Be ready to march over to Macomb County Community College's South Campus for a weekend of full of comic books, cosplay and celebrities. The 2025 Great Lakes Comic Con will be taking place February 21 - 23 at the college's Sports & Expo Center in Warren, Michigan. The event will feature more than 150 vendors and crafters, as well as artists and entertainment personalities who will greet fans, sign autographs, provide photo ops, and
participate in panel presentations.
Special guests at this year's Great Lakes Comic Con include Kevin Eastman (Co-creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Sam Jones (Flash Gordon [1980] actor), Demolition: Ax & Smash (Three-time WWF World Tag Team Champions), Bill Morrison (former editor of MAD Magazine), Lisa Trusiani (writer for Marvel Comics' Barbie series and Kim D.M. Simmons (official photographer for Kenner Products marketing of Star Wars toys). They will be participating in panel discussions that are included with the show's price of admission and signing autographs and providing photo ops at an additional expense to attendees who wish to interact with them.
Admission costs $55 per person (Children under 10 FREE) for a weekend pass or individual day passes can be purchased for $20 (Friday), $25 (Saturday) and $25 (Sunday). CLICK HERE to purchase Great Lakes Comic Con admission tickets online. This year's event hours are Friday, February 21 (5pm to 9pm), Saturday, February 22 (10 am - 6pm) and Sunday, February 23 (10 am - 4pm). Note that Kevin Eastman will only be appearing on Saturday and Sunday,
Scheduled events for the weekend include:
Adult Costume Contest: on Saturday, February 22nd at 3:15PM;
Children Costume Contest: on Sunday, February 23rd at 2:00PM;
Gaming – hosted by i-Con Tournaments – Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart;
Magic the Gathering and Pokémon – open play on Friday, then
tournaments on Saturday and Sunday – hosted by Game Players;
A Dungeons and Dragons Campaign – No experience necessary!
Available all three days – hosted by Game Players;
Face Painting by Chantel – bring the little ones, and the older ones, to
have their faces painted;
The Balloon Sculptor – Witness the talent of Tim Thurmond the Balloon
Sculptor.
For more information about this event, visit greatlakescomicconvention.com. The Macomb Community
College's Sports & Expo Center is located at 14500 E. 12 Mile Road. Hope to see you there!
Fans of the Disney+ Star Wars: The Mandalorian and its spinoff shows on the streaming service will be GEEKED to know that Chris Bartlett who is known for portraying droids within the "Mandoverse" will be a guest at the Spring edition of the Motor City Comic Con taking place May 16-18, 2025 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan. He's known for playing the acting role of robotic characters known as droids and actually builds the costumes himself he wears for the productions. Anybody who is into cosplay has to love this guy!
Chris Bartlett has taken on the role of a number of different droids in a variety of The Mandalorian episodes as well as made appearances in Ahsoka and The Book of Boba Fett. One of the most popular Star Wars appearances by Bartlett has been as Q9-0 a protocol droid turned mercenary in the first season of The Mandalorian. He also has taken on one of the most iconic roles within the Star Wars galaxy as C-3P0 in Disney+ Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Chris Bartlett will be appearing all three days of Motor City Comic Con (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). Hear his stories from behind the scenes of these Star Wars shows during a panel discussion at the Con where he will share insights and inspiration with fans. Which Star Wars droid do you think is his favorite? Ask him at Motor City Comic Con! He will also be providing autographs for $40 and photo ops for $50 during the event.
Tickets for admission to Motor City Comic Con are available online at MotorCityComicCon.com:
Adult admission tickets (ages 13 and up)
Friday Pass
$35* online purchase / $40 at the door
Saturday Pass
$45* online purchase / $50 at the door
Sunday Pass
$40* online purchase / $45 at the door
Adult Weekend Pass
$100* online purchase / $110 at the door
Children admission tickets (ages 6-12)
Kids 5 and under are FREE all weekend with a paid adult.
Friday Child Pass (ages 6-12)
$5* online purchase / $10 at the door
Saturday Child Pass (ages 6-12)
$10* online purchase / $20 at the door
Sunday is Kid’s Day
All children under 12 are FREE with a paid adult
Child Weekend Pass (ages 6-12)
$15* online purchase / $25 at the door
*Additional processing fees will apply with online ticket purchases. Online sales will end at 8:00am each day, May 16-18. After 8:00am tickets will need to be purchased at the box office.
Motor City Comic Con (MC3) returns to Metro Detroit on November 10-12, 2023 at the Suburban Collection Showplace located at 46100 Grand River Ave. in Novi, Michigan. MC3 gathers comic book and multimedia dealers from across the country, offering a vast variety of pop-culture merchandise, including comics, art, t-shirts, movie memorabilia, posters and more. Over 250 comic book creators, writers and artists are featured at MC3 each year, as well as actors from the television and movie industry. Highlights of this Fall's event include appearance by Karate Kid / Cobra Kai actors Ralph Macchio, William Zabka and Xolo Mariduena; Star Trek alum Walter Koenig; Star Wars' Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams); and the star of one of my favorite TV series ED, Tom Cavanagh.
Any good con is filled with fans decked out in creative costumes and people watching won't have you disappointed at MC3. If you are inclined to dress up yourself, there is a Cosplay contest for those 13+ taking place on Saturday, November 13 at 6:30 pm. Spots are limited and will fill up quickly. Prizing will be awarded to the first, second, and third place winners. Prizing includes $125, $250, and $500 winnings as well as Comic Con passes, Autographed Photos, and MC3 Exclusive goodies.
Adult admission tickets (ages 13 and up):
Friday pass
$30* - online purchase / $40 – at the door (if available)
Saturday pass
$40* - online purchase / $50 – at the door (if available)
Sunday pass
$35* - online purchase / $45 – at the door (if available)
Adult Weekend Pass
$85* - online purchase / $95 – at the door (if available)
*Additional processing fees will apply
Children admission tickets (ages 6-12):
Child pass $10* each day – online purchase / $20 each day – at the door (if available)
Child Weekend pass $20* - online purchase / $30 – at the door (if available)
*Additional processing fees will apply
Kids 5 and under are FREE all weekend with a paid adult Friday and Saturday. Sunday all children under 12 are FREE with a paid adult.
Motor City Comic Con will be taking place Friday, November 10 – Sunday, November 12 at the Suburban Collection Showplace located at 46100 Grand River Ave. in Novi, Michigan.
Friday, November 10, 2023 – 12:00pm – 7:00pm
Saturday, November 11, 2023 – 10:00am – 7:00pm
Sunday, November 12, 2023 – 10:00am – 5:00pm
I wasn't able to make it to San Diego for 2019's Comic Con, but HEX shared some geekiness with me so to let me feel a part of the event from my home in Michigan. They sent me one of the Jim Lee Artist Backpacks that I had previously written about to enjoy as a thank you for my ageekdaddy.com write up about these new HEX backpacks. There is a lot to geek out about when it comes to the HEX x Jim Lee Collection.
Any comic book aficionado knows who Jim Lee is. He is the artist + co-author of Marvel's X-MEN #1 (which has been awarded a Guinness World Record for being the best selling comic book issue of all time), a founder of Image Comics (which is currently my favorite comics publisher), and is now Chief Creative Officer for DC Comics. Using his perspective as an artist and comic book industry insider, Jim teamed up with HEX to create a collection of backpacks that would appeal to both people in the business and fans.
The HEX x Jim Lee Artist Backpack brings together all the features that he personally wished for in a travel bag. It is meant to be the perfect bag for artists to travel with. The Jim Lee Artist Backpack it is designed for being able to bring art supplies, artwork, business cards, tech and anything else illustrators would want to carry with them when on the go.
INTERIOR / EXTERIOR
The exterior of the Jim Lee Artist Backpack was made being meant to be used. It is constructed of a durable water resistant 400D Twist Dobby Polyester with PU Coating. Behind the shoulder straps is padding with a DC Comics logo providing some extra comfort when wearing it that also provides a sleeve that serves as a luggage handle pass through to make it easy to combine the backpack with a wheeled bag as a slip on. The interior features custom Batman fabric in association with Lee's connection with the Caped Crusader and DC Comics.
ART SUPPLY ORGANIZER
Zip open one of the compartments of the backpack to find a space for storing brushes and pencils. There is also a waterproof ink pocket in this area of the Jim Lee Artist Backpack to avoid any spills that would damage contents within the backpacks interior or stain the bag itself. There is also a meshed storage area for stashing whatever.
PORTFOLIO
The backpack also includes a removable 11" x 17" artist portfolio that has its own storage compartment. The interior of the portfolio also is lined with that custom Batman fabric. A great way to secure artwork allowing it to stay in pristine condition when being transported to different destinations. Artists who take on commissions at comic cons and other events where they interact with fans will especially appreciate this feature of the Jim Lee Artist Backpack.
OTHER FEATURES
Additional features of the Jim Lee Artist Backpack include faux fur padded lap top/tablet and phone pockets; convenient to access business card holders; an exterior phone holder with charger cable pass through from the bag's interior; and a passport pocket with hidden magnetic closures.
This is a really dandy bag! My son really loves to draw and doodle so I'm going to put this aside for him if he ever decides to aspire towards making his hobby a profession. Though if I ever go to one of the big comic cons, may take this along with me to use myself because it would be awesome for storing artwork, comics, posters and other swag. For more information about this backpack, head over to hexbrand.com
Following up on the success of their Colonel Sanders comic books, DC Entertainment has also created a series of free comic books tied to a promotional partnership with Snickers. In conjunction with the annual Comic Con International event in San Diego this weekend, Snickers Comic #2: The Fastest Woman Alive is now available as a digital download for a limited time on DC Entertainment's online comic book store powered by Comixology as well as at comixology.com.
It’s the race of the millennium: Supergirl, the Woman of Steel versus
Jesse Quick, super-speedster of the Justice League! But a monstrous
figure plans to attack the stadium during the event—and it’ll take both
Supergirl and Jesse, plus Superman, the Flash and an army of
Snickers-powered spectators, to bring him down!
Snickers Comic #2: The Fastest Woman Alive follows up on a free issue provided at last year's Comic Con in San Diegothat pitted Super Man versus the Flash in a similar story. Unlike the past KFC Colonel Sanders comics that can still be read online, Snickers Comic #1 is no longer available. So if you are interested in reading this new Snickers comic download it while you can!
Marvel is partnering with comiXology, Amazon’s comic shopping & reading service, for a line of exclusive digital
comics. These will be available for free to comiXology Unlimited subscribers
and only available to purchase for non-subscribers through comiXology and Kindle. New
users to comiXology’s popular subscription service can also access ImmortalIron Fists for free as part of their 30-day free trial. The comics will be
part of the comiXology Originals line of exclusive digital content.
Marvel and comiXology’s team up kicks off with ImmortalIron Fists, a 6-issue bi-weekly series written by Kaare Andrews with art by Afu Chan. A unique entry-point that’s perfect for new fans and longtime readers alike, Immortal Iron Fists tells
the tale of Pei, a young female monk from K'un-Lun and the youngest
person to ever bear the mark of the Iron Fist. While Pei tackles the
trials of high school, Danny Rand, the Immortal Iron Fist, faces his
greatest challenge yet: training the inexperienced Pei. All the while, a
growing threat appears that will take more than one pair of Iron Fists
to defeat!
Immortal Iron Fists
is $2.99 per issue for non-comiXology Unlimited subscribers on comiXology and Kindle. Additional exclusive series will be announced soon. The exclusive series will be new content in addition to the over 10,000 previously published Marvel Comics titles that comiXology Unlimited subscribers also currently have access to.
** A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free to review **
It is that time of year again when all the world's attention turns to California for the annual Comic Con International: San Diego event. Four days (Thursday July 20 - Sunday, July 23, 2017) that are a comic culture bonanza filled with artist/actor appearances, movie/television promotional screenings, exclusive product sales, and all sorts of special events that appeal to people's inner geek. For those of us who can't make it to San Diego, the folks at Sideshow Collectibles are hosting an Online Comic Con through July 23rd which is featuring new product announcements, special deals, and giveaways so we can all share in the festivities. If you are a fan of science fiction or super heroes you'll want to check out sideshowtoy.com/events/comic-con
One of Sideshow Collectible's Online Comic-Con deals is offering free shipping and double rewards points with the purchase of any of the Hot Toy's Star Wars First Order Sixth Scale Collectible Stormtrooper Figures they have in stock during the month of July. Sideshow Collectibles is the official distributor in the United States as well as for North and South America, Europe, Australia, and select Asian countries of figures from Hong Kong-based Hot Toys. Hot Toys has built a reputation for crafting exquisite sixth scale collectible figures that feature the actual likeness of characters from movies, television shows and video games ranging from today's popular Batman: Arkham Knight game to the '80s film Back to the Future.
A Geek Daddy was provided a Star Wars: The Force Awakens Movie Promo Edition sixth scale First Order Stormtrooper (Sideshow Collectible's Jakku Exclusive) collectible figure to highlight what you'll be getting if you decide to pick up one of these Hot Toys for yourself. Opening up the box when it arrived in the mail, I had the same anticipation to see what was inside as waiting to get my first glimpse of the new stormtroopers on the silver screen at the movie theater when first seeing The Force Awakens. I wasn't disappointed by what I found inside!
Initially opening the box you will find a nicely illustrated cover panel hiding the figure and its accessories underneath. Pull that aside and you'll find a highly-detailed figure based upon the first images of the First Order Stormtroopers the audience sees in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The figure isequipped just like the stormtroopers in the invasion force that arrives on the desert planet of Jakku. The figure is wearing the sleek helmet and armor of a First Order stormtrooper along with a heavy artillery ammo vest and comes equipped with a articulated binoculars, a blaster rifle, pistol and detachable survival backpack.
You can pose the figure in a variety of realistic positions because it features an incredible 30 points of articulation. It also includes 8 interchangeable hands to assist with creating realistic portrayals of your favorite scenes from The Force Awakens. One pair is for holding binoculars, another is for holding weapons, plus there are some that let the figure show a fist and a set for relaxed looking palms. In addition to the helmet, armor, and heavy artillery vest, the figure also includes a black under-suit, a belt with pouches, and a pair of white boots. An extra pair of attachment plugs are also included in case you lose or damage the ones that connect the hands and the feet to the main body while interchanging and re-positioning parts. All in all with the numerous points of articulation and removable parts, the figure is very well built and durable.
The materials and decorative touches put into making this figure provide the appearance that if enlarged to life size it could be used as a costume that an actor could wear in an actual Star Wars film. I really liked that the blaster pistol and survival backpack attach to the figure magnetically. Just place them against designated spots and they firmly stick in place but a simple nudge will also easily remove them. That was a really nice touch! You can tell that Hot Toys takes pride in the products they produce whenever you get a close up look at their sixth scale figures.
Also included was a Jakku desert-themed figure stand that includes the Star Wars logo and a nameplate identifying the figure as a First Order Stormtrooper. The figure can stand alone without it, but the stand is a nice accessory for providing a sturdy way to display it.
Whether you want to spoil a child with a toy that will awe all their friends or as an adult want something unique and awesome to decorate a family game room, home theater or office space, Hot Toys' sixth scale figures will delight kids and kids-at-heart. I honestly was really impressed by the Star Wars: The Force Awakens First Order Stormtrooper (Sideshow Collectible's Jakku Exclusive). I've had a lot of fun posing the figure for pictures and playing around with it about the house.
The Sideshow Collectibles Online Comic-Con deal will provide you with DOUBLE their usual customer rewards points that can be used to reduce the price of a future purchase plus FREE shipping so this is good opportunity. Hot Toys makes these sixth scale figures in limited quantity, one-time manufacturing runs to provide their products with collectible value. So once Sideshow Collectibles is out of these figures they aren't being restocked! In addition to the First Order Stormtrooper (Sideshow Collectible's Jakku Exclusive), this deal also applies to these other Star Wars First Order stormtroopers: Heavy Gunner, Flame Trooper, Snow Troopers, First Order Stormtrooper Squad Leader, Snowtrooper Officer, TIE Pilot, plus the duel figure sets. Don't miss out on this Online Comic-Con opportunity from Sideshow Collectibles.
July is a great month for science fiction and super hero fans as it is that time of the month when the annual Comic Con International event takes place in San Diego, California. Comic Con is the place for breaking news and making announcements about publications, movies and television shows that are of interest to comic book, scifi and horror genre fans. Since all this stuff is on people's minds it is only fitting that COMET TV broadcast throughout the month of July shows and movies that appeal to people who enjoy the geeky side of life.
Did you know the actor who portrayed evil Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin (Peter Cushing) in Star Wars also played the role of Doctor Who? Check out Cushing play the role of the good guy as Doctor Who in the movies DR WHO AND THE DALEKS (1965) and DR WHOL DALEKS INVASION EARTH 2150 A.D. this month on Comet TV.
The classic 80's scifi flick FLASH GORDON that has seen a renewed interest since been spoofed in the TED movies will also be airing on Comet TV in July. As well as THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (1979) which scared the hell out of me as a kid. Check out Life in Pieces' James Brolin when he was a young man starring in this horror film. What do you think of his son Josh playing the villain Thanos in the Avengers movies?
Comet TV is also hosting a Godzilla movie marathon throughout the month you won't want to miss out on seeing. Episodes of the television shows, Stargate SG-1, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Poltergeist Legacy and Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot will also be airing throughout the month. And if you are a fan of the Johnny Sokko TV show like I am, you won't want to miss VOYAGE INTO SPACE (1970) which was spun off from episodes of the 1960s Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot television series.
Whether you are treking to Comic Con in San Diego or attending an exhibition closer to home, COMET TV has a comic book convention survival pack for A Geek Daddy to giveaway this month. For a chance to win it please follow @Geekdad248 on Twitter and retweet
the embedded message below before 11:59 pm ET on July 24 2017. Must
be a US resident over 18 years old to participate in this promotion.
COMET TV is an overair broadcast network that can be tuned in with a digital antenna that specializes in science fiction and horror programming. You can watch COMET TV in the Metro Detroit area of Michigan via digital antenna on Channel 19-7. CLICK HERE to see if COMET TV is broadcasting in your area. If not, COMET TV can also be viewed for free by utilizing its app on Apple TV and Roku or watching its live website stream at CometTV.com.
Disclaimer & Rules:A Geek Daddy has not been financially compensated
for this
endorsement or hosting the giveaway but was provided the same
items being provided as a prize for personal use. The prize is provided
by COMET TV and A Geek Daddy is hosting the promotion as a
benefit to our readers. Must be a US resident over the age of 18 to
participate. One entry per mailing address and
winner will be randomly selected
from all eligible entries. If you have already won this prize through
another blog participating in this promotion, your entry will be
disqualified. By participating in this promotion you
waive
any liability of any kind
against the publisher of this blog. Winner is subject to eligibility
verification. No P.O. Boxes allowed for delivery of the prize. COMET TV
will be responsible for shipping the prize to the selected winner. A Geek Daddy is not responsible for delivery of the prize.
Last year Kentucky Fried Chicken partnered with DC Comics to promote their
restaurant chain at 2015's New York Comic Con by
distributing a free comic book featuring Colonel Sanders that was available as a one shot collectible print edition that could be picked up at the event and a digital download from the online store Comixology.com that was available for a limited time. In "The Colonel of Two Worlds" which is a parody of a classic
DC Comics' FLASH story, the Colonel Sanders of our planet faces off against an
evil Colonel Sunder from an alternate dimension. Well Harland Sanders hasn't seen the last of his evil doppelganger as Colonel Sunder is back in an all new comic book adventure just in time for 2016's San Diego Comic Con.
In "Colonel Corps," Harland Sanders blacks out and awakens to realize he can remember only one of his 11 secret ingredients for "finger lickin good chicken." Suddenly Arla Sanders, a version of the Colonel from one of the multitude of alternate dimensions in the DC comics fictional multi-verse where in her world all the people are the reverse gender of those living in Harland's reality, warning him that someone has stolen the KFC recipe from the minds of all the Colonels that exist on all the variations of Earth and erased their memories off all but one ingredient just like him. Harland Sanders joins with the female versions of himself and the Flash to search out enough Colonels with unique memories of different ingredients to put the recipe back together again.
Arla, Harland and the Flash visit a variety of realities in the DC multi-verse including Bizarro, Steampunk, and Teen Titans Go! worlds plus a dimension where the inhabitants are all animals and KFC is run by a charming yet cannibalistic chicken. All these variations join together to create the Colonel Corps. Together they put the KFC secret recipe back together and track down the perpetrators of this dastardly scheme ... Colonel Sunders along with a new diabolical version of the Colonel with mind control powers who makes every member of the Colonel Corps face their most dreaded fear during the comic book's big confrontation segment.
This comic book works because it doesn't take itself more seriously than the promotional piece it is supposed to be. Filled with tongue-in-cheek one liners and humorous imagery it really is a fun read. The partnership with the DC Comics creative team provides the polish needed though to make the comic book an enjoyable gimmick rather than en eye rolling bad KFC ad. I personally really liked the big battle scene in the comic book and the letter to the editor section at the end with Colonel Sanders answering questions from fans of "Colonel of Two Worlds" made me chuckle. I'm also intrigued by the teaser in the Colonel's MailBucket section promoting a potential next installment in this comic book saga "The Chicken That Time Forgot" -- we'll have to keep an eye out for that!
If you are lucky enough to be going to Comic Con in San Diego this month keep an eye out for people passing these out at the exhibition hall. For the rest of us, "Colonel Corps" is available to download for FREE on Comixology. Just CLICK HERE to grab it for yourself to read.
Demonstrating that geek is the new chic, Kentucky Fried Chicken has partnered with DC Comics to promote their restaurant chain at this week's 2015 New York Comic Con event by distributing a special one shot collectible comic book featuring Colonel Sanders. In "The Colonel of Two Worlds" which is a parody of a classic FLASH story, the Colonel Sanders of our planet faces off against an evil Colonel Sanders from an alternate dimension. When the evil doppelganger dressed in black attempts to both set up a criminal empire and market inferior fried chicken to KFC's, Colonel Sanders enlists the help of superheroes The Green Lantern and The Flash to help save the day and restore his tarnished image. It's a comic book face off between a good and evil Colonel Sanders! Who will prevail? You'll have to read the comic book to find out!
Kentucky Fried Chicken will be distributing print editions of "The Colonel of Two Worlds" for free to attendees at New York Comic Con from October 8 through the 11th. Can't make it to New York City? Beginning October 8th, you can also view a free digital version of the comic book on the KFC website or download it via Comixology.
Yes this comic book is going to be cheesy but you have to give KFC some credit for being original and creative in marketing themselves to fans of the comic book culture. Take a few moments to not take life too seriously and enjoy the geeky side of life by flipping through the pages of "The Colonel of Two Worlds." I'm sure it will probably put a smile on your face. Hmmm....I wonder if this comic book will be finger lickin good?!
What started out as a small comic book convention put together by three friends in 1970 over the years has evolved into a mega conference that gets international attention every year as the go to place to promote entertainment and lifestyle products geared towards people who enjoy the geeky side of life. I've been wanting to go to Comic Con in San Diego for years but alas another year has gone by with it still remaining uncrossed off on my bucket list. For those of you like me who wish they were there but couldn't make it out there this year, I've compiled a roundup of a few items that caught my attention that were announced or promoted at Comic Con International 2015.
COMIC BOOKS
While movie and television announcements and previews at Comic Con get a lot of attention the convention is still COMIC Con so we'll start off with a few of the comic book announcements that were made at this year's event.
Based upon the success they had last year, DC Comics will be celebrating Halloween throughout the month of October with special Monster themed variant covers for their comic book lineup. Here are a few examples of what to look out for later in 2015:
Aquaman #45
Batman Beyond #5
Justice League of America #5
Dark Horse Comicshas announced a new comic book series that will be a prequel to the story in the new Call of Duty: Black Ops III video game. It will be scripted by Larry Hama who is known for his work with on G.I.JOE comic books for Marvel and IDW and illustrated by Marcelo Ferreira. This new series will follow an elite squadron of cybernetically-enhanced soldiers as they wag war in a battlefield rife with treachery and transformed by incredible technology. The first issue of Call of Duty: Black Ops III will be released in November 2015.
Dark Horse also announced a brand new original series slated to come out in 2016 called Mystery Girl. Written by Paul Tobin and illustrated by Alberto Albuquerque, Mystery Girl is the story of a woman who knows the answer to any question and puts that skill to use as a detective. There is one mystery she can't solve though - her own past.
IDW Publishing had quite a few announcements this year for things in the work that range from Back to the Future to Street Fighter with a lot of appeal for sci-fi fans and people like me who grew up in the 1980s.
Coming soon will be a monthly serial based upon Back to the Future which will have its artwork and scripts supervised by the original movie's creator/screenwriter Bob Gale. It will feature iconic characters and time periods from the films plus explore untold adventures as the characters in the comic books head Back to (and from) the Future.
October will mark the 50th edition of IDW's ongoing STAR TREK series and will introduce the classic "Mirror/Mirror" storyline to the new film-based comic universe in an over-sized issue.
There will also be a new STAR TREK miniseries coming out in December focusing on Starfleet Academy. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will follow Kirk, Spock, and Uhura during their time spent training at Starfleet prior to the events of the 2009 film and will also introduce stories featuring a new class of cadets in a timeline that is concurrent with where the ongoing Star Trek comic book series is presently at.
IDW will also be publishing a six issue miniseries sometime in 2016 that combines the popular video game franchise STREET FIGHTER with the classic action figure toys G.I. JOE. Street Fighter X G.I. Joe will pit the heroes of these two franchises versus the combined threat of Cobra and Shadaloo. Capcom is releasing Streat Fighter 5 next year and it will be interesting to see if elements of the comic book are included in the game and vice versa.
Also relating to G.I. Joe there will be an 8-issue bi-monthly story arc beginning in October that is meant to be an epic event for the comic book series. In COBRA WORLD ORDER, the evil forces of COBRA finally unleash their master plan. After fighting COBRA for decades it is zero hour for G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.
Following its recent partnership with DC Comics in bringing to life a Green Lantern/Star Trek cross-over, IDW announced the companies will be bringing together two more of their hot properties in November. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Batman are going to be joining forces in a six issue miniseries. Oh robin is my son excited about this comic book combo flying onto store shelves!
Marvel made some news announcing two Star Wars comic book events. First, there will be a special 6 issue Darth Vader themed story called Star Wars: Vader Down beginning with a special one shot issue coming out in November and crossing over to continue the story in the ongoing Star Wars and Darth Vader ongoing series.
A Princess Leia limited series has just wrapped up and a Lando one is just starting up so it appears these type of Star Wars short character focused stories will be an ongoing thing for Marvel. Continuing with that trend Marvel announced a Chewbacca miniseries will be arriving in stores in October.
Two of Marvel's most smart-talking, wise-cracking characters will be teaming up for an upcoming monthly series. Spider-Man/Deadpool #1 is set to premiere this fall.
If you never saw the packaging for Atari video game cartridges from the'70s & '80s you missed out. There was some really great art created to help market those games! Too bad the graphics for the games weren't as impressive as the artwork on the boxes. Dynamite has signed a licensing agreement with Atari to create a hardcover book detailing the artwork from the company's marketing history. Dynamite also has retained the rights to create new original comic books and graphic novels based upon Atari's catalog of artwork and imagery. Additionally, the publisher will bring back to print the comic book series ATARI FORCE that had a 20 issue run with DC Comics from 1984 through 1986.
James Bond's adventures will be returning to the pages of comic books in November when Dynamite begins publishing its new 007 series. Dynamite has partnered with Ian Fleming Publications Ltd., the Fleming-family owned company that owns and administers the literary copyright of Ian Fleming's published works, including his fourteen James Bond books, to retain worldwide rights to publish comic books, digital comics, and graphic novels starring 007. The new 007 comic book series will be scripted by highly regarded author Warren Ellis.
Dynamite will also be bringing back Betty Boop, the first female animated screen star, to comics after a hiatus of 20 years by publishing brand new comic books and graphic novels featuring the character. Could she be one of the new Bond girls for the upcoming 007 series?
Voltron is making a comeback in an all new six issue miniseries launching in September. Voltron: From the Ashes will be set two hundred years after the events of Dynamite's previous Voltron Force comic book series concluded and will introduce a new team to pilot the five lions that form the Defender of the Universe.
Just in time for Halloween, Dynamite is launching the six issue miniseries Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Storm Surge which is an original reworking of the classic Frankenstein story.
TV SHOWS
Plenty of trailers for upcoming TV shows are always shown at Comic Con but the two I really wanted to see were for the new prequel series Fear the Walking Dead and for the next season of The Walking Dead. After seeing these two trailers I can't wait for the premiere of Fear The Walking Dead in August and the return of The Walking Dead in October. Check them out!
Are you bummed like me that there won't be any new Game of Thrones episodes until next spring, watching the cast's panel presentation from Comic-Con might help out:
MOVIES
Warner Brothers gave us a sneak peek of footage from Batman vs Superman and it appears DC Comics may be a worthy adversary to Disney's Marvel superhero films at the box office after seeing this clip.
Talking about Super Hero movies, who else is excited to see the new Fantastic Four movie in August?
Next year's Suicide Squad is getting a lot of buzz but from the trailer it looks like it could really be a bust. I'm not that enthused after seeing the trailer though I do like the comic books.
Star Wars also held a great panel for its upcoming The Force Awakens movie that brought together Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill on the same stage and showed some behind the scenes photos from the making of the new film. If you were like me and couldn't be there, courtesy of my friends at Disney here is the presentation in its entirety:
After the panel presentation, everyone in the room was invited to a special concert by the San Diego Symphony performing music from the Star Wars movie soundtracks. Plus Verizon gave 100 lucky Comic Con attendees (+ a guest) who subscribe to their wireless service access to this surprise concert as a thank you for being their customer. Verizon has partnered with Star Wars: The Force Awakens to provide content and exclusive offers to help fans gear up for the next installment in the Star Wars movie lineup and provided A Geek Daddy blog the pictures below to share with our readers.
So as usual a lot of exciting stuff went down at Comic Con ... maybe next year I'll be there! This is just a brief glimpse of what went down in San Diego so you know there was a lot going on. What is your favorite announcement or moment from this year's Comic Con? If we didn't mention it please share the details with the rest of us!
