At last, the final day of Denver Comic Con 2013! It was a great weekend and I can’t think of a better way to end it than to have William Shatner speak. Of course Stan Lee was supposed to be the guest of honor on Sunday, but due to conflicts in schedule, he had to drop out a week before con started. Howeve,r William Shatner was amazing and was willing to step in at the last minute to speak before a packed house. It was a great last day and it was a great second Denver Comic Con as a whole.
Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day Spotlight
Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day were a lot of fun. They had great chemistry together and really vibed off of each other more so than any other panelists this weekend. They are paving the way for new media with their website and YouTube channel, Geek & Sundry. They answered questions about the wave of new media and where they plan on taking it from here. Here’s some Q&A from their panel:
Q: You are both pioneering new media, so what do you have to say about internet, media, and paving the way for what will be the new media medium of the century?
Wheaton: We live in an era where the distance between this thing I have in my head and sharing it with you is the distance between my hands and the keyboard. And that is a powerful thing. You see TV companies trying to copy this thing that we have, and they’re unable to.
Q: Wil, have you had a chance to go to any Microbreweries around here?
Wheaton: You guys, holy crap, it’s like Disney Land for beer here! I have not been to one since I’ve been here, but I have had a lot of Denver’s beer and it’s great.
Q: What’s it like working with the guys from the Big Bang Theory?
Wheaton: They’re awesome. They are really really fun. I can identify with their characters and their personalities. I really love Leonard and his character, but I really love Mayim. Mayim is one of the most underrated comedic actors of my generation. I want Mayim to have her own show so I can watch it every week. But I am grateful for being on the show and it is great.
Q: Do you have any plans to expand Geek & Sundry?
Day: Yes,. we’re always working on new shows for Geek & Sundry. One of the things we’re doing this year is shorter runs of shows to make sure that you guys respond to it. We have some really cool shows in development that we will talk more about at San Diego Comic Con, but we’re just trying to find new voices for us. We are looking for more people to join us and are really happy with some of the people we have found.
Breaking into the Video Game Business
Panelists: HB Duran, Brian Robbins, Bryan Mashinter, Allison Allain, Serafina Pechan
This panel was super informative for anyone who was interested in programming, game development, or even video game journalism. What I really liked about this discussion was there were lots of people with great questions. A lot of the people who attended the panel were still in high school and wanted to know what the best path to take to learn programming was. There were people who wanted to know how to get into the industry if they had no programming skills or art skills. The panelists were able to give the best, most helpful answers. They provided everyone with answers that they could take with them in the real world and use in their pursuit into the video game business. The questions were pertinent and the panelists were knowledgeable. That is what made this panel great to attend if you were interested in this subject. If you are interested in video game development you can go to http://www.igda.org/ . There are over 90 chapters across the country that have meetings, and they are a great place to go if you are or want to become a developer.
William Shatner Spotlight
I have never heard someone take so long to answer a question that was so long winded, you even forgot what the question was. And of course I mean this in the best way possible. William Shatner is amazing. He is full of stories, great insights, and he’s a laugh riot. There was a line from the front door to Timbuktu full of Trekkies dressed as members of Starfleet and aliens. The main event hall, which holds about 1,600 people, was totally full. This panel was also simulcast in two other rooms in the Convention Center. Just about everyone there wanted a chance to hear Shatner speak. Here’s a bit of his Q&A:
Q: Who is your favorite Star Trek villain?
Shatner: Uh, haha, I don’t count the villains I count the women. And many of the women were villainous let me tell you!
Q: How did you feel about being a part of the first interracial kiss?
Shatner: You want to know about the kiss between Nichelle and me? Well Nichelle’s lips were moist. I gently sought to open her mouth. The script called for me to kiss her and I did. What happened afterward was a bit strange. Some of the stations in the south did not want to air that episode. They needed more knowledge, and hopefully, they have gotten it now. It really wasn’t a big deal for us.
Q: Have you seen Star Trek Into Darkness? And if you have, what are your thoughts about it?
Shatner: I haven’t seen it – have you? J.J. Abrams is a genius we all know that. You know he is doing Star Wars as well… but no I haven’t seen Into Darkness yet.
Q: What is your favorite Star Trek Movie?
Shatner: Star Trek V. I thought Star Trek V had the best director out of any of the Star Trek movies.
Q: When you were playing the role of James Tiberius Kirk, did you ever feel like it would be better to be James Tiberius Kirk, instead of being an actor?
Shatner: I am James Tiberius Kirk. And I got the scars to prove it! No, I have never mixed in my life of purported reality and purported fiction.
Finishing Statement: He was so colorful; such a colorful character. I love the aspect of command, of making something happen. It was a wonderful role that lasted me three years and six movies. I then wrote all those books about what Kirk would do. And as a result of Captain Kirk, I am here as a celebrity taking over for Stan Lee. Who else would they have thought of? I loved everything about Captain Kirk, and I thank you for being here this afternoon.
Summary:
Denver Comic Con 2013 started out a bit rough, but ended up being a very enjoyable weekend. Remember that this is only the second Comic Con that Denver has had, and the number of attendees this weekend jumped from 27,000 last year to about 50,000 this year. They got a bit too big too fast, but hopefully they can learn from their downfalls this year and come back even bigger and better next year. I had a lot of fun covering the con this year and I want to thank Geek News Network for letting me cover it. I also want to thank Denver Comic Con for being such an amazing event, and I can’t wait to see what they are going to do next year! Thanks for reading!
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