Disney Acquires Lucasfilm

Maybe now we can finally answer the age-old question: who shot first?

1 day...

Bramble Shark

My friends over at the Shark Week Sketch Jam are posting a shark a day for Shark Week. Yesterday's shark was the bramble shark.

I picture this fella as that very non-threatening guy who's always in a girl's "friend zone" and all he wants is a new set of fins.

22 days...

Merida and the Frightening Forest

The Japanese may have an odd title for Brave (they call it Merida and the Frightening Forest), but they certainly have a kickass poster!

11 days...

Ms. Poppins' Penguins

A card for my friend who is spending her birthday in Disneyland. Remember, Ms. Poppins had penguins long before Mr. Popper ever did! 

2 days...

Pixar is Making a Dinosaur Film

Granted it's not the dinosaur film I pitched. I thought we could use a little synergy with internet/smart phone app culture. After all, dinosaurs are ancestors of all birds, especially the angry ones.

"Even the word 'raptor' means bird of prey."
"Doesn't look very scary to me. Looks more like a six-foot turkey."

People have been guessing this one for years, ever since some co-workers and I went on a dig with the Black Hills Institute back in aught nine. Ironically, the dig (which I chronicled in my Jurassic Journals) had nothing to do with this movie, but it got the rumor mill churning.

The official premise released today at D23 was, "What if that life-changing asteroid missed Earth? Director Bob Peterson’s hilarious tale depicts a world where dinosaurs never went extinct."

Stay tuned for more details from this adventure 65 million years in the making...

16 days...

The Long Con

Part II of II: Tricksters and Conmen

I approach Comic Con like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, working each Con to improve the experience and learn from my prior mistakes. Here's the Top 10 lessons I learned this year at the big show.

1. Swag bags can be a drag. "But Austin," you're saying to yourself, "I don't want to have to lug my favorite prop from the movie Se7en around Con all day long!"

Sure, you'll need the over-sized parcel for prints, posters, and toys, so wear it for the first day while you hunt down all your favorite collectibles. After that, ditch the son'bitch for a backpack.

2. Tag your swag. Comic Con vet Aaron Hartline knows the importance of protecting one's well-earned goodies.

3. Make friends with heroes and villains alike. You never know which side will win, and it's good to be connected.

4. Avoid Hall H. Why contend with these lines when you could be socializing with aforementioned beauties? Besides, that Tintin panel will be on Youtube before you know it!

5. Roll with a minor celebrity. My friend Sam did his first panel this year for the Regular Show, and walking the floor with him was a real treat. We must have been stopped half a dozen times for an autograph and it was a wonderful reminder of what Con is about: making some extra scratch by charging for your John Hancock.

6. Know your nerdery. You may be the BSG guru where you come from, but here you're just another fish in the pond. I was nearly decapitated when I accidentally called Teela "She-Ra".

As a side-note, it's pretty much never a good idea to call a girl the wrong name.

7. Think outside the Con. Aside from the wonderful eats around San Diego (ask a veteran Con goer for their recommendations), there's the brand new Trickster event.

Mild-mannered comic shop/art gallery/film festival by day, booze-infused rock concert by night! Trickster makes an excellent break from your Con day and the perfect start to your Con evening.

8. BYOB. Bring our own book, that is. If you follow this blog, odds are you're an artist of some sort. Since you're already drawing, why not compile those sketches into a book and hawk it at the Con? Even my "I am Captain America" cover finally got some love from my new friend, Marie!

If you don't feel like going through the trouble of printing books (or can't afford the process), you can always contribute a sketch to the Comic Con souvenir book. One of this year's themes was Dark Horse's 25th Anniversary. Being a long-time fan of Star Wars, Hellboy, and (of course) Too Much Coffee Man, I decided to raise my glass to the industry titan.

9. Shake hands and rub elbows. It's easy to get caught up in the rush to the next panel or the race to nab that last Tiki Stitch vinyl figurine and forget that you are surrounded by the coolest people on the planet! I'm not just talking about the celebrities on panels, I'm talking about comic shop owners like my hometown comic mogul, Brian Peets from the world's greatest comic store, A-1 Comics; astounding artists like the legendary Doug TenNapel; and up-and-comers like Cassia Harries and Mishi McCaig.

You can also finally meet those amazing artists whose blogs you follow. I was stoked to run into Ryan Green and Fawn, along with old-time CalArts compadre Lissa Treiman, at Trickster.

And don't be afraid to stop someone for a picture! I had a great conversation with Slashfilm's Peter Sciretta about the Cowboys and Aliens screening he'd just attended. He didn't sound very excited, but there are cowboys and aliens in the film, and they fight, so I'm seeing it anyway!

10. Earn the right to go home. For some, that means hunting down that rare Mysterio Kid Robot exclusive, for others it's all about taking home a coveted Eisner award or winning best-costume. For me, it meant finding every Waldo in the joint! Achievement unlocked.

10b. (only for folks driving North after Con) Hit Disneyland on the way back home! What better way to end your Comic Con with a visit to the other happiest place on Earth? For my brother, my Dad, and I, that meant leaving Disneyland at midnight for a six hour drive back to the bay area, but I got to ride the new Star Tours and eat at the Blue Bayou, so I'm not complaining!

Heck, you might run into someone from Con! I happened to run into the CSSSA students (see my last post)!  I guess that's why they call it the magic kingdom.

I hope this unnecessarily extensive look back at my Con/Trickster experience helps you plan out next year. There are also legitimate survival guides for the real hardcore Con-goers. When all else fails, remember the golden rule: if you lose your group, don't text, just yell, "AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!"

4 days...

Next time you go to Disneyland...
1. Try a Secret Souvenir Santa gift exchange. Everyone in your group is randomly assigned someone to buy a souvenir for. It's much more fun than shopping for yourself! Here's a note I left in the sketchbook I bought for my Secret Santee, artist extraordinaire Katy Wu.

The pen is mightier than the sword. Unless the sword is a pen!

2. Look for weenies! Weenie is the term Walt Disney used for a visual magnet, or a striking landmark, that compels a guest to take a certain path. Game designers use weenies all the time in vidyuh games to nudge players toward the next leg of their adventure.

Splash Mountain is one big weenie.

3. Get out of line, and enjoy the scenery. It's so tempting to spend the entire day running from ride to ride, trying to cram everything in. Take it from someone who's been there before: relax, look around, and notice all those awesome details that imagineers have pain-stakingly planned for your enjoyment. And while you're looking, take a picture, it'll last longer!

Yvie and I represent the First People. And "how!"

4. (Added Nov 9th, thanks to a suggestion from Adrienne) Look for hidden Mickeys! Mickey's iconic tri-circular silhouette is all over the park, in the unlikeliest places. For some helpful hints on where to find them, consult this handy field guide. Thanks for the reminder, Adrienne, and happy hunting!

Erik gets the feeling Mickey's been shadowing him.

If you have any tips on making the most of the Magic Kingdom, please let me know. I'm all mouse ears!



11 days...

INDIANA JONES
and the Magic Kingdom of the Three-foot Mouse

I've got to say, I'm pretty surprised at the results of last week's poll, What is Your Favorite Disneyland Attraction? I really thought Pirates was going to win by a landslide, but Indiana Jones crushed it like some sort of colossal, rolling object. I love both rides, Indiana Jones has a cooler line, but Pirates has that true Disney magic. Of course, my favorite Disneyland attraction always has been and always will be Star Tours. The technology is dated, and the poorly synchronized hydraulics never fail to bring on a head-ache, but I always feel transported into the Star Wars universe, and I still find myself ducking my head in the ice asteroid. Thanks for the votes. Make sure to chime in on this week's poll. Most of my polls are to determine what the best of the best of any given category is, time to turn it around and dig through the bottom of the barrel, starting with: What is the worst song of all time?

In my search for the worst songs of all-time, I ran across this list of the worst country songs ever recorded. Remember, these are actual songs. Enjoy!

1. Get Your Biscuits In The Oven And Your Buns In Bed
2. Get Your Tongue Otta My Mouth 'Cause I'm Kissing You Goodbye
3. Her Teeth Was Stained, But Her Heart Was Pure
4. How Can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away?
5. I Can't Get Over You, So Why Don't You Get Under Me
6. I Don't Know Whether To Kill Myself Or Go Bowling
7. I Got In At 2 With a 10, And Woke Up At 10 With a 2.
8. I Hate Every Bone In Your Body Except For Mine
9. I Just Bought A Car From A Guy That Stole My Girl, But The Car
Don't Run, So I figure We Got An Even Deal
10. I Keep Forgettin' I Forgot About You
11. I Liked You Better Before I Knew You So Well
12. I Still Miss You Baby, But My Aim's Gettin' Better
13. I Wouldn't Take Her To A Dog Fight, Cause I'm Afraid She'd Win
14. I'll Marry You Tomorrow But Let's Honeymoon Tonight
15. I'm So miserable Without You, It's Like Having You Here
16. I've Got Tears in My Ears From Lying On My Back While I Cry Over
you
17. If I Can't Be Number One In Your Life, Then Number Two On You
18. If I Had Shot You When I Wanted To, I'd Be Out By Now
19. Mama Get A Hammer (There's A Fly On Papa's Head)
20. My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink, And I Love Rovers
21. My Wife Ran Off With My Best Friend, and I Sure Do Miss Him
22. Please Bypass this Heart
23. She Got The Ring and I Got The Finger
24. You're the Reason Our Kids Are So Ugly