Needless Things Podcast 228 – Dragon Con 2018: Master of Puppetry!

Dragon Con 2018 coverage continues on Needless Things!

Dragon Con 2018: The Dragon Awards

by Beth

This is the third year of The Dragon Awards. Last year only 8,000 out of 80,000 people voted on them. Let's see if we can't do better this year. With 85,000 attendees expected his year surely we can get a few more folks to vote. These are “fan's choice” awards, and you don't even have to be going to Dragon Con to have your opinions counted.

Needless Things at Dragon Con 2018!

By Dave

Good morning, Phantomaniacs – welcome to my final post before Dragon Con (except for Wednesday’s early edition of the Needless Things Podcast featuring the Director of the Puppetry Track, Mr. Beau Brown)!

Today I’m going to run down my schedule for Dragon Con and a couple of panels where you can find our beloved Needless Things Irregulars.

Needless Things Podcast 227 – Dragon Con 2018: Horror & Urban Fantasy!

Dragon Con 2018 coverage continues on Needless Things!

Dragon Con 2018: The Costume Post

By Dave

It takes many different elements to create the magic of Dragon Con – fan Tracks, celebrity guests, apple pie – but in my opinion few are as important as the costuming community.

To me, Dragon Con’s biggest virtue is that it gives me the ability to immerse myself in an environment that is accepting, nurturing, and fantastical. Where, for five(ish) days we can all be whoever we were mean to be – our best selves. Whether you’re a wizard, a wrestler, a soldier from the future, or a mad scientist, you get to be you. And more importantly, you’re surrounded by fellow wizards, warriors, and Wonder Women.

Being able to look around the massive Dragon Con staging area of the Hilton, the Marriot, the Hyatt, the Westin, the Sheraton, and AmericasMart and see fantastical characters of every shape and size is an unequaled experience. Without those cosplayers Dragon Con would still be fun, but it would lose a massive portion of its magic.

Here’s the post where I display my incredibly shallow knowledge of what’s actually going on in pop culture by attempting to pick the biggest costuming trends this year. I’ll also throw in some personal favorites that I’m hopeful for, just to try and distract you guys from the fact that I think people are still playing Bomberman 64.

If you’ve got your own thoughts on the matter, you can comment below or, even better, join the Needless Things Podcast Facebook Group and get in on the conversation! Let us know what you think!

Needless Things Podcast 226 – Dragon Con 2018: My Stepmother Is A Classics Track!

Dragon Con 2018 coverage continues on Needless Things!

Comic Book Wednesday – Previews August 2018: “What If… Halloween is Coming?”

By Dave

If you don’t know, Previews is the catalog that Diamond Comic Distributors use to offer the products they distribute to comic book stores around the country. This is where you can view and order (through your favorite Local Comic Book Shop) comic books, trade paperback collections, t-shirts, books, media, and toys and other collectibles from hundreds of different vendors that deal in geek-oriented merchandise. The genius part is that you actually have to pay for your copy of Previews for the privilege of ordering other things to pay for.

It’s like the Ren Fest except without the horse poo smell.

So every month a new edition of Previews is sent out to comic book stores. Contained in the pages within are products that might be currently available or could be released anytime in the next year; but are typically about two months away. Most of this month’s offerings are scheduled to ship in October.

Movie Review - The Meg

by Beth

Before I get into Dragon Con mode I wanted to take a minute to review the summer blockbuster I had been dying to see. The Meg isn't being well received or reviewed, but if you're like me you don't let critics or naysayers stop you from seeing something. Let this be one of those instances if you're on the fence. If you liked Deep Blue Sea, you'll probably like The Meg. I love Deep Blue Sea, and thought The Meg was a great example of what can happen when a silly idea gets a good budget.

Needless Things Podcast 225 – Kirk Thatcher Interview

On today’s episode of the Needless Things Podcast Dave talks to writer, producer, director, and production designer Kirk Thatcher!

Troublemaker – Coming Soon!

By Dave

At some point in the past I announced on the now-defunct Needless Things PatronCast that my good friend Jason Wilson – an award-winning documentarian – would be following me around with a camera for a year or so.

He did. From October of 2016 up through last year’s Dragon Con, Wilson was there to capture many aspects of my life as Phantom Trouble maker and as Dave West, including my shocking unmasking at the live 1987 panel for the Classics Track.

We (mostly Wilson) are now in the process of putting everything together. Or maybe in the process of finishing up putting everything together. There are dozens of hours of footage and interviews and I’m sure it’s quite a beast to parse it down to the best stuff. Or to a singular narrative. Or whatever it is he’s doing with it. Aside from a couple of instances of, “You know, maybe I don’t want this to be that real”, I’m leaving it in Wilson’s capable hands because he has won an Emmy and I have, as of yet, not.

I’m honored that Wilson would consider me a subject worthy of examining and I’m extremely proud of what we got done and of what I’ve seen so far. This thing is very much who I am, in some cases warts and all. It sends one singular message that I am aware of and perhaps many that I’m not – like I said, that’s up to Wilson. And to the eventual audience.

I can’t say yet what our plans are for release, nor when that will happen. Both of us want this to be the best feature it can possibly be and nobody will see it before it is.

In the meantime, here’s the official trailer for Troublemaker. Please like, share, comment, post, and above all, enjoy.

I love you guys.

While you’re waiting for Troublemaker, check out my interview with Wilson on the Needless Things Podcast and his last film, Stopper: Rise and Fall of the Bastard Squad.

You can follow Dave as Phantom Troublemaker on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for all the best pop culture news!