Dear Watchers: an omniversal comic book podcast

>> Guido: It's the most wonderful time of the year.

>> Rob: Merry Conmas, and welcome to Dear Watchers, an omniversal comic book podcast where we do usually a, deep dive into the multiverse.

>> Guido: We are traveling with you through the stories and the worlds that make up an omniverse of fictional realities we all love. And your watchers on this journey are me, Guido, and me, Rob.

>> Rob: And welcome to our extra special annual, special episode on New York Comic Con.

>> Guido: And we're not the only people here.

>> Rob: And it's comic Con brain.

>> Elliot: I'm sorry, it's, me, Elliot, of Elliot comic art. And I'm tired Elliot, today. Tired, but wired. And my first question is, is this going to set me over, Ethan, in terms of number of appearances?

>> Guido: Oh, probably not, but you might be getting closer, so. Yeah, but is this also our third annual comic con episode or our second? We've been to. We've been debating what's happened at Comic Con since post Covid. It's hard to tell.

>> Rob: That's true. Yeah.

>> Elliot: We were discussing what we did last year and confusing the years all molding them into one.

>> Guido: So this might be our third annual, it might be our fifth annual, might be our second annual, but welcome to our annual episode. And like we have with however many past episodes we've done, our structure for you is gonna model off of our usual episode, moving through the past, the present, and the future of the New York comic Con universe.

>> Rob: Well, let us then jump into our favorite things from the past.

>> Elliot: So comic, Con, for me is always so fun. I probably talked about this a little bit last year. Just like seeing, I love going to artist Alley and seeing, and talking to artists and creators that I loved from when I started collecting comics in 6th grade. And so there are a couple people that I loved meeting and talking to and getting their signatures. Pepe Larraz, of, House of X and X Men fame, who's now gone on to do lots, of other things, including Bloodhunt. I talked to him and got to express that I thought he was one of the greatest comic book artists of all time.

>> Guido: And what's wild is to realize that that's kind of the past. Right? House of x is five years old.

>> Elliot: Yeah.

>> Guido: So he. He's. He's an iconic legend. He's not a new. He's not a new icon. He's now a legend.

>> Elliot: And, that was fun. I got a signature on X Men, 701 of my favorite covers. I get to talk to Clayton Henry every year who's now working with Mark Wade. He's the artist on action comics, and. But every year I've been there, I've talked to him, and he was kind of pretty much unknown, and every year, he just keeps adding, to his resume and is now a regular action comics, artist.

>> Guido: And it was fun going through his pages and finding some old x men he did, which I didn't even realize because I didn't know who he was at the time. And him telling us, that was 18 years ago, so he's been doing it for a long time.

>> Elliot: It's nuts. And then, the big one for me was Greg Capullo, and Scott Snyder's line was so long. And then at about, like, 06:00 I saw Greg Capullo's line had, like, four people in it, and I thought it was cut off. And I just walked to the end of the line, and I got to meet him, and I got to tell him that I've been a fan of his since he was kind of first, quote unquote, discovered by Todd McFarlane instead of John Spawn when I was in middle school, and I, just got to have this moment with him. He was super gracious and nice and took a picture with me and got him to sign Wolverine revenge, and that was really cool. So I just love being able to tell creators how much they meant to me and how I used to copy their artwork, and that's always fun for me in Artist Alley.

>> Guido: Well, you were even saying how fun it is now that we've done this for so many years and you've gone to other cons, like Baltimore and Terrificon, your familiarity with people has grown where now there's people, like, where you just say hi, but you don't need their autograph anymore. Or, of course, Joshua Kisara, recognizing you because you've drawn the green lagoon shirt that he has. That is a fun aspect of this being a tradition.

>> Rob: Yeah. I love walking around the vendor fair and the vendor section, and there's exhibitors who recognize me from past years. It was like, oh, hey, how are you doing? And even one of the exhibitors was like, oh, did you go to the such and such? Because he remembered he offered. He recommended going to that last year, and it's like, wow.

>> Guido: Ah.

>> Rob: It does feel like a real tradition then, at this point.

>> Elliot: Yeah. Like, Eric Larsen, for me, I've talked to so many times, and I'm just like, hey.

>> Guido: Yeah, it is very cool. Who, though, on this, on that note, who's a creator from your past that you haven't seen at a con that you would want to.

>> Elliot: I mean, Todd McFarlane would be. That's who I fell in love with. I got to meet Jim Lee, and I've told that story probably on this podcast before and on spectales before. but Todd McFarlane was who I wanted to be and be like, I don't feel that way anymore.

>> Guido: But, and he's there, but he's just, like, in a completely separate area, so it's hard. Hard to see him.

>> Rob: Yeah.

>> Elliot: And it's not like I have that. I like to talk to the. I like to talk to the artists who are more, I would say, like, down to earth. I mean, I haven't met Todd McFarlane, but he's more of a. Kind of a rock star of comics.

>> Guido: Yeah. Yeah.

>> Elliot: but he would probably expect.

>> Guido: He knows that, too. Yes.

>> Elliot: Yeah. Yeah. He was probably one that, from my past. That is the big. The big name. Yeah.

>> Guido: That's fun. Rob, what in the past tickled your fancy at this year's New York Comic Con?

>> Rob: Well, I did something I've never done, actually, at New York Comic Con before. I signed up to get an autograph, which, I believe it or not, I have never actually done in New York Comic Con. I've gotten photo ops, but I never actually signed up to get an autograph outside of artist Alley. So one of the horror movies that had such a huge impact on me when I saw it, I don't even know when it came out, so. But it was a while ago was Ty West's House of the devil. I love this movie because it really moves at such a different pace for horror movies. And ties to career has really exploded with the last couple years with x Pearl and Maxine. So I was actually super excited to see that Ty west was going to be there. I didn't even know until just a couple days ago that he was there. So I actually brought a, slip for a house of the devil VHS for him to sign, and he was incredibly nice, had a great brief conversation. And what was amazing, too, was he was asked asking me questions. I said, oh, I went to a screening of this with the producer of the film, and he was asking where that that screening was, and I said, oh, we host screenings upstate, and he wanted to know where that was. So it was just a really nice, special experience. It's what you want when you have these kind of autograph sessions that, oh, they're not just gonna sign it and you walk away. You actually have a momentary connection with someone who created something that resonated with.

>> Guido: You and has nothing to do with comics, though. No. It's an interesting. It's a good example of, the mixed media, which sometimes comes under criticism at cons, but the way of bringing in people who are related to storytelling as a whole, but not directly comics.

>> Rob: And the other, you know, the other star of Pearl is now going to be Superman, so. And that was like, his first big thing was Pearl?

>> Elliot: Yeah.

>> Guido: Well, and Mia goth is going to be lily, and then. Exactly, yes.

>> Elliot: I didn't know David Corn sweat was in. Yeah, I haven't watched them now. Need to.

>> Rob: So Ty has helped start a lot of these, these future superhero careers. True.

>> Guido: It's true.

>> Rob: And the other thing I wanted to.

>> Guido: Say from the past is also non comic related.

>> Rob: Also non comic related? Well, you know, I'm a horror guy, and it's actually a item from the past because I'm a big VHS collector. And, you know, you and I were walking around and I was saying, you know, it's fun, it's interesting. There's all these vintage toys, but it's strange that no one is starting to sell, like, vintage video games, vintage VHS.

>> Guido: Which people are starting to grade, and they come in really valuable, so you'd think there'd be more presence of it.

>> Rob: And then we were down in artists Alley, and there was an artist named John J. Pearson, and he did a poster for Dario Argento's Suspiria. And then they actually put that poster into. Made it into a VHS, and he actually was selling them there. So it was the only VHS I saw at New York Comic Con was, one of my favorite movies of all time, Dario Argentar Suspiria. So, of course, I had to get it from. From him. And he actually painted on, the tape as well. So I just love that not only is it a movie that from my past, but it's also a past piece of past medium as well.

>> Guido: Yeah. Well, I think I wonder if retro culture is, like, infusing itself more into Comic Con as Comic Con keeps growing. Because obviously, there's, like, the retro culture of the comic creators themselves. But you and I go to a lot of events or markets or other conventions where, like, VHS culture is becoming so big because of the ages of people now looking back and reminiscing about the box art and the touch of the object. And so maybe that's creeping into Comic Con now.

>> Elliot: Well, even with X Men 97 and their marketing.

>> Guido: Yeah, totally. Was about VHS records had a big.

>> Elliot: Comeback about ten years ago and now that was seventies, it's going to shift, probably because as our generation gets older and older and older, we're going to reminisce and feel nostalgic.

>> Rob: Yeah.

>> Guido: And want to touch and hold those things.

>> Elliot: So hold on to those dvd's, everybody. I know.

>> Rob: For your kids, Elliot. That's the next one. And what about you, Guido, for your past?

>> Guido: Well, so this is an interesting one I thought about, because every single year, we talk about the people that we see and have become friends with. And it's, what's amazing to me is that these are, it's now years. There's a history. And including the show, the fact that we've done this show for three and a half years, there's a history there. And then the fact that we see people that we've met through doing this show and truly have become friends with, like past guest Joey Vasquez, who works at Midtown Comics. And our dear friends, who we have our tradition of seeing, outside of the con. Brad and Lisa from comic book Couples counseling podcast. It's so incredible to me that it's been three and a half years that this world, we've been a part of this community, that we've built relationships from this community. So while I know that over the last two years, I've always focused on the people, at some point in my thoughts about Comic Con, it's so interesting to me now that there's a history. Also, we were even debating when we had a, dinner with some of these people, and it turned out it was two years ago. I thought it was last year. Right? Like, because this has now been a community we've been a part of in a different way. There's, other creators that you got their autographs who've been on the show, like Janice Chang, who we know is going to be there every year with Storm King comics. And so just the community and the fact that now, year after year, we're continuing to be a part of it is really cool to me.

>> Elliot: I was also thinking when Rob was talking, and it made me think, again, when you were just talking Guido, about for me, and I think for many of us, what getting a signature really is. And it's about that memory creation. It's not about actually having the artifact, but, like, all of us, we probably display some things we have signed. and for me, it's the conversation and the memory of meeting that person.

>> Guido: Yeah.

>> Elliot: And, the comic or the VHS tape or whatever is just the artifact.

>> Guido: Yeah.

>> Elliot: And so it's like helping, helping create those, like, little time stamps and those memories for us, too, which is what this con from, for me, really is about, like memory creation.

>> Rob: Yeah. Because sometimes it feels bad to go put that autograph or that signed book in a, short box or that autograph into a binder. But then when you are going through that box of that binder and you see it again, you're just instantly, for me, transported back to where you were. So sometimes I think we could be hard on ourselves saying, oh, we're collecting this, but then we're not looking at it. But then when you do look at it, you're brought back to that moment.

>> Elliot: It's like a geek scrapbook or wedding film.

>> Guido: Yes, exactly.

>> Rob: Yes.

>> Guido: And that's why, you know, we take pictures of each other. We, we all three have, have the job of, if anyone's getting something signed, you take pictures of it happening. So that then when we flip through the shared photo albums we have now over the years, you can look and see, like, oh, that was when I was talking to this person, or you were remembering that just yesterday, Keiran Gillan told you a funny story when you were talking to him, and now you'll always remember that. And so, except when I forget pictures.

>> Rob: Of Gita when he's getting things signed.

>> Guido: Sometimes that does happen because the VHS was distracting you.

>> Rob: The VHS was distracting me. I've been on my feet for about 6 hours. That's why it's good to have Elliot there, because Elliot has. So he's very used to snapping photos at any time.

>> Guido: All right, so moving into the present, so the things that are resonating with us right now that feel really current. Rob, why don't you start us off?

>> Rob: Sure. Well, I went to a panel called Comic Books made me gay. And I went because past guest of the show, Tim Sheridan, who created this great Alan Scott book, was on the panel. It was always great to hear from Tim and some other creators, but one thing that really resonated with me was Steve Orlando was on the panel. And what Steve was talking about, which I had never really thought about before, was that comics have made great strides in the creative, in having, in this case, queer representation, but really, any underrepresented artist writers and the creative side. But what hasn't changed is the behind the scenes. And he was basically saying that a lot of books, like, say, like a DC pride issue that needs to be marketed in a different way than your usual Wednesday warriors books. It needs to get into stores that are not comic book stores. It needs to reach a new audience. And sometimes maybe those audience members are not even going into a comic book store for various reasons. And I hadn't really thought of that. It also resonates with what I do in my day job, too, working in diversity, equity, inclusion. So I thought, oh, that's, that's the next, that's the current, that's the present fights that needs to be had, which.

>> Guido: Is that or gap. It doesn't have to be a fight. I don't think you have to frame it as a fight. Yes, it's a gap. So let's address the gap.

>> Rob: Yeah.

>> Guido: We don't even know that there's resistance. Right.

>> Rob: No, that's true. That's true. But, yeah, that, so now that we've made those strides on, like, the people whose names are on the front of the book, we need to, like, go to the fine printing, look at the marketing departments and look at, of course, the executives and everything.

>> Guido: Well, and I remember when we spoke to Janice Chang and Kat Gruenwald, both pointed out, like, just the number of people that are in production on a book. And actually, that Marvel bullpen panel we went to when we first met Kat Gruenwald was really about, like, there are so many people working on every comic whose names you don't even know, and they're not doing the creative work, but they are doing important work in how the book looks and feels and how it gets to you when it gets to you. All those things. So, yeah.

>> Rob: And the other present thing I wanted to mention, because I mention it every year, is John Carpenter's Tales of Halloween, this great horror anthology that he, in Storm King comics, puts out every year with, as you just mentioned, Janice Chang, who does the lettering for all the books. But one of the reasons why I wanted to mention it is I mention it every year and I get it every year, and this is its ten year anniversary. So kind of going back to what we were saying for past as well, I've got it every year since its very first time that it came out, and now it's been ten years since I've been getting it. So that just kind of struck me. It's like, oh, my gosh. This is one of these traditions that I have done every year at comics. I always get the New York Comic Con cover and maybe another cover too, and, oh, wow, it just showed you the passage of time of this. And it's also just a great horror anthology. And because Comic Con is at Halloween time, it also feels like it's so tied into the Halloween season as well.

>> Guido: Yeah, I agree. We're getting old, guys.

>> Rob: That's really the theme of this episode, basically.

>> Elliot: My feet were less sore this year.

>> Rob: Than my feet were less sore this year, actually.

>> Guido: Well, that's good. So your body's not aging? Just your mind?

>> Elliot: Just my brain.

>> Rob: And Elliot, what are some of your present things?

>> Elliot: one of the things I was really excited about doing this time was I saw that Alvaro Martinez bueno, the artist for Nice House by the lake and the current issues of Nice House by the sea, written by James Tinian, was going to be there. And I don't I need to go back and read it, but there is something m when I read Nice House by the lake, I read it as a collected volume. It just struck me as just one of those stories mixed with the art that I instantly fell in love with and just obsessively read. And I was so excited to meet him and see him and get his autograph on my nice house by the sea. So I got to do that. But I was like, I'm not, I'm not going to be able to, to see James Tinian. And when Guido and I got to the line, it wasn't that long, so we got to talk to him too. And he was there.

>> Guido: Christian Ward, and for someone so popular with such limited signing times, like, was willing to have a conversation, not excessively as some people do when they delay their lines, but he was willing to chat, you know, ask questions. And it was wonderful.

>> Elliot: so that was really a highlight for me in a book I'm currently reading and really excited about. The other one is ah, I was telling Guido towards the end of our like 7 hours in Artis Alley that I love discovering new things like things that are, that are popular that I might have heard about, but I just haven't picked up. And we went over to this and I was telling Guido right before the end, I was like, I know I've gotten some new stuff, but I'm, I feel like I'm missing one thing. And then we went over the, to the distillery booth and I've been reading white boat by Scott Snyder and by Francis Franco villa. And I bought now I'm going to forget Somna. Somna which is Becky Clooney and Tula Lotte. Yes. And is an award winning book and I just haven't read it. So I got the nice beautiful cover and so I was really excited about that.

>> Guido: And spectrograph which is James Stinian and.

>> Elliot: Christian Ward's book and currently I'm really into. I bought the re release, reprinted Superman versus Muhammad Ali and Superman versus Wonder Woman. In the size of those comics, these magazine style and even larger. I'm just really enjoying right now. It's like the first time people bought like widescreen tvs or tvs. I'm just sitting there reading them at night and my whole vision is taken up by these. When it's a double page spread, it's like seeing an IMAX movie.

>> Rob: And as we said, you're older now, so you need the big pictures.

>> Elliot: There is something to that.

>> Rob: I am reading them with my reading.

>> Guido: Glasses, yes, but for a visual medium, it makes sense too, to experiment more. And it happens so infrequently. But it's nice when it does happen and works. And distillery is doing a really cool job as a collector. It was frustrating because they need their own separate box and they can't be in a short box. But I appreciate it as a reader, for sure.

>> Elliot: And distillery, if you're listening, you can make the boxes, we'll buy them. And then lastly, when we're kind of with the structure of the show, talking about the word present, I was more conscious, maybe because of the number of times we've been, about just being more present at the Comic Con. Usually I'm on the hunt and I'm looking to see, ooh, who's the next thing. And I just took this moment while Guido was getting watered, while we went in artist's alley to just like, look up and like, take it all in. And Guido, what you said before is exactly how I feel. It's my time to be present with you guys because I see you a couple of times a year, even though we talk all the time. And just to walk around at the con and talk comics and see what we're excited about, I joked with Guido. We sat down at the, auction and I was going through my backpack and showing you like I used to show my parents. Look what I got signed. Look at this one.

>> Guido: I think I cared more than they would have, probably.

>> Elliot: And then seeing Brad and Lisa from comic book couples counseling, who I've only methadore three times, but they just feel like old friends. There really is something to having these connections on connections on social media. It is more than just a digital relationship. And listening to people on podcasts, I feel like I know them, that I probably know them more than they know me in some ways. But because I do a lot of artwork for them, we're in contact a lot. And, it's just so nice to be present with, people who share a common love, but who are also just, you know, we talked about this last year, but people at Comic Con are genuinely kind, nice people. We have lovely interactions and walk away from people being like, they're so nice. And I just. It's just nice to be surrounded by that positivity.

>> Guido: It's part of why, I mean, I say this and I'm never joking. Like, a tear comes to my eye every time I walk into Comic con the first day, and I just float through it for four days. It's. Everyone is nice. We heard a story this year that there apparently was a fistfight somewhere. I've never seen anything like that. It sounds like it was. Shouldn't have happened, of course. And was people who might have been there for the wrong reasons. But, yeah, everyone else. Vendors, people. You get frustrated because the aisle's, full, but you all are in it together, and no one is unkind. And then. Yeah, the creator engagement, everyone, the staff who work there, everyone is so nice and happy to be there.

>> Elliot: Yeah. The best moment, though, is that Lisa Gullickson from comic book couples counseling got a shirt of the design I did of you guys and was wearing it all day. We didn't see her all day. And then she saw Guido and Rob. And I think you just posted it on your socials that she opened up her shirt, and it's the image of you guys.

>> Guido: Yeah.

>> Elliot: Say it's like comics are for lovers with you guys. Very large comic and that type of moment, those connective, moments are really fun.

>> Rob: And one day after they hosted the Harvey awards, hobnobbing with the, creme.

>> Guido: With Todd Mufarlan, then suddenly we're on her shirt.

>> Elliot: I was a little upset she wasn't wearing that t shirt to host the Harvey.

>> Rob: Yes, exactly.

>> Elliot: Lisa, next year.

>> Guido: Next year.

>> Elliot: Gita, what about you?

>> Guido: well, I'm gonna talk about myself, which I don't like to do all that much, I think. But it's cool. It's not that weird. But, I mean, my book has been out for a few weeks, so it's very present. And my book was for sale there, which is, I guess, wild when I stop to think about it. I just don't stop to think about it very often. So the fact that I have a book being sold at comic Con, and then it sold out at the publisher's booth on the second day.

>> Rob: Yeah.

>> Guido: So that's so cool. And then to hear, you know, people who I love and admire, like, tim sheridan, who's been on the show, say, like, oh, he wanted to get a copy, but they sold out. He's gonna have to order it. And to have Brad and Lisa get a copy that they wanted me to sign and to just encounter people who are. Who care about queer mythology and want to see what I did with it is very cool. It's very strange and very cool.

>> Rob: what's amazing, too, I think, is, aside from even the people that bought it, you have to think there's thousands of people that literally saw the COVID there. So, you know, they did.

>> Guido: Or my t shirts.

>> Rob: Cause you were wearing a t shirt.

>> Guido: Yeah. Every day I have a different shirt, with the art, in part because I love the art of it so much. It's also good marketing, but I really just like the look and like the message, obviously, since I wrote it. So, yeah, people are. People were asking questions. People commented on my shirts. I had bookmarks I was able to give people, and whether they buy it or not is not what's important to me. It's really just the amount of people even who said, like, because one of the shirts has, like, we have always existed, which is the. The title of the introduction to the book. And one person stopped and said, like, oh, I love that idea. That idea is so powerful to me. And so, like, that's it. I don't care if they buy the book. I'm just glad that this is the conversation that's happening, and to be a part of it is very special.

>> Elliot: It was really fun to walk around with you, too, and have people comment on your shirt and the message, and you're like, oh, I wrote a book. Or that you'd give him the bookmark and be like, and he wrote the book.

>> Guido: Yeah.

>> Elliot: So they were so excited. Remember that guy that was working at one of the booths?

>> Guido: Yes. Up, on the ladder. Yeah.

>> Elliot: You didn't notice it, but I. When you walked away, he was, like, looking at the bookmark and looking back at you.

>> Guido: Yeah. And it's fun because I don't like to market myself. It's why I won't ever have a career as an independent creator. I like to do it on the side. but it's fun to make these connections that are meaningful that I'm willing and able to do anytime.

>> Elliot: And I will shamelessly plug his book. If any of you are listening, have children. My ten year old son, is reading Harry Potter with his mom and queer mythology with me. And the other night, you know, I haven't told you the story.

>> Guido: Okay.

>> Elliot: He said, mom, can I read, the book with dad? Because I want to read. It's a great bedtime story. And he chose queer mythology over Harry Potter.

>> Guido: That's good. One is transphobic, one is horribly vitriolic transphobic, and one is not. So we're trying to expose our children.

>> Elliot: To a wide variety of.

>> Guido: Truths.

>> Elliot: So the sequel, can we put that in the back? Like, you know, nine out of ten kids.

>> Guido: Right, chooses over Harry Potter. All right, so let's go into the future. So the things that were teased or sort of got us excited for things to come. And I'll start us off with two that I have that are comic book related because I haven't had too many comic comments yet. So one is, the return of Vertigo is so cool. I hope is getting the attention outside of New York Comic Con that it should be. I've seen the headlines. I mean, it's huge for many reasons. Not just because James Tinian's role means it's going to be incredible storytelling, but the fact that DC is going back to a creator owned imprint, an imprint that is known for bringing forward some of the most original, interesting, creative stories and creators back in the nineties into the two thousands. I think it's a really cool announcement. It's an amazing direction for the company to go in. I love that it's happening and I can't wait to see what books come under it with, of course, the nice house by the sea being the first imprint with the new banner. So I think that is so cool. I think you both are excited for Vertigo.

>> Elliot: Super excited. And what were some of the nineties for people that don't know, like, what is associated with Vertigo?

>> Guido: Sandman is a vertigo book and then hellblazer is a vertigo book. There's tons of small titles by creators like, Peter Milligan and Grant Morrison that were vertigo books. Karen Berger started this imprint, so it was led by a woman, but she was really intentional about bringing in a lot of new up and coming and british creators. So it's. Some of the best stories came out of vertigo books. Grant Morrison and Rachel Pollack's runs on Doom Patrol were under the vertigo banner. So really an incredible imprint that I think there's so much potential for. And it's come back before. It's not been gone forever, but this relaunch feels like a good bowls new direction. the other comic thing is the future and the past, because I can't believe I got Scott McCloud, the author of understanding comics. Reinventing comics. And what's the third one making? No, I can't remember. No. Maybe it is making comics, understanding comics. Making comics. Reinventing comics. But understanding comics is a seminal text about comics. Truly, if you've never read it, go read it, because it changes how you understand, even how a comic book functions in your brain, and how comic books have been a visual medium throughout history. It's an extraordinary text. So getting Scott McLeod's autograph was very cool, but in terms of the future, he shared that he's working on a 600 page volume, which will probably be two volumes, all about visual communication now and the history of visual communication. And so to have Scott McLeod, who is truly a media expert and academic, share a non fiction graphic novel about visual communication, I can't wait. He said it will be a few years, but very cool that he's still interested in producing work that shapes how we understand, how we absorb stories. He's very important. And Rob's never read it, but I'm forcing him to start it tonight.

>> Rob: If my brain can hold anything after walking around for New York Comic Con, well, I'm gonna follow, continue my trend of talking about not comics, but talking about horror, because there's two upcoming movies based on some panels I went to that I'm very excited for. One is coming up sometime hopefully in 2025. And it's called Queen of the Dead. And it is directed by Tina Romero, who is the daughter of George Romero, who basically created the modern zombie. But the really cool thing for this movie is that it's a queer take on, the zombie, and she's a queer woman. It was shot in New York. It takes place at a Bushwick nightclub, and it features all drag and queer and trans performers. So Dominique Jackson from pose is one of the stars. She was on the panel. Jacquell Spivey was the star of, strange loop on Broadway. He's one of the stars. And was on the panel. Lots of other great people as well. And, like, the zombies are gonna have, like, glitter blood. And they showed the first clip of it where a drag queen is killed. And it's also, I think they called it a zomcom too, or something. So it's got gonna have a lot of comedy. It's also gonna have a lot of heart in it. She said, this is not gonna be one of those movies where there's one final girl at the end. It's gonna be more about a group, an ensemble. And I just was super excited. The one clip they showed was really funny. It looked really well shot. I saw that shudder. Was a co producer, so hopefully it ends up on shudder at some point as well, but was very excited for that. And the other thing I was excited for was I went to the Mike Flanagan panel. Big.

>> Guido: Another person like Ty west, who, like, feels like he should have done comics or either adapting comics or writing comics, but hasn't yet. I could see Mike Flanagan doing it.

>> Rob: He was going to do the clayface adaptation, but that never wound up. But it was a great panel with him and his wife and collaborator, Kate Siegel and Carla Gugino and Rahul, Coley. And they were all talking about working together. Really fun. Some of the best quotes I had seen is just an amazing presence. So they were talking about a lot of the past things that they've done. And, Elliot, they were even battling out who's appeared in most of his things. So it just, like, reminded me of you and Ethan.

>> Guido: So I guess. I guess. I guess Ethan's Kate Siegel and Elliot's Carla Gugino.

>> Elliot: So, I want to be Henry Thomas.

>> Rob: Henry Thomas. He was, saying even Mike's own wife has not quite, has not surpassed, Henry Thomas yet. But they talked about a couple of his upcoming projects. One is the dark Tower, which I don't know anything about the dark tower.

>> Elliot: Is this Stephen King?

>> Rob: Stephen King.

>> Elliot: This is.

>> Rob: He's doing. It's going to be massive. He talked about, like, that he really wants to stick to the book, and, like, a lot of other people have kind of jumped in, in the middle and I don't know the dark tower at all.

>> Elliot: A series?

>> Rob: Yes, I think it's a series or series of movies or tv shows, for.

>> Elliot: Sure, because Idris Elba and Matthew M. McConaughey were famously into one nobody saw.

>> Rob: Yeah, but this I love. Just, like, how he. His approach to storytelling and how he talked about that. It's really just sticking with the book, and you can't go back to the beginning. You have to go back to the beginning and his relationship with King. But then the other thing I was super excited for, and I'm not, like, a huge fan of this series necessarily, but he was talking about his upcoming exorcist movie. So I'm very excited for that, because what he said, washington, that you can't just remake the Exorcist, and I did not see the last one, but from watching the trailer, it seemed like, oh, maybe that was some of the issue. It's like they were just trying to remake the original movie. And Mike Flanagan was like, no, you can't go that. That was already perfect. Don't try to remake it. And I love that he said was that the Exorcist was the scary. A lot of people say it's the scariest movie of all time. And whether you believe that or nothing, he was like, it was the scariest movie of that time, and he wants to make the scariest movie of his career. And I thought that was a really great way of approaching it and not just rewriting this material. And he's going back and saying he's taking a lot of inspiration from the Exorcist three, which is a, real favorite movie of mine. So really made me excited for this franchise that I think a lot of horror fans have been burnt out on, but I'm excited to see that and seeing that cast, which he, they call their group the Fl Avengers, a lot of group text. You can tell this is a real, true chosen family. And it made me excited to see how that troupe also finds its way into this exorcist movie.

>> Guido: Yeah, I was jealous of you going to that panel.

>> Rob: Well, you guys wander artist Alley. I just taking all the panels that I can. And Elliot, what are you excited for? For the future?

>> Elliot: So coming away from New York Comic Con this year, we've talked about James Tinian so much podcast, but he's the creator that I am all in on now. Like, I am so excited to read more of his stuff. I was just telling you guys before we got on air that I ordered his batman, run omnibus that I've never readdevelopethereze. I'm just such a huge fan of everything that he. That I'm currently reading. And I'm really excited I picked up the deviant. We got to talk to the artist, joshua hickson. Peter got some original art from him.

>> Guido: Yes.

>> Elliot: And so I bought issue number one. I'm excited to when the hardcover comes out to get that. So I'm just looking forward to reading a lot more of, jumping into the tiny onion world. I feel the same way about what's going on in DC comics. I'm a huge marvel fan. Marvel was my first thing, but DC is feels like it's just doing things that are so exciting. So absolute batman number one was awesome. I got to, meet jason aaron and got picked up the ash can for absolute superman and absolute Wonder Woman. The art and the storytelling looks really fun. So I'm really excited about the all in initiative. It's doing exactly what it's supposed to be doing and getting me excited.

>> Guido: Yeah.

>> Elliot: And on my, I order comics online. I pre order them. And my list is just full of DC comics.

>> Guido: And I love, what I've loved about the all in initiative. I don't even know how they've marketed it. I truly have read nothing about it. It just feels like it happened. And I've been very busy the last month or two that it's been coming out. But what maybe they intended and if they didn't, then they succeeded in is it feels all in on these multiple levels where, like, I feel all in. Like, I'm willing to read anything. It feels all in. And that, like, the creators feel like, first of all, every book feels like it has this extraordinary team of, really great people. And these are not necessarily, like, seasoned people who keep getting work. It's like there are some really new people, but all are really interesting. The books feel of, a piece, but they're not connected. It's not like the new 52 where they're trying to weave everything together. So whatever they intended by all in, I'm not sure, but it really is working for me to brand this moment, and it's helping me feel very motivated too, like you to just go all in to be like, yeah, I'm going to read this one. I'm going to read this one. I'm picking up books I haven't read just to see, like, oh, maybe I will like this. And even though these aren't reboots, they're not starting the stories over. It's an opportunity to step in, and I think that's really cool. And I hope other people are exploring it and as excited as we are.

>> Elliot: It'S really neat to hear you say that because I just listened to Scott Snyder on short Box Nation.

>> Guido: Yeah.

>> Elliot: With our friend botter, and he said the exact same thing.

>> Guido: Really.

>> Elliot: He wanted people, the absolute universes, to get new readers into comics. and then the new creative teams were just there to get, you can pick up Batman, but it's not this event, right? It's not a crisis. It's not a relaunch in a new 52. It's just every, so the all in thing is on there, and it's just a, it's a starting off point with really interesting creators, and that's the exact point. And then this is a nice segue into my James Gunn panel. They played an advertisement for DC all in before the James Gunn panel that I went to.

>> Guido: Oh, how cool.

>> Elliot: And all in means the creators are all in they're all conference calling, and it's all in the comics as their tagline. So they want to highlight that comic books are where all these stories that you love that are coming out in movies and, oh, my God, it's starting in the comics, and so they're using a tagline. It's all in the comics, which is really cool too.

>> Guido: That is so cool and makes me mad at Marvel, but it's so cool for DC.

>> Elliot: And then they just announced I'm a, for some reason, I just have this connection with the water, the ocean. I swam. Like, I love competitive swimming, but I love to be in the water. And for some reason, maybe it's super friends. Aquaman has always been this character that I want to, like more interested in, probably because I wanted to be, be able to breathe underwater and talk to sea creatures. And, Jonathan Timms, we talked to, we talked to him. and he's the new artist on the Aquaman book that they're going to relaunch. And I'll always be number one. and I can't remember the writer's name, but it's someone I hadn't heard before. but John Timms was excited to work with him, too.

>> Guido: Yeah, I don't remember either.

>> Elliot: so I want to thank you both because I got to go to the James Gunn creature commandos, panel. It was a first for me because I've gone to comic Con's a lot, but I've never been to a panel before.

>> Rob: So this was my first. I got my first signature. You got your first panel? I got my first, you know, had his first book.

>> Guido: Yeah, lots of first.

>> Elliot: But I have to thank you both because it was my birthday a couple weeks ago, and then Rob Washington gonna go to the panel. And then, and then Guido behind the scenes brokered this deal.

>> Guido: Yeah.

>> Rob: Where I think Guido's taking more credit for this.

>> Guido: I did prompt it. It's because I forgot Elliot's birthday. I forgot Elliot's birthday. I was like, oh, you can go to the panel.

>> Elliot: So I got to go instead. if you've heard this podcast before, you, know that Superman, is how I got into comics. And so James Gunn directing Superman, there was a secret part of me that was hoping for a little bit of.

>> Guido: I think everyone was. Yes, supermandeh.

>> Elliot: that did not happen. But it was just really cool to go to a panel with. It was the whole cast except for Viola Davis, and the woman that plays the bride of Frankenstein from creature commandos. We got to see the trailer that was then put directly online. It was just really cool to see James Gunn and see a whole audience of thousands of people at a panel. there was a little bit of tease. The moderator was like, and James, we've got a trailer coming soon. Right? And he goes, yeah. He goes, did you bring it? And I'm like, jacked up to 200 beats per minute for a second. but it was just neat to hear him comment on it and see the cast. It was Frank Grillo, and I'm forgetting his name right now.

>> Guido: David Harbour.

>> Elliot: David Harbour. Alan Tudyk. Tudyk. Yeah. And a lot of, the woman who is the voice of Cosmo, from Guardians of the Galaxy three. So it's just neat to see everyone. I'd never been to, like, a panel like that before, so, that. That was really fun.

>> Guido: And he did tease Supergirl a bit more and explain Tom King's role, which is cool as a comic fan, really adapting it.

>> Elliot: And I think the big quote unquote, news that was dropped was that they're starting a filming of Supergirl in January.

>> Guido: Yeah.

>> Elliot: but Green Lantern series Peacemaker season two, we just commented on all of it. it was neat to see him as a. You see him on Twitter a lot, or social media actually threads a lot, too.

>> Guido: Yeah, I don't think he is on Twitter.

>> Elliot: Yeah. Commenting on just being really forthright. And it was neat to see that in public, too. And people were really excited to be there, so that was really fun. and lastly, I'm just looking forward to future cons. This really is the most wonderful time of the year. I woke up yesterday morning. I didn't have to, but I was up at 430 in the morning like I did when I was in 6th grade.

>> Rob: That is the Christmas feel, right? We started with a Christmas song and it's like, oh, my God. Santa left the, presents downstairs.

>> Elliot: I'm always so excited for this day. This year was really different. I just felt more settled. I felt more present with you guys. I just love spending this time with you and being at our happy place and seeing these creators and making these memories. And so part of my future is just, I can't wait for this next year. I look forward to it every year. Every year is a little bit different. and I really value this time and love you guys. So it's so much fun that you. I feel like this is a treat, too, because you, you buy me breakfast, all this kind of stuff.

>> Rob: You don't have children here. I don't have children here.

>> Elliot: Just a couple dogs. But, it's really such a special weekend for me every single year. So maybe one year I can go for more than one day. So thank you both.

>> Guido: Yeah, we can't wait for future cons and future episodes about cons. Yes.

>> Rob: So we will see you all here in October 2025.

>> Guido: Or at our next episode in two weeks.

>> Rob: Oh, yes, that too.

>> Guido: That too. Ah. So thank you for listening, dear Watchers. I've been Guido, and I've been Rob.

>> Elliot: And I've been Elliot.

>> Guido: And you can find us.

>> Elliot: Hopefully, you can.

>> Guido: Search our past episodes.

>> Rob: Leave us a five star review wherever you listen to podcast, and we'll be back soon with another trip through the multiverse.

>> Guido: It's the most wonderful time of the year.