Dragon Con is Coming: The Game is Afoot! Gaming in Con Culture!

Over 140,000 Square Feet of Gaming Space Dominates AmericasMart, Featuring ‘Round the Clock Gaming Plus Panels with Top Game Designers, Voice Actors, and Industry Experts 

eSports Tournaments in 15 Different Games, Live Streamed on Twitch

Overwatch Payload Tour Stops at Dragon Con to Celebrate Cosplayers in the Overwatch Universe

ATLANTA – July 26, 2018 – Dragon Con, one of the largest gaming conventions in the nation, will roll out a basement full of games, from the latest and most popular video games, rarely seen board games, and the first role-playing computer game played by the man who wrote it almost 40 years ago.

“Dragon Con’s gaming program is for players, whether you’re a hardcore gamer or just have a casual interest,” said convention co-chair David Cody. “Players can join friends playing the most popular games available or take some time to tryout games you can’t find anywhere except Dragon Con. Our games library features hundreds of games that can be checked out by any Dragon Con member.”

Some 85,000 people are expected to attend Dragon Con, Atlanta’s internationally known pop culture, fantasy, and sci-fi convention, in 2018, filling downtown over the five-day Labor Day weekend, Aug. 30 to Sept. 3, with events and activities across AmericasMart Buildings One and Two and five host hotels – Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Westin Peachtree, and Sheraton Atlanta.

Taking up more than 140,000 square feet in AmericasMart Building One and the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel, gaming at Dragon Con will feature the full array of gaming including PC and console games, board games, miniatures gaming, role-playing games, collectable card games, and even LARP games. A large selection of modern arcade games from Japan and Asia not usually seen in the United States alongside classic American cabinet-style arcade games will be available for ‘round the clock free play.

The gaming hall opens at 4 p.m. on Thursday, August 30, and stays open through 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 3.

Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch Payload Tour stops at Dragon Con this year to celebrate the fantastic Overwatch-oriented cosplay with a photo experience that puts cosplayers into the game.

They will be joined by several members of Blizzard’s in-house creative team including historian Sean Copeland, senior writer Andrew Robinson, and senior writer Christie Golden. We will also have a trio of voice actors from the Overwatch franchise, including Anjali Bhiman, who voices Symmetra; Charlet Chung, who voices D.Va.; and Lucie Pohl, who voices Mercy.

Video game pioneer and American astronaut Richard “Lord British” Garriott, who created the Ultima and Tabla Rasa games, will play his first published game – 1980’s Akalabeth: World of Doom – on an original, fully restored Apple II computer. Akalabeth is widely considered to be the first role-playing game written for computer.

eSports, sometimes called professional gaming, has seen a surge in popularity over the past decade with the growth of spectatorship fostered by the introduction of live streaming platforms. Amazon-owned Twitch, Dragon Con’s broadcast partner for its tournaments, has approximately 1 million viewers at any given time for its eSports and related programming.

Tournaments will include Marvel Vs Capcom: Infinite, Injustice 2, Brawlhalla singles and doubles, Streetfighter V: AE, Dissidia Final Fantasy NT, Gundam Versus, Tekken 7, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Rivals of Aether singles and doubles, Smash 4, Overwatch, Hearthstone, and League of Legends.

Dragon Con attendees can watch professional players and teams compete against each other live, while their gameplay is broadcast to overhead screens. Gaming fans at home will be able to watch the gameplay via Twitch.

In addition to the Overwatch guests, key gaming guests for 2018 include voice actors Kellen Goff, Heather Masters, and Julie Shields from the Five Nights at Freddy’s game franchise, voice actor Mark Meer, best known for his role as Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect trilogy, and former Epic Games president Mike Capps, whose company developed Fortnite, Gears of War, and Unreal Engine.

The Kids Gaming Adventure, a series of 45-minute sessions designed to introduce 6 to 12 year olds to board games, collectible card games, roleplaying, miniatures, and LAN-based video games returns for 2018. An accompanying parent is required at all times.

About Dragon Con

Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day in Atlanta. Organized for fans, Dragon Con features more than about 3,500 hours of comics, film, television, costuming, art, music and gaming over four days. For more information, please visit www.dragoncon.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

For more information on the Overwatch Payload Tour, please visit https://playoverwatch.com/en-us/news/21659397

MEGACON 2018: The Age of the Geek Comes to Central Florida

     ORLANDO, FL -- Tis the season to be geeky!  That's right, this memorial day weekend, the pop culture world is slated to land squarely on Orlando Florida.  From May 24 until May 27, 2018 at the Orange County Convention Center, it's the MegaCon Convention!

     Among the guests and attractions will be the breakaway hit Youtube show the Hangin With Web Show, as well as special appearances by social media music sensations Billy Floyd, Jay Stephens and the Kitchen Killaz.

     There are expected to be tons of special activities for kids and adults.  There is Cosplay of all kinds and many featured cosplayers such as central Florida's Bri Bri Cosplay and the Cosplay Bombshells, as well as Central Florida cosplay superstars like Amelia Poole with HarlequinArts Cosplay and Crafts, the Charles Stark Foundry and the Florida Con Artists and renowned cosplayer Mark Robards of Mark Knight Rises Cosplay.  The floor is expected to be bustling and to host more than 250,000 visitors from every corner of fandom.  

    Among special celebrity guests are The Justice League's Jason Mamoa, television's Daredevil Charlie Cox, several celebrities from AMC's the Walking Dead and actress Jewel State best known for her role in one of pop cultures most beloved science fiction shows, Firefly, as well as Allstar celebrity cosplayers like Ya Ya Han, Jessica Nigiri, Cecil Grimes Cosplay, who is one of the world's premiere Walking Dead cosplayers, as well one of the cosplay community's youngest celebrities, Central Florida's own 7-year-old Cosplay Michael.

     There is something for almost everyone at this all star event.  

     "MegaCon is a show we look forward to all year long," said Hangin With Web Show host G.W. Pomichter.  "It's a kind of extended family reunion for many of us in the pop culture world, and for so many fans."

     Guests and celebrities will start arriving as early as Wednesday to set up and help organize the show which brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to central Florida each year.  

    "We have such a full schedule and we're planning so many great events for kids and adults alike," said Charles Watson of the cosplay community group The Florida Con Artists.  "MegaCon is a great show and one that knows how to bring something for every fan."

     The show will also include after hours activities for adults like Saturday night's Oasis After Dark after party.  The Pajama Party themed event organized by Moshi-Moshi Production, led by John Moshi will feature cosplayers, celebs and live music including the Orlando based Kitchen KIllaz, whose musical stylings have been revolutionizing the way social media is used to spread music and art and build communities.

     "This is the kind of terrific event where our whole community comes together to create an exciting and memorable experience for every fan and visitor," said Kitchen Killaz singer Billy Floyd.  "It's a great time and a really great look at the fun and sense of community that is on full display as a part of convention culture."

     In a press release, Fan Expo, the organizers of the event described it thusly:

     "Everyone is a fan of something, and MEGACON is a place to celebrate all things pop culture. Get an autograph or a photo with your favorite guest and get the inside scoop about your favorite movies & TV shows at our celebrity panels! Watch professional comic artists battle it out in our popular Sketch Duels, learn from our “How To” workshops, and take photos with your favorite costumed characters! It’s also a great place to buy a unique gift (or treat yourself!) with over 400,000 square feet of shopping madness."

BUY TICKETS NOW!

Coming to a Convention Near You! HWWS Joins the ACES Stable of Stars!

Asylum Convention and Entertainment Services - ACES Announcement

 Melbourne, FL, Oct. 5, 2017--    It's time! An announcement full of greatness! Today we welcome quite a few new members to our ACES family - Hangin With Web Show, GW Pomichter, and Cosplay Michael!
The Hangin With Web Show is an internet based web talk show series that highlights the work of aspiring, independent as well as well established artists, authors, filmmakers, entertainers and creators within the arts and entertainment industry. As the world wide web has shifted the arts and entertainment paradigm, show host and creator G.W. Pomichter, an independent author himself, founded the show to assist in sharing the growing community of creative arts professionals with a hungry and growing internet audience.  
     The show is hosted and directed by G.W. Pomichter (an author/creator and a professional journalist, who has penned more than 400 byline articles for The Hometown News and Florida Today) but it would not be possible without the talent and hard work of its staff.
     Sage Ia: Sage is a consummate professional who works both on set as the show’s artistic relations coordinator and scheduler, but behind the scenes as a co-producer and the show’s social media marketing director. Sage is a native of Pittsburg, PA, and has her Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Organizational Management from Eastern Florida State College.
     Deanna Marie: Deanna is the Hangin With Web Show’s co-producer and serves on set as a camera and sound technician, and as well as show host G.W. Pomichter’s P.A. In addition to these functions, Deanna also serves as the show’s primary merchandizing, advertising and marketing executive director.
     In addition, show host G.W. Pomichter is a seasoned journalist, a published author and web media “artrepeneur,” producer and director.
     G.W. Pomichter is a professional author and journalist and the producer and creator of the Hangin With Web Show. G.W. Pomichter is a graduate of Florida Air Academy and Eastern Florida State College.
     G.W. Pomichter, a trained news journalist, is now a full-time author and the director, producer and host of the Hangin With Web Show, a web talk show series which features new, established, indie and up-and-coming artists, authors, filmmakers, and entertainers from throughout the arts and entertainment industry. Pomichter’s IMDb presence has continued to grow in popularity where he routinely ranks among top show hosts and celebrities.
From his first published book, Mapping the Road Less Traveled — a handbook on political campaigning, G.W. Pomichter has gone on top write and publish The Lucky Marks Mystery Series, a detective crime noir featuring 2 novellas and a short story, and Yesterday’s Tomorrow, a dark near future dystopian alternative history which follows two families in the aftermath of a terrorist nuclear attack on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.
     As digital media pros and YouTubers® become frequent guests at conventions throughout the pop culture community, it is a valuable asset to have such guests that are working and providing coverage of the event and its other guests, while meeting fans and satisfying audiences. The benefits of combining coverage with presence are clear and can be seen at some of the nations most popular cons.
     In addition to Hangin With Web Show and G.W. Promithcer we are pleased to announce “Cosplay Michael,” who made his first appearance as a featured Cosplay guest at Tampa Florida’s Necronomicon 2016, and since has attended both large and small events including as a panelist at world famous Comic Con International in San Diego California. Cosplay Michael has a growing social media presence and is well known in cosplay for his energy and enthusiasm for the community. His attendance at many conventions is anticipated by cosplay guests, professionals and even some celebrity guests. Look for him at: www.facebook.com/cosplaymichael/

Make sure you check out our new family members at:

WEBSITE: https://www.hanginwithshow.com
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_C2z2k60d6lOj8DFMWDGEA
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/HanginWithWebShow/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/HanginWithShow
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/hanginwithwebshow/
IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6337920/

The Digital Paradigm Shift: A Tidal Force in Arts and Entertainment

The human being is an inherent story teller. From drawing on cave walls to sharing fireside tales and singing the bard’s histories through village squares, we have striven to pass on our experiences and the truths beyond their facts for as long as we could communicate one to another. Today, in this tradition, those compelled to tell, draw, paint, film, or sing the human tale have found new hope in the digital age.

In or about 1440 Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. His goal was simple: to spread the gospels of the Holy Roman Empire throughout Europe. By 1500, more than 20 million volumes were said to have been published and distributed throughout the Continent.

This invention did much more, though. It brought the written word into the lives of millions previously unable to read, and ushered in a new way for storytellers to spread their work. It created a new industry, in printing and distributing the written word. The invention had one draw back, however, it was limited in it’s ownership, and writers and story tellers were rarely the owners, so publishers with access to the technology controlled exactly what was produced and marketed to the masses.

Visual art began as early as human beings could gather in small tribes, and arguably before they formed villages or communities on any large scale. By the middle ages, however, like the written word, art was oft paid for and limited to the aristocracy. Art patrons commissioned work, attended to artists and more often than not, enjoyed the art that was created as a perk of their investments. A similar history of music runs parallel to that of art. Once created at the fire side, by the time people gathered into cities under the rule of some aristocrat or another, great musicians, like artists were few and their work was distributed to only those with means.

The modern filmmaking can be traced to the 1890’s. Revolutionary in it’s early day, creators flocked to be a part of the new story telling medium. Equipment costs, filming locations and distribution, though, took a hold in the early 20th century and again removed the art from the artist and firmly embedded it in the hands of the business interests most able to afford the production and distribution of the art.

None of this is bad. Under the guidance of those with a vested interest in the arts and entertainment industry, the arts flourished, making its way into the hearts and minds of nearly every human being on planet Earth.

The invention of the television in the late 1920’s and its mainstreaming in the 1960’s, brought storytellers and artists into people’s living rooms. As before, however, the cost of doing so with such a new technology was high, and exactly what was produced and broadcasted depended on those industry professionals at the top of their fields and not always the artists who were creating the content.

It’s been 30 years since the mainstreaming of the internet. Beginning with such home services like AOL, and later ISPs, the internet, created in the 1960’s for scientists and engineers, the shift toward the masses has made the nebulous internet a commercial boom, and has had one seemingly open ended side effect, as well. It has given the arts and entertainment community a cost effective and accessible way to share, distribute and even create their various art forms.

The advent of "print-on-demand" publishing has put an accessible printing press within arms reach of writers. Music platforms such as Soundcloud™ and Reverb have put recording and editing tools at the fingertips of musicians. Youtube™, Vimeo™ and a host of others has given independent filmmakers access to distribution for movie and film projects.  All of these and so many more have had another welcomed effect. Each of these platforms, as well as the growing social media community platforms like Facebook™, GooglePlus™, Twitter™ and countless others from Instagram™ to Reddit™, give content creators and artists access to global audiences in a way never before imaginable.

As a journalist and a creator, while Amazon™ has become the world's largest retail distributor, and the number of Facebook users has toppled the 1 billion mark, it is impossible to dismiss or ignore this shift in the arts and entertainment paradigm.

Today, there are more than 50 million internet based content creators worldwide. Authors, artists, Filmmakers, special effects designers, artisans and creators of all kinds are flocking to the internet to share their hard work with an audience that seems hungry for greater and greater quantities of artistic media content, with no signs of their appetites slowing in the foreseeable future.

It doesn’t matter what one’s tastes are. It doesn’t matter if a creator is experienced, at the top or bottom of their profession, or if a type of art or literary genre is too obscure or fringe. There is an audience for nearly every kind of creative output.

No longer do existing matrixes for distribution and competition speak to the creative desires of the masses. The advent of “binge watching” TV shows and movies via streaming services such as Netflix™, Hulu™, Amazon™ and others, or via production company or personal “Apps,” has meant that one time competitors for attention can share the light on center stage. E-readers mean that writers aren’t competing for that $20 dollar bill for a hardcover book, but instead, 20 can share it through online e-book services. Artists no longer have to compete for limited gallery wall space to be discovered, but can post via social media or websites and be seen by a mass audience.

Of course, these shifts are not without drawbacks. To be seen in the growing seas of creative content on the internet, an artist or creator must learn new skills. These skills are those that were traditionally only known by insider industry professionals, and are essential to success. Production skills like layout and design, film and photo editing, copy and content editing for authors, and the daunting skills of marketing managers to help attract and grow audiences, must be acquired. As it has shifted the way art is made and distributed, so to the Internet has also become a kind of online school for arts and entertainment creators. One can find DYI videos on almost any subject to assist in acquiring the skills to succeed, or even target audiences with one’s work.

In the new millennium, the edges and boundaries of success have been pushed back and away from creative minds in ways never before possible. Today, it is most reasonable to tell a child to work hard and become any thing they desire to be, and it is becoming more possible than ever before in human history.

In the 21st century, it IS possible. Anything is possible. If you desire a creative career, outlet, hobby or a legacy captured in the increasingly digital record, don’t just dream, but do!

Create, Aspire and Inspire!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens 5-Star Review (SPOILERS)

Where to begin?

Star Wars: The Force Awakens does NOT disappoint!!! 

It starts as we have all come to expect a Star Wars movie, with the now familiar slow story crawl that gives every movie goer a chance to catch up with the 30+ years that has passed since the events of the now legendary Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi. Of course, there are a few things the slow roll forgets to mention. But, we’ll get to these a little later.

The movies beginning starts off, as one might expect a J.J. Abrams film, with a lot of action and its fair share of fireworks.

At this point, it is fair to say, that one of my very few quibbles with the film can be found. The intro of main characters, Finn played by John Boyega, a reluctant storm trooper, and Poe Dameron played by Oscar Isaac, the “best” pilot in the resistance, feels a bit rushed, but the instant chemistry of the actors and fast paced action mask the lack of early character development well. This and the fast “buddy” dynamic of the pair, as well as the fact that the story does help fill in much of Finn’s development in a very timely manner, if not entirely complete, manner, makes the pace a minor and very forgivable cinematic sin.

The character of Poe is one that is not entirely explored in this latest blockbuster in the franchise, which is all right with me, given both the limits of the slightly more than 2-hour cut and the fact that this story is part of a multi-episode arch.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!

That brings us to the very well developed introduction of Rey played by the incomparable Daisy Ridley—incomparable because she introduces a female lead in a Star Wars movie in a commanding way that even her predecessor Carrie Fisher, arguably the originator of Sci-Fi’s tough heroine didn’t. Ridley’s well played Rey was one of this films most complex good guys and coupling her dynamic portrayal, great chemistry with Boyega and a kick-ass light saber battle that seemed to come from pure instinct, is sure to make her an instant star and a nerd heroine for the ages.

Ridley’s mastery of her emotional range brought all of the depth needed to a character that is poised to inherit the full Force of the Star Wars universe.

While the character of Luke Skywalker has no on-screen presence in the first … well, hours of the film, from the introductory text roll to the emotional reveal of actor Mark Hamill’s now aged and bearded face, the character inhabits every moment of this film. The emergence of fan favorites Han Solo and Chewbacca stepping onto the iconic Millennium Falcon for the first time in 30 years, is sure to set any theater ablaze with cheers and shouts. This only gets better as the elder statesman of the franchise, Harrison Ford, slips neatly back into his wise cracking, if only slightly wiser character. Rounding out the original series’ holy trinity is Carrie Fisher who manages to capture the audience with as much ease now as she did at 19-years-old, when she first donned her famous or rather, infamous, hair style. She gives the now General Organa even more poise and grace than in the originals and hasn’t lost a step when it comes to commanding both her troops or the audience.

This film does a terrific job at bridging the new generation with the world that fans have loved for 3 generations.

Introducing an all-new progeny of evil is the intense and amazing Kylo Ren played by Adam Driver. This blustery black-clad baddy is brought out in minutes, harkening back to the immense jackboots his character must fill if he is going to replace the galaxy’s most infamous dark lord, Darth Vader. Driver, from the outset, brings a new level of complication and nuance to his portrayal of the Solo son turned fanatic dark-side acolyte and impassioned grandson of the long dead Anakin Darth Vader, for whom the character seems to have an almost creepy reverence—but then, who doesn’t love “The master of evil, Darth”?

While this film does gloss over some key plot points to jump into the real meat of the story, it also does a fair job of making quick attempts to fill these holes with references, such as that to the infamous “clone army” that fist gave us storm troopers to juxtapose them with those of the First Order in this latest film, who are, as evidenced by Finn, not clones, but rather taken and raised, conditioned as the film states, to be the army of the First Order.

Books / EU / Tie-Ins (SPOILERS Maybe?)

While fans went into the theater, having been told not to expect much from the once cannon, now discarded Extended Universe, many were likely pleasantly surprised and now frantically curious, about how much of the basic plots, if only veiled and abridged, of at the least some of the many works of authors like Timothy Zahn with his The Last Command and the likes of Wordfire Press's Aaron Allston creator of the Legacy of the Force series (Book 1, at least), and its predecessor, the popular Kevin J. Anderson, Jedi Academy and Young Jedi Knights series, some of which has been boiled down and ground into spice for the stew that is SWTFA.

While the structure and framing have changed enough to be considered all new, the presence of Kylo Ren (Ben Solo, an amalgamated Jacen with a touch of Ben Skywalker perhaps), a Solo son once trained by Uncle Luke turned dark, a mysterious force sensitive Rey, whose parentage fans will doubtless debate until it’s revealed, the presence of the Star Killer, planet-sized super “Death Star-esque,” Base as well as the not so subtle rhyming of storylines from original trilogy and yes, even the largely panned prequels, pays at the very least, a high degree of homage to Zahn, Anderson, Allston as well as many other’s material, all grist for a new mill.

Star Wars fans can’t help but love this poignant return to a galaxy far, far away, as they sit on the edge of their seats through the almost perfect combination of action, comedy, drama, an entourage of classic characters and an assemblage new characters in a fresh new story that pays at least homage to a much loved EU and still finds a voice of its own.

Filled with all of the “dead-on-point” messaging touting friendship, family and hope, as well as it’s fair share of emotional strife, that climaxes when fans cry out in unison with Chewbacca watching beloved rogue Han Solo skewered at his own son’s hand, and falling to a heroic if unexceptional death (Shades of Return of the Jedi, anyone?), this film is sure to provoke audiences.

Rey’s parentage is perhaps the films most significant cliffhanger.  Many have already begun to speculate as to whether she is an estranged and hidden away daughter of Luke Skywalker, (conjuring a gender swapped Ben Skywalker or perhaps the 'lost' mystery progeny of the EU) or is she the second child of Han and Leia (once famed in the EU, Jayna and Jacen the "Jedi Twins," and poor lil’ Anakin, whose name may have fallen victim to the curse of the prequels), anyone?    DISCUSS!!! GO!   

This new franchise generation is sure to delight audiences as much as it did its veteran cast members, new comers, and … well, studio execs at Disney/Lucas Films as it has already broken box office records clearing a $100 million opening day and is set to climb higher than $250 million by the close of its opening weekend.

If you simply need all of the exposition that a 2-hour film can’t give you, you might want to check out the Star Wars: The Force Awakens novelization by famed author Alan Dean Foster who penned the first Star Wars novelization with George Lucas in 1977.
AND... Check out Alan's interview with fellow author and longtime Star Wars FANATIC:  ME!

https://youtu.be/EGwmcp4qvQ4

"Hangin With" web series and the Florida Book News: Meet the Authors Book Fair sponsored by Authors fo...

Hangin With host G.W. Pomichter and his team were honored to spend the weekend with a great collection of writers, authors, artists and creators at the 8th annual Eau Gallie Arts Festival and Meet the Authors event at the Eau Gallie Civic Center in Melbourne, Florida.

We interviewed more than 30 authors, artists and creators, and had the privilege of making many new friend including our newest bloggers and web partners, Florida Book News.

As always our interviews will be web-cast from our YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/user/GarrettPomichter and as an iOS Podcast, but look for many of them with our great new friends below!

So log on and tune in to Hangin With..., and in the mean time head on over to Florida Book News and see what they're cooking up next!

Florida Book News: Meet the Authors Book Fair sponsored by Authors fo...:   We had a great day at t he Meet the Authors Book Fair.  If you didn't make it down on Saturday, be sure t o stop by Sunday, 11/ 21.......