Images from Fox’s ALMOST HUMAN

ALMOST HUMAN is a high-tech, high-stakes action drama set 35 years in the future, when police officers are partnered with highly evolved human-like androids. An unlikely partnership is forged when a part-machine cop (Karl Urban) is forced to pair with a part-human robot (Michael Ealy) as they fight crime and investigate a deeper cover-up in a futuristic new world.

Additional cast are: Michael Irby as Detective Richard Paul, Lili Taylor as Captain Sandra Maldonado, Mackenzie Crook as Rudy Lom, Joe Smith as MX, Minka Kelly as Detective Valerie Stahl, Jaime Callica as Officer Ederis, Carolyn Adair as an office worker, Anthony Konechny as MX-43 ‘1’, Darren E. Scott as MX-43, Garfield Wilson as MX-43 ‘4’, Chad Riley as Detective Martin Pelham, Ella Thomas as Vanessa, Viviana Cruise     as Kristen Haseman, Jaden Rain as Marty Junior, Bulat Nasibullin as a young Albanian Man, Jody Andrews as Nicole Bloomquiest and Kristine Cofsky as McGinnis.

Wizard World Comic Con Plans Massive Expansion in 2014, Adding Seven New Cities to the Largest Comic Con Tour Ever

Wizard World, Inc. (OTCBB:WIZD), the world’s largest pop culture convention series is announcing a large-scale expansion to its already largest Comic Con Tour. Fans of movies, TV, cosplay, comics, graphic novels, toys, games, sci-fi, sports entertainment, music and more across the U.S. will now be treated to a whopping 15 events in 2014, potentially with room for additional expansion.

“We’ve had such an overwhelmingly positive reaction to all our 2013 events, both first-year and existing shows, that it was obvious what the fans were telling us – ‘We want more!’”

Wizard World promises to continue bringing top-level celebrities for autographs, photo ops and panel programming as well as top rated TV show and blockbuster film and game releases to engage with the Comic Con audience. Additionally, while industry trends show artists exhibition areas shrinking at many other convention show floors, Wizard World has a strong commitment to including leading and up-and-coming comic book artists and writers from the U.S. and from all over the world. Over a dozen countries’ top talent have been represented at Wizard World 2013 events including Canada, Mexico, Spain, Great Britain, France, Italy, Philippines, Turkey, Singapore, Croatia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and more.

Fans can expect to see community fueled costume contests, evening panel programming, live video streaming, top industry exhibitors, retailers, fan groups and exclusive attractions (like the Frank Frazetta pop-up museum collection) that are staples of the Wizard World experience, providing memorable and long-lasting experiences for attendees of all ages.

Eight cities from the 2013 schedule return next year: Portland, Ore. (Jan. 24-26, Oregon Convention Center); New Orleans (Feb. 7-9, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center); St. Louis (April 4-6, America’s Center); Philadelphia (June 19-22, Pennsylvania Convention Center); Chicago (Aug. 21-24, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center); Nashville, Tenn. (Sept. 26-28, Music City Center); Austin, Texas (Oct. 11-12, Austin Convention Center); and Columbus, Ohio (Oct. 31-Nov. 2, Greater Columbus Convention Center).

The tour has expanded to include the following new shows: Sacramento, Calif. (March 7-9, Sacramento Convention Center); Louisville, Ky. (March 28-30, Kentucky International Convention Center); Minneapolis (May 2-4, Minneapolis Convention Center); Atlanta (May 30-June 1, Georgia World Congress Center); San Antonio (Aug. 1-3, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center); Richmond, Va. (Sept. 12-14, Greater Richmond Convention Center) and Tulsa, Okla. (Nov., 7-9, Cox Business Center).

“Our mantra has been, ‘Give the fans a great experience, give the celebrities and creators a great experience, take care of our exhibitors, and eveyone will want to come back,'” said John Macaluso, Wizard World CEO and Chairman. “We’ve had such an overwhelmingly positive reaction to all our 2013 events, both first-year and existing shows, that it was obvious what the fans were telling us – ‘We want more!’”

Wizard World Comic Con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. Three events in the coming months conclude the 2013 slate: Columbus, Ohio (Sept. 20-22); Nashville, Tenn. (Oct. 18-20); and Austin, Texas (Nov. 22-24).

About Wizard World
Wizard World (OTCBB:WIZD) produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking. The events often feature celebrities from movies and TV, artists and writers, and events such as premieres, gaming tournaments, panels, and costume contests.

The full event schedule can be found at www.wizardworld.com.

Wizard World 2013 Schedule
September 20-22 – Wizard World Ohio Comic Con
October 18-20 – Wizard World Nashville Comic Con
November 22-24 – Wizard World Austin Comic Con

Wizard World 2014 Schedule
January 24-26 – Wizard World Portland Comic Con
February 7-9 – Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con
March 7-9 – Wizard World Sacramento Comic Con
March 28-30 – Wizard World Louisville Comic Con
April 4-6 – Wizard World St. Louis Comic Con
May 2-4 – Wizard World Minneapolis Comic Con
May 30-June 1 – Wizard World Atlanta Comic Con
June 19-22 – Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con
August 1-3 – Wizard World San Antonio Comic Con
August 21-24 – Wizard World Chicago Comic Con
September 12-14 – Wizard World Richmond Comic Con
September 26-28 – Wizard World Nashville Comic Con
October 11-12 – Wizard World Austin Comic Con
October 31-November 2 – Wizard World Ohio Comic Con
November 7-9 – Wizard World Tulsa Comic Con

via Wizard World Press Release

Zach Braff Needs Your Help to Fund His Next Movie!

Zach Braff has a project on Kickstarter to make a movie called, Wish I Was Here. This is his follow up to Garden State. He didn’t want to sacrifice anything to hurt the movie doing a typical financing deal, so he turned to Kickstarter. He should be pleased with the outcome of this! Go check out his project… It’s already heading towards his target on the first day! Zach is already over one-third the way to his goal of $2,000,000.

Oh, and by the way… He’s going to be filming parts of the movie at Comic-Con!

Update: Zach found a larger venue for the screening in New York City!

Viz Media and Sanrio Announce Publishing Deal to Develop Original Hello Kitty Graphic Novels

Pop Culture Icon Hello Kitty® And Her Friends Will Debut In Two VIZ Kids Offerings

Viz Media, LLC (Viz Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga, graphic novels and anime in North America, has announced a new publishing deal with Sanrio, Inc., the global lifestyle brand and parent company of pop icon Hello Kitty®, to develop a series of original graphic novels, and a special single-volume comic featuring a limited-edition Hello Kitty design.

The single-volume Hello Kitty® comic is scheduled to debut at the 2013 Comic-Con Show in San Diego with a Comic-Con exclusive cover by Eisner-nominated artist Jacob Chabot. The comic will feature art by Victoria Maderna, Ian McGinty and Chabot. The main graphic novel series is scheduled to launch in the Fall of 2013 with Here We Go!, a collection of comic stories about Hello Kitty’s travels. Both offerings will be rated ‘A’ for All Ages, and will be published under the company’s VIZ Kids imprint. Viz Media previously teamed with Sanrio and video game company CAPCOM to develop a pair of fun STREET FIGHTER® X Sanrio books that were released in November 2012.

HELLO KITTY®: HERE WE GO! • MSRP: $7.99 US / $9.99 CAN • Available Fall 2013
Hello Kitty has places to be and friends to meet! Join her (or Hello Kitty) as she explores an underground realm, chases an unsavory cake thief around the world, climbs the Himalayas, travels back in time, and discovers that sometimes, the best place to get away from it all is between the pages of a good book.

HELLO KITTY® FASHION MUSIC WONDERLAND • MSRP: $6.99 US / $7.99 CAN • Available Summer 2013
It’s Hello Kitty as you’ve never seen her, in stories filled with fashion, music and adventure!

Sanrio® is the global company behind classic iconic characters Hello Kitty®, Little Twin Stars®, My Melody®, and many more. Sanrio® was founded in the 1960′s in Japan by Shintaro Tsuji, whose simple dream of bringing smiles to people’s faces grew into the brand’s “small gift, big smile” philosophy. This philosophy has served as the inspiration for the broad spectrum of products bearing the likeness of endearing characters that have helped to skyrocket the brand into a $5 billion- a-year business. Sanrio® recently acquired the classic Mr. Men Little Miss™ brand which also has graphic novels published by Viz Media.

“Sanrio and Hello Kitty are synonymous with the very essence of pop culture, and we’re very excited to have Hello Kitty as part of the VIZ Kids family of titles,” says Beth Kawasaki, Viz Media Senior Editorial Director. “The new wordless comic and graphic novel series will appeal to Hello Kitty fans of all ages. Viz Media is having a blast creating the fun new original series and we can’t wait for everyone to see the books.”

For more information on VIZ Kids graphic novels and manga, please visit VIZKids.com.

About Sanrio
Sanrio, best known for global icon Hello Kitty and home to many endearing characters including Chococat, My Melody, and Keroppi, is a worldwide lifestyle brand founded on the “small gift, big smile®” philosophy — that a small gift can bring happiness and friendship to people of all ages. For over 50 years, this philosophy has served as the inspiration for the broad spectrum of unique Sanrio products and experiences. Today, more than 50,000 Sanrio-branded items are available in over 70 countries and upwards of 12,000 U.S. locations including department, specialty, national chain stores and over 100 Sanrio boutiques. For more information, please visit www.sanrio.com and www.facebook.com/hellokitty.

About Viz Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Viz Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan’s largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha, Inc., Shogakukan, Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., Viz Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, Viz Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. Viz Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

via Viz Media Press Release

Kevin Smith’s SECRET STASH Given a Green Light!

AMC announced that the network has greenlit the unscripted television series Secret Stash executive produced by Kevin Smith (Clerks, Dogma, Chasing Amy),  Charlie Corwin’s Original Media (LA Ink, Miami Ink, Storm Chasers and Swamp People) and Elyse Seiden (Red State). Set in Kevin Smith’s iconic comic shop Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, the unscripted show captures the world of the neighborhood comic book store and fanboy culture. Season one is six, one-hour episodes and is currently scheduled for a 1Q 2012 launch.  The series exemplifies AMC’s goal to be the definitive home for quality storytelling.

“Draper.  Meth.  Zombies.  This show couldn’t be on a better network.  AMC is to television what Miramax was to cinema back when I first got in the game: they’re the premier destination for any story-teller looking to spin an offbeat yarn that no other outlet has the stones to touch,” said Smith.  “And as if I didn’t love them enough, now they’re putting my friends on TV!   I’m ecstatic, proud, and extremely lucky to be in bed with a network I watch religiously anyway.  And if they’d pushed just a little harder in the negotiations, I’d have done this show for no payment beyond early access to every episode of Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and The Walking Dead.”

“AMC has a strong commitment to quality storytelling and we’re excited to help further shape this legacy,” said Corwin. “Kevin and I developed this series to create a story for fanboys by fanboyism and we are determined to reveal to audiences the insular yet colorful fanboy world.”

“The comic book store is, in many ways, the corner bar for comic book fans. It is still this place where everybody knows your name, and you can go and geek out with like minded people. If I lived closer, I’d want to hang out at here. It’s got great energy, great personality, and is a perfect portal into the world of comic book culture,” said Joel Stillerman, AMC’s SVP of original programming, production and digital content.

Secret Stash (a working title) is a one-hour series that captures the world of the local comic book store. Way before comic book culture went mainstream, the comic store has not only been a place for people to buy, sell, or trade for cool stuff; but also to hang out and be part of a community that just loves comics. Secret Stash will capture both of these aspects of comic store life. It will document the daily banter of The Secret Stash and its employees and devoted customers; and it will capture the fun and emotion of buying and selling collectibles and comic memorabilia that happens in comic book stores all across the country and in mega-venues like Comic-Con.

Kevin Smith does a daily radio show from 8 to noon, Monday to Friday, at SModcast.com, the home of Tell ‘Em, Steve-Dave – the podcast that features the Secret Stash crew.

About AMC
AMC reigns as the only cable network in history to ever win the Emmy® Award for Outstanding Drama Series three years in a row, as well as the Golden Globe® Award for Best Television Series – Drama for three consecutive years.  Whether commemorating favorite films from every genre and decade or creating acclaimed original programming, the AMC experience is an uncompromising celebration of great stories.  AMC’s original stories include Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead,  The Killing and Hell on Wheels.  AMC further demonstrates its commitment to the art of storytelling with AMC’s Docu-Stories, a slate of unscripted original series, as well as curated movie franchises like AMC’s Can’t Get Enough and AMC’s Crazy About.  Available in more than 97 million homes (Source: Nielsen Media Research), AMC is owned and operated by Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, and its sister networks include IFC, Sundance Channel, WE tv and Wedding Central.  AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile.  AMC: Story Matters Here^SM.

WonderCon To Be Held in Anaheim, CA, March 16-18, 2012!

C2E2 and Wizard World to Accommodate Change

WonderCon, part of Comic-Con International‘s (CCI) family of conventions, today announced that the 2012 show will be held March 16-18, and Anaheim, California, will play host to the long-running comics and popular arts convention. San Francisco’s Moscone Center, WonderCon’s traditional venue, will undergo renovations in early 2012, leaving the 25-year-old show in the unenviable position of either being canceled or finding a new venue.

In a move to help alleviate an overcrowded calendar, ReedPop’s C2E2, which has been waiting to announce dates for its own show in March 2012, will now seek alternative dates while Wizard World has announced that it will postpone its April 2012 Anaheim show.

“It certainly was not our wish to move,” commented David Glanzer, director of marketing and public relations for the nonprofit event. “However, when faced with the prospect of canceling the show for a year or moving locations, after careful consideration we decided to keep WonderCon on the 2012 calendar at a venue that could accommodate our needs.”

“We fully understand the challenges of trying to secure dates at any venue, let alone one undergoing renovation,” said Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President of ReedPop. “In an effort to minimize the impact on exhibitors and attendees we are currently looking to shift C2E2 from our traditional March dates.”

Gareb Shamus, CEO of Wizard World offered a unique solution to offset any potential conflict for fans and exhibitors: “All of us who produce conventions know securing dates can often be a frustrating experience especially when you find yourself having to move to a new city.” Shamus continued, “Because of their long history, Wizard World has decided to accommodate WonderCon and postpone our April 2012 Anaheim show.”

“We appreciate the efforts of Lance and Gareb for going above and beyond in making the WonderCon transition more manageable,” said Glanzer.

About WonderCon
WonderCon, one of the country’s best comics and popular arts conventions, is part of Comic-Con International (CCI), a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular art forms. The organization achieves its mission primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture. In addition to San Francisco-based WonderCon each spring, CCI organizes San Diego Comic-Con each summer (the world’s largest comics convention of its kind) and San Francisco’s Alternative Press Expo (APE) each fall. On the web: WonderCon.org, Facebook.com/wondercon, Twitter.com/wondercon.

via WonderCon Press Release

ABC’s PAN AM Brings Fashion Week Goers An In-Flight Experience Without Having to Leave the Ground, Beginning September 8

Fashionistas Can Enjoy Free Coffee and Tea, Courtesy of Pan Am-Inspired Stewardesses

ABC is bringing an in-flight experience without having to leave the ground to New York’s Fashion Week attendees, SEPTEMBER 8-14. Pan Am-inspired stewardesses will be stationed at coffee carts offering up coffee and tea each morning to local New Yorkers and attendees of some of the biggest fashion shows in New York City.

In addition to providing beverages, stewardesses will also be handing out the must-have bags of the season – the highly coveted Pan Am Explorer bag, as well as Pan Am track bags — that people have been buzzing about since their debut at San Diego Comic-Con.

Scheduled dates and times in and around Lincoln Center for the In-Flight Experience are as follows:

• September 8 – 8:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
• September 10 – 8:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
• September 12 – 7:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• September 13 – 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
• September 14 – 9:00 a.m-12:00 p.m.

About Pan Am
Passion, adventure and espionage… They do it all – and they do it at 30,000 feet. The style of the 1960s, the energy and excitement of the Jet Age and a drama full of sexy entanglements deliciously mesh in a thrilling and highly original new series, “Pan Am,” premiering SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, on the ABC Television Network. “Pan Am” stars Christina Ricci (“Penelope”) as Maggie, Margot Robbie (“Neighbours”) as Laura, Michael Mosley (“Justified”) as Ted, Karine Vanasse (“Polytechnique”) as Colette, Mike Vogel (“The Help,” “Blue Valentine”) as Dean and Kelli Garner (“Going the Distance”) as Kate. Series creator Jack Orman (“ER,” “Men of a Certain Age,”), Thomas Schlamme (“The West Wing,” “Parenthood,” “Mr. Sunshine”) and Nancy Hult Ganis (“Akeelah and the Bee”) are executive producers. Orman also wrote the pilot, with Schlamme directing. “Pan Am” is produced by Jack Orman Productions, Out of the Blue Entertainment and Shoe Money Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television.

via ABC Press Release

Visit LiveTerraNova.com to Apply for Upcoming Eleventh Pilgrimage to TERRA NOVA

Just like those who traveled previously to Terra Nova, fans can apply now to be a part of the Eleventh Pilgrimage to TERRA NOVA, the next voyage of the extraordinary global effort to save the human race. The Eleventh Pilgrimage lottery launches today at liveterranova.com, a social-enabled website where fans can test their qualifications and enter the lottery for the next trip to Terra Nova.

Fans can join the experience by logging in with their Facebook ID and then submitting to a “retinal scan” sequence. Once the participant’s identity is verified, he/she will be asked to select six Facebook friends as potential team members for the next pilgrimage. Ambitious applicants will begin with an individual psychological evaluation where they will be tested on mental and emotional acumen that generate results instantly. Because “a family is four,” three Facebook friends will be eliminated after this first exercise. Subsequent weekly assessments, beginning September 5, will test endurance, recall and dexterity, each of which could result in the elimination of an additional friend from the lottery. Additionally, users can check the site regularly for updates, including news reports on the dire conditions of 2149.

In addition, the “Journey to TERRA NOVA” interactive fan experience is currently on the road traveling to 20 markets around the U.S. this summer and early fall. This branded, solar-powered bus features an interactive video green screen, where fans can digitally insert themselves into a scene from the series and then share it with friends via social media outlets by visiting www.journeytoterranova.com. Visitors to the mobile experience can watch an exclusive sneak peek of the show, relax while enjoying a futuristic oxygen bar and receive limited-edition TERRA NOVA Pilgrimage Badges and other collectibles.

Following are the remaining “Journey to TERRA NOVA” mobile experience stops (specific locations to be announced):

City	Date
Phoenix, AZ	Friday, Aug. 12
Dallas, TX	Tuesday, Aug. 16 – Wednesday, Aug. 17
Houston, TX	Thursday, Aug. 18
New Orleans, LA	Saturday, Aug. 20
Chicago, IL	Wednesday, Aug. 24
St. Louis, MO	Friday, Aug. 26
Nashville, TN	Sunday, Aug. 28
Orlando, FL	Thursday, Sept. 1
Atlanta, GA	Monday, Sept. 5
Charlotte, NC	Thursday, Sept. 8
Cincinnati, OH	Monday, Sept. 12
Pittsburgh, PA	Wednesday, Sept. 14
Washington, D.C	Saturday, Sept. 17
Baltimore, MD	Sunday, Sept. 18
Boston, MA	Wednesday, Sept. 21
Philadelphia, PA	Friday, Sept. 23
New York, NY	Saturday, Sept. 24 – Monday, Sept. 26

Visitors to the bus, as well as to http://www.fox.com/terranova/sweepstakes, who are 18 years of age and over, can enter for a chance to win a trip to Australia, where TERRA NOVA is filmed, as part of National Geographic Channel’s “An Expedition to Another World.” The winner of this 10-day high-adventure trip Down Under could snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef, visit historical Aboriginal sites, go whitewater rafting down the Barron River and hike in Kakadu National Park, among other adventures. No purchase necessary. For eligibility requirements, complete rules and more information, visit http://www.fox.com/terranova/sweepstakes.

Travel back in time for the special two-hour debut event of TERRA NOVA on Monday, Sept. 26 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), and catch the series’ time period premiere Monday, Oct. 3 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. The ambitious series follows the Shannons, an ordinary family on an extraordinary journey back in time to prehistoric Earth as part of a daring experiment to save the human race. Become a fan of TERRA NOVA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TerraNovaOnFOX and follow the series on Twitter at @TerraNovaOnFOX.

TERRA NOVA is produced by 20th Century Fox Television, Chernin Entertainment, DreamWorks Television and Kapital Entertainment. Peter Chernin, Steven Spielberg, Ren� Echevarria, Brannon Braga, Aaron Kaplan, Katherine Pope, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Jon Cassar, Craig Silverstein and Kelly Marcel serve as executive producers. Alex Graves serves as executive producer and directed the series premiere.

via Fox Press Release

Nerd HQ Exclusives from Comic-Con are Now Available Online

The Nerd Machine has posted their NerdHQ Exclusives that were available at San Diego Comic-Con. Don’t wait too long as I’m sure supplies are limited. This will probably be your last chance to grab any gear that you missed!

ABC Releases Five Posters for Once Upon A Time at Comic-Con!

ABC has released five posters for their new fairytale drama series, Once Upon A Time, at Comic-Con. I missed seeing these there. Did you? Well, here they are if you did miss them.

Once Upon A Time is from Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, who were the executive producers of Lost. This story is about Emma Swan who has taken care of herself her entire life since she was an abandoned baby. Her son (Henry) that she left for adoption finds her and tells her that she is Snow White’s and Prince Charming’s missing daughter. Emma takes Henry back home to Storybrooke and finds it is a place where magic had been forgotten but still there.

The show sounds interesting and gives an impression that there is a lot of stories to tell. I’ll probably take a look and see how it is. How about you?