Superhero movies used to dominate the box office but these days we are seeing a slip of sorts. But whatever genre is at the top, recent advancements in technology are allowing studios to produce high quality special effects that captivate viewers in ways that other films just can’t. Perhaps this is because we all secretly hope we too have a special power. If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Flight? Invisibility? Time travel?
Our friends at Ranker, the #1 destination for crowdsourced rankings of everything, has released the results of its public poll asking voters to rank the superpowers they most wish they had. Healing Ability won the majority of the votes. It may not be as sexy as the ability to fly, but can you imagine not having to worry about healthcare? For the Silo, Jillian Nannery.
The international poll (now closed) was based on 193,000 votes on 141 superpowers. The results are as follows:
1. Healing Ability (eg- The Wolverine) 2. Teleportation 3. Time Manipulation (eg- Dr. Who) 4. Shapeshifting (eg- Plasticman) 5. Invincibility (eg- Sue Richards) 6. Flight (eg- Supergirl) 7. Super Speed (eg- The Flash) 8. Mind Control (eg- Jean Grey) 9. Super Intelligence (eg- Howard the Duck.. okay this one might be a stretch) 10. Super Strength (eg- She Hulk)
In addition, the poll results revealed:
-Millennials voted time manipulation as #1
-Women voted Teleportation as #1
What super power would you want to add?
About Ranker:
Ranker is a data-driven media company, the #1 online destination for opinion-based, crowdsourced rankings of everything. The company’s technology is centered on user engagement, turning its lists into the “best possible rankings” via the wisdom of crowds. Supplemental- Wikia’s Superpower listing
Artificially intelligent humanoid robot, Sophia, will make her first comic convention appearance at the first annual Ogden UnCon June 7-9, 2019. Sophia the Robot, the masterpiece of Hanson Robotics (www.hansonrobotics.com), has captivated nations and has become an internet sensation. Sophia has met with world leaders, addressed the United Nations, appeared on TV shows such as The Daily Show and The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, and has graced the cover of Cosmopolitan, ELLE magazine, and more. Now, this modern marvel is coming to Ogden, Utah to meet her fans and kick off Ogden UnCon’s first event.
Ever since her unveiling in 2016, Sophia has quickly rocketed to stardom. Sophia is Hanson Robotics’ most advanced human-like robot, created by combining breakthrough innovations in robotics, AI, and artistry. The epitome of artificial intelligence, Sophia is endowed with remarkable expressiveness, aesthetics, and interactivity, and can simulate a full range of facial expressions, track and recognize faces, and hold natural conversations with people.
Just like Ogden UnCon, Sophia shares a remarkable, unique and unexpected story that captivates and surprises, making her the perfect headliner for our inaugural year.
“Sophia is the personification of the comic con spirit.” says Russ Adams, Ogden UnCon founder. “She is science fiction, fantasy, technological marvel, and superhero come to life. And we are honored she is making her geek-dom debut at Ogden UnCon.”
Fans attending Ogden UnCon will have the chance to engage with Sophia as she greets them on celebrity row, performs on multiple panels and parties with other celebrities and VIP ticket holders at the UnCon VIP Party. Other celebrities such as Naomi Grossman of American Horror Story, Amy Hill of Preacher, Neil Kaplan of Voltron: Legendary Defenders, and many more who have yet to be announced, also round out the show’s guest list.
“Ogden UnCon is going to be a huge event for Ogden,” shares Ogden Downtown Alliance’s Danielle Collier, “not only will it bring guests to share in all Ogden has to offer, but it will drive our local economy, add excitement in a different realm and create an opportunity to celebrate arts and culture.” This three-day event will bring $700,000 USD in economic impact to local businesses.
Ogden UnCon is focused on bringing unconventional shows, panels, workshops and celebrity guests to Northern Utah. As Ogden’s “Untamed & Unconventional” popular culture con, this convention seeks to inspire and support local artists while entertaining and thrilling our community.
Innagural Ogden UnCon June 7-9, 2019 Ogden Eccles Conference Center 2415 Washington Blvd, Ogden Utah 84401
Tickets for Ogden UnCon go on sale October 1, 2018. To see a full celebrity lineup and purchase tickets visit OgdenUnCon.com. Stay up to date with happenings and announcements by following @OgdenUnCon on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Hanson Robotics Limited (HRL) is an AI company dedicated to research, robotics and the creation of the world’s most realistic humanoids. We quest to create robots with intellect, empathy and wisdom, traits future AI technologies and robots will need in order to solve some of humanity’s toughest problems. Led by renowned roboticist, sculptor and former Disney imagineer David Hanson, HRL recently received the prestigious 2018 Edison Prize for Robotics. For more information, please visithttp://hansonrobotics.com.
Have you ever wondered what kind of vaping device fictional characters from the movies would use if they started vaping? Our friends at greyhaze.co.uk have and they sent us this infographic! Below is a selection of some of the most well-known fictional movie characters and how they imagine their vaping device would look. They’ve also added in a few special features that you could only find in the fictional world.
Are there any missing characters that you would like to see? Leave your comments at the end of the post below or upload us a video message using this handy recorder button- [vidrack align=”right”]
Last year’s indie best-selling graphic novel set to release the next installment in the breakthrough series. The second novel features an augmented reality app and introduces the character of actor Chad L. Coleman.
When TREADWATER Vol. 1 was released in comic book stores in July 2015, it was just another self-published indie title among many others. At the end of the month, this was no longer the case.
When the sales figures came in a month after its debut, TREADWATER found itself on equal footing with the likes of The Walking Dead when they first started out. According to Diamond Comic Distributors TREADWATER managed to achieve 90% of Walking Dead’s sales, while outperforming other popular franchises like Dark Matter in their respective opening months.
TREADWATER is best described as a dark and mature sci-fi action drama. It is a pre-apocalyptic story that takes place in a plausible dystopian future, where a global economic crisis splinters political alliances and plunges the world’s nations into crime and disorder. As the dual forces of anarchy and totalitarianism sweep over the world, six antiheroes are recruited into a privately funded special operative program in an attempt to keep the world from tearing itself apart.
Part of the ugly charm of TREADWATER lies within its ability to predict current events. The isolationist politics of the world’s leading nations, as exemplified by the rise of Trump in the US and BREXIT in the UK; the attempted coup in Turkey, along with its backlash in the form of a dictatorial powergrab; the increasing civil unrest in the US and the terrorist attacks in Europe – all these developments find their parallels in the world of TREADWATER.
Yet Morgan Rosenblum and Nat Prinzi, the creative minds behind the TREADWATER franchise, take no pride in the accuracy of their grim predictions. Their primary goal is to create an engaging and believable superhero story, which avoids the pitfalls of the genre, while staying true to its roots. This is why the story of Treadwater is driven by its larger-than-life, yet deeply imperfect characters, rather than merely a clever premise or unlikely plot twists.
The new installment of the graphic novel, TREADWATER Vol. 2, will be released in late 2016. Along with the novel, the TREADWATER team will debut its own augmented reality app for smartphones. When pointed at the comic book, the app will immerse the readers into the world of TREADWATER by bringing its characters to life in front of their eyes.
The AR app is not the first step that Rosenblum and Prinzi have taken in the direction of interactive storytelling. The TREADWATER franchise already consists of a motion comic, a video game and an interactive website, which lets its users “hack” into Treadwater’s secret database, allowing them to explore their coveted network.
The ability of the creative duo to inspire and impress their audience has led to the inclusion of TREADWATER Vol. 1 into the curriculum of West Aurora High School in IL. It is now being taught in their creative writing class alongside of Orson Welles.
The appeal of the TREADWATER franchise goes beyond high school students, as actor Chad L. Coleman has become a character and a partner in the TREADWATER franchise. Best known for his roles as Tyreese in The Walking Dead, Dennis “Cutty” Wise in The Wire and now Tobias Church in Arrow, Mr. Coleman’s character will see significant development in the second volume of the graphic novel. The new installment will also introduce the character of Holly Wolf, a celebrity cosplayer and 2015 Geek Fantasy Woman of the Year, who also joined the TREADWATER franchise as a supporting character.
Key Dates in 2016:
October 6-9: Come visit us at New York Comic Con. You’ll find us at booth 2314, where you’ll be able to interview the creators of TREADWATER, actor Chad L. Coleman and cosplayer Holly Wolf among others. You’ll also be able to experience the entirety of the TREADWATER franchise, including the Beta Version of our very own PS4 video game.
October 1-21: Special pre-order promo period for TREADWATER Vol 2. Each pre-order will come with a digital copy of the bestselling graphic novel TREADWATER Vol 1 to help the new readers get caught up to speed with the story. Additionally our readers will get a limited edition single issue, signed by its writers, creators and artist. Thirdly, they will also receive a digital collector’s edition of the “Treadwater Dossiers” Character Art Book.
TRDWTR, pronounced ‘treadwater’, is a mature take on the superhero genre, set in a plausible geopolitical future. The franchise will kick off with a graphic novel on September 30th, 2014. A live-action series based on the novel is set to follow suit in 2015. A preview of the graphic novel will be staged in America’s largest comic book store today, September 10th. To commemorate the launch, a teaser trailer for the TRDWTR franchise has been made available to the general public. And here it is!