Tethered is an existentialist zombie original graphic novel created by writer David Faroz Precht and artist…
Tag: comics
If there was one comic book convention that you have to visit to boost your nerd street cred, then that’s easily San Diego Comic-Con or SDCC, for short. Most people will comment how crowded this convention is and how difficult it is to obtain tickets to the show. But what most people don’t understand is the commitment that countless nerds go through each year to ensure they walk the convention floor or sit in the elusive Hall H. I’m going to give a short run down on my journey back to SDCC 2015 after a year away, caring for my nerd-in-training baby boy, Aiden.
As a fan of this convention, there’s sort of an insanity that comes with trying to go to the show every year. If you were lucky enough to go to the show the previous year, SDCC started a Pre-Registration period where those guests can attempt to get badges for the following year. The caveat is you are required to keep last year’s badge and input your unique ID into the system. This is the first chance guests have to get the 4-day plus Preview Night badges that almost always sells out first. Now, the entire stock of tickets aren’t sold during this period because they need to allocate supply for the Open Registration period which allows anyone try for badges as well as both the Creative and Trade Professional registration periods.
This long-running toys and collectibles show in San Jose, CA is all about the toys, but it’s not without comics. There’s something telling about their website that contains no css – if you think about it, it’s very fitting. It says, “We are old school, we are vintage, we are pre-1995 and we’re keeping it that way.” At least we don’t have to mail in cash or checks to pre-order our tickets!
The holidays are finally here! Just as we may all celebrate in different ways, we each have our own unique taste in comics, so we’ve put together a diverse list of comic books that would make great gifts for anyone in your life. We’re sticking strictly to trade paperbacks and graphic novels – they simply make better gifts because they collect multiple issues in one easy to read book. It’s also much easier to give them to friends and family that aren’t “into comics” because many of these collect entire storylines in one package. We also only chose books that were released this year in 2014 – some comics were published earlier but came out in trade paperback form this year. The most important criteria – they’re all great stories! You really can’t go wrong with any of these. Well, you probably wouldn’t give Sex Criminals to your 7 year old niece (Ms. Marvel is likely a safer bet in that case).
Age of Ultron
Get acquainted with the most dangerous robot in the universe before he makes his big screen debut in next year’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. The artificial intelligence known as Ultron has fought for years to eradicate mankind…and now, it has all but succeeded. The few remaining heroes are battered, broken, almost beaten and left considering desperate measures – some more desperate than others. But when Wolverine breaks ranks and pursues his own plan to defeat Ultron, will his drastic action cause more problems than it solves? This is a complete story that collects the entire Age of Ultron run, issues 1-10. Get it on Amazon for $23.
This past weekend we had the pleasure of attending Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo, which bills itself as the “first and largest pop culture convention in Los Angeles.” Not sure how they came up with those statistics, but whether or not they are the first or largest, we really enjoyed it. Since it’s hosted by Stan Lee, you’d think it’d be a comic-first convention, but it was definitely a pop culture smorgasbord with comics, video games, cosplay, anime, tv and film.
Cosplay and comic conventions go hand in hand. Every year, the cosplay community gets bigger, broader and crazier. Stan Lee’s Comikaze was no exception. People from all around the world traveled to L.A. to share their love for the art of cosplay. Expressing oneself through costume is no easy task. Weeks, if not months, of work were required to create some of the most awesome costumes you’ll ever see in person. But most people from all walks of life don’t cosplay to create best costume in the room, they cosplay because they’re able to express themselves and feel empowered in a community that holds no judgment. The Shortboxed team was able to snap some photos of these awesome cosplayers. Check it out after the jump and let us know which one is your favorite in the comments or on twitter.
We scavenged Reddit AMA’s (Ask Me Anything) to find answers to one of our burning questions: “How do comic writers start writing comics?” Below you’ll find four writers who engaged with their fanbase on Reddit and all answered that very question. You’ll also find links to their AMAs, titles they’ve worked on, and links to their websites and Twitter handles.
This past weekend we had the pleasure of attending Long Beach Comic Con for the first time. It’s an annual show in its third year, and draws around 20,000 attendees over two days. The focus of the show is definitely on comics and creators, and less about pop culture in general, which is what I was hoping for.
The vibe at LBCC was very friendly and welcoming, and it drew a diverse mix of comic book fans and geeks. What I liked most about the size of the show is that it felt substantial in the scope of the expo hall and programming, but it never felt crowded and overwhelming, unlike San Diego Comic Con, which draws over 120,000 attendees.
In the rest of this recap I’ll be covering:
- Expo Hall
- Artist Alley
- Programming
- Cosplay
- Final Thoughts