Midtown Comics - Marvel: Meet the Publishers Part 2

The Marvel Men with Thor Parker

 

 Welcome back for part two of the Marvel: Meet the Publishers panel. Here you will find the answers to questions like "Will the X-Men ever find happiness?" "What does Tom Brevoort like?" and "What is so important about Get Kraven?" Read and enjoy.

What plans are there for the characters on the West Coast such as the X-Men and the rest of the Marvel Universe? Were they intentionally being kept apart and will they eventually be folded back into the fold?

Lowe said they were trying to do bring the X-Men out of their bubble and have them interacting more with other Marvel Universe characters, little by little, like making Blade a huge part of the first arc of Dracula, while Spider-Man plays a large role in the second arc, and the plans are to keep incorporating them into stories that have them being heroes while they wait for anti-mutant scourges to attack. The Uncanny Annuals are a great place for them to do that.

Brevoort added that it was less about geography and more about the stories that are being told.

Next, Leonard stood up saying he wanted to ask about their “baby killing” methods. Lowe responded, “We can talk about that for hours.” The real question was what was their favorite part of the job?

Lowe said, “For me, it’s still seeing the art. A page of art comes in and just blows you away.” Paniccia added, “It’s like Christmas. You remember reading a script and you try to envision how it will pulled off and the artist turns in a page and it’s mind-numbing.”

For Cebulski, it is going to the events and meeting the people, whether they are the creators or fans. He likes how everyone is like-minded but with different opinions, so the discussions are interesting.

Brevoort likes the way Alonso says, “Hit Monkey.”

Alonso reiterated Lowe’s comments about seeing everything come together the way they had imagined.

How did they get their start at Marvel?

Brevoort and Lowe started as interns. Seeing how everything worked is what sold Lowe on the job. Paniccia “wanted to break in as a penciler and it just led to all kinds of different roads and [he] wound up an editor.”

Alonso had worked in magazines and newspapers and he answered an ad for editors at DC comics. He only got the interview because he had written an article that painted an unflattering portrait of a guy who stolen the hiring editor’s girlfriend, and he took the interview so he could see the building. After some hesitation, he took a job with Vertigo and during his time there he rediscovered superheroes so when the opportunity to go to Marvel came up, he went.

Cebulski took a different road. He knew he wanted to work in comics but couldn’t draw so he did several different jobs like working in anime and Manga, ended up at Marvel, did some editing and writing, and now he is in “talent management because he is good with people and can drink more than most.”

What is an Omega Class mutant and what do you do when a character gets to a resolve point like Rogue?

Lowe explained an Omega Class mutant is the highest you can go with a mutant’s powers. As for characters that reach conclusions of major character arcs like Rogue getting control over her powers, they play with them and see what they can do. Then he added, “Will Rogue always be in control of her powers? No way. No way.” Don’t worry Rogue fans there are no immediate plans for it. Lowe then went on to talk about how much cooler and more interesting Rogue’s powers were now that she had control.

Are you planning on bringing any characters back from the dead?

No. As Lowe put it, “Dead is dead.” To which everyone started cracking up. Paniccia mentioned in the Ultimate Universe those who die would stay dead.

Someone asked if they could elaborate on the hiring process.

Alonso started to talk about the regular hiring process but the questioner wanted to know about the intern hiring process, which is completely different. There is an internship coordinator who handles everything. It is unpaid and must be done by a full-time student who can receive college credit for it. For more information go here. 

The next fan asked if the guys could give us a sneak peek at any new big heroes who will be coming out.

Lowe talked about the five new mutants introduced in Generation Hope. Alonso spoke of some “really cool bad guys in Fear Itself.” Paniccia said there were new villains in Hulk. Cebulski said he was a big fan of teen heroes and spoke specifically of Youth in Revolt. He said there is going to be a Fear Itself tie-in with them and all the other teen heroes from around the world.

How do comic news sites affect your daily work in regards to spoilers?

Lowe said it depends on a case-by-case basis. They’re not crazy about it because it can hurt sales but as Alonso pointed out, “the hit to miss ratio is pretty high.” He said sometimes parts of the scoops are kind of true while the rest is not, but sometimes, the real info does come out, but they tend to have good relationships with the news sites so a lot of the information has gone through them before publication. Then Alonso added, “Sometimes it’s so wrong we’re, like, put it up there.” It was also pointed out that sometimes the data is old and whatever had initially been discussed has been completely changed.

Are there future plans for the Young Avengers past the Children’s Crusade?

Brevoort said, “We don’t want to say too much beyond that.” He didn’t want to give too much information away, but the characters will be seen again.

Has there ever been a time when a creator has had to leave a book suddenly? How do you handle it?

Paniccia said it happens. Alonso said, “Every once in a while a writer will just leave you in the lurch. They’ll go and sign with DC or something like that.” Not that he’s still bitter about it… Brevoort spoke of a writer who “fell off the face of the Earth” and how they had to scramble to get everything taken care of. While it doesn’t happen often, when it does, they deal with it as it comes and hope for the best.

What books do you feel aren’t getting enough recognition?

“Hit Monkey.”

Brevoort talked about how there is no creator who goes around saying they’ve had enough recognition. Everyone wants more.

Cebulski compared Avengers Academy to the New Mutants and how they had a similar feel. He said he’d like that book to get more attention because “what Christos is doing on that book is amazing.” Brevoort agreed.

Lowe spoke highly of Generation Hope saying it might the best book in the X-office. Alonso wondered why more people were not reading Punisher Max.

A brief pause in the questions as we’re told Steve Wacker sends his regards. Unfortunately he couldn’t make the Q & A. A fan was called on for a question but he was really just waving hi to Steve.

Was there ever a time when bad ideas sounded like good ideas?

“Get Kraven” immediately came out of Alonso’s mouth. Lowe talked about a few X-Men Unlimited issues not coming across the way they were intended. Brevoort didn’t name any books but said as long as everyone did their best, he’ll support it even if it’s a “stinker.” He did point out one major pet peeve is when characters appear on the cover of books and are not a part of the story. But ultimately, he doesn’t believe in airing out dirty laundry and will smile when a fan hands a "stinker" to him to sign, while he is inwardly cringing the whole time.

“For me it is two words – Get Kraven,” Alonso reiterated.

Parker asked if the guys ever have to go toe to toe with each other over a creator’s schedule.

Brevoort said he wants all the books to do well and get out on time, but everything ultimately comes down to weighing all the needs of the book and “doing what is best for the most people in the most stuff as often as possible.”

Wilderowens got to ask another question. This time is was about how they as a team are trying to address the female readers who are becoming more important in the geek community.

Right away the jokes started flying. Lowe, in particular, said in the X-Men books they have been “reducing the number of shirts on men.” 

As things calmed down, Alonso said they were aware of the characters that have more appeal to women and they have had different initiatives geared to different demographics.

Cebulski said every office had at least one female editor, unintentionally making it “sound like a quota” as Brevoort put it. Then he went on to talk about how there are more and more female creators like Marjorie M. Liu and Sarah Pichelli.

Brevoort spoke of how it is a deceptive problem because not every female wants the same thing. They are just as diverse as any demographic and he hopes that what they do is appealing to everyone. He also spoke of how it is difficult making sure the books and products are put in places where they can end up in the hands of female readers, new and old. He called it a “tricky puzzle” no one has quite figured out.

Then Paniccia made sure to point out that “Hulk usually doesn’t wear a shirt.”

How far is Marvel planning to go with Marvel Anime?

Iron Man, Wolverine, X-Men and Blade are the ones currently slated. They are performing well in Japan, particularly the X-Men. Depending on how they perform in the US will determine how Marvel proceeds in the future.

Are new artists were still hired through the cold submission process?

Cebulski said most hiring is done through online portfolios or at conventions. The submission process is still “wide open” and they are actively pursuing it, but the number of artists hired through just sending stuff into Marvel has decreased.

Alonso went on to talk about in some ways it is easier for an artist to quickly get noticed because you see the work right there. With a writer, it’s more time consuming and more questions need to be asked like whether they can write more than just a pitch. As he put it, “ I remember reading a pitch that made me laugh, cry and look at the world through new eyes. Then I saw the script and it was, like, oh my god!” Brevoort quickly jumped in with “It’s Get Kraven!” Alonso finished by saying as long as they respond to the art one always has a shot.

At that point, Parker said there was time for only two more questions. He let the guys pick.

Is there or would there ever be an alternate universe where something good happens to the characters, specifically the X-Men?

Brevoort said, “It’s the Dull-iverse. Nothing exciting actually happens there, so there are no comic stories to tell, but they’re getting along great.”

Cebulski threw in, “That’s the DC Universe.” To which the audience responded with groans, lots of laughter and a few applause.

Part two of his question was whether there would be any new cartoons in the near future.

The Ultimate Spider-Man animated show will be coming out and more shows will be produced soon.

Are there any future plans for The Runaways?

Lowe said they were “waiting on the right pitch and angle.” It’s a tough market right now and it would be difficult to relaunch without a strong pitch, but the individual characters will pop up in other books.

And finally, the last question was about X-23 and how they felt about her rise in popularity. Was it anticipated?

Craig Kyle originally created her for “X-Men Evolution” then she came over to the comics in NYX because they saw promise in her. They felt her Wolverine connection might help make her popular, but a lot of credit was given to Craig Kyle and Chris Yost and their ability to flesh out her story.

And with that, the Q & A came to a close and the men hug out for a little bit to meet with the fans. We got to meet all of them and they were just wonderful. I was particularly happy Mr. Brevoort answered my question about how the picture tasted in this. He had to do the take, maybe twenty times, so he was left with an aftertaste. The things people do for art and a good time. 

CB Cebulski with fans

One of the biggest things that stood out to me was how much everyone liked each other. These guys are funny and interesting and they’re the type of people you want to hang out at a bar with. They also made me want to work for Marvel in the worst way, just so I could hear some of the stories and see how it all works.

I can’t wait until the next time I can be around them and learn more. You should come to.

Like what you just read? Let us know in the comments below and keep up to date by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr! 

Pictures by Ron Gejon

Midtown Comics - Marvel: Meet the Publishers Part 1

April 14th, Wilderowens and I went to the Midtown Comics Downtown’s Marvel: Meet the Publishers event. The publishers of the evening were Editor in Chief Axel Alonso, Senior Vice President of Publishing & Executive Editor Tom Brevoort, Senior Vice President of Creative & Creator Development C.B. Cebulski, X-Men Senior Editor Nick Lowe, and Hulk Senior Editor Mark Paniccia. The event was hosted by moderator extraordinaire Thor Parker.

Patiently waiting for the panel to begin

For me, the evening began with a rush to get into Manhattan in time. A feeling of desperation started to sink in when Wilderowens sent me text messages saying she was waiting on line and to hurry, but alas, the subway would not cooperate. I got there about five minutes before they let everyone in. Wilderowens already had her nametag and was busy making friends on line, including Leonard, who was a most entertaining fellow. Luckily, I had made it in time, but the place was packed. 

The Marvel men took their seats, introductions were made, and Thor kicked things off by asking about Marvel’s current event, Fear Itself, and what goes into planning a big event like it.

Alonso started, saying it grew out of an idea Matt Fraction had a couple of retreats ago.  They took his idea and went into a room and “beat it up.” That is their traditional process, no matter how good the idea seems.

Brevoort added that “talking about things out loud” during the early workshopping of the story is how they come up with ideas they might not have previously considered, but once the framework of the story is shaped, it really comes down to the creators of the individual books that will be involved in it. He also spoke of how important communication is between the creators, so everyone knows what is happening to the characters and what the long term effects might be.

Cebulski said that Brevoort keeps a master “bible” of everything that is going in the story so other creators can get the “feel” of Fear Itself if they want to take part in it with a tie-in or mini-series.

Parker then asked if for events such as Fear Itself, if everything is scrutinized even more as opposed to a regular book, to which Brevoort replied, “It’s bigger so yes. I think it’s proportionate to its size. Something like a Fear Itself affects and impacts a lot of books and a lot of front characters, so there is more discussion about it. It is more important to our line than the average issue of, I don’t know, Daredevil. Not that Daredevil isn’t important, but Fear Itself is going to have an effect on a lot of things, so there are a lot of other voices that have to be heard from and it has to be scrutinized a little more thoroughly than an ordinary run of the mill comic.”

Lowe spoke of how there is coordination when character sharing, such as X-Men characters going over to the Avengers for a bit. He said Brevoort sends him outlines, and they’ll talk about what’s going on, but it’s not at the same level as with the events.

Alonso reiterated the importance of coordination by saying, “Imagine if you were not only coordinating the trajectory of The Shield but also The Wire, The Sopranos, and The Office, and you had to make sure all those worlds merge. That’s kind of what we have to do. We have to make sure if there’s an explosion over here that it’s felt over there.” To which Lowe jumped in with, “Omar –Dwight crossover.” Cebulski said he’d watch that.


Parker opened the floor up to audience questions.

The first question was how often do you plan retreats?

There are usually two big retreats with several smaller in-line retreats during the year. Brevoort said some of them might do as many as four or five a year while Alonso does all of them.

The next question was directed to Alonso, asking if as the new E-I-C, he felt a need to leave his mark and change the direction of the company and if there was a plan to do that?

Axel Alonso (middle), secretly plotting to take over the world.
First stop - Marvel

Brevoort quickly jumped in with, “From this point forward we will be known as Axel Comics.”

Alonso then spoke of how he came to Marvel when Joe Quesada came to Marvel and because Joe came to Marvel. His main concerns right now are about “maintaining the stability” as well as having big ideas. “I’m not looking to change Marvel so much as, quite frankly, learn the job, find my feet, and learn over the next year, and then at that point, see what we can do creatively and what chances we can take.”

How do you keep personal bias out of the editorial process?

Nick Paniccia, Senior Hulk Editor  
aka "The Baby Killer"

Paniccia responded, “That’s our job. We have to. We got to kill babies.”  Needless to say, laughter erupted and Lowe said, “That’s the quote to take away from this. Marvel kills babies.”

Alonso added that it is important that the story not necessarily be one they gravitate to but one that has merit and Brevoort spoke about how he had to edit Venom, though the character and book wasn’t particularly interesting to him, but the process wasn’t about turning Venom into a book he would like but about turning out stories the Venom audience will like.

Cebulski went on to speak about how one of the good things about working at Marvel is “we have a great system of checks and balances.” They all run ideas by each other which help them overcome any biases they might have. Lowe said they wouldn’t be there if they couldn’t do it and Cebulski said he’s still trying to “get Nick to put Dani Moonstar into every X-book.”

The next question was about whether Disney’s presence felt since they bought the company?

Brevoort said, “No and to a certain degree, thankfully no.” He went on to speak about how difficult it is to put out a successful book and how at Marvel, every book has to carry its weight. They have an “absolute need” to make sure the books stay as “good and competitive and strong as [they] need to be.” Then he spoke of how he prefers living in a world where every month he “struggles to keep those goddamn X-Men books down.” Insert laughter here.

Tom Brevoort (left) looks so innocent,
but is really an evil mastermind.

Cebulski added that Disney has no creative or publishing input in what Marvel does, which was part of the deal. Disney has done great things with the marketing of Marvel products, but they stay out of the comics.

Alonso and Cebulski also spoke about the fan reactions to the merge and how Marvel fans were concerned the characters wouldn’t be able to cause the type of destruction and chaos they were used to and Disney fans made demands like “Spider-Man better not appear in the Disney parade “ and “keep the Hulk out of Kingdom Hearts.” So the concerns went both ways.


Then Alonso joked, “Show of hands for Deadpool versus Goofy?” (My hand was one of the first to go up.)

Why did you feel you had to kill off an iconic character like The Human Torch?

Brevoort fielded that one with, “I don’t think we felt we needed to kill off a character like The Human Torch. It’s wasn’t like it was Thursday and the turkey timer went off and it’s time to kill off a character.” It was more about how Jonathan Hickman had an enormous plan for the story and how Johnny’s death moved the story into a new direction. He also spoke of how the long term and short term effects of telling character death stories are extensively discussed.

Alonso then mentioned the death of Nightcrawler in the Second Coming storyline. It was very important for someone to die whose death would reverberate throughout the characters. Wolverine and Cyclops were singled out as examples. Lowe said when Nightcrawler was suggested the room went silent. They knew it was right for the story even though it made them sad. Then he said they knew it was right when they looked in the corner and “Jason Aaron shed a single tear” which prompted more laughs from the audience.

What is the possibility of another Marvel/DC Crossover?

The moral is "drunken story pitches
make you hilarious fodder for
CB Cebulski." (right)

Cebulski told a story of how a drunken fan told him he had spoken to several bigwigs at DC like Geoff Johns and John Rude and he was going to talk to Joe Quesada and they all greenlit the project. Then the fan proceeded to pitch him a Lobo/Deadpool crossover.

After the laughs died down, Brevoort spoke of how times were different than ten years ago. Big business plays a part and also, they don’t want to ruin the specialness of the crossovers by doing too many.

Alonso said, “Very unlikely, but never impossible.”


Wilderowens asked about how they thought the Point One Initiative was going.

The sales have been great contrary to what some columnists have said. It was pointed out that the Point One books usually sold as well if not better than the regular book. Brevoort made a passionate plea for fans to believe him when he says he is the one with the correct numbers, not outside sources. The reason he knows what is correct is because he gets the money that goes with the numbers. Due to their success, more Point One books will be released.


Alonso spoke of how the books were creatively strong, and Paniccia spoke of how the books gave the writers great opportunities to reach out to new readers and “tickle” the ones they already have.

How excited are you for the new superhero movies coming out in the summer, has there been a demand in readership and how heavily are you going to promote the comic books to coincide with the movies?

Nick Lowe, Senior X-Men Editor
Great guy but still not entirely forgiven for helping kill Nightcrawler.

Lowe talked about how excited he was for the Thor and Captain America movies. He felt Thor had turned out better than he ever could have thought. Then it was pointed out that the X-Men editor completely skipped the X-Men movie coming out in June. While everyone was laughing, 
Lowe quickly added that the X-Men movie looks a lot better than he expected too.


Alonso said as fans they were really excited for the movies, but their jobs are not dependent on how well the movies do. More product will definitely be added for the old fans and new fans, and he mentioned how the movies helped elevate Iron Man from a B-ish character to an A-Lister.

Cebulski went on to say how great it was to watch the Marvel movies with the Marvel employees because they all “get” it and laugh and cheer at the right moments. Brevoort told a great story about watching Spider-Man 2 sitting behind John Romita Sr. and throughout the movie Romita Sr. kept saying, “I drew that and that.”

How do you decide what characters get used?

Alonso joked, “Disney” then explained how it begins with the writer. Brevoort elaborated by saying it’s about who the writer wants to tell stories about. “I think it will shock nobody in this room that Brian Bendis” Different writers like different characters. He noted that the big events like Fear Itself allows the less seen characters to be played with in new and interesting ways.

With that we conclude part 1 of this event. Come back tomorrow for part 2.


Like what you just read? Let us know in the comments below and keep up to date by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr!


Pictures used courtesy of Ron Gejon and Wilderowens

Sunday Links for April 24

Welcome to the Spring Holiday edition of Sunday Links!


This week, humanity dodged a bullet because Skynet was supposed to begin the attack on April 21, 2011. Action Flick Chick was ready with a list of supplies to take on the machines, but we lucked out. Just in case, here is a list of other scifi dates that are supposed to bring the apocalypse.


Dark Horse's Digital release date is getting closer, and I am getting more and more excited. They released a list of the comics that are going to be available for download. Despite the fact that Buffy isn't on the list, I am still satisfied with what is available.


It was a sad week for Doctor Who fans with the passing of Elisabeth Sladen. She was the famed Sarah Jane Smith, partner to the Doctor for a time. Our thoughts are with her family.


Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark shutdown this past week for a three-week overhaul to the script. Surprisingly and happily, Christopher Tierney, the badly injured acrobat/actor, is able to rejoin the show in time for its new reincarnation. Hopefully, things go better this time.


MTV Geek complied a great list of 10 Definitely Not Racist Comic Book Characters That Are Actually Totally Racist. Just really interesting to read and think about.


For everyone that celebrating, have a Happy Passover/Easter!




Like what you just read? Let us know in the comments below and keep up to date by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr!

What Does The Easter Bunny Do During the Year?

It doesn't matter if you celebrate Easter or not, this is a video everyone can enjoy. I never saw it until today, but now I know why it is considered a classic. Gotta love it!





Wishing you a Happy Easter from the [insertgeekhere] team!

Video Friday! 4/22/11

The weekend is here! Yay! That also means it's time for VIDEOS!!!!


So many board games are being made into movies. It's a little ridiculous. I never wanted to see a movie about Battleship or Candy Land, but I would pay money for this... even though I think it's already been done. That's what Wall Street and Limitless are all about, right? Doesn't matter. I'd see it just for Rich Uncle Pennybags.





Remember Rebecca Black and her song "Friday"? Many people despised it, and because of that, the inevitable parodies have been released. Here is one for us geeks.





Marvel scored a huge WIN with this. Better than Little Vader, Little Thor shows that it is not about the size but the power.





This is nothing but WIN!





Now for something a little "special," here is one of the most absurd videos I have come across in a very long time. It's called Bollywood Breakdance except there is no breakdancing. There are, however, many nods to Michael Jackson, Flashdance, and Mortal Kombat. Also, if you are familiar with a little known movie called "Fast Forward" you will probably recognize some of the moves from there.





And with that I wish you nothing but a wonderful weekend and Happy Easter if you celebrate it.


Like what you just read? Let us know in the comments below and keep up to date by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr!

Vampires Can Do Almost Anything But.....

Vampires Don't Sparkle. This is the answer to all of the sappy vampire stories out in the market today. It comes from writer and director Jet Paine, who has been making short films for the past few years. As a vampire fan, he wants to see vampires as they are supposed to be: Vicious and Scary! His dream has brought him to creating this film, Vampires Don't Sparkle.

The plot description from the blog: Without giving too much away, it's the story of a girl named Ava meeting an unusual and mysterious boy named Sid. Suffice to say, there's a lot more to Sid than meets the eye. If you're thinking Twilight but with vampires that are actually scary, you're not too far off the mark.

Check out their preview video from the Kickstarter page:

I still wasn't sure about this concept after the video but then I watched his short film, Elm City Wuxia. This film wowed and won awards at the Reel New Haven film festival. I love the intensity that he brought to this main character.

Elm City Wuxia from Happy Mercenary Studios on Vimeo.

After learning that this film was made for almost no money, I can't wait to see what what he will do with a budget. Go support him on making this film.

Like what you just read? Let us know in the comments below and keep up to date by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr!

Sunday Links for April 17

This week brought a lot of endings to a lot of geek culture but hopefully this will just signal some new beginnings!

It was announced this week that Tokyopop is shutting down their North America Operations. Don't worry though, they will continue to operate in their Germany offices. I just want to say thank you for Sailor Moon!

Dark Horse Comics announced layoffs this week, with seven staff members being let go. On the heels of this announcement, Dark Horse finally announced the launch of their digital app with giving away free comics for every few hundred people that sign up.

Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark is ending today as it goes in for a major overhaul away from the vision of former director Julie Taymor. In case you are like me and haven't seen the original version, check out Wysefyre's review.

In a geek's dream come true, Virgin Galactic just put out a job opening for a Corporate Astronaut. Sorry to squash your dreams but you do need some flight training, so if you have some piloting experience and a Han Solo fetish, go ahead and apply. They are accepting applications until April 30.

In case you ever wondered what happened to Mario after you failed to make that jump over the pit, Geekologie has found out exactly what happened and it ain't pretty. Nintendo will never be the same.

The NY Times Doesn't Believe in Geek Girls

You know what I like? I like sword fights and explosions and battles and basically anything that involves a lot of violence. I also really like big sweeping epics with lots of characters and intricate plots. So, imagine my surprise when this review about Game of Thrones from the New York Times came out essentially putting down women like me.

The author of this piece, Ginia Bellafante, is not a geek girl. If she were, she would not have made comments such as, “While I do not doubt that there are women in the world who read books like Mr. Martin’s, I can honestly say that I have never met a single woman who has stood up in indignation at her book club and refused to read the latest from Lorrie Moore unless everyone agreed to “The Hobbit” first. “Game of Thrones” is boy fiction patronizingly turned out to reach the population’s other half.”

All I could think about when reading this was how much I would like to either show the author just how much I enjoy violence or in a “less likely to land me in jail" approach, talk to her and tell her why I am a geek girl. It is apparent that this woman is completely ignorant of the thousands of women who love this type of story. Someone(s) needs to educate her. Then again, maybe she can’t be educated. After all, she even puts down people who like Sex in the City by implying that it is a show for dumb people.

Ms. Bellafante, this is what I have to say to you:

Forgetting that your review is not much of an actual review (where are the critiques of the actors or writing), and looking past your odd comments about the sex being added to entice the women (isn't that traditionally done for the men), who are you to speak for womankind? You don’t like the show? That’s fine. Don’t like it. But, do not presume to think you know what everyone likes, and do not act so damn condescending. I like violence, just ask my friends. I like comics and sci-fi and collecting action figures, but I also like makeup and romantic comedies and Private Practice, so in your eyes what does that make me? Am I an anomaly to you? Do I confuse you? Well, what about the thousands of women all across the world that are like me too? Do we all confuse you?

You clearly have issues with the sci-fi, fantasy, and supernatural genres. I saw your article about Supernatural. Even when you were complimenting it, you were also talking it down. You seem to think the show is the Detroit automobile industry or about how parents aren’t everything. You have clearly missed the point of the entire show, and for the record, while the show is on the CW, which is generally marketed towards young people, Supernatural has a very strong adult fan base.

Having read a few more of your articles, I see that you prefer your genre shows simple. Given your comments about how intricate the plotlines are in both the Supernatural and Game of Thrones articles, I cannot help but conclude that you would like the writers to dumb down these shows. I don’t understand why. If you can follow even a fraction of what happens in politics or the world, then you should easily be able to follow these. Would it be wrong of me to assume you don’t like soap operas too? Some of those plots are far more complicated than these could ever be.

The article is ridiculous. Maybe if you had done even a small amount of research, you would not have written it. Maybe you would have been forced to rewatch the show with new eyes. I don’t know. I doubt it, but I am an optimist who believes in the power of education. Though right now, I’d rather be educating with my fists or a bat than the other way.

If you don't believe me, please check out the many people across the web, female AND male, who are saying the same thing. To get you started, here are a few.

Amy Ratcliffe - Geek With Curves: Response to the NY Times Game of Thrones Review
Alan Kistler - Newsarama.com: OP/ED: Hey NY Times -Geek Girls Really Do Exist!
Geek Girl Diva: To Ginia Bellafante Regarding Your "Review" Of Game Of Thrones. [Rant]
Jill Pantozzi - Has Boobs, Reads Comics: New York Times insults female readers, they write back. 
Delphine - GeekMom: A Live Woman Who'd Gladly Watch A Game of Thrones (Even Without the Sex Scenes)
ThinkHero: 'Game of Thrones' Is Not 'Boy Fiction'

This is just a small sampling of the people who have spoken out against your article. Within these posts are additional links to articles responding to your close-minded point of view. Read the article, try to learn something, and then pick up The Hobbit or any other fantasy book you have turned your nose up at or deemed "boy fiction" and read it. Who knows, maybe you'll find you like it.

Video Friday! 4/15/11

It's Friday and you know what that means... Videos! What does this week have store for us? Let's find out.

Remember VH1's Behind the Music? They covered many great and not so great musicians, but not necessarily the ones you wanted to see. Well, finally, a long underappreciated artist has gotten the due he deserves.

This is probably my favorite video of the week. A young girl was given the opportunity to join the 'Dark Side' and her response was not what was expected.

Here's a great interpretation of one of the best known themes in all of geekdom... or at least a lot of geekdom.

This vid has two great features to it: Sarah Silverman and Serenading Unicorn. Both funny and disturbing, it'll make you rethink interspecies relations. Enjoy!

Cashing in on the current trends is the sequel to the much loved movie, When Harry Met Sally. I think I'd be willing to see this in theater. How about you?

Hope you enjoyed this edition on Video Friday! Now get out and have some fun!

Like what you just read? Let us know in the comments below and keep up to date by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr!

Art Spotlight: MoCCA Fest Edition

This month's Art Spotlight is featuring some of the amazing artists that I met at MoCCA Fest this past weekend. These are only a few of the talented artists in attendance at MoCCA, but they truly made an impact on me.

This is Classic Hollywood Monsters from a fellow volunteer, Savark Dicupe. I wish I had realized how talented he was when I was working with him; I would have pressed him for more art to post!

Amy Lynn Duengfelder makes amazing jewelry, which I purchased at MoCCA, but she also creates great, happy, twisted artwork like this Ice Cream Cone.

Remember that guy who asked me about caffeine? Well, he is actually Greg Houston, creator of Vatican Hustle and Elephant Man from NBM. After going through his site, this Electric Tree kept appearing on my screen. Just love it!

Justin Peterson, creator of Very Near Mint, had a lot of fantastic work out at MoCCA, but this just stood out on his website. Who doesn't love some Doc Brown?

Did you see any fantastic art that I should share in the next Art Spotlight? Email me at insertgeekhere@gmail.com.

Like what you just read? Let us know in the comments below and keep up to date by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr!

My Time at MoCCA Fest!

I went to MoCCA Fest for the first time this year and I went as a volunteer. Volunteering is an awesome, fun way to support your show and your comic addiction all in one. I highly recommend it as a unique way to see the show. While you won’t have as much freedom than if you went as just a fan, there are a lot of benefits to volunteering. You meet and work with amazing people who are as passionate as you are about geek culture. You also get to see the show in a way fans never realize. The work that goes into these festivals and cons is insane and crazy and not always organized, but the passion is always there and it shows in every worker that is there. The show also provides you with great incentives. For volunteering I received a free pass to the show, meals, a t-shirt and a ton of free books at the end. If you are going to volunteer though, please honor your commitment. These organizations only succeed because of volunteer support and dropping out at the last minute is unfair to them and the other volunteers.

I was working on the programming team, which meant a few things. There was a lot of technical setup, some actual responsibility in making sure that the panels ran smoothly and the panelists were happy, and the opportunity to see a lot of awesome panels. I promise, I did work, but it was great to see panels I never would have gotten to see if I was on my own. Plus, I got to meet and hear some amazing people at the panels including Jerry Robinson, Jackson Publick, R. Sikoryak, Bill Plympton, Al Jaffee, Kate Beaton, Sarah Glidden, Lisa Hanawalt and Jeffrey Lewis. Even when I was standing outside of the panel guarding the door, I got to meet Greg Houston, an illustrator for NBM. While at the time he was just looking for caffeine, we chatted, and I have had the chance to look at some of his work and it is fantastic. I really hope to learn more about his upcoming projects soon.


The most entertaining panel I attended was The Cross Hatch Carousel. It was a live comic reading starring Kate Beaton, Lisa Hanawalt, Jackson Publick, Julie Klausner, Jeffrey Lewis and R. Sikoryak with my Programming boss Brian Heater moderating. For all of you thinking how can reading comics out loud be entertaining, you just have no idea. The excitement that they brought to the reading really made it fun. Also, the comics were just super funny. Because of this panel, I actually cornered R. Sikoryak (He told me to call him Bob! Squeee!!!) and made sure that he put me on his mailing list for the next reading. I will make sure to bring Wysefyre and Getsuyobi for all of the fun.


The most interesting panel I attended was the Batman, The Joker and Beyond: The Career of Jerry Robinson. I loved hearing all the side stories about his work. Two tidbits stuck in my mind. Mr. Robinson’s brother was a champion bridge player and his family played a lot of cards. When he was up one night working, the idea struck him for a new villain and he grabbed a deck of cards from them and The Joker was born. The second tidbit was in the creation of the sidekick for Batman. Despite popular belief, he didn’t name Robin after himself. When they were working on a name for this character, Mr. Robinson thought back to his favorite story, Robin Hood, and that’s where we got the Boy Wonder from. It was neat to learn about comic history from someone who was there living it.

Despite my busy panel working schedule, I did get a chance to walk around the show a bit. I got to meet a ton of interesting people. I actually hit up a lot of the same places that Wysefyre and Getsuyobi went. I swung by Jeph Jacques to pick up my own copy of Questionable Content after reading Getsuyobi’s copy. I also visited Pronto Comics and Lush Comics and had a blast talking with those two publishers. We really hope to bring you more from them soon. I stopped by the Evil Twin Comics table to say hi to Fred Van Lente and Greg Pak, who was sharing the table on Sunday. I got a copy of Greg Pak’s Vision Machine, which was a fantastic story. I encourage you to read it and I will be posting more about it soon. I got an awesome necklace from Amy Lynn Duengfelder’s table. She had some fantastic stuff and I am looking forward to really exploring her work. At Richard Codor’s table, I picked up a signed copy of the Joyous Haggadah, which is totally getting me in the Passover spirit. I also saw some great Star Trek, Star Wars and X-Men artwork at Justin Peterson’s table but at that point I was out of cash and totally kicking myself. His website is on my list to visit next payday! Same thing happened at Braden Lamb’s table, where I saw some terrific Star Wars art. Serves me right for being conservative at the ATM. One thing I did miss on the floor was the freebies and discounts that a lot of the volunteers were getting from the vendors. I was so focused on the tables I wanted to see that I missed out on some good deals but maybe next year!

I really enjoyed the feel of the show. It was a group of creators that really wanted to just hang with their fans. Yes, Wysefyre is right that there were creators that didn’t sell themselves correctly, but this is a nice change from a big con. I really didn’t miss the tables and tables of back issue sellers and was totally happy to be in a giant Artist Alley. Next year, you should join me as a volunteer if you can because it is a great experience for a great organization.

Let us know what you thought of MoCCA, did you love it, hate it....

Like what you just read? Let us know in the comments below and keep up to date by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr!