That’s right fans of the World’s greatest form of entertainment WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 is on it’s way and one of the things fans have been asking for since the Smackdown series came in to existence is finally in, Inferno matches. Yes all you pyromaniacs the ability to set people aflame without criminal prosecution is possible. I mean sure there’s other stuff like create a move, or even the vastly improved tag team match mechanics but who cares about beause they pale in comparison to the cool factor and pure crap talk potential of lighting your opponent on fire. I as well as many Smackdown fans have been waiting to see what THQ would pull out of their hat to combat the oncoming competition of Midway’s TNA Wrestling game, and it seems they put their minds together and came up with crazy improvements that help the game feel like a new game instead of a rehash with a new roster.

Now, I know these two games aren’t at the top of the gaming worlds must have list but I have been a fan of these series since the PSX was still kicking. They had a point of serious fall off in quality but have stepped it up in the past few iterations. The Spyro series got a huge makeover when it enlisted some Hollywood names to be their characters with Spyro himself being voiced by Elijah Wood. There were also a slew of other names thrown in to add a much needed grand scale to the game. The new Spyro adventure titled “The Legend of Spyro: The Dawn of the Dragon” has more of the imrovements that have this once dying series looking like a phoenix. This time out there is a drop in drop out co-op mode where you and a partner use Spyro and his partner Cynder voiced by Cristina Ricci. There is actual flight this time out instead of the traditional glide manuever, which opens up the game play alot. Crash builds on the upgrades it got through its last game and adds some new twists on the traditional gameplay. They added the ability to burrow underground and find things there as well as above ground. This game is also drop in drop out co-op so a friends can help you at anytime to wax out some of stages. The cutscenes are to be a diverse range of art styles from puppet shows to DBZ style anime which are quite humorous. The demos were placed behind the Ghostbusters part of the booth so it was hidden in the corner so many may have not got to see them but they will be a definite for younger gamers or fans of platformers in general.

For those who do the convention all day and attend all the night time activities, the usual Saturday night “event” is the Masquerade.  This year there were multiple rooms devoted to making sure that everybody who wanted to see it would be able to.

Outside the convention center, over at the historic building known as The Abbey, there is the alternative party for the over 21 set.  Since this has now become an annual tradition (this is the fifth year it was held), the tickets are sold out way in advance, and there are none available at the door. You either get them online or at the comic-con itself. To get into the event there are no pieces of cardboard or tickets to display. You receive a temporary tattoo that is placed on whatever piece of skin it is that you want to display when ever you go through the entry doors. There are those who put it on their face, their hand, arm, leg, you get the idea. You are surrounded by stained glass windows, pews moved against the walls are your seating, and the chandeliers that look like multiple globe shaped censures. A large round balcony from the second floor overlooks the dance floor.

The party started around 9pm, with the largest influx of people being around the end of the Masquerade contest itself at Comic-con, around 11pm to midnight. It continued til 3am.

You are greeted at the door by a very formal security staff who then check identification and ask for your tattoo. At first there was a huge delay on getting anybody inside the building. Finally security worked out a procedure to separate new entries from re-entries, the whole process speeded up a lot. There were some people standing in line for half an hour (wondering just what was going on).

In the entry foyer you are then greeted again by a camera crew that makes video of the patrons entering the party. This video is then massaged and filtered, where great bits of it then appear on the screens over the dance floor inside. The DJs are in a choir loft above the dance floor (remember, it really is a former church). These DJs are not just sticking in a CD and pressing play, they are actually mixing and matching beats, and massaging the music while monitoring the dance floor far below.

On the second floor there is also a photographer making some lovely portrait quality shots as mementoes of the evening. The line for that moved quite quickly, and there were some really nice pictures made of people in full party mode, having fun.

Couple all of this with two full service bars that are manned by very able and cheerful bartenders, and you get a very nice party!

Lauri Hong

As stated from my previous article in E3, SCEA has further revealed that they do not seem to really care how they portray themselves to the general audience.  I have had the opportunity to talk with many of the gaming attendees regarding their product.  SCEA has convinced me that they do not want to bother sending well-educated associates out into conventions.  Upon asking them a few questions regarding SingStar Amped, I was clearly disappointed at their typical answer of, “I don’t know anything about the game.” 

If I was unhappy about the information or actually LACK of it, then I can only imagine how thousands of others that attended this convention had felt.  Is this what we will be continually expecting from SCEA?  Their lack of care and knowledge once again is quite discouraging.  Let me just toss this question out there… Why should we care about their product, if they don’t?

Friday….It had been a relatively quiet day.  I had spent some time looking for the people I was with as I forgot saying “meet me around the entrance for hall C” involved a stretch of 8 or so doors.  I had resigned myself at this point to standing in one place hoping that they would find me.  I was once again killing myself wearing heeled go-go type boots (a FLCL costume).  Absorbed in looking around and talking with Becca (a first-timer), I was blissfully unaware of the mob coming right at us.  Next thing I know I got shoved from behind.  Turning around ready to be pissed at whoever this jerk was, I found myself face to face with none other than Stan Lee!  He was surrounded by a film crew and girls handing out fliers.  Apparently Mr. Lee was too busy talking to the camera to really see where he was going (an understandable mistake).  As my chin hit the floor, Mr. Lee turned to us, smiled and waved (he may’ve also winked but it’s hard to tell through the glasses).  I backed up and his crowd worked their way past me.  One of the girls stopped and apologized.  She then said they were making a documentary “Stan Lee: True Believer” and handed me a flyer. Inthe blink of an eye, Stan Lee disappeared into the crowd. I will never stop being amazed by the stange, random things that happen at ComicCon.  I think next year I will make a shirt that says “I almost got run over by Stan Lee”.  LOL

Check out the documentary at:

www.truebelieverthemovie.com or www.myspace.com/truebelieverthemove

By Von Jared Omo

On Saturday, hall H at the San Diego Convention Center was the place to be to get the latest news on the upcoming movies that were going to be released in the months to come! The first panel that took place was the Rogue/Focus studios panel. They talked about their two upcoming movies: “Balls of Fury” and “The Strangers.” “Balls of Fury” is basically just a comedy that’s mixing the elements of “The Matrix” movie with ping-pong and kung-fu. If that was not funny enough, Tom Lennon, one of the actors from the movie who is also known as Officer Dangle in the show Reno 911, entered the panel in the same leotard he wears in the movie. Not only did the panel answer questions, but they showed exclusive clips only for the audience to see. The next movie at the Rogue/Focus studios panel was “The Strangers” which is about a husband and wife who are attacked in their own home by three strangers and try to survive the night. Scott Speedman (Underworld) and Liv Tyler (Armageddon) appeared in person to talk about the movie and answer questions fans had for them. A trailer for the movie was also showed during the panel.

The next panel that took place was the Disney panel where they talked about two upcoming movies of their own: “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” and “WALL-E.” At the “Prince Caspian” panel, the staff took the stage and a live feed from New Zealand from director Andrew Adamson and Prince Caspian himself Ben Barnes took place. Not only did they show some clips, but they also revealed some of the costumes, such as the armor you see below.

(Picture by me!)

The new animated Pixar movie “WALL-E” looks very well done. The movie is about the last robot alone on Earth and how he adventures into and across the galaxy. Exclusive clips were provided by award winning director Andrew Stanton and sound clips were provided by sound designer Ben Burtt, the one behind the noises of R2-D2 in “Star Wars.”

The next panel that took place after Disney was the Marvel studios panel and to be honest, they out did themselves even though it was the first ever Marvel panel at Comic-Con. First up was “The Incredible Hulk” panel. For those of you confused on whether the next movie is a sequel or not, the news is that this next Hulk movie is NOT a sequel. It is a start over movie, which means this movie will start out from the beginning on how Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) became the Hulk. Liv Tyler, Edward Norton, Avi Arad, director Louis Leterrier, and special guest Stan Lee appeared for the panel. Also, Edward Norton did say that he was involved with the writing process of the movie.

(Pictures by me!)

The next panel was what everyone was looking forward to: the “Iron Man” panel! With Avi Arad and Stan Lee already at the table, director Jon Favreau, Terrance Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Iron Man himself Robert Downey Jr. joined in. They showed the trailer for the movie and the audience loved it so much that at the end of the panel, they showed it again. The scenes from the movie look amazing and it seems as though John Favreau has stayed true to the comic book.

(Pictures by me!)

The last panel that took place at Hall H for the day was the Columbia/Screen Gems panel. The panel talked about three upcoming movies that are sure to make a big hit: “Resident Evil:Extinction”, “30 Days of Night”, and “Superbad.” Talk about a line up! Everybody knows what the Resident Evil franchise is all about – zombies and gory zombie killing. No need to go into details in the movie, except the movie takes place in the desert. Mila Jovovich and Ali Larter made an appearance alongside writer Paul W.S. Anderson. The panel revealed some exclusive footage as well as the world premier trailer.

Next was the vampire comic book made into a movie – “30 Days of Night” starring Josh Hartnett and Ben Foster. Appearances were made by Josh Hartnett, Ben Foster, producer Sam Raimi, and creator of the comic book Steve Niles alongside many more. “30 Days of Night” is about a band of vampires that feed upon an Alaskan town while it goes under a month of darkness. Exclusive clips were shown as well as a world premiere trailer.

(Picture by me!)

The last movie to be covered of the day was “Superbad.” A comedy about two friends during the last two weeks of school who start to feel the pressure of going to separate colleges and try to get some alcohol for a party which goes horribly wrong. Appearances were made by the “Knocked-Up” star Seth Rogan, director Greg Mattola, and stars of the movie Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Exclusive clips were shown during the panel and it was just a whole lot of fun. The panel just made everything funny and made the whole audience laugh.

Saturday was filled with nothing but movies and actors everywhere. Hall H was the place to be and I was lucky enough to get into the hall when there was no line! I hope next year will be just as fun (and less tiring) than this year. I hope you guys enjoyed this blog even though it’s long! Sorry about that!

By Lawrence Cicchetti

Comic-Conis one of the best places to buy a comic that you’re looking for. You can find just about any comic whether it is a recent one our from the 1970’s. The price, though, depends on where you go, same deal with selection. This year the place to shop for newer comics was towards the back from the 300’s to the 800’s. I was able to get World War Hulk #2 for the actual list price (while most other places sold it for around 20$) as well as Ghost Rider #11 ( which goes for $30-100). Many booths had boxes set up where you could get a great deal on issues. There were three booths set up where you could buy graphic novels for 50% off.

If you collect other things most booths had Action figures and busts for sale. A lot of them were exclusive to the event like the Marvel Zombies version of Captain America bust or the Zulu Star trek action figure. Comic-Con is definitely a place to go to to buy Gundam models. Certain booths have an entire collection of them in every single sizes at 2 for 1 prices. Warhammer 40,000 collectors could get just about any figure for $5-200. But people looking for Halo merchandise could have bought a Scarab figure for the upcoming ACtionclix game. The real question was what you collect.

by: Sarah Chiafos

As you arrive at the back of the convention center, escalators lead you to a back area away from the craziness of the floor. There, an attractive woman wearing light middle-eastern styled garb points you in the direction of the patio like a siren guides a ship. Stepping outside, a group of con-goers have gathered around a roped-off area. There, people dressed in armor stand to the side looking expectantly at the man talking to the crowd. He explains that these people are here to demonstrate some of the fighting done with the SCA (The Society for Creative Anachronism). He goes on to tell a little about the SCA, who they are, and what they do, and then, a battle begins. With all the energy and fury of a typhoon, the fighters in all of their glory show off their skills to the elated crowd. One man falls to the ground and a cheer erupts from the heart of those standing around.

So what is all this? Just an example a part of what the SCA is all about. The SCA is a group of people who recreate the lifestyles of the pre-17th-century. They represent the art, fighting, handiwork and events that were prevalent in this time period.

This demonstration was hosted by The Iron Brigade of Calafia (http://calafia.org/guilds/brigade.html), and although I have not had all that much exposure to the SCA, I am sure this group of people have done them proud. Watching men and women fight with dueling swords and axes was thrilling and the entire crowd seemed to be mesmerized. Everyone was so focused and the women of the group proved that fighting like a girl is not an insult. If at any time my honor had to be defended, I would desire to have any one of them at my side. An absolutely phenomenal show of skill and dedication. If you did not get a chance to experience this event at con this year, make sure you attend next year. I have never been before and was so caught up in the excitement of what was going on I nearly missed meeting friends later! Definitely one of the coolest things I saw at con.

If you would like more information on who the SCA is or on joining, go to:

http://www.sca.org/

 by: Sarah Chiafos

When on the ComicCon floor, there is a chance you can run into absolutely anyone. This has been proven to me time and time again. Twice just this year, in fact. Once in a story I will save for a later date, and the other I will share with you now. Saturday I was walking the floor with my friend (and first time con-goer) Claire. We had made general rounds and were preparing to head to hall H when I spotted the Kabuki booth. I am a huge fan (especially the art) and I had to stop. One of the first things I owned from Kabuki was a compilation of Kabuki: Fear the Reaper and Kabuki: Dance of Death (1995). Since then I couldn’t stop buying more and more, so a booth with all sorts of stuff was the perfect opportunity for me to make a mental list of how my next 5 checks would be blown. Looking over the new line and posters, I started talking with the guy behind the table about how much I loved the art and the stories. I then introduced my companion and told him it was her first time at ComicCon. With an extended hand and a smile, “Hi, I’m David.” It took me a moment to process the words that he spoke, as a bit of fan-girl crept in me. “Wait,…you’re David MACK?!?”, I stuttered. He turned his badge around and much to my rapture, there stood David Mack the creator of the stories I loved so much. He was one of the most charming artists I’ve met at Con and talked with me about his new work and some of the previous lines. I then got an opportunity to see the new comics (which I assure you will be read and re-read until they are falling apart). It was an awesome meeting and definately one of the big highlights of this year.

Kabuki is an awesome series with some of the best art on the market. The writing is sharp and the action pops from every page. Reading it is like watching a big-budget movie. The flow and beauty of each epic lingers long after the big-chested gun-weildin’ girls of typical comics have all been forgotten. This is a line that will continue to stay strong for years to come. You can check out more of David Mack’s work at:

http://davidmackguide.com/

By: Maggie MacDonald

This was my first Comic-con, but I decided to try it from a different perspective. I spent some time behind a vendor table, selling items that were apparently quite popular. I got to talk to people who’d been doing the convention for many years, and learn what to avoid, and what to definitely not avoid.

The vendors that I  helped were from out of town, so they even had the additional pleasure of dealing with San Diego traffic, hotels and just dealing with basic needs.

On either side of us were comic book vendors, jewelry vendors, stuff animal vendors, and “The Pagoda of T-shirts”. It got named that for being about 15 feet tall, and just t-shirts as far as you could see. The benefit to being with the vendors was that you could get in early, and get a chance to walk around and see exhibits before there are a billion other bodies between you and the displays.

The Golden Compass display was especially awesome when there weren’t three dozen people between me and the glass case that held the costumes. The Sci-Fi Channel booth with the space vehicle type center was even more interesting without a hundred people blocking up the view.

The disadvantage to this situation is that there are those who try to walk off with the stuff that you’re trying to sell. There are grumpy patrons (of course), and times when you’d really rather be someplace else besides standing behind this table smiling at someone who wants you to sell them three t-shirts for $5.

For my time though, I got to meet other cool vendors. Neil Gaiman had a really big year, and as a result his name is being put on even more merchandise, such as the Neverwear line of clothing, though its just shirts at the moment. I snagged one for myself. Hey, I gotta know about the competition, right?