JMS at C2E2 in Chicago April 26-28, 2013

[Jan]

JMS mentioned it earlier in the week but I found the announcement on the C2E2 page just now:

J. Michael Straczynski

Best known for: Before Watchmen, The Amazing Spiderman and Superman: Earth One

Appearing: All Days

J. Michael Straczynski is the only writer in the entertainment field to win the Eisner Award, the Ray Bradbury Award, the Satun Award, two Hugo Awards, the Inkpot Lifetime Achievement Award and be nominated for a British Academy Award for Best Screenplay. In comics he's written The Amazing Spiderman, Thor, Supreme Power, Midnight Nation, Superman: Earth One and three Beyond Watchmen miniseries for DC. In film, he wrote Clint Eastwood's Changeling, Kate Beckinsale's Underworld Awakening, the Wachowski's Ninja Assassin, and worked on Kenneth Branatgh's Thor. In TV he created Babylon 5, Crusade and Jeremiah, and is developing two new TV series, one for Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment, and another co-created with the Wachowskis, which has been picked up for a 13 episode commitment. Finally, in 2012, Straczynski and Patricia Tallman launched Studio JMS, which has commitments for TV series, movies and web series in addition to relaunching the Joe's Comics imprint with Image. The first comic from that imprint, Ten Grand, will be making its debut at C2E2.

Chicago's my hometown and it's also my birthday weekend so I'm definitely going.

Jan

[Jan]

Wow! They're already posting part of the schedule. Found this so far:

JMS New Series Panel #121
Date: Friday, April 26
5:45 pm - 6:45 pm

Location: W474

Speaker: J. Michael Straczynski

Description:
J. Michael Straczynski speaks! (Despite our requests to the contrary.) HEAR the latest news from Studio JMS in comics, TV and film! SEE terrifying glimpses of projects yet to come! EXPERIENCE the awe and wonder of...of...okay, fine, look, he's gonna talk about stuff you might be interested in, so swing on by, it'll be fun. Would we lie about a thing like that?

(I fixed a minor typo)

ETA: I have a feeling that the two descriptions are swapped...

JMS Spotlight #128
Date: Saturday, April 27
3:15 pm - 4:15 pm

Location: W474

Speaker: J. Michael Straczynski

Description:
Joe's Comics, the imprint that brought you Midnight Nation and Rising Stars, is pleased to debut its first new offering here at C2E2: Ten Grand, written by JMS and drawn by Ben Templesmith. A special C2E2 convention-only variant cover will be distributed at the panel, which will also discuss some of the other titles coming your way from Joe's Comics, by way of Image.

(This looks like it should be the blurb for the New Series rather than the spotlight)


I'm particularly going to be on the lookout for signings since there'll be the free issue of TEN GRAND #1 with the special convention variant cover.

ETA 2: The fixed the descriptions to match the correct panel.

Jan

[Jan]

Nice interview with JMS on the C2E2 site:

http://www.c2e2.com/Features/The-Bullhorn/C2E2-Interview-with-J-Michael-Straczynski/

The best part is actually arriving at the convention. There's an energy, an electricity that's created from the presence of people doing what they love that persists from the moment that you first walk in the door until you leave.

Yep.

Jan

[Jan]

Mira Furlan and Bruce Boxleitner will be there for Lantern City. Fun!

Jan

[Looney]

I hope I can go. . . .

At least this one is in my home state. Just a 4+ hour drive, how can I miss it?!

[Jan]

JMS posted about he and Ben Templesmith signing at C2E2:

At C2E2 Saturday 4/27 at 4:30 Ben and I will be at Joe's Comics table signing and giving away 500 convention variant copies of Ten Grand #1

It's one per family, btw.

Jan

[Looney]

I have questions...

It looks more and more like I am headed to C2E2. I haven’t been to one of these since Comic Con 2000 when I lived in California. So, who can tell me what to expect?

I notice it says Bruce and Mira will charge $30 per autograph. I have been to a sports related event where you bought autograph tickets near the entry gate prior to seeking out the individual. You then stand in line and hand your ticket in when you step up to the table; as the description of the Photo Ops for this event reads. Is this the case or will they have someone with them who will take your money for the autograph sessions?

Also, it says $30, but is that a flat rate for anything you want them to sign? For instance, would they charge more if you wanted them to sign a poster? Will they charge you extra for a headshot they brought? Or do they charge more if you want them to sign something that isn’t a headshot? And will they personalize it, i.e. put, ‘To So&So’ before they sign it? (I like to get autograph-ers to personalize things. Not for my own ego, but so they know I am not getting it to turn around and re-sell it.)
And opinions: who thinks it is better to bring something as opposed to having them sign something they brought?

In the events schedule I noticed that Bruce and Mira are going to have photo ops. Who is going to give me $60 for the photo op with both? My real question is, do they mind if you take pictures of them during signings or whenever? I know people take those pictures, but does anyone know if Bruce and Mira care? I would hate to make them uncomfortable, like the people who will try to get them to stand up and take a pic with them. (And I really do need that money because I want photo ops with, at a minimum, Bruce, Mira, Ron Perlman, and Adam West. Take up a collection or whatever you guys need to do to make this happen.)

I am leaning toward going all 3 days, but I am not sure I’ll be able to fill that time. I want to see The Lantern City discussion on Saturday. As mentioned here, JMS will only be pushing Ten Grand on Friday; Saturday sounds more general. I could probably skip Sunday, but it is cheaper to buy all three days and not just two. However, I don’t know what I am going to do? After I get a few autographs and attend two or three panels and add in some panels to kill time, what’s next? I don’t have a lot of money to do tons of shopping, so should I bite the bullet and skip Friday to focus on Saturday? I don’t want to, but I hate to spend a lot of money just to sit around all day. . . . Or will I be in line all day?

Ok, I think that is a good start. If I have more I'll post them later. Sorry, I am very paranoid about this stuff. I had a bad experience at a Trek convention in 1999. Three out of the Fab 4 really didn't like me. I'll let everybody know when I am ready to talk about it.

[Jan]

It looks more and more like I am headed to C2E2. I havenÆt been to one of these since Comic Con 2000 when I lived in California. So, who can tell me what to expect?

I was at C2E2 *very* briefly last year and I've been to tons of other cons so I can help, I think.

I notice it says Bruce and Mira will charge $30 per autograph. I have been to a sports related event where you bought autograph tickets near the entry gate prior to seeking out the individual. You then stand in line and hand your ticket in when you step up to the table; as the description of the Photo Ops for this event reads. Is this the case or will they have someone with them who will take your money for the autograph sessions?

Chances are, you won't have to pre-buy autograph tickets. Sometimes stars have somebody to collect money for them, sometimes not. If there's somebody at the table with them, it's usually best to offer them your payment and if they're not supposed to take it, they'll let you know.

Also, it says $30, but is that a flat rate for anything you want them to sign? For instance, would they charge more if you wanted them to sign a poster? Will they charge you extra for a headshot they brought? Or do they charge more if you want them to sign something that isnÆt a headshot? And will they personalize it, i.e. put, æTo So&SoÆ before they sign it? (I like to get autograph-ers to personalize things. Not for my own ego, but so they know I am not getting it to turn around and re-sell it.)

Yes, it's generally the fixed rate per autograph whether you bring something of your own or get a photo from them. Most of the time they'll be glad to add whatever personalization you ask for as long as you're not asking them to call you their bestest friend in the whole wide world or accept your proposal of marriage in writing.

And opinions: who thinks it is better to bring something as opposed to having them sign something they brought?

Depends on your own tastes. I've never had a burning desire to collect autographs but I like to meet the actors and thank them for their work (as well as encourage their con attendance) so what I did for a while was to collect autographs on 'Sleeping in Light' music CDs. Is there something from B5 that you already have that means a lot to you? Then that would be a good thing to get signed. Or is there a scene in the show that you could get a screen-grab printed of? That's another idea. But for really nice photos of the characters you like, I'd go with the photos they'll be offering. There's generally a pretty good selection.

In the events schedule I noticed that Bruce and Mira are going to have photo ops. Who is going to give me $60 for the photo op with both? My real question is, do they mind if you take pictures of them during signings or whenever? I know people take those pictures, but does anyone know if Bruce and Mira care? I would hate to make them uncomfortable, like the people who will try to get them to stand up and take a pic with them. (And I really do need that money because I want photo ops with, at a minimum, Bruce, Mira, Ron Perlman, and Adam West. Take up a collection or whatever you guys need to do to make this happen.)

Yeah...good luck with that!

As to your question - I'm not sure about how free they're likely to be since there are paid photo ops available. Under most circumstances, they're happy to have you take a photo as long as you ask beforehand so they're prepared. Bruce is very gregarious and usually is glad to come around the table to stand with you (but that may not be the case since professional photo ops are going to be available) and Mira more reserved. I've got a dim memory that Mira is (or was) sensitive to flash photography, too.

BTW, you might check the fine print, but generally the professional photo ops do NOT include an autograph by the star after you collect your print. Something to keep in mind.

I am leaning toward going all 3 days, but I am not sure IÆll be able to fill that time. I want to see The Lantern City discussion on Saturday. As mentioned here, JMS will only be pushing Ten Grand on Friday; Saturday sounds more general.

Given that it's the debut of Ten Grand, I'll be interested in seeing what he's got planned for that one. I'm kind of hoping that we might be treated to a preview of the dramatic reading. Seeing a comic on a big screen while listening to the dialog is a lot of fun (as happened at SDCC and his Wonder Woman panel a couple of years ago).

For his Spotlight panels, JMS usually gives an update on any current projects and then opens things up to questions from the audience. Those questions range from writing, to projects, to comics to TV to animation...well, you get the idea. Last year there was a really noisy panel next door so when a request to quiet down didn't help, he recruited folks to join him onstage to pound on the connecting wall. It was fun. He ended up running around the room and taking the mike to the people asking questions. I've never been bored at a JMS panel.

Hope to see you there. Come and say Hi if you see me. I'm short, round and mostly silver-haired. And I'll probably be carrying a distinctively B5/JMS con bag - we'll see.

Jan

[Looney]

Thanks!

Those answers were great. So, ask before taking any pictures even if you don't really want them to pose. Well, it isn't that important to me, so I only take pics if I see a lot of other people doing it and it seems ok. I would never ask them to pose normally and especially not with me because A. it wouldn't be allowed at this con; and B. it holds up the line. And yeah, it doesn't read like the photo op ticket gets you an autograph. I looked around the site, but all I found was in the description of individual photo op schedules. Nothing of about an autograph is mentioned. It would still be nice to have a photo with them. I'll have to see how my funds hold up.

So, you say you were there very briefly last year. Should I expect lines? In all honesty it would be great if I could get there mid-afternoon Friday then be there all day Saturday. My guess is there won't be long lines, but I don't know. I am sure there will be some line for JMS' panels and Lantern City, but probably not too much of a line for Bruce and Mira signing.

And are you saying Bruce and Mira aren't my 'Bestest Friends' in the whole world? And no way they would turn down a proposal from me!

THANKS ! ! !

[Jan]

So, you say you were there very briefly last year. Should I expect lines? In all honesty it would be great if I could get there mid-afternoon Friday then be there all day Saturday. My guess is there won't be long lines, but I don't know. I am sure there will be some line for JMS' panels and Lantern City, but probably not too much of a line for Bruce and Mira signing.

There are pretty much always long lines for JMS panels, though last year they scheduled it early on Sunday so the room wasn't full.

I didn't even go into the show floor as I had to squeeze in visits with friends and family plus the JMS panel all into 26 hours. But considering the hours posted for Mira and Bruce, I don't think you need to worry about excessive wait times.

Assuming you want to snag the con exclusive comic and JMS' autograph, you'll (we'll) need to really scurry when his spotlight panel lets out. The panel rooms (last year at least) are a floor above the show floor and his table is way inside it. So far that's the only signing for him that I've seen posted. There's sometimes a danger that the con will cut off the line.

Jan

[Looney]

Uhuh . . .

Long lines for JMS is good to know. And if they are signing 500 after the panel then I may as well skip the panel and go line up at the table. You know that is what other people will be doing. I guess it isn't really too important to me. That could something I skip and just aim for Saturday. It is the only thing I had marked down as 'Must' on Friday, but I don't want to fight a crowd scrambling for the comic afterward.

[Jan]

Remember, JMS's signing of Ten Grand will be after his spotlight on Saturday, not after the Ten Grand panel which is Friday.

It's hard to know what to do. On his own, I've seen JMS sign for *much* longer (like-hours longer) than his posted times and other times the con has cut off the line.

Thinking about it, though...since the signing is going to be at JMS' own table, I can't think of any reason why the con would cut off the line. The table seems to be placed where line management should be easy. And 500 comics is a lot, particularly since he's made it clear that it's only one per family.

Jan

[Looney]

Wow!

I should have read that more thoroughly. Saturday only is looking pretty likely, although I would love dealing with the likely smaller crowd Friday. It seems weird that they are not signing after the Ten Grand panel instead. Now the only problem is the fact that the Lantern City panel is at 6:30. If there is a line for that crossed over with waiting in the Joe's Comics Line there could be a disaster! Thanks for talking about it with me today.

[Looney]

C2E2 Lantern City

I received an email update from the Lantern City site about the panel that will be at C2E2. There was a video invite from BB to come to C2E2 and participate in the panel as well as an announcement that the panel will be streamed lived to invitees who can't attend C2E2, though I imagine it will be streamed live to anyone who goes to the Lantern City site that day. Best part was that you could really tell BB was reading the cue cards. I am still not positive about going C2E2 this weekend. I am not following it, but I see the Phoenix con thread is really active and I am still trying to find money to attend that one instead. Going to Chicago may take a backseat if I think I have a shot at Phoenix. And I am not reading that thread because you people are only making it more difficult to accept that I can't go to that one, but I am still trying.

[Jan]

If I could only choose one, I'd definitely opt for the Phoenix con. But if you do make it to C2E2, look for me - I'll be carrying a 'Never Surrender Dreams' tote bag.

I've posted to JMS' Facebook page to confirm his schedule, particularly since there's a discrepancy in when the con exclusive comics will be given out. The panel description for Friday says that it will be there but when JMS posted that his signing will be after his panel on Saturday, he said that's when the comics will be handed out.

Stay tuned for the Latest Updates, right here on JMSnews!

Jan