W♥M

Wizard World Minneapolis - MOA Kickoff event (30 Apr 2015)

Wizard World Minneapolis Details Minneapolis Convention Center Friday, May 1, 3-8 p.m. Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, May 3, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Guests • WWE® Divas The Bella Twins ™ • Gillian Anderson (The X-Files, Princess Mononoke) • Karl Urban (Star Trek, Dredd, Lord of the Rings) • Brent Spiner (Star Trek: The Next Generation) • James & Oliver Phelps (Harry Potter) • Jason Mewes (Jay and Silent Bob) • Sylvester McCoy (Doctor Who) • Kristy Swanson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) • Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) • Finn Wittrock (American Horror Story) • Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy) • Kevin Sorbo (Hercules) • Neal Adams (Eisner Award Hall of Fame Artist) • Phil Ortiz (Animator: The Simpsons) • Kevin Smith (Jay and Silent Bob) The full guest list, event times, panels and programming lists and other show info is linked at wizardworld.com Read More Wizard World Minneapolis We are very excited to cover Wizard World Minneapolis again, now in its second year at Minneapolis Convention Center, in Minneapolis. … Peelander-Z Superhero Japanese punk band Peelander-Z is currently on tour in support of their latest album, Metalander-Z, stopping by the Turf Club in St Paul last night, September 19th. …

Wizard World Minneapolis officially began its pop culture weekend takeover last night, with a kickoff event held last night at the rotunda in the Mall of America.  In addition to a trivia contest for passes and prizes, celebrity guests Michael Rooker, Kristy Swanson, Jason Mewes, and artist Arthur Suydam.

The contests and Q+ A were moderated by on-air talent from the local CW station, who were also showing off a car adorned with Flash illustrations, that is planned to be given away later this fall.  Additionally, a local superhero collective and a few fans dressed up to show off some cosplay for the attending fans.

Michael Rooker

Michael Rooker was by far, the most animated of the group, arriving late to the proceedings after a last minute coffee run, but more than forgiven by the loyal fans.  When asked about his favorite role, he pointed to the recent Stan Lee Cameo School 2 min. spot for Audi, which he said was a lot of fun, and paid him the most per on-screen second, in his career.

Kristy Swanson

Kristy Swanson was asked what her reaction was when first hearing Buffy was to be optioned as a TV series, and she was first confused if it would be a mini-series or ongoing, then glad that the character continued to develop in a different format.

Jason Mewes

Jason Mewes revealed that Kevin Smith was a little under the weather, which is why he didn’t make it town earlier in the week, and that they would like to shoot Mallrats 2 in the same Eden Prairie Center Mall, but that state filming tax incentives, would likely make Smith scout elsewhere.  Both Mewes and Mallrats co-star Rooker reveled in being in a Minnesota mall again, some 20 years later.

Arthur Suydam

Arthur Suydam is probably best recently known for his Marvel Zombies work, but when asked about his early artistic influences, revealed he attended a NYC arts school than emphasized the Renaissance master painters and had their students learn by copying the great works.

A select lucky few in the crowd got Wizard World weekend passes and tickets to an Avengers: Age of Ultron screening, happening immediately after the panel—Wizard World Minneapolis opens its doors today.

For music fans, one of Vu’s favorites, the colorful and fun Peelander-Z plays the Saturday After Party at Pourhouse in downtown Minneapolis, free before 10:30 to anyone with a Wizard wristband.

Wizard World Minneapolis - MOA Kickoff event (Day 0) (30 Apr 2015) left to right: Kristy Swanson, Michael Rooker, Arthur Suydam, and Jason Mewes

john ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Minneapolis: May 2 - May 4, 2015

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area for May 2 to May 4, 2015. We are really busy this first week in May... In addition to covering Free Comic Book Day (May 2nd), we'll be covering Wizard World Minneapolis from May 1st to May 3rd. If I'm not dead by Star Wars Day (May the Fourth), we'll post the reviews that week.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Speedy Ortiz After sharing a stream of it a week early via NPR's First Listen, Speedy Ortiz has released their brand new album Foil Deer today via Carpark Records. Its release comes in conjunction with the band ...

SPEEDY ORTIZ
at 7th St Entry
Saturday 05/02/15, 7pm ($12)
first-avenue.com

It'll be a regular Popfest over at the 7th Street Entry on Saturday, May 2nd, with headliner Speedy Ortiz and special guests, Krill, Two Inch Astronaut, and Bitter Canon.

Speedy Ortiz just recently released their new album Foil Deer on Tuesday, April 21st, via Carpark Records.

Find out why Pitchfork is calling Massachusetts' Speedy Ortiz "one of the sharper indie rock bands in recent memory."

Tour dates:

4/26/15 ­ Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's *&
4/28/15 ­ Pittsburgh, PA @ Cattivo *!
4/29/15 ­ Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop *!
4/30/15 ­ Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle *!
5/1/15 ­ Madison, WI @ The Frequency *!
5/2/15 ­ Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry *!
5/3/15 ­ Iowa City, IA @ Gabe's Oasis *!
5/4/15 ­ Champaign, IL @ Highdive *!
5/6/15 ­ Washington, DC @ Black Cat *!
5/7/15 ­ Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter *
5/8/15 ­ Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle ­ Back Room *
5/9/15 ­ Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees Festival
5/11/15 ­ Tampa, FL @ The Crowbar *
5/13/15 ­ New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa *
5/14/15 ­ Houston, TX @ Walter's Downtown $
5/15/15 ­ Austin, TX @ Red 7 $
5/16/15 ­ Dallas, TX @ Club Dada $
5/21/15 ­ Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo $
5/22/15 ­ Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room $
5/23/15 ­ Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst Atrium $
5/25/15 ­ Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios $%
5/26/15 ­ Vancouver, BC @ The Cobalt $
5/27/15 ­ Seattle, WA @ Barboza $
5/29/15 ­ Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court $^
5/30/15 ­ Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge $^
5/31/15 ­ Kansas City, MO @ The Riot Room $^
6/1/15 ­ Columbia, MO @ Rose Music Hall $^
6/2/15 ­ St. Louis, MO @ Firebird $^
6/4/15 ­ Detroit, MI @ UFO Factory $^
6/5/15 ­ Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern $^
6/6/15 ­ Montreal, QC @ Bar Le "Ritz" P.D.B. $^
7/17/15 ­ Louisville, KY @ Forecastle Festival

* w/ KRILL
&w/ Mitski
! w/ Two Inch Astronaut
$ w/ Alex G
% w/ Broken Water
^ w/ Palehound

Read More R. Ring What's the deal with Kelley Deal (* see comment below)? She's teaming up with Ampline's Mike Montgomery to start a new band called R. Ring. ... Prissy Clerks I'm pretty certain if you went to see a local Minneapolis concert this year, chances are you probably saw Prissy Clerks. I've previously mentioned them before, ...

R. RING
at 7th St Entry
Sunday 05/03/15, 8pm ($10)
first-avenue.com

Kelley Deal (The Breeders) & Mike Montgomery (Ampline) are R. Ring. We wrote about them in 2012 and I honestly had not heard from the duo for a long time. In fact, it was almost by accident, while I was putting together the show previews for the first week of May, that I ran across this odd date for Sunday, May 3rd.

R. Ring recently released a split 7" with Protomartyr. The release is available digitally, but vinyl fans will have to wait until mid-June.

UPDATE: They are now listing two openers: Wowsville (ex-members of Prissy Clerks) and Daisy Chains.

Tour dates:

4/30 - Dayton, OH - Canal Public House
5/01 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
5/02 - Madison, WI - Frequency
5/03 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
5/04 - Fargo, ND - The Aquarium
5/05 - Billings, MT - Pub Station
5/06 - Spokane, WA - The Bartlett
5/07 - Seattle, WA - Sunset Tavern
5/10 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios
5/11 - San Francisco, CA - Elbo Room
5/12 - Los Angeles, CA - Satellite
5/14 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad
5/15 - Denver, CO - Hi Dive
5/16 - Omaha, NE - O'leavers
5/17 - Lawrence, KS - Replay Lounge
5/18 - Columbia, MO - Cafe Berlin
5/19 - Louisville, KY - The New Vintage

Read More Peelander-Z Superhero Japanese punk band Peelander-Z is currently on tour in support of their latest album, Metalander-Z, stopping by the Turf Club in St Paul last night, September 19th. …

DAIKAIJU
at Turf Club
Monday 05/04/15, 8pm ($7)
turfclub.net

Alabama's Daikaiju looks like a lot of fun. The Japanese kabuki/super-hero thing reminds me of Peelander-Z, so they are in very good company, as far as looks goes. Cristina and I have said this about Peelander-Z and other bands with low-entrance cover fees, even if it's not your cup of music tea, you'll probably have a lot of fun.

Local band Rykygnyzyr and Narco States set to open the show St Paul show at the Turf Club.

Daikaiju's tour dates:

04.25 - The Shakedown - Bellingham, WA
04.27 - Secret Show - Bellingham, WA
04.28 - The Hop - Spokane, WA
04.29 - The Filling Station - Bozeman, MT
04.30 - Railyard Ale House - Billings, MT
05.01 - Side B - Bismarck, ND
05.02 - Ojata Records - Grand Forks, ND
05.03 - TBA
05.04 - Turf Club - Saint Paul, MN
05.05 - Gabe's Iowa City - Iowa City, IA
05.06 - TBA
05.07 - Tonic Tavern - Milwaukee, WI
05.08 - High Noon Saloon - Madison, WI
05.09 - Broken World Records - Winona, MT
05.10 - Kryptonite - Rockford, IL
05.11 - 05.19 - TBA
05.20 - Canal Street Tavern - Dayton, OH
05.21 - TBA
05.22 - Horrible Fest - Now That's Class
05.23 - Horrible Fest - Now That's Class
05.24 - Royal Oaks - Youngstown, OH

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Minneapolis: May 1, 2015

There are just too many good shows taking place this May 1st, 2015, in the Minneapolis/St Paul area. I've broken down some of the good ones.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Hurray For The Riff Raff Hurray For The Riff Raff just released their latest, Small Town Heroes, on ATO. Really good Cajun Sound. I saw them at the Mojo BBQ, two or three years ago and have always been impressed. ...

HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF
at Cedar Cultural Center
Friday 05/01/15, 7pm ($15/Sold Out)
thecedar.org

We caught Alynda Lee Segarra (aka Hurray for the Riff Raff) at Shakopee in 2014 and described her show as:

Segarra filled out her songs with a four-piece band, which included a fiddle and upright bass to accompany her own banjo playing. Highlights included one of the first songs she’d written on banjo, ‘Here It Comes’, ‘End of the Line’ which featured Segarra on harmonica, and ‘Little Black Star’, from her previous album, that became a crowd clap and sing-a-long.

Canadian country singer and visual artist Daniel Romano set to open this sold out Minneapolis show.

Tour dates:

04/25/15 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall Of Williamsburg
04/28/15 Detroit, MI Shelter
04/29/15 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
04/30/15 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon
05/01/15 Minneapolis, MN Cedar Cultural Center
05/03/15 St. Louis, MO Sheldon Concert Hall
05/04/15 Tulsa, OK The Vanguard
05/05/15 Little Rock, AR South On Main
05/28/15 Memphis, TN Levitt Shell
05/29/15 Louisville, KY Headliners Music Hall
05/30/15 Nelsonville Music Festival
05/31/15 Nelsonville Music Festival
06/02/15 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom
06/03/15 Buffalo, NY Ninth Ward At Babeville
06/04/15 Burlington, VT Signal Kitchen
06/06/15 Providence, RI Columbus Theater
06/07/15 Mountain Jam Festival
06/09/15 Three Rivers Arts Festival
06/10/15 Annapolis, MD Rams Head On Stage
06/12/15 Friday Cheers
06/14/15 Bonnaroo Music
06/19/15 Bayou Boogaloo
06/26/15 Big Barrel Country Music Festival
08/08/15 Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival

Read More The Turbo Fruits The Turbo Fruits/Bad Cop Split 7" came out on Jeffery Drag Records last week, July 31st. The vinyl will be limited to 300 clear vinyl, as well as a super limited 100 copies on clear/lavender vinyl ... Eternal Summers Starting the Splatter show was Eternal Summers, a lo-fi/garage rock band from Virginia. The trio, lead by singer/guitarist Nicole Yun ...

TURBO FRUITS w/ Eternal Summers
at Fallout Art Center
Friday 05/01/15 ($??)
facebook.com/falloutminneapolis

I've never been to the Fallout Art Center before, but in addition to art displays, they host live concerts as well. Nashville's Turbo Fruits will be stopping by the art center to showoff tracks from their latest album No Control. Spin described the album as "a solid 11-track collection of crisp, hook-filled garage-pop songs about love, drugs, death and other rock’n’roll..." The album came out this week, April 20th on all formats... and for the pre-orders, a very special 4/20 surprise: rolling papers.

Come to the Fallout Art Center this Friday to discovery why The Black Keys' Patrick Carney called "one of my favorite bands from Nashville."

We previously saw Eternal Summers in St Paul with We Are Scientists and Surfer Blood and as headliner in Minneapolis in 2013. The lo-fi trio's new album is called Gold And Stone, and it's coming out June 2nd on Kanine Records.

UPDATE: The Turbo Fruits/Eternal Summers show will also be at the 7th Street Entry at 11pm! Additional details over at first-avenue.com.

Tour dates:

Apr 25 - Brick & Mortar - San Francisco, CA *
Apr 28 - Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR *
Apr 29 - Sunset Tavern - Seattle, WA *
May 1 - Fallout Art Center - Minneapolis, MN *
May 1 - 7th Street Entry (11pm) - Minneapolis, MN *
May 2 - Cactus Club - Milwaukee, WI *
May 3 - Double Door - Chicago, IL *
May 4 - Huma Room @ Hop Cat - Detroit, MI *
May 5 – Rumba Cafe – Columbus, OH
May 6 - Happy Dog - Cleveland, OH
May 7 - Smiling Moose - Pittsburgh, PA *
May 9 - Bill’s Bar (Radio BDC) - Boston, MA ^
May 10 - Rock & Roll Hotel - Washington, DC ^
May 11 – Music Hall – Brooklyn, NY ^
May 12 – Nanola – Malta, NY
May 14 - Boot & Saddle - Philadelphia, PA ^
May 15 – The Saint – Asbury Park, NJ ^
May 16 - Lizard Lounge - Lancaster, PA ^
June 20 - Happenin’ Fest - Birmingham, AL

* with Eternal Summers
^ with Surfer Blood

Read More Wizard World Don't forget that the second annual Wizard World Comic Con Minneapolis will be taking place May 1st and May 2nd (which is also Free Comic Book Day) and May 3rd. We had a fantastic time last year at the …

WIZARD WORLD MINNEAPOLIS
at Minneapolis Convention Center
Friday 05/01/15 ($35/$75 for three days)
wizardworld.com

We are very excited to cover Wizard World Minneapolis again, now in its second year at Minneapolis Convention Center, in Minneapolis.

The first show is this Friday and continues to Sunday. If you buy your tickets in advance, it's $75 for all three days, otherwise there is an extra $10 charge if you buy it at the door.

This year's big attraction are Star Trek/Dredd's Karl Urban (Sat & Sun), X-Files' Gillian Anderson (Sat & Sun), Harry Potter's James & Oliver Phelps (Sat & Sun), WWE's The Bella Twins (Sat).

For the complete Friday event listing, head over to wizardworld.com.

These are just the ones I'll likely attend (although I always end up shopping in the salesfloor most of the time):

Friday, May 1st
4:30–5:15PM Beyond the SHIELD, a conversation about Marvel's Agent of SHIELD (ROOM M100B)
Adam Wells and Mitra Nelson lead an in-depth conversation on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season two...

5:00–5:45PM Midnight Movies: Birth, Death And Afterlife (ROOM M100E)
Minneapolis-based filmmaker Dwayne Robinson moderates a panel discussion revealing the history and lore of midnight movies, including their fade into obscurity during the 90's and their ongoing resurgence in unexpected places. Panelists will include our friend Theresa Purcell of Trash Film Debauchery.

5:30-6:15PM Spotlight On Batman Beyond’s And Superman’s Dan Jurgens (ROOM M100B)
We saw Dan Jurgens' talk last year, this guy is simply amazing. He's drawn every major Marvel or DC character. Moderated by artist Gordon Purcell.

6:30-7:15PM How To Write Comics with Chris Claremont, Larry Hama, Michael Avon Oeming and Renee Witterstaetter (ROOM M100B)
These guys wrote some of my favorite Uncanny X-Men (Chris Claremont) and G.I. Joe (Larry Hama) stories. Also with "Powers" hot on the PlayStation network, it might be interesting to see what artist Michael Avon Oeming has to say.

There's also a costume event that I will likely check out... Also although it's listed in conjunction with Wizard World, the Kevin Smith Q&A session is a separate paid event at the State Theatre. I do not believe Kevin Smith will appear at the Minneapolis Convention Center, so this evening show is a must see for any fans of Clerks and Comic Book Men.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Comic Book News: Convention Season begins

Read More Comic Books Don't forget that the second annual Wizard World Comic Con Minneapolis will be taking place May 1st and May 2nd (which is also Free Comic Book Day) and May 3rd. We had a fantastic time last year at the ....

Spring has finally sprung, meaning among other things, that comic convention season is moving into full swing.

Locally, the offerings are expanding and here are just a few of the upcoming shows—

Sound+Vision MN

We start small with the charming and varied Sound+Vision MN Pop Culture Collectibles Show, a Free Admission show happening this Saturday at Valley Creek Mall in Woodbury. The show is in its third year and offers not only comic books and toys to peruse, but a great selection of music collectibles (Vinyl Records, CDs, concert DVDs), various memorabilia, rarities, and things you didn’t know you needed… but you do.

Additionally, Eisner Award winning creator Zander Cannon is special guest, promoting his just released Kaijumax #1 (Oni Press) about Godzilla-like monsters in a super prison overseen by Ultraman-like guards. There’s also free Star Wars: Rebels items and a first chance to possibly nab Avengers: Age of Ultron advanced movie passes.

A road trip should be considered for Chicago’s C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo), happening at McCormick Place April 24-26^th.  This massive show is very comic book-friendly with most publishers and many of today’s superstars in attendance.  Stan Lee, Dan Slott, Gail Simone, David Finch, and Amanda Conner are just a few of the numerous professionals attending.

Entertainment media guests include cast members of Arrow, Orphan Black, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter, Game of Thrones, and celebrities such as Kevin Smith, Matt Dillon, M. Night Shyamalan, and many others.  Panels, screenings, cosplay, and more fill the weekend with plenty to do and see.

FCBD

The next weekend brings not only Free Comic Book Day on Saturday May 2^nd, but also Wizard World Minneapolis May 1-3 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.  Free Comic Book Day encourages everyone young and old to visit their participating area retailer, to receive a selection of fifty different titles, available exclusively for this event.

All major publishers participate on Free Comic Book Day, with some of the free titles featuring well liked properties such as The Simpsons, Transformers, Bob’s Burgers, Sonic, The Avengers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and many more.  Retailers also offer other incentives such as sales and giveaways, to make the day a special one.

Wizard World Minneapolis

Wizard World Minneapolis returns with an impressive list of entertainment guests that includes Gillian Anderson, Karl Urban, Luke Perry, and the voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy.  Comic book professionals attending include Neal Adams, Chris Claremont, Larry Hama, and Michael Golden.  While entertainment guests have always charged for autographs, many premier comic professionals are now doing so as well, so check details at their booth.

MSP ComicCon

The Midwest Comic Book Association has re-branded Spring Con as MSP ComicCon, to take advantage of the name recognition, and always offers an intimate, yet expansive weekend experience.  Happening May 16 and 17^th at the State Fairgrounds, comic professionals scheduled to attend include Ben Templesmith, Kris Anka, Pat Gleason, Mike Norton, and others.

john ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Comics News: Wizard World Minneapolis 2015, ComiXology at SXSW, and Tales of the Wedding Present

Read More Wizard World Wizard World Minneapolis Comic Con Day Two was probably the best-attended show of the three day event (now, having seen the action on Sunday). Unfortunately, this Saturday fell right …

WIZARD WORLD COMIC CON
wizardworld.com

Don't forget that the second annual Wizard World Comic Con Minneapolis will be taking place May 1st and May 2nd (which is also Free Comic Book Day) and May 3rd. We had a fantastic time last year at the inaugural Comic Convention, please read our recaps to get an idea of what to expect for 2015.

Actors/celebrities:

Karl Urban (Star Trek, The Bourne Supremacy)

Katie Cassidy (“Arrow,” “Gossip Girl”)

Morena Bacarrin ("Homeland", “Stargate SG-1”)

Christian Serratos ("The Walking Dead," Twilight)

Gillian Anderson (“The X-Files,” The Last King of Scotland)

WWE Divas The Bella Twins (appearing May 1st only)

Luke Perry (“Beverly Hills, 90210,” Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

Sylvester McCoy ("Doctor Who," The Hobbit)

Kevin Sorbo ("Hercules: The Legendary Journey," “Andromeda”)

Kristy Swanson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Higher Learning)

Jason Mewes (“Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”)

Comic creators:

Neal Adams (“Batman,” “X-Men,”)

Angel Unzueta (“Titans,” “The Flash”)

Salvador Larroca (“Avengers Vs. X-Men,” “Iron Man”)

Arthur Suydam (“Marvel Zombies,” “Army of Darkness”)

Michael Golden (“Spider-Man,” “Daredevil”)

Julian Totino Tedesco ("X-Treme X-Men," "Hulk")

Personally, I'm really excited about Gillian Anderson (being a longtime X-Files fan) and Karl Urban (I absolutely loved that Dredd film, even though he's probably known for being in Star Trek).

Also note, all full-price Wizard World Comic Con Minneapolis attendees will receive a limited edition exclusive variant cover “The Walking Dead” comic, drawn by one of Wizard World's talented artist guests (to be announced shortly). Comics will be issued at registration while supplies last and VIP attendees will receive an additional black & white sketch version.

In other Wizard World news, today (March 14th), they announced that Wizard World Comic Con Greenville will be rescheduled to July 15-17, 2016, from original date May 29-30, 2015. The reason given was that TD Convention Center limited Wizard World to only two days and Wizard World felt that the fans of Greenville deserved a three-day show for the full Wizard World Comic Con experience. That is fair, considering that sometime fans have to work on Saturday (I was in that boat last year), so I can appreciate that they extended it to Sunday. Fans who purchased 2015 tickets will be automatically refunded.

Read More Comic Books Having said all that, and excuse me if you think I do not understand the digital age (because I will agree with you), but selling a digital collection of Crisis for $19.99 is way, way too much. …

COMIXOLOGY
comixology.com

Jumping on the SXSW bandwagon (read all about our SXSW coverage over at sxsw.weheartmusic.com), for a limited time Comixology is giving away free comic books. Codes are good until today, Pi Day - March 14th.

Comixology is sponsoring a Twitch stream of this weekend gaming panels, so if you use SXSWDC, you'll get six comics either based or the source material is from video games (Fables, Batman: Arkham Knight, and Mortal Kombat).

To get these comics, go to comixology.com/redeem, log in and enter these codes in:

COLLIDE – Sonic/Mega Man: Worlds Collide Vol. 1
UNITY – Valiant 8-Bit Adventure: Unity!
RAI – Rai #1
XFILES – X-Files Season 10 Vol 1
SXSWDC – *
SAGA – Saga #1
HOOD - Black Hood #1

* Fables: The Wolf Among Us #1-2, Batman: Arkham Knight #1-2, Mortal Kombat X #1-2

UPDATE 03/15:

LOVECRAFT - Locke & Key: Lovecraft Vol. 1
PILGRIM - Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life Vol. 1
WICDIV - Wicked + The Divine #1

Attending SXSW in Austin, Texas, this year? It's not too late to register for the ComiXology Recommends Comics for You panel on Sunday, March 15 from 4:15pm - 5:00pm at Palmer Events Center (Geek Stage).

This is a free and open to the public, but I recommend showing up early as sometime time venue will reach maximum capacity and will refuse you entry.

ComiXology cofounders David Steinberger and John D. Roberts, as well as marketing maven Chip Mosher and international production supervisor Kara Szamborski, will talk about their vast comic knowledge and personally recommend their favorite comic book series, based on what you like.

Read More The Wedding Present The Wedding Present is currently on tour for the 21st anniversary of their album, Seamonsters. As expected, they are playing the entire album from start to finish. …

THE WEDDING PRESENT
scopitones.co.uk

Did you know that The Wedding Present has a comic book series? It's written by singer/songwriter David Gedge and his long-time former bass player Terry de Castro and drawn by celebrated cartoonist Lee Thacker.

The comic book series was first published in March 2012 and will continue through November 2015. The latest issue is #7.

Tales Of The Wedding Present release schedule:

Issue 1 - March 2012
Issue 2 - August 2012
Issue 3 - May 2013
Issue 4 - August 2013
Issue 5 - April 2014
Issue 6 - August 2014
Issue 7 - November 2014
Issue 8 - Coming in April 2015
Issue 9 - Coming in August 2015
Issue 10 - Coming in November 2015

Gedge's latest musical project is Cinerama. Their brand new album Valentina will be out on May 18th via Scopitones. Valentina is said to be a radical reworking of The Wedding Present's eighth studio album of the same name.

If you live in London, there will be a special one-off Cinerama show, complete with 12 piece band, strings and additional instrumentation, at the O2 Academy Islington on Saturday, June 6th, 2015.

You may recall that we caught the band on their 21st Anniversary tour of Seamonsters at the 400 Bar in 2012.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Pop Culture / Comic Book Shows - this weekend and beyond

Read More Comic Books Of all the comic book-related television shows that I follow, I'm most excited about Constantine. I know the source material very well, having own nearly all the 300 issues run of Hellblazer comic book. .…

Though winter’s cold bite is upon us early, there are still a few pop culture-related events, worth getting out of the house for.

Sound+Vision MN is a Pop Culture Collectibles show in its third year that brings together selections of vintage and current, rare and hard-to-find music (Vinyl, CDs, concert DVDs), comic books, toys, science fiction, horror and fantasy memorabilia and more, to a 3x annual show held at Valley Creek Mall in Woodbury.

Appearing November 22: Otis Frampton

For the latest installment, happening this Saturday, November 22 (9am-3pm), the show features Image Comics writer/artist Otis Frampton as its special guest and a chance to win early The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies advance screening tickets and prizes.

Frampton’s latest comic, an all-ages book called Oddly Normal, has its third issue out the following Wednesday, and he’s also involved in the YouTube popular How It Should Have Ended animated shorts, along with his own ABCDEFGeek.   Other promotions are on-site and the admission and parking are Free, for this one-of-a-kind east metro show.

Wizard World Madison

If it’s this cold and snowy out in November, will people go to a comic-con in early February? That’s the hope, as Wizard World expands its nationwide pop culture shows for 2015, adding a show in Madison, WI at the Alliant Energy Center on Feb 6-8, 2015.

Wizard began extending its reach last year, with the inaugural Wizard World Minneapolis and the company hopes for similar success across the border. Media guests announced so far include William Shatner, Eliza Dushku, George Wendt, Michael Rooker, Edward James Olmos, Billy Dee Williams, and Batman's Adam West and Burt Ward (perfect to get that long awaited TV series box autographed!).

Comic book creators include Mike Grell, writer Gary Carlson, and up-and- coming Marvel Young Gun artist, Valerio Schiti. Cosplay contests, celebrity Q+A sessions, and industry panels are all part of the weekend.

MSP Comicon

Locally, the longtime two-day SpringCon has rebranded itself as the MSP Comicon, likely in response for Wizard coming to town and to take advantage of the “Comicon” branding term. The 27^th annual show will be held May 16-17 in the Grandstand at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds and features 100,000 square feet of comic book-centric collectibles.

Known as a fan and creator friendly show, the organizing volunteers suffered a heavy loss when Source Comics and Games co-owner Nick Post unexpectedly passed away, but the Midwest Comic Book Association carries on in his honor, to deliver a show that is both fun and satisfying to the comic book aficionado.

john ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

W♥M220: Wizard World Chicago 2014

W♥M220: Wizard World Chicago (34 mins) Read More Wizard World Sunday at a major city comic convention is usually a “crowd hangover day”, with things usually moving a little slower after the busy Saturday and that was also the case at Wizard World Chicago …

Vu and John is back with some comic book talks.

Topics:

First memorable Superhero movie experiences: Superman (1978) and Batman (1989).

Wizard World Chicago 2014

New Gotham Television show - season premieres September 22nd.

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Song of the show is R.E.M.'s "Superman"

NOTE: The other big Chicago Comic Book Convention is called C2E2 (Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo). The Expo will be back around April 2015.

BONUS: Vu thinks it's a bad idea for too many variant covers, for example, there are now 14 Variant Covers for George Perez's Sirens #1 (Boom! Studios).

--
W♥M Radio is available on iTunes, please subscribe!

Subscription Options
Subscribe on iTunes
Subscribe via RSS
Add to Google
Add to Yahoo
____
Archive of this show at archive.org. More information on podomatic.com

George Perez’s Sirens #1 comes out in comic shops on September 17. Collect them all!

GEORGE PEREZ'S SIRENS #1 (Cover A) (Sep 2014) Boom! Studios GEORGE PEREZ'S SIRENS #1 (Cover B) (Sep 2014) Boom! Studios GEORGE PEREZ'S SIRENS #1 (Cover C) (Sep 2014) Boom! Studios GEORGE PEREZ'S SIRENS #1 (Cover D) (Sep 2014) Boom! Studios GEORGE PEREZ'S SIRENS #1 (Cover E) (Sep 2014) Boom! Studios GEORGE PEREZ'S SIRENS #1 (Baltimore Comic Con) (Sep 2014) Boom! Studios GEORGE PEREZ'S SIRENS #1 (Collector's Paradise) (Sep 2014) Boom! Studios GEORGE PEREZ'S SIRENS #1 (Keith's Comics) (Sep 2014) Boom! Studios GEORGE PEREZ'S SIRENS #1 (Cincinnati Comic Con) (Sep 2014) Boom! Studios GEORGE PEREZ'S SIRENS #1 (Larry's Comics) (Sep 2014) Boom! Studios GEORGE PEREZ'S SIRENS #1 (Third Eye Comics) (Sep 2014) Boom! Studios GEORGE PEREZ'S SIRENS #1 (Tate's Comics) (Sep 2014) Boom! Studios GEORGE PEREZ'S SIRENS #1 (Coliseum of Comics) (Sep 2014) Boom! Studios GEORGE PEREZ'S SIRENS #1 (Boom Exclusive) (Sep 2014) Boom! Studios

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Wizard World Chicago Comic Con - Sunday re-cap (24 Aug 2014)

Photo Gallery Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan Stan Lee Stan Lee (2) Stan Lee (3) Remaining Wizard World 2014 Schedule September 12-14 – Wizard World Richmond September 26-28 – Wizard World Nashville October 2-4 – Wizard World Austin October 31-November 2 – Wizard World Ohio November 7-9 – Wizard World Tulsa November 21-23 – Wizard World Reno Read More Wizard World Comic book, movie, sci-fi, horror, and pop culture fans will again converge in the Midwest as next weekend’s Wizard World Chicago Comic Con takes over the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in suburban Rosemont, IL. …

Sunday at a major city comic convention is usually a “crowd hangover day”, with things usually moving a little slower after the busy Saturday and that was also the case at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con, held at the Donald J. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, just outside Chicago, over the weekend.

Crowd numbers are usually higher than Thurs/Fri, but less than Saturday’s numbers, dealers are more apt to negotiate pricing (as it’s the last day of the show), and there are usually some interesting panels and activities to attend.

Wizard World has also traditionally made Sunday a Kids’ Day, with free admission to youngsters accompanying a paying adult, and more kid-centric activities, to appeal to the younger set.

Panels of the day included:

• One-On-One with Stan Lee
• On the Battlefield with Marvel’s Falcon And Winter Soldier (w/ Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson/Falcon) and Sebastian Stan (Bucky/The Winter Soldier)
• One-On-One With Elvira (aka Cassandra Peterson)
• Marvel Portfolio Review
• How to Write Comics with Marv Wolfman, Dan Mishkin, and Danny Fingeroth
• Inside X-Men: Days Of Future Past with Evan (Quicksilver) Peters, Shawn (Iceman) Ashmore and Booboo (Warpath) Stewart
• Mystery Science Theater w/ Joel Hodgson
• How to Color Comics
• Leonard Nimoy Panel (Via Skype)

John Barrowman's panel was re-scheduled for this day and there were also two off-site, additional admission events:

• Meet The Doctor: Matt Smith & Karen Gillan
• Star Trek: The Next Generation Reunion Event

Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson/Falcon) and Sebastian Stan (Bucky/The Winter Soldier) spoke to a filled upstairs ballroom, reciting tales from their movie sets, showing off their comic book knowledge, and answering fans’ questions.  Mackie was hilarious and charismatic, like a young Will Smith, and Stan was gracious with all fans’ requests and comments.

Mackie was asked when he knew he was a star of the Marvel Universe and mentioned his first day on the set, when Falcon’s stunt double was 250 ft. in the air and asked to perform aerial acrobatics, thankful that it wasn’t him strapped up there.  Noting that in the comics, both characters have (or about to) assume the Captain America identity, Mackie was aware of Sam Wilson’s upcoming storyline, hilariously referring to him as “Brotha Cap”.

Stan was asked about his favorite scene from the movie and mentioned the classic battle on the highway, where the Winter Soldier catches Captain America’s shield.  He also answered questions on his previous roles in “Once Upon a Time” and “Kings” for the fans.

Marvel Comics Chairman Emeritus and Generalissimo, Stan Lee, held court earlier in the same room, to an enraptured audience of all ages, who stepped up to right and left microphones, to ask any question they wanted.  Though the 91-year old has a little less pep in his step and sone trouble with hearing, he was no less entertaining, nor less self-aggrandizing  or less funny, as he answered questions.

Lee was asked about Spider-Man’s religion and said he never thought it was his place to have that or politics, in the Marvel books.  Asked about his “Marvel style” writing, he would first send the artist a plot, then receive back the penciled pages, to insert caption copy and dialogue, writing a comic a day.

Lee confirmed an Inhumans movie was in development...

Lee confirmed an Inhumans movie was in development, and asked which of all his creations his favorite character was, he mentioned he loved them all and had no regrets, though Spider-Man was the most special to him.

Lee was also given a proclamation by the governor’s office on stage, declaring it “Stan Lee Weekend” throughout the state, which he was very pleased to receive.

Lee, like Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan, was challenged to do the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge on stage, and Wizard CEO John Macaluso, appeared with a clear bucket of ice water, but at the last second, turned to pour the water instead, on a tiny action figure of Lee.  Keeping with tradition, Lee nominated three others to do the challenge- Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong-Il.

With that, some discounted merchandise, and a fistful of comics in hand, another Wizard World Comic Con had come to an end in Chicago, but fear not; they have remaining shows elsewhere in the country still this year, and plan to be back in Chicago next August.

Stan Lee at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con (24 Aug 2014)

john ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com

Wizard World Chicago Comic Con - Saturday re-cap (23 Aug 2014)

Photo Gallery Cosplay: SHIELD Agent and Spider-Man Cosplay: Ninjas Cosplay: Wonder Woman and Doomsday Cosplay: Transformers Cosplay: Starcraft Cosplay: Halo Batman Tumbler Makeup Gotham Panel Artist Panel Kevn Conroy Panel Remaining Wizard World 2014 Schedule September 12-14 – Wizard World Richmond September 26-28 – Wizard World Nashville October 2-4 – Wizard World Austin October 31-November 2 – Wizard World Ohio November 7-9 – Wizard World Tulsa November 21-23 – Wizard World Reno Read More Wizard World Comic book, movie, sci-fi, horror, and pop culture fans will again converge in the Midwest as next weekend’s Wizard World Chicago Comic Con takes over the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in suburban Rosemont, IL. …

Saturday is typically the busiest day for a major city weekend comic convention, and that was no exception this Saturday at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con, held at the Donald J. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, just outside Chicago.

Crowds were filling the aisles, ballrooms, and show floor most of the day, as a rumbling thunderstorm could be heard outside.  Dealers seemed busy, the major panel discussion rooms were full, and many of the celebrities that were appearing for only one of the days, were there on this day.

Panels of the day included:

• One-On-One With Erica Durance (Lois Lane On Smallville)
• No “Bones” About It: Karl Urban  (Star Trek, Star Trek- Into The Darkness, Dredd)
• 100 Years Of Super! Celebrating The 100th Birthdays Of Batman Co-Creator Bill Finger And Superman Creators Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster
• Gotham- First Episode Advance Screening
• Scorpion: Pilot Screening
• Superstar Artists: Leinil Yu, Kevin West, Mikey Babinski & Adelso Corona
• Under The Hood: Exploring Arrow With Katie Cassidy And Michael Jai White
• Meeting Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy
• Film:Con Presents Special Guest Kevin Conroy (Voice Artist For The Animated Batman)
• Bruce Campbell Versus The Audience

Karl Urban spun tales in his panel discussion about making a small film that Peter (Lord of the Rings) Jackson viewed and was cast from there, being blessed to be part of the Star Trek franchise, and pranks played on the movie sets.

Gotham is an upcoming Fox TV series (due out Sept 22) about the beginnings of Batman, his villains, a young Jim Gordon and the city that hosts them, and the first hour-long episode was stylish, smartly scripted, and introduced all the major characters. Following the screening, stars Camren Bicondova (Catwoman), Cory Michael Smith (Riddler), and Erin Richards (Gordon’s wife Barbara) appeared to great applause.

Scorpion, also due Sept 22, is a CBS TV series based on real-life IT genius hacker Walter O'Brien, who recruits other geniuses to help solve complex problems of the world.

The artists’ panel had slideshows and comments of selected works, some Q+A, then ended with fans shouting out answers, that the artists would live-draw on stage.

The Guardians of the Galaxy panel was expectedly packed beyond capacity and was one of the funniest of the weekend.  Michael (Yondu) Rooker and Dave (Drax) Bautista took to the stage to answer reated questions including how long it took to get into makeup (up to 4hrs), Rooker’s eating twiglets, Bautista’s workout plan to gain 20lbs of muscle, and the highlight was Rooker standing inside a large bucket, flailing his arms behind Bautista, as the two hilariously re-created the “dancing Groot” scene from the movie.

Kevin Conroy’s panel included discussion, Q+A, and a screening of the first Batman animated feature, Mask of the Phantasm (1993), with a focused discussion following.

Lines in the Media area were expectedly long, with the longest lines we witnessed being for Captain America: The Winter Soldier stars, Anthony (Falcon) Mackie and Sebastian (Bucky, Winter Soldier) Stan.

Look for Sunday coverage of the final day soon!

Wizard World Chicago Comic Con - Saturday Crowd (23 Aug 2014)

john ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com

Wizard World Chicago Comic Con - Friday show re-cap (22 Aug 2014)

Photo Gallery Cosplay: Ghouls Cosplay: Daft Punk Cosplay: Red Rose Cosplay: Halo Cosplay: Venom, Moon Knight, & Spawn Cosplay: Thor, Hellboy, & Loki Chicago crowd J August Richard Read More Wizard World Comic book, movie, sci-fi, horror, and pop culture fans will again converge in the Midwest as next weekend’s Wizard World Chicago Comic Con takes over the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in suburban Rosemont, IL. …

Friday was the first full day of Wizard World Chicago Comic Con, held at the Donald J. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, just outside Chicago, and there were plenty of onsite activities to keep busy.

Instead of last year’s two-level set-up, the right and left halves of the main floor had the retailing area, with upstairs and downstairs ballrooms being the site for Panels, Screenings, and Q+A sessions, as previous.  Given that amount of space, it seemed like the largest overall Wizard World convention at the venue, to date.

Comic book-related vendors mostly were placed on one side of the exhibit space, while other pop culture vendors (swords, cosplay accessories, autographs, licensed goods, etc) were on the other side.

Panels of the day included:

• Jason David Frank meet and greet (the original Green/White Power Ranger)
• 1939: Batman’s Beginnings
• Women in Geek Culture
• One-on-One with James Marsters (Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel)
• One-on-one with J. August Riichards (Deathlok in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D TV series)

The Marsters panel included many on-the-set stories from the shows he’s been a part of, as well as anecdotes and answering the fans’ need-to-know questions.

Richards’ panel was full of energy and insightful as well.  He entered the stage holding a pitcher of ice water, teasing the crowd that he would do the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in front of them, but then deferred.  Richards answered fan and moderator questions, including his love of comics growing up, excitement at playing the Deathlok character on TV, and being out of work as an actor for 18 months, until that role came along.

Several in the audience remembered his role on Angel as vampire hunter Charles Gunn, and convinced Richards to tweet Wizard to request an unscheduled Angel panel, to include the other cast members that were also at Wizard World Chicago.

Additionally on the show floor, speed dating sessions, a short film festival, and horror film festival curated by Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, Army of Darkness, who is on hand as well) were ongoing.

Comic book creators in attendance included Marvel’s Stan Lee, Neal Adams (“Batman,” “Green Lantern”), Leinil Yu (“Hulk,” “Wolverine”), Salvador Larroca (“Avengers vs. X-Men,” “Captain America”), , Mike Zeck (“Spider-Man,” “Punisher”), Marv Wolfman (“DCU Online,” “Crisis on Infinite Earths”) and others, including a handful of up-and-coming Spanish-based artists, flown in to attend for the weekend.

Drummer Peter Criss from Kiss was on hand to sign autographs and meet the fans (though all the presale tickets to do so, were sold out), but unfortunately, his panel/Q+A was cancelled, as was one with Star Trek’s Jonathan Frakes, though other ST:TNG panels did take place.

Longest signing line in the Media Area that we witnessed on Friday, was for Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman in the animated series, for the last 23 years.

Stay tuned for Saturday coverage and show re-cap!

James Marsters at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con (22 Aug 2014)

john ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com