Blog @ Canadian Geek

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As the title says, lots of ups and downs for us here in the past few weeks. Nothing earth shattering but still a bit tough on the soul. Our first forary into the performance arts was truely remarkable. Being the “Executive Producer” on SUPERHEROLIVE! showed me a side of the theater world I didn’t know existed and now I have a whole new respect for what these people do for us. It’s a lot of work and most of it goes unnoticed or misunderstood.

That’s where the roller coaster came in. I was putting a huge amount of time (and money) into something I was impressd with, proud of and really thought my little world would appreciate but sadly, they didn’t. Even though attendance was poor in my eyes, by the standards of the theater community, it was good. Even better than good. But I was hoping for more and that crushed me.

It’s not to say that that is the first time I’ve ever felt defeated by trying to do something for people and failed but this was big, even bigger than my percieved failure earlier in the year with the in-store book signing.

It really hurts to put so much into something and seemingly have no one care what you are doing for them. I was just about ready to pack it this week but I was holding on to the few bright spots that made putting this show together worthwhile (thanks to the staff, Alana, Brent, Megan, Robert and the couple other customers who did come and especially to Brian who, even though he had only 1 day off work over the 10 days of the show, drove 3 hours to see us perform).

That rather tenious thread wasn’t very strong but then on August 30, after I came back to the store from buying some groceries, I had a message that someone wanted to book the store for an event. This wasn’t too unusual; people frequently rent the space for different things so I phoned back and the rental request almost made me cry.

I have done some interesting things with Happy Harbor but I am proud to announce that in April of 2008, Happy Harbor will host it’s first wedding. Yep, a local couple wants to have a costume wedding in Canada’s Best Comic store and I couldn’t be more proud.

While people don’t always respond to many of things we do clearly we are doing (or have done) something right to entice two people to say, “We should get married at Happy Harbor.” I’ve been married and though the marriage didn’t last, the memory of it will. It is an amazing event, shared with those closest to you, creating stories that will be retold for many years to come. I am unbelievably grateful that this couple wants us to be a part of their memories.

Now, what to charge them….

The Shepherd

Just as I was about to write the blog up this week, there was about 4 more trailers posted that I haven’t had a chance to look at. So I’m just going to go forward with the ones I had planned, and hope that you enjoy them — I surely did.

Both play up the mysterious, something I enjoy very much in a trailer. And, really, if you’re going to play anything up in a trailer, mystery is going to be it. You’re teasing the audience, so, mystery is sort of automatic. Except maybe with comedies. But then, comedies are the exception to a lot of things. Which neither of these are.

THE NINES

I’ll just come right out and admit it. I have a huge man-crush on Ryan Reynolds. He is a severely under-rated actor (plagued, I think, by his (actually very well -acted-) Van Wilder days) who, in my opinion, comes out on top in every movie he’s in. He’s got an incredible wit, he’s certainly buff enough to do action, and …. well, perhaps here we’ll find out how he does in a dramatic situation.

This movie looks _weird_. But it is produced by the creators of American Beauty, one of THE single best movies of all time, so I’m trusting in them to deliver. Ryan plays a character who is seeing other versions of himself, if only briefly. Not weird enough? About half way through the trailer, it gets weirder. Think.. the 13th floor.

Watch the HD Version Here!

Right At Your Door

How often do independent films get it right? And how many of those get noticed? I’m far from a expert on the matter, but, if it’s anything like … anything else in pop-culture, if you’re an independent, it’s a long hard road. And just like indy comics, you don’t get a wide distribution. It’s a sad thing to realize when you watch a trailer this amazing — I think it’s an absolutely amazing premise and I’m saddened to think I may never get to see it in theaters.

However! I do still recommend watching this. It’s creepy. It affects you on a number of levels; in part due to the subject matter (Dirty Bombs), the separation of the family. And then … the mystery. After everything that’s happened, and someone comes to save you … what if they aren’t really there to save you? How can you really be sure?

Makes me wish this had been picked up by a mainstream distributor — but then .. they probably would’ve screwed it up. Catch-22, ain’t it?

Watch the HD Version Here!

See you all next week! Let me know what you think. Too short? Too long? Not enough reviews? Not even a review? Let me know!

I know I missed week, and I apologize. I’m going to my best to not miss another week — but, to be fair, losing one’s mind does tend to have an effect on deadlines. I just lost it this past little while, I haven’t been able to find much ground to stand on, and I just couldn’t bring myself to update the trailer park. My bad.

I’m nowhere near back on track, but I’m dedicated to this thing. I just LOVE trailers! Don’t you?

Sadly this week, I bring you two new ones, but without a high-definition version available for either. One is fairly new, and the other is actually a couple of months old, but I hadn’t found it anywhere until now. So without further ado …

HAROLD & KUMAR 2

If you didn’t like the first movie, you just won’t get this one. But man, if you liked the first one, you’ll have NO doubt whatsoever from this teaser that this will be a fantastic sequel, right on par with the original. That’s right, I’m calling it. This WILL be as good as the first film.

Besides, Doogie is back! How great is that?

JOHN RAMBO

Here’s a strange thing to admit: I have never, in my entire life, seen a Rambo film.

I know, isn’t that bizarre? I heard a lot about them — kind of like Commando (which, btw, I also haven’t seen) where he runs past guys with machine guns, mowing them down with a pistol while not getting hit by even one of the several thousand bullets that flew past him. Over the top violence, nonsensical action, complete lack of plot. Rambo never much interested me.

And then they announced a 4th one! And Stallone! My God, Stallone is like, 80 years old! So I had my doubts.

Then I watched this trailer, and every doubt was completely erased. This looks absolutely amazing, and Stallone is in incredible shape for his age. No doubt.

Mind — I have no idea here, so — the trailer is INCREDIBLY GRAPHIC, so it’s not exactly recommended for those of you under 18. Natch.

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About a year ago I was interviewed by the Edmonton Journal about webcomics and their imposing march forward to the demise of the physical comic book. I said that webcomics were a different animal than regular comics and that there was no doom for the floppy. We can actually all just get along. However, what went to print was slightly edited (who woulda thunk) to read something like, “No von vill defeat zee comic book! Zig heil!!” and the end result was me getting slammed on other blogs and boards as a “wet blanket”, apparently making me some kind of anti-webcomic guy (even though I host panels on them and make one myself).

I still stand behind the notion that it’s a different beast and there is room for all. Webcomics tend to be fractions of story, even smaller than the comic book, spilled over even more numerous episodes than the comic book. If you’re reading this, I don’t need to tell you about them.

There are all sorts of reasons why both formats are appealing from not only an entertainment perspective but also from a creative standpoint. Webcomics are a bit easier and more flexible to produce. Size restrictions and quality control are pretty non-existent considering how cheap web space is but the comic book tends to present challenges that push creators to greater lengths. And as each format continues to strive to cross over into the other, all sorts of people are complaining and pointing fingers, especially when the book comes to the web.

Recently, DC Comics announced the creation of “Zuda”, a webcomic host site where people would produce paid-for-hire or royalty work for DC. Everyone was quick to point out flaws with the proposed system, especially those who aren’t doing a damn thing to bridge the gap or encourage a higher level of quality from people. Our first contestant is Mr. Joe Quesada and this from a “News”arama interview;

“If I’m an online comics creator, I already have the greatest stage in the world, why do I need someone else to showcase my stuff and then take a piece of it?”

Yep, the webernet is the greatest stage in the world. In fact millions of people have posted all sorts of crap on it. Repeatedly. Good luck carving out a significant niche out there if you don’t have tech knowledge, a huge circle of friends, money, talent or any combination thereof. While you can make what you want when you want, that does by no means mean that you’re doing yourself any favours. Deadlines? Who cares. Quality? Friends are great for telling you when your work is sub-par, ain’t they. Who needs the guidance of an experienced corporation to help you get a regular paycheque while honing your craft to a certain standard of excellence?

Granted, Zuda will not be for everyone but what has been done is another avenue has been opened for people to explore and utilize IF THEY CHOOSE TO, which is more than could be said for most companies. There are a lot of complaints that opportunities are limited out there in the comic market so kudos to DC for making an effort, one that I’m sure will be finely tuned in the months and years to come, and giving even more people a chance to see their ideas reach a broader audience.

The Shepherd

Ah, vacation was utterly sweet, and absolutely (thoroughly, ungodly, amazingly) expensive. Oh my lord. I swear, I came back and I have like, $100 to my name until next payday. Catching up on bills is gonna be fun.

Surprisingly, there wasn’t a lot of trailers released while I was gone, which is good. There were two of import (sort of), so of course, I’ll be sharing those with you.

NATIONAL TREASURE 2: BOOK OF SECRETS

I admit to being a partial fan of the first movie. It tried REALLY hard to be a sort of .. I don’t know. I want to say companion/better movie then Da Vinci, and in some ways it most certainly was. It’s just that it dealt with a lot of secrets and mysteries from the past, and you rely on the main character to really break it down for you, fast. This person was in this group and these glasses were his and they show the location of this and yadda.

So I’m at least partially looking forward to the second — but, I think it’s going to suffer the sophomore jinx. The trailer just didn’t blow me away, and to be honest, when they reveal just what the “Book of Secrets” is, it just didn’t bowl me over. I yawned, thought it was implausible and stupid. BUT, when he reveals how he’s going to GET the book, now THAT is interesting.

View the High Definition Version Here

BATMAN BEGINS 2: THE DARK KNIGHT

I believe this was shown at Comic-Con, where I happened to be, but I didn’t catch it. There was a LOT of viral marketing going on down at the show in regards to The Dark Knight. A lot of clues being thrown around, but I’m not sure if there was ever a payoff to it — maybe the people that understood it got to watch the trailer. I’m really not sure.

The teaser does what it’s supposed to. It teases. You don’t get to see any clips from the movie. BUT, and I do consider this important, you do get to hear Heath Ledger as The Joker. I was waiting for that. Jack Nicholson REALLY defined how he sounds — at least, if you ask me, he did — and I think Heath really nails it.

It’s reason 616 (inside joke) I’m looking forward to seeing this movie.

View the High Definition Version Here

We’ll see you next week, and thanks for visiting the Trailer Park!

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It is the biggest comic convention in North America. It has been in operation for more than 30 years. It is held in a convention centre bigger than George Lucas’s home, though not by much. It is the geek mecca and after going for my second year in a row I feel the need to tell you all that you should never go once to “The Con”.

You need to go at least twice.

This show is not just large in physical size but also in product diversity. So many people have been bashing the show recently because of the influx of other media that supposedly have nothing to do with comics. You know, cause geeks don’t watch the Spike Channel or Quinton Tarintino movies, buy trading cards or play video games.

I will concede that it is unfortunate that as these multi-media conglomerations move in with their massive displays occupying more space than my apartment, there become fewer booths for the smaller companies and independents to have. The dogfight for space begins and sadly those with the biggest pocket books will win.

Thankfully, the SDCC does have designated areas for those who fit into the categories of “small” and “independent” and here’s hoping that the flashy dollars of the WB and others of their ilk don’t corrupt them from shrinking those areas any further.

However, there are some up sides to these big companies coming in. First, they pay big bucks which help keep The Con viable and second, they attract visitors who might never have come to the con. Inevitably, this new breed will walk the floor and see something that might not have seen otherwise. It’s cross-promoting kids and while not prefect, we have to look at the positives until we develop a better game plan to keep comics in the public eye.

Another complaint often heard is the crowds. This year’s SDCC set an attendance record for the history of the show, selling out 3 of the 4 full days with estimates of 140,000 people or higher. While the floor does get crowded at times, there are things to remember.
1) If there’s a Big Company booth in your path to “Bob the Artist” and you’re not really interested, walk around that area. Trying to cut past will not save you time and only increase your hatred for mankind.
2) Check for when the big media panels are. Generally a large portion of the crowd will shift upstairs for them and create a small breath on the vendor floor.
3) Avoid the outer edges and the center alley. Most people tend to cling to walls or cut a path through the middle. I found the “side alleys” much easier to navigate.
4) Avoid booths with creator signings (unless you want an autograph).

If you pick and choose your path and timings well, you can still enjoy the biggest geekfest this continent has to offer in the company of your brothers and sister without wanting to kill them all (a few but not all).

Before I finish, a shout out to Earth 2 Comics in Sherman Oaks, California for being the receipiant of the 2007 Will Eisner Spirit of Retailing Award. They deserve it.

Shepherd