Getting Ready for Tulsa Comic Con

In case you hadn't heard the first ever Wizard World Tulsa Comic Con is coming to Tulsa this weekend.

The three day event looks packed with special guest stars including William Shatner from Star Trek, James Marsters and Eliza Dushku of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Lou Ferrigno from The Incredible Hulk.

Also expected are Freddy Kreuger (Robert Englund), the Karate Kid (Ralph Macchio) and Elvira (Cassandra Peterson).

What a great opportunity for geek culture enthusiasts to  hang out with like minded people.

I would still like to see something similar to this in Oklahoma  City as I mentioned in a previous post.

This could happen, and we might even be able to get more throughout the state.

But, it all depends on attendance this weekend.

Everyone needs to attend for at least one day Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

We need to show the world that there are geek fans in the state of Oklahoma.

The good news: three day passes are already sold out.

I will be attending on Saturday as a member of the media, not just for KOSU, but also Okie Geek Blog.

I plan on attending the panels with William Shatner, James Marsters and "Daleks! The Whole Daleks! And Nothing But the Daleks!" at 3:00.

I'm also going to the Costume Contest and the after party for a short time.

I would love to see you, if you see a guy walking around with a Tardis backpack and a KOSU microphone come talk to me.

Also, feel free to leave me your thoughts in the comments below...

OK Candidate for Governor Also a Lover of Comic Books

State Representative Joe Dorman who is running as the Democratic candidate for Governor has been a comic book collector all his life.

His mother used comic books to teach him to read at a very young age.

He says comic books provide another way to learn how to read for children who might be struggling with chapter books.

He says his first comics were superhero based.

"I've always liked that type. You have the good guys working to defeat the bad guys and working to try and improve the lives of the people around them."

As an adult, Dorman now owns more than 30,000 comics.

He says it's amazing the people you'll meet at his local shop, All Star Comics in OKC.

"You'll meet folks from all walks of life, and I've seen other elected officials in here so. It's a good opportunity to have a little bit of fun and it's a good hobby to have."

He also says it's a good investment for the future.

So what does the gubernatorial candidate have in his current pull list?

Dorman says he still collects the popular superhero stories like Justice League and Spider-man, but he also likes the less known works.

"There are some really creative story lines that tie back into society and the creativity of artists that goes back to arts and culture in Oklahoma. We have many local artists that do their own comic books, and we certainly need to promote the arts and culture because it does provide a greater outlet and opportunities for citizens from all walks of life."

Rebels Premiere Shows Promise for Future of Star Wars

The First Episode of "Star Wars: Rebels" aired Friday night on Disney channel.

The pilot episode entitled "Spark of Rebellion" introduced us to the main characters and showed us the galaxy where they live.

It is definitely a "dark time" for those who live under the thumb of the empire.

Ezra, a street rat who easily reminds me of a star wars version of Aladdin, does his best to survive.

During a visit to a town on his home planet of Lothal in the outer rim, he senses something he's not felt before today.

When he looks on the street he sees Kanan who also senses the presence of Ezra.

The introduction of the force is wonderfully done with the use of John Williams music letting us know something mystical is happening.

Eventually, Ezra is told of the force, and what it means to be a Jedi.

First off, I am excited when Kanan explains to Ezra how the force is strong in him without having to check his midi-chlorian levels.

We are shown the first days of the rebellion a full five years before Luke Skywalker leaves Tatooine with Ben Kenobi.

Speaking of Kenobi, he makes an appearance in a Jedi holocron warning fellow Jedi away from Coruscant following Order 66 in Revenge of the Sith.

This is the first chance for Disney to showcase its new version of Star Wars.

The animated series holds great promise for the future of the franchise.

The characters are unique, and we are given just enough to see their potential for growth in this galaxy under oppressive rule.

The addition of John Williams music adds that special tone to remind us we are no longer in the prequel era, but back to where it all began with the original trilogy.

Finally, it's an animated series made for children and adults.

This is what Star Wars is all about.

"Rebels" promises to be a show I can share with my children, just as my father shared the original Star Wars with me when I was young.

So did you see the premiere? What did you think? Let me know in the comments...

Why I'm So Excited for Season Three of "Arrow"

I admit I didn't start watching "Arrow" when it first aired on the CW a couple of years back.

At the time, I had just finished watching the ten year run of "Smallville" which had it's own version of Oliver Queen/Green Arrow.

So, I figured this was an unnecessary reboot, especially when there are so many other great DC characters.

Then, the news of a "Flash" series hit.

I was very excited to see "Flash", but realized it was a spin off of "Arrow".

So, I figured I should get caught up on the last two seasons.

When my Arrow-A-Thon began I was excited to see Geoff Johns as part of the show.

He's been an amazing addition to some of the most iconic characters in DC especially his work on Green Lantern from 2004 to 2013.

I also enjoyed the immediate Easter Eggs available to comic book fans, like the introduction of Slade Wilson (Deathstroke) and Floyd Lawton (Deadshot).

The only problem I had was in the first season, Ollie killed a lot of people and didn't seem to have any remorse about it.

I have always taken issue with super heroes who take lives so easily.

In the comics, Superheroes don't kill.

That's what makes them "Super".

Then something happened between seasons one and two: the Arrow grew a conscience.

Oliver spent the entire season grappling with the decision not to kill, and it was an amazing story arc.

I also enjoyed new characters like  Black Canary, Roy Harper (Speedy/Arsenal) and the Suicide Squad.

There was even a wonderful tease of Harley Quinn being held in an A.R.G.U.S. cell.

A.R.G.U.S., by the way, was first created in the comics by Geoff Johns.

The only criticism I still have of "Arrow" is its fear of showing anything unnatural.

In season 2, when we are finally introduced to someone with Superpowers, Black Canary, she didn't use her ultra sonic scream.

Instead she used some sort of device that produced the deafening sound.

Sometimes the need to push uber realism and avoid the fantastical elements of comic books can get annoying.

"Smallville" and "The Dark Knight Trilogy" were especially guilty of this.

Comics books have people that fly, morph into various animals and breathe under water.

There's no reason not to do the same in television shows or movies based on comic books.

Just as "Flash" appears to be exploring more of the super humans on earth, I would love to see the same with "Arrow".

So, do you watch "Arrow"? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments...

Batman-less Batman Show, Not So Bad

A new DC superhero (sort of) show aired Monday night on Fox.

"Gotham" tells the story of, well, Gotham, the home of Batman.

But, this takes place when Batman is less the Dark Knight and more the teenage boy.

I have said before how I'm over watching origin moments, especially the death of Martha and Thomas Wayne.

Well, Monday night we had to watch it again.

Fortunately, there were some nice differences with this version.

First, the scream by 13-year-old David Mazouz playing young Bruce Wayne was amazing.

Secondly, the scene ended and we weren't automatically transported 20 years into the future to see fully aged Batman terrorizing thugs.

No, we stayed right in the midst of the story to watch Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullock investigating the murder.

Finally, according to the new show, the Wayne double homicide apparently had another witness: a young Selina Kyle.

Kyle, played wonderfully by Carmen Bicondova, looks the part of a miniature Catwoman.

In fact, all of the easter egg nods to Batman's supporting cast were amazing.

We get to see Edward Nygma (Riddler) working for the GCPD, Oswald Cobblepot (Penguin) working for organized crime and an unnamed comedian who might have been the Joker.

I will admit, I had a problem with a young girl introduced as Ivy playing with plants.

My wife immediately thought this must be Poison Ivy, but in the comics Ivy's real name is Pamela Isley.

The story itself is well done.

I also enjoyed the comic book-like color of the show which wasn't too bright like Dick Tracy, but also not too dark.

And, let's not forget the city of Gotham itself.

The flyover pans of a place which doesn't exist were very nicely done.

Overall, I guess I'll keep watching "Gotham".

However, seeing as how it's airing on Fox, we'll be lucky to get more than 11 episodes.

So, what did you think of "Gotham", Let me know in the comments...

"Listen" Gets It Right (A mostly spoiler free review)

The latest excursion with the Doctor and Clara sets a fantastic tone for the rest of the season.

Showrunner Stephen Moffat takes up the pen to write an amazing piece which takes us to new times and places.

The last time Moffat wrote an episode was the season opener, "Deep Breath".

I wasn't too fond of that one.

But, I think part of the problem with "Deep Breath" was Moffat had too much he wanted to stuff into Peter Capaldi's first outing as the Doctor.

"Listen" brings back the Steven Moffat of old.

Finally, we are treated to award winning episodes like "The Empty Child", "The Girl in the Fireplace" and "Blink".

All of them showcased Moffat at his storytelling best.

The latest adventture also gives a little more insight into Danny Pink who is rumored to become an eventual companion.

Capaldi once again proves why he belongs as the pilot of the TARDIS.

Jenna Coleman shines as Clara and continues to grow into an "incredible" companion.

I don't want to give away anymore, because some of the surprises will knock your socks off.

I will simply say, it's the first episode of the season which must not be missed.

Now, sadly, one episode does not a streak make, so it might be too soon to say whether the season is heading in the right direction.

Fortunately, the trailer for this week's "Time Heist" looks pretty good, especially with the possible return of Missy from episode one.

So what did you think of the episode? Let me know in the comments...

"The Quest" Must Continue

Thursday night, ABC aired the finale for a massive experiment in reality television, The Quest.

The story began a few weeks ago when eleven normal people were chosen to visit the fantasy land of Everealm as paladins.

During each episode of the "reality" show, the paladins passed through trials to become the one true hero.

The show progressed with some wonderful effects and makeup.

We were treated to awesome spectacles like a fire-breathing dragon, a banshee whose cry sent chills up my spine and Verlox the Darkness who could have been pulled from any fantasy novel as the Big Bad.

There were also amazing moments from the contestants/paladins themselves.

Halfway through the show, one of them, Bonnie, sang a beautiful song she had written just about Everealm.

Near the end, Shondo gave an impassioned plea as to why he should be the one true hero to save the land.

The Quest also has a strong fan following already with the twitter hashtag #TheQuestArmy.

If you haven't seen it, you can watch the episodes on Hulu.

If you don't want to sit through the whole thing, just catch the last 30 minutes of the finale.

It is EPIC!!!

It even ended with a teaser at the end for a possible second season.

Sadly, while truly unique, the show has experienced low ratings even for a summer program.

If ABC doesn't choose to pick it up, someone must.

This show would do well on SYFY, but I would be willing to watch it on any channel chosen to renew it.

Whatever its fate The Quest must continue!

Did you watch the show? What did you think? Let me know in the comments...