2016 Emerald City Comicon: Day Three - ECCC Coverage

My schedule for day three of the 2016 Emerald City Comicon was a little less hectic allowed for more time to just roam around so I could focus on absorbing all the fun happening all around me. This is also the busiest day so navigating traffic, lines, and panel scheduling also becomes more of a concern than any other day and your ability plan and pace yourself really comes into play in helping to make it a success.

My first, and what turned out to be only, panel of the day was the "Marvel: Next Big Thing" which featured Marvel talent scout C.B. Cebulski alongside Brian Michael Bendis (Spider-Man), Kieron Gillen (Darth Vader), Sanford Greene (Power Man and Iron Fist), and David Walker (Power Man and Iron Fist). While there were no major announcements to be had, the discussion was very informative and entertaining and the panelists had a chance to answer some really good questions from the audience.

David Walker and Sanford Greene took some time to discuss their collaboration on Power Man and Iron Fist and how hands on they were in working together which is rare in an era where creators can literally be on opposite sides of the world. The duo are especially hoping to expand the roster of female characters in their comics and especially black female villains because the feel there aren't enough of them out there.

Art by Sanford Greene. Signed by Sanford Greene and David Walker.

When asked about restrictions that may arise from balancing out Marvel's cinematic universe with creating the ongoing comic book stories, Brian Michel Bendis stated that the comics are so far ahead of the movies story wise, they really don't have anything to do with each other. The rest of the panel agreed and each said no one has ever contacted them or issued any type of memo regarding what they can and can't do.

Kieron Gillen, who is currently writing the Darth Vader series, did make a huge reveal about the title character when he proclaimed that Vader is a Sith Lord and he does have a couple of kids. After the laughter died down, he went on to say how much of a privilege it is to be writing stories that are basically a prologue to The Empire Strikes Back which is what introduced him to the world of Geekdom in the first place. One of his biggest challenges in writing Darth Vader is coming up with new and exciting characters knowing that as soon as he puts them in the same room as the Sith Lord, they are going to die. More laughter from the audience.

Variant edition cover of Vader Down issue One. 

As I had mentioned, no major news came out of this panel, but it was a great way to get to know a few of the creators behind some of Marvel's most exciting comics. I feel like Marvel has a really good grasp on what the fans are wanting to see both in their books and on the big screen and it seems like they will continue to keep putting out great product for years to come.

The rest of my day was spent wandering the show floor and snapping photos of all the amazing cosplayers in attendance. I love seeing how much fun people, of all ages, are having in their costumes and how everyone gets so into the characters they are portraying. Visit the TwoOhSix.com Facebook page to see more photos from the convention.

To wrap up the day's festivities, the 2016 Western Championships of Cosplay which featured contestants from around the country took place in the convention center's main hall. This year's winner was Allie Rose-Marie Leost of AllieCat Art & Cosplay, a prize which includes $1,500 and an all expense paid trip to C2E2 in Chicago next year to represent the West Coast in the finals of the Crown Cosplay Championships.

Grand Prize Winner - AllieCat Art & Cosplay

This is my friend RiRi Cosplay!

Follow @thetwoohsix

Subscribe to our mailing list!