Kickstarter/Indiegogo Spotlight: Dr. Oblivion's Guide to Teenage Dating GN Vol. 1

As we saw in a previously featured project of his, Jeff Pina comes up with some pretty amusing concepts for books.  This week's spotlight shines on the ever hilarious topic of love, specifically teenage love.  More specifically, that as shown in Dr. Oblivion's Guide to Teenage Dating.  To find out more, race on over to the Kickstarter page.

Phoenix Comicon 2014

Phoenix Comicon 2014 has come and gone. It seems that I wait all year for this one weekend and suddenly it's here and just as fast it's gone. I've referred to it as the 3.5 longest shortest days of the year. The days whip by being surrounded by amazing talent and in my case, friends..yet, at the end of the day, the physical exhaustion (and my fitbit!) tell me just how long the day actually was. In fact, even on the shortest day, I averaged walking about 4+ miles each day! No wonder I had some sore feet and legs!

Now...on with the good, the bad and the summary!

The Good -

• Phoenix Comicon got it's fire drill out of the way on Thursday. Granted, it wasn't planned, but it made me chuckle hearing that it not only happened again, but also seeing the jokes regarding Throw Back Thursday - PCC fire alarm.
• Expansion - Over the past few years, the convention has grown and had begun to stretch the fabric of space and time..or at least the sections of the convention center that were rented for the event. This year, the good folks in charge made some pretty big changes! Entire sections of street outside the convention center were closed off for various events. Registration was moved over to the South building and I believe that they even held a few panels over there. On top of that, there were still things happening in the North and West buildings as well as the Hyatt and the Sheraton. It meant for more walking but helped a lot with crowd control issues.
• The App! - I was super excited when I heard through the grapevine that there was a conquest app for this year. I've loved the conquest in the past, but being able to have it on my phone and not print things out was fantastic. I did hear some complaints about it not working, but it did for me and was really handy.
• Scheduling - I am a huge fan in the fact that PCC places a 30 minute gap between all of their panels. This allows for some movement time. Also, if you look at their schedule within the programming guide, it's laid out in categories, so if you're only interested in anime,  you look at that column. If you're interested in comics, you look there. It saved me a ton of time when I was sleepily trying to decide which panels to attend the following day.
• Friends - For me, this convention has become a where's waldo adventure of trying to find where various friends and folks that I enjoy are located. It can be frustrating, but when I do find them, there are hugs and laughs and lots of catching up being done. 
• Costumes - Holy canole do people come out with the most amazing things! I could spend hours just looking at all of the amazing costumes that people come up with. I don't always recognize the characters but I appreciate the time, effort and passion that goes into making one of them. Not to mention the dedication of wearing some of them in 108 degree temperatures!
• Variety - I love that this show covers anime, steampunk (Tea dueling, anyone?), comics and writing. There's a bit of everything for everyone. I do hope though that they never forget that they're a comicon and the core of that is comics. Otherwise, it will be time to rebrand as an entertainment expo which will make me horribly sad.
• Great attendees - This year I only signed a few autographs (yes, I grin ear to ear over that) and I
  was asked when I'm going to do a panel regarding reviewing and what it takes to be a good reviewer. I told them that all I'm waiting for is an invitation. Seriously, I am. ;)  This show has some of the best attendees..they're fun, they love their fandoms and even on the hottest days, I've never encountered someone who didn't have a smile in them.

One of Angelwolf's fans!
My first autograph for the show.

The Bad  - 

• Expansion - While it does help with crowd control, it does mean for a lot of extra walking and for those of us unfamiliar with the area, it also sometimes means us getting completely lost. Thank goodness for the bike cab gentleman who sent me in the right direction after I'd walked a block in the wrong!
• The App! - I heard quite a few complaints this year that the app wasn't working for them. Like I said above, I didn't have this problem but if others did, it's a problem. What I would love to see for next year is the ability to set alarms on the app that go off before a scheduled event. I lose track of time and this would help me to actually get to the things that I want to be at. Perhaps an option to connect your Google Calendar might help with this. 
• Exhibitor Floor - Everyone that knows me knows that this is my favorite place to be. However, this year, it left a lot of people confused. I had a tough time finding people and I heard more than one complaint that the numbering system was confusing this year. I more than once commented that I needed a con floor gps where I could plug in a booth number and it would guide me to where I needed to go.
• Exhibitors - From what I heard, there was a wait list to get a table this year. I'd like to congratulate the convention for getting to a popularity level where that happens. The problem with this? You need to start being selective in who you allow to have a table. It can't just be anyone who is willing to pay for one. This year, I saw not one but two ladies selling Scentsy. While they sell great products, there are more appropriate venues for them to sell their wares. I would have rather have seen a great table selling custom costume pieces or figurines/statues. Yes, even geeks and nerds like their houses to smell nice, but I can get Scentsy-like products just about anywhere. I live in the middle of nowhere, with no local comic book store...so conventions are my place to buy up all my geek goodies.
• Safety - Last year, the bag check system was smooth as can be. This year, it was hodgepodge and random. Over the course of the weekend, I had my bag checked once. I'll be honest and say that it annoyed me to a minor extent. With a media badge, I feel as if I've been vetted and shouldn't have to do this. That being said, I'd rather they search everyone if it keeps everyone safe. 
• 
  
• Safety Part 2 - Every single weapon like item that comes through the door must be checked and tagged. This is awesome. What isn't so awesome is the fact that you could buy real weapons on the convention floor. I'm not talking about the amazing light sabers but that at least one place was selling knives. While I personally love ornamental knives and blades, it doesn't make much sense to put a ziptie on an obvious toy gun, just to have that same person go downstairs and buy a very real knife.
• 
  

• 

  Loved these guys and their metal parrot!

• Communication - 
• Badges/Media - I had to go to 3 different locations because nobody had told me where mine would be located. I also gave directions to no less than a dozen people over the course of the weekend because they didn't know. On the media side, I was also very frustrated because I was never given the opportunity to sign up for interviews. I received my email saying my badge had been approved and that another email would be coming but I never received any further communication. I also keep hearing rumors that there's a press/media room, but I'm never told where it's located.
• Geek Prom - Every year I comment that the convention does little to promote this event. It disappoints me since all proceeds go to a very awesome charity. This year was worse than others because not only did they change the location of the event, they also changed the day that it's held on. I lost track of how many people didn't realize it and then missed the event because of it.
• The App - Most of us found out about this from folks who were actually part of the convention staff. I would have loved to have seen a press release or something on the site about this.
• Parties - One of the things that is very loved about this particular show is that there have always been after parties for each night of the convention. However, for whatever reason, every single of the 3 well known parties was moved to the same day. This just doesn't work. First of all, every single party has a different theme and for those of us who like to dress up, 3 costumes in one evening is just too much. On top of that, holding Geek Prom on Friday night was rough. I quite literally did not get out of there and into my bed until about 3am...followed by Saturday, which is always an exhausting con day. If I had a vote, I'd suggest rearranging the parties: Party Like a Time Lord (Thursday night), Captain's Cantina (Friday night) and Geek Prom (Saturday night). Let everyone enjoy their fandoms without running themselves into the ground.
• Badge Art - I loved the badge art this year (yay for my Jeff Pina badge!), but one of the things that I used to brag about when it came to this show was the badge art contest. It gave unknown artists a chance to show off what they can do. It gave the fans a way to feel involved in the con planning. I missed it this year and I know that others did too.

Are you my mummy?

The Summary -
I know that my list of bad looks pretty darn long this year, but honestly, this is still one of my favorite events every single year. I love the guest lists, the panels and the chance to visit with friends. I love that during the day I have absolutely no excuse to say I'm bored. There is always something going on and since escalators are the easiest way to get up and down, I get to work on my fear of the darn things. I love that the convention really seems to care about the fans and does its best to bring in the best. I won't hesitate to still recommend this show to anyone who is looking to check one out. With an attendance of 77,818 this year combined with someone new at the helm, growing pains are to be expected. I've already been told that next year they'll be opening up even more convention center space, so I'm looking forward to another year of awesome! Phoenix Comicon 2015, I'm already looking forward to walking your halls, listening to your panels, interviewing your guests and just having an amazing time.

To check out our full Phoenix Comicon Photo Gallery, check out our Facebook Fan Page!

Kickstarter/Indiegogo Spotlight: Bosco & Fleet: Detectives of the Occult Sciences

Detective stories are always so fun to read.  This week's spotlight just happens to be such a story.  Only, the detectives are not quite what you'd expect.  To find out more, follow the clues to the Kickstarter page.  Ok, so it's just a link, no clues involved.

Three Questions with Jeff Pina

The Geeks Come Out At Night

When it comes to throwing an excitingly educational, fun-filled, geeky night, there are quite a few cities on the list. One of the most notable is Tempe, AZ.  From the technologically-based companies, to the innovative work done at the Arizona State University campus, it's not hard to figure out why Tempe would host one of the most geek-loving parties just outside Tempe City Hall. Geeks Night Out (part of Geek Week in Tempe) allows Artists (such as Big Chris Art, Alfred Trujillo, and Jeff Pina) cosplayers (AZ TARDIS, Arizona Ghostbusters), as well as clothing and merchandise (Geeksville, AZ, Evil Controllers) to roll out along with science demonstrations, and geeky wooden cutouts for photo opportunities: it was a dream for anyone who loved science, technology, and art and longed to see them spun together in a glorious display.  

If that weren't enough, there was always live music from either One Kitty Gone or A Life of Science that you could enjoy while grabbing a bite to eat at any number of local restaurants.  Wandering through the myriad of experiences, my friend (and photographer) Jenn grabbed some food at Bison Witches.  From there, we took a no-agenda approach to admire as many demonstrations and take as many pictures as possible (not to mention maybe grabbing a print or a new board game to bring home).  The entire evening, it was heartening to see all ages continuously gathered around experiments and demonstrations discussing scientific theory, Newton's first law of motion, aerodynamics, slope & acceleration, and tons more!

Before calling it a night, I made sure to peruse Pop Culture Paradise's booth.  They happened to be running a 50% off special on their board and card games during this event. Well, I had been feeling a stronger and stronger urge to get my own copy of Munchkin.  How could I pass this up?  One brief transaction later and I was the proud owner of my first Munchkin set. It's safe to assume this will lead to many more in the future.  I may research getting a table to set up for next year, but that all depends on my current project-completion success rate. Thanks for reading! 

Amazing Arizona Comicon Wrap Up Part I

Nearly every weekend in Phoenix has something special going on, but when the artists and cosplayers come together with some of the biggest names in the business, you know a good time is bound to be had by all.  I drove up to Phoenix from Tucson on Friday (day 1) with a general anticipation.  I never knew exactly how the weekend would go, but I knew that:

A) it would be fun and

B) it would be memorable

I finally got to the convention center fashionably late (about 4p) and I couldn't help but feel mixed emotions when I saw the line of people wrapping around the south building waiting to get in. I'm glad that so many folks wanted to get in, but the line looked nigh unending.  After checking with some of the folks in line I found that this was just for Groupon ticket holders: *WHEW* I have nothing against Groupon, but in this instance, I am glad I dodged that bullet. (Which in all honesty probably would have only made me wait an extra 30-45 mins).  I got inside, got checked in and they gave me my wristband for the weekend. 

Now, while I generally try to exhibit at these events, this time (due to budget responsibilities mostly) I decided to attend instead.  I figured that I need to just attend a con every now and then to remind me why I exhibit every year.  I made my rounds seeing folks I knew, shaking hands with new people, making a mental note of future purchases.  One of my first stops was at Chris Wood's booth to admire his canvased work and Shelby Robertson's table to take advantage of the door-buster deals he had been advertising on Facebook.  After making my rounds covering the floor and picking up an impulse buy of "The Art Of Daxiong Collection", it was time to head out (which didn't feel like too long or too short a time at all).  Time for a good night's sleep and gear up for day 2 which started at 10 A.M.

 As with most cons, Saturday was expected to be a huge day: plenty of programming going on all day and later in the afternoon, comic book artist Jim Lee would be signing items for fans.  Saturday also started the overcast clouds and constant rain that would last all weekend.  I wasn't worried: anything I had bought could fit in a backpack or was stored in a polybag.  I took quite a bit of time wandering around the floor again: taking pictures of the cosplayers who had shown up in force and prioritizing my next purchases. One gentleman had dressed up in Gene Simmons' "Demon" alter ego - I knew I had to snap his picture and I seriously doubt he was able to walk more than a few feet at a time once inside the convention hall.  My favorite thing to do at any con (exhibiting or attending) is just stand near almost any table and listen to stories. I'm a huge fan of anecdotes: people's art process, who they met, interactions with other artists, crazy stories involving chairs in elevators...Anyway! Where was I?  Saturday went off without a hitch and once the con closed down came my next favorite part of the con: sitting down to dinner with my creative friends and just BSing in a relaxed atmosphere.  As Saturday night drew to a close (complete with battling with Phoenix Monster Jam patrons to exit the parking garage), I barely had enough time to wind down and drift off to sleep so I could complete my attendee's journey of Amazing Arizona Con 2013. 

Sunday rolled in and I got myself prepared to check out of the place I was staying so I didn't have to double-back right as I was getting settled at the con. Today was also another milestone as I was going to partake in my 2nd panel *ever* (first being at Tucson Con 2012).  I was stoked: I never really had a problem getting up in front of people and speaking on a subject (granted that it was a subject I had some experience in).  This time around, it was concerning Kickstarter since I had just successfully funded a small project in November. I'm getting ahead of myself, though.  I had underestimated the amount of time it would take to get packed up, checked out, and drive the few blocks to the convention center parking garage so I was left with the minor inconvenience of waiting in line to actually enter the convention hall once it opened.  Once inside, it was just a matter of making purchases and killing time until my panel at 2 P.M. (which wasn't hard at all) 

Around 11 A.M. a friend of mine had shown up with a "present" for me: apparently someone she knew was clearing out a bunch of art supplies from their house and I became the proud owner of not only new pastels, graphite and charcoal (which I keep meaning to do more work with), but a 24 pack of Prismacolor markers. Needless to say, I was ecstatic! I immediately dropped everything off in my car (except the Prismacolors, those now stayed in my backpack.)

Wandering around some more, I had finally gotten tired of being behind and picked up "CHEW" Omnivore Editions Volume 1 & 2 so I could be somewhat caught up. By this time,  2 P.M. had finally rolled around and it was time for my panel. I was joined by writer Eric M. Esquivel, artist Mariah Wall, and Top Cow writer Matt Hawkins.  Even without a true "moderator", Matt kept us on topic and made sure to get each of our different experiences in to answer the audience's questions (to which they had many.)  After all was said and done, I finished out the day (and the weekend) satisfied with my purchases, but not with the amount of pictures I took - let's be honest, when I review them, I'm *never* happy with how many (read: "few") pictures I took.  Grabbed some dinner on the way out of town and headed home. It was a great experience to be sure and of course I quickly remembered why I exhibit almost every con I go to.  Actually, I learned that early Saturday.    The convention was, as advertised, amazing and I look forward to setting up an exhibitor's table next year.

Phoenix Comicon : The Talent Just Keeps Coming!

Eric Mengel, Jason Gonzo, Jeff Pina, Michael Kessler,   Radi Lewis, Spencer Brinkerhoff, Val Hochberg, Tom Hodges, Mike Norton, Ming Doyle, Jonathan Glapion, and Andy Runton Join PHXCC 2013

Phoenix Comicon is proud to announce Eric Mengel, Jason Gonzo, Jeff Pina, Michael Kessler,   Radi Lewis, Spencer Brinkerhoff, Val Hochberg, Tom Hodges, Mike Norton, Ming Doyle, Jonathan Glapion, and Andy Runton will be attending Phoenix Comicon 2013.

Eric Mengel is the writer/artist/publisher of OCHO. OCHO is an alien missionary sent to make Earth a better place. Eric and OCHO have been staples of the Arizona comic book scene since 1995. OCHO is Eric's life's work with regard to comics and has dedicated himself to making OCHO the best comic book he can.  

Jason Gonzo is a Chicano artist who currently resides in Mesa, AZ. Gonzo worked in-house as the Senior Art Director for McFarlane Toys/Todd McFarlane Productions. After having worked his way to Creative Director for an advertising agency, Gonzo left to freelance full-time and shift his focus primarily to art, illustration and completing his Comic Book project - La Mano del Destino.

Jeff Pina launched his first comicbook Dr. Oblivion's guide to Teenage Dating in late 2005 and has been making comics since. Jeff does the art chores on the weekly web comic Drunk-Robot with collaborator Brian Powell. He also has two other self-published series Imaginatives and Monkey in Space.

Michael Kessler is the owner and writer for Bleating Goat Comics out of Phoenix, AZ. Founded in 2010, Bleating Goat Comics has published three titles to date. In 2013 Bleating Goat Comics will unveil its newest title Unearthed, an epic global exodus story with an international ensemble cast.

Radi Lewis is making his return to the Phoenix Comicon and he’s bringing the 3rd installment of his hit series TechWatch right along with him. This indie writer currently has a title that is distributed through Diamond Comics; he recently finished a comic for Department of Public Works & Transportation in Arlington TX; and is currently working on a mobile video game.

Spencer Brinkerhoff debuted his art work in 2008 at the Star Wars Celebration in Japan and the San Diego Comic Con, where his animated short was a finalist in the Star Wars Fan movie challenge. He's also created sketch cards for Lord of the Rings, Marvel, Indiana Jones and The Clone Wars.

Val Hochberg is the artist and writer of the popular webcomic series Mystery  Babylon. The extreme post-apocalyptic story features Kick Girl, a very unhappy demon, who is forced to travel with the happy-go-lucky priest, Zero.

Tom Hodges is well known for his work on Star Wars comics, but in 2012, Tom provided the artwork for a 40 page Graphic Novel/Digital Comic/iBook to accompany the 5.1 surround sound release of RUSH's landmark album, "2112". 2013 will see Tom's long awaited return to his Hero MIDKNIGHT (Red 5 Comics)

Mike Norton is an artist and writer.  Norton worked as a freelancer for several years before launching his own web comic Battlepug in 2011. His recent works includes the  the critically acclaimed series, revival.

Ming Doyle is a freelance illustrator and comic book artist known for her work on Women of Marvel's Girl Comics and the comic series Mara.

Jonathan Glapion is an inker for DC and works on Batman, Final Crisis Revelations and Outsiders.

Andy Runton is the creator of the Owly graphic novel series and Owly and Wormy books. Owly  an award winning children's graphic novel that centers around the adventures of an owl. 

Phoenix Comicon is the signature pop culture experience of the southwest. Comicon is presenting guests and programming for hobbyists by attracting the top segments of the comics, anime, sci-fi, film, tv, and gaming industries. Entering its eleventh year, Phoenix Comicon is expected to draw over 40,000 attendees to its May 23-26, 2013 convention held at the Phoenix Convention Center and Hyatt Regency in Downtown Phoenix.

For more information, please go to http://www.phoenixcomicon.com.

Kickstarter of the Week: Unbound

A journey set in a dystopian future where the Greek gods of old will awaken and rise again. One man is the key to everything.

Launched: Oct 14, 2012
Funding ends: Nov 30, 2012

Unbound: The Awakening is a comic that brings the Greek gods into the future.  It is written by Kyle Stephens with art by Mariah Wall.  With your help we hope to launch the series in April of 2013.  This will allow us to finish issue 1-3 before the launch.  From there we plan to release the book every other month.  See below for the link to our free preview.

We will also be releasing a special Kickstarter Exclusive cover by Aspen Comics artist Mike Debalfo!

10/16/12 UPDATE!  We have just brought on another amazing artist!  Taylor Garrity, known for his work on Potential of Nine, has come on to do an exclusive print just for backers!  We will be posting progress of this print as it is made!

Please see samples of their work below!

10/30/12 UPDATE 2!  THANK YOU SO MUCH!  We have reached and exceeded our goal!  You all rock!  Listed below is the rewards for our different stretch goals!

11/14/12 UPDATE 3!  I am so proud to announce that Jeff Pina will be doing the $1,800 stretch goal set!  Jeff is known for his comics "Dr. Oblivion's Guide to Teenage Dating" and "imaginitives".  See below for examples of his work and links to his pages!

~.~.~.~.~

Don't let the fact that this project has been fully funded stop you from joining in on the support! They have added some amazing packages for contributors as well as have some amazing talent on board! The more we support them, the more likely we are to see more issues of what rumor has it is going to be one fantastic series!

For more information, head on over to: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/396388559/unbound-the-awakening

Monkey in Space

"Monkey In Space is a semi-weekly web comic about a womanizing, drinking monkey named Tip, a worrysome janitorial robot named Socket and the hot alien bounty hunter, Chica. It follows their misadventures on the run from the villainous Tri."

-- Except, Monkey In Space is also a print comic book, collecting up the first 49 web comics!

The Good: I love the artwork in this book. It's just...fun. It's not overly complicated but it's well drawn and the colors just make it come to life. Tip, while a womanizing, banana drinking money is just so much fun for me to read. He has a careless attitude and you can't help but shake your head at the predicaments that he finds himself in. Yet, you can't help but love him.

The Bad : Due to Tip's nature, this is an adult book. Now, normally I wouldn't hold this against a book except in this case, the title and the cover were like pollen to a bee when it came to my kids spotting this book. I had to run some quick interference. Also, while the inside cover of this book promises the first 49 web comics, the comic numbers only run up to 48.

The Summary : If you're a grown up who loves misbehaving monkeys, hot alien bounty hunters or funny little robots, you're going to want to check out this book. It's my great hope that there are many more books in this series. The comic does continue on as a web comic, but if you're like me, you're horrible at remembering to check in on your favorite web comics. When I get the opportunity, I always go after the books when they're released.

Now for the fun details...If you want to catch up with the adventures of Tip, Socket and Chica, head on over to the webcomic. If you want to touch base with the people involved, I recommend the Monkey in Space and Sideways 8 Studios Facebook pages.

Once again, our thanks go out to Jesse James Comics for giving us this book to review. All thoughts, comments and opinions belong 100% to the author.