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Geek Tyrant
20 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
San Diego Comic-Con: Looking Back at the Legendary Origins of Geekdom's Biggest Event — GeekTyrant
With San Diego Comic-Con launching this week, it's the perfect time to revisit how this pop culture juggernaut began and how it grew into the most influential convention in the world. For me, SDCC is more than just a convention—it's a yearly pilgrimage. I've been attending every year since 2006, and in 2008, the same year Marvel blew everyone away by debuting Iron Man in Hall H, we launched GeekTyrant. I was there when the Marvel Cinematic Universe was born, and it was a moment that changed fandom forever. But like every epic saga, SDCC has its own origin story. The Birth of a Convention Back in 1969, Sheldon Dorf, a comics enthusiast who had worked on a Detroit convention, decided San Diego needed something similar. He pitched the idea to a group of teenage comic fans, but they weren't sold… until Dorf picked up the phone and called Jack Kirby, the legendary co-creator of Captain America and countless Marvel icons. That call changed everything. Dorf, along with Richard Alf, Ken Krueger, Mike Towry, Bob Sourk, Barry Alfonso, and Dan Steward, even drove to Kirby's home in Irvine, California. It's there that Kirby not only agreed to attend their first event but gave them one crucial piece of advice: Don't just make it about comics—include all fandoms. That suggestion would become the foundation of Comic-Con's success. The First Steps: From a Basement Gathering to a Cultural Phenomenon The very first Comic-Con wasn't a massive spectacle, it was a modest gathering at the U.S. Grant Hotel in downtown San Diego in 1970. There were actually two events that year. The first, in March, was a one-day trial run called San Diego's Golden State Comic-Minicon to test the waters. It was a hit. Later that August, the team went bigger with San Diego Golden State Comic-Con, a three-day event featuring panels, film screenings, and dealers. About 300 fans packed into the hotel's basement, joined by big names like Forrest J Ackerman, Ray Bradbury, Kirby himself, Bob Stevens, and A.E. van Vogt. That first full-scale event became the template for every comic convention that followed. For the next few years, the event operated under the name San Diego West Coast Comic Convention, before officially adopting San Diego Comic-Con in 1973. Then in 1995, its nonprofit organization was renamed Comic-Con International: San Diego, cementing its global status. How SDCC Became a Pop Culture Powerhouse In its early days, SDCC focused on comics, sci-fi literature, and film screenings. But as fan culture grew, so did the convention. By the late '80s and early '90s, Hollywood realized the power of fandom. Studios began using SDCC as a stage to promote blockbuster films, TV shows, and later, video games. The turning point came in 2008 when Marvel Studios took over Hall H with Iron Man and introduced the world to a little movie called Iron Man . That moment blew minds, and it rewrote the rulebook for marketing movies. From that point on, Hall H became legendary, the place where the biggest reveals with must attend panels. Today, SDCC is where studios drop exclusive trailers, surprise appearances from A-list actors happen, and fan theories ignite global conversations. It's no longer just about comics, it's about everything in the entertainment ecosystem: movies, TV, gaming, collectibles, cosplay, and beyond. Why San Diego Comic-Con Still Matters In an age where trailers drop online instantly and fan events pop up everywhere, you might wonder: why is SDCC still the ultimate fan destination? The answer is simple: community and experience. There's something electric about being in San Diego during Comic-Con. The entire city transforms into a playground for geeks. From immersive offsite activations to once-in-a-lifetime panels, SDCC offers experiences you can't replicate on a screen. It's where fans, creators, and industry giants all converge in one space, united by passion. For creators, it's still the place to showcase their work. For fans, it's the chance to be part of something bigger, to meet their heroes, make new friends, and to celebrate the stories that inspire them. Over the years I've become a part of a strong little Comic-Con family From Humble Beginnings to Global Domination What started in 1970 as a basement gathering of 300 fans has grown into a cultural event that draws over 130,000 attendees every year and influences the entire entertainment industry. San Diego Comic-Con didn't just change how fandom works, it shaped modern pop culture. As SDCC kicks off again this week, remember that it all began with a small group of passionate fans, a phone call to Jack Kirby, and a dream that keeps getting bigger every year.
Straits Times
20 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
The Fantastic Four: A legacy of first steps
SINGAPORE – The First Family of comics finally arrives in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which opens in Singapore cinemas on July 24. The Straits Times' executive artist Billy Ker and correspondent Yamini Chinnuswamy venture into the many 'firsts' of this ground-breaking superhero team. First Marvel superhero team Legendary American comic book creators Jack Kirby and Stan Lee introduced scientist Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic), pilot Ben Grimm (The Thing) and siblings Sue and Johnny Storm (Invisible Woman and Human Torch) in Fantastic Four #1, published in 1961. The Avengers and X-Men followed in 1963. First superhero family ST ILLUSTRATION: BILLY KER The Fantastic Four are not just a team, but also a family with strong interpersonal dynamics: Reed and Sue: romantic partners Sue and Johnny: siblings Reed and Ben: best friends from college Johnny and Ben: antagonistic bros Reed and Johnny: surrogate father and son Ben and Sue: protective friendship First superheroes with extraterrestrial powers ST ILLUSTRATION: BILLY KER The Fantastic Four were the first superheroes to gain their powers directly from a cosmic event, during an experimental space mission gone wrong. Mysterious cosmic rays penetrated their spacecraft's shield, but instead of killing them, the radiation bestowed them with superpowers: extreme elasticity (Mister Fantastic), invisibility and force field generation (Invisible Woman), rock-like body armour (The Thing) and pyrokinesis (Human Torch). First Marvel wedding The wedding between Reed and Sue, portrayed in Fantastic Four Annual #3 in 1965, is considered to be the first to appear in Marvel comics. Nearly every major Marvel hero of the time pops up in that comic – the Avengers, X-Men and Spider-Man, to name a few. First introduction to the Marvel Cosmic Universe The Fantastic Four were the first Marvel property to introduce the 'cosmic universe' within the wider world of the comic book line. Seeds were planted with their space-based origin story, before expanding into full galactic mythology with the introduction of Galactus and the Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four #48 (1966). First unreleased Marvel movie In 1994, a low-budget film titled The Fantastic Four was completed on a shoestring budget of about US$1 million. It was allegedly never intended for public release. Instead, it was produced primarily to help German film producer Bernd Eichinger retain the film rights to the First Family, which he had optioned from Marvel in 1986. The rights eventually went to American movie studio 20th Century Fox, which was later bought by The Walt Disney Company in 2019. First MCU film taking place in another universe ST ILLUSTRATION: BILLY KER The Fantastic Four: First Steps is reportedly the first film in the MCU to be set primarily on Earth-828, rather than the franchise's main continuity of Earth-616, where the preceding 36 MCU films have taken place. First Marvel radio special Debuting in 1975, The Fantastic Four Radio Series was a dramatic adaptation of early storylines from the eponymous comic book series. The 13-episode production featured narration by Marvel icon Stan Lee and voice work by American actor Bill Murray. First superhero team to inspire an animated movie franchise ST ILLUSTRATION: BILLY KER The concept behind Pixar's hit film The Incredibles (2004) and its sequel The Incredibles 2 (2018) is an unofficial homage to The Fantastic Four. The Incredibles movies are also about a superpowered family whose members have super-strength, pyrokinesis, hyper-elasticity, invisibility and force field generation. First appearances ST ILLUSTRATION: BILLY KER The Fantastic Four comics introduced multiple Marvel heroes and villains who would later play big and small roles in both the comics and the MCU. Here are some of them. Franklin Richards: Marvel's first superhero baby and the son of Reed and Sue. He will appear in First Steps. Black Panther: The heroic king of the fictional African country of Wakanda. He was played by late American actor Chadwick Boseman in the MCU movies. Kang The Conqueror: A time-travelling megalomaniac. He was last seen in Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania (2023) and was played by American actor Jonathan Majors. Doctor Doom: A sorcerer-scientist and ruler of the fictional nation of Latveria. One of Marvel's most enduring villains, he is slated to appear in Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and will be played by Iron Man (2008 to 2013) actor Robert Downey Jr. Honorary Fantastic Four members ST ILLUSTRATION: BILLY KER The Fantastic Four's 'core four' will always be family, but the team's roster has seen personnel rotations over the years. Here are some of the quirkiest.
News.com.au
22 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘Midlife crisis': Newly divorced Sacha Baron Cohen is suddenly ripped at 53
Sacha Baron Cohen showed off his eye-popping physique in a cover shoot for Men's Fitness UK. In a sneak peek of the August issue shared on Instagram today, the actor — who plays the MCU's newest supervillain Mephisto — displayed his oiled-up abs while pumping iron. Other photos showed the ultra-ripped Borat star doing pull-ups and posing in the gym after bulking up for his recently debuted role on Marvel's Disney+ series Ironheart. In the caption, the magazine teased its interview with the 'king of comedy' about the jaw-dropping physical transformation. Cohen, 53, shared the post on his Instagram Stories, joking, 'This is not AI, I really am egotistical enough to do this.' He also quipped that he was 'hard launching [his] midlife crisis' before hilariously debuting his 'new character: Middle aged man who replaced beer with protein shakes.' The Borat star reportedly divulged in the cover story that he previously wasn't in prime physical condition. Cohen described himself prior to the transformation as 'having the core strength of an arthritic jellyfish,' according to a preview obtained by Deadline. In order to get into shape, the comedy icon reached out to Matthew McConaughey for a recommendation on a solid trainer. 'He looked like a ruler, straight up and down,' Alfonso 'The Angry Trainer' Moretti recalled to the outlet of making Cohen strip down to his underwear during their first Zoom meeting. Still, the trainer could see 'an athlete in hiding.' Moretti help Cohen transform his body with a low-sugar, high-fibre diet and an intense training regimen that included 100 daily push-ups. On his Instagram Stories, the Bruno actor thanked Moretti for 'doing the unthinkable — putting up with [him] for 25 mins a day.' The father of three's dramatic fitness reveal comes weeks after he finalised his divorce from Isla Fisher in June following nearly 14 years of marriage. 'We are proud of all we've achieved together and, continuing our great respect for each other, we remain friends and committed to co-parenting our wonderful children,' the former couple said in a joint statement last month. 'We ask for the media to continue to respect our children's privacy.'
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
See Sacha Baron Cohen's shredded physique as actor transforms into Marvel's Mephisto: 'This is not AI'
"Hard launching my mid-life crisis," Cohen joked of his post-divorce bod. Sacha Baron Cohen has gone through some changes and he's ready to share the results with the world. Ahead of his buzzy role as Marvel's newest supervillain, Mephisto, the 52-year-old actor has undergone a dramatic transformation. Debuting his new muscles on the cover of Men's Fitness U.K., Baron Cohen proves that he is taking his menacing new job very seriously. "This is not AI," Cohen wrote on Instagram Stories, alongside a photo of the cover. "I really am egotistical enough to do this." Coming a long way from his days as the slim and hairy Borat, Cohen's routine involved consistent training and a high fiber and protein diet… among other things. In a subsequent post, Cohen wrote, "Some celebs use Ozempic, some use private chefs, others use personal trainers. I did all three." Cohen even alluded to the fact that he finalized his divorce from longtime partner Isla Fisher back in June, captioning another buff photo, "Hard launching my mid-life crisis." The actor went on to thank personal trainer Alfonso "The Angry Trainer" Moretti "for doing the unthinkable — putting up with me for 25 mins a day." Over on his own Instagram page, Moretti shared several photos of the now-ripped Cohen, writing that he "could not be more proud" of the actor's work with him. Meanwhile, Cohen doubled down on his newfound dedication to physical fitness for the magazine's cover story. "I now believe that just 20 to 30 minutes of movement a day can make a real difference," he told the outlet. "And it's something anyone can fit into their routine, especially celebrities with personal assistants to do all the boring stuff like shopping and attending friends' funerals."Baron Cohen made his Mephisto debut in the season finale of Ironheart, marking the first appearance of the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after years of speculation from fans. Ironheart creator Chinaka Hodge told Entertainment Weekly that the appearance of the devilish comic book character was not hers alone. "I was empowered by Marvel to make that decision," she said. "I don't know what will happen next with the character or with Sacha in the MCU. But as a fan, I'm really hoping to see him make lots of appearances." Created by Stan Lee and John Buscema in 1968, Mephisto is a magic-manipulating demonic entity who acquires souls by making pacts with mortals. He's been a major villain throughout the Marvel comics universe, often battling heroes like Ghost Rider, Silver Surfer, Spider-Man and Doctor Strange. Viewers have been speculating about his MCU debut ever since WandaVision but despite the many, many theories, MCU boss Kevin Feige insists Mephisto's introduction was always going to come much later in the game. "He was never part of WandaVision. We've talked about that," Feige told CBR during a recent roundtable. "But the enthusiasm with which he was theorized on that certainly was cool, and was fun to watch." He continued, "He's another character that, pre-MCU, it would have been, 'How do you [do Mephisto]? He's the devil, how do you do that character?' But he's a formative character! He was a big part of Thanos's storyline in the comics. So again, now that he's here, the potential is- the plan is clear, theoretically, to use more of him." Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sacha Baron Cohen Got Shredded for Marvel -- See Shocking, Shirtless Men's Fitness Spread!
"Is this AI?" Chelsea Handler commented on the photos, before Cohen himself trolled his "mid-life crisis" makeover -- while joking, "Some celebs use Ozempic, some use private chefs, others use personal trainers. I did all three." Borat ... is that you?! Sacha Baron Cohen shocked his followers on Wednesday, as he debuted his new -- and very shirtless -- Men's Fitness UK cover with the world (embedded below). The cover image and additional workout photos from inside the new issue were shared to social media, as he opened up about getting in shape for his role as Mephisto in Marvel's Ironheart series on Disney+. The carousel of images racked up a ton of likes, as celebrity followers including Chelsea Handler and Gal Gadot jumped into the comments. Handler asked, "Is this AI?" before Gadot left a simple fire emoji. Around the same time Handler asked, Cohen took to his Instagram Stories to troll himself over some of the photos. Sharing the cover in one Story, he wrote, "This is not AI, I really am egotistical enough to do this." "Some celebs use Ozempic, some use private chefs, others use personal trainers. I did all three," he commented over a photo of his back muscles. "Hard launching my mid-life crisis," Cohen wrote over another photo, in which he showed off his impressive arms alongside a quote reading, "I now believe that just 20 to 30 minutes of movement a day can make a real difference -- and it's something anyone can fit into their routine, especially celebrities with personal assistants to do all the boring stuff like shopping and attending friends' funerals." He went on to caption other photos with comments like, "Debuting my new character: Middle aged man who replaced beer with protein shakes" and "This is AI ... NOT!" -- before tagging Marvel Studios and adding the hashtag, #ShirtlessMephisto. He also thanked his trainer for "doing the unthinkable -- putting up with me for 25 mins a day." Per Deadline, which got an exclusive first look at the accompanying profile for the cover, Cohen got buff after asking Matthew McConaughey for help finding a trainer who could transform his body quickly. "He looked like a ruler, straight up and down," trainer Alfonsi Moretti said of seeing Cohen in his underwear for the firs time. The actor, meanwhile, described himself as "having the core strength of an arthritic jellyfish" before he started seriously working out. The training was clearly a success -- as Deadline notes he had to have his Mephisto costume altered a couple times due to his changing physique. Cohen added he's now in the best shape of his life -- this coming after he and Isla Fisher announced in April 2024 they had separated in 2023. Just last month, they finalized their divorce. Solve the daily Crossword
