San Diego, CA: Wednesday, July 22, was the opening day for Comic-Con@Home, the virtual iteration of the annual event that normally brings tens of thousands of fans to Downtown San Diego in a celebration of all forms of pop culture. This year, because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) and all other conventions around the country have been shuttered in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus. However, just as superheroes never give up, the SDCC board decided to go virtual with panels, exhibits, displays and more.
For the past four years, Comic-Con International and the San Diego Public Library have partnered for the Comic Conference for Educators and Librarians, generally held as part of Preview Night, the Wednesday before the main convention begins. This year, for the fifth installment, the conference went online with education and pop culture being the focus of the first day’s panels. Seventeen panels, featuring K-12 educators, college and university lecturers, writers and artists, extolled the virtues of using modern cultural elements to promote education and literacy.
One of the opening panels, titled Comics in the Classroom Ask Me Anything: Pick the Brains of Teachers, Administrators, Creators, and Publishers, featured members of the Lit-X Teacher Cohort along with current and former teachers, some of whom are also comic creators. Lit-X members Eric Kallenborn and Michael Gianfrancesco had collected questions via social media to share with the panel members. The panel, which included teachers Ronell Whitaker and Jason Walz (also a comic creator), comic creator Lucy Knisle, and former teacher and current consultant Lisa Wu, delved into how comics and graphic novels can be used to help readers comprehend literature and understand different cultures and societies.
Teaching and Learning with Comics, hosted by educators Peter Carlson, Susan Kirtley, and Antero Garcia, focused more on how creative illustration can be used in the classroom. As Carlson explained, the goal of the team is to “continually engage a dialogue about the purposeful use and power of comics in all classrooms.” On the panel were professor Nick Sousanis, author of “Unflattening” - his doctoral dissertation done completely in comic book form; cartoonist and teacher Ebony Flowers, author of “Hot Comb” and other books; and comic book authors David F. Walker and Brian Michael Bendis who recently collaborated on the book “Naomi.”
Through the various panels, certain themes repeatedly came to the forefront. One of these is the power of comics and graphic novels to engage otherwise reluctant or struggling readers and inspire them to explore literature on their own. Many times these students and adults struggle because traditional literature does not engage them in their preferred mode, where the illustrations in comics and graphic novels help bridge the gap between their strengths and areas of challenge.
Another theme was the use of comics and graphic novels as a medium for exploring topics and viewpoints that have often been ignored or dismissed. Comics as a Conduit presented ways that the medium can be a platform to discuss topics like environmental activism, civic engagement, or physical and mental health awareness. In the Books for All: It's Time to Redefine How We Share Books With Kids panel, participants discussed how educators can share impactful and diverse titles with students of all ages. Other panels scheduled for the week will focus on the topics of Indigenous Rights, LGBTQI Identity and more.
Comic-Con@Home runs through Sunday, July 26, with all videos posted on YouTube for free viewing. While some of these will be pulled at the end of the virtual convention, many will remain up beyond Sunday. For more information about Comic-Con@Home, or to view the daily panel schedules and other offerings, visit the website at www.comic-con.org/cci/2020/athome.
Author: Stephen Prendergast is an educator and contributing writer to Geek Round Table.
San Diego Comic-Con Goes Virtual to Beat Covid
San Diego, CA: For the first (and hopefully last) time ever, the venerable San Diego Comic-Con will be completely virtual for 2020, due to the continuing Covid pandemic. An event that has drawn hundreds of thousands to San Diego over more than 50 years to celebrate the world of pop culture does not simply raise its collective hands and surrender to a world-threatening virus any more than The Avengers or Justice League would. And so on Wednesday, July 22, ComicCon@Home hits the internet with a full complement of panels, exhibits, and an at-home experience to keep even the most rabid Con-fans satisfied.
Running from Wednesday, July 22, through Sunday, July 26, Comic-Con@Home will feature more than 350 panels. These will range from panels focused on art, pop culture and creativity to panels focused on special topics such as Indigenous People, mental health, and LGBTQI Identity. Diversity will feature in several panels over the five days. There will also be the usual big name panels such as the DC@Home panels (Friday and Saturday), several Cartoon Network and Disney+ panels, and panels with some of your favorite stars (find out what makes Charlize Theron a “badass” on Friday).
In order for Con-fans to experience Comic-Con@Home to the fullest extent, all panels and presentations will be posted on YouTube and the Comic-Con International Channel (www.youtube.com/user/ComicCon). Panels will go live at their scheduled times, and many will remain available beyond July 26. Full daily schedules can be accessed through the Comic-Con@Home webpage at www.comic-con.org/cci/2020/athome. Fans can also create a personalized schedule of panels using links on the page. Plus, for those who make a point in collecting new badges every year, you can create your own participant badge - no registration fee or frustrating online waiting room required!
Here are some of the highlights of the week:
Wednesday: This day should almost be renamed Teachers’ Day because of all the panels focused on the educational uses of comics and pop culture. The fun kicks off at 3:00 pm PDT with panels such as “Comics in the Classroom,” “Teaching and Learning with Comics,” and “GeekED: Restoried.” Other education-related panels include “Comics as a Conduit,” “Comics on Campus,” and “Teaching Graphic Novels Online” (perfect as schools return online for the fall).
Thursday: Families and Fandoms feature on the second day of panels. From the Star Trek Universe to X-Men, from Batgirls (yes, plural) to The Lost Cities, this is a day for fandom devotees. Other panels look at how pop culture deals with the current pandemic with “Comics During Clampdown: Creativity in the Time of COVID” and “Building a Geek Brand: Surviving a Pandemic” among other offerings. You can also reach out beyond your inner circle through “Causeplay - In Service to Others” or “Virtual Fandom: Superhero Fandom Adapts to the Pandemic.”
Friday: As usual, Friday is a day for the big “Hall H” level panels. This year the virtual panels include talks on DC Comics, Marvel, Star Wars, Fear the Walking Dead and Vikings. A number of panels will look at the interplay of pop culture and LGBTQI, Indigenous Cultures, mental health and female representation. One panel that is sure to generate a good deal of interest and possibly controversy is “Decoding the Kirby/Lee Dynamic,” which looks at the 50+ year relationship between Jack Kirby and Stan Lee.
Saturday: If you’re not sure what you are interested in, this might be the day for you. Panels run the gamut from scientific to creative to who-knows-what. “Back to the Moon and Beyond with NASA” will feature astronauts, technology and engineering experts, with Captain James T. Kirk himself (William Shatner) as the host. Several panels will look at the creative and business sides of pop culture, while others will visit properties as The Simpsons and Constantine.
Sunday: Comic-Con@Home wraps up with another day devoted to, well, everything. Fans can learn how to cosplay as adults, create a life-size cardboard superhero, or learn more about tabletop gaming. There are also panels on YA Fantasy, a celebration of TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) 30th Anniversary, and new series coming to Netflix and FOX.
For more information about Comic-Con@Home, visit the home page at www.comic-con.org/cci/2020/athome or the Comic-Con International YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/ComicCon.
Author: Stephen Prendergast is a contributing writer for Presidio Sentinel and a member of Geek Round Table.
#SDCC #ComicConathome #GRT #GeekRoundTable
San Diego, CA: For 43 years San Diego Comic-Con has held an annual blood drive honoring the legendary science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein. Since 1976 more than 25,000 pints of blood have been donated by Con participants, impacting more than 75,000 lives. In spite of the cancellation of the in-person event, Comic-Con@Home, in conjunction with the San Diego Blood Bank, will sponsor the 44th Annual Robert A. Heinlein Blood Drive to gather life-saving donations from July 22 through August 16.
The history of the blood drive is a story unto itself. A notoriously private person, Robert Heinlein rarely attended conventions, in spite of the thousands of adoring fans of works such as Star Ship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land. However, in the early 1970s Heinlein suffered a life-threatening illness that necessitated transfusion of multiple pints of his rare blood type. To repay the kindness of those who donated, he agreed to sign autographs at the 1976 World Con in his hometown of Kansas City - but only for people who donated blood. Hearing about this, San Diego Comic-Con contacted the author, who agreed to attend the following year in return for blood donations. Thus was born the Robert A. Heinlein Blood Drive at San Diego Comic-Con.
Since 2000 The Heinlein Society, an organization dedicated to preserving the author’s legacy, has helped to coordinate blood drives at conventions around the country in honor of Robert Heinlein’s principle of “Pay it forward.” Over the past decade, Society-sponsored or coordinated drives have gathered more than 40,000 pints.
Because there is no event at which to donate, Comic-Con and the San Diego Blood Bank have partnered to provide opportunities to donate. From July 22 through August 16, individuals can make an appointment with the blood bank by going to SanDiegoBloodBank.org/donate to find the nearest location and set a time. Donors must make an appointment before going in and should review Covid-19 information and restrictions at www.sandiegobloodbank.org/blood-donation-and-coronavirus-covid-19. Donors will receive a limited-edition Marvel Black Widow T-shirt as a thank-you for helping continue this tradition.
To learn more about Comic-Con@Home or to see schedules of panels and online events, visit comic-con.org/cci/2020/athome. For more information about the San Diego Blood Bank or to schedule a donation, visit the website at sandiegobloodbank.org.
Article by Stephen Prendergast.
As the Summer comes to an end we wanted to give you a quick update of what’s been happening...
The Summer of 2013 has been both rewarding and exhausting for the KMG team. From corporate events to entertainment and the martial arts, we have been working hard to help keep the wheels rolling for our many clients. We wanted to share just a few of the many events we have been working on.
The summer began early as KMG’s David Kamatoy and producer/musician Tony Woodroffe collaborated on the musical direction for Kroc Junior Theater’s production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS. The show included young actors from elementary school through college age and was presented at the Joan Kroc Theater in East San Diego. With direction by Laura Hodge, this talented young cast brought the antics of T.S. Eliot’s frenzied felines to life for appreciative audiences. The KMG team also provided marketing and media assistance for the production.
Moving on into the summer, we had the opportunity to partner with AMB Publicity to cover the 2013 National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Pacific Southwest Chapter Emmy® Awards at the Red Rock Hotel Casino Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada. David Kamatoy and Jason Carlage worked the red carpet, speaking with presenters, nominees and sponsors of the 39th annual event, including Master of Ceremonies Barry Shabaka Henley. Several video interviews have been posted from the event.
With summer comes travel season, and clean car is a happy car. We helped to organize and promote the grand opening of the Sorrento Valley Soapy Joe’s, the newest location for this San Diego-based family-owned line of car care centers. David Kamatoy was joined by actor/producer Mark Christopher Lawrence (NBC’s Chuck and Mark Christopher Lawrence Presents) and UFC fighter Joey “The Mexicutioner” Beltran. Also spending time at Soapy Joe’s were radio personalities Chio from KISS FM 95.7 and Nathan Frost from Channel 93.3, celebrity photographer Gabriela Stark and Dan “The Balloon Man” McClellan.
Summer also included the Fourteenth Annual Masters Hall of Fame Awards Banquet, held at the Costa Mesa Hilton on Saturday, June 22. This was the fourth year that KMG has worked with the Masters Hall of Fame to promote the event, which honors top martial artists every year such as Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Cynthia Rothrock and Kenpo legend Bob White. This year the event honored Women in the Martial Arts and featured Full-Contact Muay Thai Champion Lisa King, aka “The Black Widow,” as guest speaker.
Closer to home, David Kamatoy and Mark Christopher Lawrence took on the 2013 Comic Con at the San Diego Convention Center, covering the action in their own unique style. The pair interviewed participants, celebrities and fans at the annual celebration of all things geek. Former triple-jump Olympian-turned-Media creator Von Ware and friends joined them to document the action.
Right after the Con Mark Christopher Lawrence was asked to present at the First Annual Geekie Awards which oddly had a lot of our friends involved in the industry. It was a good way to end the events of the summer. (Pics coming soon)
We are still wrapping up various videos and media from all the projects and will continue to post.
For more information about how we can help you with your business or project, please contact Kamatoy Media Group at press@jugglemail.com or call 619-573-9456.
Respectfully,
David Kamatoy & Stephen Prendergast
Anaheim, CA- Wondercon is normally held in San Francisco however due to renovations it ended up in Anaheim right next to Disneyland.I stopped in for a bit to visit with Ned Cato Jr., Sarah Richard, Erin Leong, Once Upon A Time and a Shrug Guy.
Great Idea! It basically worked and attracted some of the Comic Con crowd, most likely a lot of people that don't make it to Comic Con. The show in San Francisco definitely has it's own regional character which was sort of missing.
From my side, I enjoyed interviewing and talking to a few vendors/artists that can't make it to Comic Con since Comic Con has a huge waiting list and is a lot more pricey. So it's a great place to seek out some up and coming talent.
Erin Leong was an illustrator out of San Francisco. Liked her work and it actually reminded me a bit of a few sketches my old friend Lou Romano has on his blog, which was cool.
Sarah Richard was cool. New Hamphsire based, she has a great soft edgy look. A theme that pervades her personality, dresss and artwork. She looks like an acrobat, turned out to be a former gymnast. We'll try to get her into some circus arts soon. Apparently there are no circus schools in New Hamphsire..WHAT?
This SHRUG GUY was hysterical. Partly because I saw that he did this for hours. Street performers KUDOS man.
Apparently from a Vendor side there were a few more lookers than buyers/collectors.
I think it's clear that another mini con in Southern CA is viable however I predict that Wondercons return to San Francisco will be welcomed back with open arms and an uptick in attendance next year.
I did shoot a bit of the Once Upon A Time Producers Q & A. I was supposed to catch up them in the Press Room but got entangled by a bridge under dwarf construction. Apparently they had a PRESS BOX which was located next to the main stage. Which was the absolutely worst area to shoot anything. I have no idea what they were thinking must be a Anaheim Convention Center thing.
This was the same convention center that Erin K. & I walked into for MHOF and asked for the ballroom that was in the same building. I was told to walk around the entire structure when We should have been told to walk across the floor and take the elevator...Really!
We have video of this stuff coming soon.
Ned Cato Jr. from GeekRoundTable.com and I hung out for a bit as he was trouble shooting for the Con. We are looking forward to Comic Con and bringing you more interesting Geek type footage.=).
San Diego,CA- Just wanted to share a few random images from our days at the San Diego Comic Con #SDCC. We shot at some level everyday so we have a ton of stuff that will be placed here, presidio sentinel, geekroundtable.com etc. . It's a bit of overwhelm since we had a HARD deadline today with the paper.
This image is from the first night at the Horton Grand Theatre with KC Murdock. MArk Christopher Lawrence grabbed the mic for the last tune.
Our creative cohort Rex Edhlund at his Popular Naughty booth (1617) was quite a success this year. His daughter Franchesca helped out at the booth this year. We stopped by for a moment to say HELLO.
Just a quick preview. Were in the process of figuring out how to organize the insanity.