Jack Flowers on ComiCon

Editor's Note: Belmont Shore Party News anchor Jack Flowers visited ComiCon a few weeks ago and filed this report from the convention. Due to technical difficulties it is posting only now.

San Diego... ComiCon convention, one of the few times a year where people can go outside in costume and not get funny looks... besides Halloween of course. It's a time when people of all interest in TV, movies, games, and of course its original purpose Comics come together for a four-day extravaganza (five if you have a preview night badge.) Read on for my journey into this mythical world. The Shore Party has the exclusive!

One of the main bits of coverage was TV series. I was fortunate enough to be allowed in to speak with cast and creators of hit series like Archer, Falling Skies, and Burn Notice. Burn Notice was first on my list and with that came the privilege of speaking with who some consider the King of B Movies, Bruce Campbell. He was here to discuss his recent TV movie: The Fall of Sam Axe and to answer some of the questions on the minds of the press. To help get in shape and prepped for the role, which is a prequel to the show Burn Notice, he would take many hikes up into the mountains. He also confirmed that Sam Raimi's new produced movie Evil Dead IV is actually a remake. When I asked if he would be taking part in the film perhaps in a cameo... his response, “Most Likely.” Looks like the Deadites will just have to continue to wait and see.

After finishing the interview with Bruce, next up on the list was the hit animated series Archer. The creator Adam Reed and Judy Greer (Cheryl/Carol) gave the press a lot of interesting information about the show. One of the major bits was the fact that all the stars on the show record separate. This is extremely odd and a very unique way to run an animated series. This probably would not work for 90% of the shows on the air but Archer works just fine. Also the dialogue on the show is for the most part strictly scripted, however, on occasion the cast will try something a little different with some adlibbing.

And lastly for all you Kanye Stern (Coby Bell) fans, Adam Reed announced to us that Kanye would most definitely return... if Bell was willing.

One of the most recent shows on the air Falling Skies, a series about human resistance and survival six months after an alien invasion, made an appearance at the con for a press conference. They announced that season one is finished being shot, and now is in the process of being edited (the last few episodes of course) For the show, the cast did not get any formalized training but they were taught a bit about a couple of firearms as well as had to learn to ride a dirtbike. Most of the show is shot on an actual set as opposed to a backdrop of green screen which adds a bit to the family driven dramatic elements.. and one of the most challenging things with a show like this, for Drew Roy (Hal) at least was being on a motorcycle 4 days into shooting.

After the interviews, The exhibit hall was next. The Exhibit Hall is where all the vendors spend most of their time as well as gaming demos and autographs take place here. I was fortunate enough while stumbling through this extremely crowded hall to find the cast of the Guild, a hit web series about a group of socially awkward gamers. The series starts back up again on Xbox live July 26th and on the internet July 28th. Make sure you dont miss this hilarious show. Also within the hall was the Delorean from Back to the Future and the costume for a few of the characters from Watchmen.

And of course, the trip had to end with the origin of the convention. I spent a bit of time talking to a few members of the enormous comic industry and they decided to send me to where most of the originators of the convention hung out. When I arrived at this new part of the convention center, I saw before me game boards, card games, and various other things that I had never seen before. The first thing they had this reporter try was a game some call Dungeons and Dragons, or in the case of myself... kill the newcomer. They made me play Hagen, a dwarf cleric in their world and within 15 minutes, this Hagen fellow was dead. After this game they sent me to play a card game called Munchkin. This one I was much better at. You are dealt a hand of cards and the point of the game is to get 10 chips before your opponents by beating things in a number game, and my personal favorite thing to do... crush the competition.

Overall, the convention was a great experience for myself. Speaking with the various members of the industry was interesting. The games were a lot of fun. And of course, the best part was the costumes to be seen around. These people, you could tell, had invested a large amount of time to create an authentic looking costume of their favorite game, movie, or comic character. If you ever get a chance to come check out this convention, make sure you do. You will not have any regrets... except that you may get a bit up close and personal with some strangers dressed as blue aliens or stormtroopers from Star Wars due to the crowds of people that show up for this event... but overall it is a great time for the full family. This is Jack Flowers signing out. Hope you enjoyed the story and make sure you keep watching The Shore Party. 

-Jack Flowers