I had the opportunity to interview the cast of Amazon’s The Tick at New York Comic Con. Check it out as they discuss the previous season and what to expect for the next season.
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Here is the audio from the press invited The Walking Dead press conference. A huge thank you goes out to AMC Network, and FOX for inviting us to cover the conference
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New York Comic Con took place last week at the Javits Center and it was a blast. Four days of many attendees going there to be themselves and geek out and make friends there. With all the guests and trailers and announcements or buying that one comic, the one major attraction at New York Comic Con is the cosplayers.
I have taken many photos and videos of the great cosplayers that were over there during the weekend. Check them out and the video version will go up this week on Alternativemindz’ YouTube channel.
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I was invited to cover The Walking Dead press conference right before the panel started at New York Comic Con and i had a blast. The talent that were at the conference were Andrew Lincoln, Robert Kirkman, Greg Nicotero, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Austin Amellio, Norman Reedus, Tom Pane and much more. They all took turns answering questions and talking about how great it felt that the show has made it to 100 episodes.
Austin Amellio and Norman Reedus also gave a slight glimpse on what to expect between their characters (Dwight and Daryl Dixon) in season 8 of the show.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan also reacts to the death of Lucielle during The Whisperer War last year since it was one year ago this week that it has happened in the comic series.
Andrew Lincoln also talks about “Old Man Rick” as it was seen in the trailer that was released back in San Diego Comic Con and how he feels about the future of the series.
Greg Nicotero talks about his passion of directing the show from when he started to now along with the character development of select characters and he is very excited for the upcoming season.
There is many more to discuss but i have recorded the entire thing in audio format and it will be posted once i update the article
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Today i attended the panel of The Walking Dead and Invincible creator Robert Kirkman at New York Comic Con. It was really great and he was a comedian out there too as the fans loved it. He made a few announcements during the panel as well.
1. The Walking Dead issue 175 reveal
This one blew me away as i never expected to see something like this in TWD. It is part 1 of New World Order and we will be introduced to a very large and guarded community. It is in Ohio and it has been hyped up for almost two years since Eugene got the radio working almost two years ago when he heard a voice from there.
2. The last issues of Invincible
Next he showed the cover for Invincible #142, which has 10 extra pages of story. “It’s the End of All Things part 10 of 12…but if you look at the top it’s Robot Wars Part 1…I dare Marvel and DC to top that!”
“It’s going to be a big deal…me and Ryan [Ottley] are ending on a high note.”
He then showed the cover to Invincible #143, in which Mark finds out about “the kid he didn’t know about…it might be a little depressing.”
Kirkman then teased the cover to the 48-page Invincible #144, half-drawn by Ottley and half-drawn by Invincible co-creator Cory Walker. “When you guys read the end of Invincible you’ll go…holy crap there’s 117,000 different stories in this thing?!…It’s been a lot of fun.”
3. New comic series announced
This new series, Oblivion Song, will be published by Image Comics under Kirkman’s own company Skybound. He will be working alongside artist Lorenzo De Felici. Unlike the Walking Dead, this new story is not about our world overrun wcreator-owned Instead, this time the monsters are somewhere else and thousands of people are trapped there with them.
This is the official synopsis for the series:
A decade ago 300,000 citizens of Philadelphia were suddenly lost in Oblivion. The government made every attempt to recover them but after many years they gave up. Nathan Cole… won’t. He makes daily trips, risking his life to try and rescue those lost, alone and afraid, living in the apocalyptic hellscape of Oblivion. But maybe… Nathan is looking for something else? Why can’t he resist the siren call of the Oblivion Song?
There was also a trailer that was shown to the audience after he announced it.
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more New York Comic Con coverage will be on the way
I have been going to New York Comic Con to cover it since 2012 and each year since then it has got more bigger than the previous years. No other convention besides SDCC has this much of an explosion of fans and celebrity guests and comic artists and creators than NYCC. My experience with each convention is different each time but there are ways to survive the Con days and today i will tell you how to survive New York Comic Con.
1. Arrive to the Javits Center early
If you are living in the New York City area, then it should be very easy now to get to the Javits Center by the 7 train (before the new path opened, you had to either take a bus or get off at 34th Street and walk there). Even if it is a little cold outside, waiting on the line to get in builds the anticipation of what you are going to see on the show floor. Trust me, you do not want to arrive 30 minutes before the venue opens or else you will be far behind on the line.
2. Always bring a bottle of water with you along with food and snacks
The food and water at the Javits Center is expensive. Even the vendors and food trucks are expensive too. If you want to, i recommend that you make food at home or at your hotel and bring it with you along with a very large bottle of water. You would not want to stand in lines with an empty stomach and i have done it and it was not pleasant at all .
3. Have comfortable shoes to be prepared for standing on the lines
Never and i mean Never walk the entire floor with boots (unless you are a cosplayer or it is raining) or heels. Your legs and feet will hurt within 20 minutes. Always wear sneakers to any Comic Con especially in New York since you will do a lot of walking. They don’t call it “the city that never sleeps” for no reason.
4. Make a great pose when you are about to go for a photo op
I myself love meeting celebrities and actors and all it takes is one pose or smile for your photo to come out great. I know for a fact that anybody can be nervous when they are meeting their favorite actor/actress for the first time. But you will be fine as long as you look directly to the camera to pose for a photo or act out a scene with the actor before the photo flashes. I have heard stories of photos being retaken because of a botched pose or if their eyes were shut. You only get one chance so make the best out of it.
5. Use the official NYCC App for maps
Ever since the NYCC App has been released a few years ago, it became a very useful App for you to use the map to see where you are going and which room you are heading to for panels and signings. No more looking at a tall poster to check which spot you are currently on and no more walking up to one of those posters while there is a sea of a crowd that is walking. Download the App and use it. You will love it.
6. Do not take pictures of, or touch cosplayers without their consent.
One of the great things about this specific convention is that they have a strict no-harassment policy. There were posters everywhere that said cosplay does not mean consent. It felt like a safe space. Plus, every cosplayer that I encountered had no problem with stopping to take a picture after they were asked.
7. Bring as much money if you can
If you are going to buy that rare comic or even a stack of them or just exclusives and figures, be prepared to bring as much money as you can. I sometimes hear stories of people bringing up to $2000 with them for NYCC. I only bring about up to $400 with me but i do not spend all of it. It is also best for you to manage on what you will spend on that weekend.
8. Make new friends at their social gatherings
I have only went to a social gathering once in my entire 6 years of going to NYCC as a press member and that was back in 2013. But i have made a ton of new friends and met a ton of people at the press lounge area such as Mick Foley, Greg Miller (then IGN, Now Kinda Funny Games), Sheamus, Tara Strong and much more. But going to social gatherings especially the themed ones of your favorite TV Show or Video Game is worth it for the simple fact that you will hang out with many different people with the same interest as yours.
9. Make sure to have a portable battery charger
This is very needed especially if you have to sit through more than one panel. Battery chargers for your phone or cameras is a must have since you may want to take pictures or record footage of a panel or of cosplayers. Make sure that the battery is charged up before you use it.
10. Arrive to the panel line at least one hour and a half before the panel begins
So you want to make it to the Mark Hamill or The Walking Dead panel this year? Good luck because even trying to get a spot is just a hassle. If you are planning to go to one of the major panels, be sure to arrive at least up to two hours before it begins because if you arrive 30 minutes before it begins, you will not and i mean NOT get in.
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After the long wait, the physical release of the first issue of Doomsday Kingdom has finally came. Youtube personality and comic writer Ronny Haze has been working on this title along with artist James Milne for a few years now and their dream came to reality with this issue. Ronny Haze hosts a channel called Make A Path Presents where he covers The Walking Dead (the comic series and the TV adaptation), Fear The Walking Dead, Game Of Thrones and much more. There are not many Youtubers out there that hosts a channel and also creates a comic so you are getting a huge bag of content on his channel.
I have issue #1 of Doomsday Kingdom and here is my review on the first issue.
First i would like to say that the first 3 pages set the tone for how the rest of the issue will be. The first page, the main character has an arrow that is already pierced through his wrist taken out. But next, we get flashback scenes leading up to what happened on the first and last page and not too many comics begin their series with a flashback scene so i liked it. From there onwards, the main character travels with a prisoner and we get a story between those two along with what happened between those two and why the main character tied him to the feeding post for the zombies (which are named creeps in this comic) to devour him alive.
After that, the main character goes to a house that is trapped with a few zombies inside but it was a distraction as the other group attacked him with arrows. As the main character takes down the zombies, the enemies continue their assault and we finally know how he got the arrow on his wrist.
Another character wearing riot gear mixed with camouflage comes to the main character’s rescue as he killed the enemies that attacked him. At the end of the issue, the man who saved the main character asks him “The Rider. WHO ARE YOU?” as this ending left myself wanting to know more behind the character and the story.
Overall, i love this issue. This felt very different than the normal post-zombie outbreak world. Right from the beginning, we have been hinted that the world has been like this for many years and that the characters were very accustomed to everything that was going on. This issue is jam packed with action from start to finish and it has me excited for the next issue. I also did like how the suspense was built on how the first page happened as it did not felt forced or rushed at all. The Artwork is also great as the colors and shades and shadows blended very well in each page. I recommend for everyone to read this because it is a completely different take on the zombie genre. Doomsday Kingdom releases digitally first before the print version releases.
Ronny Haze is on twitter @RONNYHAZE and you can find him on YouTube as Make A Path Presents. I have also interviewed him on The Wrestling Court Episode 85 which you can listen to right here.
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Marvel Comics Legacy spoilers follow for Secret Empire Omega #1.
Secret Empire doesn’t appear to be over with Secret Empire Omega #1. The book ends with…
idolized figment of Kobik the sentient Cosmic Cube’s imagination Steve Rogers remaining Captain America while real yet corrupted Steve Rogers remains jailed as Hydra Supreme.
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I have been a fan of The Walking Dead comic series dating back to the end of 2005 and look at where it is now. It has created a very widespread fanbase across the world whether if it is the TV Show or the Comic Series. Today, i count down the top 10 The Walking Dead comics you should read.
10. Vol 24- Life and Death (Issues 139-144;2015)
I kick off the countdown with this story arc that features the leader of The Whisperers Alpha’s views on how the living should be during the post apocalypse vs Rick Grimes views. During this Story arc, Michonne Returns since last being seen during All Out War, Dwight takes control of The Saviors, Carl and Lydia becomes an couple and much more. But the biggest moment that happened in this story arc is when Alpha took off her walker skin and snuck in the Alexandria Safe Zone during an festival and proceed to kill an total of 12 people (4 each from ASZ, The Kingdom, The Hilltop, and the Sanctuary) and put their heads on tall spikes on The Whisperers’ border. Among of those killed, the two biggest were Rosita (who was also 8 months pregnant with Eugene’s child) and Ezekiel.
9. Vol 1- Days Gone Bye (issues 1-6; 2003-2004)
The First Story arc from the beginning gave everyone an feel of what is bound to happen in the future. After being shot and being put in a coma, Rick Grimes wakes up a few months later to find out that the world he knew is no longer the same as zombies have taken over the planet. Along the way, he meets Morgan, Glenn, Carol and more characters as he searched for his family. When he meets up with his son Carl Grimes and his wife Lori Grimes, he finds out that her and Shane were having an affair. By the end of this story arc, Rick and Shane had a fight which leads to Carl Grimes Killing Rick’s best friend Shane.
8. Vol 10-What We Become (issues 55-60; 2008)
So some interesting things happened in this volume. First, you see that Rick and Abraham are either going to absolutely hate each other and probably kill each other, or they are going to both go mad holding hands and be best friends. Hot and cold with these two. Their personalities are both dominating ones, so they aren’t getting along all that well. You also get to learn a little more about Abraham’s past and why he is the way he is. Like what happened to his family; which, as it is expected, is really stinkin’ sad. The third thing is that the group finally gets to deal with a legendary herd they kept hearing about from Abraham. And I am talking like two thousand little roamers. Like that’s insane. How have they not come across a herd yet is really the question at the time. Also, this arc had the scene where a bunch of bandits tried to rape carl and attack Rick and Abe (Remember that scene on the season 4 Finale?), Maggie’s suicide attempt, and the return of Morgan who is a different person from what he was before.
7. Vol 8- Made To Suffer (issues 43-48; 2007-2008)
In this volume, we finally see how cruel The Governor can be. The reader knows he is evil, but may not have understood how evil until now. Not only does the reader see his only motive is pure greed, the reader sees that he will truly stop at nothing to get what he wants. Even when The Governor has lost countless people from his side, both by death and the fact that they no longer wish to fight for him, he will not stop. His greed was his tragic flaw. A few themes of this volume are cliffhangers, distrust, sanity, revenge and greed. The theme of cliffhangers works because this volume is not only the end of the volume, but the end of the first compendium. It ends after everyone has fled the prison. The entire group is separated. No one even knows who all has been killed and who has safely escaped. The theme of distrust appears for the people of Woodbury. They’ve no idea how evil The Governor truly is. They believed that he was leading them into army against savages when in reality, they were good people with children. The theme of sanity arrives when we witness The Governor’s rampage, with also is under the themes of revenge and greed. Some highlights include the death of The Governor, Tyreese, Judith, Billy and Lori. More characters died in this story arc than any other after this one.
6. Vol 21- All Out War: Part 1 (issues 115-120; 2013-2014)
If you are looking forward to season 8 this coming fall as i am writing this, this story arc is a good start since AOW part 1 and 2 will be season 8. Rick, Jesus and Ezekiel come together with their 3 communities to fight against Negan and The Saviors in this action packed story. Some highlights includes Negan killing David, the bombing of Alexandria, the death of Ezekiel’s tiger Shiva, zombies flooding into The Sanctuary, and the bait and switch with an zombified Holly. This is a must read for readers who would want to know what the war was like before the TV adaptation airs. Also, Issue 115 has the second most variants out of every issue and it was the highest selling comic of 2013.
5. Vol 16- A Larger World (issues 91-96; 2011-2012)
Here on this arc, we are introduced to Jesus. He is a scout for The Hilltop. He is very fast and he can catch anybody by surprise. Rick and the survivors thought that Alexandria was the only community left but Jesus told them that their world is about to get larger. He introduces them to The Hilltop and they find out that although they have much more food and crops there, it comes with a price as The Saviors takes half of their supplies every month. Rick and the group vows to Gregory (their leader) to take Negan and The Saviors down but little does he know, that will cost one of the groups lives.
4. Vol 5- The Best Defense (issues 25-30; 2006)
In this volume, the story moves from a simmering internecine struggle to a more dangerous external conflict for the first time, as the sudden appearance of a helicopter leads Rick, Glenn, and Michonne to the doorstep of another survivor camp. This group is led by a man named Philip, who has styled himself as The Governor. This new player in the story is quickly established as certifiably insane, as well as the extreme example of securing authority through the “might makes right,” do-anything approach to keeping people safe that Rick has been struggling with up until now. As the three protagonists begin their ordeal in the Governor’s hands, the rest of the group back at the prison wait anxiously for their return, with no idea that a new, non-zombie threat is now bearing down on them. This was an arc that will leave your jaw drop once you get passed The Governor’s introduction.
3. Vol 11- Fear The Hunters (issues 61-66; 2009)
This Volume introduces the second main antagonist group called The Hunters. They are lead by a man named Chris (Gareth on the TV show) and the way they survive is by eating other humans. Yes you just read that, they are canibals. The Hunters tried to take down The Survivors for food but they manager to get only one of them which was Dale. They chopped off and ate his leg without realizing that he was bitten by a zombie a few hours earlier. Rick and the group managed to find them and kill them and sliced their bodies apart and burning them. Also, it was in this arc that Father Gabriel debuted, Bill killing his brother, and the death of Dale. By the end of this arc, Carl revealed to rick that he has killed Bill.
2. Vol 14- No Way Out (issues 79-84; 2010-2011)
Rick and his new community are in terrible danger when a herd of roamers take down a section of what was thought to be sturdy wall. Just when they thought they had found a tiny modicum of security, everything begins to fall apart. This herd is one of the biggest threats that they have faced in a long time, and not everyone will make it out unscathed. During this arc, Walkers floods the streets of Alexandria, Morgan dies after being bitten, Carl got shot at his eye and much more crazy stuff happens. The group in this arc was down but that did not stop them from killing every zombie that invaded Alexandria. Also when this volume started back in 2010, the TV Show of The Walking Dead aired for the first time.
Honorable Mentions:
Vol 28-A Certain Doom (issues 163-168; 2017)
Vol 18-What Comes After (issues 103-108; 2012-2013)
Vol 26-Call To Arms (Issues 151-156; 2016)
Vol 22- A New Beginning (issues 127-132; 2014)
Vol 4-The Heart’s Desire (issues 19-24; 2005)
1. Vol 17- Something To Fear (issues 97-102; 2012)
If you would like to know where did Negan made his first appearance, it is in this story arc (or Issue 100 if you buy the single issues). Rick and the group had no idea what they were up against when they decided to kill some of The Saviors. If you thought that The Governor was evil, you have not seen nothing yet. Negan and his Saviors are haunting and they showed Rick that they were to be taken seriously at all times. Some highlights include Dwight killing Abraham and Negan killing everyone’s fan favorite, Glenn. My jaw dropped when i first read issue 100 5 years ago as i could not believe what i have just saw. I would recommend everyone to read this entire arc to see how it went down.
I have no idea what the hell went on with Sonic. Gone are days of creativity, endless hours of fun, and the basic love of rings. Instead, we’ve gotten Poorly Design Sonic (Sonic the Hedgehog 2006), Make it Stop Sonic (Sonic Unleashed) Vertigo Sonic (Sonic Generations), Steroids Sonic (Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric)
So when I heard SEGA was giving Sonic another spin, I cried unto the heavens screaming “why?” I hung my head in shame for what I expected would be one of the biggest gaming mistakes in 2017. It’s not often that I’m proven wrong, and it even less often that I’m willing to admit my mistakes, but this is a special case for a special game that has already captured my heart and won’t let my childhood memories die.
Sonic Mania is beautiful from the very beginning. Captivating my soul, it starts off with a 2D animation sequence that transports me to a world of the 90s and I’m a kid again… before everything went to crazy. However, Sonic Mania is more than a game. It’s a “thank you” for “hanging with SEGA despite the numerous times we’ve screwed you over.” It’s forgiveness for all the terrible things that have happened before. Though they can never promise they won’t do it again (Sonic Forces has yet to be released) here is a metaphoric rainbow.
Even the name, Sonic Mania is a perfect way to describe this game. Merriam-Webster defines “mania” as: periods of great excitement and euphoria. an excessive enthusiasm or desire; an obsession.
It’s a rare treat to see a game like this fall perfectly into this category. Why? Because while Sonic may have been created by SEGA, it feels like it was created by Sonic fans which technically is true. Developed by people who originally created Sonic fan projects, they’ve painstakingly created a homage to their childhood while adding in fresh ideas and clever gaming with an old-school flair.
As a massive fan of art, there was something special about the 16-bit Sonic and those bold bright colors. It never felt like it was trying too hard for your attention, instead, it was a sign of prestige and honor. From the very beginning, Mania has that same feeling when those bright and beautifully bold colors splash onto the screen like a Jackson Pollack painting. It whisks you away to Green Hill Zone where those familiar loops and golden rings await to be collected.
While previous Sonic games encouraged speed which often resulted in disaster for me, Mania takes the controlled chaos route. Yes, there are those uncertain crazy loops but the game also encourages you to take your time and explore. By slowing down, I’ve discovered newly added sections, secret coin locations, and opportunities to interact with the expanded environment (hey there, sexy wood chipper). There were moments when I was so lost in the game that I forgot that I had to complete the level. Once I did, I was greeted by another level that was even better than the last.
As a lover of movies and TV shows, I fell in love with the new Studiopolis level. Bouncing on film reels was a delight and the flashbulbs and music felt like a throwback to old Hollywood. Despite the randomness of the level’s inclusion, Sonic never felt out of place and the setting came off like an extension of the original game with even more exciting adventures to come.
One of my favorite new levels is easily the breathtakingly gorgeous Press Garden, which can only be described as magical. Light colors fill the screen as everything is covered with pink, airy and light colors. While I’m not a girly-girl, I was taken aback and enthralled with the level of charm that poured through my screen. Compared to Studiopolis’ darker, jazzy and more adult feel, Press Garden was screaming to whisk my troubles away onto the pink leaves that floated around Sonic. There were moments when I had to stop and just marvel at the game’s details, which quickly prompted Sonic to stare at me with his side-eye and the original “gurl, bye” foot tap (man, did I miss that stare).
As I continued playing, I noticed how easy it was to control Sonic. Previous games often made me feel reckless. Unable to figure out how to handle the controls, I would often crash into things, lose all my rings and spend wasted minutes memorizing how to jump. This game, however, even managed to get the controls right. Tapping into sense memory, Sonic was able to perform all of the commands without any issues. In fact, if I closed my eyes, I would have guessed I was playing on the SEGA Genesis.
Boss battles are the most delightful as they prove most innovative. While there are classic robots, SEGA has built upon their design and how each battle is executed, which keeps the game and each level refreshing. Ranging from weird to “wait.. what?,” there are puzzles, pattern memorization, wind speed, shooting and more. It’s very hard for me to pick my favorite battle because each one deserves to be recognized.
Sonic Mania is not perfect. Even though the good outweighs the bad, there are some frustrations and complications. Mania is much harder than those of yesteryear. While death is not an often occurrence because the boss battles are “unique,” there are moments where death is immediate. As a result, the game landed me back to the beginning, making me complete the stage again. Despite the stage checkpoints, through a series of trial and error, this was a common and annoying occurrence, which can be argued isn’t necessarily the game’s fault but something of my own failing.
Sonic Mania should be the reason why developers reboot games, not just because of money, but to witness how happy games make people. Instead of ripping the original formula apart, reboots should build upon a game success. It reminds people why they fell in love with gaming, while also introducing a new generation to that same passion a game can create. Sonic Mania does both and more, it’s a game that will have you fighting to play with others and possibly your kids. The last Sonic game i have enjoyed very well was Sonic Generations but before that game, you would have to take me back to 1994 for Sonic and Knuckles. I give this game a 9.5 out of 10
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