Comic Con gets off to a slow start

Comic Con is this weekend. It’s expected to be a relatively quiet year as a number of studios are sitting this one out, including Marvel and DC. But Twisted Metal, a video-game based series I don’t think anyone watches, had its panel already, bringing out Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, and Anthony Carrigan, essentially doing a Superman victory lap. 

There was also a The Toxic Avenger event. The cult classic mutant superhero movie was remade by Macon Blair, with Peter Dinklage taking on the role of “Toxie”. The new film also stars Jacob Tremblay, Elijah Wood, and Taylour Paige, all of whom showed up in San Diego to FINALLY promote the film. Its release was delayed because it is, allegedly, “unreleasable” due to its gory, graphic content, and it took forever to find a distributor (it's coming from Iconic Events Releasing). So like…Macon Blair made a GOOD Toxic Avenger? That’s what you’re telling me? It’s GOOD? Anyway, yeah, as someone who wore a bootleg VHS of The Toxic Avenger, I can’t wait to see this. 

There was also a Comedy Central panel highlighting animated shows which featured Mike Judge, Andy Samberg (fully in his Hot Dad era), and South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. They’re fresh off their hot button Trump episode, and got a hero’s welcome in Hall H. I mean, it IS good someone just came out and said the emperor has no clothes, but once again, these guys have done more than almost anyone to contribute to the political nihilism infecting Gen X and younger in the US, and I’m just not ready to let that go. Maybe later I will. Not today.

Later this afternoon, there’s an Alien: Earth panel in Hall H that will feature “the cast”. Can’t wait to see how totally normal that is, after the Sydney Chandler/Variety contretemps earlier this week.

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What else happened today…

The WBNA, which is hotter than ever, is fighting for better pay. (Popsugar)

 

Pamela Anderson continues her stellar style tour on The Naked Gun’s press tour. This time she’s looking great in Germany. (Go Fug Yourself)

So Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey kissed their way around the world while promoting Jurassic World Rebirth and everyone ate it up, but Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby giving touchy-feely friend vibes is problematic? I don’t buy it. I mean, Pedro and Vanessa are super friendly with each other, I’m not entirely unconvinced he isn’t sticking close to her because she is very pregnant and working a whole ass style kit at all these press stops, and I bet her feet are f-cking killing her, at the very least, and it looks to me like Pedro is there for support. 

What I don’t buy is that normal people care about Pedro and Vanessa being Fun Flirty Friends™️. Not when Pedro Pascal has been an outspoken supporter of trans and queer rights, and some people are super f-cking NOT NORMAL about that. Like you’re okay with ScarJo full mouth-kissing Jonathan Bailey, but Pedro and Vanessa holding hands is a problem? Yeah, not buying it. Go gin up a controversy somewhere else. (Celebitchy)

Meet the final boss of thrifting: Unclaimed Baggage, a secondhand shop in Scottsboro, Alabama that sells the contents of lost luggage. Planes, trains, automobiles…and hotels, resorts, and casinos, they’re all selling unclaimed luggage to the store, which takes up an entire city block. I want to go there. (The Cut)