Posted in: Comics | Tagged: atari, Comikaze 2013, elvira, marvel, nintendo, stan lee, the hulk, x-men

Comikaze's Special Exhibits Geek Out On Classic Video Games, Elvira, Marvel History

Published Sun, 03 Nov 2013 10:00:58 -0600

Michele Brittany writes for Bleeding Cool from Comikaze:

I know that special exhibits are not a new concept at the cons, however Comikaze provided not one but three exhibits set up on the show floor at this year's show. Looking at the program, I was most curious about was the Video Game History Museum nestled near the attendee lounge, so that's where I started first.

Just about every game console was represented, taking me down memory lane of my short love affair with Atari's Pong – until I tired of the repetitious nature of batting a ball around our black and white television. Representing my next foray into gaming, the Nintendo Original NES and hours of collecting coins in Mario Bros., minding my gaps in Tetris, and loving the macabre setting of Castlevania. Along with consoles on display in their original packaging and for play were several arcade game stations, such as The Simpsons and Lethal Enforcers, garnering interest from passersby throughout the day.

At the other end of the hall, Stan Lee's Mega Museum and The Spooky World of Elvira were set up near the autograph arena of media guests. Stan Lee's museum was fascinating for all of the small-scale statues housed in tall glass cases. I recognized the most popular superheroes, but there were many more that I didn't. I wish the organizers had utilized placards with pertinent information to inform the viewer the significance of each character to Stan Lee, especially for those of us not completely familiar with Lee's long involvement in the comic book industry. A handful of glass cases were devoted to comic book pages of X-Men, Spider-Man and others. The pages were absorbing due to their detail and the action conveyed by the characters.

The most spooky aspect of Elvira's world was a large tentacle arm rising up 10 feet into the air at one of the entries into the exhibit area. It was an odd piece and without any placards, I did not know its significance to Elvira. I can only assume it was a prop from one the bad films she presented to her television audience. Other items were art pieces inspired by Elvira's persona. Most took on a creepy demeanor, but there were a couple that I thought flattered her and were well done.

There was also an "unofficial" exhibit – I say that only because it wasn't marked on the program – by Legacy Effects, a San Fernando, California effects company specializing in bringing the vision of filmmakers to reality. Now, this was probably the coolest exhibit of the other three because of the intricate detail and sense of realism of the statues. Most were of Iron Man capturing the evolution of his appearance from the spare parts Stark welded together in the desert to the red armor we most often associate with this superhero. In addition, there was a large statue of the Hulk, in all his menacing green glory.

The exhibits were enjoyable, for the most part and provided a pleasant pause from the hustle of the exhibitor and artist alleys; a calming breath before returning to the stream of fans cruising around the rest of the show floor.

Michele Brittany is an independent pop culture scholar and semi-professional photographer currently editing an upcoming anthology on the influence of James Bond on popular culture, and she regularly posts reviews and analysis on the spy/espionage genre on her blog, Spyfi & Superspies.

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