Tag: Metaverse

Brainiac On Banjo: Are YOU… Verified?

Brainiac On Banjo: Are YOU… Verified?

Trumpets and violins I can hear in the distance, I think they’re calling our names. Maybe now you can’t hear them, but you will. — Jimi Hendrix, Are You Experienced?

I suspect you’ve heard of Meta, but if you haven’t, it has nothing to do with DC superheroes. Less than nothing, when you think about it. “Meta” is the incredibly stupid and highly misleading name that Facebook and Instagram owner “Mort” Zuckerberg gave to his company in late 2021.

Meta is an evil corporation. They follow you wherever you go on line. When you use their stuff, they record where you are, who you are, where you go, what you like, who you like, what you buy, when you’re not home, when you are home, your credit card numbers, your phone numbers and your email addresses and those of your friends. If you masturbate, they know which is your favored hand and if you do not, they’ve got pills and ointments to sell you. I do not know if they have recorded the date and time of your last bowel movement, but I have asked. These bastards have more on each of us than the FBI ever had on John Gotti.

Now Zuck has figured out a way to screw us out of another $150 or so a year, thrusting his grimy waxed paw so deep into our pockets he now has an imprint of our car keys. It is quite impressive that he has chosen to follow the lead of the biggest, most obnoxious and cheesiest hustler who does not yet hold elective office. Then again, who among us would be surprised to discover Elon Musk and George Santos are, were, or soon will be the same person? Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo: Are YOU… Verified?”

With Further Ado #115: The Sprawling MetaVerse of a Virtual Comic Con & the Simple Joy of an Old Comic Story

With Further Ado #115: The Sprawling MetaVerse of a Virtual Comic Con & the Simple Joy of an Old Comic Story

The best part about conventions, for me, is that they that they transcend commerce and blow past marketing to blossom into big parties where you spend time with old friends and make new ones (who all share the same pop culture interests).

Days gone by…

New York Comic Con was held virtually this past weekend. I was surprised how nostalgic so much of fandom and the industry was for “the good old days”.  And I was surprised how much I missed it.  Make no mistake, I had so much fun there for so many years, but I didn’t expect to be sappy about it. I thought the ache of my feet and the crush of the crowds was still fresh in my mind, but as time floats by we tend to forget all the crummy aspects of things and just remember all the cool parts.

Hats off to Reed Expo’s Mike Armstrong, Lance Fensterman, Larry Settembrini, Mark Fitch and their merry band who pulled this all together. This 2020 NYCC virtual convention, also branded as Find the Metaverse,  had some very interesting parts.  The exhibition floor was, by and large, a pretty straightforward conversion to an online version. Certain companies, like BlueFin, created incredible virtual booths where attendees could roam freely…and discover treasures. Continue reading “With Further Ado #115: The Sprawling MetaVerse of a Virtual Comic Con & the Simple Joy of an Old Comic Story”

Comic News Roundup: Comics News for the week of 10/5/2020 -10/9/2020

Comic News Roundup: Comics News for the week of 10/5/2020 -10/9/2020

Welcome to our new feature Comic News Roundup. We are giving you a run down of the news from comic book publishers and other pop culture news that was released throughout this week. We have news from NYCC/Metaverse, Archie Comics, Boom! Studios, Scout Comics, Valiant Entertainment, and Amazon Prime.

 


Archie Comics

South Side Serpents:

Archie Comics announced a new one-shot comic that comes out in January 2021. It is set in the world of Riverdale and stars Jughead Jones and the South Side Serpents biker gang.

From the press release:

“I’ve known David and Richard a long time and have wanted to work with both of them,” said Archie Comics Co-President Alex Segura. “David’s a pro — a journalist who’s written some great comics. Richard has a clean, memorable line and is an editor’s dream. So, when we knew we wanted to spotlight the South Side Serpents corner of the Riverdale universe, it made sense to pair them together. The end result is a dark, compelling, and unique take on some of fans’ favorite characters — plus plenty of surprises.”

Here is the cover and solicit:

RIVERDALE PRESENTS: SOUTH SIDE SERPENTS ONE-SHOT
FP Jones is worried for the future of the South Side Serpents. The biker gang is getting old and finding it hard to attract fresh blood. But FP has a plan, and it revolves around his son, Jughead. Hunted by the most fearsome biker gangs in the state, an unwilling Jughead has to step up into the role of leader to guide the Serpents on a perilous journey. There will be adventure, there will be thrills, there will be chases, and there will be death in this special one-shot event featuring fan-favorite characters from the CW Riverdale series.

Script: David Barnett
Art: Richard Ortiz, Matt Herms, Jack Morelli
Cover: Richard Ortiz
Variant Cover: Tyler Boss
On Sale Date: 1/27
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.


New York Comic Con / Metaverse

This weekend is ReedPop‘s virtual New York Comic Con. As will all comic conventions this year NYCC is not an in person event. Metaverse is hosting the virtual experience that consists of live programming panels, artist alley “booth”. vendor kiosks, and lots of other cool stuff. There is content from the world of comics, anime, film/tv, as well as paid experiences and lots of exclusives. You can find all the fun stuff at https://www.findthemetaverse.com/.

A highlight is the 2020 Harvey Awards Ceremony tonight at 7:50PM EDT.
https://www.findthemetaverse.com/videos/_MW18JGRHko

There was some news that was released regarding a new project by Gail Simone and Jim Calafiore which is sponsored by the Travelers Insurance company. Simone broke the news of this heartwarming project that supports the campaign to reduce distracted driving on Twitter yesterday. Here is the thread to Gail’s storytime, but be warned you may need a tissue, or a box of them.


Boom! Studios

Power Rangers:

Boom! Studios has announce a few new comics this week. They include a new graphic novel in the Hasbro licenced Power Rangers universe called Power Rangers: Sins of the Future.

From the press release:

“BOOM! Studios, under license by Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS), today revealed a brand new look at the original graphic novel POWER RANGERS: SINS OF THE FUTURE, written by Matthew Erman (Bonding), with story by Trey Moore (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), illustrated by Giuseppe Cafaro (Saban’s Power Rangers: Soul of The Dragon), and lettered by Ed Dukeshire. This all-new graphic novel, available on October 28, 2020, features two of the most popular Rangers of all time and what happens to them after the events of the hit Power Rangers: Time Force television series!”

Continue reading “Comic News Roundup: Comics News for the week of 10/5/2020 -10/9/2020”

With Further Ado #108: Virtually a Comic Con : Catching-Up with John Siuntres

With Further Ado #108: Virtually a Comic Con : Catching-Up with John Siuntres

Right now, the Democrats are working hard to create on online convention that resonates with true believers and motivates anyone still on the fence. And it’s gotta feel like an effort that’s worth it all.

American business, and specifically Geek Culture is doing the same thing. A few weeks back, San Diego Comic-Con. (officially entitled Comic-Con international) pulled together a virtual comic convention. Seem like a lot of folks participated at various levels. From a personal level I was pleasantly surprised; my typical on-location panels can fill a room of 350 fans but this year, online, they drew 5,000+ viewers!

Looking ahead to the weekend, FanDome will celebrate DC Comics, despite the depressing anguish fans felt from the recent corporate “bloodbath”.

And this past weekend, two online comic conventions debuted:

  • Reed Expo’s Metaverse – The pop culture division of Reed Elsevier (full disclosure; I worked there and frequently collaborate with them) created this online event which many thought, at first, to be a dress rehearsal for the virtual New York Comic Con in October.
  • Mainframe Comic Con – This live event virtual comic con from YouTubers Chuck Lindsey from Chuckload of Comics and Chad Ramsden of Comic Corps looked like a lot of fun. I really enjoyed a few panels. And it was all made better by the fact that this con’s Big Ideas is to support that worthwhile charity, The Hero Initiative.

Continue reading “With Further Ado #108: Virtually a Comic Con : Catching-Up with John Siuntres”