finally, fandemic!

Highly anticipated new comic and movie convention finally hits Houston

Comic fans, rejoice: the Fandemic Tour is finally here.

The new comic convention — a three-day event — was originally scheduled for last fall. Unfortunately, that Hurricane Harvey ruined a lot of things, including this convention's launch. (Founder and former Wizard World CEO John Macaluso tried to schedule it later in the year, but several guests had scheduling conflicts.)

Nevertheless, Fandemic is here and has a lot of things in store for people who attend this pop-culture extravaganza. Here's a rundown of five major things:

The Walking Dead will represent
Since Sebastian Stan did his Fandemic appearance last month and Chuck Norris and Milo Ventimiglia have cancelled, the big stars who'll be at Fandemic are cast members from The Walking Dead. Norman Reedus, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Pollyanna McIntosh, and Steven Yeun (RIP Glenn!) will be around on Saturday and Sunday. But they aren't the only big names. Several Guardians of the Galaxy castmates, including Dave Bautista and Michael Rooker, will be in attendance.

There will also be an interesting assortment of actors and actresses from long-gone (but still adored) WB shows, like James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville). Two men who've played Superman — Dean Cain (Lois and Clark) and Tom Welling (Smallville) — will be there. And for the B-movie nerds, Bruce Campbell, star of the Evil Dead movies/TV show and cult-movie icon, will most likely be reciting beloved lines from those films to fans.

Artists abound
Since this is still a comic convention, there will be a number of well-known comic-book artists in the house, like Rob Prior, Geof Isherwood, Rags Morales, and Arthur Suydam (aka "The Zombie King"). But don't forget about such animators as Phil Ortiz, who's done layouts and character design for The Simpsons, and Tom Cook, who has worked for Disney, Hanna-Barbera, and Filmation. This convention will also have spaces available for younger artists — really, really younger artists. Thirteen-year-old Sealy resident Megan Staba will have her own booth, as well as 12-year-old Utah artist Shelbi Webb, who created the superhero comic Sugar Glider.

Thanks to conventions like these, regional artists also get a chance to shine. And over at the area known as Artist Alley, there will be a diverse array of writers, illustrators, cartoonists, pencil artists, designers, digital artists, and other creative folk —not just from Houston, but from all around the state. There will also be plenty of businesses around selling their merchandise. Our favorite that'll be there is The Flying Pig Phenomenon, which specializes in "all your aerodynamic and airborne farm animal needs." We don't know what that is, but we're sold.

A sea of cosplayers
Needless to say, expect cosplayers to swarm the place, dressed as their favorite superhero/video-game character/obscure figure you've never heard of because you're old and out of it. Pandemic will also bring in special cosplay guests Lana Marie and Maddy Lea, who is just nine years old and has been killing it in the cosplay game. But all eyes will most likely be Merly the Cosplay Dog, a five-year-old service dog whose handler has made over 40 different costumes for her.

Hot cars
Three well-known automobiles will be available for attendees to take badass photos with all weekend. First up, the Batmobile — or, should we say, a Batmobile that's coming from a family in Cypress. Someone from Kemah will bring in a recreation of the '73 Oldsmobile Delta 88 (aka The Classic) that Bruce Campbell drove in the Evil Dead universe. Finally, there's a 1995 Jeep Wrangler Sahara, which has been converted to look like one of the jeeps from Jurassic Park. Cars, celebs, and cosplay — it looks like Fandemic is making sure comics isn't the only c-word you get at this convention.

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The Fandemic Comic Convention Tour will be this Friday through Sunday at NRG Center, 1 NRG Park. Show hours are 3 pm-7 pm (Friday), 10 am-7 pm (Saturday), and 10 am-4 pm (Sunday). Tickets are $40-$80. For more information, visit the official site.

Norman Reedus will help represent The Walking Dead.

Photo courtesy of AMC

Norman Reedus will help represent The Walking Dead.

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Movie Review

Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg deliver comedy with depth in A Real Pain

Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg in A Real Pain.

Comedy film duos have a long history, from Laurel and Hardy in the 1920s and ‘30s to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler in movies like Baby Mama. But the majority of duos have either been friends or work partners, relationships that can be close, but not as close as family. The new film A Real Pain aims for the comedy that a great duo can bring, but hits deeper because the two lead characters are related to each other.

Benji (Kieran Culkin) and David (Jesse Eisenberg) are first cousins who decide to take a trip to Poland to visit the childhood home of their grandmother, who has recently passed. Their personalities could not be more different, with David buttoned-down and reserved and Benji extremely social, if a little wild. This contrast is on display from the moment they leave on their trip, affecting almost every aspect of their journey.

The two meet up with a diverse tour group in Poland, including guide James (Will Sharpe), recently divorced Marcia (Jennifer Grey), married couple Mark (Daniel Oreskes) and Diane (Liza Sadovy), and Eloge (Kurt Egyiawan), an African man who has converted to Judaism. As the group visits various historical sites, David confronts contrasting feelings about Benji, who goes from charming to abrasive seemingly at the drop of a hat.

Written and directed by Eisenberg, the film is about both the family we have and the history of those who came before us. With Benji and David being Jewish and their grandmother having escaped from the Nazis in World War II, the themes hit harder than they might in other situations. Eisenberg takes care to honor his Jewish ancestors both in the way he has Benji and David talk about their grandmother and the places they visit.

But even though emotions are heightened due to the significance of the trip, the film is far from a dour affair. Benji keeps things interesting at almost all times with a series of impulsive decisions, many that are entertaining for both the tour group and the audience watching the film. He is one of those film characters that is great to watch on screen, but would likely be too much to handle if you were confronted with him in real life.

The relationship between Benji and David is a complicated one; the two obviously have love for each other, but they rarely see eye-to-eye on the best way to approach certain situations. This tension keeps the film grounded, and Eisenberg does a great job at showing the push-and-pull the two cousins have with each other. The little moments, especially when Benji and David go their separate ways, say a lot as the characters try to reconcile where each is at in their respective lives.

Eisenberg has always been an understated performer, so this role is almost perfect for him. Culkin, fresh off his Emmy-winning role in HBO’s Succession, is an ideal foil for Eisenberg, as he has a manic energy that he can control or not control at will. It’s also nice to see Grey in action again, as she brings just the right touch to her supporting role.

The drama in A Real Pain comes from the life experiences of its two main characters, which are on full display despite the story only doling out details in small doses. The film is subtle yet powerful, a testament to Eisenberg’s filmmaking ability and the actors never trying to make too much of their scenes.

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A Real Pain opens in theaters on November 15.

movies film

finally, fandemic!

Highly anticipated new comic and movie convention finally hits Houston

Norman Reedus will help represent The Walking Dead.

Movie Review

Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg deliver comedy with depth in A Real Pain

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