Tag: SDCC

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THE WALKING DEAD [SDCC 2022]: More ‘Tales’ of Rick & Michonne.

The Walking Dead’s send-off panel at Friday’s Hall H panel was less a preview of the upcoming final season and more a retrospective on an impressive 11 seasons of television.

Cast and creative talent recounted, sometimes tearfully, their favorite experiences, scenes, and relationships as they all chimed in on what TWD means to us all, as a whole. So what is the ultimate message of TWD, now that it’s become a Universe? While many expressed similar sentiments, Lauren Ridloff (“Connie”) perhaps put it best when she said that TWD is a reflection of our own society, ourselves, and our everyday lives. Who are you and what are you going to choose? Love? Hate? Survival?

In the press conference later on, showrunner Angela Kang assured audiences that while the Universe will be continuing via various spin-offs, she hopes that they will “go along for the ride” with the ending they’ve chosen and that it will provide a sense of closure for the flagship show. This finale will be about concluding the story of eleven years, while still leaving open a few doors, much like our real life.

Among the highlights of the TWDU Friday Comic-Con experience:

– The biggest news of the day is the return of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), as he and Danai Gurira’s Michonne are set to star in a 6-episode spin-off show all their own, airing in 2023. This will be a replacement for the previously announced Rick Grimes movie trilogy. Chief Content Officer Scott Gimple described it as an “epic love story.”

– Melissa McBride gave us the most emotional moment of the panel, as she broke down in tears thinking back on her years playing Carol Peletier, one of the most iconic characters on the show. While she may not be continuing onward with any spin-off at the moment (after stepping away in April from the previously announced spin-off centered around Daryl and Carol), frequent scene partner and on-screen “soul mate” Norman Reedus (“Daryl”) assured fans that “Daryl and Carol’s story is not over yet.”

– Greg Nicotero assured press that they made time for each major character in the final episodes, shooting at least one scene for each that really “gets to the heart” of the show.

– Tales of the Walking Dead is intended to be more theatrical in nature, exploring new genres while staying within the world of TWD.

– Samantha Morton will be returning as Alpha, but not Alpha. She will be playing Dee, which is who Alpha was before she became Alpha. Dee is a character “we’ve never met before,” teased Morton. She also expressed gratitude for the “opportunity of a lifetime” to play a character like Alpha, as women of a certain age are often limited to roles playing housewives and “making the tea.”

– Kang confirmed that the faster walkers we saw in Season 1 of the flagship show represented a glimpse of the faster, smarter variant we are set to see in Season 11 (most likely a convenient retcon, but we’ll take it).

– Terry Crews (Tales of the Walking Dead) may be new to TWD, but he’s already become one of its biggest cheerleaders and bears mentioning for his enthusiasm! He compared the fighting of zombies in TWD to fighting bad thoughts, a metaphor for life. A big fan of both TWD and Night of the Living Dead, he praised the horror genre for its power of social commentary.

As TWD Universe moves on into the new stories that await in its multiplying number of spin-offs, Gimple promised that the stories will remain focused “on big characters, not just the situation.” This was most likely a response to recent fan criticisms that the ever-expanding Universe is losing touch with the intimate character-based storytelling that made TWD successful in the first place. Only time will tell if the new shows keep that promise, but the new shows do seem poised to pique fans’ interest in all things TWD for a while longer yet, making it the franchise that just won’t die.

-Allyson Floyd

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HASBRO STAR WARS [SDCC 2022]: Re-Paint It Black.

For almost a decade, attending the annual Hasbro Star Wars product reveal panel at San Diego Comic-Con has been a tradition for yours truly. They’re there, every year, on Friday in room 7AB. And, every year, Patrick Schneider and his rebel alliance show off everything new under the sun for Star Wars action figure fans — from the 6-inch Black Series to the 3 3/4 The Vintage Collection to replica props and retro figures. Props to the team for having the panel at San Diego Comic-Con this year despite already thrilling (most) fans with some awesome announcements (not named HasLab Reva Lightsaber) at Star Wars Celebration just a shade under 2 months ago…

Let’s face it: the COVID world we live in hasn’t been so nice to this brand team, and fans are letting them hear it. Lots of delays. Lots of repacks, so many repaints. It’s par for the course. We spoiled Sith want new aliens, new droids, new Jedi; characters from the extended mythos (Legends), games (that aren’t trooper repaints), Disney+ series figures that don’t have a release date of 2023 (but hit random Targets months before everyone else…). Quite frankly, collecting these things right now is a mess.

I feel for this team, and some (really loud) fans have called them out for not being fun, being too robotic and “corporate”. Hey, it’s not easy to work under the guise of those ginormous mouse ears. But at this year’s SDCC, the SW Hasbro Squad were no doubt trying. They opened up the panel by giving a handful of lucky fans some lightsabers, and even good ol’ Patrick shouted “let’s have some fun, shall we?” They hear you. Fun this panel was, my young padawans.

Was it great? Was I blown away by anything revealed, or revealed online just hours before the panel (hey–can we stop doing that, Hasbro and every other pop culture planet in the world? Are there no such thing as surprises anymore? Hell, I was in the A Toy Kinda Mood Facebook chat and our own Michael Valade was posting crystal clear images of Black Series Imperial Light Cruiser Luke Skywalker and TVC Boba Fett’s Not Today Slave-I Starship before they even let us know in the panel.)? No, but if there wasn’t enough fun stuff to talk about I wouldn’t have bothered blogging about it.

Anyway, as I was saying, the team definitely continued their charisma from SWCA with more Star Wars Holiday toys, this time for Halloween, well… Halloween 2023 (technically Spring, but who the heck thinks of these things?). At least they got a good crackle from the crowd and seem far more appealing than any of the crap from Christmas past. I mean… the Skele-Glow Clone Trooper is fun. The Were-Wookie is even better, although this “all-new sculpt” is just Black Krrsatan with cute cat ears. Way to get mileage out of that sculp, Hasbro, especially since they also announced an all-new mold for the Kashyyykian bounty hunter later in the panel.

Being the G.I. Joe Classified simp I am, my favorite action figure of the panel is a left-field choice: the Credit Collection Dark Trooper. The faded green paints onto the metallic black is a wonderful touch, and with some Gridiron Studios third party accessories, a couple of these will look dope either protecting or patrolling around your Joe base dio. The other major highlight for me in this panel was the second Star Wars Retro Collection Multipack: C-3PO and R2-D2 (both with vac-metal, nice), Obi-Wan Kenobi, Death Star Commander, Jawa, and a Tusken Raider. I barely had any of the original Kenner figures as a kid, so these box sets are a treat and will stay vintage carded (although not M.O.C. because of the flimsy cardboard). There’s no pre-order date set quite yet, but the release is slated for Spring.

Do note: I don’t collect The Vintage Collection, so a lot of those reveals went through one ear and out the other. For The Black Series, we’re finally getting a proper Season One Bill Burr, another Grogu (for $25 because of a pram, nonetheless), a ton more for the Credit Collection, and arguably the best of the Mando bunch that I havent’ mentioned yet– the assassin droid HK-87. Pretty cool, I ordered one.

Now it’s time for my favorite part and yours of the Hasbro Star Wars panel: the Pipeline reveals! Continuing Repack/Repaint City is the 40th Anniversary of Return of the Jedi. Another Bib, Chewie, Emperor Palp, ANOTHER Leia (Endor) with Endor Han, ANOTHER Skiff Guard Lando, Paploo (okay, cool!! Glad I got rid of that PulseCon Endor set), Scout Trooper, Stormtrooper and — yay! — I GETS WICKET! One of the few Kenner figs I had as a kid.

Thankfully there were three other mentions in the pipeline for mainline, too, the Jedi Council’s Cerean alien Ki Adi Mundi (you wanted more Jedi!!), an “all-new” Mandalorian (maybe this time with a proper sculpt for Pedro?), and, yes, they heard the fans, a Black Krrsatan that isn’t a Paint It Black Chewie. Just a shame our Con exclusive this year is my favorite pop culture character, Boba Fett, of course, with his decade-old ESB mold, doused in black paint, with no flame-throwing blast effects for those gauntlets.

Overall, it was a fun panel, and I enjoyed the Hasbro Star Wars brand team’s charisma, connection to the fans, presentation, and enthusiasm. But let’s face the facts: even with some exciting promise down the pipeline, and Mando figures we wanted (Luke, a proper Migs Mayfeld), another awesome retro Kenner-inspired set, and pleasing pre-orders that most TVC collectors have been craving, almost everything revealed in this panel was a repaint. And how the heck did they forget to present one of the coolest figures of all?

I guess this is the way?

Panel = 3/5 Whiskeys.

-Travis Moody

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HASBRO [SDCC 2022]: Meet & Greets, Panels, Exclusives and More!

Visit Hasbro Booth #3213 for Meet & Greets and Signings with Peter Cullen, Power Rangers Dino Fury Cast Members, NERF’s First-Ever Mascot Murph and More, Featuring Giveaways, Trivia Sessions, Cosplay Events and Other Fun-Filled Activities

Showcasing the First-Ever Dungeons & Dragons Toy Line, Convention Exclusives and Other Exciting First Looks

PAWTUCKET, R.I.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jul. 13, 2022– Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS), a global play and entertainment company, will return to San Diego Comic-Con International, bringing an extraordinary portfolio of brands, including Transformers, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, NERF, G.I. JOE and Power Rangers, as well as products from premier collaboration brands, including Star Wars™ and Marvel from The Walt Disney Company. Hasbro’s 2022 lineup will be showcased throughout the convention to deliver an epic experience for fans of all ages with several product exclusives, panels, autograph signings and more activities show-goers don’t want to miss.

Hasbro is debuting the first-ever toy line from the famed fantasy franchise, Dungeons & Dragons, at the convention, so fans can have the chance to get up close and personal with the new products. The all-new Hasbro Selfie Series action figures are also making a debut at the event, giving fans the opportunity to preview Hasbro Selfie Series figures, with a select number of fans being among the first to create and purchase their figures, shipping Fall 2022. SDCC (San Diego Comic Convention) attendees should visit the Hasbro Pulse Info Desk in Booth #3213 to obtain a ticket for an assigned time slot. Limited tickets available, distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Additionally, Hasbro is partnering with Save the Children to offer a Buy One, Give One donation. For every item purchased on HasbroPulse.com from July 20 – August 31, the ultimate fan destination will donate a toy or game to Save the Children, benefitting Ukrainian refugees with up to 100,000 toys and games.

Hasbro is also offering two San Diego Comic-Con 2022 exclusive products: the Star Wars The Black Series Boba Fett™ (In Disguise) action figure and G.I. JOE Classified Series Dr. Mindbender. Starting Wednesday, July 20 at 5:30 PM PT, attendees can visit the Hasbro Booth #3213 to receive a one-time use code, which can then be scanned for preorder on HasbroPulse.com.

The following boasts Hasbro’s jam-packed programming at its booth and brand panels. San Diego Comic-Con attendees are encouraged to check the schedule posted in Hasbro’s information booth each day for updates and follow @Hasbro on Twitter, as well as @Hasbro & @HasbroPulse on Instagram for the latest happenings.

TRANSFORMERS
In celebration of the 15th anniversary of the first live action film, TRANSFORMERS, Hasbro will engage fans with trivia sessions, premium giveaways and more. Photo opportunities with Bumblebee as the 1977 Camaro, a replica car from the 2007 movie, will be available each day. The beloved voice talent of Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen, will join for a special poster signing session on Saturday.

In addition to 15th anniversary Studio Series product display, the team will have a live unboxing of the Transformers: HasLab Victory Saber, a first look and reveal of the next Transformers Generations Shattered Glass Hasbro Pulse exclusive character, and Legacy and Transformers: EarthSpark product will also be on display. The Hasbro panel will also share a sneak peek at some of the biggest Transformers product reveals of the year:

Hasbro TRANSFORMERS Product Panel: Thursday, July 21 at 1:00PM – 2:00PM | Room: 29AB
Join the Transformers product team as Ben (Hasbro Marketing) and Evan (Hasbro Design) take attendees through some all-new Transformers: Legacy toy reveals! The team will also hold a Q&A to discuss all things Transformers, pop culture, and whatever burning questions fans have always had for the team! So, get ready for a panel that’s… More Than Meets the Eye.

Additionally, SDCC attendees can meet the next generation of heroes from the new original animated series, Transformers: EarthSpark, at the show’s first-ever San Diego Comic-Con panel. From Nickelodeon and Entertainment One, this all-new Paramount+ Original Series will showcase an insider event that celebrates a new take on the iconic global franchise and proves families come in all shapes and sizes. The panel – featuring the series voice talent including Danny Pudi (Bumblebee), Kathreen Khavari (Twitch), and Zeno Robinson (Thrash), along with co-executive producer Dale Malinowski and executive producer Ant Ward – will showcase a behind-the-scenes look at art, casting and never-before seen clips, as well as a first look at the Hasbro toyline inspired by the series that is…More Than Meets The Eye. Following the panel, the toyline will be on display in Hasbro’s booth. Panel moderated by Mike Cecchini, Editor-in-Chief, Den of Geek. Friday, July 22, 2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. (Room: 6A)

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
Hasbro is bringing the leading roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons to life at San Diego Comic-Con with the premiere of the franchise’s first-ever toy line! Ahead of the highly anticipated movie by Paramount and eOne, Hasbro will engage fans with even more lore to add to their favorite RPG. More details, including the first products to launch, will premiere on July 21.

The product line is inspired by Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which premieres only in theaters March 2023 and brings the rich world and playful spirit of the legendary roleplaying game to the big screen in a hilarious and action-packed adventure.

To bring the magic to life at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Paramount Pictures and eOne will host a one-of-a-kind Tavern Experience to give fans a real-life sneak peek into the new movie, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. The Tavern, located in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter on the corner of Sixth Avenue and Island Avenue, features a 20-minute, immersive experience for unique photo ops and exclusive takeaways. Follow @dungeonsanddragonsmovie for the latest updates.

Fans can also join Paramount Pictures and eOne in Hall H Thursday, July 21st at 12:00pm PT for the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves panel.

MAGIC: THE GATHERING
Stop by the Hasbro booth for a signing with Mark Rosewater, the head designer for Magic: The Gathering, as well as the branded panel for the latest updates on the groundbreaking fantasy franchise:

Magic: The Gathering Panel, Blogatog Live: Saturday 6:30 pm -7:30 pm | Room 24ABC
Magic head designer Mark Rosewater presents this one-man program in which he re-creates his daily blog, answering the audience’s questions about the making of the popular trading card game and revealing new, never-before-seen cards, mechanics, and more from the upcoming Unfinity release.

NERF
The NERF brand’s first-ever official mascot, MURPH, will make their live debut at the Hasbro booth bringing their fun, playful and social personality to the convention. Over the past few weeks, MURPH has gone viral on social media and launched their own Twitter account, @MurphFromNerf. The already beloved mascot is stepping from the digital world to the real world at SDCC to meet fans IRL for the first time!

Additionally, NERF will announce a highly anticipated new product. Attendees will have the opportunity to see the new item for the first time in the Hasbro booth.

G.I. JOE
Hot on the heels of all the excitement from YO JOE! JUNE comes G.I. JOE at Comic-Con! Attendees will be the first to experience a painted model of the newest Hasbro Pulse HasLab, the G.I. JOE Classified Series H.I.S.S Tank. The booth will also feature a Classified Series artwork signing by illustrator John Giang, poster giveaways and more! And don’t miss all of the inside information on the G.I. JOE Classified Series at the must-see panel:

Hasbro G.I. JOE: Classified Series Panel: Saturday, July 23 at 12:00PM – 1:00PM | Room: 9
Whether you’re team Joe or a secret member of Cobra, everyone can agree that G.I. JOE’s new Classified Series toy line is an absolute hit! Join Emily and Lenny from the development team to hear never-before shared behind-the-scenes secrets, get a sneak peek into the future of Classified Series, and learn more about the first G.I. JOE Classified Series HasLab. Make sure to attend… because knowing is half the battle!

Additionally, be sure to stop by the Entertainment Earth booth #2343 for a sweet reveal from Hasbro and Entertainment Earth!

POWER RANGERS
It’s MORPHIN Time! Fan-favorite members of the hit live action series “Power Rangers Dino Fury” are stopping by the Hasbro booth for meet & greets and signings. Take home souvenirs you’ll never forget from the Dino Fury Pink Ranger Hunter Deno, Dino Fury Black Ranger Chance Perez or Dino Fury Red Ranger Russell Curry.

Continue a journey through the Morphin Grid with BOOM! Studios panel – Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Charge to 100 and Beyond!—A MORPHINOMINAL Celebration of 100 issues over five years of ongoing MMPR comic books from BOOM! Studios. Join Ryan Parrott (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), Mat Groom (Mighty Morphin), and Melissa Flores (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), along with series editors Dafna Pleban and Allyson Gronowitz, for a discussion on the history of the series, and an exciting look at what’s next! Thursday, July 21 at 2:00PM-3:00PM |Room: 25ABC

STAR WARS
Inspired by a galaxy far, far away… comes fun Star Wars product giveaways at the Hasbro booth, along with several cosplay contests and trivia sessions. Fans can also collect three posters celebrating recent iconic items within The Vintage Collection. At the Hasbro panel, attendees can get an in-depth look at all-new product offerings (including the recently revealed Star Wars™ Wild Ridin Grogu and new Star Wars™ Bounty Collection Series wave) from the beloved franchise:

Hasbro Star Wars Panel: Friday, July 22 at 2:00PM – 3:00PM | Room: 7AB
Join Patrick Schneider, Chris Reiff, & Jing Houle from the Hasbro Marketing & Design teams as they discuss the popular Hasbro Star Wars line, including the Black Series and The Vintage Collection. Attendees will get an in-depth look at Hasbro’s latest action figure and premium roleplay offerings from throughout the saga. Word on the Holonet™ is there may also be a few surprises.

MARVEL
At the Hasbro booth, celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Marvel Legends and Spider-Man’s 60th Anniversary with Spider-Man: Beyond Amazing. Expect fun and interactive Marvel activities including an amazing virtual Q&A with Hasbro’s Product Designer Dwight Stall, spectacular guest signings including Marvel Comics Writer Dan Slott (Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, She-Hulk) and Eric Lewald, Julia Lewald and Dan Veesenmeyer from X-Men: The Animated Series. The booth events will also feature Marvel trivia for incredible prizes, an ultimate Infinity Gauntlet Rock Paper Scissors tournament, and more.

Join the Legends team at the Hasbro panel for some eye-popping product reveals and surprises.

Hasbro Marvel Legends Panel: Friday, July 22 at 12:30PM – 1:30PM | Room: 5AB
Steve Evans, Ryan Ting, Dan Yun and Monique Colasante (Hasbro) plus special guest Jesse Falcon (Marvel/Disney) share exciting news for Hasbro’s popular Marvel Legends product line. They will give a sneak peek at upcoming, never-before-seen items and hold a Q&A session for attendees.

STARTING LINEUP
Launching this fall partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) the Starting Lineup brand will feature legendary NBA superstars as part of its first wave of figures and will be available for pre-order starting September 22 exclusively on Hasbro Pulse and across the Fanatics network of online sites, including Fanatics.com and official league stores.

The Starting Lineup brand developed a massive following by bringing sports enthusiasts figures of their favorite superstar players accompanied by a trading card for more than a decade.

Who do you think will make the Starting Lineup?

About Hasbro

Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global play and entertainment company committed to making the world a better place for all children, fans and families. Hasbro delivers immersive brand experiences for global audiences through consumer products, including toys and games; entertainment through eOne, its independent studio; and gaming, led by the team at Wizards of the Coast, an award-winning developer of tabletop and digital games best known for fantasy franchises MAGIC: THE GATHERING and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS.

The company’s unparalleled portfolio of approximately 1,500 brands includes MAGIC: THE GATHERING, NERF, MY LITTLE PONY, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH, MONOPOLY, BABY ALIVE, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, POWER RANGERS, PEPPA PIG and PJ MASKS, as well as premier partner brands. For the past decade, Hasbro has been consistently recognized for its corporate citizenship, including being named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by 3BL Media and one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute. Important business and brand updates are routinely shared on our Investor Relations website, Newsroom and social channels (@Hasbro on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.)

© 2022 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. © & TM Lucasfilm Ltd.

© 2022 MARVEL

-Press Release Courtesy of R&C

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ALL ELITE WRESTLING [SDCC 2022 News]: Heroes & Villains!

AEW DESCENDS UPON SDCC 2022

“In its short history, AEW has put on some absolutely incredible matches that have captured the hearts and the imagination of the wrestling community, creating some real wrestling history in the process” – Sports Obsessive

Five Powerful Champions from the Massively Popular Franchise Hit the Convention Floor for the First Time

WHAT:                        Join some of the biggest stars of TBS’ AEW: Dynamite and TNT’s AEW: Rampage at their San Diego Comic Con debut, giving a ringside view of the wrestling promotion which draws 4 million viewers each week. CM Punk, Jade Cargill, Darby Allin, Orange Cassidy and Bryan Danielson will be available for daytime interview opportunities, followed by an evening panel moderated by AEW commentator Excalibur.

This discussion will dig into the heroes, villains, and championship quests through the eyes of the biggest names in wrestling.

AEW: Dynamite airs every Wednesday from 8-10 p.m. ET on TNT and attracts the youngest wrestling audience on television; the fight-forward show AEW: Rampage airs every Friday from 10-11 p.m. ET. Follow the fandom on Twitter and Instagram at @AEW and @AEWonTV.

WHO:

Bryan Danielson 

Jade Cargill

CM Punk

Darby Allin

Orange Cassidy

WHEN & WHERE:     Saturday, July 23

AEW Pressroom at the Hilton Bayview – Timing TBC

Panel Begins at 6:30p PT / Room 6BCF at the Convention Center

-Press release courtesy of AEW’s PR

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DRAGON BALL SUPER – SUPER HERO [SDCC 2022 News]: Crunchyroll Powers Up Comic-Con!

Crunchyroll, the global leader in bringing the ultimate anime experience to fans in over 200 countries and territories, has announced its plans to present a huge panel and booth for Comic-Con International at the San Diego Convention Center from July 21-24 to support the upcoming film, Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO, in North American theaters August 19.

Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO takes center stage at the Convention Center on Friday, with a special guest of honor from Japan, Toshio Furukawa, the voice actor for Piccolo and a first-look at the movie – with approximately the first 20 minutes screened exclusively for the SDCC audience in Hall H!

Crunchyroll and Toei Animation will also produce a one-of-a-kind experience at the Crunchyroll Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO-themed booth (Booth #4135) inspired to include a replica of Piccolo’s House as shown in the film.

Additionally, fans can see – and ride – on buses from the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System wrapped in the commemorative design of Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO!

DRAGON BALL SUPER: SUPER HERO Panel

Friday, July 22, TBD | Hall H

Just one month prior to the theatrical release of Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO, join us for a Q&A with talent and production members, including Toshio Furukawa (Japanese Voice of Piccolo), Christopher R. Sabat (English Voice of Piccolo), Akio Iyoku (Executive Producer) and Norihiro Hayashida (Producer) for stories and insights from the film – and of course, giveaways and an exclusive look at approximately the first 20 minutes of the film only for fans at SDCC!

# # #

CRUNCHYROLL COMES TO COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL!

Crunchyroll Announces Free Dragon Ball Z Concert, Dance Parties Featuring 88Rising’s J-Pop Girl Group ATARASHII GAKKO!, and City Bus Takeover

 

Culver City, CA (June 28, 2022) – Crunchyroll, the global leader in bringing the ultimate anime experience to fans in over 200 countries and territories, has announced its plans for Comic-Con International at the San Diego Convention Center from July 21-24 with interactive experiences, panels, music series and so much more.  Many of Crunchyroll’s activations and fan events will support the upcoming film, Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO, in North American theaters August 19.

After the above-announced Dragon Ball Super panel, the party continues with a special two-night Crunchyroll Concert Series at the iconic Rady Shell at Jacobs Park that includes the Crunchyroll-Hime Dance Party with DJ Jun Inagawa, with 88rising’s powerhouse J-Pop group ATARASHII GAKKO!.

Saturday will bring a special curated immersive musical experience, presented by Crunchyroll and Toei Animation, in partnership with Overlook Events.

A fan favorite, the Crunchyroll Industry Panel returns for all the latest news, trailers, and more, kicking off the ‘Con.

Crunchyroll has also branded city buses from the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System throughout the ‘Con featuring My Hero Academia, Chainsaw Man, Attack on Titan, SPY x FAMILY, and others.

Crunchyroll newspapers will be printed and distributed to cover all the latest and greatest anime news from the ‘Con. Crunchyroll will also be satisfying fans with cool free giveaways and handouts at every activation.

And every anime fan in attendance will live and breathe anime all weekend long.

CRUNCHYROLL INDUSTRY PANEL

Thursday, July 21, TBD | Room 6A

All the latest and greatest anime coming out of Crunchyroll straight from the source from Crunchyroll’s own Tim Lyu and Lauren Moore.

CRUNCHYROLL CONCERT SERIES AT THE RADY SHELL

Friday and Saturday, July 22 and 23 | The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park

Two nights of fun and immersive music and dance experiences including;

CRUNCHYROLL AND 88rising PRESENT: 

CRUNCHYROLL-HIME DANCE PARTY WITH DJ JUN INAGAWA WITH ATARASHII GAKKO! 

Friday, July 22 at 7pm-9:30pm | The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park

A high-impact performance with anime inspired elements and dance crew! 88Rising’s powerhouse J-Pop girl group ATARASHII GAKKO! represent a new generation of Japanese youth, one embracing personal expression and pushing against traditional boundaries a little at a time. The outlandish quartet — composed of kawaii-but-fierce Mizyu, wildcard Suzuka, graceful Kanon and funky Rin — break down genre walls to create music mixing elements of pop, jazz, hip-hop, rock and more. DJ Jun Inagawa opens the Crunchyroll-Hime Dance Party for anime fans to get their groove on!

ATARASHII GAKKO! (literally meaning “new school” in Japanese) are a group of four young women who are redefining what it means to be a girl group. They wear sailor-fuku (sailor suits) uniforms in a style that were worn by Japanese students back in the 70s and 80s with long skirts and pulled-up socks, and staunchly refuse to be objectified. Their aggressive and expressive dance moves, which they choreograph themselves, are a hybrid of the energy of Japanese butoh dance, heavy metal headbanging, and hip-hop street dancing. Musically, AG! brings together elements of modern J-Pop, Showa-era kayokyoku, rap, punk, dance music, but it would be pointless to try to categorize them in any genre.

DRAGON BALL Z CONCERT EXPERIENCE AND CRUNCHYROLL-HIME ANIMATA DANCE PARTY 

Saturday, July 23 at 7pm | The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park

The Dragon Ball Z Concert Experience – Comic Con International Premiere Edition combines the senses and sounds of Dragon Ball Z, together with a world renowned orchestra, live vocals, and a legendary composer, to create a truly immersive multimedia, one-of-a-kind curated concert experience. Nicholas Buc, Conductor, and San Diego Symphony Orchestra power up for the experience..

Both events are free to San Diego Comic Con badge holders.

-Press release courtesy of Crunchyroll

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A TOY KINDA MOOD [Episode 37]: SDCC Exclusives Wrap-Up!

You know it’s a big deal with both hosts, Travis and Bobby, join forces! And this time it’s no different, because SDCC 2021 has come and gone; and while Comic-Con is best known for its trailers, it’s also known for it Action Figure Goodness…

ATKM break down NECA and their TMNT Channel 6 playset, the Flash Gordan Vs Ming 2-pack, Walmart snagging bronze with their G.I. Joe classics and one-day shipping, Mattel going for silver with MOTU: Revelation Scareglow, WWE Sgt. Slaughter and Hot Wheels, a hard swing and a whiff by Target who just miss the podium, and MAFEX bringing the gold home with their Cyborg Superman and 84 Golden Armor Wonder Woman.