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May 27 thru 30 - 2010
“Get your Geek on at Comicon!”
One actor’s take on “The Con”
 By: ~SUPERGLO~ Gloria Jean
Robertson,
Local Indie Actor, Educator,
Toastmaster
and Special to The Glendale Daily Planet
Photos below by various people
(Phoenix Arizona
- Glendale Daily Planet) Let’s face it! Everyone
wants to be a Rockstar, right?! Why???
When you can be a SUPERHERO!!!
Sure, rockstars have groupies and legions of fans that stand in
long lines to buy tickets to adore them…BUT, can they leap tall
buildings in a single bound, flame on, or sling a web any size? Not
likely. The large crowds at COMICON 2010 sponsored by GoDaddy.com
proved that “it was just another day in the life of a SUPERHERO!”
COMICON, labeled “The
Signature Geek Culture Event of the Southwest” had something incredible, fantastic, AND super to offer fans
of every gender, age, demographic, and lifestyle.
There was an amazing array of fans-- jr. high to recent high school
graduates, college students, couples pushing strollers and harried parents
chasing toddlers who posed delightfully next to patient characters,
ranging from Super Mario, Davy Jones, and of course everything Star Wars!
Cars, cars, everywhere cars from the Ghostbusters Ecto 1 Hearse
to“The General Lee”.
The festivities which kicked
off Thursday at The Hyatt Regency, included Rock Band, the Rocky
Horror Picture Show experience, an Anime Rave and more.
Friday, COMICON hosted its renowen Film Festival
including The Todd McFarlane Film Festival, The Arizona Showcase and
others. I am honored to have acted alongside my longtime friend,
local Indie actress Kimber Leigh, in “To Some Degree” directed
by Steve Wargo of Controversial
Pictures. Our film was one of 30 official selections out of 150 films
submitted to COMICON from countries all over the world.
Phoenix Film Fest Filmmaker of the year 2008
Bivas Biswas screened “Veil”. Michael Wentz of Two Dollar Dog
Entertainment screened “Dietrich” which was directed by Todd Fowler,
and is now in distribution by Ouat! Media Toronto, Canada. Matt Vincent
Serrano who wrote, directed and produced “The Potts” screened also
along with costumed cast members who danced in the aisles with audience
members as the credits rolled. Filmmaker Joel Cranston was presented top
honors as COMICON Filmmaker of the Year 2010.
All four days in the main
ballroom, a plethora of celebs posed with fans; comic book authors/artists
sold their merchandise AND I got “Probed” at local filmmaker Web
Pickersgill’s booth!” (Phoenix Film Festival Filmmaker of the year 2009). My
personal favorite, however, was John Schneider (Dukes of Hazard) who in
many ladies’ opinion was, “an example of someone who has gotten better
looking (code for hotter) with time.”
Lou Ferigno (The Incredible HULK) looked absolutely “Hunky” and
Lavar Burton as young as he did in Roots, Reading Rainbow & STAR TREK.
The ladies of COMICON – such as Chase Masterson or Genie Francis
from sci-fi classics and soaps who graced screens with their stunning
beauty were well represented. The lines were longer than Mr. Fantastic’s
arm to see local toy designer, and creator of SPAWN, Todd
McFarlane, (in whose HQ I temped last summer) and, of course, Mr. Stan
Lee, “The Reigning King of COMICON.
Sunday, the final day of “The
Con”, I ran into many local, talented independent film actors in the
halls of The Phoenix Convention Center and in the streets downtown as we
watched Roller Derby Girls on skates and countless others bedecked in the
latest Zombie fashions attacking citizens of the Metropolis during “The
Zombie Parade”.
No COMICON, of course,
would be the same without my friend, Ed Sharpe, of CouryGraph Productions,
camera in tow, taking in the scene! Eric
Kask, a videographer and long-time supporter of “The Con” was asked by
Arizona Hobbyist Paradise (AZHP), a website forum that specializes in
Anime, comic books and video games, to capture general coverage of the
events. Mr. Kask said, “The
Con has grown tremendously over the last several years due to its
broad-based appeal. It’s not just about comic books, but it’s about
Anime, Sci-Fi, Horror, video games, steam punk, and film.”
He also offered that the choice to move from Mesa to
downtown Phoenix was a good one.
So Rockstars,
“lookout…..here comes a Spiderman!!!” BE the Superhero
you know you want to be and mark your calendar for PHOENIX COMICON 2011
baby! I know I will be there, hopefully appearing in another film.
I’m ALREADY shopping for my costume now so I can pose with
babies in strollers, JR HI, high school, college students AND celebrities!
(maybe even sign a few autographsJ
) COMICON is the Signature GEEK Culture Event of
the Southwest so…so put a G on my chest and color me GEEK… SUPERGEEK!
Notes by author [This actor
experienced COMICON for the first time in 2009 in Mesa to support
fellow actor Kimber Leigh’s short film “Vrooom” for which Ms. Leigh
earned Best Actress honors. “Vrooom” directed by Jason Francois and
shot by Jae Staats of the A3F. The team is in the pre-production phase of
a full length feature of “Vrooom”]
In addition to the work
on "Vroom", this dynamic duo also has the distinction of receiving
the 2nd prize and $50,000 for the GoDaddy
Superbowl commercial
competition in May 2010. See at:
http://videos.godaddy.com/super-bowl-video-contest.aspx?vid=684&isc=gdbb1586&ci=17888
 ARRRR!
Welcome to COMICON!
Jack Sparrow and the Goblin King from "The Labyrinth
Photo by Ed Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet
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The Ghostbusters Ecto 1 Ambulance!
Photo by Ed Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet |
Folks that participated in the Arizona
Shorts Proram at COMICON 2010 - Steve Wargo Gloria Jean Robertson,
Director/Todd Fowler, Kimber Leigh, Gino Calabro,
James Ray and Bivas Biswas |
(L to R) Michelle Allen , Gloria Jean
Robertson
and Dave Dresback watching films!
Photo by Ed Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet |
Michelle Allen, Gloria Jean Robertson and
Kimber Leigh
- Photo by Ed Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet |
Bvas Biswas discussing his film “Veil”
during the Q&A session - Todd Fowler to the left - Steve Wargo
to the right side - Photo by Ed Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet |
The view while enjoying
some great Gumbo at Karim's Cobbler Shop and Deli. THE place
for Gumbo, Catfish the Peach Cobbler is out of this world! - Right
across from the civic center! |
Diane
Gerg Dresback writer of "Viel" and 'To Some Degree'
answers questions during the Q&A |
Jennifer Boudrie and Jeffrey Fong, winner
of the Best Picture "Relish" - Photo
by Ed Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet
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Jay and Jennifer Boudrie Film Festival
Coordinators - Phoenix Comicon with Joel Cranson, Comicon
Filmmaker of the Year 2010
Photo by Ed Sharpe Glendale Daily
Planet
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Courtesy of Dee and and Hal C. Astel |
Courtesy of Dee and and Hal C. Astel |
Steve Wargo/Director, Actor/Gloria Jean
Robertson, Actor/Kimber Leigh, Director/Todd Fowler, Actor/Gino
Calabro, Actor/James Ray and Director/Bvas Biswas
Courtesy of Diane Gerg Dresback (writer - To Some Degree)
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John Schneider Dukes of
Hazard, Smallville, Nip/Tuck - Courtesy of Dee and and Hal C. Astel
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Ed Sharpe pauses as Bette Sharpe gets
some vampire
action on his neck! Photo by Gloria Jean Robertson
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YIKES! -
Photo by Ed Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet |
Damian Knight and Ray Hosts of
"FAMEAZ.TV.com Gloria Jean Robertson
Courtesy of Lisa Markewiecz |
Gloria Jean Robertson, Filmmaker Steve
Wargo, and Kimber Leigh, winner of best actress Phoenix Comicon 2009
- Photo: Keith Carlson
(crew for To Some Degree) |
Princess Leia, Stormtrooper and Super Mario
-
Courtesy of Dee and and Hal C. Astel |
Young fan with Spidermen
Courtesy of Dee and and Hal C. Astel |
Super Mario and a young fan -
Courtesy of Dee and and Hal C. Astel |
Ghostbusting!
Courtesy of Dee and and Hal C. Astel |
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Etienne Maheu with an Avatar
and a Jawa
Courtesy Fame AZ TV |
The Anime Rave
Courtesy Fame AZ TV |
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Hal C. And the Astell
lady with local filmmaker Brian Pulido filmmaker Director of
"The Graves"
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Gloria Jean
Robertson, and Ed Sharpe
Photo By Bette Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet |
Kimber Leigh and Bvas Biswas
discussing the film
“Veil” during the Q&A session
(Director of 'Detrich' Todd Fowler behind) |
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The dancing Robot says -
"See Ya Next year at COMICON
2011!" |
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