Today we’ve got Cosplay, Midsummer, stuff from the floor, musicians, artists, Adventures and MORE!

KEEPING SCORE WITH TELEVISION & FILM’S GREATEST COMPOSERS AT COMIC-CON 2016

Tyler Bates, too, teased the new Guardians of the Galaxy 2, saying “the screenplay for the second movie is the best one I’ve ever read in my life.”

CW3PR’s 8th Annual “Behind The Music: Crime, Death, and Resurrection” Panel Highlights Composers and Teases Exciting New Projects took place Thursday morning, the first official day of Comic-Con. Wednesday night was Preview Night, where the show floor and a few other things were open (and packed). Here’s the description from CW3PR:

DrewRoyVioletBeane

“Thursday morning, some of television and film’s greatest composers joined fans to kick things off for the Comic Con weekend at the San Diego Convention Center. These composers discussed how their music elevates the high drama, mystery and mayhem in some of the convention’s favorite cinematic stories. Covering a range of topics, they revealed the in-depth scoring process that enliven what viewers see on the screen. The incredible panelists included Jeff Russo (Fargo, The Night Of, Power, Legion), Mac Quayle (Mr. Robot, American Horror Story, Scream Queens, The People v. O.J. Simpson), Tyler Bates (Guardians of the Galaxy, Salem, Kingdom), Mike Suby (The Vampire Diaries, Containment, The Originals), Bill Brown (Dominion, CSI: NY), and Christopher Drake (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Yoga Hosers).

IMG_6909 copy

Moderating the panel were celebrity guests, actress Violett Beane (The Flash, The Leftovers) and Drew Roy (Falling Skies). The lively and talented duo talked to the composers about the way that music completely transforms their respective shows. Beane noted that on set, they film without hearing the music, but after the score is added in, “the scene all makes sense and totally works.” She continued, “When you’re acting, you don’t get to see that music and when you see the product, it’s so different. It’s so important for the story to work.”

JeffRussoMacQuayleMikeSuby

All of the panelists shared a common love for music dating back to childhood, with this passion leading them to enhancing narratives with their scores.  Bill Brown spoke of his start in the industry, relating to the audience that “composing was a dream as a kid. I fell in love with melodies and themes.” Other panelists, too, spoke of their deep appreciation for music.  Some of the panelists started out in rock bands, such as Jeff Russo, who recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of his band Tonic’s album Lemon Party.  He recalled the influence of that part of his career on his composing, sharing “the one thing I take away from being in a band is collaboration, which you also have to do with filmmakers. You have to incorporate someone’s thought into what you are creating.”

IMG_2897

Reemphasizing the importance of collaboration for success, Mac Quayle shared his experience working with visionary showrunners like Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story, The People v. O.J. Simpson) and Sam Esmail (Mr.Robot).  He discussed the back-and-forth process, in which the composers must fulfill the dreams of their showrunners, while also creating compelling music they feel works.  Mac also shared about his experience live-scoring a table-read for a Mr. Robot promotional event, noting how exciting and different compared to how he normally works in his studio.  Continuing on Mac’s riff of unique experiences, Jeff Russo, discussed his incorporation of the USC Marching Band into Fargo score.  He stated that this was key to the success of the piece, which required heavy drumming, relating that “they played their hearts out.”

IMG_6635

Christopher Drake examined the differences in composing for animation and live action. “In animation,” Drake explained, “a lot of the music has to do the heavy lifting because it has to fill the void left by live actors.” Mike Suby also discussed how he creates the music for fan-favorite shows like The Vampire Diaries, noting the unique nature of the show and its music, “the characters’ anger is times ten and their passion is times ten. We use many different elements for the show and used a lot of old world music.”

steven schwartz

CW3PR’s “8th Annual Behind The Music” panel also included a host of surprises & teases for the future. Stephen Schwartz, renowned composer for the Broadway hit Wicked, came as a surprise guest to announce that the Wicked film will premiere December 20, 2019—even more exciting, he is writing 4 new songs for it. Tyler Bates, too, teased the new Guardians of the Galaxy 2, saying “the screenplay for the second movie is the best one I’ve ever read in my life.” 

stephenschwartz&group

All of the composers agreed on the importance of the story and characters in their music. For Jeff Russo, “The narrative is king, the story is king,” he says. Bill Brown discussed how his themes develop and change from season to season of Dominion, noting, “It is magical to revisit a theme and have it still surprise you.” Christopher Drake summed it up nicely, saying, “It’s all about supporting the story.”

Fab News is supported by my Patreons & sponsored by DVCResaleMarket.com

From the Mailbox:

Adventures by Disney Rhine River Cruise Itinerary Fact Sheet

Adventures by Disney river cruises allow families to experience the heart of Europe in a way that is active, immersive and easy. With the overwhelming popularity of its initial river cruise itineraries with AmaWaterways, sailing the fabled Danube River, Adventures by Disney has introduced a new Rhine River itinerary. Travelers will embark on this unforgettable trip to experience the beauty, history and culture of four countries – France, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands.

New 2017 Adventures by Disney Itineraries

All Adventures by Disney river cruises sail with AmaWaterways, the premier luxury river cruise line. Guided activities on the new seven-night, eight-day Rhine River sailings include:

Basel, Switzerland
  • Savor a taste of Switzerland, including traditional Swiss Fondue.
  • Watch a festive Swiss performance bring to life the sights and sounds of the Alps.
Strasbourg, France
  • Spend two days exploring Strasbourg, the city that bridges French and German culture with picturesque neighborhoods straight out of a fairy tale.
  • Explore the Alsace Region by canoe or on horseback.
  • Visit the Strasbourg Notre Dame Cathedral.
  • Ride a toboggan, hike along a waterfall or zipline through the Black Forest.
Speyer, Germany
  • Visit the Porsche and Mercedes-Benz Museums and savor lunch at a local beer garden.
  • Take a walking tour through Heidelberg and visit Heidelberg Castle with a costumed guide.
Rüdesheim, Germany
  • Set off on a guided bike tour through the pastoral countryside of the beautiful Rheingau or the town of Rüdesheim, a distinguished German wine region.
  • Tour Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet Museum, which contains one of the largest collections of mechanical music boxes, giant pianos and other automated instruments.
  • Enjoy an early evening sail through the UNESCO World Heritage Rhine Gorge.
Cologne, Germany
  • Enjoy tubing, snow biking, curling and more at Germany’s first indoor ski hall.
  • Bike ride along the Rhine River and across the Hohenzollern Bridge.
  • Savor chocolate making and tasting, as well as a visit to the Chocolate Museum.
Amsterdam, Holland
  • Tour Amsterdam’s famous canals then explore the city on foot.
  • Get hands-on during clog painting and a cheese making demonstration in Holland.
  • Discover the art and history of Amsterdam in the national Rijksmuseum.

New 2017 Adventures by Disney Itineraries

An add-on package is also available in Amsterdam, offering a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kinderdijk and a private farewell dinner event. For more information, call 1-888-WDW-MICKEY or 1-888-939-6425 or visit Fairy Godmother Travel.

See You This Weekend at MidSummer Scream!

Midsummer Scream is this weekend, July 30 and 31 at the Long Beach Convention Center, right in my neck of the woods.

MidsummerScreamLogo

The Oingo Boingo Dance Party (all of them except Danny) will be playing Saturday night, there’s an 80’s costume party, panels by Walt Disney Imagineering, Knott’s, Winchester Mystery House, Six Flags, Universal, Garner Holt, Queen Mary, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop – you seriously NEED to be here.

There’s also a ton of workshops, Haunted Attractions and experiences, all sorts of vendors…just the thing to get your soul out of Con Season and into Haunt Season. Let’s DO this, MAN!

GET TICKETS HERE

I’m serious. If you live for Haunt season and  you miss this, you will regret it.

Oingo-Boingo-Dance-Party-MSS-731x1024

SDCC Hasbro Booth, Artist Alley and More

I really, truly hope that D23 EXPO 2017 has a Hasbro booth this year – with just the Hasbro people running the queues and not the clueless Comic Con floor manager there, it went sooooo smoothly Sunday! (Listen to me getting all mean and catty! It MUST have been terrible, right?)

They had an exclusive set of Marvel villains on the other side of the booth, but it was so packed, we couldn’t even get over there! So, here’s some photos of the Disney and Star Wars stuff – we also included things from Yo-Kai Watch, which is a wildly popular Disney XD show:

13691080_10202033803004405_8152539936572613871_o

13692833_10202033803604420_2642611900640408477_o

13698022_10202033803284412_3322784500043998350_o

13724905_10202033802764399_5741566034121440008_o

13737504_10202033803844426_8341323917580951271_o

13735784_10202033804084432_1110509705678842403_o

13732050_10202033805844476_8327307183911708236_o

13730848_10202033805084457_2835554726021807578_o

13710488_10202033804404440_1794257525487096501_o

13730951_10202033804324438_6169986022764379681_o

13730825_10202033814764699_8898778555465893365_o

13738109_10202033814444691_8950028121826429225_o

13680074_10202033814084682_739340057216143385_o

13767188_10202033815364714_5139818357623081704_o

13698102_10202033807124508_7575566771039537048_o

13738281_10202033806644496_9127253265492866990_o

13765860_10202033806484492_1418447072875865844_o

hey baby

hey unmasked baby

And I love the box art on the Hasbro SWC/SDCC Black Series Exclusives:

13710482_10202033801884377_7190896195237342369_o

Here’s a tiny peek at the massive LucasFilm Booth: (I gave Darth Daver dibs!)

13661771_10202033799724323_4878152964762052075_o

Noe and I got on the San Diego local news Thursday night, talking about those skateboard decks, but I think after things went ribald, (I said I was going to hang it above my bed, very innocent, thank you! HE was the one who said it was going to replace the mirror!) I’m pretty sure we hit the digital cutting room floor. If anyone in San Diego knows otherwise, please let us know.

13692899_10202033800244336_656689581066813376_o

13719690_10202033801644371_5584038463598459015_o

13730961_10202033801084357_5149198135364803844_o

13738169_10202033801444366_3130619649656487275_o

IMG_3161

There were a few other great booths. Here’s a couple:

13692759_10202033777723773_6746576521225157418_o

13708237_10202033777803775_292629002424814269_o

This is Geek Chic, whose name always confuses me because I think it’s a clothing company every. single. time. It’s actually a wonderful furniture company, and their chairs are some of the most comfortable chairs, even after HOURS of sitting in them and writing. I’d like to have furniture like this but Adventurers’ Club and tiki style with secret compartments everywhere. And a bar with hidden stuff. And a desk that does the same. I miss my old one. It was incredible. DAVE?!?

13701080_10202033774003680_6876791818857360026_o

13735686_10202033772483642_649550095423484986_o

You can’t see them, but incredibly lifelike figures of the Walking Dead cast are kneeling in front of the camper, and attendees can pose with them.

ABC Designated Survivor

I’m hearing amazing things about this Keifer Sutherland show.

On to Artist Alley!

13698055_10202033780763849_8519501193488661994_o

I’m just gonna walk up to the guy who made (and voiced) Stitch and created Toothless and my beloved Green Tiger and say hey and buy a Kiskaloo (I have one, you should have one too). Stars, I love SDCC.

13698170_10202033785483967_1891426926249727044_o

Katie was behind that guy’s head, but she can, and  boy was she. Check out the Lafayette near the bottom left! Gah, it’s adorable!

13701198_10202033781363864_134294400889217159_o

Just the guy who created Harley Quinn and the show with the best Batmobile (I’ll fight you!)

13710729_10202033788124033_574229906738355662_o

Did you love Alex Buechel’s work at Star Wars Celebration? He also had an Artist Alley booth at SDCC!

13724119_10202033827085007_8281664446161172219_o

More on this guy next week or so, but…look at the lil spaceship on the ear. I’m dying!

13735532_10202033782483892_8429050262399725659_o

Kehasuk, below, one of Alice’s favorites. He has the same booth that a kid had, that I bought a t-shirt from five years back. I still have the shirt, and now that kid works for Disney and just did a show at WonderGround Gallery.

Alicesfave

Claire Hummel is an artist at Disney and also brilliant and a genius. Pretend you’re in 1983 and you can go up to a booth and buy stuff from Glen Keane or Andreas Deja. That would be Claire Hummel now.

Claire Hummel

Let’s finish off with some Cosplay!

13698102_10202033826444991_982634354901115306_o

I told him not to get up. Check out the detail on his staff.

13698236_10202033796764249_8174620312259866361_o

I think he was making the shaka sign at us. Aloha a hui ho, Anakin!

13698302_10202033818044781_3810723389425868325_o

Precious.

13708340_10202033820924853_7420725107384975222_o

We called and called and finally when we yelled MR. MAYOR MR. MAYOR they looked over!

13710586_10202033819164809_8093995916865532742_o

Spot on Roger and Anita Radcliffe and Cruella DeVil 13717400_10202033824364939_2762321852431438169_o

I love to see women my age cosplaying, and love that being sexy shows no boundary in age nor size.  13710738_10202033798644296_5810072039064530127_o

Look at all those strong, wonderful girls! Especially the two in front!

13737709_10202033826484992_6473563323350852288_o

If you haven’t watched/read One Punch Man, I weep for you.

lock shock barrel

Lock, Shock, Barrel … and Lurk!

Ms Marvel

Ms Marvel is here to close out today’s Fab News, making MiceChat feel safe again. Thank you, Ms. Marvel, and

Thank you!

Thanks to my Patreons and to DVCResaleMarket.com for supporting Fab News.

If you’re going to buy or sell DVC (Disney Vacation Club) points very soon, you might want to get hold of Nick Cotton or one of his fantastic sales team at DVCResaleMarket.com before the end of this month, because until August 1, there is only 8.5% commission on DVC sales – and after August 1, that special will be gone. It’s a HUGE savings for you on top of all the money you save buying through DVCResaleMarket.com, and it’s a great way to take home even more money on your points sale, because they will make you glad that you sold through DVCResaleMarket.com if you do decide that pre-paid Disney vacations are not what you want in your future any longer. If you simply want to learn more, their website is a priceless resource. Visit DVCResaleMarket.com today!

When’s Fab News on MiceChat.com? Find out – and SO MUCH MORE! with the FREE Mouseaddict app! PLUS FIREWORKS!!!

If you want to reach me I’m on Twitter,

, Fab News: More Comic-Con Goodness and Disney Adventures

on Facebook,

, Fab News: More Comic-Con Goodness and Disney Adventures

and also available at [email protected].

If you’d like to support Fab News, I’d appreciate it. You can pledge a dollar or more a month through Patreon. Just click on the link or the banner below. Thanks!

FTC-Mandated Disclosure: Sponsorship for this edition of Fab News was provided by DVC Resale Market.

Shelly Valladolid
Shelly Valladolid, aka Fab, has been writing about Disney and theme parks for about two decades. She has written for various fan and pop culture sites, Disney Magazine and OCRegister.com and participated in several books, including Passporter's Disneyland and Southern California and Disney World Dreams. She was co-founder and president of the Orlando, Florida chapter of the NFFC (now Disneyana Fan Club). She taught a class on theme park history at a Southern California University. She is creator and co-owner of Jim Hill Media, one of the creators of MousePlanet and was a consultant on MSNBC, The Motley Fool and others about Disney and various media matters. She was a Heel wrestling manager on TV and a voice artist on the radio in Honolulu, HI, where she grew up. She has a blog and a podcast with her daughter, Mission:Breakout Obsessive Alice Hill. She and her husband, MiceChat columnist Noe Valladolid, live in Southern California with Alice.