Comic News Insider

Jimmy Aquino's Ice Bucket Challenge

 

Yup. I did it. Blame recent co-host Emily Edwards. :) Please do what I did and give to ALSA.ORG even if you’re doing the challenge. 

Now it’s your turn:

1. Jonathan Ross
2. Emma Vieceli
3. David Monteith

You have 24 hours! 

#IceBucketChallenge #KeptMyTagsNerdy 

Episode 564 - A Podcast to Kill For

Comic News Insider: Episode 564 is now available for free download! Click on the link or get it through iTunes! Sponsored by Dynamic Forces.

Reviews: The Fade Out #1, Justice Inc Vol 3 #1, Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland #1, Multiversity #1, Steampunk Battlestar Galactica 1880 #1, Doctor Who season premiere, Intruders season premiere, True Blood series finale, Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill For

Jimmy is joined in studio by frequent co-host Emily Edwards and boy do they have a lot to chat about. SO many reviews! They briefly talk about the Emmys, CNI gets covered on The Beat and a reminder to give to Seth Kushner's GoFundMe campaign. News includes: Donald Glover is finally Spider-Man, Dancing Groot toy grooving towards market, Action Comics #1 goes for over $3 million in auction, Lois Lane gets into the YA game and NYCC debuts Eastern Championships of Cosplay. Leave your iTunes comments! 5 stars and nothing but love!

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Episode 563 - SDCC: Spotlight on Francesco Francavilla!

Comic News Insider: Episode 563 is now available for free download! Click on the link or get it through iTunes! Sponsored by Dynamic Forces.

Jimmy moderated his good pal Francesco Francavilla's spotlight panel at Comic Con. They chatted about his career in comics from creator owned The Black Beetle to mainstream work like Batman, Afterlife With Archie, Captain America and Bucky, Black Panther and more. They also talk about his poster work for Mondo, his Eisner winning cover work, his pop culture obsession and drawings inspired from it, and so much more! Listen in to hear about Francesco's fantastic life and career in comics! Leave your iTunes comments! 5 stars and nothing but love!

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Episode 562 - Yet Even More SDCC w/ Lucy Knisley & Yomi Ayeni/Corey Brotherson!

Comic News Insider: Episode 562 is now available for free download! Click on the link or get it through iTunes! Sponsored by Dynamic Forces.

Reviews: Lady Zorro #1-2, Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman #1, Outlander (on Starz)

Jimmy is joined in studio by podcast wife Erica Schultz! Been too long since the podcast marriage came together and they have lots to chat about. Erica talks about her recent appearance at Boston Comic Con, Jimmy was a guest on friends Brea Grant and Zane Grant's podcast Mystic Party (Episode 22), and they get excited over the rumored Blu-Ray release of the original unaltered Star Wars trilogy. It's the last of our San Diego Comic Con interviews as well and we go out with a bang of comic book goodness. Jimmy chatted with the amazing Lucy Knisley about her new work and had a great convo with awesome UK comic writers/pals Yomi Ayeni and Corey Brotherson about their latest outputs. News includes: Marvel tests the Wal-Mart waters, Valiant brings free comics and a new non-revival comic, Dustin Harbin will draw anyone for $50 and Sony's Powers TV show casts the leads. Come back this weekend to hear the Francesco Francavilla panel that Jimmy moderated at SDCC! Leave your iTunes comments! 5 stars and nothing but love!

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Episode 561 - SDCC: Defiance w/ Stephanie Leonidas/Julie Benz/Kevin Murphy

Comic News Insider: Episode 561 is now available for free download! Click on the link or get it through iTunes! Sponsored by Dynamic Forces.

Jimmy attended the press room roundtables for hit SyFy show Defiance. Cast and producers were in attendance and we chatted with Stephanie Leonidas, Julie Benz, and Kevin Murphy. Boy howdy is that Stephanie an absolutely stunning lady in person and Jimmy didn't at all get all flustered sitting next to her. Leave your iTunes comments! 5 stars and nothing but love!

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Episode 560 - SDCC: Intruders w/ Mira Sorvino/John Simm/James Frain/Julie Gardner/Glen Morgan

Comic News Insider: Episode 560 is now available for free download! Click on the link or get it through iTunes! Sponsored by Dynamic Forces.

Jimmy attended the press room roundtables for upcoming BBC America show Intruders. Cast and producers were in attendance and we chatted with Mira Sorvino, John Simm, James Frain, Julie Gardner and Glen Morgan. Apologies for the TERRIBLE reporter from HGTV at the roundtable with us whom manipulated the conversations with inane questions and literally interrupted the talent at one point to get another stupid question in. Lame and for shame! Besides that, the series sounds quite intriguing and it was great to get some questions in to hear more about it. Leave your iTunes comments! 5 stars and nothing but love!

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Episode 559 - Even More SDCC w/ Orphan Black (Tatiana Maslany/Jordan Gavaris/Maria Doyle Kennedy/Ari Millen/Dylan Bruce/Kristian Bruun/Graeme Manson/John Fawcett) and Gene Luen Yang!

Comic News Insider: Episode 559 is now available for free download! Click on the link or get it through iTunes! Sponsored by Dynamic Forces.

Reviews: Genius #1, Howtoons (Re)Ignition #1, Usagi Yojimbo Senso #1

Jimmy planned on having the podcast wife Erica on to co-host but due to a work commitment on his part, he had to go solo. Next week there shall be a co-host! He discusses the demise of The Podcast Arena at New York Comic Con this year and mourns/gives tribute to one of his idols Robin Williams. Jimmy sat in the roundtables for the hit BBC America show Orphan Black and chatted with stars and producers Tatiana Maslany, Jordan Gavaris, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Ari Millen, Dylan Bruce, Kristian Bruun, Graeme Manson, and John Fawcet. The roundtables were brief as they had to rush off to their panel but we got some good questions in. Apologies for the annoying/unprofessional reporter from HGTV whom manipulated the tables with her inane questions and often interrupted talent to chat with them. Besides that, and while brief, we still managed to get some exciting news about the upcoming season! Jimmy also chatted with amazing cartoonist Gene Luen Yang about his new graphic novel The Shadow Hero and some of his awesome past comic work. News includes: a new Batman comic called Gotham by Midnight coming from Ray Fawkes/Ben Templesmith, Disney theme parks will add more Star Wars and Kyle Maclachlan joins Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Leave your iTunes comments! 5 stars and nothing but love!

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Episode 558 - SDCC: Vikings w/ Travis Fimmel/Katheryn Winnick/Alexander Ludwig/Clive Standen/Michael Hirst

Comic News Insider: Episode 558 is now available for free download! Click on the link or get it through iTunes! Sponsored by Dynamic Forces.

Jimmy attended the press room roundtables for the hit History Channel show Vikings. Cast and producers were in attendance and we chatted with Travis Fimmel, Katheryn Winnick, Alexander Ludwig, Clive Standen, and Michael Hirst. Probably one of the best press rooms of the convention in regards to how well they treated media. They provided beer, wine, sodas, snacks, etc! Of course, chatting with the talent was the big draw but always nice to have a beer as you chat. Thanks, History Channel! Leave your iTunes comments! 5 stars and nothing but love!

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Katheryn Winnick & I

Travis Fimmel & I

Episode 557- SDCC: iZombie w/ Rose McIver/David Anders/Malcolm Goodwin/Robert Buckley/Rob Thomas/Diane Ruggiero-Wright

Comic News Insider: Episode 557 is now available for free download! Click on the link or get it through iTunes! Sponsored by Dynamic Forces.

Jimmy attended the press room roundtables for new CW show iZombie. Cast and producers were in attendance and we chatted with Rose McIver, David Anders, Malcolm Goodwin, Robert Buckley, Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright. The show is loosely based on the comic series from DC's Vertigo imprint that lasted 28 issues. Interesting changes to the story for the TV show and it sounds like it'll be a fun ride! Leave your iTunes comments! 5 stars and nothing but love!

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RIP New York Comic Con Podcast Arena

Apparently not enough. I keed! The Podcast Arena at New York Comic Con has been discontinued. In an email I got from a rep, they said:

"For NYCC this year we will not have a dedicated area for podcast tables. Please let me know if you'd like me to put you in touch with our sales team for space at NYCC. "

Joe, Blair Butler, & I at our table in the very first Podcast Arena in 2007

I think we all saw this coming for years and former COMIC NEWS INSIDER (CNI) co-host/current producer (and roommate) Joe called it last year saying he thought they'd be pulling the plug this year. The Arena was constantly shuffled around the floor each year and not really well placed on their website. And last year, we were put in the separate Artist's Alley area and they didn't put up our Podcast Arena sign. Most people I ran into said they had no idea where we were located nor how to find us. Foreshadowing indeed!

Me & Joe at our table in 2008

New York Comic Con started in 2006 and Joe and I attended to cover and do interviews. The following year in 2007, they decided to put together something called the Podcast Arena. CNI spearheaded the organization with NYCC and Joe handled all of the logistics for it and continued to do so until he stepped down from full time co-hosting at the end of 2010. Then I took over with the organization of the Podcast Arena. And boy howdy, was it a lot of work. But it resulted in a great community of comic podcasters all together in one space at NYCC doing their thing. NYCC gave us a great deal on tables each year and we absolutely appreciate the opportunity to showcase our various podcasts and have a place to sit and do interviews. My podcast, CNI, did loads each year with tons of interviews, signings with comic creators and actors, a raffle and more. All of the podcasts (as part of our agreement with NYCC) did advertisting for the show and most of us went above and beyond with that by pimping it out for weeks before and after. Because of that, I took very minor umbrage to the somewhat sterile email reply that is above. A simple "We thank you for your support over the years and all you've done to help NYCC, etc" or something to that affect would have been nice. And the bit about getting in touch with the sales team was kind of unintentionally comical as all of us most likely couldn't afford a regular priced table as we are lowly/destitute podcasters. Ha!

Me, Molly Crabapple, & Joe at our table in 2009

That all being said, it was great fun each year. Having the camaraderie of fellow podcasters nearby helped create a great atmosphere. It was always nice to catch up with each other as many do not live close by and we only see one another at NYCC. Several of our mutual listeners looked forward to coming by and saying hi to us as we enjoyed meeting them in return. They would say how nice it was to meet the faces behind the voices and we felt the same meeting the faces behind the emails/tweets/etc. 

Joe & I at our table in 2010

I want to thank all of the great CNI volunteers over the years for helping to watch the booth, take pictures, wrangle talent and more. Apologies if I've left anyone out but I wanted to at least mention some of you. In no particular order, thanks to Emily Edwards, Carrie Tucker, Kristin G, Colleen Glatfelter, Gretchen Souerwine, Anna Petterson, Jenn Timms, Kasha Minenko, Jessica Harmston, Jon Hoche, Marsha Bell, Robert Bell, Grace Helbig, Erica Schultz, Kevin Conn and others.

Booth helper Jenn in 2011

My nephew Maximus taking over the podcast in 2011 w/ myself and Kelly Sue DeConnick oblivious to it all in the background

Also, massive thanks to the talent who did signings with us including Carrie Preston, Brea Grant, Zane Grant, Kyle Strahm, Jonathan Hickman, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Greg Pak, JM DeMatteis, Michael Avon Oeming, Molly Crabapple, Michelle Mozes, Emma Vieceli, Tony Lee, Becky Cloonan, Veronica Taylor, Ben McCool, Ben Templesmith, Rachel Pandich, Andrew Tunney, Kevin Colden, Jonathan Baylis, Jeremy Bastian, Ming Doyle, Nikki Cook, Monica Gallagher, Andie Tong, Jim Starlin, etc. 

Joe & I at our table in 2012

Of course, massive props to Joe for all of the help over the years as well. And thanks to my fellow podcasters like Comic Geek Speak, Indie Spinner Rack, Comic Timing, Taylor Network, Dafixer's Hideout, Birds of Geek, Raging Bullets, AudioShocker, Geeks Unite, Around Comics and so many others that I am stupidly forgetting. I look forward to seeing you all roaming the floor like I will be in search of a much needed place to sit down and relax for a bit. Perhaps we should just take over an area in the lobby and put up our own signage as the "All-New Podcast Arena!" At least until security kicks us out. 

Me & Joe at our table in 2013

And for you party-goers...fret not. I'll still be holding my semi-exclusive but not really unless you're a jerk Dead Dog Bash on the Sunday night following the convention. You can bribe me for an invite with bourbon and strippers. 

#RIPPodcastArena

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