Louisville Convention Round-Up: Derby City Comic Con and Fandom Fest 2011

July has been a busy month for conventions in Louisville. After happening upon two conventions quite randomly, I have to say that I had a wonderful time this month. I'll be outlining my experience at each of these conventions within this post. I can safely say that I am no longer a convention noob, or am less of one as of these experiences.

Are you ready?

Geek Girls Book Club to begin American Gods read on Monday!

The Geek Girls Book Club is about to begin its fourth book in August 1. This month, the feature book is American Gods by author Neil Gaiman in honor of its 10th anniversary. I'm excited to read this because I love his work. I also love to read his tweets! Jenna has become a huge fan of his graphic novel Sandman. She and Jeremy dressed up as Dream and Death for FandomFest 2011! (You can check out our facebook album for pictures!)

Movie Review Captain America: The First Avenger

I've been a Marvel girl most of my life. It all started with reading Spiderman at the soda fountain of a local drug store when I was no older than four. My Saturday mornings were soon filled with the Fox Kids line-up of X-Men, Batman (Yes, I do know it's DC) and Spiderman cartoons. While I've never been a comic book connoisseur, I have always appreciated good cartoons and movies and I'm not alone. Most everyone you talk to say that they include a comic book movie among their favorite flicks, most notably Batman, either Christopher Nolan's version or the Tim Burton/Michael Keaton films. If I was asked to pick a favorite, it would have been the original X-Men movie from 2000. I still haven't seen X-Men: First Class so I cannot compare though I will try and see it soon so I can share my thoughts. That being said, Captain America: The First Avenger may just have taken over as my favorite comic book movie.

Stop sippin' the Hogsmeade Haterade

I have been a fan of Harry Potter since 2000 when I was in the eighth grade.  My grandmother had purchased Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for me because she thought that I would like it. When she presented it to me, I hadn't actually read any of the books. Going with the recommendation of a close friend, I checked books one through three out of my school library and read them quickly. I was drawn into Hogwarts and immersed myself in this fantastic world. The movies began coming out the next year and that was a whole other dimension added to my experience of reading Harry Potter. I anxiously awaited each movie premiere and saw the last five movies at midnight.

3 decades of Indy: It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage.

In 1981, the creators of Jaws and Star Wars set out to make their next big movie. Steven Spielberg had said that he always wanted to do a Bond-like film and George Lucas approached him with a character that was "better than James Bond." It's hard to believe that the Indiana Jones franchise is only thirty years old as Indy is one of the most iconic characters in American film. The series has been parodied, referenced, and paid homage to countless times, but was an homage in itself. The film was based on the black and white serials from the 1930s and 40s which Spielberg had grown up with. 

Forsooth! Knights of Badassdom trailer is truly awesome.

Good morrow! Verily thou hadst heard of The Knights of Badassdom. Ye olde trailer has appeared on YouTube and 'tis most splendid! Good sirs Peter Dinklage, Steve Zahn, Danny Pudi, Ryan Kwanten and the good ladye Summer Glau star in this film about Live Action Role Players. This movie looks most hilarious. I bit thee watch it and laugh heartily.

Have you ever LARPed? I think it'd be really fun! Except when you summon a demon, of course.

Fare thee well!

My Spidey Sense says... teaser trailer!

We've been waiting for it and here it is... the teaser trailer for The Amazing Spider-man. It comes off the heels of the leaked trailer for The Avengers, which will go live in about 5 hours with the release of Captain America: The First Avenger. I was very excited to see this trailer released. I've always been a huge fan of Spiderman ever since I was a kid and tried my hardest to love every moment the Tobey Maguire trilogy.

TheWarpZone releases full length X-Men Lady Gaga Parody

Last month, Ryan from TheWarpZone donned his Magneto costume all in the name of Lady Gaga and it was included in Stuff That Doesn't Suck. A full length parody is up on TheWarpZone's youtube channel featuring more of our favorite mutants in all their glory.

Who's your favorite member of the X-Men? I have a few that I really like, but I have to say that my overall favorite is Wolverine. I bought a print of him in his yellow suit at Derby City Comic Con this past weekend from the very talented Terry Huddleston. It rocks!

Leave a message in the comments and let me know who your favorite mutant is!

Sherlock Holmes plays a Game of Shadows

Robert Downey, Jr. may be one of the busiest men in Hollywood right now. Not only has he made two Iron Man movies in the last three years, but has starred in Tropic Thunder, Due Date, and the first Sherlock Holmes film in which he played the starring role. The Avengers is currently in production with a May 2012 release. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows will open December 2011 and will probably break the Christmas Day records set by its predecessor.

Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) is introduced as the villain for this film, a criminal mastermind who is not only Holmes' intellectual equal, but a man who has absolutely no conscience. We also meet the detective's brother, Mycroft Holmes, portrayed by Stephen Fry. 

Around the Web: Damn It Feels Good to be a Lannister

I've made no bones about saying that I absolutely love Game of Thrones. I felt that the show was a brilliant adaptation of George R.R. Martin's book A Game of Thrones, book 1 of A Song of Ice and Fire. Tyrion Lannister, The Imp, portrayed by Peter Dinklage, ranks as one of my favorite characters. His wit and intelligence sings volumes about how much better than he is than his older siblings.

Behold, a parody from Youtube user LessTalkMoreMonkey. Be careful, though. It does contain spoilers.

Warner Brothers teases us with The Dark Knight Rises

If you were among the millions that went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 this weekend, you caught a first glimpse at Christopher Nolan's last installment of the Dark Knight legend in The Dark Knight Rises. In it, we see a feeble Commissioner Gordon as he beseeches for a return of The Bat Man. You can tell he's in a lot of pain as he says that Evil rises. The trailer features shots of Batman and Bane.

Around the Web: Crazy Cat Lady

Have you ever looked at someone's dating profile and thought, "Wow, what a nut job?" Yeah, me too.

(Though I hope no one thinks that way about me!) I honestly couldn't even imagine doing a video profile. I came across this video the other day. It was posted by Youtube user hartmanncara, but in the video, she describes herself as Debbie. Curious.

Around the Web: Slave Leia PSA starring Kaley Cuoco

Slave Leia is one of the most ubiquitous choices of sexy cosplay outfits. However, you could almost play "count the Slave Leias" at most cons. Thankfully, The Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco was on hand to address this issue for Break.com's Nerd HQ. You might recall Chuck's Zachary Levi and everyone's favorite mystery writing space cowboy Nathan Fillion addressing other hard hitting issues.

Personally, I loved the Lara Croft outfit! I'll be headed to Fandom Fest in Louisville next weekend and am donning the fedora for Indiana Jones inspired cosplay. We'll have full coverage here on KGG.

First Impressions Friday (4): Trivial Pursuit Steal

First Impressions is a meme hosted at Within Pages where we take a look at all things, mostly booky, and reflect on our initial thoughts. Non-bloggers, non-book bloggers, and everyone alike can participate on any topic you'd like. Feel free to drop your links or thoughts in the comments!

As a huge trivia fan, I love the game Trivial Pursuit. When I was in high school, I was captain of our high school's quick recall team (Go Rams!) and was dubbed "Queen of Useless Knowledge." I even watched the Trivial Pursuit game show with Wink Martindale when I was a kid. Yeah, I love trivia. We were perusing the toy section of a store a few evenings ago and as we are wont to do, we stumbled upon the board and card games. I picked up a set of Indiana Jones playing cards with art from all four movies. However, another card game caught the eye: a Trivia Pursuit card game.

Derby City Comic-Con This Weekend!

Okay, I admit it. I'm really sad that I won't be attending San Diego Comic-Con this year. After getting to know so many people in the community over the last year, I really would love to meet everyone in person. Hopefully the stars will be right next year for me to attend, but I'll just be with everyone in spirit and following along on Twitter.

If you're around Louisville, KY this weekend, stop in at the Kentucky International Convention Center for Derby City Comic-Con. Both Lexington and Louisville are home to many comic shops, all of which we'll be featuring here with Your Friendly Local Comic Shop. You can also find many collectibles at these stores and DCCC will feature some of the best artists, writers, and publishers in the comic business. Did you know that there are many Kentucky natives who have made it big in the comic world? Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead is from Central Kentucky. Artist Tony Moore whose work on The Walking Dead was nominated for two Eisner awards will be a guest at DCCC this year. Louisville native Jay Leisten (Marvel Comics), Marjorie Liu (Marvel Comics), and Bill Nichols (Comics Mentor) will be featured guests as well. There are many more artists who will be in attendance this year, so be sure to check it out.

Tickets are available online for the low price of $7 or at:
Comic Book World
ear X-tacy
The Great Escape
Role of the Die
The Zone Comic Shop

I will be checking out the excitement of Derby City Comic-Con. If you head down to the convention center, be sure to say hello! For more information about Derby City Comic-Con, check out their website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Stuff That Doesn't Suck (8): The Superhero Edition

Stuff that doesn’t suck is a meme hosted by Pam at Bookalicious where we graciously share with you the things that we come across in a week that don’t suck. This includes a variety of things from books to music to youtube and even more. Feel free to join in on the comments or on your own blog.

It's that time again where we post some of the things that has made us smile this week.

Holy Video Compilation That Doesn't Suck
If you know anything Robin, then you know that he is one of the most quotable sidekicks in all of superhero-dom. The catchphrase "Holy ____ Batman!" is widely recognizable and has been a part of pop culture for decades. Youtube user Tedfufu made this video compilation of some of the best (and worst) of Robin's Holy exclamations. My favorite is Holy endangered species!

More after the jump!

Around the Web: Epic Eats: Cataclysm

As a former World of Warcrack addict, I very much appreciate a good machinima. That's why I was delighted to see that WoW Insider had shared this video the other day. I have been a huge fan of Good Eats, Alton Brown's show on Food Network for many years and with his series Raid Eats and now Epic Eats, Bullworth has merged the two.

Bon Appetite!

Countdown to Potter Premiere: T - 3 days!

That's right, ladies and gentlemen. The midnight premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is just about 76 hours away and it brings with it the last stop of the Hogwarts Express. I, for one, will be sad that we will not have another new movie or book to look forward to. However, with the release of Pottermore this fall, we will be able to experience some never before seen content from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

I'll be tweeting the pre-Potter festivities from the theater and will post a wrap-up of the experience and review of the film! Oh and btw, there will be cosplay!

This is one of my favorite Harry Potter parodies from the Potter Puppet Pals!

Are you seeing HP7 Pt 2? Dressing up? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Review

I've said it before that I'm not a purist. With movies based on historical events aside, there are few films that I will completely nitpick. I like to go into the theater with an open mind and a fairly clean slate. However, I'm going to be very honest. My expectations for this movie were very low. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen left such a bad taste in my mouth, that it was still there after two years and I wasn't even sure if I'd watch the third installment of the Michael Bay franchise. According to Rotten Tomatoes, critics have given the movie a 36% approval rating and 90% of all users have liked it. It currently holds a 6.8/10 rating on IMDB. I think that's fairly significant considering how poor of a showing Revenge of the Fallen had.


More after the jump.

First Impressions Friday (3): Conan the Barbarian

First Impressions is a meme hosted  at Within Pages where we take a look at all things, mostly booky, and reflect on our initial thoughts. Non-bloggers, non-book bloggers, and everyone alike can participate on any topic you'd like. Feel free to drop your links or thoughts in the comments!

A new Conan the Barbarian movie will soon hit theaters, just 29 years after the original was released. The film, starring Jason Momoa, opens on August 19. Momoa, who recently appeared as Khal Drogo in the HBO series Game of Thrones, beat Kellan Lutz (Twilight) for the role and for that I am thankful. With his portrayal of the Dothraki leader in Game of Thrones, Jason Momoa really has found the part of a Barbarian. This a new take on the mythology of Conan and is not related to the Arnold Schwarzenegger movies. It does, however, focus on how the myth of Conan the Barbarian began and his origin in Cimmeria.

I also watched the Red Band trailer and it is extremely gory. Like, whoa blood. I mean, they're barbarians after all, so I guess that's to be expected, but dang. It looks like it'll be a decent movie. Ron Perlman plays Conan's father, so that's pretty cool. Rose McGowan is in it. I recently learned that there were posters of her released as the title character in a Red Sonja remake, but that seems to have all but disappeared. I don't think there is anything particularly remarkable about the above trailer, however. I'm only not posting the Red Band trailer because it is 18+. It's widely available on the interwebs, however. We'll know in August just how the movie turned out, I reckon.

Conan the Barbarian opens in 3D (and hopefully 2D, though I honestly haven't seen anything stating that it actually will) on August 19.

Is Hufflepuff the reject bin of Hogwarts?

Say it ain't so! I mean, every sorting hat quiz I take online says I'm a Hufflepuff, but really I think I a mix of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Huffleclaw? Ravenpuff? Havenpaw?

If you need a primer on the houses of Hogwarts, just watch this video from The Second City Network.

via The Daily What

I pledge allegiance to Captain America

A new theatrical trailer for Captain America was released just a couple of weeks ago, and now that we've hit July 4th, America's Day of Independence, the clock continutes to tick toward the July 22 release date. I made it no secret that I am a strong supporter of Captain America and his message. As an American historian, I believe that though he ws initially created as a piece of political propaganda, there is something genuine and steadfast about this normal guy from Brooklyn who becomes an ultimate warrior for the American way. Come on, this guy is a veteran Nazi-pwner for crying out loud! Superman, to my recollection never beat up any Nazis.

In fact, the very first issue of the Captain America comic, Captain America Comics #1, depicted Cap punching Adolf Hitler square in the jaw. That issue, dated March 1941, went on to sell one million copies. March 1941 was around one year since the fighting of World War II had begun, but only nine months before the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan, the catalyst that would bring the United States into WW2. In Captain America: The First Avenger, our villain is Red Skull, portrayed by Hugo Weaving, who, like Captain America, is a test subject of his country's super-soldier program.

Steve Rogers was horrified by newsreel footage of Nazi soldiers ransacking Europe and the Japanese and Chinese treatment of Korea. So, he attempted to enlist in the military in order to become a soldier for WW2. Ultimately being rejected due to his size and frailty, he is handpicked for the super soldier program. When he becomes Captain America, he goes on a whirlwind tour to boost morale in America.

Captain America: The First Avenger looks like an absolutely fantastic movie and it looks to me like it's stayed true to the comic book story. Chris Evans is no stranger to comic adaptations, of course, portraying Human Torch in both Fantastic Four movies.

Keep an eye out for more Captain America news and a review following the movie's release!

Around the Web: Game of Thrones Violin Cover

I'm the only member of the KGG team that has watched Game of Thrones or read any of Song of Ice and Fire series. I have to get my other ladies into this, because it's so freaking amazing.

Jason Yang posted this on his Youtube channel yesterday. It is a violin cover of the Game of Thrones opening track. There are also quite a few covers around the internethers. I particularly like the hard rock version.

via Geek Girl Diva

What do you like about the music from Game of Thrones?

Autobots drop it like its hot

Two members of the KGG team saw Transformers: Dark of the Moon on Friday and we'll be posting our review of the movie soon, but for now, enjoy this creation of Randall Ng. If you've heard the song "Like a G6" by Far East Movement, then you'll appreciate this short video. I would like to see them extend this beyond the 90 second mark.

via Nerd Bastards

Your Friendly Local Comic Shop: Collectibles, Etc

I believe there is a strong community of folks in the gaming and comic book world that needs to be cultivated. Your Friendly Local Game Shop (or Your Friendly Local Comic Shop) will provide a way for me to highlight such places and give an in-depth review of the store based on the following criteria:

• Initial Impressions 
• Customer Service 
• Atmosphere 
• Selection 
• Value 
• Online Experience 
• Overall Score 

Join me as I venture to these meccas of geekdom.

N.B. As I was thinking of expanding this series, I reminded myself of the fact that, while I feel well versed with the culture of the gaming store, I'm not as well acquainted with that of the comic book store. So, I decided that though I include a rating system in my posts about gaming shops , I will not be doing that in my profiles of comic book shops. I have still kept the criteria in mind while writing the comic shop portion of this series, but I will not be assigning a score.

115 N Locust Hill Dr #106

Lexington KY

(859) 269-6633

Hours: M - Sat 11 am - 8 pm

Sun 1 pm - 6pm

Facebook | Blog

Owner: Tony Florence

The store is located among restaurants and shops on N. Locust Hill Dr near Movie Tavern. Its unobtrusive storefront simply reads Collectibles, Etc. My initial visit was made prior to Free Comic Book Day on May 7 and there was a large banner for it hanging up. I think it was definitely intriguing to passersby and could have drawn them in. Upon entering, I was immediately greeted and asked if I needed any help with anything. I noted, also, the cleanliness and openness of the store.

You can feel the love that the store's owner, Tony Florence, has for this store and the dedication he has to his customers. The store is inviting and you can make yourself comfortable in a reading area. Tony explained that he wanted to create a clean, organized and courteous atmosphere. He said that they want people to be comfortable and enjoy their shopping experience. The store is also extremely family friendly; an entire section is devoted to kids comics as well as board games and action figures. Tony explained that he is very interested in fostering creativity and a love for comics in children. They go out to elementary schools in an effort to education children on the nature of comics and how to enjoy them.

Collectibles not only offers comic books, but they also sell some gaming items as well. Tony said that many comic enthusiasts are also interested in gaming, so he wanted to be able to make sure their varied needs were met. All walls are linted with comics, both trades and volumes. He said that they originally focused on back issues, but removed those large bins and scaled back that inventory. Having more room, they moved the sales counter to the center wall and added island shelving as well. Amazing Spider-man by Dan Slott and FF by Hickman are hot sellers right now. The Green Lantern titles are doing well in the store currently as well. Collectibles also prides itself on the selection of independent titles such as such as Lock & Key (horror/suspense), Sixth Gun (western horror), Morning Glories (think Lost crossed with Buffy), and Walking Dead are doing quite well.

On this trip, I felt very welcome inside the store. The new look really opens it up and makes it more inviting. On my first venture in a few years ago, the employee that was working that afternoon seemed kind of distracted, so he wasn't as receptive to assisting my friends and I. However, on a recent trip to the store, I saw the same employee and he was helping another customer, so it's obvious that everyone has good and bad days. The employees offer helpful recommendations. If you're new to comic books, like I am for the most part, they will take a look at your interests and suggest comics. You can place items on hold and request titles be pulled and saved for you. Prices are fair and comparable to other stores.

I think that Collectibles is a great store with employees who really know their stuff. They care a great deal about their customers and that shows through in their service. You can find Collectibles, Etc on Facebook and on their new blog.

Check out more pictures from the store on my Flickr page!