Usually I avoid interaction with the booth babes — the attractive girls who hang out around a particular booth during a convention — when I attend big shows like WonderCon for a variety of reasons.

These girls are constantly having to stay on guard against socially reclusive fanboys who fall in love easily, which means their defenses are up (as they probably should be). Also, most of them aren’t any more geeky than the average Jane — meaning their knowledge of what’s presented at the booth is limited and thus of little interest to someone looking for information (like say… a journalist). Not to mention that I am not Chris Gore, so there’s never any swooning.

But when a booth babe actually is a geek, it really tends to make a difference.

This was the experience I had when checking out the True Blood booth at this year’s WonderCon, which featured samples of Tru Blood, the beverage consumed by vampires in the hit HBO drama. They were being served by, you guessed it: Booth Babes, including Meghan who asked if I wanted to drink her blood, posed for a picture, and then thanked me for it.

So in case you missed the mention at the beginning of WonderCon 2010 coverage, blogger Great White Snark and myself had a friendly competition going to see who could produce the best of the best cosplay photos.

Well GWS kicked my ass as he predicted.

Mr. @TChed will capture cosplay photos at #WonderCon this weekend that will be far inferior to mine in both quality and quantity.

Ok, I sort of knew this would happen since I’m not a photographer and was equipped with only my shitty iPhone 3G camera. (Plus, my assignment at the Con was to cover movie, TV, and comic book panels, which meant lots of waiting and sitting in large rooms, with very little Con floor time to patrol for good photo ops). But based on Snark’s logic, I thought it could only propel his photo features further, which it did.

Fans of attractive costumed women would do well to check out Great White Snark’s WonderCon 2010 Costume Gallery. [Also: Part 2 & Part 3]

After a four-year hiatus, writer/director Kevin Smith made his triumphant return to WonderCon for his usual convention Q&A where anything goes.

And for Smith, usually that does mean anything, including how to work for his View Askew production company, why convenience store services won’t deliver to his California home, and a conversation he had with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger that may have resulted in the state’s push to legalize marijuana.

If there was any newsworthy bits to the session, it was in response to a fan question about Smith’s upcoming film Red State, which has been described as very dark non traditional horror that only recently got greenlit by the studios. [READ: Kevin Smith’s ‘Red State’ Finally Greenlighted...]

Smith said Red State draws heavily from the 1975 horror film Race with the Devil, which is about two couples vacationing together in an R.V. from Texas to Colorado who are terrorized after they witness a murder during a Satanic ritual.

We went ahead and embedded Part 1 of the Q&A below, which contains the full description of Smith talking about Red State for any who want to get the full effect. You should also check out parts 2-10 on the Geeks of Doom YouTube channel and while you’re there, hit the subscribe button if you’re so inclined.

In a WonderCon shocker, current Detective Comics writer Greg Rucka announced during his spotlight panel that he has turned in his last story for DC Comics.

The fan favorite writer was putting out what will no doubt turn out to be a classic run on Detective Comics with artist JH Williams III and I’m sad to see him leave the book, as it was my favorite title DC was putting out.

That being said, I’m happy for Rucka because now he can focus on creator-owned books like Queen and Country and Stumptown.

On Twitter, Rucka commented:

To all who sent kind words: thank you! No bad blood w/ DC; just time to move on.

On his blog, JH Williams III wrote the following message:

Positive emotions were high among attendees at Sunday’s WonderCon 2010 Chuck panel featuring Zachary Levi, Josh Gomez, and Adam Baldwin, along with show creator/producers Chris Fedak and Josh Schwartz. This was no doubt caused by the Con’s surprise screening of the latest episode a day earlier than its regular prime time air date.

That episode, “Chuck vs. The Other Guy” was originally written as the show’s Season 3 finale, but after the network ordered more than its initial 13-episode run, the team had an option to amend it for the new finale but decided against it after reading the script.

“Essentially we had designed the whole season to get to that point… Chuck and Sarah in Paris,” Fedak said.

“It actually works out great for fans because you get what was designed to be a season finale in the middle of the season and then it’s on us to ramp it back up again, Schwartz said. “So you get twice as much excitement. It’s a win-win.”

New DC Comics Publisher Jim Lee discussed the future of the company’s efforts to bring comics to digital platforms in a panel at this year’s WonderCon event.

On behalf of the company, Lee said they viewed digital comics as a completely different product than the printed versions and as such, they want to play to each product’s strengths. He also offered explanation for why we haven’t seen more crossover to mobile devices in lieu of this week’s release of the iPad.

“I think at the end of the day, I have not seen anything on the digital side that is more compelling to me than a printed comic,” said Lee in response to a fan question at the panel. “I’ll use Blackest Night as an example. You open that up and — I don’t want to spoil anything — but there’s a spread inside that’s just amazing. You cannot replicate it on a device with a smaller screen.”

Ultimately, he said it’s why DC hasn’t jumped head first onto the digital bandwagon the way other companies have, such as competitor Marvel Entertainment, which released their own iPhone/iPad application to coincide with Saturday’s debut of Apple’s iPad tablet device.

The Walt Disney Company was in full attendance yesterday at WonderCon 2010 in San Francisco, CA, and one of the films they were showing off is Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. On hand for the panel was star Jake Gyllenhaal, director Mike Newell, a one Mr. Jerry Bruckheimer (producer, this being his first convention appearance ever), and Jordan Mechner, who created the original video game and is acting as an executive producer on the movie.

The highlight of the panel was, however, the unreleased clips from the film they brought with them to show off, which is what fans always want to see at these conventions. Forget the talk, show off never-before-seen footage, and you’ll win hearts. And we’ve got that footage description right here for you!

A Q&A session was held with the cast and crew, but no bombshells were dropped or anything of that sort. They talked about playing the characters, and how Gyllenhaal did some major Parkour training to prepare, which basically means he learned all of the skills of those city runners who can navigate any obstacle with ease.

Writer/director Paul W. S. Anderson joined Milla Jovovich and Ali Larter for an exclusive panel at WonderCon 2010 to discuss their recent efforts making Resident Evil: Afterlife — Alice (Jovovich) continues on her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety in a world ravaged by a virus infection that turns its victims into the undead.

But while this may be the fourth film in the franchise, it has plenty of “firsts” — the first in the series to be presented in 3D, the first film not named Avatar to use the three-dimensional technology developed by James Cameron, and also the first zombie film to use Cameron’s tech.

“James Cameron approached us about using the new technology and generously showed us a long portion of Avatar prior to its release. [Essentially] it convinced me that I should use 3D,” Anderson said, further explaining “to shoot and originate in 3D — not as a post process.”

Jackie Earle Haley might not be a name you immediately recognize, but if you’ve seen Watchmen, Rorschach is burned into your skull. After hearing Haley discuss his approach to portraying Freddy Krueger at the A Nightmare on Elm Street panel at this year’s WonderCon, I’m convinced people will remember his name, or at the very least, give a whole new generation of children chronic insomnia.

Haley said initially he had consulted research materials for psychotic murderers to understand the motivation for the character. However, he eventually came to the conclusion that Freddy Krueger is a rare example of a monster within our modern culture.

“It was just such a different energy. I still wanted to embrace his human side [but] it was really an exercise in embracing this monster, this boogieman,” Haley said.

One source he didn’t consult in detail was Robert Englund’s original performance as Krueger, citing it as “daunting” to play a role that has only been done [and done successfully] by one man.

All Star Batman and Robin will be returning with new issues next year.

Wow, there’s something I never thought I’d be saying. I thought I’d be consoling my grandchildren as they asked me, “Whatever happened to that beautiful Batman book with the swear words blanked out in it?”

Yes, the G*d Damned Batman will be returning in February of 2011 with original creators Jim Lee and Frank Miller, according to Lee, who spoke yesterday at the DCU panel at WonderCon 2010 about the future of the much-delayed book.

The legendary creators will be completing the series under a new title. For the last six issues, the book will be called Dark Knight: Boy Wonder and will ship monthly.

I’m currently sitting on a flight bound for San Francisco where I will provide Geeks of Doom’s coverage of WonderCon 2010 — thus kicking off convention season, which is far more exciting than baseball and football season by default of it being acceptable for those in attendance to dress like The Batman and/or Slave Leia.

“Ridiculously excited” would be an obvious understatement.

Of course if you can’t make it to the convention this year, you can always follow @geeksofdoom on Twitter for all the latest news from WonderCon 2010 and also live vicariously through my own experience by following me at @tched.

This year the show is chock full o’ DC Comics panels — many of which feature new Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns. With the Blackest Night arc coming to a close, I’m extremely curious to hear what’ll be revealed about the next big DCU event, Brightest Day.

There’s also plenty of panels with creators and actors from this summer’s big movies — including Kick Ass, Prince of Persia, Resident Evil: Afterlife. There’s also some great stuff in TV with BBC showing the premiere of Doctor Who: Season 5 and a panel for NBC’s Chuck.

While not nearly as exhausting or crowded as its San Diego counterpart Comic-Con International, San Francisco’s WonderCon definitely had a lot to offer comic book-loving geeks and movie buffs alike. The 3-day WonderCon 2009, which ran from February 27 – March 1, had a lot of the same panels as the recent New York Comic Con (probably because they happened to be so close together this year), but there were new panels (Pandurom, 9). There also wasn’t as many comic book companies representing out on the Con floor, very little gaming presence, and the least amount of cosplay of the three major conventions, but Artist’s Alley was nicely packed with some of the best indie artists selling their work.

Admittedly, there wasn’t a lot of breaking news, but you can check out Geeks of Doom’s coverage of Star Trek, Terminator Salvation, Watchmen, and more at our WonderCon page. Below are some photos from the convention floor, of which I think my favorite is the one of Jedi Sherlock Holmes and Jedi Dr. Watson. The first row of images is from the Isotope Comics 100 Bullets party after the Con. I’ve also embedded a video roundup of the Con events created by my friend Alex of First Showing — watch for me as Alex points me out on camera near the end of the footage while we’re riding up the escalator together with Peter (of /Film) and John (of /Gamer) as we’re leaving the Con for the last time. Lastly, I’m including an Artist’s Alley Spotlight, which has some info on some of my favorite artists at the Con.

By ScarletScribe

How do you know you’re at a Terminator Salvation panel led by the director, McG? The word “balls” is mentioned 50 times, an awkward (and unanswered) call is placed to Christian Bale’s house, and lots of unfinished CGI effects are flashed in front of your face in hopes that you’ll stop asking the question: do we really need a Terminator 4?

If you haven’t already guessed, McG thinks the answer to that question is a resounding yes and he’s been on a mission to get everyone to agree with him. While this is understandable — what director openly invites derision of his work, after all? — it’s led to convention panels that, while certainly entertaining, have been filled with cringe-inducing moments that are only forgotten when the clips start rolling.

The panel at WonderCon was no different. After rehashing, once again, his talks with James Cameron and Christian Bale about his desire to do another Terminator, McG attempted to drum up more enthusiasm from the crowd by calling Bale on speakerphone. Though the call went unanswered, the assembled were soon treated to appearances by Anton Yelchin, Bryce Dallas Howard, Moon Bloodgood, and Common. Yelchin, who plays young Kyle Reese, gave his official opinion on the movie, saying, “I think it’s fucking awesome shit. It blew my mind.”

The teaser trailer for Overture Film’s upcoming sci-fi/horror thriller Pandorum is now online. Watch it here below.

In the film, which is from producers of the Resident Evil film franchise, Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster star as two crew members who awake aboard an abandon spaceship out in deep space in a post-apocalypse situation. The two have no memory of who they are, how long they’ve been asleep, or what their mission was. At first they think that they are alone, but they soon discover that they’re not and the reality of their situation is more horrifying than they could have imagined.

Foster (X-Men: The Last Stand) appeared at Overture’s Pandorum panel on Saturday at WonderCon in San Francisco, where the trailer debuted, along with another clip from the film. Along with Foster, who plays Bower, were his co-stars German actress Antje Traue and world champion martial arts fighter Cung Le.

Director J.J. Abrams was on hand this weekend at the WonderCon 2009 Star Trek panel to introduce the world premiere of the film’s newest trailer, which will play in theaters in front of Watchmen starting this Friday. Continuing reading at the bottom of this post for a description of the new trailer and some images from the panel.

Early in the panel, Abrams sought to dispel the talk that his new Star Trek was far removed from the existing franchise. He stressed that he “loves and is beholden to existing Star Trek fans” and that while new fans will appreciate the film, older fans will be happy too. Also, there’s plenty of references to old Trek in the film.

“It’s a prequel but a sequel,” said Roberto Orci, a long-time Trek fan who co-wrote Abrams’ version along with Alex Kurtzman. “If you’re a fan, your knowledge of Star Trek will be rewarded; if you’re not, you’re going to see why we’re all inspired by it.”

Depending on how well Watchmen does at the box office next month, a director’s cut of the film will be getting a short theatrical release this July, according to the film’s director Zack Snyder at Warner Bros.’ Watchmen panel today at WonderCon.

Watchmen will be released on March 6 and will run about 2:40 minutes, but Snyder said that his director’s cut will run 3:10 minutes.

Regarding the eventual DVD release, Snyder said that after an initial DVD release, which will be the theatrical version along with some extra footage that had to be cut for time, this Fall there will also be a lengthier DVD that has the Tales of the Black Freighter animated tale intercut into the main film which will be 3:30 minutes long.

Snyder revealed that some of the footage he had to cut from the upcoming theatrical release includes the death of original Nite Owl Hollis Mason, as well as some brief scenes like Edward Blake raising the flag by himself at Iwo Jima and Nixon’s inauguration, both of which were originally intended to be part of the opening credits.

ScarletScribe and I landed in San Francisco last night and spent the morning at the San Francisco MoMa. Now, we’re off to WonderCon 2009 for some comics, movies, and video game goodness.

This afternoon will mostly be spent walking the Con floor and if the line isn’t too insane, maybe we’ll catch the Animated Wonder Woman movie tonight. We’ll also be attempting to find reasonable food and beverages, as well catch up with our friends Peter (/Film), Alex (FS), and Mike (GWS), who will undoubtedly lead us into some kind of trouble (which Peter will surely document via video camera).

Valentine’s Day as a geek can typically be described in one of the following ways: 1) A second Christmas in which both people get a present that can only be found inside the pages of a Previews catalog or 2) A somewhat to extremely lonely night of rereading Twilight* for the umpteenth time.

SoulGeek aims to eliminate fanboy (or fangirl) loneliness by offering a dating site specifically tailored for geeks, according to founder Dino Andrade, who started the network after discovering how difficult it was to meet people in his own experiences.

As a seasoned voice actor of many cartoons and video games, it was only natural that Andrade would fall in love with Mary Kay Bergman, famously known for creating and performing all the original female roles on South Park (including the Blame Canada song!!). When she tragically passed away in November of 1999, the two had been married for over a decade.

It took years to recover from the loss, but eventually he decided to get back on the saddle, according to Andrade, who said the most difficult part about it was being a geek.