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Planet Comicon Kansas City 2020 postponed due to coronavirus

Filed under: Backstage Pass, Comics & Books, Con Culture, Fantasy Realms, Movies, Retro Fix, Sci-Fi Café, Superheroes, TV — Leave a comment

March 12, 2020

PCKC 2020 comics

***Update***

The mayor of Kansas City has ordered the delay of all events with greater than 1,000 people in the city for 21 days, due to the city’s declaration of emergency for coronavirus/COVID-19. Planet Comicon Kansas City will therefore be postponed, according to the event website until late summer or fall 2020. See PlanetComicon.com for further updates and details. Note: Since many creators were relying on this event for their income, please consider reviewing the guest list and purchasing their comics, books, and creations through their other channels (we’re all going to be home for a while, so it’s a perfect time to catch up on reading, right?). In light of the cancellation, instead of the sneak peek at her new novel Premeditated Myrtle and cover reveal for her second novel in the Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries series (the cover created by award-winning artist Brett Helquist) planned for Planet Comicon weekend, our own borg.com writer and author Elizabeth C. Bunce will be revealing the cover for the second book–How to Get Away with Myrtle, here at borg–look for it here coming soon!

Original post:

In only one week the pop culture convention Planet Comicon Kansas City is scheduled to return, this time to celebrate its 21st year. The event is expected to host a pantheon of nationally recognized writers and artists for its eighth year in its downtown Kansas City, Missouri, venue at the Kansas City Convention Center. The show runs Friday, March 20 through Sunday, March 22. This is of course now subject to any cancellations, individually or as a whole, arising from corona virus/COVID-19 outbreak concerns. Some of the biggest names and most popular comics creators are in the line-up for the 2020 event, probably the best-known being Roy Thomas, the comic book writer and editor who was Stan Lee’s first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. Characters he created or co-created include Wolverine, Ghost Rider, Vision, Carol Danvers, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Red Sonja, Ultron, Man-Thing, Red Guardian, and Valkyrie, the majority of which have become so famous they’ve made it to recent big or small screen adaptations. Famous for his work on X-Men and Avengers, Thomas is also known for his work on classic titles All-Star Squadron and Justice Society of America.

Several other comic book creators scheduled to attend the event for the first time include Bill Amend, Garth Ennis, Adam Hughes, Stanley “Artgerm” Lau, Ed McGuinness, Afua Richardson, and Peter Stiegerwald, plus many others. Returning PCKC regulars slated to appear include Freddie Williams II, Jason Aaron, Phil Hester, Ande Parks, Ant Lucia, Skottie Young, Megan Levens, Seth Peck, Rob Davis, Jason Arnett, Bryan Fyffe, Bryan Timmins, and Darren Neely. In addition to comics creators, fan-favorite novelists scheduled for the show include borg.com writer and author Elizabeth C. Bunce, who hopes to debut the cover for the second book in her new Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries series at her booth over the weekend. Other authors scheduled to attend include convention regulars Kevin Dilmore and Dayton Ward, plus Kevin J. Anderson, Jim Butcher, and Timothy Zahn–and many more.

PCKC 2020 authors

Back again, the Elite Comics flight crew is planning its “Party on the Pillar” hoping for attendees to pick up some great deals on what the Con is all about–comics.

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New York Toy Fair 2019–NECA′s new action figure set recreates the classic finale from The Karate Kid

Filed under: Con Culture, Movies, Retro Fix — Leave a comment

February 15, 2019

Previewed at San Diego Comic-Con last year, NECA′s next action figure set ties into a recent YouTube series and a 1980s film classic. It’s The Karate Kid 1984 All-Valley Karate Championships Tournament Cloth 8-Inch Action Figure 2-Pack. The idea and the execution are well done for a mid-range, 8-inch line of articulated action figures–why have your Daniel LaRusso action figure wax on, wax off, when he can get right to kicking Johnny Lawrence right in the head?

Just don’t sweep the leg. That’s not cool.

Direct from the emotional finale of The Karate Kid, the iconic 1980s coming of age movie that sent a generation to enroll in karate classes, these cloth costumed action figures feature Daniel and Johnny in their karate uniforms, each sporting their logo, ready to compete in the All-Valley Karate Championship. Included in the window-boxed two-pack is a trophy, a replica poster for the event as seen in the film, and a floor mat. Both have authorized likenesses of the actors that played each role (but we′re thinking William Zabka′s scowling look is a better rendering than that of Ralph Macchio).

The best part of the figures may actually be the great publicity photographs released in advance of this weekend’s New York Toy Fair 2019. NECA superimposed the new figures in a variety of action shots over the screen background, recreating the fight sequence from the film (see more of these images below). You can pre-order the action figure set now here at Entertainment Earth. But these aren’t all the figures you’re going to see coming in this line.

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Tags: 1984 All-Valley Karate Championships, Karate Kid 1984 All-Valley Karate Championships Tournament Action Figures, Mr Miyagi action figure, NECA, NECA action figures, New York Toy Fair 2019, Pat Morita action figure, Ralph Macchio, SDCC 2019, The Karate Kid, The Karate Kid action figures, William Zabka

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Retro fix–Wax on, wax off… New series checks-in on the original Karate kids

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February 19, 2018

Thirty years later that little punk you wanted to crane-kick in the head is back, but he may very well be a different person as an adult. Take yourself back to the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, where Daniel LaRusso proved he had the right stuff against Johnny Lawrence after the infamous “sweep the leg” gave Daniel the mojo he needed to win the trophy, after learning some lessons in karate–and life–courtesy of Mr. Miyagi.

Ten half-hour episodes of a new comedy-drama are “in the can” for the series Cobra Kai, featuring the return of Ralph Macchio as Daniel and William Zabka as Johnny from the original The Karate Kid. Johnny is reopening the bad-guy’s dojo-with-no-mojo Cobra Kai, and Daniel LaRusso is not happy about it. But the positions are somewhat shifted this time around, as Johnny serves as sensei to a kid bullied by his peers, just as Daniel was bullied back in 1984.

Macchio sums it up, playing at our own surprise with this reboot in the first teaser for the series, saying, “I just don’t know why you’d ever want to bring back Cobra Kai,” to Johnny. A decade ago I discussed a similar effort to re-launch a series with its original actors at San Diego Comic-Con. I spoke with William Katt and Robert Culp about their efforts to bring The Greatest American Hero back. They couldn’t make it work, but only last week a reboot was announced for that show, with New Girl co-star Hannah Simone taking on the powers of the suit. But the leads from The Karate Kid are getting their wish. Unfortunately the great Pat Morita, who played Mr. Miyagi, passed away in 2005. Morita was nominated for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his work on the original film. And there’s no word yet on whether Martin Kove will make an appearance as Johnny’s original sensei.

Check out this teaser for Cobra Kai:

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Tags: Cobra Kai, Cobra Kai series, Hannah Simone, Hayden Schlossberg, Jon Hurwitz, Martin Kove, Most short film, No More Kings, Pat Morita, Ralph Macchio, Ralph Macchio movies, sweep the leg, The Greatest American Hero, The Karate Kid, William Zabka, YouTube Red

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The Psych Crime Fighting Guide–While you’re waiting for December’s Psych: The Movie

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November 25, 2017

Even after 121 episodes, from 2006 to 2015, Psych fans couldn’t get enough. Earlier this year USA Network announced a reunion show and the long wait is almost over. Psych: The Movie is less than two weeks away. James Roday is back as Shawn Spencer with his sidekick of many names, Dulé Hill, as Burton “Sillypants Jackson” Guster. Corbin Bernsen, Kirsten Nelson, Maggie Lawson, and Kurt Fuller are also expected back, and somehow Jimmi Simpson will return as Mary. Look for Zachary Levi as a villain, and Jazmyn Simon, Ralph Macchio, and Charlotte Flair are also set to appear in the special. Psych creator Steve Franks co-wrote the movie with James Roday and will direct. Series co-star Tim Omundson, who played Lassiter, suffered a stroke and so it looks like he will only have one scene in the show. But if all goes well, there may be more made-for-TV movies down the road.

But while you’re waiting for the movie, why not check out the book? What? You didn’t know there was a book? Many of the most diehard “Psych-os” (what the fans call themselves) may not realize Shawn Spencer and Burton Guster have their own 290 page guide for wannabe Private Eyes. It’s the aptly named Psych’s Guide to Crime Fighting for the Totally Unqualified, by Shawn Spencer and Burton Guster (and Chad Gervich*), and it’s just the thing for fans to refresh their memories of some of the best comic banter ever dressed up as a detective show. Shawn tries very hard to write a professional book, and well, fails at that, but not after much encouragement from Juliet “Jules” O’Hara and corrections and opposition from Guster.

Fans will appreciate that the book is, of course, dedicated to actor Billy Zane, and it features a foreword by Tears for Fears frontman Curt Smith. Look for hundreds of callbacks to the series, and an entire volume of Shawn re-interpreting things he may or may not have overheard at the police station and during his many cases closed successfully for the Santa Barbara Police Department. Plus some advice from Henry Spencer (SBPD ret.) and Detective Carlton Lassiter. There’s even a twice-baked potato recipe from Mr. Yang.

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SDCC 2017–Psych cast reunites, releases teaser for Psych: The Movie

Filed under: Backstage Pass, Con Culture, Fantasy Realms, TV — 1 Comment

July 22, 2017

Even after 121 episodes, from 2006 to 2015, Psych fans couldn’t get enough. Earlier this year USA Network announced a reunion show and it will air in December. The cast was featured in a panel at San Diego Comic-Con yesterday, generating great buzz and fan excitement for the holiday show, titled Psych: The Movie. The only down beat is that co-star Tim Omundson, who played Lassiter on the series, suffered a stroke and so it looks like he will only have one scene in the show. But if all goes well, there may be more made-for-TV movies down the road.

Corbin Bernsen, Kirsten Nelson, Maggie Lawson, and Kurt Fuller will be back, and big news: somehow Jimmi Simpson will return as Mary. Look for Zachary Levi as a villain, and Jazmyn Simon, Ralph Macchio, and Charlotte Flair are also set to appear in the special. Psych creator Steve Franks co-wrote the movie with James Roday and will direct.

Check out this great teaser with James Roday and Dulé Hill for Psych: The Movie:

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Tags: Charlotte Flair, Comic-Con, Comic-Con 2017, Corbin Bernsen, Dule Hill, James Roday, Jazmyn Simon, Jimmi Simpson, Kirsten Nelson, Kurt Fuller, Maggie Lawson, Psych: The Movie, Ralph Macchio, SDCC 2017, Steve Franks, Timothy Omundson, USA Network, Zachary Levi

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First look–Anthony Hopkins plays Alfred Hitchcock in new film

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October 15, 2012

In The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, the character Maxwell Scott says the memorable line “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” No director could be called larger than life and legendary more so than Alfred Hitchcock. Not only a famous director but a well known unique personality with a bloodhound face like Droopy and a slow drawl that was unmistakeable, Hitch has become the subject of a new film starring Oscar winning actor Anthony Hopkins in the title role. Hitchcock covers the days surrounding the development of his blockbuster, violent horror flick Psycho during 1959 and the romantic relationship between Hitch and his wife Alma, played by Oscar winning actress Helen Mirren. Whether the producers of the new biopic have an accurate and historical portrayal of the film icon or not, hopefully they get his over-the-top personality right. The new trailer seems to reflect that may be the case.

The film has an interesting all-star cast with several actors we haven’t seen in a while, co-starring Scarlett Johansson (The Avengers, Iron Man II, The Island, The Prestige) as Janet Leigh–star of Psycho, Jessica Biel (Total Recall, Stealth, Next) as Vera Miles–Leigh’s sister in the film, Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense) as Peggy Robertson–Hitchcock’s production assistant, James d’Arcy (Master and Commander) as the psycho himself, Anthony Perkins, and long-time-no-see Ralph Macchio (My Cousin Vinny, The Outsiders, The Karate Kid, Psych) as Joe Stefano, the screenplay writer for Psycho.

Check out the first trailer released for Hitchcock:

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