Halloween Man Road to 20 Years Kick-Off Party

Commemorating 19 years and more than 100 issues of his original Texas comic book series, Halloween Man, creator, Drew Edwards, is throwing Halloween Man Comics' "Road to 20 Years" Party at Flamingo Cantina on Saturday, October 19^th.

Proceeds will be donated to nonprofit groups, Girls Rock Austin and Outyouth.

Get your tickets now @ https://halloweenmancomicsparty.eventbrite.com.
 
© The Weirding, 2019

Hammer/Justice League X-Over: Hammer of Justice #3

Hammer of Justice #3

The Dark Horse/DC Comics crossover of Hammer and Justice League continues.

© The Weirding, 2019

Archie: The Married Life 10th Anniversary

Archie: The Married Life 10th Anniversary

© The Weirding, 2019

Metallica - The Four Horsemen (LIVE - NEW)

Metallica - The Four Horsemen

Metallica - The Four Horsemen may have been censored from YouTube by Dave Mustaine.

© The Weirding, 2019

eXtermination 2018

eXtermination 2018

© The Weirding, 2018

Spidergeddon Draws Nigh!

Spidergeddon

© The Weirding, 2018

Reviews 24 Hour Comic (Documentary)

24 Hour Comic

I was lucky enough to receive an advance screener of the new Dark Horse -backed documentary, 24 Hour Comic. I was hesitant to request it because, had it been underwhelming, I would have had some difficult decisions to make... Luckily, I needn't have worried. 24 Hour Comic is excellent -- both as a document, and a film.

Documentarian Milan Erceg explores the annual 24 Hour Comic Challenge, and not only educates and entertains, but dutifully captures the spirit of both the 24 Hour Comic Challenge and the industry and pasttime of comic books as a whole. Comic books' creative heyday was arguably the late 1980s, with the release of highwater marks like Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns. These successes lead to the industry's financial heyday in the 1990s, when Scott McCloud and Steve Bissette founded 24 Hour Comic Day as a simple challenge between friends.

It can be difficult to remain cheery and hopeful working in comics, as there is little money, little fanfare, and few rewards. Ridiculously attractive, well-groomed movie stars do not make comic books, and Comic-Con is now little more than a Hollywood press junket. Many view comics as a dying form, and it's easy to feel overlooked as a creative working in an industry whose best days may well be behind it. Yet we persevere out of love... and probably just wrong-headedness.

Far from the slick, big-budget, Hollywood rock-em-sock-ems lay our insular world of impassioned misfits, locked in the all too often overcast drudgery of underpaid in-fighting. It's a masochistic struggle few can define, but will defend to our dying breath. Milan appears very aware of this -- I don't think a single ray of sunshine appears in the entire film -- but his obvious admiration for the event, the participants, and the wider industry borders on the fanboyism that drives us all. It's that love for the form, stories, and characters that compelled us to work in the medium in the first place, and inspiring that in others is our vindication.

I guess that's what comics creators want more than anything else: Revenge.

Don't expect anything groundbreaking insofar as filmmaking goes, but in the best possible way: Erceg stays clear of his subject, employing techniques best suited for the job. The style lends energy to the static activity of comics creation, conveying the frenetic sensibility of a 24-hour "all-nighter" with a subtle tinge of '90s nostalgia. Playing with the focus, the interstitial shots of doughnuts in various stages of consumption, jump-cuts galore -- we've seen these techniques before, but they perfectly fit the subject without calling undue attention to the filmmaker.

My only gripe is the number of establishing and transitional shots -- time I feel could have better been spent on interviews, entrants' discussion during the marathon, or a look at how creators throughout the world celebrate the event in their homes and local comics shops (though I'm sure that would have required more time and money). One participant completes early but is drawn back into the challenge when another points out that he is actually one page shy, for instance. I would have loved to have seen that exchange! Milan does an excellent job of showing the passage of time, but that is largely lost along the way as you become more concerned with the entrants than the event itself.

Comparisons to the biographical Crumb are inevitable, and merited (due to the personalities involved), but 24 Hour Comic remains tonally consistent with its subject -- not going too deep, while still providing a replete and entertaining document of the challenge which exists apart from the participants. Neither founder participates anymore, though McCloud is interviewed extensively throughout the movie. There are tales you will wish had been followed after the marathon, and creators you will want to know more about, but Erceg remains focused on the 24 Hour Comic Challenge itself, and skillfully captures it.

24 Hour Comic is available for pre-order on iTunes, and hits VOD platforms July 11^th. I highly recommend it to fans, and non-fans alike.

© The Weirding, 2017

Avengers Standoff Checklist

Avengers Standoff Checklist

© The Weirding, 2016

The Avengers Red Carpet Streaming Live!

© C Harris Lynn, 2012

At-Home Con, Post 4

I know I'm running this into the ground, but I'm so excited about it that I just can't stop jabbering about it!

I finalized the details of At-Home Con 2011 last night (tonight as I'm typing this). I now have the entire menu, gaming schedule, and rules list. The rules list is really more along the lines of "Don't let the cat out" than anything else, but it makes for a nice addition to the whole thing. I finished the programs, printed and folded them, and added them to the registration bags.

The registration goodies bags are pretty fair, if I say so myself. The only thing they're short of is a bunch of advertisements. Don't get me wrong, I'll take sponsors! I just don't have any at the moment (well, I had some Yowie! stickers and those went in there). Each bag is slightly different and contains no fewer than six comic books (mostly Marvel, but also an issue of Eclipse's great Kamui), a gaming book from Otherworld Creations, a deck of Over the Edge playing cards, a pack of Jim Lee's W.I.L.D.kaps, and a mystery novel chosen at random. There's also a pen and pencil.

Yes: We have registration bags, programs, and badges. It's the first theme party I've ever thrown, but since we're just going to get drunk and game all weekend, the only thing different is the theme...

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

At-Home Con, Post 3

I told you I'd be talking about At-Home Con until it was done. I'll be talking about it after it's over, as well! But eventually, I'll move-on to talking about other things; it's just the most exciting thing in my world right now and the main thing I'm working on (aside from a handful of interviews with some greats in nerd entertainment).

The first thing I did was finalize the menu, and I even got some of the shopping for it done, though it will be the day of the Con when I do the majority of it. It will be a lot of cooking, but only as much as one might normally do with regular company. I'm making three large meals and stocking-up on snacks. I'll have Ro-Tel dip, but most of the other snack foods will be purchased stuff - mini-candybars, popcorn, and the like.

I have since moved-on to the games themselves. The first is an adventure for Dark Conspiracy that used to be online (in a poor form). I found all of the original notes, which were most cleverly contained in a single notebook (something I should do more often). It's a very good adventure actually, and one I may still publish one of these days. It's on my To-Do List anyway. But this is a session game: four hours is all we need to finish it completely and there is only the most general denouement for the end.

Of course, if we enjoy ourselves that much, we may keep playing well into the night, but I chose Dark Conspiracy as the opener because the adventure is so strong. Also because it is perfect for a nighttime game, and none of the attendees are familiar with it. I'm hoping this makes a good opener and gets everyone in the mood for a weekend full of gaming.

After that, I'm getting back to the AD&D game we were playing online until we couldn't get our scheduling to work-out due to everyone going back to school and all. This is a campaign situation and I mean to continue approaching it as such. I have the beginnings of an adventure already worked-out, but not all of the details I need for it. My plan is to finalize this specific adventure but leave plenty of room for further game advancement.

Although the attendees have suggested we continue playing throughout the night, I don't know how that will go. Switching from a sci-fi/fantasy game with a Post-Apocalyptic setting to a straight fantasy game filled with dungeons and dragons is a bit of a stretch, too. My schedule has it set for Saturday afternoon - first game of the Big Gaming day.

After that, we have a bit of a toss-up, as I can't quite make up my mind as to which I want to play. ChiLL is the forerunner (and I have more great news on that front soon), but this could be the only chance I have to play Cyberpunk for the immediate time-being, so I'm wrestling with the whole thing. I also have an entire basement full of tabletop RPG, wargames, boardgames, and more, so we may just grab something with clear rules and a board and kick back with some movies and drinks. I'm not sure yet.

More to come as things develop, but there is a hell of a lot of cleaning left to be done, despite the dents I made the past week.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

CBLDF Signings

New York, NY -- CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2011 hits shelves on October 12^th. In celebration, retailers around the world are having signings with several of the creators who contributed to the best LIBERTY ANNUAL yet!


CBLDF is delighted to have the support of retailers and creators not only for CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2011, but also for UNITED AGAINST CENSORSHIP, a series of in-store signings that will take place the day the book hits store shelves! So far, we’ve lined up the following great events:

Forbidden Planet NYC
October 12, 6:30 p.m.
840 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
(212) 473-1576
with Thomas Chu, Kevin Sacco, Brandon Montclare, Michael Bramley, J. Gonzo, and more


Laughing Ogre Comics
October 12, time TBD
4258 North High Street, Columbus, OH 43214
(614) 267-6473
with Dara Naraghi


Another Dimension
October 12, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
424 B - 10th Street NW; Calgary, AB T2N 1V9, Canada
(403) 283-7078
with Riley Rossmo

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

At-Home Con, Post 2

I already posted about "At-Home Con 2011," but the closer it gets, the more I have to do and the more it's on my mind, so here is yet another post on how I'm planning this weekend gaming marathon. The idea to run a convention-themed weekend party was none too original, as the planning and preparation for both are so similar and the major theme is gaming (and drinking) all weekend.

I have everything we need right here, including the space, tables, and requisite comics and games. Like I said before, my basement really is setup like an alley on one side, with rows of comics and shelves of games creating an aisle on one side. Beyond that is a picnic table covered in assorted odds and ends that can easily be cleaned-off for a night of gaming, however there are only going to be a handful of people here, so I decided to do everything upstairs. I could also fill the tub with ice and drinks downstairs, while I can't upstairs (due to a leaky faucet), but that's not really a problem.

I'm honestly even considering making badges, if I can find a template for them somewhere (which I'm pretty sure I can). But I have my hands full just cleaning and organizing the place for company - after all, this isn't a commercial space that's kept clean and clear by a regular crew throughout the year. If only...

I am printing-out character sheets for Dark Conspiracy, and they already have their AD&D characters created. They'll just have to transfer them to character sheets I have on-hand here at the house once they arrive if they haven't already done so. We are also going to playtest the Simple And Free Engine, which used to be on the site and was removed simply because I had no time to further develop it and no way to playtest it. That may be all the gaming we'll have time for, depending on the length of the sessions (which I expect to be greater than four hours).

I am also putting together a movie and TV series list, just like a con suite would have. I'll have food and snacks in serving dishes around the living room, as well as on the bar - again, just like your average con suite. I may even put together attendee packages with free comics, programs, and such.

I know this is silly, but like I said before, I really miss the conventions we went to as kids. They were a lot of fun, free from all the fanfare of celebrities and movie premieres and things - just a bunch of hardcore gaming nerds and comics freaks getting together to do what we love doing. Blue mead that would knock you on your ass from the SCA cats; NOT smoking weed in con-members' suites; prowling through Dealers' Alley just to kill some time and window shop; comparing collections with people you only see once a year; reveling in friends' new purchases and showing-off your own... NOT smoking weed, I said.

So we may not need any steenking badges, but we may get some anyway.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

At-Home Con 2011

I love cons. Well, let me back-up here:

I grew-up on conventions; I used to love cons. But I haven't been to a comic book/gaming convention in going on 10 years and that one was a bit of a bust. So I used to love cons; at this point, I'm more in love with the idea of a con than with cons themselves.

However, I desperately wanted to attend at least one convention in 2011. I know the season is just gearing-up, but conventions have waned so much the last 20 years that I think the season may actually be winding down, and I haven't been to a single one. So I decided to throw my own.

It isn't so much a convention as just a get-together of old friends with whom I used to attend conventions, but I plan on running it like one (you know, kinda - in the spirit of one, at least). They should be coming up Friday evening, when we'll all get settled-in, catch-up and reminisce, have a few drinks, eat, and watch movies before crashing-out. Along the way, we'll probably make characters for a game of Dark Conspiracy I plan on running either Saturday night or Sunday morning/afternoon (whichever comes first - con rules), but we aren't likely to start gaming that night.

You never can tell, though.

I definitely plan on napping the entire time - no full sets of sleep (con rules) - and I'll be sleeping on the couch. It's in the living room, so it's kind of like the lounge. I'll leave the TV playing sci-fi and fantasy flicks all night just to stay in the right frame of mind.

If we don't start drinking and gaming Friday night, Saturday's the day. I plan on Kahlua in the coffee and straight into the bag from there. By late afternoon, I should be knee-walking drunk. I expect someone to zip a Crown Royal bag into their pants and dance a jig at some point. I'm not saying who, just that I expect it. I also expect not to remember doing it.

I already have the basement setup like an alley just because that's the way I stacked things when I first moved, so I may try to sell my friends some comic books and old games. They'll wait until Sunday to low-ball me. I'll be disappointed but hungover and won't want to have to restack everything, so I'll likely give them away.

Monday will come too soon and I know I won't be able to see my friends again IRL for some time, so it will be bittersweet, but I'll be glad to return to normalcy. I also have plans that can't be missed, so it'll be right back to the grind - not even a single day to really relish the fun we had and gel the memories before it's right back into the fray of everyday living.

Hopefully we'll make plans to do it again in a few months, or even the next year - just to be sure - and hopefully the funding will be there for when the time rolls around and everyone will be free and eager to repeat the adventure. Either way, At-Home Con 2011 is happening and I couldn't be more excited about it!

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Thought Bubble

Like Image Comics, UK's Thought Bubble festival celebrates sequential art in all its forms and genres. Now the leading creator-owned publisher is joining forces with the non-profit Thought Bubble organization to celebrate the fifth year of the festival with THOUGHT BUBBLE ANTHOLOGY, a collection whose proceeds will go to the charity Banardos.

THOUGHT BUBBLE ANTHOLOGY features short stories written by Andy Diggle, Stuart Gordon, and Antony Johnston, gorgeous art by Charlie Adlard, Duncan Fegredo, and D'Israeli, and a cover by Becky Cloonan, and will also include the six winners of the Northern Sequential Arts Competition.

"Thought Bubble is delighted to be working with one of our favourite publishers, Image Comics, for our first ever anthology," said Lisa Wood, Thought Bubble Festival Director. "We are stunned at the support we have received from everyone who has contributed to the comic and hope it is the first of many more to come!"

The Thought Bubble Festival takes place across Leeds from the 14^th-20^th of November with a massive Comic Con held at the city's largest convention halls on the 19^th and 20^th. It is now the UK's largest festival celebrating comic art in all its wondrous forms.

THOUGHT BUBBLE ANTHOLOGY #1 (SEP110389), an oversized, 24-page full color anthology comic book, will be on sale for $2.99 in stores November 9^th and is available to order now in the September issue of Previews.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Fan Expo 2011 - Image

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Son of 31 Days of Horror

So last year's 31 Days of Horror didn't go over quite as well as I'd hoped. Nevertheless, I am trying it again this year. It is nowhere near an original idea and it really shouldn't be too hard to pull-off, that was just an inaugural event and it didn't go-over as well as it should have for various reasons.

One of those reasons is that I chose the movies to review well in advance, but did not start reviewing them immediately. I honestly wanted to review one movie for every day in October, leading-up to Halloween, as that was part of my personal Halloween celebration. Unfortunately, everyone else appears to like horror flicks in and around October too, so Netflix took over half the movies I'd planned to review down and made them DVD only selections just weeks, even days, before I was set to review them!

This time, I've already started watching and reviewing the films that will be included in the 2011 31 Days of Horror, so I'm hoping everything goes swimmingly -- even though we should all be prepared for any possible gaffes along the way. That's kind of what makes things like this fun in the first place, so I hope everyone enjoys it!

31 Days of Horror Movie Reviews starts October 1^st on The Rundown.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

NPR Covers Comic Jam

Green Brain Comics started the Comic Jam event just last year but found a wealth of support, and NPR has the story behind the whole thing. Just click here to listen.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Who is Nathan Edmondson?

Whoops! This one's totally on me; when I read this, I thought it was a convention schedule... (Sorry!)

Who is Jake Ellis? Who is Nathan Edmondson? What's Edmondson's favorite tasty beverage? Find out on the JAKE ELLIS SEES EVERYTHING TOUR, coming to a local comic shop near you January 13^th - 26^th, 2011! Meet Edmondson, get your books signed, and take home an awesome piece of original art from Tonci Zonjic if you're first in line at each stop!

WHO IS JAKE ELLIS? #1 (NOV100403), a 32-page, full-color comic book from Image Comics, is in stores now for $2.99. Also written by Edmondson: THE LIGHT VOL. 1 TP (OCT100471), a 140-page, full-color graphic novel drawn by Brett Weldele (The Surrogates), on sale now for $16.99; and OLYMPUS TP (OCT090377), a 128-page, full-color graphic novel drawn by Christian Ward (INFINITE VACATION), on sale now for $14.99.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19^th, 2011
Austin Books & Comics
5002 North Lamar Blvd.
Austin, TX 78751
(512) 454-4197
www.austinbooks.com
4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 20^th, 2011
Bedrock City
Westheimer Store
6517 Westheimer
Houston, TX 77057
(713) 780-0675
www.bedrockcity.com
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21^st, 2011
with ROB GUILLORY (CHEW) and KODY CHAMBERLAIN (SWEETS)
Crescent City Comics
4916 Freret St.
New Orleans, LA
(504) 891-3796
http://crescentcitycomics.com
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 22^nd, 2011
TBS Comics
Fort Walton Beach Store
550 Mary Esther Blvd.
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548
(850) 244-5441
www.tbscomics.com
(Please contact the store for signing time.)

TBS Comics
Pensacola Store
6873 North 9^th Ave.
Pensacola, FL 32504
(850) 474-1419
www.tbscomics.com
(Please contact the store for signing time.)

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26^th, 2011
Criminal Records
1154-A Euclid Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 215-9511
www.criminalatl.com
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Todd McFarlane at Golden Apple Comics Today!

Who: Todd McFarlane, Spawn Creator and Emmy and Grammy-winning Director/Producer

What: Todd McFarlane and special guests, signing the landmark 200^th issue of SPAWN. The Spawn VIP Party will include the legendary comic creator Stan Lee and an array of special celebrity and comic book superstars.

When: Wednesday, January 12^th, 2011, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Where: Golden Apple Comic Store, 7018 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90023

© C Harris Lynn, 2011