The following is an interview with executive director and producer Wendi Mirabella and co-producer Lotti Pharriss Knowles from the Vampire-Con Film Festival of 2011.  The annual film festival has found a home at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles, CA, for the past three years and seeks to bring vampire fans of all genres together for a few nights of film festivities.  This year’s events will feature classic vampire films from the ‘70s and ‘80s on June 3rd and 4th.  For more information regarding Vampire-Con, visit the website, www.vampire-con.com.  

This interview was conducted on Tuesday, May 31, 2011.

CLICK HERE FOR THE AUDIO INTERVIEW

Dear Fanboy Comics Readers:

The Staff of Fanboy Comics is excited to announce a big distribution deal this week in the independent comic book publishing world.  Publishers Group West (PGW), a member of the Perseus Books Group, will begin distributing both front and back list titles from up-and-coming independent graphic novel publisher Archaia Entertainment, LLC.  

Archaia is widely known throughout the graphic novel community for producing visually stunning works that seek to transform the mind, with titles including Mouse Guard, Dapper Men, The Killer, and the entire line of The Jim Henson Company graphic novels.  As reported by Ain’t It Cool News, it was named Graphic Novel Publisher of the Year and received nine Eisner Award nominations in 2011.  Archaia’s domestic and international successes will continue to find large audiences, as PGW is set to distribute the titles to the U.S. and Canada.  According to Archaia CEO PJ Bickett, “We are proud to be forging powerful partnerships with industry leaders in all aspects of our business, underscoring Archaia’s arrival as a substantial player within the publishing world.  PGW represents our newest prestigious partner, a world-class distributor that has the unique ability to expand our company’s titles across the book trade, educational, library, and international markets.”

When Fanboy Comics is not providing you with the latest in geek news and entertainment, the staff and I hope to offer our readers a myriad of opportunities to give back to the community.  We love reading comics, watching movies, and playing video games, but we are never happier than when we are able to help others in need.  With Geeks Care: How You Can Help, FBC will provide you a variety of causes that would greatly appreciate your time.

This week, veteran comic book colorist Moose Baumann (Transformers, The Flash: Rebirth, 52, Green Lantern) reached out to the comic book community in an attempt to raise money for his wife’s cancer treatment.  As is the case for many freelance artists within the comic book industry, publishers do not provide health care as would a normal employer.  In addition, acquiring health care when you have a pre-existing condition, like cancer, is more difficult, as providers are often unwilling to insure you.  With no health care coverage and mounting medical bills nearing $90,000, Baumann is selling high quality prints of his incredible work for only $20.00 each.

Dear Troy Duffy:

Congratulations to you on the epic failure that was The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day! 

Despite your success in the making of the original Saints film, I must say that I am not, in the least, surprised by the horrible piece of s**t that was the sequel.  After viewing the eye-opening documentary Overnight which detailed your rise and dismal fall from the Hollywood spotlight, I was amazed that anyone would give you the time of day, let alone provide you with the capital and means to create a sequel.  Although I enjoyed the first Saints, even I was not looking forward to the second film. 

I think that the title of the sequel alone speaks volumes as to the quality of the film.  Much like Michael Bay with Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, you must have felt that we required a colon-laden title with further explanation as to what we might expect in the film.  Well, sir, much like Michael Bay, you made it quite clear that by adding more money to the film, we could expect more s**t and less plot.  Thank you for clearing that up; I would have been quite confused if you had simply left the title as The Boondock Saints II.   

Dear Mr. Cameron:

Per your request, I viewed your latest film, Avatar.  While I was entertained visually by the film, at no time throughout the two-and-a-half hours did I sprout a tail or have the opportunity to ride a flying dragon.  Given our discussion of this film being a “breakthrough,” I am disappointed that my 3D glasses did not meld to my face, allowing me to participate and interact with the characters. 

I regret to inform you that I have denied your request to be deemed “The King of the World.”  For the time being, you will continue to be referred to as “Titanic-boy.”  If you wish to appeal this decision, please submit your request in writing no later than 30 days after the posting of this letter (along with an autograph from the guy from Grandma’s Boy). 

Dear Fanboy Comics Readers:

It is with great joy that the FBC Staff and I welcome you to our shiny new website!   We hope that you will enjoy the vibrant new look and feel of the site, as it offers easy access to our Blogs, Podcasts, Interviews, and Publishing.  As a visitor, you will be able to create your own user profile and participate in forum discussions for all of our content!

We will continue to keep you updated through The Fanboy Scoop, a daily e-newsletter that contains the top stories from the essential geek news websites.  Many of The Fanboy Scoop’s stories are posted to our pages on Facebook and Twitter; however, you can receive the full e-newsletter each morning by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  

In addition to providing you with the latest in geek news, Fanboy Comics strives to assist artists of all kinds in the production and promotion of their art.  For this reason, we designed the new website to offer greater prominence and visibility for creators who wish to promote their work through our company.  FBC offers a vast array of services to artists, including assistance with development, publishing, and promotion, as well as the opportunity to work with a community of creative professionals.  Under the Publishing section, you will find projects that are currently being produced by Fanboy Comics.  You may also be interested in viewing the FBC Approved^TM section, which showcases the work of artists who independently created and produced their work.

Lastly, we would be remiss if we did not extend a special thank you to our web designer, Robert J. Peterson, to whom we are eternally grateful.

Thank you for being a part of the Fanboy Comics ‘verse!  Enjoy the new website!

Sincerely,
Barbra J. Dillon
Fanboy Comics
Managing Editor
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.fanboycomics.net

Dear Conan O’Brien and Staff,


As a longtime viewer of your show, I must submit a formal complaint.  You are too humorous for your own good.

Prior to watching the newly-released Thor movie in theatres this past weekend, I was privy to your cut of the Thor trailer.  Needless to say, I have been unable to watch the Marvel-generated trailers when they appear on television in the manner in which they were intended.  Unfortunately, all of Thor’s dialogue has resonated in my head in a flamboyant and highly effeminate tone.  In fact, I was brought to laughter in the movie theatre this past weekend when Thor repeated the lines that appeared in your cut of the trailer.  

Dear Mr. Tarantino:

On behalf of fan-boys (and fan-girls) everywhere, thank you for the many films that cultivated our adolescence.  Our teenage years were laid to a soundtrack of K-Billy’s Super Sounds of the '70s, as we mimicked some of the coolest, most bad-ass characters that we had ever witnessed, the likes of which had not been portrayed since Boba Fett.  The wit of your dialogue and the ingenuity of your storylines captivated us and spawned a generation of Tarantino groupies.

Having viewed the faux-trailers in the midst of Grindhouse and, most recently, Inglourious Basterds, I must beg of you:  please choose your friends and business partners more wisely.  It seems as though you have fallen into the wrong crowd, Mr. Tarantino, and by the wrong crowd, I mean Eli Roth.  While your films were once intelligent and violent with an artistic flair, they have become so over-the-top with the gore and camp that characterizes Roth’s films that I shudder in disbelief when your name rolls through the credits.  You are quickly falling off the pedestal on which your fans had placed you, and I would hate for movies like True Romance, Reservoir Dogs, and Pulp Fiction to be tainted by association.

As Fyodor Dostoevsky brilliantly displayed throughout his novel, Crime and Punishment, money united the most saintly and sinister of characters, as their eventual moral degradation heavily depended on their possession of it or lack thereof.  By highlighting the characters Rodya Raskolnikov and Arkady Svidrigailov, Dostoevsky illustrated that all people, when faced with extreme economic conditions, possessed the ability to become immoral, self-involved, and ultimately evil.  To remedy these issues of self-centeredness, pride, and greed, the underlying motif of the novel, poverty, demonstrated the need for ideals of self-sacrifice and compassion.  Accompanied by the theme of self-alienation, the author attempted to convince the reader that the battle against moral degradation would only be won by bonding together in times of poverty.  In essence, while Dostoevsky clearly depicted that this moral demotion was prevalent in society, he was certain to explain that this occurrence was unacceptable and needed to be rectified.       

It’s no secret that the Broadway show Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark has been plagued by numerous cast injuries, poor writing, and bad press.  Given the $65 million price that went towards production of the show, many are left wondering why so much money was spent in the first place.  In the wake of this catastrophic disaster emerged a show that many hope will turn theatre on its head.  Created by writer Justin Moran (POPE! The Musical), The Spidey Project: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility is a guerilla-style theatre production that aims to write, rehearse, and perform a Spider-Man-inspired musical within 30 days on a $0 budget.  The show is scheduled for two performances on March 14th at the Peoples Improv Theatre in NYC.  

The following is an interview with actor and improviser Ryan Nelson, who co-stars in The Spidey Project.  Ryan can be seen at The Magnet Theater in New York City in POPE! The Musical, performing musical improvisation with Choral Rage, and playing once a year with the super group Under Your Bed.

This interview was conducted on Tuesday, March 8, 2011.