Comikaze 2013: Stan Lee Introduces ‘Superhero Ball Wars’

Originally published on The Flickcast.  5 November 2013.

At Comikaze 2013 Stan “The Man” Lee was on hand to announce on of his newest ventures: Stan Lee’s Superhero Ball Wars. The series of apps, set to release starting in 2014, will be available first for iPhone and iPad and later for Android devices.

The game centers on the characters from the planet Ballo whose citizens are, as Lee says, “well-rounded.” But the Inflators are the superheroes of planet and they are the ones who must fight off an invasion by the evil Deflators. Earthlings are called to help in the battle by collecting heroes and deflecting villains.

The augmented reality aspect of Superhero Ball Wars allows you to hold up your device while the app is running and actually locate Ballo in the sky. You can also lock the game to play without moving your phone or tablet around above you. Once you have Ballo in your sights, characters and objects start flying towards you. Each of the 15 missions requires you to collect a specific character, including Professor Ballkenstan (Lee in Ballo form), while deflecting or avoid other objects and characters.

Superhero Ball Wars is a relatively simple game and is certainly marketed more as a kid’s game. Producer Jeff Edell said on the HotTopic mainstage at Comikaze, “Your kids will love this and maybe adults too.” A virtual vault keeps track of every character you collect, allowing you to learn more about them and trade with your friends. Physical Ballo character cards let players continue their missions even when they’re not plugged into the app.

Look for the first of Stan Lee’s Superhero Ball Wars apps to be available in the App Store next year. For now, check out the trailer for the game below.

Stan Lee Rules Day 2 Of Comikaze Expo 2013

Originally published on PopWrapped.  3 November 2013.

Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo 2013 at the LA Convention Center is a menagerie of geeky interests. Now in its third year, the convention has plenty of room for comics and games alongside toys, animated features, films, and everything else under the nerd sun.

The man of the hour himself, Stan Lee, was on hand for quite a bit of programming on Comikaze’s second day, Saturday November 2. One of the new projects the legend has been involved in is Stan Lee’s Mighty 7, a combination of an animated series and movie trilogy as well as a monthly comic. Those lined up to lend their voices to the project were Armie Hammer, Christian Slater, Mayim Bialik, Teri Hatcher, Darren Criss, Sean Astin, Jim Belushi and Michael Ironside.

Photo by Stephanie Coats

Also announced was Stan Lee’s Superhero Ball Wars, a series of iPhone and iPad game apps. Set on the planet Ballo, the action revolves around capturing or deflecting heroes and villains from Ballo as they fly towards your screen. An augmented reality version of the game has the player hold up their device to the sky to locate Ballo before beginning game play (you can also lock the screen to start without needing to find the planet). The apps will start being released next year.

Photo by Stephanie Coats

Comic and film lovers were able to enjoy panels like “The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened.” The documentary’s maker, John Schepp, gave fans a taste of what to expect when the finished film comes out next summer. In a special Comikaze clip package, snippets of interviews with Superman Lives concept artists and other members of the production team show and speak about plans for the film. These included a version of legendary Superman adversary, Doomsday, as a dinosaur-alien created by Brainiac.

Photo by Stephanie Coats

Schepp also said he is in talks with two of the primary individuals involved with the cancelled 1998 film, such as Nicolas Cage, Kevin Smith or Tim Burton, but would not specifically reveal whom. Schepp hopes to premiere the film either at the Tribecca Film Festival, where he has been offered a spot, or at San Diego Comic-Con 2014.

Earlier in the day, Schepp showed the full Kickstarter-funded pilot of his animated show, Grimm Fairy Tales. An adaptation of the comic series, the 20-minute pilot was definitely R-rated with plenty of rough language, gore, and nudity. The creative team behind the episode is currently working on raising money and interest to continue making the show as a TV series or a standalone movie.

Photo by Stephanie Coats

No convention is complete without star power and cosplay and Comikaze had both. Topping the list of celebrities were Alyssa Milano, Edward James Olmos, Bruce Campbell and LeVar Burton. The stars of the Emmy award-winning web series, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, were also on hand. Ashley Clements (Lizzie), Mary Katie Wiles (Lydia) and Daniel Vincent Gordh (Darcy) were joined by some of the series’ creative team for a packed panel Saturday afternoon.

Comikaze 2013 concludes its run Sunday, November 3.

PBS Showcase Superheroes With A Celebration Of Comic Books

Originally published on PopWrapped.tumblr.com.  12 September 2013.

PBS’ “Superhero Night” has a new air date but the same awesome line up. Now airing on October 15^th, the three-hour special program is hosted and narrated by Liev Schreiber and is built around the documentary Superheroes: A Never-Ending Battle. The film, from Emmy-award winning producer and director Michael Kantor, chronicles the history of comic books and some of the most beloved characters of all time.

Featured in Superheroes are a slew of cultural icons such as Stan Lee, Adam West, Lynda Carter and Geoff Johns. The late comic book creators Jerry Robinson, who co-created the Joker, and Joe Simon, co-creator of Captain America, are also included.

The documentary begins with the dawn of the comic book era and details how the Great Depression and World War II influenced the creation and popularity of heroes who embodied the American spirit. Part two moves into many of the Marvel characters we know and love. The contrast between characters like Spider-Man and the Hulk, who had problems adults identified with, and earlier heroes paved the way for contemporary social issues to be addressed within the comic book pages.

The final part of Superheroes: A Never-Ending Battle focuses on the modern enthusiasm for heroes. The transition of costumed saviors like Batman into darker, more complex personalities is made possible by TV, film, and the ever-changing American culture.

Superheroes was originally intended to air over the course of three weeks beginning on October 8^th. Now the documentary will play in full on October 15^th, at 8 pm ET.  More information about the special is available at www.pbs.org/superheroes.

Geekie Awards To Honor Stan Lee, Indie Artists and Creators

Originally published on TheFlickcast.com.  27 June 2013.

The First Annual Geekie Awards is coming to Hollywood, CA and a computer near you. Celebrating independent creators, artists and filmmakers, the awards show is set for August 18, 2013 at The Avalon Hollywood and will also be broadcasted live online.

Geekie categories include best in indie-created graphic novels, short films, web series, podcasts, and comic books. Other categories include Crowdfunded Geek, Art & Craft, Retail Stores & Websites, and Toys & Games. The live streaming online broadcast is set to reach an international audience of millions.

Explaining the purpose of The Geekie Awards, Executive Producer and concept creator, Kristen Nedopak said, “There are far too many talented creators out there who don’t have the means to get the exposure they need [in order] to promote their incredible work. The Geekie Awards gives them exposure to an international audience, both through our panel of expert judges to our website to the show itself and all the press surrounding it.”

Some of the nominees for the 2013 Geekie Awards include:

- Artist Karen Hallion’s Princess Leia piece, La Dauphine Aux Alderaan
- Jane Espenson & Brad Bell’s graphic novelization of their web series, Husbands
- Stan Lee Parkour
- I Fight Dragons’ Crazie$ music video
- Zachary Levi’s “all things nerd” website, The Nerd Machine, designed by WebMovement
- A Podcast of Fire and Ice and many more

The legendary Stan Lee will also be presented with the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award at the show.

Tickets are available at www.thegeekieawards.com/tickets for a range of prices and seating/entrance. Just $25 will get you in to see the show and $75 will earn you a balcony seat. At the $200 level, attendees are entered to win a movie poster signed by Stan Lee. Pre-sale discounts end on Sunday, June 30th.

Learn more about The Geekie Awards are www.thegeekieawards.com.