'Nuff Said: American Graphic Media

First Look at Adrianne Palicki as Wonder Woman - BLTv on Variety.com The buzz on Wonder Woman has been kinda middling in my mind. While the latest photo show a much better costume than the official costume photo, the real issue for me is that Wonder Woman probably isn't served by David E. Kelley's approach. Don't get me wrong, Kelley is a great writer, but Wonder Woman's problem is that writers struggle with the original premise. The reasons for discomfort are obvious. The creator of Wonder Woman, William Moulton Marston, a psychologist and inventor of the polygraph believed in the educational potential of the comic medium. Yet, the ideas he wanted to impart to young impressionable minds were far from standard. Marston had an unconventional home life, living in a polygamy/polyamory relationship with his wife Elizabeth Holloway Marston and Olive Byrne. Marston intended Wonder Woman to represent the kind of liberate woman he admire, one that would guide society by c...

Everyday at MegaCon started with the adventure of parking. To be honest, I thought the parking and shuttle service worked fine coming in (I tried to arrive early everyday), going out there was always a line and I walked back. Still, taking the bus in was cool because it helped to create a sense of community. Granted, I don't think very many people on the bus would be willing to articulate it that way, but that is what happen. You wanna feel loved? Dress up at MegaCon and people will love you. If you do a good job they will scream, they will ask to take your picture, they will celebrate your accomplishment and they won't care who you are or where you came from. It starts the second you get out of the car. Despite this truth, MegaCon is not divorce from larger issues of identity. Indeed, academics have written about the sublimation and distortion associated with costuming in fandom. A quick search will lead you to that literature. Indeed, identity always plays in the back...

The final day of MegaCon was intense and I think everyone was happy, despite having a great time, to be wrapping things up. For me, the chance to sitting on the Comics and Digital Media panel was educational. The comic book industry is facing challenging as the publishing industry as a whole is transformed by digital access. Already struggling in a marketplace with diverse options, comic creators working for big publishers like Marvel and DC Comics are under pressure. Yet, listen to Darwyn Cooke, Terry Moore, and Jim Valentino discuss the problems facing the comic industry, you can also see there is an opportunity. The next generation of creators will be all digital and tell stories with comics that we cannot imagine right now. Terry Moore desire (and excitement) about social media was interesting to see. There are few names in comics that are more associated with independent creator and Moore's desire to interact with people and stay engage was impressive. Ironically, althou...

At the MegaCon Ninja Olympics, the key to success is dedication to....silliness.

They never knew about the next season on B5, it was always a struggle.

Mira Furlan speaks highly of the B5 experience. They were a tight knit cast.

The characters Stan Lee thinks he should have created....Wolverine and Deadpool!!

Stan Lee says he always hated teenage sidekicks, so when he was thinking about creating Spider-Man he wanted to make a teenage character that was real. A character like teenagers actual were, one with money problems, one that wasn't too handsome, one that struggled with regular guy problems.

Stan Lee says he doesn't understand Steve Ditko. He doesn't have a lot of contact with him.

Stan Lee says he wants to see the Black Panther and Doctor Strange made into films.

Stan Lee says he isn't planning to write scripts for the new BOOM Studio books he working on right now.

The question to Stan Lee is Mets or Yankees? The answer is Yankees !

Stan Lee says he doesn't know the creators working today. He is so busy, he does not get the chance to read comics.

According to Stan Lee, the most important thing is to create characters people care about. If you do that, the audience will react when you put them into dangers.

Stan Lee can push product... new projects at BOOM Studio, a new superhero comic for Archie, and a new reality show on the History Channel.

Stan Lee has created the Mighty Seven for Archie Comics, the company's first superhero comic.

"I always have new ideas." Stan Lee

Waiting for Stan Lee. This must the third or fourth event for him at this year's event. For a man pushing 90 he is getting around.

"The best thing they can do is pull together and get a new distribution system." Terry Moore

"They (publishers) can't move forward because they are tied to the retailers." Darwyn Cooke

The direct market is going to disappear. The comic shop needs to find a new place in the digital world.

Finding the audience is the key for the new future of comics in digital media.

Advertising as we know it is rooted in the old model. The question facing comic creators is how we can create a new system that connects the artist directly to the audience.

The collective insight coming from the Comics and Digital Media Panel is that solving the riddle of getting creative content to the audience the central challenge for the future.

The possibility exists that the new digital production process will make the old and established printed product a high end item.

One important point coming from the panel--what is needed right now is a format that can run across multiple platforms. The programming platform that creates a unified experience for the reader will be a game changer for digital comic publishing.

Great line--> The only people who don't know comics are the people working at Marvel and DC. Darwyn Cooke

Considering the issues being discussed at the panel, I think Terry Moore is in a unique position, but he also represents a growing reality in the comic industry. Independent creators, like Moore, not related to established superhero comics are growing. Webcomics, graphic novels, and genre cross comic products abound. If those creators can gain a following, they have the opportunity to be successful. Moore's career demonstrates this process.

Terry Moore observes that college kids realize the value of creative work is tied to a physical presence. This is an important point. Moore is suggesting that an acknowledge quality creative work will be values, but the question is how does the creator monetize the creative work in order to create more and make a living.

The motion comic format offered up by Marvel isn't the future for digital comics. The digital future in comic publication will be about a new format/ form.

Digital media offers the chance for animation, director's cut from artists, links to back issues within the digital platform. The next generation of creators will make all digital comics and we don't know what this will look like.

Recently, the best selling comic book sold 71,000 copies, that is pathetic-->Jim Valentino

Terry Moore says he is doing so many conventions so he can connect to the audience. He believe if you are a creator who isn't doing this, you going to be left behind and out of date.

Great line--> Roll out Spider-Man for 10 cents and let the kids go crazy. Darwyn Cooke

At the Future of Comic and New Media-- Darwyn Cooke, Terry Moore, and Jim Valentino discussing the future of comics and the impact of digital technology. Their take is that the digital revolution can give comic a new life. Things are bad if the industry does not take advantage of the digital option.

Darwyn Cooke, Terry Moore, and Jim Valentino

I’m attending MegaCon as part of my ongoing engagement with urban popular culture. The category “urban popular culture” is broad enough to be useless for an analytical perspective, but that ambiguity serves to allow the enterprising academic like myself cover to explore the transformation of U.S. culture in the contemporary context. To be sure, cultural studies grounded in the latest theoretical lens dissect events like MegaCon on a daily basis. Those analysis, framed as they are for academic audience provide depth to our understanding of how media manipulate desire and creates the distortions that problematic the relationship in our society. As I have mentioned before, my interest in comics, specifically superhero comics, is grounded in my assertion that superheroes represent one demonstrative effect associated with urbanization in the United States. Having created the superhero genre, the superhero comic has evolved to represent the U.S. experience. More broadly, the modern c...

It is getting late in the day and some of the princesses at MegaCon look beatdown.

Best line, Khoi Pham has a law degree and worked as a lawyer. For his law school application to the University of Pennsylvania he was asked, " Who is the lawyer you most admire?" His answer __ Matt Murdock

An artist insight from the Marvel Panel-- it has gotten easier to break into the business as an artist. You have new venues that can display your work. Start a blog and draw a page a day to show your ability and productivity. At the same time, the old-fashioned way of taking your portfolio around and showing it to editors still works. It takes time, but it does work.

No writers at Marvel panel, just artist. Mike McKone, Mike Perkins, Clay Mann, Khoi Pham and Paolo Rivera.

Whoa, I think I hear a little Captain Kirk and a lot of snark.

Great insights from Mark Waid on the future of Daredevil and digital media's impact on modern comics industry.

I must admit, seeing Shatner at a convention causes me to expect him to start dressing down a fan for being overly obsessive.

The faithful gathered to hear and see William Shatner at MegaCon 2011.

An update on Static comic coming from DC. A special is coming out in recognition of Dwayne McDuffie'Dwayne McDuffie'ss passing. The plan is for a new series later.

This was one interesting point from the DC panel. DC's decision to bring the letter page back was driven, in part, by the fact that DC editors and creators believe a letter page gives a book "character." Moreover, unlike the online environment, the letter writer is known and this creates a more civil discourse.

The 2.99 price point is almost like a moral stance for DC according to Dan Didio. He insist they will hold the line through the end of this year. One reason is that they believe the 2.99 price point keeps their product affordable for their customers. To me, especially in this atmosphere, this assertions is loaded with subtext, especially in Orlando. Marvel, which is part of Disney, is building an entangling product structure that promise to capture young boys, like they capture young girls.

Geoff Johns is writing Aquaman after Flashpoint.

I'm impressed, it seems to be about celebrating comics for Dan Didio. He seems really engaged with the audience at this panel.

You will find out who the White Lantern is next week!!

Dan Didio is good at working the crowd. Talking about everything DC and loving it.

Gaming is big at MegaCon, something for everyone looking to fulfill their geek thirst.

Still, a guy just ask me who he is......

At MegaCon the entire pop culture landscape is right here......

Russell T Davies is a Buffy fan, hence Marsters appearance on Torchwood.....

He seems really engaged.

James Marsters on Smallville, "They get Superman on that show."

Great line -- "Black Hand is the Kevin Bacon of comics" Geoff Johns

Geoff Johns' favorite Green Lantern moment is Issue 188.... A Jon Stewart story!!!

The Rack Pack Comics Podcast continues its excellence panel sponsorship. I'm excited about the Green Lantern panel!!!

Green Lantern: Past, Present, Future Panel

MegaCon Day 2 is here and the costumes, crowd, and the traffic is bigger. Still the shuttle continues to run like clockwork. Everyone seems happy and excited.

MegaCon on Saturday. The crowds are here!

Orlando’s MegaCon is one of a host of pop culture gatherings that put the convergence of pop culture elements on display. While we all assume that conventions are about comics, the reality is much different. Comics represent the most visible aspect of MegaCon, but far the majority of its content. I haven’t been to MegaCon in many year and since my last visit, comics have exploded in popular culture dominating movie screens and coming to represent the convergence of a pop culture narrative fed by corporate media conglomerates. Comics, anime, art, toys, gaming, television, and movies are all on display at MegaCon. I ended up at this year MegaCon almost by accident. Well, not an accident, a technical problem. Like a lot of comic fans, I am conditioned to want to go San Diego ComicCon (SDCC). I, like a ton of people, did not get ticket for San Diego due to problems with the website. Now, there are a ton of conventions and not getting a ticket to SDCC made me stop and re-eval...

Merging the superhero world with the crime world, this is allows for human element to be front and center in the crime book.

Most of the great crime story are built on the misfortune of others...for the audience they are drawn to the extreme.

Jimmy Palmiotti talks about growing up and the link to his crime work.

Darwyn Cooke points out crime never went away, but as the audience grows older, crime comics have more appeal.

If you want follow up on the sponsor for the panel.

www.rackpackcomics.com

Next up, the Crime Noir Panel hosted by The Rack Pack Comic Podcast . Jimmy Palmiotti, Frank Tieri, Darwyn Cook and Dave Johnson are the speakers. MegaCon has matured as the comic industry has grown in importance in popular culture. Orlando's native convention should be attracting this kind of top talents and now it seem to be doing it.

MegaCon 2011 has begun to roll big time. Spoke with Herbert Jefferson found out a lot about kilts, and the people are in to it.

The original Boomer hanging at MegaCon 2011.

Check it out, Utilikilt ....for every occasion

Geoff Johns with the expected line.....

We assume MegaCon is about anime, comics and the like, but here Happily Ever Art

It begins when you walk in the door.........

This year I am on the ground at MegaCon with the intention of trying to understand the event from a broad cultural perspective. MegaCon 2011 requires me to up my technical game. It is time for mobile blogging!!

The CON!!!

Orlando MegaCon begins today and I am making a commitment to try to document the event without hauling around my laptop. It all about the iPhone and mobile uploads.

With a new Venom comic debuting today, and Spider-Man featured in the new FF: Future Foundation comic, I'm taking a moment to reflect on Spider-Man's live action effort on Broadway. The recent critical thrashing of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is more than the story of a troubled Broadway show. As any number of Broadway professionals can tell you, many shows have been marked by soaring budgets, deep-pocketed backers, and mercurial creative minds coming to a sad end. Indeed, other rock musicals, Jesus Christ Superstar and Hair prime examples, faced similar problems. Yet, few have received the rancorous focus associated with this comic book-inspired show. Even before the critical onslaught, the cultural fixation on Spider-Man: TOD was severe. Spider-Man: TOD is a natural target for unfavorable scrutiny in part because it is about Spider-Man. This to me is the core issue. Spider-Man: TOD has generated so much press because unlike other dubious productions, Spider-Ma...

A Marvel Black History Lesson Pt. 2 | Marvel Heroes | Comic News | News | Marvel.com I'm a fan of Marvel comics. This fact is never in doubt. Indeed, I suspect my sneaky attempt to make my childhood hobby into a plank of my professional life is ticking somebody off. Still, my love of the material does not keep me from asking questions about it. Marvel's decision to run a story detailing the history of black characters for Black History Month is no surprise. I myself have bowed to the pressure over at VOICES , the blog Africa and African-American Studies Program at Rollins. Still, in this(I assume) second and finally installment I have been struck by a particular approach to thinking about African-American characters. You know that my own research into comic book characters uses them as means to explore the American experience. Minority depictions are one point of interest. Therefore, I was very interested in this "official" history of black characters. I...