Vancouver ComicCon May 2011

VANCOUVER COMIC-CON MAY 2011

I attended my first Vancouver Comic-Con as an exhibiting local artist, on Sunday May 15th. The event is held bimonthly at Heritage Hall on Main. St for artists, and comics collectors. The turnout was great. I had a chance to meet other artists such as GuruKitty Studios, Doug Savage of Savage Chickens, Nate Simpson of Nonplayer, and more. Everyone offered me tips, and advice since it was my first time at an event like this.

I had various vinyl toys on display, as well as some postcard sized prints to sell. M.Bison Munny, C.Lil custom Chicken Little, Homeless Quatchi, and V-Day Qee were all displayed at my table. It was great meeting new fans, and getting my work more exposure. I used this as an opportunity to spread the excitement for my SKELANIMALS QEE x TOY2R x Albert Art collaboration, and the feedback was very positive overall!

I think I will be attending more of these local comic events, and perhaps some others outside of Vancouver in the coming years. Seeing the reaction of people looking at your artwork is something that definitely cannot be replaced by online emoticons. Getting out there, and promoting your work is the best way to get to know what people enjoy. Watching how people react to the work of other artists as well, is something to take note of.

I was very lucky to share a table with Doug Savage who attracted lots of people. His book 'Savage Chickens' sold like hotcakes.

Enjoy some pictures from the event below!

HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE NEXT ONE!

SDCC 09 - The Hit List, Panels

What to see, and what to do?

With everything awesome going on at the same time at Comic-Con, it's always a little tough deciding on what to see. Many of the panels run concurrently, and or overlap, which makes me wish I had a clone, to attend them all. Everyone's planned agenda varies on your interests, but here's a rough idea of what I wanna see, revolving around animation, movies, and videogames.

THURSDAY

1:00-2:00 Tetsuo for the 21st Century— The maverick filmmaker Shinya Tsukamoto (Tetsuo), will have a premiere talk on his secret plans for the movie tentatively called Tetsuo Project. Tsukamoto will reveal the details of this first English language installment of Tetsuo, the third legendary cyberpunk action thriller from Tokyo. Be among the first to witness the official title announcement as well as an exclusive sneak peek at the movie—only for the Comic-Con audience! Room 32AB

1:45-2:45 Assassin's Creed II: Video Games and Hollywood Converge— Yannis Mallat (CEO, Ubisoft Montreal), Pierre Raymond (president & head of operations, HYBRIDE Technologies, a VFX studio involved on 300, Sin City), and key team members discuss the convergence between Hollywood and video games, featuring the fastest-selling new franchise in video game history: Assassin's Creed. This session touches on the evolution of creating and distributing content while highlighting the bridge between two different spheres—gaming and entertainment—to create the Assassins Creed II universe. Plus, panelists reveal new information on the new Assassin's Creed II series coming out this fall. Room 6A

3:00-4:00 Bill Plympton: King of Indie Animation— Animator Bill Plympton (Idiots and Angels) presents Horn Dog, the fourth smash installment in his famed, Oscar-nominated "Dog" series. Bill will screen some of his new animated shorts, including Mexican Standoff and Santa: The Fascist Years and present some early scenes from his work-in-progress feature film Hanky Panky. Bill will also be available for Q&A after the screening, and all attendees will get a free Bill Plympton drawing. Room 5AB

3:00-4:00 Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes— Join legendary Disney Animation producer Don Hahn, famed Disney animator Glen Keane, creator of Aladdin's Genie Eric Goldberg, director/teacher/animator Tom Sito, and Masked Avenger Studios owner and sculptor Ruben Procopio for a discussion of the life and influence of Disney mentor, trainer, and artist Walt Stanchfield. Room 32AB

3:00-4:15 20th Century Fox and James Cameron present Avatar— In this first public screening of footage in 3D from his much-anticipated action/adventure/fantasy, James Cameron, producer Jon Landau, and cast members take you to a spectacular new world beyond imagination. Conceived 14 years ago and over four years in the making, Avatar breaks new ground in delivering a fully immersive, emotional story and reinvents the movie-going experience. Hall H

3:15-4:15 Capcom 2009 Lineup— Capcom's premiere producers present sneak peeks at the most anticipated games of the year. Featuring Jun Takeuchi (Lost Planet 2), Morgan Gray (Dark Void), Daryl Allison (Spyborgs), Motohide Eshiro (Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth), and Masachika Kawata (Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles) and moderated by Capcom-Unity.com's Seth Killian. See exclusive gameplay footage and behind-the-scenes making-of features, followed by a Q&A session! Room 6BCF

9:30PM BRUTAL LEGEND GWAR CONCERT/PARTY

FRIDAY

12:45-2:15 Disney: Animation Panel— Walt Disney Pictures, Disney•Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios present a director panel with previously unseen footage from its upcoming animated slate, including Toy Story & Toy Story 2 – Double Feature, Beauty And The Beast, Toy Story 3, Prep & Landing, The Princess and the Frog and Ponyo. Special guests include Lee Unkrich, Kirk Wise, Ron Clements, John Musker, and Hayao Miyazaki. John Lasseter hosts the panel, with Patton Oswalt moderating. Hall H

2:30-3:30 Focus Features: 9— Focus Features and Comic-Con present an exclusive look inside director Shane Acker's animated fantasy epic 9, the feature-length expansion of his short film of the same name. Directors Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov are among the feature version's producers. The action-packed adventure—opening nationwide 9/9/09—takes place after our world fell to pieces, when a group of "stitchpunk" creations must summon individual strengths well beyond their own proportions. While showcasing a stunning steampunk-styled visual brilliance, 9 dynamically explores the will to live, the power of community, and how one soul can change the world. Join Shane Acker, Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov, and actors Elijah Wood and Jennifer Connelly LIVE for this panel presentation! Hall H

3:45-5:00 Sony Pictures Entertainment: Legion and District 9— Sony Pictures Entertainment and Screen Gems introduce two great new movie projects exclusively to Comic-Con attendees!

Legion—When the last angel falls, the fight for mankind begins. Having lost faith in the human race, a legion of angels descend to Earth to bring about the Apocalypse. Humanity's only hope lies in a group of strangers trapped in a desert diner and the Archangel Michael himself (Paul Bettany). Appearing on stage: Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind, The DaVinci Code), Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights, Supernatural), Tyrese Gibson (Transformers, Death Race), Doug Jones (Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Abe Sapien in Hellboy), and director Scott Stewart (helming his first feature film after working on VFX for Sin City, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, and Iron Man, among many others). From Screen Gems.

District 9—Peter Jackson makes his eagerly and long-awaited first visit to Comic-Con to introduce you to the world of District 9, which focuses on a world in which extraterrestrials have become refugees in South Africa. Thirty years ago, aliens made first contact with Earth. Humans waited for the hostile attack or the giant advances in technology. Neither came. Instead, the aliens were refugees, the last survivors of their home world. The creatures were set up in a makeshift home in South Africa's District 9 as the world's nations argued over what to do with them—as well as their powerful technology and advanced weaponry that can only be activated by Alien DNA. Please join Peter Jackson as he gives fans a first look at scenes from District 9 and takes your questions along with director Neill Blomkamp and star Sharlto Copley. From Sony Pictures Entertainment Hall H

5:45-7:15 DC Universe Animated Super Powers: Green Lantern: First Flight and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies— Get the inside scoop on the next two action-packed entries in the popular series of DC Universe animated original PG-13 films, Green Lantern: First Flight and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. Hal Jordan's first full-length adventure, Green Lantern: First Flight, brings together executive producer Bruce Timm (Superman Doomsday), casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano (DC Universe films), director Lauren Montgomery (Wonder Woman), writer Alan Burnett (The Batman), and voice talent Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: SVU) and Juliet Landau (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) to discuss and show film clips from the all-new film set for release on July 28. Then, Timm and Romano will be joined by supervising producer Michael Goguen (Justice League: The New Frontier), director Sam Liu (The Batman), and writer Stan Berkowitz (Justice League: The New Frontier), for the first-ever footage and public discussion of Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. Kevin Conroy, the undisputed benchmark voice of Batman, joins the panel for his first Comic-Con appearance in six years! Based on the popular Jeff Loeb/Ed McGuinness comic series/graphic novel, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies finds U.S. President Lex Luthor using the oncoming trajectory of a kryptonite asteroid to frame Superman and declare a $1 billion bounty on the heads of the Man of Steel and his "partner in crime," Batman. Superheroes and supervillains alike launch a relentless pursuit of Superman and Batman, who must unite—and recruit super help—to stave off the action-packed onslaught, stop the asteroid, and uncover Luthor's devious plot to take command of far more than North America. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies will be distributed by Warner Home Video in fall 2009. The movie reunites the lead voices from the landmark Superman: The Animated Series and Batman: The Animated Series—Conroy, Tim Daly (Private Practice) and Clancy Brown (The Shawshank Redemption) reprise their roles as Batman, Superman and Lex Luthor, respectively. Other members of the cast are expected to join the panel, as well. DC Comics senior VP of creative affairs Gregory Noveck moderates. Room 6BCF

6:30-7:30 SEGA/Platinum Games: The Making of Bayonetta— Famed director Hideki Kamiya and producer Yusuke Hashimoto provide an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of Bayonetta, a visually unparalleled action game that combines unique visual aesthetics with supernatural combat. In this war between angels and a heat-packing, hair-manipulating witch, it introduces—literally and figuratively—a new breed of video game heroine. Developed by PlatinumGames for SEGA, this is their next big project on the heels of MadWorld, one of the most lauded games for its groundbreaking innovation. Audience members will be able to participate in a Q&A session with some other surprises in the works. Room 10

6:30-7:30 Entertainment Weekly: The Visionaries— A discussion with iconic filmmakers James Cameron (Avatar) and Peter Jackson (District 9) on the Future of Film—EW moderates an in-depth conversation with these two cinematic giants about the art of film narrative and how technology and global culture will alter the art of on-screen storytelling in the next 20 years. Hall H

9:00-11:30 Angel of Death Premiere Screening and Q&A Session— Comic book superstar Ed Brubaker (Captain America), actress and stuntwoman Zoë Bell (Death Proof), actors Doug Jones (Quarantine), and Ted Raimi (Spider-Man 3), director Paul Etheredge (Buried Alive), and producer John Norris appear for a panel and Q&A session, followed by an exclusive screening of the thrilling uncut feature-length version of the film marking the DVD release of the groundbreaking digital online series! Room 6A

SATURDAY

2:45-3:45 Sony Pictures: Zombieland and 2012— Sony Pictures previews two exciting new movies at Comic-Con!

Zombieland —What if the Zombies won? Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) has made a habit of running from what scares him. Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) doesn't have fears. If he did, he'd kick their ever-living ass. In a world overrun by zombies, these two are perfectly evolved survivors. But now, they're about to stare down the most terrifying prospect of all: each other. Also starring Emma Stone and Abigal Breslin as two sisters who seem to constantly cause even more trouble for our erstwhile heroes. Appearing on stage: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and director Ruben Fleischer.

2012—Director Roland Emmerich has tried to destroy civilization before, but nothing you've seen will prepare you for what he has in store for the world in 2012. Never before has a date in history been so significant to so many cultures, so many religions, scientists, and governments. 2012 is an epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors. Roland will be onstage to reassure us it's all make-believe...we hope. Hall H

3:30-4:30 Entertainment Weekly: Totally Lost with Doc Jensen and Dan Snierson— EW's Jeff "Doc" Jensen and Dan "Dan" Snierson prep you for Lost's final season with their dubious insights, crazy theories, and oddball tomfoolery. Surprises? Maybe. Pig E.? Let's hope not. Free cookies? No. Room 5AB

4:00-5:00 Fringe Screening and Q&A— Fringe cast members Anna Torv (upcoming The Pacific), Josh Jackson (Shutter), and John Noble (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) appear with consulting producers Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) and executive producers Jeff Pinkner (Lost) and J. H. Wyman (Keen Eddie) for a Q&A with fans and an exclusive video presentation. Join the discussion of this critically acclaimed thriller, which explores the ever-blurring line between science fiction and reality, where hybrid monsters tear through sewers, thieves walk through walls and portals open to worlds unknown. From Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, Fringe airs Thursdays at 9:00 PM ET/PT this fall on FOX, premiering September 17. Fringe: The Complete First Season will be released on DVD and Blu-ray Hi Def September 8. Ballroom 20

4:00-5:00 Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment: Iron Man 2— Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the sequel to the blockbuster film based on the legendary Marvel superhero Iron Man. Directed by Jon Favreau, Iron Man 2 stars Robert Downey Jr. Joining Downey in the cast are Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Jon Favreau, Clark Gregg, John Slattery, Mickey Rourke, and Samuel L. Jackson. Hall H

4:30-5:30 Mike Mignola: Hellboy— The creator of Hellboy talks about upcoming projects and what's next for the Beast of the Apocalypse. Mike Mignola and his long-suffering editor Scott Allie provide an overview of the coming year and an always frank Q&A session! Room 4

4:00pm - 8:00pm SOE's Fourth Annual Block Party!

Our annual Block Parties are nothing but fun and this year will be no different! Join us at SOE Headquarters for music, food, drinks, tours, previews of upcoming games, give-aways, raffles and special guests. There will be activities for kids as well. Meet game developers and staff, socialize with SOE employees and friends, and have a great time in the sunshine!

If you didn't get to see Kung Fu Hustle at Fan Faire this year, we'll be holding special demo session only at Block Party. You won't even see this at our Comic-Con booth!

This event is scheduled to be held during Comic-Con on Saturday, July 25th. Even if you are not attending Comic-Con, stop by the block party anyway! Everyone is welcome and admission is FREE! When:

Where: SOE Headquarters 8928 Terman Court San Diego, CA 92121

Shuttle buses are scheduled to travel round-trip from Comic-Con to SOE every 30 minutes from 4:00pm - 6:00pm. Look for the SOE signs in front of the Marriot Hotel, located north of the Convention Center (toward convention area A). Buses will be returning to the Convention Center every 30 minutes until 8:00 pm.

5:15-6:45 Kevin Smith— Direct from New York City, where he's directing the new Warner Bros. film A Couple of Dicks starring Bruce Willis, Seann William Scott, and Tracy Morgan, Kevin Smith returns to the Hall H stage for his annual report to the masses. And remember: he flew in just for YOU. Hall H

5:30-6:30 Gears of War: The Gearsiverse— Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski, Gears of War movie scriptwriter Chris Morgan, Gears of War comic book author and Gears of War 2 scriptwriter Joshua Ortega, and Gears of War movie director Len Wiseman present a preview of what's next in the 11 million–selling Gears of War franchise. Get in on all the action, including an exclusive sneak peek at the deleted scene from Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection as well as an insider's glimpse into the highly anticipated Gears of War motion picture. Whether you play the games, read the books, or have a Crimson Omen tattoo, this star-studded meeting of the minds is too exciting to miss! Indigo Ballroom / Hilton Bayfront

7:30-8:30 Atom.com: World Premiere of Legend of Neil, Season 2— Atom.com has teamed up with Sandeep Parikh (The Guild) for a second season of the popular web series. See the first public screening of episodes from the series and stay for a discussion with Sandeep, series star Tony Janning, and everyone's favorite fairy Felicia Day (The Guild)! Moderated by Chris Albrecht, co-editor of NewTeeVee.com. Room 7AB

8:00-9:00 Showtime: Weeds— If you are addicted to Weeds, this is the panel you don't want to miss! Find out everything you want to know with a Q&A and interview with the series creator and its stars! Featured panelists include Jenji Kohan (creator/executive producer), Hunter Parrish (Silas), Justin Kirk (Andy), and other cast members. Weeds airs on Mondays at 10:00 pm on Showtime. Indigo Ballroom / Hilton Bayfront

8:30-12:15 Watchmen: Director's Cut—Live with Zack Snyder! Plus Sneak Peek of Batman: Arkham Asylum with Mark Hamill & Kevin Conroy— Get the ultimate inside track on two landmark Warner Bros. releases with the world premiere screening of Watchmen: Director's Cut and a first-look panel for the breakout Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment game Batman: Arkham Asylum. The festivities will open with a Batman: Arkham Asylum panel led by the benchmark voices of Batman and the Joker, Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) and Mark Hamill (Star Wars), as well as award-winning writer Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series). Then Watchmen director Zack Snyder, legendary illustrator Dave Gibbons and actor Jackie Earle Haley discuss the nuances of the film's Director's Cut— which hit stores on July 21. And for the pièce de résistance, Snyder will host a BD Live Community event—providing a real-time, in-person director's commentary for Comic-Con attendees (and BD Live viewers at home) as the film rolls. Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions of Snyder via computer kiosks within the room, making for an entirely interactive viewing experience. Room 6BCF

SDCC 09 - Smells like Comic-Con

The pungent stench of Geeks, Nerds, and Dorks.

San Diego Comic-Con is upon us once again, and like every other sci-fi lovin, film/tv obsessed,vinyl toy collecting, videogame fan out there, this 4 day party of converging geekery and pop-culture, is the most wonderful time of the year.

With plenty to see and do for everyone in the family. Like getting autographs from D-list actors from old sci-fi shows, meeting your favorite artists, or sitting in on panels for the most hyped upcoming films (Jim Cameron's Avatar, I'm so there), or just chatting it up with fellow geeks while waiting in line.

This will be my second comic-con ever, so I'm a noob compared to frequent Con-goers, but I'd like to think I'm a little more psychologically prepared this time around, even though preparing yourself for Comic-Con is not really something you can do. The absurd lines ups, the crowds, the unpredictable craziness of grabbing free schwag from the booths like a ravenous pack of animals. It's chaos.

There are plenty of parties around the time of Comic-Con as well, one of which is the Sony Online Entertainment Summer Block Party at their campus 30 minutes away.

I went to this last year, and they had awesome food, drinks, music, and tours of their studio. The issue is, you just gotta catch the shuttle, from the convention center to their studio. If you're strapped from cash at the con, you can pig out compliments of Sony BBQ.

Details via the link.

I'll be tweeting my Con adventures on the days that I'll be there, Twitpics and all. Unfortunately I'm not gonna be there all 4 days, dividing my time up between SD and LA. Technology sure has made mini-blogging aka Tweeting, such an integral part of event coverage. There's no way security at Comic-Con will be able to stop the armies of iPhones. http://twitter.com/albertart

Totally excited.

Are Video Games Bad for Comics? Ed Boon, Joe Madureira speak.

Comic licensing, video games, and you.

Several weeks in the making, my latest article for the Game Career Guide comes at the end of the summer movie blockbuster season, but with the holiday movie rush in sight. If you were sitting in theaters enjoying the spectacle of this year's big comic brands Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and The Dark Knight, but were all the while dreading how these superheroes would translate to a video game form, don't fret, you're most likely not the only one. Superhero video games have had a less than stellar track record.

Comic licensing and adaptations are still very much in demand. With this, comes a demand for not only more comic-based films, but for better quality ones as well. With the taste in audiences changing, and comic-book based films getting what some would consider 'better', why can't video-game adaptations keep up?

In a quest to figure out why crappy comicbook games continue to get made, I decided to do some research, asking a few experienced developers (Ed Boon, and Joe Maduriera) who have a unique perspective on the situation to open up about the business of licensing, and production. While comments by Frank Miller and Zack Snyder, taken from this year's San Diego Comic-Con, add to the discussion of adaptations.

With 'Are video games bad for comics,' I try and put into perspective the growing pains that developers are faced with when dealing with the licensing of comicbooks, the superhero kind, specifically.

Gamasutra, provides the entry, while Game Career Guide offers the 5 page post in full. I'm definitely pleased with the way the article turned out, and I'm especially grateful for having such a great editor, Jill Duffy, who really made this piece shine. Give it a read, and be sure to share the link.

Comic-Con 08 - Playing Street Fighter IV Capcom, delivering the goods at Comic-Con 08

On the last day at Comic-Con I finally managed to get around to playing the much anticipated Street Fighter IV at the Capcom booth. After a 30 minute lineup, that stretched around the booth (a boxing ring housing the arcade machines), CDN and I duked it out. It was definitely worth the wait to play Street Fighter II HD, and Street Fighter IV for however brief a time it was.

Producer Yoshinoro Ono signed posters, and posed for pictures while associate producer David Crislip, helped to translate and promote at the booth. All players were given a sweet Ryu head tie, just for playing the game.

With the insane lineup, I didn't have enough time to replay the game and give it a full testing, but from what I tried, it definitely played like the Street Fighter most gamers are familiar with, and it looked absolutely amazing up close. Street Fighter II HD on the other hand was different from what I expected, improved graphically, but the animation seemed to stick out oddly, like some sort of a cheap 'flash' version of the game, with missing frames which made the animation appear to pop.

In the mood for getting more Capcom, and realizing I hadn't spent much money on Con stuff, I picked up a copy of Street Fighter Tribute, a small Chun Li figurine, an Okami art book, and managed to get them signed by producer Yoshinoro Ono.

Related: making of Street Fighter IV

 

Friday at the Con

Thursday night at Comic-Con consisted of parties! Two of the most popular ones being G4 and STRANGEco at the hip Jade Theater, which featured performances by MC Frontalot,  the vinyl toy store MunkyKing had a packed party with live painting, and THQ featured their game Darksiders, while Midway pimped Mortal Kombat vs. DC at a pretty swank party down the street. I partied a little too much, so I unfortunately missed the exciting events of friday morning, recovering in the hotel.

It's only friday, the second day of the Con and I feel like I've been here for much longer then that. The show has been packed, people have been stinking, attitudes have been rude, but amid all this, getting the chance to see all the cool art, toys, and panels, is totally worth it.

The much anticipated Ghostbusters panel was cancelled though, so that was pretty disappointing. There was also a Joss Whedon panel I wanted to attend as an alternative, but the lineup was waaaaay too long, so I decided to checkout the exhibit floor to kill time before heading over to The Spirit presentation. But let me just say that, once you get on the floor, it gets really hard to get out. It reminded me of the old E3, lots of exciting setups, booths, and overall craziness.  I'll have to post pictures of the exhibits later, but this area of the Con is HUGE. It goes on and on, it can get pretty exhausting.

Recorded in 10 parts, you can view the rest of the panel for "The Spirit" on my youtube page youtube.com/rez2cool

Frank Miller, Sam Jackson, and other actors from the film, gave an awsome panel which featured clips from the upcoming film. The movie looks AWESOME.

After this I attended a panel with Kevin Smith, Zack Snyder, and Frank Miller, which I will have to post some time soon.

Comic-Con 08 - Making of Street fighter IV

 

3:00 - After a long trip from LA, I'm finally at Comic-Con, after missing the mornings events, I rushed to what was next on the agenda. Street Fighter IV, and no doubt the lineup was ridiculous, wrapping around the hall, I thought I wouldn't be able to get in.

 

 

3:28 - Finally inside, we were treated to a powerpoint featuring animation for Street Fighter IV, as well as new ingame video.The animation was created by Studio 4C, known for the Animatrix. "Collaborating with Capcom is a dream come true" says Jiro Kania of Studio 4 who was not in attendence, but was quoted in various slides.

 

After a brief Q&A we were treated to a never before seen video, animated segment featuring Chun Li.,

Albert Art finally decides to join Twitter

Sharing a little more Online with Status Updates

...because pulling a 'Justin.tv' is out of the question.

Ah, the joys of the internet. With so many options available for people to share their lives online, one must consider exercising a certain amount caution. To be able to pick, choose, and control the amount of information that a person wants to broadcast is definitely important, especially for people who prefer to keep the details of their life to a minimum (or not). As one of my uncles put it when referring to dealing with the loss of my brother, "A Public face, and a Private face." With all these outlets available, the issue is no longer about the method in which we share our lives, but rather the amount of information we choose to put out there.

When considering the exciting events at San Diego Comic-Con fast approaching, I thought I'd offer readers a way to keep track of what I've been up to, which didn't require the labor of posting a lengthy blog summarizing the days events, or the strapping of a camera to my head 24/7, like a justin.tv 'lifecaster'. Without adding more people to my facebook,(which mind you I'm trying to keep down to a healthy number -- under 100), or myspace, Twitter seems like the ideal standalone Status Update tool for those interested in living vicariously through other people,. I had been thinking about getting Twitter for a while now, so I'm pretty late with joining the Twitter trend, but being that it doesn't require the time, attention, or energy of maintaining a whole new blog, I'm cool with just doing short, brief updates to "stay connected".

If there wasn't anything exciting going on, I probably would still update. There's something about updating ones status (updating since early MSN) that's not only a good way to communicate with others, but after a while it becomes required. People expect it. Your family, and friends want to know what you're up to, so with status updates, you're telling them. Telling them to watch a certain movie, or to avoid a certain restaurant, product or service, or simply to tell them that you have a stomachache and you're sitting on the toilet. Some updates can even be serious, like for example I updated my status on facebook to "Albert is dealing with the sudden loss of a family member," because I felt it was important at the time to let people know what was going on in my life, without being too specific. How could you not tell people what you're going through after such a tragic event? And yet, some people on my friends list NEGLECTED to read the status change, and continued to send me party invites, and stupid links. I replied to one 'friend' angrily, saying something like "READ MY DAMN STATUS!"

Other times I've updated my status to, "Albert managed to put custom ringtones on his unlocked iPhone. Super Mario theme FTW!," and "Albert thinks changing a reservation with travelocity Canada (based in India) over the phone is a painfully ridiculous experience. The "on hold" music sucks too...," Though really, how much can you learn about a person from these updates if they are taken out of context, and written like headlines in a newspaper, typed with a limited amount of characters? Which for total strangers who don't really know the individual behind the update, could create a false impression of that person.

For Comic-Con, I plan on keeping the Twitters brief, and on topic! In addition to utilizing Twitter with my Comic-Con coverage, I will be posting updates on my blogs, throughout the day, as stuff happens... (though not minute to minute). Stay tuned!

I give you permission to follow me @ twitter.com/albertart

E3 reminds me of my brother.

My brother, the enthusiastic and concerned convention-goer.

Another highly anticipated E3 has come, and is soon to be gone, (depending on when you read this of course). And while everyone's hard at work discussing the latest happenings and expo surprises, I'm left wondering simply what my brother would think about all this news. Unfortunately my brother isn't around anymore to make any witty comments about the downsized expo on his blogs idorkas.blogspot, and ryohazuki.1up -- someone whose opinions I respected, and enjoyed hearing, is gone.

What would he say about FFXIII on 360, Gears of War 2, and the overhauled XBL dashboard with avatars? I'm sure he'd be thrilled about it all, especially the 'Mii wannabes' for the 360. It just feels so weird to be unable to discuss with him the everyday blurbs from the game industry, or the newest movies coming out like, The Dark Knight, or to just share a joke or have a conversation with him. I feel like a part of me is missing, and indeed, it is.

My brother Christian, better known around these parts as Ryo, had been attending the expo since 1999, his last one being 2006, after it was announced E3 would be changing it's format. He loved the show, (he has the collection of badges to prove it), and he loved sharing his event coverage with his readers. He would really get into the fun of going to a Con. We would always push each other to see who could turn out the better blog, rushing to do a writeup that included loads of pictures, and details about our experiences. In my mind, my brother made me a better blogger because of our brotherly competitiveness that extended beyond blogging and games, but with everyday life as well.

Unlike most videogame enthusiasts out there, my brother never wanted to write officially for any game publications. He never wanted to be a 'game journalist', or anything associated with being a game journalist. He wanted to operate independently to be able to deliver content, the way he wanted to, without any organization filtering his interests or directing his posts. He wrote from the heart, and wanted to keep it that way, posting about things that mainstream press didn't bother to cover, obscure niche games, and more.

He loved being a convention-goer, so naturally E3 wasn't the only show that he would regularly attend. He had been to CES for several years because he's a total gadget freak, and every time we would see each other over the Holiday's he'd ask me if I wanted to go to CES in Vegas which happened a few days after New Year's. I always had an excuse not to go, thinking about it now, I definitely regret never taking up his offer.

He always wanted to make sure his friends and strangers, had opportunities to experience things that he enjoyed. Like I remember one year a 1UP member expressed their desire to attend E3 but they were running low on funds or something like that, so they put the word out on 1UP. When my brother ran into that person who actually made it to the expo, he remembered what they had said online, so he offered to take them out to eat. And he did, I was there. Tired and hungry after a long day at E3, the three of us walked over to a Firehouse restaurant in downtown LA not too far from the convention center. We all looked like touristy teenagers, and you could tell that this Firehouse restaurant (Engine Co. No. 28) wasn't the type of place for us, but rather an older crowd of business people, and office workers. And yet my brother didn't care. He walked up in there, and asked for a table. I could tell they were a little put off by servicing the three of us with all our convention swag bags, but my brother didn't give a damn, he was hungry, and he didn't care what they thought. We ordered whatever we wanted from the menu, and he paid for it without hesitation. Always so generous.

After the restaurant, I remember there was a homeless guy who approached us asking for money as we walked back to the convention center. My brother literally opened his wallet, and gave him a few dollars. Me and the other 1UP member were pretty surprised. I told him afterward that what he did was pretty dangerous, the guy could have snatched the wallet from his hands, or worse. Again, he didn't care, he felt like being generous.

So, thinking of E3, will always call to mind some really good memories of my brother. E3 2005 in particular was very memorable. My brother did some great blog coverage too. As time goes on, I'm constantly reminded of him, which is good, because I would rather remember him, then to go on with life without thinking of my brother. Read his past E3 blogs Here.

E3 what? Scheduling my daily Comic-Con agenda.

Oh the frustration!

I've never been to San Diego Comic-Con before, (although I did go to Wonder Con for a few hours after GDC this year back in February, but that really doesn't count). From what I've heard about Comic-Con though, the show is an exhausting mess of uber Geekery unmatched by the shear popularity of the event. The 4-day multi-genre convention is on a completely different level from anything else out there, that is quite different from PAX, and not even comparable to the typical "industry specific" conferences that I've attended in the past. With several years of GDC, E3, and even PAX, under my belt, I'd say it's about time for me to head on over to the geekiest place on earth, to experience what those have called "Heaven on Earth for the Geek", where fans can be fans, and up and coming talent can get close to their idols, and inspirations, while dropping a load of cash on a wide array of merchandise; toys, comics, autographs, photographs, books, art, animation, clothing, movies, and more.

With only a little over a week away before one of the most exciting conventions gets underway, it's time to start finalizing the plan of attack. Because if it's one thing that I've learned from being an avid convention goer, it's that it's impossible to get to everything on the schedule, so you have to plan accordingly, and Comic-Con is no exception.

Unlike other conventions though, I've noticed that the Comic-Con 2008 lineup is looking very tight, and planning the agenda is kind of frustrating the hell out of me. There's so much I would like to attend, but the timing of each of these events are either happening at the same time, or overlapping significantly.

For example on Saturday, Glen Murakami one of my favorite animation producers, and character designers of the Warner Bros. animated Superman, Batman Beyond, Justice League, and Teen Titans series, is giving a talk at 10:15-11:15, while the entire cast of Heroes will be giving a Q&A first look at "Villains" at 10:45-11:45. To make things even worse, the great Mike Mignola MIKE "HELLBOY" MIGNOLA, mastermind behind Hellboy, is on stage 11:00-12:00 talking about his latest works.

On Friday, 1:00-2:00 there's a Q&A with Producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi, and director Makoto Kamiya, who introduce Resident Evil: Degeneration, the full-length CG film. Then Joss Whedon gives a talk at 1:30-2:30 showing never-before-seen clips from his new short film, discusses Buffy Season Eight, and the upcoming Serenity comic. And at 1:45-2:45, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson, talk about the upcoming Ghostbusters videogame.

And, that's not even an entire days worth of events. Now if this isn't a tough situation for someone who wants to go to all three of these events, I don't know what is. Almost everything on the daily Comic-Con program seems to have this same schedule overlapping issue, making it really hard to pick and choose which ones to go to. Or is it, that I'm interested in too many genres... This program is impossible!

Not only is planning panels, lectures, screenings, and Q&A's a tough job, but taking into account the time spent at the booths for signings, and buyings is also a big big part of Comic-Con. Ragnar, Ashley Wood, Paul Pope, Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup, Bob Dob, Jeff Soto, to name a few of my favorites, are scheduled to be at different booths at certain times, which no doubt conflicts with the daily program of events in my agenda.

It's times like this a wish I had clones.

I've put off attending Comic-Con for the last two years each time my brother invited me to come, and when I finally do get a chance to go, he's no longer here. It hurts, but I made a promise to go.

Originally I had planned on attending the Con with my brother and sister, without any obligations to provide coverage for any media outlets aside from my blog, but since he (as you all know) passed away recently I've decided to take on some work at this year's Con. He would probably be disappointed to hear that rather then having fun at the convention, I'm running around like a headless chicken with a press pass but oh well, he understands my freelance duties. I'm going to be helping to cover Comic-Con for Gamasutra, Game Career Guide, and Tomopop, as well as both my blogs rez2cool.blogspot.com, and rez2cool.1up.com. I've always enjoyed the energy of covering an event, it's exciting, and rewarding, and it's great to have a purpose beyond just being a convention goer. I think I'll be needed some Red Bull.

View the entire Comic-Con Program HERE.