in many ways...I attribute some of the current popularity of pop culture and nerdiness as a whole to 'Weird Al' Yankovic because he flat out made it cool and well ladies and gentlemen, it makes me extremely proud to know that he will be coming to Denver Comic Con 2017. 

Yes, you read that right, the man, the myth, the legend himself will join an already stellar lineup of guests in the Mile High City, and let me tell you, this is a man whose line I will be more than happy to brave to shake his hand and thank him for all the incredible things he's done and for those wondering what his schedule will look like that weekend, good news; he will be in attendance for the entire weekend and he will be participating in some panel programming as well and we'll have the details on that for you as we get closer in the con. Either way, Denver Comic Con continues to up their game every single year when it comes to their guest lineup, and this announcement is no exception to that rule and if you'd like to meet 'Weird Al' Yankovic, get your tickets at the DCC Website today and I'll see you in Al's line come the end of June...

Behind-the-Scenes at Skywalker Ranch 
Sunday, June 19, 2016 1:30pm-2:20pm
Matthew Wood, David Acord

You may not immediately recognize the names David Acord and Matthew Wood, but if you check the credits for the Star Wars prequels, the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, the Star Wars Rebels animated series, as well and the credits for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, you'll realize that you've heard their sounds and their voices...a lot. They have worked at Skywalker Ranch doing sound design and voice acting on almost all of the "modern" Star Wars media. They graciously spent most of the panel answering questions from the audience, and while I'm sure most of the questions posed during the panel they've heard many times before and since, there were a few surprises.

The first audience member wanted to know about the sound in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones when Obi Wan was pursuing Jango Fett and Jango was releasing seismic charges. A murmur from the crowd let me know that this was a favorite sound of many of the audience members. Instead of going into an in-depth discussion of advanced audio synthesis and editing, Wood told a funny story about it. Some time after that sound had been submitted for the final mix and they had moved onto other projects, Wood got a panicked phone call from an editor saying that the sound at the beginning of the explosion was missing. Wood had to reassure them that the silence at the start of the explosion preceding the "BRAAAAAM" was intentional and that there was nothing missing.

The next audience member wanted to know, "why are the prequels so bad?" This caused an awkward hush to fall over the crowd. Matthew Wood diplomatically took this one. He started by pointing out that good and bad are relative, and that he personally loves the prequels. He has fond memories of all of the time and hard work that he and his crew put in on them, and in his eyes they are great. He then went on to point out that, especially today with the anonymity that the internet/social media provide, it's easy to just hate something. It is easy to just dismiss something as bad, as opposed to taking the time to think about why something is good. Also, even if a majority of people can find at least one reason or another to love something, the voice of hate is usually the loudest, but that doesn't mean that it is right. His answer was met with a round of thunderous applause.

To lighten the mood, they talked about some of their voice-over work. When there is a voice actor needed for a small part, the opportunity will be open to those who already work for Lucasfilm/Disney. When the part of General Greivous was posted, Wood auditioned under the name "Alan Smithee" (which some of you will know is the name directors will use if they don't want their real name attached to a project). At first  he almost didn't get the job because no one knew who "A.S." was (they used initials to keep the auditions confidential), but luckily he heard about it and remembered that he had auditioned under the pseudonym. One of David Acord's most famous voice-over jobs was for the baton-wielding Stormtrooper FN-2199 (who was known as "TR-8R" before the character's real name was released). When Finn is first using the lightsaber, we hear the stormtrooper yell a single word before throwing his blaster and shield, in exchange for his baton. They laughed about how people kept coming up to their booth to have David yell his famous line. Matthew suggested that he do it once for the entire room so that he might save his voice by not having to do it for each of us individually later. David laughed and obliged us by taking a deep breath and shouting,"Traitor!" Again, the room erupted in applause. 

Another audience member asked them what the process was like whenever they work on a new film. First there is a spotting session where a group will watch the film together. This group will include people such as the director, editor, sound engineer, composer, etc. They then have a meeting to discuss where the dialogue is most important, where special effects will be used, where music should go, etc. The sound effects team will experiment with creating different sounds and send them to the director. The director will tell them which ones might work and which ones won't, and then they go back and try again, and repeat that process. Eventually the editors will add the sounds where they belong and then start to mix and blend them all together into a cohesive whole, keeping in mind which one of those is telling the story at any given moment: the dialogue, the effects, the music, or some combination of them. An interesting fact that might not occur to many people is that the costumes can have an effect on the audio. If there is a mask or a lot of facial prosthetics (or even if the clothes make a lot of noise), that can interfere with recording the dialogue. This means that the dialogue will have to be rerecorded in post-production in the studio.

This can sometimes effect the performance, because the actor might be more preoccupied with matching their words to the movement of their mouth onscreen, and therefore not be as focused on delivering their most engrossing performance, and being in a sound booth by yourself, as opposed to being present with the other actors, all in costume and in character can also effect said performance. Another important part of postproduction is the foley stage, where they add many of the "organic" sound effects. It's a few people in a room full of random junk, watching the film and adding all of the little natural sounds that you probably don't notice, but would miss if they weren't there. If someone is walking on a wooden floor, they take shoes and tap them on wood, if someone is walking in the woods, they will crumble leaves, etc. This is done mostly because the microphones that record dialogue are meant to only record dialogue and hopefully no ambient sounds. The ambient sounds can't just be recorded at the time of shooting, because once the footage is edited, all of the background ambience would sound all chopped up. This is why they record it later, in the studio, when're they can have total control.

One audience member asked if there was anything controversial about any of the audio in The Force Awakens. They said that Admiral Akbar's voice was a point of discussion. Tim Rose originally did the voice of Admiral Akbar in Return of the Jedi, and they had him reprise the role for The Force Awakens. Since over 30 years had passed in between films, Tim's voice had obviously changed, so the Akbar in The Force Awakens sounds much different than the one in Return of the Jedi. They were concerned that the audience might think that it was actually a different actor because he sounded different, and they considered altering his voice to make it sound more like the original. In the end, they decided that the character had also aged 30 years, so it was okay and natural that he wouldn't sound exactly the same, so they left Tim's recording unaltered.

Let’s be real here, Rocky Mountain Con is one of my favorite cons of the year, mostly because it is a time to visit with my fellow con goers, along with many of my favorite artists that I did not get to visit with during the rest of the season. It is hard to watch the con season to come to a close with Rocky Mountain Con here in Colorado, mostly because it means that I will not run into most of these people until the following spring or summer when all of the cons are in full swing, yet, it is fun to stop and talk with everyone and get the ‘see ya later’s’ done for the season and allow everyone a much deserved down time for a couple months. And it is far from being depressing, as I have found another round of great take home artwork that I cannot wait to get framed and put up on the walls. So without further ado, here are some more great prized pieces that are now part of my collection.

​Skylar Patridge – I cannot lie here, I could not wait to talk with Skylar again, especially after getting my Batman commission in the mail. I have been following her work and when Inktober came around, I got to see a little bit more into where her passion lies and it was more than fantastic. Even though I needed a special Joker to go along with my favorite artist collection, I was surprised to see that she had a couple of her Inktober pieces in print status, so I needed to make sure to pick up the 'Wraith' piece that has captured my attention on more than one occasion.

​Joe Oliver – I am never surprised to see Joe at a con, actually I am more excited to see him at one as he is a joy to chat with and our love for horror movies always makes the conversations fun. Joe is infamous for carrying around his ‘box of art’, which is full of originals that are looking for a good home. I love digging through this box because you never know what you are going to find since there are always things being added to it and I was happy to find yet another Joker piece just waiting for me.  

Steven Pulawa – One of the nicest people you will ever know, Steven is always willing to give you a story about his artwork, or even the life you choose. I make sure to keep an eye on Steven’s work since everything that he draws has his own special flair added to it and when I saw a Hellboy piece get posted that was a joint work with Joe Oliver, I could not pass it up. Digging through his book of originals, I was lucky enough to find it, and like most art that catches my eye, I have to own it. With Steven’s hard work to tighten it up and bring the piece back from a forgotten folder, I hope to see him do this again, because this turned into a piece of work for the ages.

Alex Miller – I always tell my friends to keep an eye on the local talent and when asked for someone that is very versatile, I like to throw Alex’s name in the hat.  Being able to cross between any genre, she is a great talent that is going to be fun to watch for years to come. Prior to RMC, I had yet to pick up any of her artwork, but this was the con to change all that and with one new Hellboy in my collection, I was shocked to see that she had just finished another one for me to take home shortly before I got there. It was a match made in heaven and it is going to look great on my wall. (Come to find out that this was her first Hellboy, and it really came out great!)

​Frankie Serna – I am always happy to see Frankie at a con, one of the main reasons is, he is always smiling and say what you will, but it is contagious as hell. I always love stopping by his booth because he spans different genres along with styles and he had a newer piece that caught my eye. I don’t have a Joker from Frankie yet, but that has been partially taken care of since now I am a proud owner of a Batman/Harley/Joker piece that shows the best of all of their worlds.  I must admit that this piece caught my eye, not only because of the Joker being a part of it, but there is something in the eyes of Harley that makes me feel like she is staring into my soul and while that freaked me out a little at first, it was really the reason for getting it.

​Phil Spaulding – Being on my list of artists I had to talk to this year, Phil topped the list, mostly because I was keeping an eye on his Inktober progress and was blown away by his horror characters. Yet, not all of the drawings were of the characters that haunted our dreams from the movies, one was a master of suspense that all horror fans should love. The Alfred Hitchcock piece took me back to watching a couple old movies and the television show where he just came out of the shadows and stood alone on the screen with just the tiniest of smirks on his face, mostly because he knew what you were going to see would freak you out for many nights to follow.  This was captured perfectly in Phil’s sketch and I knew right then and there I had to have it.

​Joe Becker - One of the other artists I like to follow is Joe, mostly because he has found a good way to do what he likes and that is where Captain Deadpool came from. It made me laugh when I saw it and now, it has joined my growing Deadpool collection. But when searching through his box of originals, I found something that caught my eye that I had never seen before. Spider-Man being, for the lack of a better term, violated by Venom.  I don’t know what it is about this piece that really got my attention, but just seeing Spider-Man human and helpless makes me remember that no matter how strong someone is, they are not immune from life itself.  Deep thoughts, I know, but I think it is a deep piece that I will look to when being down to liven my mood.

​Izik Bell – Is it called stumbling across another great artist when you are told to check out his work?  I don’t think so and thanks to Joe Oliver for telling me to do so. Kind of fresh to being in Colorado, Izik moved in a little over a year ago and has blown all of his new fans away. With work this rich in detail, the important things are not missed and you can tell that his characters have a soul. I was drawn to a Batman v Superman piece right away, because you can see the pain and rage in both of them. Then I could not get away from the Ghost Rider and Lobo flying down the boulevard. The speed, the flames and the hair (flames in Ghost Rider’s case) just reminds me that life is too short, so you just need to ride instead of feeling bad for yourself. I cannot wait to see more from Izik in the years to come, since an artist that is not afraid to show emotions is always fun to watch.

​Todd Jones – If you go to a con and don’t talk to Todd Jones, you do not know what you are missing. With a joy for life that everyone should have, Todd is just a joy to chat with, laugh with and sometimes even at. Even though Todd has made his mark as a writer, he is still working on perfecting his next craft in the drawing sector. Not too long ago, the idea came out that Classic Monsters should all be put into Shark form, because sharks have taken the world by storm the past couple of years. While there are several characters in the series already, Todd is willing to pass on some of the alternates and someone will be receiving the one of a kind Bride of Sharkenstein.  Also, I am not somebody that will say no to having a one of a kind commission made just for me so Todd decided to do something that I have not had done for many years, he drew me! I am not ashamed to say this, it looks just like me after using Just For Men on my greys.

​Well that is it for the 2016 season, and you know what, I regret nothing. I am a believer that once you find something that you like, you need to pick it up right away, mostly because when I was a kid and I waited, it was never there again. One of the bright parts about knowing so many great artists is starting to know what they are capable of, then being blown away by their always evolving work. This is one thing that never gets old and I would tell anyone that asks to follow as many artists as you can, mostly because you may find something that could change your world forever, or even just for a minute, it is the emotional response the artwork gives you that makes it so special. Rocky Mountain Con did a fantastic job once again of bringing some of the most talented artists together and I cannot wait to see them all again next year!

I still distinctly remember what it felt like to attend to my first convention. There were of course, butterflies in my stomach because I'd never done anything like this before, but once I stepped through those doors, I was privy to an incredible world where I simply felt at home. Everyone there loved the geeky things I loved and they were friendly and welcoming and that comfortable and at home atmosphere is something that stuck out in my mind, and became the standard for every single con that I've attended since.

Some cons live up to that standard, some cons don't and that's okay. But for me, if a con remotely feels as though I belong there, I'll have an incredible time and last weekend, I had the chance to attend a convention that not only welcomed myself and my friends with open arms, but went a step further by providing us with the most relaxed convention experience that I have, quite frankly, ever experienced. The con in question is Colorado Cosmic Con 2 and how it managed to pull off such a chill environment I will never know, but I welcome it. After all, attending a convention is an energetic experience, one that can create anxiety if you let it, but there was none of that to be found at this convention. 

Perhaps the best way to describe it, is that it was just like hanging out a friend's house and there were plenty of friends to be found for that matter as well. We were able to spend a little time chatting it up with Jason Meets and Stan Yan and that relaxed atmosphere where you could just sit around and chat like it was a normal day extended to every single vendor's table at the con. Everywhere we went, vendors were conversational, happy of course to let you know about some of the great deals available at their booths which is always appreciated since hey, they have to eat and Shae and I got some awesome Pops out of it and Scotty added some more incredible artwork to his collection, but I digress. Because once any discussion about deals were out of the way, it became clear that these same vendors were genuinely excited to be at this convention and asked us at every turn if we had seen all of the cool stuff that this con had to offer. 

Which was a valid point for them to make, because there were some pretty incredible sights to be seen at this convention. To keep it retro and fun, there was a gaming room where classic arcade games on free play were up and running and it was extremely cool to see younger kids who didn't grow up with a local arcade step into that room with wonder and awe upon their faces. A replica of the car from Supernatural was there as well, something Shae was more than happy to spend time admiring and there was even an awesome Star Wars room complete with members of the 501st in full costume and plenty of incredible displays and props from a galaxy, far, far away and all of this was complimented by a lovely main floor/vendor room filled to the brim with plenty of top notch artists alongside the big name guests and the environment in there as well was equally as relaxed.

In the end, it was wonderful to attend a convention and not feel an ounce of pressure to complete everything on my list in record time before the doors closed for the weekend and I loved the fact that everyone there was so laid back and friendly and just up for having a wonderful time. It speaks volumes to how the convention is run and credit is definitely due to John Hernandez, the man behind this entire show, for making it a requirement that everyone working this con and attending this con simply have a good old fashioned fun time and because he's created a con with this kind of environment, I will most certainly be back to check it out in 2017. Until then.

Fall is a bittersweet time to be a geek in the city of Denver. Sure we get all of our favorite shows back on the air, incredible movies are coming up from Disney and Marvel and hey, you can't go wrong with the Doctor Who Christmas Special for that matter either, but the only downside to the leaves changing and the temperature dropping, is that con season is about to come to an end. 

Yes, the window to enjoy those wonderful gatherings where we can all wander through vendor rooms and partake or participate in cosplay is coming to a close but before we truly say goodbye to our favorite season of the year, there's a still a couple of conventions left to attend before the weather forces us into a geeky hibernation and one such convention, located in Colorado Springs, arrives this weekend, the always wonderful...Colorado Cosmic Con. 

Now in its second year, this convention provides all of us with a more down to earth and home away from home feel and with it kicking it off in mere days, I thought it would be high time to follow up on a few of the recent additions to this event that are definitely worth a geek's time. For starters, if you're all about cosplay, there's some awesome names being featured at the con this weekend like Erin Lei, Desert Rose Cosplay and local cosplay phenom Kristi Kai, just to name a few. Plus in addition to that, the ultra popular Club Cosplay is partnering with Cosmic Con to help put on the Imperial Ball on Saturday night, which also just so happens to be hosted by Kristi.  

Outside of cosplay, quite a few local artists were also announced to the guest lineup as well. The phenomenal Jason Meents will be on hand to display his high quality Chibi line of artwork. In addition to Jason, zombie master Stan Yan will be available to zombify you and your loved ones with his outstanding work and while at his booth you should check out his incredible children's book There's a Zombie in the Basement. It's a wonderful read and quite frankly entertains children and people of all ages, and while in artist alley make sure you also check out the fine work from Steven Pulawa, just trust me, you'll be glad you did when you see the stunning pieces on display in his booth.

Either way, with cosplay guests of that caliber and artists such as these added to the lineup, there's a fair chance our weekend is going to be filled with incredible costumes and new additions to our artwork collections to go along with mountains of fun for everyone. For more information on this amazing con, or to find out who else is attending cosplay wise and to get your tickets, make sure you visit Colorado Cosmic Con's website and act fast if by chance you've been holding off on getting a ticket or two. I say that because after Friday, ticket prices are going up online and at the door, so to get the best price possible, act today and use the code COSMIC on the site to save 20%. Outside of that, I know myself and the gang can't wait to swing down the Springs this weekend and we will see all of you at Colorado Cosmic Con 2!

Launching Your Superhero on Screen
Sunday, June 19, 2016 11:45am-12:35pm
Trai Cartwright, Stephanie Train

Trai Cartwright's panel is for all of us who have seen our favorite super heroes/heroines go from the comics to TV or the big screen and thought, "hey, I have an idea for a great character! How do I get them made into a tv show or movie?" The first obstacle she says people encounter is that before they let their character see the light of day, they want it to be perfect. Trai says, it doesn't have to be perfect, "it's gotta be made." If it's an idea for a story, then write it. You can always edit it later, and there's only so far the first couple chapters of a book will get you. If it's an idea for a comic, find someone to draw it, and get issue number 1 finished. You can always write more issues and refine it as you go. If it's an idea for a TV show or movie, get some friends together, film it, and put it on YouTube. You can always do other episodes, sequels, or even a reboot later.

If you haven't fully fleshed out your character yet, think about other successful creators, and what made their characters a hit, and see if (without copying) you can incorporate some of those elements into your creations. The example that Trai gave was Joss Whedon. We are all familiar with at least some of his work, but really take a look at what he has brought to the table and why his fans love him. The most obvious common thread is his use of strong female characters. This could be something that might make your character stand out: a new female superhero amongst the sea of male superheroes. You could take another page from the Whedonverse playbook and you could give your superhero a sidekick or best friend...and then kill them. Because Whedon will kill his characters, even the most beloved ones, you know that no one is safe. This gives stories a sense of gravity that you don't always get with comic book adaptations. Whedon is also a master at writing for an ensemble. Every character has a role, and the heroes could not have saved the day unless every single character plays their part. Maybe instead of a single superhero, you could create a new team with contrasting and complementing superpowers.

Something Trai suggested to keep in mind when forming the idea for your character and their world is the possibility of expanding to the global market. Some companies will have this in the back of their mind and might take this into consideration when deciding what the next "big thing" might be. If you want to tailor your character for this possibility, two things she said to keep in mind are that when something is made for the global market, they might have to be more diverse, but they also might have to be more simplified. Other countries will be more interested in an American film if the cast is more racially diverse, so keep that in mind when creating your team. Also, if the struggles of your characters are too specific to America's current events, other countries won't be able to identify with them. If your story is more broad and relatable on a basic human level, people all over the world will be able to connect with your characters and their journey.

Right now the market is being flooded with sequels, remakes, franchises, etc. mostly because they are safe. They already have a fan base who will go see them, in some cases, regardless of whether or not they are any good. While some of these might actually be done well and even stand on their own, eventually people will tire of the same things over and over again. This can give your character a chance to stand out if it is unique, compelling, relevant, and well-built.

So, what makes a great superhero/ine? First: they need a great costume. This may seem superficial, but it is the first thing people will see and that impression can decide whether or not that character gets a second look. Second: they have to have great powers. No one will care about a hero unless they have a power that the reader/viewer would want for themselves. The powers of flight, super-strength, invulnerability, etc. may seem cliché, but the reason they are popular is because most people would love to have them. Third: your character must be relatable. most people are fans of a character because they either want to be that character, or idolize them in some way. They want to see some part of themselves in that character. One thing that can help with this is to give your character a tortured backstory. Most people who are fans of fiction will relate to having some terrible event from their past which shapes their future. Giving your character a haunted past and the right powers will set them on an engaging journey that people will want to follow. Trai outright says to "break your character to create conflict," which will complicate their relationships. One way to do this is to make your character an orphan. Think of all of the characters we know who are orphans and all of the complexity that comes with it. They have abandonment and trust issues, guilt, an overinflated sense of responsibility, etc. Another example are Marvel's mutants. They can't fit in with non-mutants, especially those whose mutation manifests itself in a physical way. Their options are to either find others like them, or to try to change the world to either be more like them or so that they are accepted. This can be done either through peace or by force. Doctor Who is another damaged character who broke the timeline, and out of guilt is trying to fix it. His story, like many other compelling characters, is one of redemption. Since the broken piece of the character is what generates the drama, your character can never be healed. "Their best selves have to be subverted by their worst selves," Cartwright says.

Trai strongly believes that a character's powers should come from his/her flaws. Whatever powers are bestowed upon them should connect to who the character was before they got their powers. She used Spider-Man as a "bad example" of this. Peter Parker is a nerdy, smart, awkward kid who gets picked on, but has a loving family at home, even though his original parents died when he was a child. What does that have to do with spiders? She says that Peter Parker should have been given powers that were a metaphor for who he was before. If the idea was to give him super strength to contrast how weak he was before, there are ways to do that besides making him a spider. If you wanted to have a hero who is a spider-man, then he/she should be more like a spider before getting powers: having a dark personality, always creeping around in the shadows, etc. Another way she put it is that "their strength is their weakness" or their weakness becomes their strength. She suggests checking out the animated show "Burka Avenger," about "a superheroine who wears a burka as a disguise to conceal her identity while fighting villains. Her alter ego is Jiya, an 'inspirational teacher' at an all-girls’ school. Jiya fights corrupt politicians and vengeful mercenaries who attempt to shut down girls’ schools, using "Takht Kabadi", a martial art that involves throwing books and pens." (Wikipedia) She is a teacher who fights ignorance with knowledge, so her superpower is to use the "tools of learning" to physically fight those who are trying to actively spread ignorance.

Another problem we can run into when trying to bring our character into the world is the medium. She suggests pursuing every form of media possible. Try to find collaborators for a comic book or graphic novel. If that doesn't work, self-publish it as a novel, make an online mag, or a web series. If you have a more cinematic vision for your character, then write the screenplay, and look for local filmmakers who will help you produce a short film of it. If your idea is very effects-heavy, then partner with CGI companies who are looking for material to create demos. A great resource she mentioned is the Denver Media Professionals which could help you to connect with other creative people who may be able to help you bring your creation to life.

Next up to discuss from Denver Comic Con’s panels: The Sounds of Star Wars.

Metaphor and Philosophy in Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Sunday, June 19, 2016 11:00am-11:50am
Ian Martin, Jess Stayton
 
Ian Martin (Passion of the Nerd) began the presentation by showing his short video "Why You Should Watch Buffy The Vampire Slayer," which he made because he was tired of telling all of his friends why they should watch the show. Even though the term “vampire” brings with it many negative associations, mostly because of the terrible versions of them in our current pop culture, Buffy is a show that can be appreciated on many levels. The idea started because the show’s creator, Joss Whedon, wanted to see a show where a pretty girl walked down a dark alley and ran into a monster, but when the monster attacked her, she kicked its ass. The other, “sparkly” vampire story is about a teenage girl being stalked by a vampire and submitting to him. Buffy is about a girl with superpowers who fights evil. Buffy is full of metaphors for issues that all of us deal with throughout our lives, such as morality, isolation, sexuality, and meaning. While the show may not have the greatest production value, the point is more about the storytelling, and if you think of it more as theater, it is easier to suspend your disbelief. Martin does admit that the first season is difficult to watch, but he suggests four episodes (“Welcome to the Hellmouth,” “The Harvest,” “Angel,” and “Prophesy Girl”) that will hit on the most important points. He also has an episode-by-episode guide that could get you through Season 3, Episode 17. If after making your way to the end of Season 2, you still don’t like the show, he will understand (sort of).
 
Ian also took the time to break down the overall themes of the seasons as follows: Season 1 is “committing to adulthood,” Season 2 is “acting with authenticity and integrity,” Season 3 is “accepting the absurdity of the world,” Season 4 is “rejecting conformity,” Season 5 is “avoiding cynicism,” Season 6 is “the pitfalls of adulthood,” and Season 7 is “empowering others.” Since he didn’t have time to cover all of the seasons, he mainly focused on Season 2 and some of Season 3.
 
Under Season 2’s broad umbrella of “acting with authenticity and integrity,” we have the sub-themes of adolescence, sexual awakening, and temptation. These lead to Buffy being pulled away from her role as the Slayer (which represents adulthood), and instead becomes too wrapped up in her relationship with Angel, to the point of being consumed by it. There was a clip from the episode “Bad Eggs” where Angel asks her what she thinks about the future, and she replies, “…when I look into the future, all I see is you.” The climax of this is when, midway through the season, they have sex and Angel loses his soul, becoming the “Big Bad” for the rest of season 2. Ian had never seen a show before where there had been so much time spent with a good character, only to have him made into the bad guy. He also went on to clarify that this turn of events is not evidence that the show is anti sex, but instead that it is pro responsibility.
 
In the episode "School Hard," Buffy is fighting a vampire and asks for a stake. Xander goes into her purse and pulls out a yo-yo, then a tampon, and then finally, a stake. These are not random items; the yo-yo represents childhood, the tampon is adolescence, and the stake, adulthood. The fact that Xander is the one presenting these items is also important, since he sees Buffy in a romantic way, but not a sexual way. In the same episode we are introduced to Spike and he refers to Buffy as a “nice ripe girl,” and says that (phallic) weapons make him feel more manly. He later tells Buffy that he'll “make it quick” and that it “won’t hurt a bit.” Spike is the opposite of Xander, since he is only focusing on Buffy as a sexual object. Spike referencing her blood seems obvious since he is a vampire, but the context in which he is referring to it also ties back to the tampon earlier in the episode.
 
After this lighthearted discussion of the more obvious metaphors in Season 2, Martin discussed the deeper underlying philosophies of the entire show. In the episode "Lie to Me" written by Whedon, Ford, from Buffy’s old high school, makes a deal with Spike to deliver Buffy to him (along with some other “snacks"), if Spike will turn Ford into a vampire, to save him from cancer. As Buffy is trying to talk Ford out of this, they have, according to Ian, the most philosophically relevant conversation of the season. Ford says that he doesn’t have a choice, and Buffy replies, “You have a choice. You don’t have a good choice, but you have a choice. You’re opting for mass murder here, and nothing you say is going to make that okay.” This reveals the role of Existentialism as part of the show’s core. Existentialism states that, “…the universe is indifferent to you. There’s no intrinsic meaning, no finish line, no ultimate goal. An existentialist sees that as both terrible and wonderful at the same time. It’s frightening that the universe lacks intrinsic meaning, but it also suggests that we are free to create meaning through our choices as individuals. Not only that, but we are required to make choices in our lives, because if we don’t, there is no meaning. The power to live a meaningful life rests inside each of us.” Also, more specific to this conversation, “individuals can never escape or have taken from them their freedom to choose, even in overwhelming circumstances. If you assume one choice you have takes undeniable precedent over another then you have made yourself an object in the universe at the mercy of its circumstances.” (Sartre). In the last episode of Season 2 (“Becoming, Part 2”) Angel gets his soul back, but Buffy has to choose between killing him or having the universe dragged into hell. While this is a terrible choice for Buffy to have to make, it is still a choice, and as pointed out by Ian, she always chooses.
 
Another important philosophy that shows up in Season 3 (“accepting the absurdity of the world”) is Absurdism: the belief that there is no intrinsic meaning in life, but it is the human condition to look for meaning in the meaningless. The Philosopher Albert Camus stated that there are three choices when dealing with Absudism: (1) a leap of faith: believing in something without proof, (2) suicide, or (3) embracing the absurdity: accepting that you are an entity who hungers for meaning in a meaningless universe, and continue the hunt for it regardless (embracing the way that things are, we free ourselves from the despair of how they are not). These three options are apparent in the episodes “The Wish,” “Amends,” and “Gingerbread.” (1) In “The Wish” everyone is in an alternate reality, and Giles chooses to risk everything to return the world to the way it was. Even though he has no memory of it, he believes that the other world is better than the alternate world that they find themselves in.  (2) In “Amends” Angel is being tormented by The First, a demon who is taking the form of all the people he has killed. When Buffy goes looking for Angel, he is on a cliff waiting to kill himself as the sun rises. (3) In “Gingerbread” Buffy and Angel have a conversation about how she fights evil, but the bad keeps coming back, and getting stronger, but regardless, they have to keep fighting, even though they will never win. They fight because there are things worth fighting for. Fighting is hard and it’s painful but it’s still what they choose to do every day.
 
Ian ended the panel with a very moving Stanley Kubrick quote from an interview when he was asked, “if you believed life is purposeless, how is it also worth living?” To hear his response, go to the video (starting at 26:36), which is paired with appropriate imagery and music.
 
Next up to discuss from Denver Comic Con’s panels: "From Comics to the Big Screen"