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Countdown To Comic-Con

Jul 24, 2014

RW
Stage· 50 messages
Jul 24, 2014

Tony and Bob tawk about Comic-Con the way that only two middle aged men can!

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Anthony Alberts · 12:00 AM

Good evening Tony! How ya doing tonight?
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Robert Willis · 12:00 AM

Staying high and dry so far! Is it storming like this out where you are?
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Anthony Alberts · 12:00 AM

Oh it's bad! Just had a surge five minutes ago, had to restart everything.
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Robert Willis · 12:01 AM

Yikes! It certainly is electrifying out there right now, but not as electrifying as San Diego is going to be this week.
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Anthony Alberts · 12:01 AM

That's right. Comic-Con 2014 gets underway very soon.
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Robert Willis · 12:02 AM

I don't even know why they bother calling it Comic-Con anymore. If you went there looking for a comic book....excuse me, "graphic novel", they'd probably laugh you right out of the place.
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Anthony Alberts · 12:02 AM

Well, I know of at least one graphic novel that will be there. You remember the movie Fight Club?
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Robert Willis · 12:03 AM

Of course, and if we follow the first rule we shouldn't be talking about it.
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Anthony Alberts · 12:03 AM

We're not. We're talking about Fight Club 2. This will be a ten issue graphic novel written by Chuck Palahniuk.
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Robert Willis · 12:04 AM

Interesting. I wonder if David Fincher and Brad Pitt are somewhere right now working on a screenplay version of it.
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Anthony Alberts · 12:04 AM

If they do, the first place they should introduce it is Comic-Con.
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Robert Willis · 12:05 AM

That's really what the event has come to stand for: the big blockbuster movies. Did you read comics as a kid?
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Anthony Alberts · 12:05 AM

I did. I was a big fan of X-Men, Fantastic Four, Dark Knight and The Watchmen.
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Anthony Alberts · 12:05 AM

Oh, and The Punisher. You?
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Robert Willis · 12:06 AM

To me comics were something you read in the newspaper while eating your cereal. Although I di have quite a crush on Veronica. Or was it Betty?
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Anthony Alberts · 12:06 AM

Hey speaking of Archie Comics, they were just in the news recently. Apparently they kill Archie off.
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Robert Willis · 12:06 AM

WHAT?!?!?!
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Anthony Alberts · 12:07 AM

Easy there killer! They have come up with a series of storylines that explore different possible futures. In one of them Archie has a good friend who is gay. Somebody tries to shoot him and Archie takes the bullet.
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Robert Willis · 12:08 AM

Gun control and gay rights. That will sell well in the red states.
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Anthony Alberts · 12:08 AM

Back to Comic-Con. This has come such a big deal about the movies that studios announce their future line ups now, in connection with the convention.
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Robert Willis · 12:09 AM

I was just reading that. they have movie dates lined up as far in the future as 2019! I mean, isn't that a little preposterous?
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Robert Willis · 12:09 AM

What happens if a director backs out or the script has too many problems?
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Anthony Alberts · 12:10 AM

Columbia announced "Sinister Six" for 2016 and Spiderman fans will have to wait until 2018 for the third installment.
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Anthony Alberts · 12:10 AM

i think that much lead time gives them an advantage to address those issues.
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Robert Willis · 12:11 AM

Maybe. I haven't heard of any delays with the movie "Ant-Man" (seriously? They're making an Ant-man movie?) and I know the original director quit.
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Anthony Alberts · 12:12 AM

That's the bonus of the time. And as successful as the comic book adaptations have been and creating a universe of movies, why not make one of Ant-man?
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Robert Willis · 12:12 AM

Speaking of successful, J.J. Abrams, one of the most successful sci-fi geniuses currently working, is not expected to be there this year.
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Anthony Alberts · 12:13 AM

I think we should clarify that. He may not be scheduled to be there, but most people expect him to be there.
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Robert Willis · 12:13 AM

But he's in the middle of shooting Star Wars Episode VII right now in England.
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Anthony Alberts · 12:14 AM

Which will make it all the more dramatic when he shows up. He loves to do this kind of stuff.
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Robert Willis · 12:14 AM

I don't know. He seemed pretty upset about the leaked pictures and script. He likes to keep his secrets quiet.
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Anthony Alberts · 12:14 AM

Still, I can't imagine him not being there.
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Robert Willis · 12:15 AM

Maybe he'll do the William Shatner from SNL and show up just to tell all of the people dressed up that they have no life!
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Anthony Alberts · 12:15 AM

LOL! I doubt that highly.
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Robert Willis · 12:16 AM

Well here's a rhetorical question: if he were to do something like that, do you think it would have an effect on how many people go see the new Star Wars?
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Anthony Alberts · 12:16 AM

A lot of people debate this point, saying these movies are so big already that there really isn't any more hype that they can get, even from something like this.
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Robert Willis · 12:17 AM

I bet a lot of people would get upset, and social media would be exploding with tweets and vines and instagrams and tumblers and God knows what else, but I know in the end they will all show up. You know why?
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Anthony Alberts · 12:18 AM

because they all love Star wars so much?
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Robert Willis · 12:18 AM

Kind of. Because this is these people's lives. It's like heroin to them.
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Anthony Alberts · 12:18 AM

Are you comparing Comic-Con 2014 to an opiate addiction?
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Robert Willis · 12:19 AM

Hey, if the cosplay uniform fits...
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Anthony Alberts · 12:19 AM

So do you think the movies shouldn't be there?
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Robert Willis · 12:20 AM

It's so far from what it originally was, from a purist standpoint I say no. But it is a successful business model. I mean somebody somewhere's gotta be making a ton of money on this.
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Anthony Alberts · 12:20 AM

Most certainly. Comic-Con in San Diego is the original and by far the biggest, but now there are more than a half dozen others across the country.
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Robert Willis · 12:21 AM

Exactly. But I think there needs to be a line drawn somewhere. The movies and television shows based on what were originally comics, I get it. But the show 24 has a panel there. I think that's just diluting the product too much.
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Anthony Alberts · 12:22 AM

I get your point. It's like a band that's been around for so long that none of the original members are left.
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Robert Willis · 12:22 AM

Exactly! At that point at least have the cojones to call it something else.
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Anthony Alberts · 12:23 AM

With a statement like that it's a perfect time to call it a night. Everyone traveling to Comic-Con 2014 be safe and have fun!
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Robert Willis · 12:23 AM

And May The Force Be With You! Good night Tony!
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Anthony Alberts · 12:23 AM

Stay dry Bob!