GeekRoundTable.com

Dick Beals (1927-2012)

From the website CARTOON BREW.......

Jerry Beck

Animation voice actor Richard Beals (aka Dick Beals) passed away this week at age 85. Nobody has a better obit online than Mark Evanier, but I couldn’t let him pass without a remembrance here on the Brew. Beals had essentially one voice – that of a cheerfully optimistic little boy – but it was used often and well by just about everyone in Hollywood. Most famously, Beals voiced Ralph Phillips in Chuck Jones’ theatrical cartoons and was Speedy Alka-Seltzer in numerous TV commercials.

In addition, Beals was Davey in Davey and Goliath, Buzz Conroy on Frankenstein Jr. and Birdboy on the Birdman series. Hanna Barbera used him to re-dub live action boy actors in (or more likely, they pre-recorded the tracks for) Gene Kelly’s Jack And The Banstalk and in commercials

Beals had a long career on radio and on early live television before settling into voice-over roles. Perhaps my favorite was this one – in support of Gary Owens as two members of the American Eagle Squadron, as both Dan and Yank on Roger Ramjet . There is no better way to pay tribute to Beals today than to rewatch and listen to his work – and to thank him for all the memories. Rest in peace.

Thank you, Mr. Beals.

 

 

Comic-Con Cancelled and Returned Badge Resale

The Comic-Con International cancelled and returned badge resale will be open only to those who had a valid and confirmed Comic-Con Member ID as of May 24th, 2012. Additionally, anyone who has already purchased a Comic-Con 4-day badge (with or without Preview Night) or Saturday badge will not be allowed to participate in this resale.  

  Please keep in mind that cancelled and returned badge inventory is very limited. There are only 5,000 single day badges for sale.

 The resale will begin on May 31st, 2012 at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time (PT). There will be no link provided on any social media sites to access the sale directly.

 The link for this resale is: http://www.comic-con.org/cci/2012resale.php

 Please note, this link will not be active until 8:00 a.m. PT. If you click this link early, you will receive a “404 – NOT FOUND” error page and you will need to close your browser window and click the link again at or after 8:00 a.m. PT.  We recommend that you bookmark this link prior to the sale, copy and paste it into your browser, or manually type in the URL.

 To verify the Member ID and last name you will use to sign-in to the EPIC online badge system, please visit https://secure2.comic-con.org/memberid/ and login to your Member ID account. Your correct EPIC login info will be displayed at the top of the page.

You will only be able to register up to two (2) people total during your online registration session and you must have the unique Member ID and last name for each individual. You may purchase up to four (4) single day badges (no duplicate days), while supplies last.

 

For specific rules and regulations for this resale, please visit: http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_reg_badge_faq.php or http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_reg.php

 

While Comic-Con has made every effort to make the badge purchase experience fair for everyone, it is possible that problems outside of our control could result in the system not working as planned. The possibility exists that anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-malware software may aggressively block browser cookies, JavaScript, or other operation of modern web applications. It is also possible that user error, specific hardware problems, local ISP issues, or simply the extremely high level of demand beyond our control may result in your computer and/or browser not behaving as described above. While Comic-Con has done extensive testing, we make no guarantees that your efforts will result in a successful badge purchase regardless of when you enter the process.

 

 

** This  pertains to Comic-Con 2012 attendee badge purchases only. If you do not intend on purchasing a badge during online resales, please disregard this message. This message is not related to Professional, Volunteer, Exhibitor, Press, or Program Participant Registration. For all other inquiries regarding the registration departments above, please visit www.comic-con.org**

 

 

Milestone Creator Dwayne McDuffie passes away

 

 

GRT is sad to report the death of Milestone creator Dwayne McDuffie.  The well respected comic writer, animation producer and industry veteran was one of the creators of Milestone Media, who through DC Comics, McDuffie co-founded Milestone Media along with creators Denys Cowan, Michael Davis and Derek T. Dingle. The company's mission statement involved expanding the role of minorities in comics both on the page and off, and they launched a line of superheroes that included "Static," "Icon" and Xombi" – all of which McDuffie had a hand in creating.

A native of Detroit, McDuffie officially joined the comics industry as part of Marvel Comics editorial in the late '80s. While working on special projects for the publisher, he quickly made his name as a writer creating series such as "Damage Control" and helping to redefine the Deathlok character to fan and critical acclaim. He soon left the staff to become a full time freelance writer, becoming a voice in the industry for diversity, particularly fighting against stereotypical portrayals of people of color on the comic book page.

Over the years, the writer contributed to scores of notable comic book launches and series, always with a keen eye on character, regardless of race. In 2000, his character, Static, made the leap totelevision in the Saturday morning cartoon "Static Shock." In 2003, an episode of the show dealing with gun violence earned the writer the Humanitas Prize.

In recent years, McDuffie pursued dual tracks in animation and comics writing. He served as story editor for the popular "Justice League Unlimited" animated series and wrote a number of DC's recent direct-to-DVD animated films. McDuffie had notable runs on comic series "Fantastic Four" and "Justice League of America," often incorporating Black characters into the core of the fabled franchises.

McDuffie's latest work was the script for the "All Star Superman" animated adaptation, which went on Tuesday in stores across America.   GRT offers it's sympathies to Mr. McDuffie's family and friends in their time of tragedy.  Check out the CBR article for more info,here.

Never forget........

 

 

*special thanks to Mark Yturralde

Comic-Con 2011 Attendee Registration will open at 9am PT on Saturday, February 5

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Comic-Con International will open up registration Feb. 5 after having to close down the sales operation twice because of computer glitches.

Comic-Con spokesman David Glanzer said he can offer no more details about the online sale other than that registration will start at 9 a.m. Pacific Time. The convention will have more information on its website closer to Feb. 5 on how to purchase single-day and four-day badges.

In December, Comic-Con launched a test sale limited to 1,000 passes to determine whether it would be able to accommodate the tens of thousands of people who normally want to buy passes without overloading computer servers.

Deluged with a huge volume of aspiring purchasers, Comic-Con’s online system was able to process the sale of the 1,000 passes within 15 minutes, Glanzer said at the time.

Comic-Con tried twice in November to sell single-day and four-day passes to its pop culture extravaganza, but each time, the sale had to be halted after servers were overloaded, and purchasers were greeted with error messages.

Comic-Con has chosen to partner with TicketLeap for the initial ticketing aspect of registration. TicketLeap is powered by Amazon web services, which provides TicketLeap with access to Amazon’s servers and network so they can bring the flexibility required to create a system that matches the needs of the event. Additionally, when researching ticket sellers to partner with, the ticket fee pricing structure became an important issue. TicketLeap is again at the top of the list because they are able to keep costs reasonable for the buyer; they offer a flat $2.00 service charge per ticket.

It is this combination of the ability to adapt to the size of the event while keeping fees reasonable that make TicketLeap a good match for the initial portion of the registration process.

Registration for Comic-Con is more than just managing ticket sales. With over 126,000 attendees and several different departments, ticket levels and types, the requirements for a show of it's size are daunting. Each year EPIC has been able to meet the daunting challenge for the attendees and staff.

Glanzer said, We believe that continuing our partnership with Epic Registration Services will again result in good customer service and a registration process that will continue to work on site as it has in the past. The size of our show makes it a very unique event, and EPIC has proven that they have the equipment, personnel and the experience to meet the needs of Comic-Con and our attendees.

 

 

Thank You Martin Luther King Jr..........1929-1968

 

All I'm saying is simply this, that all life is interrelated, that somehow we're caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason, I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. You can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.

— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

  King Came Preaching: The Pulpit Power of Dr. Martin Luther King JR., by Mervyn A. Warren & Gardner C. Taylor, InterVarsity Press, 2008, ISBN 083083253X, pg 174

GRT's Own Ned Cato Jr, Named Eisner Judge for 2011

 

 

GeekRoundtable's own Ned Cato Jr, has been bestowed with a great honor, being named as an Eisner judge for 2011.  The Will Eisner Comic Industry Award, commonly shortened to the Eisner Award, is a prize given for creative achievement in American comic books. It is named in honor of the pioneering writer and artist Will Eisner, who was a regular participant in the award ceremony until his death in 2005.

Each category is nominated by a five-member panel, voted on by comic-book professionals, and presented at Comic-Con International  held in San Diego, California. Jackie Estrada has been the award administrator since 1990.

The judges will meet in San Diego in late March to select the nominees that will be placed on the Eisner Awards ballot. The nominees will then be voted on by professionals in the comic book industry, and the results will be announced in a gala awards ceremony on Friday, July 22 at Comic-Con.

The other Judges are:

Karen Green

Columbia University's Graphic Novels Librarian. Karen began her library's comics and graphic novels collection in 2005. She works extensively with Columbia faculty in a wide range of disciplines to facilitate the use of comics in their courses and has curated a related exhibition, "Comics in the Curriculum." She has also spoken at several campuses around the country, as well as to librarian groups, as an advocate for comics in an academic milieu. Karen writes the "Comic Adventures in Academia" column for ComiXology.com, which examines issues in comics librarianship, and has written about comics cataloging for Publishers Weekly. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art.

 

Andrew Helfer, who spent over 20 years wearing a variety of editorial hats for DC Comics, editing such titles as Justice League and Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight and writing such titles as The Shadow. He later founded the DC imprint Paradox Press, producing a series of 17 graphic nonfiction "Big Books" on topics as diverse as Urban Legends, Conspiracy Theories, and Scandals. His Paradox Mystery and Fiction imprints introduced readers to both A History of Violence and Road to Perdition, two graphic novels later adapted into successful films. His interest in manga led to encouraging DC to publish the wordless adventures of a tiny dinosaur named Gon. After leaving DC, Andrew continued producing nonfiction comics, writing and editing a series of biographies that included Malcolm X and Ronald Reagan, among others. Currently, he is working on a new fiction comics project while raising (with his beautiful wife Jaimie) their brand new (and equally beautiful) daughter Emilia.

 

 

Rich Johnson, who has been in just about all aspects of bookselling, from store manager to buyer to publisher. As the first vice president of book trade sales for DC Comics, he took the forefront in establishing graphic novels in the bookstore and library markets. Under his watch, DC Comics achieved its first New York Times Bestseller with Neil Gaiman's Sandman: Endless Nights. Most recently, Johnson served as co-founder and co-publishing director for Yen Press, a graphic novel and manga imprint for Hachette Book Group. He also co-founded Yen Plus a monthly manga anthology magazine. He currently writes a column for the comic book industry website The Beat. He is also founder of Brick Road Media, LLC, a publishing consulting and packaging firm. He is the author of the graphic memoir My Father's Eyes.

 

Chris Powell, the General Manager & CRO of Lone Star Comics/mycomicshop.com. He has been with Lone Star since 1990, holding positions ranging from sales to executive management. Chris was a founding board member of ComicsPRO, the Direct Market comic retailers' organization, serves on the board of moderators for the Game Pro Symposium and the Advisory Board for the Game Store Resource Forum, and is a past president and current board member of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

 

The Eisner Awards are presented under the auspices of Comic-Con International: San Diego, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of and appreciation for comics and related popular artforms. primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contributions of comics to art and culture.

Eisner Awards administrator Jackie Estrada can be reached at Jackie@comic-con.org.

 

Wonder Woman to Hit TV Before the Big Screen

By Brad Trechak

There have been repeated attempts over the past few years to bring the Amazon Princess to the big screen -- including a notable attempt by geek icon Joss Whedon -- though for now it looks like folks have instead turned their attention toward getting 'Wonder Woman' on television again. For those too young to remember, Diana Prince's alter ego had her own show in the '70s starring Lynda Carter.

The most surprising piece of information relating to this news is that David E. Kelley, creator of such television shows as 'Ally McBeal' and 'The Practice', has been assigned to revamp the heroine for television.

It seems a shame that the number three icon at DC Comics is sent back to television while the top two (Superman and Batman) have made successful movie franchises and arguably number four (Green Lantern) is on his way to movie stardom. Back in May, Warner Bros. did say that they're still developing Wonder Woman for the big screen, though as of now there's no word on how far along they are. DC plans to reveal their plans for the big screen by the end of the year.

While there is no doubt that some talent is behind this new concept for Wonder Woman, one can only hope that they don't alter her for television audiences to the point of unrecognizability (like J. Michael Straczynski has just done in the comics). In a world where the big superheroes are finding themselves in movie theaters nowadays, can someone like Wonder Woman survive on the small screen? Is there still a place for live-action superheroes on TV?

It's Official.........Comic-Con to Stay in San Diego.....through 2015.

For Immediate Release

SAN DIEGO -- Comic-Con International: San Diego (Comic-Con), the largest comics convention of its kind in the world, today announced it will be staying in San Diego for the foreseeable future.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Saunders announces Comic-Con is staying in San Diego, through 2015.

Comic-Con reached a self-imposed attendance limit at the San Diego Convention Center (SDCC) in 2007 and has had to cap attendance at approximately 125,000 people each year since. In looking at ways to better accommodate the growing demand from attendees and exhibitors, the nonprofit organization considered proposals for a move to larger facilities in Los Angeles or Anaheim after the expiration of its SDCC lease in 2012. This decision keeps Comic-Con in San Diego through 2015.

Comic-Con International:San Diego, Executive Director Fae Desmond

"We are grateful for the tireless efforts all three cities put into to their proposals," said David Glanzer, Comic-Con's director of marketing and public relations. "In the end, we feel this decision is the best for all those who attend Comic-Con and for the organization itself. We are happy that the community has worked with us to ensure that we remain here."

Comic-Con was first held in 1970 at the U.S. Grant Hotel, where it attracted 300 people. As the event grew, subsequent homes included the downtown El Cortez Hotel in the 1970s and the San Diego Convention and Performing Arts Center in the 1980s. Comic-Con moved to the then newly built SDCC in 1991. Comic-Con celebrated its 41st year in 2010.

The San Diego Convention Center Corporation has scheduled a press conference for Friday, October 1 at 11:45 a.m. at Lobby E of the convention center.

Eddie Ibrahim, Director of Programming, left, along with Director of PR and Marketing, center, and Comic-Con Board Member Lee Oeth, right, attend the press conference announcing Comic-Con staying in San Diego through 2015

About Comic-Con International:

Comic-Con International: San Diego (Comic-Con), the largest convention of its kind in the world, is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular artforms, primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture. In addition to its San Diego convention each summer, Comic-Con organizes the San Francisco–based WonderCon each spring and Alternative Press Expo each fall. On the web: Comic-Con.org, Facebook.com/comiccon, Twitter.com/comic_con.

The Return of GeekRoundTable.......

It has been a HARD 11 months for me, but it has all lead me to one conclusion, The Show Must Go On!

November 12, 2009: The Death of my Mother....

My Mom and Dad are both geeks and gave me my love of The World of Geek.  From my Dad, I got my love of Comics and Classic movies, and Toys, and from my Mom I got my love of Japanese Giant monster movies and action figures.  In July of  2009 my Mom, Brother, Sister, and their kids came out for a visit from New York.  We talked about Comic-Con and my being a board member and other things. She brought me a replica of Mecha-Godzilla, that she carried on the plane.  Then, roughly 3 and a half months later I get a phone call from family telling me my Mother is gravely ill.  I rush home and spend time with her in the Hospital.  After 10 days I run out of cash and have to come home with plans to return.  November 12, 2009, I get a call from my brother in tears telling me my Mother has passed away.  I am numb for the next 6 months.  I consider quitting Comic-Con and the board and giving up this site.  But, my Geek friends won't let me.  The love and support I got from my friends, still surprises me to this day.  Thanks to all of you.  I also want to say thanks to all the folks who came up to me after The GRT panel this year and shared their sympathy and  their own stories of loss.  Thank you.  All that support said to me, that the show must go on.

I Love You Mom,

,and always will.......

I dedicate The GRT website to my Mother.

A New GeekRoundTable!!!!!!

While the old GRT was not a bad set of show, it seem to be a lot slower in getting out to you guys.  I really want this site to be a fun, source of info for geeks, but not make it feel like you have to read a ton of content or listen to a 2 hour show.  So, what we are going to do on GRT is STREAMLINE the show.  What this means is we are not only make easier for you guys to get content, but make it easier for us to get it to you.  What this means is, getting the show to you in different ways. The pod casts will happen, but, they will be shorter.  There will be a GRT page on You Tube, to get you content directly from us at home and at the various show we all go to, like Anime Expo, APE, Wonder Con, and other conventions.  We are now  going to do  3 different shows:

1. A leaner, meaner GRT

We are going shorten the shows from over an hour, to 45 minutes to up to an hour.  What this means is because most of the cast is all over California, we will Skype more shows to make it convenient for everyone.  We will not cut out full, live cast show, there will just be fewer live ones.

2.The Politics of Geek

This show will be a passionate exploration of The World of Geek, from Women in Geekdom to Racism in the Geekdom.  This will be the Meet the Press for geeks.

3. From the Balcony Geeks

This show will concentrate on classic movies and will be manned by the old guys in the group, but not limited to them.  We will talk classic films and little known gems.

A fourth show, Rant! ,is more of a commentary bit that will mostly end up on You Tube, since they show will run anywhere from 10 minutes and up.  This will be the show where geeks get to grind that Geek Axe.

A new feature that we will also use will be The Empty Chair, where we invite a fan of GRT to sit in on a show(in person or via Skype).  will will start the  Empty chair in January.  We are looking forward to the new format and will be changing the face of GRT site, to fit the new shows.  If anyone wants to design new headers,will will put them up and give you full credit and put you at the top of the list for The Empty Chair.  If you have any questions drop us an email at geekroundtable@yahoo.com. 

Geek Out!

Ned Cato Jr