Be on the lookout for the Norwescon and Sakura Con recaps over the next couple days. I've been a little behind with some minor health woes, but catching up on things finally. For now, I hope you enjoyed Scott Adams guest post. I'd like to offer more guest posts and stuff from other conventions I can't actually attend. If you wan't to join our nerdy "network", drop me a line or send me a tweet!
I'm going to throw in a copy of the Image Comic's Sex Criminals, signed by Matt Fraction, one of my favorite writers, if we hit 900 followers on Twitter, so keep on sharing and retweeting, and Facebooking and spreading the word about www.thestevestrout.com.
Thanks, Steve!
Steve Strout is the media mastermind behind this site, host of the Comic Book Swap Meet, nerd, terrible artist, gamer, convention goer and comic book reader who spends more time rescuing toys from thrift shops than a normal adult should. He is also known around the northwest for his promotion of live music and stand-up comedy events and is the creator/producer of the Comic Book Swap Meet mini convention, and Olympic Peninsula Comedy Competition (which will make it's big return in 2015). Follow him on Instagram at http://instagram.com/thestevestrout, and He can be reached for comments at ptcomedy@yahoo.com on twitter at @thestevestrout
Fan Expo, April 3-5th, 2015 Hi everyone, Scott Adams here. Steve has been gracious enough to allow me to write a little something about my recent expedition to a con held by our neighbors to the north, Fanexpo Vancouver. I had not planned on going to Vancouver for this convention, in fact I was going up to see some family that was visiting the area. I actually found out about Fanexpo about a week and a half before the event. I thought I would see if tickets were available, not really holding my breath. If you don’t get tickets early for many conventions you are just out of luck. I was very pleased to purchase not one, but five tickets for Saturday, I could have gone longer, but family commitments come first. I also wasn’t a very good reporter and did not snap many pictures. I rarely do when I go to cons, and at the time I wasn’t thinking I would be reporting on this, but here we are; limited pictures for you to look at, my apologies. Next time I will be better prepared.
I must say that Fanexpo, though smaller in scale to our own Emerald City Comicon (ECCC), you still have a big con feel when you attend. It is way easier to navigate but there is still a significant amount of shuffling in isles that is ever present at any decent size convention. I was, however, able to see every single vendor and I do not feel as if I missed anything. The layout of Fanexpo even affords you clear and easy views of all the guest celebrities. I was tempted to snap some pictures at a distance, but alas I followed the posted ‘No Photos’ signs and was a good attendee. I was in Canada after all, and the rules must be followed.
Speaking of guests, Fanexpo had a nice collection of celebrities for signing and photo ops. A few of the celebrity guests included: William Shatner, Jennifer Morrison, Scott Wilson, Brent Spiner, John Barrowman, Stephen Amell, Lance Henriksen, and Carrier Fisher. Karen Gillan was going to attend but had to bow out due to health reasons. There were others of course, and the lines to see them were not so long as to turn off anyone wanting to partake of that portion of the convention. I opted not to get any myself. I did try to get Bret Spiner for Mr. Strout, but he was on break when I was in the area and then I got side tracked by shinny objects, sorry Steve!
There was also the Delorean from ‘Back to The Future’ and a very cool video game demo area with massive screens for trying out the new ‘Mortal Kombat X’ that is being released on April 14th. There was also the Lego display for the upcoming Avengers movie and a Lego activity area for children of all ages.
There was a good representation of comic guests at the Fanexpo. The illustrious George Perez was on the schedule, but alas was unable to attend due to health reasons. The remaining roster was still impressive, to include Cary Nord who is an Eisner-Award winning comics artist and writer who has worked on titles such as 'Daredevil' and 'Conan the Legend'. . Other notable comic guests included Dan Parent, Kaare Andrews, Diana Greenhalgh, and many others. One of the events I wanted to witness but was unable to due to other more pressing commitments was the sketch duels. Some of the comic artists went head to head, or more aptly, pencil to pencil in drawing competitions. The original art was then up for grabs to members of the audience, though I am uncertain if it was a giveaway or an auction. It would have been very cool to watch the event.
There was an impressive array of cosplayers, both professionals who had tables and amateurs, in attendance. I wish I had snapped more pictures of the people there, but the most impressive of the show was Sauron. I heard this guy walking across the tiled floor before I saw him, and when you got up close you had to wonder if the gates of Mordor had opened. The detail was almost unbelievable. Just check out the photo!
There of course were many other events that you would typically find at a good convention, but I really wish we had been able to attend one of the after parties, specifically the ‘Rave of Thrones’. The DJ is Kristian Nairn, Hodor from 'Game of Thrones'. I can only imagine how much fun that event would have been!
So if you remember this convention next year I would encourage everyone to attend if you can afford to fit it into your budget. Vancouver is easy enough to get to by car, or hell you can catch the train out of Seattle. Just make sure you have your passport and have good walking shoes, Vancouver is a pretty walkable city so be sure to explore it if you go. I am considering securing a table there next year myself.
I recommend attending this convention. It is very comic focused and I did not see too much that wasn’t tied into comics or other things nerd related. That’s all for now folks. I hope to see you all at Avalon Comics on May 2nd in the Kitsap Mall (Silverdale, WA) or at Jet City in Tacoma, WA on October 31st and November 1st.
Scott Adams is the creator of the independant comic book, ‘Sukotto’. He would rather spend all his time following his dream of breaking into the comic industry and brining Sukotto to all the peoples of the world, but alas as he says “I gots bills to pay!” He also likes to eat so he has to do grown up crap and work and other stupid responsible stuff. You can check out more Sukotto at www.sukottostudios.com (in fact he would really appreciate it if you do, especially if you buy stuff!).
Emerald City Comicon, or ECCC, has come and gone again! No chance for the post con depression to set in though. I will be checking out Norwescon and Sakura Con, both for the first time this weekend! Before I get into that, let's take a look at some of the highlights from ECCC...Enjoy, and if I post something without tagging or crediting, and you know who they are, let me know asap!!! I couldn't see everything at this ever expanding convention, so please share more great photos over at the Comic Book Swap Meet group too!
First media cred at a major con! Big honor!
Hands down, my personal highlight of the weekend was the interaction with Mr. Malcolm Merlyn and Jack Harkness himself, John Barrowman. This guy was as awesome to fans as I've seen any celebrity be! His panel had the energy of a rock concert! If you EVER get the chance to meet him and see his panel, DO NOT PASS IT UP! Worth every penny. I actually came across the whole panel from ECCC on youtube. Here is a link. I highly recommend checking it out!
There was also this! I've been working on fabricating costumes with a little group of friends under the name of PNWSFX. Well our first big build we did a Batgirl suit comission for a friend. Well, the friend debuted the suit at ECCC and ran into the wonderful Gail Simone who happened to like the work enough to autograph it for us! Such an honor!
The 501st were down in the same level as the kids section of the con, which happened to be one of my favorite parts of the show! Always a pleasure runing in to my freinds in the 501st, and seeing the kiddos have fun too. Check out some of these amazing Lego sculptures that were on display in the kids area! So cool. I wanted to take home the Lego Serenity!
Check out some of these amazing Lego sculptures that were on display in the kids area! So cool. These pics need no explanation. I wanted to take home the Lego Serenity!
My good friend Jeffrey Veregge! This dude's work is blowing up! Go look at his site at www.jeffreyveregge.com
Got to hang out with my friend, the beautiful cosplayer/model, Ireland Reid! Always a treat running into her!
Go follow her Facebook fan page and search for her on Instagram and Twitter too! Tell her your a friend of mine!
Lauderdale as Bombshell Harley with another Bombshell...Bombshell Wonder Woman protrayed by Pookiebear Cosplay
Someone made that computer thing from Interstellar!
Haylee Troncone (as Abaddon from Supernatural) with a badass Bowser!!!
The streets were crawling with cosplayers! I love it!
This! I finally watched the How To Train Your Dragon movies recently so thought this was extra cool! This is Mad Morrigan as Astrid!! Photo courtesy of Robin St. Charles
This video perfectly exemplifies the level of talent this years cosplayers displayed! Thanks to Lita Cosplay and Adam L. for sharing...
What was your favorite part of Emerald City Comicon this year? After meeting John Barrowman, I think mine was being able to hang with friends and make new ones! Let's hope this carries over to this weekend!! Go tell us about it in the Comic Book Swap Meet Facebook group!
As I mentioned, no rest for the wicked, as I will be double dipping at two conventions this weekend! Norwescon and Sakura Con!!!
April 2-5, 2015, Seatac, WA
www.thestevestrout.com will have a lobby table at Norwescon 38 in Seatac, WA all weekend (although I will be in and out each day). This will be my first time at the regions top Sci-fi and Fantasy convention and I am really excited and completely honored to have a table at the show. Even more exciting is the Author Guest of Honor, George RR Martin. I'm really excited to get that autograph for my collection! Maybe even a little blurb for the site from him. If you don't know who he is, he's just the writer and creator of a little fantasy series that's been adapted to television called the Game Of Thrones. Yeah. That show! I will be in fanboy mode for that meeting. I'm also looking forward to seeing some old friends and making new ones. As always, I will be looking at the costuming! As an aspiring costume maker, It's always a highlight of my con experience.
April 3-5, 2015, Seattle, WA
Speaking of costuming and cosplay, the other convention I will be visiting, also for the first time, is Sakura Con, which is synonymous with amazing cosplay. It's also one of the premier Anime and Japanese pop culture conventions in the U.S. I'm kinda new to Anime and Manga, but have recently gotten hooked on it, so I'm really excited to see how these fans get down. I've been warned that it's very different than any other fandom cons I've attended, but I'm ready...I hope.
I will be taking and sharing a ton of pictures from Sakura Con, so be sure to be following @thestevestrout on Twitter and Instagram. Here's links to both as well. www.twitter.com/thestevestrout and www.instagram.com/thestevestrout and be sure to use the #ComicBookSwapMeet hashtag too! Be sure to track me down at these shows if you're there! I love meeting new people!
Don't forget, now that convention season is in full throttle, that we're having a little giveaway/contest to give back to you guys for the support! Deatails are at the following link: http://www.thestevestrout.com/2015/03/convention-season-giveaway.html. Besides whats posted in that link, If we hit 900 followers on Twitter by the contest deadline, I'm going to sweeten the pot by throwing in a reissued "Image first's" copy of the acclaimed comic Sex Criminals #1, signed by one of my favorite writers, Matt Fraction...Maybe more, so stay tuned!
Steve Strout is the media mastermind behind this site, host of the Comic Book Swap Meet, nerd, terrible artist, gamer, convention goer and comic book reader who spends more time rescuing toys from thrift shops than a normal adult should. He is also known around the northwest for his promotion of live music and stand-up comedy events and is the creator/producer of the Comic Book Swap Meet mini convention, and Olympic Peninsula Comedy Competition (which will make it's big return in 2015). Follow him on Instagram at http://instagram.com/thestevestrout, and He can be reached for comments at ptcomedy@yahoo.com on twitter at @thestevestrout
Its been a while since we got together to talk comics, so I thought I’d write about some of my favorite books from the past weeks.
If you’re not already familiar with the name Jeff Lemire, then we need to get you on board fast. Lemire was first known to me through heart wrenching works on Top Shelf, such as the Essex County books and the Underwater Welder. Now the writer/artist is increasingly known for his singular takes on science fiction like Sweet Tooth or Trillium on the Vertigo imprint. Through it all, Lemire still captures the emotional tones of human drama.
Lemire returns to sci-fi with his new Image series, Descender. Descender is the story of a young robot who awakens to a devastated world where his kind have been outlawed and hunted. Artist Dustin Nguyen imbues Lemire’s edgy world with washes of vibrant watercolor, making Descender a beautiful book to read. The second printing of Descender’s first issue hits at the beginning of April if you’ve slept on this one.
I have a habit of getting swept up by first issues of books only to hop off the train quickly as the series progresses. So, I was understandably wary when I read the first issue of Silk, a new Spider book from Marvel. After the second issue dropped this month, Silk seems to avoid the typical tropes of superhero books and keeps me coming back. After introducing the Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos created character in Amazing Spider-Man, Silk has been given her own book. Bitten by the same spider that gave Peter Parker powers, Cindy Moon was freed from a bunker and is now rediscovering the world she left behind. Writer Robbie Thompson keeps things moving with plenty of action without sacrificing dense character developments along the way. He makes us care about the character, keeping much of Cindy’s background a mystery. Fans of TV’s Supernatural should recognize his name. Stacey Lee’s art has an almost old school Disney animation feel to it, which adds a romanticism to the pages.
Side question: as a person not often swept up by traditional superhero books, unless it’s Batman, I’m asking for suggestions as to where I should start with the Flash? I’ve been enjoying what the show is doing and would love to dip my toes into the book, but have no clue where to start! Joe David Thompson has been doing media reviews for websites such as Red Carpet Crash and the 405 Music Blog. For any questions or comments for Joe David Thompson, you can email him at jovid52@me.com and follow him on twitter @jovid52
With Emerald City Comicon almost upon us, I figured what better way to get ready for the show than a chat with Seattle Nerd Rock band, Kirby Krackle! The main man behind their music, Kyle Stevens took the time to chat about the new Kirby Krackle album, being a nerd, and ECCC...Enjoy!!
TheSteveStrout: First off, what is "nerd rock”?
Kirby Krackle: When I started KK in 2009, “nerd-rock” was a term that I felt encompassed all we wanted to write about and celebrate in comic books, video games, and geek culture. It still very much means that, but also I think it has evolved to mean anything you are really passionate about…kinda what being a nerd is all about, right?
TSS: what does being a nerd mean to you?
KK: For me, it means a childhood growing up into adulthood really being passionate about certain fandoms and then being proud of what geek culture has evolved into. We have some days where we’re at our best for sure, but most of the time I think we do pretty good sharing our love of what we think is important and to be further celebrated with the rest of the world…and it’s safe to say in the past 5 years that the world has really taken notice of our culture in general.
TSS: For new fans, tell us about the band roots. I assume the name is based on the Jack Kirby art technique?
KK: Yep, it’s a tribute to the King and the creative originality he is still celebrated with having today. That kind of alchemy is something that is very inspirational to me whenever anyone puts it out into the world, and I can only hope to be associated with that level of artistic prowess someday.
TSS: Can you share a bit of your musical background?
KK: I feel very lucky to have grown up in Seattle during such an expressive and musically influential time for the entire world in the early 90’s. I was just a little kid hoping to get a guitar and be able to “kind of” play the songs in the back from Nirvana, Screaming Trees, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. These guys were my musical gods, and that time also is well known as being the big boom for comics and the Image explosion. I think out of the primordial soup came the beginnings of how people hear my music recorded now.
TSS: Tell us about the new album. What are some of your favorite tracks?
KK: The new album is called MUTATE, BABY! and is meant to said out loud as a kind of call to arms. A call to evolve and grow as a person and inspire the artist in each one of us. The question I hear more than anything at the convention booth or concert is “How did you do this?”. The answer isn’t some big complex riddle that only the privileged few have the opportunity to come across…the answer is you just do it. That’s what MUTATE, BABY! means to me…find what you’re capable of and blow your own mind…that’s my wish for everyone. To go with that idea, my favorite songs at the moment are “Reverie”, “Shooting Star”, and “The Day My Powers Arrived”.
TSS: Describe your writing process.
KK: For this entire album I would say that 90% of the hook ideas, melodies, etc came to me in the shower. That’s weird for me, but once I recognized it I just made sure I took a shower more than once a week. ;) When I was younger, it was all about the guitar riff, and then cycle everything around that. Now, it’s all about the hook and how fun it is to sing. It’s all about whether or not I have a good time playing it and singing it. If I do, chances are people will as well. If I don’t...
TSS: Where and when can we find the album?
KK:www.kirbykracklemusic.com is the main stop for all things nerd-rock and KK. From there you can order physical albums, and link to iTunes, Bandcamp, and our streaming sites as well. When you support KK, you support small business and your patronage enables us to keep doing what we feel we do best in putting out more music, touring, etc. We also have a brand new Patreon campaign where hardcore fans can receive 2 Fan-Club exclusive songs that you won’t be able to buy anywhere else.
TSS: Is there a tour in support of the new music in the works?
KK: For the past 6 years, our convention stops have been the way we tour. We are looking to switch things up a bit this year, and we’ll be announcing stops in the near future.
TSS: How rad was playing shows with Weird Al Yankovic?
KK: How rad to do you think it was? Hahahaha…he was super nice and it was a dream and blur all at once. What a cool opportunity it was for us to have and I just tried to mentally record the entire thing. Playing an arena for the first time was the stuff of rock n roll dreams, and I hope it wasn’t my last time because I can’t wait to do that again.
TSS: Have you guys played any of the new album live? How was the fan response?
KK: I’ve only played a few songs live from the new album so it’s hard to gauge how the response is so far! The new album is out today and I’ve been sitting at my computer all day trying to read the comments and reviews as I see them and so far people say it’s our best one yet…but we’ll have to see what they say after a few weeks. That’s the test for me…to see how long it lasts in someone’s car and if it bears repeated listens.
TSS:What are your favorite song(s) to play live?
KK: From the few I’ve played acoustically at shows over the past few months I would have to say “The Day My Powers Arrived” and “I Was Made To Haunt You”. Both very different kinds of songs with different arrangements so now the trick is how to play this record in a way that doesn’t feel that the fans AND I aren’t hearing them for the first time!
TSS: If a new fan that hadn't heard you much were to pick up a Kirby Krackle album, what would you recommend?
KK: I always say our sophomore album E For Everyone is a good place to start; it has the low key tracks from our first album and also the harder sounds that we’ve evolved into. “Ring Capacity” is also on there…our ode to Green Lantern that many a Kracklehead say is their favorite nerd-rock jam no matter how hard I try to top it.
TSS: Is there a single song (or two) that best exemplify the Kirby Krackle sound?
KK: Off the top of my head I would say “Ring Capacity” and “Cosplay Queen”. I try to straddle the line between beautiful and chaos with my songs and those are examples of both leanings.
TSS: Tell us about Kracklefest and your involvement with ECCC.
KK: I will be exhibiting this year at ECCC for the 7th year in a row and continuing the Friday night KRACKLEFEST nerd-rock variety show series on that Friday, March 27th. Nerd-core rapper Megaran and Death*Star will be performing as well as Orlando-based nerd-rock from Sci-Fried. It’s gonna be a blast and I can’t wait. Tickets are still available at http://tktwb.tw/1zSyOGu and we encourage people to grab theirs in advance because it will sell out.
TSS: This interview is about your music, but I must ask this irrelevant yet important question, what comic books are you currently reading? What other nerdy stuff do you guys get into? KK: I’ve been binging on House Of Cards this past weekend and have been really excited about the new season of VIKINGS. I love that show so much and if everyone who digs Game Of Thrones took a little notice it would be everywhere. Saga and Walking Dead are always great month to month, and if you listen to the new album you can tell I’ve been putting in a lot of time in Titanfall these days! TSS: Is there anything you want to add or plug? Maybe some advice for aspiring musicians and fellow nerds?
KK: I can’t stress how much fun we’ve been having on our Patreon Fan Club and how much I want every Kracklehead to not miss out on anything there month to month…we’ve got some fun crazy stuff coming! Also, everyone has a voice that deserves to be heard and as a world we need more of those positive voices than ever. If you have something to say or make or sing…do those things because the time we have is now. Create and love…that’s at least what I feel it’s all about.
Steve Strout is the media mastermind behind this site, host of the Comic Book Swap Meet, nerd, terrible artist, gamer, convention goer and comic book reader who spends more time rescuing toys from thrift shops than a normal adult should. He is also known around the northwest for his promotion of live music and stand-up comedy events and is the creator/producer of the Comic Book Swap Meet mini convention, and Olympic Peninsula Comedy Competition (which will make it's big return in 2015). Follow him on Instagram at http://instagram.com/thestevestrout, and He can be reached for comments at ptcomedy@yahoo.com on twitter at @thestevestrout
Be on the lookout for the Norwescon and Sakura Con recaps over the next couple days. I've been a little behind with some minor health woes, but catching up on things finally. For now, I hope you enjoyed Scott Adams guest post. I'd like to offer more guest posts and stuff from other conventions I can't actually attend. If you wan't to join our nerdy "network", drop me a line or send me a tweet!
