Marvel Heroes Launching: Heroes and Action Galore!!!

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Captain America, Spider-man and Ms. Marvel take on Venom

The time has finally arrived. Marvel Heroes is set to make an official launch on Saturday, June 4^th. While many of you out there may not be getting too excited about the launch of a Free to Play online video game, the depth and quality of Marvel Heroes is enough to make most change their minds about what to expect from a F2P (free to play) game. With well known video game developer David Brevik leading the way, Marvel Heroes has similar hack and slash qualities to Brevik's earlier projects Diablo and Diablo II.  With the already sound game play qualities of the Diablo series, some overhauled graphics, and a continually increasing Marvel roster to choose from, so far Marvel Heroes has impressed me more than I predicted.

Catching up with Ayres: Christopher Ayres ACEN Q and A

Christopher Ayres at the Anime Central Press Q and A

On Sunday at ACEN we were lucky enough to sit down with Christopher Ayres in the Press Q and A session. Ayres is huge in the American anime scene and has done everything from voice acting to directing, and as we found out has even spent time on Broadway.

His voice acting jobs range from the well known Frieza, in Dragon Ball Z, to Wagram in the video game The Last Remnant. His credentials speak for his skills, and the knowledge he has about what it takes to make it in such a competitive field could be helpful to anyone attempting to participate in the creative process of anime. With that being said, it is always great to get a chance to meet and chat with someone who has impacted the world of anime as much as Chris has.

The questions were asked by members of the press panel, while the answers are Christopher Ayres.

From the Football Field to the Comic's Page: Israel Idonije brings his smarts and creativity to the comic book world.

Israel Idonije and Grant at C2E2

Whether it is sacking the quarterback or chasing a running back in the backfield,  Israel Idonije tends to be an incredibly reliable defender for the NFL’s Chicago Bears.  His passion for football is undeniable, and strangely enough, so is his passion for comic books.  His passion for comics has grown into the creation of a comic book series called “The Protectors.” 

Q & A: Jamie Marchi Part 2 of 2

RonniGuy & Jamie Marchi

The second half of our interview continues about two minutes after Part 1.  In the first part of our interview Jamie compared her experiences in voice acting and writing and gave advice to beginners attempting to break into both industries.  In addition to my fellow contributor Grant, Jason Sackel and Steve Yurko from The Unofficial One Piece Podcast were also in attendance. If you haven't done so already, be sure to check out all the great content on their site.

By RonniGuy

Q & A: Jamie Marchi Part 1 of 2

jamiemarchi.com

What’s the first thing you imagine when you hear the term voice actor/actress?  If you're like me, you probably see an overweight basement dwelling grandma with whiskers.  Something that perhaps re-enforces the idea of “a face for radio.”  On Friday of ACen weekend I got the chance to find out just how wrong I could be by having the pleasure of sitting down with extremely prolific voice actress, script writer, ADR director, and all around smokin’ hot sweetheart, Jamie Marchi (pronounced Markey).  Fellow contributor Grant and I arrived early expecting to compete for our chance to ask questions, but instead found ourselves with Jason Sackel and Steve Yurko representing The Unofficial One Piece Podcast and an ACen press moderator as the only attendees.  As a result, we were given a rare chance to really chat with Jamie on a less formal basis and get a sense of what she must be like outside a convention environment.  Her open and easy going personality made the interview go by in a breeze.  Before we knew it, Jamie had turned the interview around on us and our thirty minute block of time was up. If you are unfamiliar with Jamie's work you can see a complete list on her site.

By RonniGuy

ACen 2012 Cosplay Gallery

Click the photo above to see Saturday and Sunday's cosplay photos on our Facebook page.  We have more interviews and photos coming so be sure to subscribe in your favorite fashion, be it Facebook, Twitter, or our RSS feed.  Enjoy!

Awesome comes in 3's: C2E2, Wanee, ACEN

For the past three weekends I have been busy mixing business and pleasure.  From Chicago Comic and Entertainment Exposition(C2E2), to Wanee Festival 2012, and ending this past weekend with Anime Central(ACEN); I have been busy enjoying myself as much as I could possibly have hoped.  Each weekend was filled with different kinds of excitement and amazing memories that will not be forgotten anytime soon.

C2E2 was my first experience covering a convention as a member of the press, and I felt that there could not have been a better choice than having it as my first dabble.  I tried to hide my giddiness and excitement as I was able to cover separate panels with Chris Hardwick, artists and writers from Womanthology, as well as members of the famed 501^st Legion. 

Vega to Kirk, Vic Mignogna is Everywhere!

Ronnie Guy and Vic Mignogna at ACEN

When it comes to anime voice actors, few have a list of roles as extensive as Vic Mignogna.  After having shot onto the scene in the 90’s as Vega in Street Fighter II V, there was no stopping Mr. Mignogna from fulfilling a path full of incredibly influential characters in anime.  His role as Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist was so impressive that he received the award for Best Actor from the American Anime Awards.

Vic is not only a great voice actor, he is also an awesome human being who is so grateful for being able to do something he loves while also bringing happiness to so many fans.  At Anime Central(ACEN) 2012 in Rosemont, Illinois, Vic made it known that he was overwhelmed with gratitude for what he has been lucky enough to do for a living.
Being one of the more recognizable faces in American anime, he is not afraid to show how grateful he is by spending the extra time providing handshakes, pictures, and autographs for fans.  This was even more apparent by Vic’s willingness to talk at an ACEN press panel and provide heartfelt and honest answers to any question the press panel could produce.  When asked if he missed being just another random person in the crowd at conventions, Vic respond "I don't miss it. I am so overwhelmed with gratitude for what I get to do. I don't ever want to take that for granted."

Unique Costumes of ACEN

Amazing.  That is really all that could be said for the amount of effort, thought, and money that fans at Anime Central have put into their costumes.  While I have seen cosplay to some extent in the past, never before have I been as amazed as I was Friday April 27^th 2012 at Anime Central. 

While there are plenty of costumes that I saw numerous times throughout the day, there was also a good amount of unique costumes that I saw being worn by only one or two enthusiasts. So many people had incredible and accurate costumes, it was hard to get quality photos of all the different people in costume that I wanted to. Even with my mind running wild while jumping from one awesome photo-worthy moment to the next, the man with the Camera (A.K.A. Ron) did an awesome job of keeping up.  Below are a few of the photos I got a kick out of seeing on my first ever day at ACEN.

Two-Face

 Two-Face happened upon me early in the morning while I was enjoying a cigarette before an early rush arrived.  Seldom have I seen a Two-Face in cosplay, but the few times I have they haven't been nearly as impressive.  

Barry Burton

ACEN 2012 Cosplay Gallery

Friday's cosplay photos are up on our Facebook page!  Head on over and check them out by clicking on the pic above.  While you're at it be sure to "Like" us so you can get updates on our con coverage and added photos.

Indie Game: The Movie

Indie Game: The Movie is about journeys.  More specifically, the journeys of four creators and their struggle to connect with players through their artistic medium, the video game.  The film follows designers Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes leading up to and including their release of Super Meat Boy, Phil Fish and the turbulent struggle to maintain awareness at PAX on his game Fez, and the emotional aftermath for Jonathan Blow following his successful release of Braid.  Each creator struggles with his unique problems, but ultimately all of them give us a glimpse inside the creation of an independent game and the emotional dynamics of their creators.  Indie film makers Lisanne Pajo and James Swirsky edited over 80 hours of footage to make a movie that not only shows us why these creators made games, but why people create in the first place.

Edmund McMillen

For me, the following of Phil Fish's legal entanglements and obsession over perfecting Fez, or the misunderstood Jonathan Blow as he argues with favorable reviewers over the intent and message of his best selling game Braid, take a back seat to designer Edmund McMillen and programmer Tommy Refenes in their development and release of Super Meat Boy.  With Edmund and Tommy we get a look at their lives,  the influences that shaped them, and the loved ones who are both affected by, and supportive of, their dedication.  In exploring these two, the film shows us both the ups and downs as they experience them giving audiences an emotional ride they can connect with.

Tommy Refenes

All of the creators experience the painful results of their dedication with the sacrifice of social lives and the constant seclusion to finish their work.  Although not a pleasant thought, it was inspiring to me at least, in so far as seeing others slave away at all hours to perfect their craft and attempt to accomplish something that lies off the beaten path.  Not only did this film educate me on the game development process (McMillen's idea behind level progression and game mechanics was something I only knew subconsciously through playing games), but it left me with the overwhelming desire to create, despite the perilous journey that may lay ahead in doing so. Indie Game: The Movie manages to show how an individual (or a set of partners) can reach out through an artistic medium and connect with people.

Fez

Super Meat Boy

Braid

C2E2 2012 Sunday Photos!

It's NOT a trap!!

Hello again everyone, hopefully you've returned to the "real world" gracefully and are having a great week after C2E2! I know we've all worked hard to get as much content from this past weekend on the site as possible, but have much more to post as we've been trying to catch up on some much needed sleep as well!

Sunday's pictures are up, see them on Facebook, and give us a 'Like' while you're at it! We had a great time again this year, and can't wait until April 26-28 2013 for the next C2E2. For those of you in the Chicagoland area, make sure to stop by ACEN April 27-29 at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Rosemont, IL and say hi!

Until next time boys and girls,

-OMG

Imperial Storm troopers have feelings too.....

The 501st Legion on Call at C2E2

It may be time for all of us to accept that we have been lied to.  For decades now, we have all been led to believe that the Galactic Empire and their minions were nothing more than a group of power hungry, greedy, SchutzStaffel-ish soldiers with no purpose other than striking fear in the hearts of all humanoids they encounter throughout the galaxy.

                It is time for these ideas to change.  While those who label themselves rebels have persisted in giving the Galactic Empire a terrifying image, these “evil” Imperials are busying themselves with actions that bring smiles to hundreds and perhaps thousands of individuals in the Mid-Western United States alone.  Leading this charge of charitable actions are a group of passionate and creative individuals who march under the banner of the 501^st Legion, also known as “Vader’s Fist”(though from my new standpoint I believe “Vader’s Philanthropic Mechanical Hand” would be a more suitable name, but it just does not seem to roll of the tongue as well).

                The 501^st Legion gives back to the community in numerous ways, and all are done out of the kindness of their Imperial hearts, with no personal financial gain being made by any of the 501^st’s members.  When you see the 501^st marching during parades on the Fourth of July, the rebels would have you believe the 501^st is there to show off their strength and strike fear in every individual along the parade route.  This could not be further from the truth, and this one sided propaganda has gone on far too long.

Progressively Aggressive Sit Down with Jean Kang & Katie Shanahan

Jean, Mike and Katie Are Ready For Action C2E2 2012!

I must admit when we received a request from one of our Twitter followers to cover The Ladies of Womanthology panel, I was a bit skeptical. At that point I had never even heard of Womanthology and had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned over my years of networking it’s to forget about what you’re interested in covering because it’s all about your fans. Now I admit, I use fans quite loosely as we’ve recently rebooted the site and are just now starting to build our identity, but there was no way we could ignore this request.

All I can say about my experience at the panel is WOW, what an amazing group of artists and writers.

I was already a Gail Simone fan before we went in—I love Batgirl and we had the pleasure of meeting her at C2E2 last year—but the real story here isn't about the big names, it's about opportunities for the smaller ones. What this project has done for a few of these artists can’t be put into words. It goes beyond their careers. This piece was not just a game changer, but a life changer as it raised funds for The Global Giving Foundation.

I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to sit down with Jean Kang and Katie Shanahan, both artists on the book. You can read a bit more about their involvement on the project in Ronniguy’s panel summary, The Ladies of Womanthology, including Jean asking to work with Gail and subsequently being flabbergasted when her request was granted.

PA: We are here today at C2E2 2012 with artist Jean Kang known for her amazing animation work on Popzilla, Zombie Murder Explosion Die, and Katie Shanahan. Make sure to check out some of Jeans work on JeanDrawStuff.com, follow her on Twitter @BlueJeanius, and on DeviantART at jeandrawstuff.deviantart.com. To reach Katie simply follow on twitter @KtShy, ktshy.blogspot.com or ktshy.deviantart.com.

Check out the Audio and Complete Transcript After the Break!

Archaia Presents: How to Tell a Better Story Through World-Building

On Sunday morning Archaia's Editor in Chief, Stephen Christy, moderated a panel of writer/artists who met to share their knowledge with aspiring creators.  The panel consisted of Jeremy Bastien (Cursed Pirate Girl, Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard), David Peterson (Mouse Guard), and Sean Rubin (Bolivar, Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard).

Stephen kicked off the panel by briefly introducing the panel and prompting them to give a short breakdown of the specific things that go into their process of world building.  Specifically, when designing characters and costumes.

Jeremy - When I am trying to design costumes I tend to exaggerate features.  I add lots of detail.  I try to put the reader in an antique world where you can get lost in the details. I try and create the craziest characters I can come up with.

David - With Mouse Guard, their anatomy is all the same.  There is only so much you can do with their body language so clothing is what differentiates the different characters.  All the mice are little in this very big world around them and that alone makes the world unique.  The characters come through the costuming.  I try and show the different types of regions in the world through the costume details.  If you look at the mouse who wears goggles and has his head covered, he looks like he's from a desert.  It indicates he's from Sandmason.  Now if you see that character out of a desert, you know he doesn't belong, he's out of place.  The guy with the pine cone is an example of showing how they incorporate things they made or things they grabbed from nature to adorn themselves with.  It tells a lot about the world around them.  I like to keep it loose as I go.  If I wrote all of the details at once it would be too overwhelming.  By doing it this way, I don't paint myself into a corner and can edit as I go.

Behind the Graphics: A Video Game Industry Round Table

On Saturday I sat in on a game industry round table where Allen Turner, lead game designer at Wideload Games, moderated.  The panel of local game developers gave a behind the scenes look at what developers do and how to get hired as one.

Progressively Aggressive Sit Down with Marvel's Reilly Brown - C2E2 2012

Make sure to check out Power Play, available on Comixology!

PA: We’re here at C2E2 2012 with Reilly Brown who’s a professional comic book artist currently spending the majority of his time working for Marvel. He’s worked on a number of books including Cable and Deadpool, Incredible Hercules, Prince of Power, Amazing Spider-Man and more. He has an art studio in Brooklyn and is a founding member of TenTonStudios.com, which, as stated on his DeviantART page, is “an online collective of a bunch of kick-ass artists and potty-mouthed delinquents and a great place to share, critique and discuss artwork.”

RB: That’s all true!

PA: Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, how are you doing today?

RB: I’m doing good.

PA: First off, what projects are you currently working on?

RB: My main project right now is Power Play, which is my creator-owned digital comic. It’s coming out through Comixology. I’ve been working on it for about a year, but it’s really similar to how Mark Waid and Stuart Immomen recently did their Nova story for Avengers vs. X-Men. They’ve mentioned me as one of the guys that they’ve been kind of inspiring their method of doing this, which is pretty cool.

Gowanus Pete on Reilly's DeviantART Page

PA: The main character is Gowanus Pete? (You can follow Gowanus Pete on Twitter HERE!)

RB: He’s not the main character, he’s one of the main characters. The main character is Mac Washington who’s the college slacker type of character who’s at that point in his life where he can do anything he wants, he can be anything he wants but he’s crippled by making the decisions. He can’t make that choice to decide what he wants to be. Then, he gets struck by lightening and gets his superpower to literally become anything that he wants. Any substance that he touches, he turns into that substance. Through one way or another he ends up joining the Power Play Games [that] is an extreme sports league for powered people in Manhattan. It’s a fun story; it’s a lot of comedy, a lot of New York-centric jokes and gags.

PA: You said you can check [Power Play] on Comixology?

RB: Yes.

Read the rest of interview and check out the audio after the break:

The Ladies of Womanthology - C2E2 2012

In a panel discussion and Q & A the ladies of this anthology shared how they became involved and their inspiration for doing so.  It was an amazing opportunity to hear first hand what drove each of these women to become part of something so unique.   For you aspiring creators, note that many became involved through the use of social networking.

Jessica Daniel - writer
Lauren Burke - writer
Jean Kang - artist
Janet Lee - artist
Raven Moore - writer
Candice Reily-Powell - artist
Katie Shanahan - artist
Gail Simone - writer

Some background on Womanthology:

Womanthology is a graphic novel created entirely by women designed to raise money for The Global Giving Foundation and to promote the works of female creators both seasoned and new to the industry.  The project was placed on Kickstarter.com to raise its goal of $25k and surpassed it many times over, eventually raising over $100K.  Within its first week 1500 copies were sold allowing the development of future issues.
Please support their efforts and give them a +Like! Womanthology on Facebook

Progressively Aggressive Sit Down with Nate Cosby - C2E2 2012

-Mike Gallagher
As I noted yesterday in my post on Chris Hardwick, one of the reasons I've fallen in love with this genre of entertainment is how absolutely delightful (what, it's the only word I felt could really capture how I feel) everyone is, even the most accomplished artists. Social media has allowed fans to connect with their idols in a way never before possible, adding a completely new dimension to fandom. Today I was given an opportunity to show exactly what I meant.

I was surfing around Twitter this morning when I came across the former editor for Marvel, lead on the Eisner Award-winning The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and all-around cool guy, Nate Cosby. Being the up-front and adventurous type I am, I made it a point to stop by the Archaia booth where Nate was promoting his new western graphic novel, Cow Boy, to say hello and see if he was up for an interview. 

Let me preface the following with a bit of a warning: I've been a part of numerous Q&A's and group interviews, but I've always had time to prepare. I figured we could do some research, come up with some solid questions overnight and then sit down with Nate on Sunday. One problem-- Nate won't be at C2E2 on Sunday and was done at the booth just one hour after I stopped by! Needless to say I gave Ron somewhere between 4 and 12 ulcers after calling to say I was on my way to him and that we needed to come up with good questions for Nate Cosby and oh, by the way, we had about 30 minutes to do so. 

The following is what we came up with, raw, uncut and uncensored. Big thanks again to Nate Cosby, it was an absolute pleasure, I hope we can do it again sometime. 

Quick Note: Be sure to follow Nate on Twitter @NateCosBOOM and pick up a copy of Cow Boy when it arrives in your favorite shops later this year. 

PA: We’re sitting here at C2E2 2012, I [have] the pleasure to sit down with Nate Cosby—or stand up with really—he was an editor at Marvel Entertainment for 6 years, he actually got to oversee some series including Thor: The Mighty Avenger, the Eisner award-winning The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, as well as Spiderman, X-Men First Class, Hulk, Spiderman Loves Mary Jane and many others. Nate most recently worked on Cow Boy, which is a western graphic novel.

Read the rest of interview and check out the audio after the break

C2E2 2012 Saturday Photos!

-Mike Gallagher

See the GREAT Cos Play Pics on Facebook!

Hello again everyone, we're excited as always to bring you the latest goings at C2E2 2012. The pictures are up, make sure to check them out right here! The Con floor sure was a lot busier today, with TONS of Cos Play action! Artists Alley is packed full of talent, as usual, and we're so excited to bring you our first exclusive interview of 2012. Look forward to our chat with Nate Cosby, former Marvel editor who's overseen some pretty amazing projects including Spider Man, Hulk and the Eisner Award-winning The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, to name a few. Keep an eye on the site for more content from today's coverage, and be sure to click 'Like' when you're looking through the pictures on the Progressively Aggressive Facebook page.


Until next time everyone,

-OMG