Good Times at San Diego Comic-Con 2019

Had a fantastic time at San Diego Comic-Con. I participated in three panels and got to hang out with some amazing authors. Took a ton of pictures for my friends who couldn’t be there. Enjoy!

My little Predator? One of my favorite pictures from the convention.

My sons and I outside the San Diego Convention Center

In the San Diego Convention Center, no one can hear you scream!

The Dark Crystal, Planet of the Apes, and Lord of the Rings sculptures

A giant Mr. Krabs from Spongebob Squarepants!

“Not with 10,000 men could you do this.”

Ah, Dungeons & Dragons humor…

Samurai Batman!

Puppets from the upcoming TV show Crank Yankers

Tiki Yoda and Moana !?

Godzilla doesn’t like waiting in lines either.

Gundam figures

Batman: Family

A sketch of me by the creator of Mr. Toast

The importance of good dental hygiene…

I’ve got my eye on you!

 

He-Man!

 

Domino from X-Men

Stephen King’s IT

Final Fantasy characters

3A figures from Ashley Woods

Magic Wheelchairs ❤

Met the kind and talented author of THE NIGHT CIRCUS, Erin Morgenstern

The wonderful author of SHADOW AND BONE, Leigh Bardugo, wins the Inkpot award

Leigh Bardugo and Erin Morgenstern: talented and funny

Are You There, Gods? It’s Us, the Protagonists panel with authors Rebecca Roanhorse, Scott Westerfeld, Margaret Rogerson, Ann Leckie, and Joan He

Ruby Rod cosplay from The Fifth Element. Supergreen!

Joffrey cosplay from Game of Thrones

The Future as I See It panel with authors Gini Koch, Tim Zahn, Steven Sears, Jonathan Maberry, Javier Grillo-Marxuach, and Seanan McGuire

The Fantastic Flavors of Fantasy panel with authors Renee Ahdieh, Lauren Shippen, Katy Pool, Nicole Conway, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Marissa Meyer

Those green army “men” are real people!

Jonathan Maberry gives Nancy Holder the Scribe Award

Star Wars samurai cosplay!

Elfquest cosplay

Wherefore Dystopia and Darkness panel with bestselling authors Jess Rothenberg, Richard Kadrey, S.L. Huang, Ally Condie, Rachel Caine, and Marie Lu

Admiral Ackbar cosplay from Star Wars. “It’s a trap!”

Fembot cosplay from Austin Powers

She-Ra and Kim Possible cosplay

Tank Girl cosplay

The Writers Coffeehouse author panel with (l to r) me, Jonathan Maberry, Delilah Dawson, Peter Clines and Scott Sigler.

I can’t wait to see this urban fantasy series!

Carnival Row stars Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne. Is it hot in here, or is it just me?

Cara Delevingne’s fairy character takes flight off the edge of a cliff.

Six-foot tall LEGO Batman minifigure

Monty Python and the Holy Grail cosplay. “There are some who call me… Tim.”

Wakanda (Black Panther) / Spiderman basketball team cosplay. SDCC is known for such creative mashups.

Chun-Li cosplay from Street Fighter video game

Green Arrow cosplay

Peter Pan Lost Boy Rufio cosplay from the movie Hook

Beetlejuice cosplay. Don’t say his name three times

ALF cosplay

Stellar Stories and Awesome Adventures panel with authors Maura Milan, Mark Siegel, Tochi Onyebuchi, Ashley Poston, and Maryelizabeth Yturralde

Disney Hyperion Publishing panel with authors/editors Emily Meehan, Brittany Rubiana, Serena Valentino, and Jocelyn Davies

 

Theseus and the Minotaur cosplay

Three interpretations of Judge Dredd cosplay

Lord Voldemort: He Who Shall Not Be Named. Oops.

Skeleton warrior cosplay

Wonder Woman cosplay

Game of Thrones cosplay: Cersei, The Mountain, The Night King, Arya wondering why SHE isn’t killing the Night King

Rick and Morty cosplay

Global debut of the cover of my upcoming picture book, 2 Pirates + 1 Robot, from Kane Miller Books.

My fantasy/sci-fi author panel with (l to r) Tomi Adeyemi, Lev Grossman, A.G. Howard, Aditi Khorana, and Jonathan Maberry.

They packed the room!

Fans of The Magicians may recall Umber asking for little cakes. I brought Lev Grossman some little cakes.

After the panel, the authors signed their books. Many added graffiti to the tablecloth. Someone drew salmon. Author Chuck Wendig apparently has no respect for sustainable salmon farming. And the feeling is mutual.

Lev Grossman (The Magicians) left his own graffiti.

Mostly, we signed books. Here author Lev Grossman signs a fan’s chest.

My favorite cosplay of the convention: Warhammer 40K Sisters of Battle! Adepta Sororitas

My KidLit literary agent panel with (l to r) Hannah Mann, Thao Le, Kelly Sonnack and Stefanie Von Borstel.

Writing Craft panel with authors Sarah Gailey, Annalee Newitz, Charlie Jane Anders, Seanan McGuire, and Cory Doctorow

Godzilla, Ghidorah, and Rodan resin miniatures

Sci-fi author greats Larry Niven, Greg Bear, and David Brin

Fandom Meets YA panel with authors Livia Blackburne, Mary Pearson, Tricia Levenseller, A.G. Howard, and C.B. Lee

Lord of the Rings cosplay. A Minas Tirith dress! “For Gondor!!”

Reinventing the Modern Girl panel with authors Seanan McGuire, Danielle Paige, Sarah Kuhn, Nila Macgruder, Cecil Castellucci, and Jenn Fujikawa.

Giant Straw Animals from Japan

When someone says giant animal from Japan, my first thought is Godzilla. However, these giant straw animals, courtesy of the mad geniuses at Bored Panda, are just as cool. And they don’t trample Tokyo.

“Fall is a season of harvesting, and festivals to celebrate it are currently taking place all over the world. In Northern Japan, the Wara Art Festival recently rang in the September-October rice season, and it’s a wildly inventive and fun way to repurpose rice straw left over from the harvest.

Wara Art Festival has been taking place in Niigata City since 2008, where it began as a creative collaboration between the city’s tourism division and the Musashino Art University. Rice straw was once widely used in Japan to produce various goods, such as tatami mats, but has now been replaced by wood and plastic in most instances. The students of Musashino worked together to fill the fields of Niigata with giant animal sculptures made of bound rice straw, and they’ve been doing it every year since then.

Check out the best displays from the 2017 festival below, and definitely put a trip to Japan on your fall to-do list for next year.”

Image credits: Wara Art Matsuri

Image credits: Wara Art Matsuri

Image credits: Wara Art Matsuri

Image credits: Wara Art Matsuri

Image credits: Wara Art Matsuri

Image credits: Wara Art Matsuri

Image credits: Wara Art Matsuri

Image credits: Wara Art Matsuri

Image credits: Wara Art Matsuri

Image credits: Wara Art Matsuri

Image credits: Wara Art Matsuri

Image credits: Wara Art Matsuri

Image credits: Wara Art Matsuri

Intentionally Bad Designs

I love good design. And it takes a good designer to create intentionally bad designs. Thanks to Katerina Kamprani and the mad geniuses at Bored Panda, you can see what I mean.

“The Uncomfortable” is a collection of deliberately inconvenient everyday objects by Athens-based architect .

While most of product designers are often trying to make objects as useful as possible, Kamprani here does the exact opposite trying to discover the best way to annoy everyone with her creations.

#1 Engagement Mugs

#2 The Uncomfortable Mug

#3 Hourglass Salt & Pepper Shakers

#4 Long Mug

#5 Thick Fork

#6 The Uncomfortable Teapot

#7 Concrete Umbrella

#8 Triple Door

#9 The Uncomfortable Fork

#10 The Uncomfortable Champagne Glasses

Good Times at San Diego Comic-Con 2018

1. Arriving at the Convention Center
   
2. Horrific tooth creature from Channel Zero: Candle Cove
   
3. Amazing Lord of the Rings models from Weta
   
4. A stylized Gandalf
   
5. The Moose from Chappie resin kit by Weta
   
6. Alita Battle Angel
   
7. One man’s interpretation of Edna Mode
   
8. Cuphead figures
   
9. Star Wars trooper
   
10. Scary creatures from Sideshow Collectibles
    
11. Warhammer Space Marine Blood Raven
    
12. Terrifying evil Batman and Robins
    
13. Alien vs. Predator
    
14. With NY Times bestselling fantasy author Todd McCaffrey
    
15. Bioware power armor suits
    
16. With children’s authors M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin
    
17. With children’s editor/author Ed Masessa
    
18. Author collaboration panel with Jenni Holm, Matt Holm, M.T. Anderson, Eugene Yelchin
    
19. Mars panel with astronaut Leland Melvin and The Martian author Andy Weir
    
20. Stargate cosplay
    
21. Cosplay knights
    
22. Comics panel with Stan Sakai, Cecil Castelucci, and Sergio Aragones
    
23. YA/MG Fantasy panel with authors Tomi Adeyemi, Daniel Jose Older, Victoria Schwab, Kiersten White, and Maggie Steifvater
    
24. Apocalypse panel with authors Cory Doctorow, Scott Westerfeld, and Andrew Smith
    
25. Flame Princess cosplay
    
26. With NY Times bestselling authors Peter Clines and Jonathan Maberry
    
27. Fearless women author panel with NY Times bestselling fantasy authors Rachel Caine, Seanan McGuire, Susan Dennard, Victoria Schwab, and Laini Taylor
    
28. With NY Times bestselling author Nancy Holder
    
29. Star Wars cosplay
    
30. Giant Boba Fett display
    
31. Animatronic Deadpool’s Super Duper Dance Party
    
32. South Park characters. Kenny lives!
    
33. Pacific Rim
    
34. Dragonball Z
    
35. Dragon cosplay
    
36. Self-deprecating Deadpool advertising on toilet seat covers
    
37. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein panel with Jonathan Maberry, Kiersten White, and Merrie DeStefano
    
38. Frankenstein takes the cake
    
39. Academy Award winner Sir Richard Taylor (The Lord of the Rings) sculpting in clay.
    
40. With co-panelist and NY Times bestselling fantasy author Laini Taylor
    
41. With co-panelist and NY Times bestselling fantasy author Livia Blackburne
    
42. With co-panelist and NY Times bestselling fantasy author Maggie Stiefvater
    
43. With co-panelist and NY Times bestselling fantasy author Kevin Hearne
    
44. Our fantasy literature panel packed the room
    
45. Huge Hot Wheels cars
    
46. Life-sized LEGO Aquaman
    
47. Life-sized LEGO Thanos
    
48. Mantis photobombing the Power Rangers
    
49. Personalized Magic the Gathering cards
    
50. Dungeons & Dragons panel with Naomi Novik, Delilah Dawson, Kevin Hearne, Ray Feist and R.A. Salvatore
    
51. Trump’s Titanz standee
    
52. Game of Thrones cosplay Iron Throne wheelchair
    

53. Children’s Literary Agent panel with Taylor Martindale Kean, Tim Travaglini, Jen Baxter, Kari Sutherland, Thao Le

54. Fantasy Literature panel with Victoria Schwab, Livia Blackburne, Maggie Stiefvater, and Kevin Hearne (Laini Taylor not shown)

Modern Disney Princesses

There seems to be endless fascination with the Disney princesses. Thanks to Fernanda Suarez ad the mad geniuses at Bored Panda, you can see a modern take on them.

“In recent years, we’ve seen quite a few reimagined ‘modern’ versions of the Disney princesses we grew up loving and admiring. This latest interpretation by Chilean digital artist Fernanda Suarez, however, might be the fairest of them all.

Starting with Snow White back in July, Suarez has gone on to illustrate 7 classic princesses in hip, present-day fashion. These sketched-up smoke shows look like they follow Luxy Hair tutorials on YouTube and shop for clothes at Forever 21. They probably post selfies with their ‘princes’ on Instagram and all agree that NAKED2 is the best eyeshadow palette. Oh yeah, they probably also campaign non-stop on social media for the equal rights of dwarfs, marine wildlife, and big cat conservation.”

#1 Mulan

#2 Belle

#3 Jasmine

#4 Ariel

#5 Pocahontas

#6 Snow White

#7 Cinderella

Graffiti is Art

Sometimes graffiti is vandalism. Other times it beautifies and amuses. Thanks to Tom Bob, Monika, and the mad geniuses at Bored Panda.

“American artist Tom Bob is running loose in the streets of New York, and let’s hope nobody catches him.

Using street “furniture” like poles or electrical terminals, Tom creates colorful and whimsical pieces that interact with their surroundings. From turning a sewer into a frying pan, to transforming gas meters into quirky lobsters, Tom Bob is making the city a much happier place for everybody.”

World’s Tiniest Disney Princesses

Some people can’t get enough of Disney princesses. But these are the smallest (and cutest) I’ve ever seen. Thanks to Karen Marie/Belly Beautiful Portraits, Genevieve Shaw Brown, and ABC news.

“No doubt these tiny babies will always be precious princesses to their parents, but now they have the photos to prove it.

Disney’s “amazing tales of love and heroism have always been an inspiration to me,” California-based photographer Karen Marie told ABC News.”

Marie decided to let her favorite Disney films inspire her work, putting out a call for newborn babies for a princess-themed photo shoot at her Belly Beautiful Portraits studio.

Six babies participated, all of whom were about two weeks old at the time of the shoot, Marie said.

The studio decided which baby would be dressed as each princess before they arrived.

Marie and the babies’ parents were surprised to find that the portraits now are being enjoyed and shared by people around the world.

“I hope it’s because I captured a small portion of the Disney story in each image and that people see the beauty in what I was trying to create,” Marie said.

Marie, who has been a maternity and newborn photographer for more than a decade, said this shoot was special.

“I love seeing the parents doting over their babies dressed as princesses and their reactions to my finished work,” she said.

The babies’ gowns were created by Sew Trendy Accessories and are now available for sale, so parents can create their own Disney princess-themed photo shoots if they choose.

Marie said she has plans for additional Disney princess- and heroine-themed photo shoots in the future.