Comikaze 2012

[Paul (ral)]

BatmAngelus' first report from Comikaze Expo 2012

"Fatman on Batman": Kevin Smith meets Adam West
http://www.batman-online.com/features/2012/9/17/comikaze-report-kevin-smith-meets-adam-west

[Paul (ral)]

Another report from BatmAngelus

This time it's the Batgirl Spoiled panel
http://www.batman-online.com/features/2012/9/17/comikaze-report-a-look-at-batgirl-spoiled

[Paul (ral)]

BatmAngelus' 3rd report from Comikaze

He covers Michael Uslan's 2 panels!
http://www.batman-online.com/features/2012/9/17/comikaze-report-michael-uslan-the-boy-who-loved-batman

Coming very soon - a 1on1 interview by BatmAngelus with Uslan himself!

[BatmAngelus]

The interview with Michael Uslan is coming up very soon.

In big news, I have invited Uslan to take a look at our comic book influences articles and will be sending him the links once the interview is posted and I do some editing on the B89 article.

In the meantime, if you'd like to listen to the Kevin Smith-Adam West interview and hear about other things I didn't cover in the report, check out the recording here:
http://smodcast.com/episodes/adam-west-true-west/

[Silver Nemesis]

Your coverage of this event has been amazing! I was expecting maybe a vague overview of the day, but this has been a really enjoyable blow-by-blow account. I've read the three features that have already been posted and I can't wait to read the Uslan interview. I'm really impressed that you managed to land an interview with him in the first place. You truly are the man.

Concerning those comic to movie features, I actually came up with a whole bunch of extra comic references for Batman Returns back in the summer. I kept meaning to post them but never got around to it. I'll put some of the more prominent comparisons in the appropriate thread sometime this evening. I don't know if there'll be time to add them to the feature before Uslan takes a look at it, but at least they'll be on the site.

[BatmAngelus]

Thanks, Silver.  I was also expecting to write a vague overview, like last year's when there were only two Bat-related panels and the main speakers were New 52 writers.  But each event this weekend was full of so much in-depth information that I thought it'd be an injustice to each one if they were all lumped together into one big article.

As for the comic references- I want to edit the B89 one to make it more structured, anyway.  Perhaps Paul could give us both editing powers and we could spruce up both articles before I send them to Uslan?

On another note, here's a little bit about how the Uslan interview came about:

This is only Comikaze's second year and while it's not yet as big as the San Diego Comic Con, I think there's a huge advantage to going to a convention that's not only in Los Angeles, the epicenter of the entertainment industry, but also much smaller and more intimate, where you don't see people sleeping out on the streets just so they can make it into one panel.  It makes it much easier to approach and talk to the speakers.

In the case with Uslan, I honestly wasn't expecting to land an interview either.  But he came across as extremely friendly and approachable in both of his panels and even invited fans to have a chat with him.  I just knew that, if I asked to speak with him for a five minute interview, he would say "yes." 

At the end of the Comics on Comics panel, my friend turned to me and said, "If I had the guts, I'd ask him about the Justice League thing."  I replied, "You want me to ask him?"  And, to his surprise, I went up.

The size of the room and crowd made it extremely easy for me to go up to the stage after it was over.  While he was busy signing copies of his book, I was lucky enough to notice his son, David, introducing himself to the other panelists nearby.  I came up to him, told him that I wrote for this site, showed him Batman Online on my phone, and asked if I could speak to his dad when he was done.  David was kind enough to agree and I waited for a few minutes until the Uslans were ready to leave the room. 

David introduced me to his father and we went out in the hallway to do the interview there. 

It ended up being eight minutes long, which is longer than what I had expected since Uslan was so open.  At the end, David gave me his business card so I could send him the links to the interview and the comic book influences articles to show his dad.  Then, I shook Michael Uslan's hand and thanked him, not only for the interview, but also for the Batman movies. 

[Silver Nemesis]

That's awesome. Uslan always seems like a nice guy in interviews, but you never know if someone's like that in real life or if they're just putting on an act for the cameras. But it sounds like he's the real deal. It was very cool of him and his son to allow you an interview. And an 8 minute interview at that! I'm can't wait to read it.

The event sounds like a real gem too – some amazing guests, but without the chaos of something like Comic-Con. Let's hope it stays like that in future years.

And I'll be happy to help tweak the comic comparison features. I'll follow your lead on those. Then hopefully Uslan will get back to us with some positive feedback about them.

Then, I shook Michael Uslan's hand and thanked him, not only for the interview, but also for the Batman movies.

That was a class move. I'd like to have shaken the guy's hand too. We Batman fans owe him a lot.

[Paul (ral)]

Then, I shook Michael Uslan's hand and thanked him, not only for the interview, but also for the Batman movies.

Love it. I got a bit of goosebumps just then. Really happy for you getting the opportunity Ben, but also really jealous! 

[Paul (ral)]

I'm editing a bit of code so you can update the articles.

[BatmAngelus]

The interview is now posted:
http://www.batman-online.com/features/2012/9/18/exclusive-comikaze-interview-michael-uslan