RI Comic Con-versation

Earlier this month, this article was posted by Nick Iandolo – after the posting we were able to get on the record with Steve Perry, the founder of Rhode Island Comic Con and, this time of year, one of RI’s busiest individuals. This post has been amended to include his responses and information acquired in that interview. Unfortunately, this meant cutting out a lot of geek-speak-laden meta-sarcastic pop- culture references. Fortunately, we now have a lot more information. Reporting by Nick Iandolo and Mike Ryan.

Many of these questions were drawn from online fan postings, which blew up on Twitter and Facebook a year ago when Rhode Island Comic Con (RICC) lit up social media over a situation where ticket holders were unable to enter the venue, shut out by the fire marshal out of concern about crowding. We had a frank conversation with Perry about last year’s challenges, what they’ve resulted in for this year, and what lies in the future for the overwhelmingly popular con.

Here is a list of issues from Twitter last year:

Tickets being sold after the venue was closed by the Providence Fire Marshal. Fans waiting in line outside longer than expected. Families and friends separated when some went outside and were then not allowed back in. Vendors, exhibitors, and artists not being allowed back in. Fans missing out on their photo ops and seminars.

These have been addressed this year by the addition of entire additional building’s worth of space, adding another day to the convention and better crowd and access management that will include color- coded and micro-encoded badges for different entries and real-time capacity tracking.

Motif: Tell us how you feel about last year, and specifically about the period when some people were shut out of the event:

SP: Sometimes you just have to take a step back and look at what happened and fix the situation. Things could have been handled a little bit differently from all angles. Everyone who needed to be handled was taken care of, and that situation’s not going to happen again.

Motif: How does it feel to run what has become such a monster of an event?

SP: It feels great. We’re very proud of what we have accomplished as a group and as a city to bring one of the biggest events in the country to Providence. We plan on continuing to grow the event into a citywide event.

Motif: That sounds intriguing for next year.

SP: Yeah – We have plans to encompass more and more of the city, and to involve more local businesses and organizations into the show. Motif: I understand you have a projection of 60,000 attendees this year.

SP: That’s the plan.

Motif: And you think it can grow even bigger.

SP: Yes, definitely. We have plans to grow the show. We want to become the San Diego of New England.

Motif: Tell me about Eliza Dushku. Her luggage was taken, but that didn’t have anything to do with the Con?

SP: Not at all. It happened outside the hotel at night. She wasn’t with anyone from the show.

Motif: Did her stuff ever show up on EBay or something?

SP: Hotel security handled that and they were able to get her stuff back.

Motif: There were some ticket holders who couldn’t get back in for events they planned to see. How did you deal with that?

SP: For people who were adversely affected last year, we took the traditional 7-day period for refunds and extended it to 31 days. We reimbursed or refunded people who had legitimate problems stemming from the restricted access [ed note – that’s about 1.25% of last year’s attendees]. While the waits were very unfortunate, the fire marshals did continue to let people in, as others came out.

We also learned a lot from that experience that we’ve applied to this year’s show. We’ve added a third day, for the fans. We added another entire building of space, and significant changes in how badges work. That’s to try to meet the demands of the fans and to improve the experience for everyone – to make sure everyone can have the best Con experience possible.

In the first version of this post, Nick suggested, “Don’t let the lawyers speak for you Mr. Perry — speak for yourself, and let the fans empathize and understand where you’re coming from” — challenge accepted.

Nick summed things up with, “I want RICC to get as big as SDCC; I want them to succeed. I want to know that when I go there I will feel right at home with my people — both out on the convention floor and behind-the-scenes. I don’t want to have to fly to the other side of the county to get my pop-culture fix. And I’m not the only one. I think it will be a great con this year! Just look at the line up of guests: Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia from Star Wars), Jason Momoa (Kal Drogo from ‘Game of Thrones,’ and DC’s new Aquaman), Ming-Na Wen (Melinda May from “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”) and Ron Perlman (Hellboy I & II) to name a scant few!” Peter Cullen and Frank Welker Are More Than Meets the Eye

Few cartoons and actions figures are as iconic, popular and recognizable as Transformers. Whether you grew up with the ’80s TV series, the original 1988 film or even the current blockbuster franchise, you most likely know the difference between an Autobot and a Decepticon.

The original voices behind the eternal foes Optimus Prime and Megatron, Peter Cullen and Frank Welker, each have been doing voice work for over 50 years, and I was excited to talk with them in advance of their appearance at RI Comic Con.

Rob Duguay (Motif): When you were approached to do the voices for the Transformers cartoon in the ’80s, what was your reaction?

Peter Cullen: I remember being very curious about it. It was so new, so different from anything I had ever done or seen before. That is because there were no cute funny characters of all sorts of voice ranges, but simply an assortment of metal robots that fought for good or evil. It was more real life than cartoons. I was asked to read a few characters including Prime, and that opportunity proved to be a once in a lifetime. The words were perfect, some advice from my brother Larry — who is also a personal hero of mine — and the rest is history.

Frank Welker: I was not familiar with the franchise at all, but loved the characters and the art. They were different than anything I was working on at the time. It was fun to play so many characters and of course I had the opportunity to be the big bad boy and I loved doing him and still do.

RD: Frank, you also do the voices of Scooby Doo and Doctor Claw from “Inspector Gadget” among a few others. Are you very methodical in preparation for these roles or do you handle each one differently?

FW: I find most situations a little different. It depends a lot on what materials are available that define and describe the character. My best source for finding a voice is looking at art work. When I first worked on Megatron, I had great drawings to look at and that was really helpful. A photo is worth a thousand words; in my case a photo is worth a thousand thoughts. I am very visual and the more I see the character the more it helps liberate the creative juices and I know instantly what I would like to do. Now that is for me, usually it is my first instinct that I am going to be most comfortable with. Where it gets tricky is you have a writer who created the character and has a vision. You have a producer and director and maybe toy or comic company and or studio who all have visions so the big trick is congealing all the visions into a cohesive team effort and ultimately, a performance. Megatron was a dream, I had this voice in my repertoire that was dying to get out. In my mind it was different and would not be what other actors auditioning might do. Believe it or not, it sailed through all levels of scrutiny. I never changed it at all until recent years with the new games, movies, rides and “Transformers Prime” series.

RD: How about you Peter? You’re also known for doing the voice of the depressed donkey Eeyore in “Winnie-The-Pooh,” quite the contrast from the courageous leader that is Optimus Prime. How different was it preparing to do voices for two different characters?

PC: At the time, Eeyore had already been done by another actor. When Winnie the Pooh was resurrected in “The New Adventures,” I was to impersonate Ralph Wright who had passed away. I had a discussion with Optimus Prime and Eeyore once, somebody evidently recorded it, but I’ve never heard it and can’t remember. Having not that much preparation would be the best answer.

RD: I’m going to be searching everywhere for that Optimus Prime and Eeyore conversation. For the past few decades, visual entertainment has changed so much. You now have everything in high definition and animation has gone the 3D route, but voice acting has pretty much stayed the same. Do you feel affected by any of the rapid changes in visual entertainment or do you just do the same thing you’ve always done during your respective careers?

PC: Rapid changes, yes. Not only technically but socially. I approach characters as I always do. Define character, study physical composition, and compose a voice to suit.

FW: For me it has certainly changed my approach to Megatron. On “Transformers Prime,” the CGI animation gave us a big beautiful canvas to work with. I really like the faces and new character art; there is a lot more detail and movement. With the CGI you can use a more subtle approach for dialog because visually you see. There’s more detail — lots of close-ups and a lot less projecting. Of course standing next to Peter and playing old enemies again is fabulous fun.

RD: In what roles can we hear both of your voices in the future?

FW: I am currently busy with a new season of “Scooby Doo.” It is crazy fun and a great new version of this legendary franchise. Like “Transformers,” Scooby is generational and like the Energizer Bunny it just keeps going and going and going. Somebody told me that I have been doing that show for 45 years! It can’t be true. I am only 36!

PC: I am happy to say that Eeyore is back. I recorded a session recently with a production team that wanted me in their production of the Doc McStuffins episode “Into the One Hundred Acre Wood.” It was a wonderful day working with them. Samhain Arrives in New England

For most of us, October is the month of Halloween bringing costumes, candy and flying bats, along with TV reruns of every horror movie ever made. But for the followers of Wicca, October holds a much deeper meaning: It is the month of Samhain, one of the four greater Sabbats of the year. It symbolizes the final harvest and is celebrated by many as the beginning of a New Year.

Along the northeastern coast of America, festival fires will burn long into the night throughout October. Of the 52 Samhain events listed nationally in “The Witches’ Voice,” 10 are in New England. Salem, of course, is our town best known for its history of witchcraft and the occult. It is also, unfortunately, the setting for many a gruesome and gory book and film. In these stories, witches are invariably associated with the Evil Dead, black magic and broomsticks. It has given the entire genre an undeserved bad rap.

Can we please set the record straight? Witches do not worship the Devil or idolize Satan. Wiccans are, by and large, a green group, participating in Earth Day and concerned with balance and the cycles of nature. Witchcraft is a tradition with ancient roots, going back to a time when survival depended upon a successful hunt and fertility. The rituals that Wiccans perform are, by and large, designed to attune them to the cycles of nature. The main tenet of Witchcraft is: “An’ it harm none, do what thou wilt.” Wiccans are often healers and herbalists, more spiritual than scary.

In RI, don’t miss the slide show and discussion on October 14, “Don’t Fear The Reaper: Superstitions Surrounding Death & Darkness,” by Yssion, a practicing member of the New England Coven of Traditionalist Witches. The event starts at 7pm at Mother Mystic, 179 Dean Street, Providence. Audience members will have a chance to make and take home a protective charm.

As the witching hour approaches, you need not travel far to find Samhain celebrations that are open to the public. On October 23 – 24, The 5th Annual Witches’ Ball will be held at The Silver Willow, 54 Fall River Avenue, Rehoboth, Massachusetts. The Connecticut Wiccan and Pagan Network hosts their 2015 Witches’ Ball and Samhain Market on October 24 in Orange, Connecticut.

Salem, Massachusetts, has a plethora of events planned this month, beginning with The Annual Psychic Fair and Witchcraft Expo, from October 1 through November 1, at Museum Place Mall, 176 Essex Street in downtown Salem. Admission is free. The fair features the city’s most gifted psychics and witches, and events range from tarot and past life readings to live dragon ritual drums and magic charms.

A whirlwind of hauntings, portals to the spirit world and celebrations of the dead lead up to The Official Salem Witches’ Halloween Ball at Hawthorne Hotel on October 31. You can find full listings for all Salem events at festivalofthedead.com/witchesball/index.htm.

All local and national listings can be found at witchvox.com/vn/vn_evw/ev_samhain.html There Will Be No Survivors: The 8th Annual Providence Zombie Night is Upon Us!

On Saturday, October 17, as the sun hides behind the horizon, the dead shall walk the streets of downtown Providence once more! The Reverend Al Mighty has promised to go above and beyond to present this year’s Providence Zombie Night – a freakishly fun 21+ block party held at the Dark Lady at 19 Snow Street.

Last year’s block party on Union Street set a record of 2,800 dancing dead. This year’s location is primed for a larger gathering at the Quarantine Zone. “So far, we’ve had 2,500 say they are coming. Historically we go about 1 ½ to 2 times the number who RSVP on the Facebook page – I’m scared,” laughed the Reverend. “Don’t worry, you won’t be packed in. There will be plenty of space to dance.” Additionally, the city will allow this year’s festivities to be live and loud until 2am!

Returning from last year is the second-ever Providence street-side Boolesque, a horror-themed burlesque featuring Rev’s hand-picked all-star cast: Bettysioux Tailor, Dot Mitzvah, Vanil LaFrappe, Vivienne LaFlame and a very special performance from Kurt Fowl. “Anyone who shows up late misses [the Boolesque]. This is the time to come early!”

Coming early also has another benefit – cheaper admission! Expect a discounted rate from 7 to 9pm. All attending zombies will be given a bracelet for re-entry. “Part of the fun is roaming around the block in case you want to visit the neighboring bars.” And food trucks have been called in to prevent the undead from devouring the brains of the locals.

“It’s an event that attracts a lot of crazy people in this city,” said Reverend Al. Indeed it has! The event will feature not one, but two stages with special guests including drag superstar Jackie Beat, co-host Sabrina Blaze, DJ’s Tank and the Riddler, DJ AV8, and many other surprise performances. “[In previous years] we’ve had Art on the Spot, TEN31, RKO – they’re all competing against each other with people on that stage.”

He refers to the outdoor stage hosting the Best Zombie Contest, the winner of which will receive a $666 prize at the stroke of midnight. Last year saw zombie versions of Lego Man, Jesus, Macho Man, and even the infamous couple from American Gothic. The production crew for this year’s event is expecting many attendees to go above and beyond. “There’s a reason I only do this once a year, even though people have asked for it. Because I want everything put into the one night, one show.” Reverend Al gives some parting words of advice: “Get here early! Make sure you have a designated driver!” And just like every year: “If someone is caught being uncivilized toward other zombies, or taking things a little out of control, they will be eaten on sight.”

So if you are out walking the streets of downtown Providence on October 17, beware the grotesquely gorgeous zombie horde. They might just lure you to a hauntingly fantastic time.

Providence Zombie Night starts at 7pm on October 17 at The Dark Lady in PVD. For more information, go to facebook.com/events/1474863759499236/

Motif Interviews Dean Cain

One of the attendees at this year’s Comic Con is Dean Cain, probably best known for playing Clark Kent opposite Terry Hatcher’s Lois Lane in the 90’s hit TV show “Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.”

Before he donned the cape, he was a defensive back on the Princeton Tigers football team (he went on to the Buffalo Bills before suffering a career-ending knee injury). As an alcohol-inept freshman in college, I managed to spill beer all over that then-senior star football player. He not only didn’t kill me, he was gracious and good humored about the mishap. So it was a pleasure to reach out to him and have a short interview about the Man of Steel, Supergirl and the upcoming RI Comic Con.

Mike Ryan (Motif): You get credited with reintroducing Superman as a much more human character. How did you feel about playing such an iconic character?

Dean Cain: It was an amazing break for a young actor. I didn’t feel any particular weight from having to carry the legacy. Because the character was there on paper and I felt like I could really identify with him. It was a natural fit. Clark Kent is who he was, and Superman was what he could do. That’s the character I played. Superman really was the secret identity – if anything I found it more challenging to be Superman than to be Clark Kent. But it was a fantastic role and something that I’m always happy to be associated with. I’m a single dad, and I did change my career to be a dad first and an actor second. But I certainly haven’t had trouble finding work since… So it’s not at all like George Reeves for me. … I saw a Mad Magazine piece where they drew caricatures of all the people to play Superman, and when they drew my character he had a pink skirt on and a spatula, I think. I thought it was hilarious. In this business if you take yourself too seriously, it’s ridiculous. You have to be able to laugh at yourself – if you don’t, everyone else will.

MR: What were the highlights and lowlights of “Lois and Clark” for you?

DC: Playing such a great icon was a definite highlight. I’ve heard from fans who were kids then, telling me that, “On Sundays I could stay up late to watch the show if I was good.” And they remember that, which is amazing and such an affirmation of all the time and effort we put in. The negative is the amount of work that goes into producing a show like that. It is all day, every day. There is no free time.

MR: You’re playing Supergirl’s [adoptive] father Jeremiah Danvers now, too.

DC: It’s weird going from being the guy to being the dad. It’s a fantastic show with a great story; she’s a great character and Melissa Benoist is going to be a super star. It has the same tone that “Lois and Clark” had. There’s romance, there’s humor, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it’s still got an amazing story. (“Supergirl” premieres October 26 on CBS.)

MR: Are you thrown by the C.G.I. that enabled her to do a lot of super stuff you couldn’t do in the ’90s?

DC: I’m jealous. I’m jealous because she gets to do a lot of wonderful, wonderful stuff that we could not do, and she looks really cool. But I’m also just grateful to be a part of it. I love to be a part of the ongoing Superman lore.

MR: Are you still in touch with Teri Hatcher?

DC: She’s working on raising her kid, I’ve been working on raising my kid. So I don’t see her much in person. But I do believe she was the greatest Lois Lane to ever play the character, and I’d love to see her do it again. Not an epilogue, but some sort of ending to the series, because we never did get to finish that. Maybe a movie or something – that’d be great fun… See how I just kinda threw that in there?

MR: You’ve done a lot of shows and tours to support the troops. How did you get interested in that cause?

DC: I think it’s because of my grandfather – the one who lived in Providence. He was a commander the Navy. My uncle was Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force. And I just was always sort of fascinated by their service. It was the way I first pictured America. It’s kind of akin to playing Superman. I do believe in the American way and I do believe in justice – truth, justice and the American way. And I believe in freedom and in fighting for the oppressed. And that’s what our soldiers do … it comes from a place of morality and really trying to do good. In my mind, that’s the purpose of the military.

MR: What else are you working on now? DC: People ask me, “What do you want to be?” An actor, a director, a writer and I like all of them. So I’m constantly doing all those things. I have four shows happening right now as an actor or host, including “Masters of Illusion” on CW … and “Lady Dynamite,” that’s coming out on Netflix, which is a lot of fun. And a new show, which I can’t talk about yet. If it comes together I’ll play the leading role.

MR: Can you tell us the genre or anything about the character?

DC: I would play a fire chief, which will be great fun. Police officers and firemen are all heroes to me.

MR: Have you been to Rhode Island before?

DC: Once. I’m excited to go back because my grandfather on my mother’s side was from Providence. In college we [The Princeton football team] played a game at Brown. It was the worst rain storm I have ever experienced in my lifetime. The rain came down so hard it actually hurt. Everything went down third quarter – the time clock, the scoreboard, the lights. It was crazy.

MR: But you guys finished the game?

DC: Of course. We never stopped playing. But we didn’t know what the score was or how much time was left. So I’m sure Providence has got to look better this time around. Escape Your Weekend Rut with Escape Rhode Island

You know that reoccurring nightmare everyone has where you can’t escape your 10th grade math class? You know, the dream where you’re stuck until you get at least a B on the mid-term, which is frankly impossible because geometry is really really hard, guys, and why couldn’t this have happened to me in ENGLISH CLASS? SORRY I’M A CREATIVE THINKER.

Okay, maybe that dream is specific to me.

Well, try to imagine that dream anyway. Only this time you aren’t stuck in a math class and you have between one and 11 friends with you, and, oh yeah, there is a way out. Wait, that sounds kind of … fun. Escape Rhode Island, opening Thursday, October 15, is a real-life game where players placed in a dimly lit room have one hour to solve puzzles and figure out clues for them to escape.

Escape Room games started gaining popularity online, until 2007 when real-life iterations of the Internet game popped up in Asia. Six years later the US saw its first Escape Room game in New York City.

Ethan Carlson, founder of Escape Rhode Island, a graduate of Yale University and game-player himself, saw an untapped market after moving to Providence in January 2013. He partnered with college friends who co-founded Escape Industries in New Haven, helping him adapt the game for Providence. “It’s a perfect place for it. We have that creative and quirky community in spades.”

I all but told Mr. Carlson about my deep-seated high school math-related trauma and expressed concern that a game of this nature would trigger unwanted feelings. “It’s not claustrophobic, the rooms are normal sized and nothing jumps out at you. It’s more a game of chess style of thinking.”

The games are hard, but don’t be deterred — they’re for everyone. Each room has surveillance equipment that gauges how close the players are to escaping so no team spends too much time on one problem. The monitors move the game along so players always experience a journey. “The type of person this is for is very broad,” Mr. Carlson explained.

So, if your eyes feel sore from playing online video games or if you’re tired of hitting up the same bar every weekend, get over to 385 S Main St, Floor 2 in PVD. For more information: escaperhodeisland.com

Talking to Comic Con

Once upon a time, admitting you were a Nerd would get you some very odd looks, a flat-lined love life and intimate knowledge of how to escape from the inside of a locker or an automatic underwear- flavored enema.

While this hasn’t changed entirely, we are in a golden renaissance of nerd culture thanks to things like the Avengers and X-Men franchises, the rise of Comic Book movies, the massive explosion of gaming culture, the power of Nostalgia, and a dizzying surplus of animation imported from Japan.

Hence the exploding popularity of Rhode Island Comic Con, coming to the convention center this November 6-8. This once-humble little show began as a (relatively) small event in 2011, crammed in next to the Great International Beer Festival, which led to some interesting interactions when the cosplay girls wandered past the beer hall. But now not only does this Con dominate the Convention Center, it’s spilling over into the Dunkin Donuts center as well, expanding faster than Bruce Banner’s biceps!

The convention features a cornucopia of obscure pop culture, including artists, authors, writers, actors, voice actors, wrestlers, internet celebrities, and more. The guest list is, as always, a stunning assembly of legends from a whole spectrum of different branches of entertainment. Meet Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman for about a decade’s worth of cartoons ranging from Batman the Animated Series to the wildly popular Justice League and the “Arkham Series” of Batman games. Doctor Who fans will get to meet the Pond family, the time-distorted Karen Gillian, Alex Kingston, and Arthur Darvill. Hellboy himself, Ron Perlman will be there, as well as the august Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen, with his arch nemesis Megatron, AKA Frank Welker. They even have Star Wars icon Princess Leia herself, Carrie Fisher, among their honored lineup.

There’s also gaming, cosplay contests, shows, sci-fi speed dating (see article at motifri.com/dare-me-sci- fi-speed-dating/) a special Kids Comic Con and of course an endless amount of nerdy merch, including everything from comic books and props to actual pieces of famous memorabilia.

On that topic, exercise your nostalgia muscles with the famous vehicles being wheeled in. The DeLorean from Back to the Future, the Winchester’s Impala from Supernatural, the Mystery Machine and more.

This is a big event, and a relatively new convention, so RI Comic Con is still growing. This year, they’re expecting 60,000 people to attend, quite a showing for the smallest state in the Union.

Luckily, this humble beer nerd knows people on the inside, so I was able to glean a little more info about the titanic event landing downtown this November. I spoke to Susan Soares, the Press Relations Manager for RI Comic Con.

Pete Laravee (Motif): How did RI Comic Con get started?

Susan Soares: Steve Perry of Altered Reality Entertainment had been producing smaller shows throughout southeastern Massachusetts when he wanted to branch out at a larger scale. Seeing the RI market as one lacking a show of this nature, he embarked on building Rhode Island Comic Con.

PL: Who would be the ultimate guest celebrity for RI Comic Con?

SS: In all honesty, Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man himself. PL: (Stunned silence) Holy Thor, he would be a BLAST at this con!

PL: What can we expect from the after-parties on Friday and Saturday?

SS: Well, Friday’s party is “Press Start to Party,” a night filled with games, music, drinks and fun! We will have a cash prize arcade costume contest where attendees are invited to come dressed as your favorite arcade or video game character. We’ll have arcade games, a mechanical bull, a karaoke contest to kick-off the night, celebrity guest appearances. And maybe a few surprises.

Saturday’s after party will have a past vs. the future theme. We will of course feature a past vs. the future costume contest. We’ll have games from the 80’s, the mechanical bull returns and celebrity appearances.

PL: Are there any other special events, or VIP-only perks that we should know about?

SS: We do offer an early-entry VIP package available. It does have a limited availability and includes the following: One 3-day pass good for all 3 days of the show, early bird admission at 9:00am, [use of the] private VIP entrance, private VIP lounge, RI ComicCon VIP lanyard, 3 exclusive RI ComicCon show prints, Rhode Island ComicCon swag bag, discount coupon for the show store, VIP 2015 RI ComicCon Badge, autograph fast-pass line [access] for a select number of our celebrities.

We also offer three celebrity-specific packs. They are

1.) Transformers (Peter Cullen and Frank Welker), which includes the following: Autograph, table photo op, RICC exclusive Transformers print, exclusive Transformers badge, RICC Transformers exclusive comic book, Transformers Q&A panel seating.

2.) Ghostfacers which includes: Dinner with AJ Buckley and Tavis Wester, dual-signed RICC 11×17 exclusive print, dual photo-op, exclusive badge.

3.) Cody Saintgnue which includes: Dinner with Cody … 8×10 autograph, a photo with you and Cody, exclusive event badge, exclusive event-only print.

PL: I know it’s the elephant in the room, but a lot of issues plagued last year’s Comic Con. What steps have been taken to make the event easier and more accessible to the fans as well as a positive experience for the guest celebrities?

SS: Three changes have been implemented this year:

1. We have expanded to three days. 2. We have expanded to a 2nd venue, the Dunkin Donuts Center 3. We have implemented a new scanning system where each badge with have a micro encoding where attendees will scan in and scan out as they come and go. This will allow us to better manage capacity in real time.

PL: Finally, is there any way I could get Kevin Conroy to record my outgoing voice-mail message as Batman?

SS: Unfortunately that is NOT included in the VIP badge.

Ed note, there is a service where some celebs will do this:

If you’d like to be part of the awesome power of this fully armed and operational convention, you can buy tickets at a few locations like Lee’s Collectibles at the Warwick Mall or online at ricomiccon.com

Enjoy the Long Weekend at The Scituate Art Festival

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This Columbus Day weekend, on October 10 – 12, head on down (or up, I don’t know where you live) to North Scituate for the Scituate Art Festival. The town throws its annual event on the Village Green, on both sides of Route 116, North Scituate, from 10am – 5pm on Saturday and Sunday and 10am – 4pm on Monday. So, for all the autumn lovers already tired of apple picking, throw on a jacket, instagram Scituate’s beautiful foliage (no filter) and prepare yourself for some fall fun. Proceeds for the fall-fest go to the town of Scituate – so come on down for a burst of culture that supports locals!

For almost half a century the town of Scituate has thrown a party built to benefit their community. It all started in 1830 (seriously) when some locals wanted to build a third place of worship in town. What is colloquially known as the Old Congregational Church, used to house both Baptists and Congregationalists who would alternate Sundays at the now-aging white building, now is solely Congregationalists. The festival was born more than a century later in 1967 with a one-day festival aimed at raising money to renovate the historic church. Today, the festival still funds the church’s up- keep, but also uses its proceeds to help approximately 30 local non-profits.

The Scituate Arts Festival, now in it’s 49th year, hosts locals and travelers from around the country. Attendants of the festival can find a juried arts and crafts show with exhibits ranging from antiques to woodwork to pastels to vintage clothes. Though, festival-goers won’t just swallow their cultural intake in booth-sized cups, no sir, live music will swell throughout Village Green. Every day of the festival features at least three musical acts, closing off the event with an open mic night. So, who knows, maybe you’re the final act? I know what you’re thinking, “Yeah, yeah. Immersion into the local culture is great, but what if I get HUNGRY?” Well, not to worry. The dozen non-profits that make up the food court provide scrumptious treats throughout the day. Indulge in a doughboy with the Rotary Club or in fall classics like pulled pork and pumpkin pie served on a warm plate by the Shepherd of the Valley United Methodist Church.

Gosh, I’m excited.

For more information visit: scituateartfestival.org/

Hope and Main’s Centennial Celebration

Hope & Main, a culinary incubator program that gives food industry start-ups access to kitchen space and industry tools and resources, will be hosting a dual birthday party from 2 to 6pm on October 11. They will be celebrating the first anniversary of their business as well as the centennial of its location, the Main Street School, which they were responsible for renovating using a $2.9 million loan.

The Centennial Celebration will take place in the school at 691 Main Street, Warren, and have an old- timey festival theme featuring live music, square dancing, a Humble Pie Eating Contest, a raffle and a variety of old-fashioned artifacts, games, a photo booth and Carnival-style food. The Centennial Celebration will coincide with the last Schoolyard Market, and will include the farmers and makers market regular fare for the last time of the season. All alumni of the Main Street School are encouraged to attend for a class reunion, and the Warren Historic Preservation Society will attend to record their memories of the school as part of an oral history project. Interested alumni who submit their yearbook picture, or any photo of the Main Street School by October 9, will receive $20 worth of free raffle tickets.

Hope & Main will use the Centennial Celebration as an opportunity to highlight their success, and Governor Gina Raimondo will attend the festivities from 2 – 6pm to congratulate the organization on its contributions to the state’s economy. Hope & Main has helped launch more than 50 business, adding $1.14 million to the local economy, and created 75 jobs. The celebration also will spotlight the successes of local businesses that have benefited from the resources and technical assistance provided by their program, such Holy Baked Goods, Fox Point Pickling Co. and Essentially Coconut. With Hope & Main’s technical support and resources, Tito’s Cantina has quadrupled production in the last year and launched four new products.

The renovation of the Main Street School is an accomplishment to be celebrated in itself, as the classrooms were preserved, blackboards restored and the hardwood floors were polished, transforming the historic building into a fully equipped and affordable work space.

“When I first saw the building it took real imagination to see the potential for what Hope & Main has now become,“ says Hope & Main President and Founder Lisa Raiola. “At the same time we created state-of-the-art production kitchens for food entrepreneurs, we preserved the school as a community resource where people of all ages can learn about the benefits of healthy eating and local food.”

Marianne Schnall Discusses a Woman in the White House

Nine departments at Roger Williams University will come together on September 30 to host author and executive director of Feminist.com, Marianne Schnall. Schnall will speak about her 2013 book, What Will it Take to Make a Woman President?

Inspired by her daughter’s question, “Why haven’t we had a woman president?” Schnall set out to interview politicians, public officials, writers, artists and activists to explore and uncover the subtle and not so subtle barriers that have held women back from the highest leadership post in the country and to examine what change is necessary to elect a woman into the White House. Her talk will not only address the glass ceiling on a female presidency, but alsowill include a conversation with the audience surrounding women, leadership and power.

Schnall’s current interest lies in the development of women’s leadership. Partnering with Political Parity, a “nonpartisan program educating and engaging actors and allies to increase women’s political representation nationally” and Running Start, an organization that promotes young women’s participation in politics, Schnall hopes to develop a comprehensive leadership program that will bring women together to break glass ceilings in many industries. Schnall is a well-connected feminist whose other claim to fame is that the inspiration for V-Day, the organization spawned from Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues, occurred at her dining room table. Schnall is also the founder and executive director of the 20-year-old Feminist.com, a website and nonprofit organization. Schnall is author of Daring to Be Ourselves: Influential Women Share Insights on Courage, Happiness and Finding Your Own Voice (2010), which is based on her interviews with an array of prominent women, including Maya Angelou, Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda, Madeleine Albright, Natalie Portman, Jane Goodall and Alice Walker. Her writing has been published in O, The Oprah Magazine, TIME.com, In Style, CNN.com, EW.com, the Women’s Media Center and many others. She is a featured blogger at The Huffington Post and a contributor to the nationally syndicated NPR radio show, “51 Percent: The Women’s Perspective.”

Her September 30 presentation at Roger Williams University will be held at 6pm in the Feinstein College of Arts and Sciences building, Room 157, at One Old Ferry Road, Bristol.