Phoenix Comicon

Geeks unite Jan. 25-27 at Phoenix Comicon, a convention bringing together comics collectors, actors, comic book artists, anime voice actors and authors. Convention director Matt Solberg said 'comicon' is a catchall term to the comic book community. This year's comicon features a zombie beauty pageant, Jedi light saber training for kids, a fashion show of Japan's extreme street wear, an art auction, a costume contest and anime dodge ball. Attendees also can meet their favorite authors, actors and artists, participate in how-to sessions with professors from Collins College and the Art Institute of Phoenix, sit in on question-and-answer panels and compete in gaming and art tournaments.
The favorite attractions vary among fans, Solberg said, but generally, meeting the film and TV stars of programs such as Star Wars and Star Trek is the most popular. It's really about "being able to hang out with friends and others who share similar interests," he said.
The first comicon Solberg put together was in June 2002. It was a one-day event that lasted about six hours, a far cry from the three-day event held now. Last year, 3,200 comics enthusiasts showed up for the convention.
Lou Ferrigno of TV's Incredible Hulk will meet with fans and talk about the upcoming Hulk movie, in which he makes an appearance. "Greeting the fans is something I really enjoy doing," he said. "The fans helped make me who I am today." Ferrigno, 56, has been active in conventions for years and will attend one in Arizona for the first time. He's been to the state before but only for a short time. "I'm looking forward to coming to the show, spending time in Phoenix and meeting my fans," he said.
For more of the original article, as well as convention information and prices, click here.

Super Bowl XLII

It's official. Super Bowl XLII will host Eli Manning and the New York Giants as well as Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. This is quite surprising considering where these two teams began the season: an 0-2 start that had the fanbase questioning the QB as a franchise disappointment and an organization wrapped in a cheating scandal of which they were found guilty. But lo and behold, these two phoenix-like teams have risen above the ashes and landed themselves in the big game; which is appropriately being held in the suburbs of Phoenix.
Last night, Eli Manning and Plaxico Burress froze the Packers dreams of returning to the Super Bowl. Burress played beyond his average greatness, catching 11 passes for 154 yards, and forcing two defensive penalties out of Packer Pro Bowl cornerback Al Harris during his 60-minute workout.
Earlier in the day, it seemed that the Patriots were faltering from their usual level of play, led by Tom Brady's carelessness in his passing game. The Chargers defense, who led the NFL in interceptions and takeaways, picked off Brady three times (including his first red zone interception in two years).Then the second half began and the Patriots became wise to using the small-ball approach; a shift that would turn the game around for them and allow them to control the ball for a staggering 21:38. Tailbacks Laurence Maroney and Kevin Faulk combined for 221 yards and 35 touches from scrimmage.
Needless to say, Sunday February 3^rd won't come quietly, as these two set up for a great rematch. For sports cards collectors, this is the golden ticket for authentic sports memorabilia. Manning vs. Brady. Burress vs. Moss. The match ups at each position are star-studded and fully aligned for an exciting clash. The autographed memorabilia from this meeting should be something worth holding on to.

Nine Reasons To Look Forward To Baseball Season

I found this great article on MSNBS about the 2008 baseball season, and I thought I would share. It was rather long, so I trimmed out some parts, although it doesn't appear that way, so click here if you would like to read it in its entirety.

We come to you today from the performance enhancing drug-free zone, with zero tolerance for grandstanding, blame-gaming and WADA references. Instead, in the spirit of moving forward, we bring you nine reasons for delicious anticipation of a new season that is about to unfold:

1. The Boston Red Sox, and this century’s first shot at a mini-dynasty. They have won two World Series in the last four seasons, and are the odds-on favorite to win another as they return virtually intact from a sweep of the Colorado Rockies, and have emerging young talents such as Dustin Pedroia, Buchholz, Jacoby Ellsbury and Jon Lester to cushion the effects of age on a roster that includes 40-somethings Curt Schilling, Tim Wakefield and Mike Timlin, and a mostly-mid-30s lineup.

2. The Johan Santana question. Has a pitcher of this magnitude ever been stuck in this must-be-dealt situation? And where he goes — Red Sox, Yankees, Mets or surprise late-bidder — will alter the balance of power in either league. The Twins are trying their best to maximize their return, but in reality, they are up against it here. You can only ask for so much young talent for a pitcher who will be signing an extension in the $150-million range, and both the Red Sox and Yankees wisely aren’t willing to go any higher than they’ve already gone. The Mets might be willing to, but don’t really have as much to offer.

3. Joba Chamberlain, Philip Hughes and Ian Kennedy. We pretty much know what to expect from the rest of the Yankees’ roster . What we don’t know is just how good Chamberlain, Hughes and Kennedy will be, and how soon they will get there. And so these three young pitchers who will make about $1 million between them could be the key to the Yankees’ fortunes in 2008 — an interesting twist from the franchise that brought you the first $200-million payroll.

4. The Detroit Tigers’ lineup. Any way Jim Leyland decides to go — and knowing him, he will go in many different directions — this is a potential 950-run monster. Here is one possible combination: Curtis Granderson, Placido Polanco, Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez, Gary Sheffield, Carlos Guillen, Jacque Jones, Edgar Renteria, Ivan Rodriguez. With this group in place and healthy, there’s little reason to worry about Dontrelle Willis’ adjustment to the American League.

5. The National League West race. Good luck winning it, as the division that gave us the 2007 NLCS matchup is poised once again. The Dodgers have added Joe Torre, Andruw Jones and Hiroki Kuroda in hopes of erasing the memory of their late-September meltdown. Meanwhile, the comebacks of Jason Schmidt, Rafael Furcal, Hong-Chi Kuo and Yhency Brazoban are on schedule. The Diamondbacks pulled the winter’s biggest coup by landing Dan Haren for a bunch of prospects they can do without, giving them their best 1-2 rotation combination since their 2001 World Series title season. And you have to figure that young core players Conor Jackson, Stephen Drew, Mark Reynolds, Justin Upton and Chris Young will get better. The Rockies lost more than they added this winter, but there is little debating the fact that they were the best team in the National League during the entire second half, not just their late-September run. And they should get full seasons from No. 2 and No. 3 starters Aaron Cook and Ubaldo Jimenez, which they didn’t get in 2007.

6. The Milwaukee Brewers. While Commissioner Bud Selig finds himself embroiled in a mess that won’t go away, his former team is doing its best to fight the fight of the small-to-mid-market franchise. Look no further for a team poised to improve in 2008 behind emerging stars Prince Fielder, Corey Hart, J.J. Hardy, Yovani Gallardo, Rickie Weeks and Ryan Braun.

7. The Chicago Cubs. They needed a corner outfielder and some left-handed power to balance their lineup, and got both in Kosuke Fukudome. He could hit second, or he could hit fifth, and his power should translate to Wrigley Field, adding another threat to the combination of Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez. There are plenty of quality late-inning bullpen options in Carlos Marmol, Kerry Wood, Bob Howry and Jose Ascanio, rotation depth has been added with Jon Lieber and Ryan Dempster, and it says here Carlos Zambrano is poised for his first 20-win season in a bounce-back year of sorts. Felix Pie and Geovanny Soto will have to do what Ryan Theriot was able to do last season in establishing himself as a regular, but things are pointing to a return trip to the post-season.

8. Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Randy Johnson, Trevor Hoffman, Curt Schilling, Jamie Moyer, Kenny Rogers: We’re running out of time to appreciate this stellar group of 40-somethings that could include up to five future Hall of Famers. And in fact, it could be our last chances to watch Maddux and Glavine, two 300-game winners who did it in the biggest offensive era in the game’s history.

9. Ken Griffey Jr.’s 600^th homer (he’s seven away); Maddux’s 350^th win (three away); Manny Ramirez and Gary Sheffield’s 500^th homers (10 and 20 away, respectively); the 2,600^th hit for the game’s new active career leader — surprise! Omar Vizquel (two away); and maybe — just maybe — Johnson’s 300^th win (he’s 16 away).

Don't forget to value your baseball cards and manage your collection with us!

Final Harry Potter Movie To Be Split In Two

According to this article, Harry Potter fans are set to get a double treat in the film of the final story – and movie makers are set to double their money.

Crew working on the sixth Potter film, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince, have been told J.K. Rowling's seventh novel, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, will be released in two halves.

For film-makers Warner Bros, whose first five Potter films have made £2.5billion in box office receipts – more than any other movie series – it could mean a £500million bonus in ticket sales. But sources insist the reason behind the two-movie plan is artistic rather than financial.

The books got progressively longer – the first, the Philosopher's Stone, had 223 pages while Deathly Hallows has 776 – and fans have complained chunks of later novels have been left out of films. A film source said: “There's so much to fit that the view is the last movie should be in two halves. There is a huge battle when Harry, played by Daniel Radcliffe, takes on Voldemort that needs to be done really well.”

And Ms. Rowling points out on her website: “It is simply impossible to incorporate every storyline into a film under four hours long.”

At Warner Bros, who are rumored to be thinking of Oscars and a big-name director such as Steven Spielberg for the final film, a spokesman said: “People are discussing all possibilities.”

Sounds to me like its good news for all Harry Potter collectors and enthusiasts! Check out ummmjamiesha's collection of Harry Potter memorabilia and be sure to manage your collectibles from the Harry Potter series in our gallery as well!

British Town's Famous Lights To Be Sold

The Blackpool Illuminations is an annual lights festival in the English seaside resort of Blackpool on the Fylde Coast in Lancashire. Founded in 1879, they run each year for 66 days, from late August until early November, at a time when every other English seaside resort's season is coming to an end. Dubbed as the greatest free light show on earth, the council has organized collections of lights that run six miles long and use over one million bulbs. Every year there is also the Festival of Light which features interactive installations and is described as being “a contemporary look at the concept of light and art working together to create entertainment.”

Some of the light-up figures that form part of the famous Blackpool Illuminations are to go on sale January 30^th at the council's Rigby Road depot, and it is open to the trade and members of the public. Genies with lamps, seahorses and seashells, and a huge Thunderbird 3 aircraft are just some of the items being sold off by Blackpool Council. A council spokeswoman said it was a great opportunity “to own such an unusual piece of memorabilia”.

“I am obviously very sad to see these fabulous illuminations go,” said councilor Maxine Callow.

“But at the same time I am very pleased that the public as well as the trade are being given the chance to own such an unusual piece of memorabilia. Blackpool is possibly best known for its illuminations display and by owning one of the antique features it is possible to own a piece of history while at the same time clearing the way for new, more advanced items for visitors to enjoy.”

One of the seven horses that used to light the Gynn Square roundabout carousel will also be featured in the sale. The council believes some buyers may want to use the old features as garden ornaments.

Prices for the famous lights range from £50 to £350. For more history on the Blackpool Illuminations, check out this page in Wikipedia where I found my information, and for more on the original article, click here.