Last year’s Philly Comic Con was so awesome and star-studded, I didn’t know where to look. In fact, with so many hot up and coming stars attending – Chris Hemsworth, The Vampire Diaries’ Paul Wesley, Stan Lee, The Five Captains, Torchwood, etc. I couldn’t cover them all. I considered expanding my Philly Comic Con coverage from Saturday-Sunday to Friday-Sunday. Because of last year’s astounding number of talent, I briefly wondered if Wizard World made any money and looked forward to seeing them top themselves this year. What are my final thoughts? Well … read on!

2011’s theme surrounded old school nostalgia with Burt Ward\Adam West and Billy Dee Williams. 2012 focused on hot, Hollywood glamour with the aforementioned talent. 2013 spotlighted local talent by featuring Philadelphia geek groups and nationally recognized cosplayers. Favoring restraint, it didn’t outdo last year. However, in terms of scheduling, the balance worked. Although I missed seeing multiple celebrities in the autograph booths and casually walking through the arena, this time I managed to catch all the celebrity AND comic panels that interested me AND had time to tour the celebrity booths that intrigued me. This year almost all the celebrities appeared occupied when I walked past. Even if you’re not press,  $85-95 price tag for 4 days to see, hear and question your favorite celeb, isn’t bad.

For my outline of the good (page 1), the bad (page 2) and the cosplay (page 3), read on. Let me know if you agree.

The Good

The Lines: 2013 featured even MORE patrons. But, rather than force them to stand in the heat, this year’s lines snaked through the air conditioned building. It reduced the feeling of waiting, added more crowd control and kept the lines moving. Also, it saved people from fainting from heat exhaustion. While I missed the impressive lines surrounding the block, people never felt bunched in.

Jason David Frank: I learned a new respect for the Green Power Ranger. As someone in college the time the Power Rangers aired, I looked down upon anyone vaguely affiliated with the show. But, Jason’s enthusiasm as a cosplay judge and panelist, changed my mind. Seriously, he was so giving in the cosplay and self-defense panels, I would love to see him return again. He even told people on his autograph line that after 5pm there was no charge to talk to him. Nobody moved. That’s how much people loved him.

The Moderators: Mark Lee and Jarrett “the Defuser” Crippen both rocked. Mark Lee, as a new moderator, stood out. Although he looks like an accountant when he steps to the mike, his wry humor reminded me of Jarrett’s amazing charm. I appreciated his ability to interact with large crowds, while keeping them entertained and surprisingly enthralled. As always, “the Defuser” captivated. I loved watching him direct traffic in the early Saturday morning influx. I keep forgetting he’s a cop. He’s done this for so long, but he continues to give energy. Even when telling old stories they still sound brand new and he smartly acknowledges their re-telling. When you’re in panels with moderators that lack Jarrett and Mark’s confident, self-deferential charm, it shows. Jarrett and Mark didn’t wait until :01 seconds before a panel’s start time to engage the crowd and they aren’t shrinking violets so the crowd didn’t ignore them until the star arrived. I saw two larger panels with slightly less talented moderators and you can tell the difference. So keep these two jewels in the Wizard World crown.

The Cosplay: I loved the organization for this year’s cosplay. It was truly excellent. The runway prior to the stage show and the multiple categories rocked.

John Barrowman, John Barrowman, John Barrowman: Seriously, he’s the new Bruce Campbell. Keep it up, John. Keep it up.

More Geek Culture: Including local groups, Marvel/Zenescope portfolio reviews, a webcomic bootcamp, a Philly geek culture review, cosplay lessons, as well as a strong female artists/writers panel made the con feel more regional. I visited almost all of the panels that interested me.

The Main Floor’s Lounge Area – A nice comfy addition

A Direct, 4 Page Program - Hey, it saves paper. In that respect, while I loved wearing a ‘Press’ placard, a wristband is cheaper and just as effective.

(This post contains 3 pages. Please visit the website to continue reading. Thank you.)

Too frequently comic cons surround the hot female cosplayers. But, I have to recognize the hotness of the male actors, the audience and moderators. Come join me in my appreciation why don’t you?

7. The Cosplayers. You know who you are. Nothing’s hotter than a man in makeup and tight leather pants.

6. Giancarlo Esposito (Revolution, Community, Once Upon a Time)
“Journey to the Center of Hawkthorne” was my favorite episode, Giancarlo made it ten times better. To hear Chevy Chase describe Community (a person Giancarlo greatly respects), the show’s too rigid and overtly scripted with no improvisational room. However, according to Giancarlo, it’s the exact opposite. On the first day, the cast rolled in far, far later than the 6am call time with no one off book while planning on improvising/learning as they went along. According to Giancarlo’s daughter, “Dad, this is random.” Would he do it again? Hell, yea! Is he a good actor? Double, hell, yea! You can’t create a character like Revolution‘s Neville without having a smidge of talent and knowing it. Did we get any Revolution spoilers? Not really. Will Revolution’s opening second season  feature Philadelphia. Probably

5. Manu Bennett (Arrow, Hobbit, Spartacus)
Like Adam Baldwin and Julie Bennett, he maintains a working actor mentality. Geek thoughts of Azog aside, did you know he never filmed with any of the other characters? CGI magic. Did you know he accidentally pinched the role from an old schoolmate? Jackson initially cast Manu’s school chum in the role, but after disliking the prosthetics used, went a different way and re-cast Manu in the part. Are Spartacus‘ Crixus and Arrow’s Deathstroke all that different? From Manu’s perspective, yes. He analogized history-based Spartacus with classical music and comic-based Arrow with popular culture and pop music. All the same, no one doubts Arrow is well-written and well-acted. I love listening to actors describe acting as a craft. It shows their dedication to their characters and the shows they’re on. So, is Manu dedicated to Slade? 175%. He’s so dedicated, he almost choked out his scene partner during the audition. Seriously. Any season two hints? None. But, you can always expect awesome meaty goodness from Arrow’s writers. And, season two plots were enough to make Manu return. Speaking of meaty goodness, Manu’s arms are like tree trunks. So, let’s hear it for this piece of Maori hotness.

4. Supermen Brandon Routh and Dean Cain
After the awesomesness of Superman Returns, Brandon Routh should’ve gone onto action film star fame. Instead, he’s in in shows like Partners that aren’t equal to his talent. However, instead of blaming X, Y, and Z, he’s proud of his work, especially his final scene with his Super-son. He heartily encourages fans not to feel ashamed. He isn’t. Honestly, it was a GOOD film (excluding stalking Super-baby), so I get upset when people reference it as otherwise. He’s so down to earth that I wish him the best. Dean Cain equally impressed me. He’s fast becoming the Bill Shatner of the Superman franchise. I expected someone full on his own success, but he’s the exact opposite. Like John Barrowman, he equally recognizes he lives in a house built by fan love. Although Dean Cain’s in his 40s and looks like he’s in his 30s, he self-effacingly pretends he’s in his 60s. His thoughts on Brandon and Henry Cavill? They make them big nowadays. Like 6′ is anything to sniff at. So, while I’m not a fan of Cain’s latest show, I’m definitely his fan and Routh’s fan. I wish both super-hotties continued success.

3. The Guardian Angels – “Real heroes don’t need capes.” Anyone who willingly rocks a beret and patrols his/her area gets my vote. AND, they have a new show coming up on www.FirstRun.tv. So, let’s show them some fanboy and fangirl love.

2. Jason David Frank, The Green Ranger (Power Rangers) - Dude commanded a room full of over energized kids (and their parents) the minute he stepped in the room. From the back of the room, off-stage, sans mike, without a moderator, and with his personality he called everyone to order and started entertaining. Hot. And, despite sharing my age range, dude has tattooed abs a mile long. I will never mock anyone under 30 for liking Power Rangers ever again (to their face). His continued enthusiasm for the show and support of anyone who enjoys it is infectious. Will I ever watch a Power Rangers episode with a straight face? Never. Will I willingly go to any panel featuring Frank? Always.

1. John “Freakingly Awesome” Barrowman (Everything you love). Need I say more? No.

Honorable Mentions: Adam Baldwin for calling out sports scores after his panel. Henry Winkler for being him.

Do I need to pull a Kaylee and get laid? Clearly. Are my statements any less true? No.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=NulGeV6YMrk

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GnUBPeEO5g

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er_al-jHYXg

Don’t forget to check out more Philly Comic Con happenings here.

 [easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B000J10ERO” locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61FT2o5qBpL._SL160_.jpg” width=”137″][easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B000BT96EG” locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51-wN-uU1aL._SL160_.jpg” width=”117″][easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B009AMAJBO” locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51nJduMwDPL._SL160_.jpg” width=”115″][easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B0072OFM28″ locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ox2YE18SL._SL160_.jpg” width=”110″]

I love, love, love, love, love the Haven cast. They clearly love each other and that comes across in every single conference call and interview I (and other CliqueClack members) have done with them. There are some actors that are so awesome that you don’t even need to interview them. Just put them in a room with each other and press record. The Haven cast are a walking, talking carnival act with Eric Balfour at the helm as the unofficial spokesperson. Adam Copeland might be new to the squad and not as outlandish as the rest of the cast, but he still speaks his mind. With only two episodes left in its third season, this call covered what their characters might want for the holidays and well wishes for the Connecticut families.

At this point, Eric Balfour’s a fledgling Bruce Campbell. However, he uses his brazen charm (in place of Bruce’s brazen personality) to win over his audience. Like Bruce, Eric’s background caters to the sci fi audience. Like Bruce, Eric basically says what he thinks. Like Bruce, Eric loves playing with his audience. He couldn’t stop charming the female (and male) writers on the phone. I think we all collectively swooned every time he spoke. Hell, an entire twitter legion swoons everytime he posts to his feed. In answer to one question he kept delaying the answer with prevarications such as “I’m just saying” …  and “I think” and eventually ending with blatantly random responses like “I enjoy chitty chitty bang bang.” He only hesitated once regarding another interviewer’s question and asked if they wanted the real answer.

What’s the perfect Christmas present for Duke? “A Teddy Ruxpin.” Isn’t it odd that Duke, the lady’s man, the man’s man, and the man about town, is always alone at night? Eric thinks so. What makes Duke and Eric similar? Well, other than their daredevil charm, according to Eric, they have striking facial features, but “Duke’s nose is bigger.” Once again, I love Balfour’s wit, self-deprecating humor (while clearly knowing how pretty he is), and ability to comment on his character and odd script plot holes (‘cus, yea, what woman wouldn’t try to ride Duke’s barge pole if she had the chance?)

He’s against an Audrey-Duke hookup. He likes the “beautiful dance.” Like Emily stated in NYCC, he feels people don’t want what they get. But, unlike Lucas Bryant, he’s an advocate for bringing characters together and ripping them apart. He admitted parts of the show are “cruel” but is really excited for the coming two episodes and discussed Duke becoming a “man.”

The reason I call Balfour the unofficial spokesperson is because he covertly served as Emily Rose’s ID. Whenever Emily wanted to say something, but wasn’t quite certain about phrasing it, she handed the question off to Eric who basically stated it outright. I noticed this in our last conference call and NYCC interview as well. How is she like her character? Emily stated she’s prickly when getting to know people,like Audrey.

During the call, Adam discussed the initially temporary nature of his character. Originally the producers hadn’t  intended Dwight as a series regular. But, he did such an awesome job, of course they had to bring him on. Dwight’s backstory isn’t yet fleshed out. But, he sees the Haven gang as the Avengers. And, he’s right, when you think about it. Audrey’s definitely the Black Widow. As he stated before he loves working with the Teagues brothers and the talents of the individual actors, Richard Donat and John Dunsworth. We’ll definitely see what’s going on with Vince and Dave in the coming weeks.

Haven returns to SyFy on January 9th. Don’t miss the final episodes of the third season!

[easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B004SMDJ9U” locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51eSy3D%2Bi9L._SL160_.jpg” width=”112″][easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B008H1Q61G” locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51WNrIaEQ5L._SL160_.jpg” width=”119″][easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B000AV6RM4″ locale=”us” height=”131″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515qQsbgoDL._SL160_.jpg” width=”160″]

I didn’t expect to interview Amy Acker at all. My table was the last table before most stars hit the video camera row and Amy started at the camera row. Additionally, my table had dwindled as people left for other press rooms; but, when the PR person asked if we had time to talk to Amy Acker, star of Angel and other shows, of course I said, “HELL YES!!!” Because of the intimate table size, it came across more as a casual conversation. But I won’t lie; it was more like a casual conversation with geek gushing thrown in.

I didn’t have that many questions for Amy on her character. Let’s be honest. Root is the root of this season’s evil and her character is unabashedly bad. There are only so many questions you can ask about Root’s craziness. So, we talked more about her burgeoning career and what’s on tap. Amy Acker is exactly what you’d expect. She’s incredibly down to earth and absolutely adorable. She didn’t wear a lot of makeup (truthfully, none of the actresses I interviewed at NYCC did), but she gives off that Ivory girl feel. She reminded me very much of Amber Benson at Philly Comic Con. Amber wore a casual shirt, jeans and carried a back pack. Likewise Amy did the same. I suddenly realized that both Joss and Jonah enjoyed working with down to earth actresses. There’s a point where Jonah walked over and invited Amy to dinner with his wife. You’ll know it’s Jonah because you can’t hear him.

She told stories about her Person of Interest casting, admitting she cut her hair a week before they called her for Root and credits makeup with replicating her old hair. So far, she’s only filmed two episodes. However, Jim briefly spoke to her husband on the phone stating he enjoyed working with her on Person of Interest. Unfortunately, the connection was bad and her husband thought James was a would-be kidnapper.

I literally ran out of questions towards the end and forgot to ask if her character would return to Once Upon a Time. However, I’m looking forward to Joss’ Much Ado About Nothing which comes out in the Spring featuring Amy as Beatrice. Although strong-willed, sharp-tongued Beatrice is different from the flower-child personality Amy generates, considering I’ve seen her play a terrorist, a female spider, and a lovelorn fairy in the past year, I’m pretty certain she’ll rock Beatrice as well.

An: Hello. Thank you for joining us.
Amy: Thank you for having me.
An: I’m so glad to see you on Person on Interest. I loved you on Angel and was afraid you’d disappear, but this year you’re just blowing up. Everywhere I look around from Grimm to Once Upon a Time to Person of Interest and there you are.
Amy: You know it’s funny because it really goes back to Angel. Jonathan Nolan and his wife were Angel fans so they thought of me because of watching the Fred/Illyria switch. And, all of the writers from Angel have gone on to make their own shows. So, Jane is on Once Upon a Time. David Greenwalt on Grimm. I feel really lucky that all of these writers who I’ve had relationships with are remembering me and casting me in all of these different, fun roles.
An: I have to admit I was worried when they cast you. Elias did a great job last year and you’re doing a great job with Root. but, with every great villain they eventually have to get caught.
Amy: Maybe I have a change of heart.
An: What can we expect from Root for the future?
Amy: I’m excited to find out, too. They really haven’t told me much. I think it’s pretty obvious that Finch is in love with me. Maybe a wedding or I don’t know. The problem is what you’ve said. The problem that I’m afraid of. I’m obviously bad. At some point, I’m going to have to be pretty smart to get away from them, if that’s possible.
An: That would be lovely.
An: Did you create a backstory for your character for episodes 201 and 202?
Amy: Yea. What I was mostly trying to figure out is because I’m not computer-savvy is what does that mean and what do I know what to do and how did I learn it? I do feel like they are going to answer those questions more clearly. So, they were sketchy about what information they were going to give me. Then they gave me that script. You can loosely make something and kind of go with it.
An: What else is on your plate?
Amy: I have Much Ado About Nothing. Joss Whedon shot it at his house. It was at the Toronto Film Festival and was picked up by Lionsgate and will be out in the Spring. It’s all Nathan Fillion. I play Beatrice. I’m hoping that gives me the chance to be … it’s funny and person of interest is a really funny show. So, it’ll be good, I’m excited.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5U8CR2TXvI

I had an absolutely great time covering New York Comic Con this weekend, although my fellow Clacker Jeremy couldn’t make it, I’m hoping other Clackers can attend next year. I had an awesome time covering the press rooms. I am officially in love with Kevin Bacon of Kevin Williamson’s new FOX show The Folllowing, coming out in January. And James Purefoy, who plays the villain, scares the hell out of me (in the show and reality). Both Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick kicked my ass for talking about Venture Brothers in the past tense (it returns in October). Voltron Force writer/producer Jeremy Corray is a charmer. I went in hating the show and left a total fan. I had a surprisingly small and cozy geekcenteric roundtable with Robot Chicken’s Seth Green. I wound up 5 minutes late to my Haven press room because my Person of Interest table ran over talking to Amy Acker. Even cooler, I passed the redoubtable Carrie Fisher smoking a blue cigarette while walking a tiny black dog. So, basically, good times.

This year’s New York Comic Con was EVEN larger than last year. I literally avoided using the restroom (or drinking) all day Saturday because I COULDN’T find a restroom without twenty people in line before me. Don’t worry, I paid for it later. The Manga/Anime software people at Micro Smith kept pushing water bottles on me, so, clearly, I looked tore up from the floor up. NYCC this year felt disorganized in places compared to last year and could’ve used more volunteers for the larger panels. But, I still went away with a warm fuzzy feeling despite the daily commute. I know I am slow when it comes to transcribing interviews (Shut up, Michael); however, I hope to post my interviews once a day (or every other day). So keep checking here or the main site for the ensuing weeks. But, for cosplay pictures (which I know you want), keep reading!

The Costumes
You can always tell what’s hot in pop culture based on the costumes each year. This year, there were a ton of Banes, a ton of invisible men, the usual anime girls/Neko cat boys, a ton of Dr. Whos, and the usual Deadpool families. However, I noticed more Teen Titan Raven costumes this year and even more kid costumes. I passed an adorable little girl who looked like Scooby Doo’s Velma dressed like Supergirl and another woman who dressed like nerdy Velma meets va-va-voom Daphne. This year, I cared less about the awesome costumes and more about the creativity. I loved the steam punk female Robin and the Captain America prom Queen. Kudos to the man dressed as the Fourth Doctor, who offered me a Jelly Baby, and anyone dressed as X. Of course, I couldn’t stop smiling at the men and women limping around at 5:00pm after an entire day wearing heels or too tight boots.

For the people whose photos I clicked, my gallery includes a Batman (and his reluctant niece), who felt cheated out of SDCC photos; a gamer incredibly proud of his mohawk; a Spiderman by the way of Brooklyn; a Red Robin (with naked children); and the Justice League’s Samurai. I thought I’d see more Green Arrows, but whenever I caught any archers, I snapped their photos. Other photo subjects included a Michelle Pfeiffer catwoman; the Dr. Who Angel from “Blink;” two adorable Where’s Waldos; an Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter; two of my favorite Dr. Whos – Four and Ten; the X-Ladies; Princess Tiana; A Wonder Woman mother to a tiny ninja (but all mothers are Wonder Women); Starburns; a little kid all too anxious to show of his Iron Man and more!

Go to page two if you’re interested!

The People
Grizz of 30 Rock (check out my interview!) stated that he loved New York Comic Con’s openness which I experienced whenever I sat down. I met a Danish woman who LOVED Terry Pratchett and detailed her love for 15 minutes. Another man walked to my Food Court table, put a comic down, and then walked away. I noticed more families this year where the elderly, normally dressed parents cared more about events than their kids. Everything’s bigger in New York Comic Con. I didn’t think Bruce Campbell could be any more egregious or deliberately obnoxious (which I say lovingly); but, I caught a bit of his NYCC panel which changed my mind entirely. And, yes, everyone treated the NYCC hallways like their homes. I caught two babies tossing their complicated costumes off in a hallway while a woman tossed her shirt in another.

I noticed most of the women thanked me when I asked if I could post their photos while most of the guys said “of course! That’s why I come!” So, guys, don’t just shoot and run the lady cosplayers. Ask their permission first (and apply that to life, as well)!

For picture gallery, click to the next page!

Check out the latest NYCC posts, here!

(This post contains 2 pages. Please visit the website to continue reading. Thank you.)