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The biggest names in indie comic publishing arrive at MCM London Comic Con 

VP of Marketing of Dark Horse Matt Parkinson was joined by his counterpart at IDW, Dirk Wood. The pair had plenty of annuncements to make as well as taking the time to answer con attendees questions.

The big announcement for fans was that the two indie publishers will be collaborating on the future cross-over project Star Trek and Aliens. But Aliens news doesn’t stop there as Dark Horse celebrates the films 30th anniversary with new collections of the long-running series are being released.

Dark Horse and IDW are both known for their licenses that they have. IDW has begun their work on what Wood dubbed the “Hasbroverse,” a series of comics that tie into many of Hasbro’s big titles, including Transformers and GI Joe. The book, called Revolution, is already in comic book shops.

Another great announcement from Wood (which made much of the audience quite happy) was saying that IDW is working on creating their own television shows, which already includes an Elijah Wood-fronted version of Dirk Gently. But also in the pipeline is an adaption of the Eisner award-winning series Locke & Key. After two failed attempts to get the show adapted, Wood said the company decided to keep all the rights in the company and do it right. Joe Hill has apparently already written some scripts.

Parkinson had plenty of news pertaining to the popular series Hell Boy, including a short series that will be a spin-off.

Also in attendance at the panel was the Deputy Executive Director of the Comic Book Defense Fund, Alex Cox. Cox spoke about the work the CBDF was doing in their 30th year, as well as their future projects in the UK, Raising a Reader.

Great to see people fighting the good fight for freedom of speech back in the US of A.

It’s always great to have these guys back. They’re friendly and clearly would take all the time they could to answer questions. Plus they had plenty of free goods. More comics at the comic con, please!

Sunday at MCM Comic Con London 2015

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Sunday at Comic Con in London was the last day of the weekend, but the convention still had some major guests including two of the biggest shows in the last decade.

1. RJ Mitte brings maturity and determination to London

Walter White Jr actor RJ Mitte returned to MCM Comic Com London to talk about his time spent on the set of the massively successful TV show Breaking Bad.

The actor was at ease at the convention, reminiscing about the first time he was at San Diego Comic Con. His time at SDCC was the first time he really became aware of the full-extent of fandom Breaking Bad had achieved.

When asked about whether or not he thought the show went too far, Mitte gave a simple response: “I don’t think it pushed the boundaries enough.”

And that idea serves as a mantra for the actor, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 3-years-old. His character Walter Jr used crutches and slurred speech, but also wasn’t hindered by this. He expressed his love of challenging and difficult scenes as a way to grow as an actor.

Mitte spoke of pushing himself in his craft both during Breaking Bad and in his personal life. While the crutches were merely a prop, he used them as a metaphor as pushing both himself and his character forward.

“There’s so much I can do and will do, ” said Mitte.

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RJ Mitte at MCM Comic Con at London on Sunday.

2. Game of Thrones actors talk sex scenes, Hunger Game battles and tight boots

If you haven’t watched Game of Thrones yet, you are one of the few left. One of the biggest pulls for Sunday was the Game of Thrones panel that showed some of the more familiar faces from season 5. The group had a Q&A session with fans that brought laughs along with some more serious discussions.

Eugene Simon, who plays Lancel Lannister, had plenty to say about the dramatic changes of his character in season 5. Audiences did not see the transition of Ser Lancel into Brother Lancel of the Sparrows, a religious cult in Westeros. His relationship with Lean Headey’s character often changed dramatically, even while often not seeing the actress very often throughout filming. The actors are often in so many places, he said his character was having a sexual relationship with another while not even knowing her.

Ian McElhinney said, to much crowed laughter, “Sex is much easier with people you just meet.”

Ian Beattie played Ser Meryn Trant, a character who had some of the more appalling scenes of the entire series. His character was introduced in earlier series as the Kingsguard, but later took a much darker turn. During the panel, Beattie addressed the scenes where it is revealed that his character has sexual interest in very young girls.

“It was emotionally, technically and physically difficult to convince the audience that this character enjoyed doing this,” said Beattie. “I would leave to for a bathroom break and just burst into tears.”

Beattie, who is a father, said that it while these were challenging scenes for him, he was happy for the opportunity and assured that the set on Game of Thrones is always very protected – especially since so many young actresses were involved.

McElhinney, who played  Ser Barristan Selmy, chimed in to help lighten the mood by addressing his own personal difficulties on set. Costumes were a constant source of discussion, and each actor gave the costume department high praise. But McElhinney’s most difficult scene involved some tight boots he had to wear early on in the series, all while walking down a very long room.

“When your feet are comfortable, the world is your oyster,” said McElhinney.

The three actors were a constant source of humour throughout the panel. When asked about their own personal theories about the show, McElhinney said it was likely no one would end up on the throne.

“I think it will all end in a nuclear holocaust,” said McElhinney.

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Eugene Simon, Ian Beattie and Ian McElhinney at the Game of Thrones panel.

 

Saturday Summary for MCM London Comic Con

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London’s biggest Comic Con is back at the ExCeL Centre this weekend. There was a lot going on today including a massively popular Doctor Who panel this evening. Sunday promises to bring more exclusive news and announcements.

1. ITV’s Beowulf promises big scale and large ambitions

The epic poem Beowful will be brought to life in a thirteen-part mini-series for ITV. The show, described as a “Western” will join a television environment saturated with fantasy shows like Game of Thrones, but this one is promising to bring something different to audiences.

One thing is the multi-cultured cast for an equally multi-cultured audience. Like ITV’s Jekyll and Hyde, which premiers this Sunday, the new adaption brings something different to the familiar tale.

The story takes place when Beowulf returns from his journey referred to in the epic poem. Awaiting him at home is a whole new cast of monsters waiting for him. The fantasy aspect will one take this legend to a more relevant place for audiences.

Writer James Dormer promised a fun show, but with a “sexiness” included. The show is meant to be family-friendly, another aspect to the show that might not be so common in the current fantasy realm on television.

Stars Kieran Bew, Ed Speelers and Laura Donnelly joined the stage to share stories of sword fighting and horse riding. Also included in the presentation was an exclusive clip for the upcoming show. The trailer included vast landscapes of Northumberland.

Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands will be on ITV next year.

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2. Edward James Olmos pleases the heck out of Battlestar fans

My husband is a massive Battlestar Galactica and Blade Runner fan. He was green with envy when I told him who was standing before me. Olmos was fantastic man to watch. He is clearly an intelligent man that really can hold the attention of a crowd. Not only was he articulate, but he also answered all of the questions with great thoughtfulness. While there are lots of special guests that come in and out of these events, Olmos was one worth listening to. Also he was clearly grateful for all the enthusiasm and love from the fans.

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3. Big Sherlock announcements from Gatiss and Moffat P1010519

If there was one big pull to this weekend’s convention, it is definitely Mark Gatiss and and Steven Moffat. The two are British royalty, you know, well they would be if Britain didn’t already have a royal family.

They, along with Sue Vertue and actress Amanda Abbington, brought some big news to this weekend’s convention and it was all about the Victorian Sherlock special. The special finally received its name: The Abominable Bride, and the one-off episode also had a date reveal. The show will be on BBC One and BBC America on January 1st. British viewers will also be able to see the show in Picture House Cinemas with tickets on sale starting Novmber 1st.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman will reprise their roles, but Victorian England will bring about some interesting challenges for several of the female characters like Abbington’s Mary.

The rest of the panel remained tight-lipped about any further details.

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