Geek this Week: Live from Long Beach

Also: Channel panel, Marvel ‘Mixology, Kinect projects and America’s most unwanted.

The Long and the Short of It – Comic conventions don’t have to be larger-than-life mega-gatherings; there are still shows like the Long Beach Comic Expo that last a single day and actually focus on comics. So if you want to meet and pick the brains of comic artists and writers like Joe Weems, Whilce Portacio, Bernard Chang and more, you have a real shot at not waiting forever in endless lines this Saturday, May 12th. The panels will teach you useful things, like how to do voice-over acting or start your own comic. And if you want an autograph from Star Wars‘ Admiral Motti, Richard LeParmentier, keep in mind that you’re probably not the first person to to say “I find your lack of faith disturbing” to him.

If you plan on going, be sure to get in a nooner with Nerdist! Yep, we’ll be having a Nerdist Channel panel at 12 p.m., featuring 4 Points‘ Alex Albrecht and Alison Haislip, along with two more surprise guests to be announced. Get the lowdown on upcoming shows like Fangoria’s Blood & Guts with Scott Ian, events like Course of the Force, and whatever else the ever-busy Chris Hardwick plans on adding to his plate this year. Plus: free stickers!

Marvel ‘n the Mix – In cyberspace, the Avengers will exclusively be assembling at ComiXology from here on out, as Marvel just signed the deal for distribution of single-issue English language digital comics worldwide.With ComiXology now powering Marvel comic apps for the Apple iOS, Kindle Fire and Android, it’ll be a snap to sneak in a quick comic read on the go between games of Galaga and mouthfuls of shawarma.

Sleeky Holo – What do you get when you put together six Kinects, a giant acrylic tube and a 3D projector? Life-sized holographic conferencing! And unlike Princess Leia beckoning Obi-Wan Kenobi, the images don’t just come in blue. The technology is about five years away from being generally available to the public, but we can look forward to cool variations once that happens, as inventor Roel Vertegaal says he’d like to make some of the projectors in shapes like Viking boats and dinosaurs. Wouldn’t an R2 unit be the more obvious choice?

America the Bobcat-Full – Dark Shadows isn’t the only movie opening this week. For those less attuned to gothic whimsy and more into full-blown nihilism, Bobcat Goldthwait’s God Bless America offers up a typically scathing look at reprehensible characters who nonetheless earn some degree of sympathy. Having already covered such topics as alcoholic clowns, beastiality and suicide exploitation in his previous directorial bows, the hyperventilating helmer’s latest involves a terminally ill man and a teenage girl who team up on a shooting spree to take out America’s worst people, from reality stars to the everyday rude. Probably not on that hitlist, but should be: anyone thinking about rebooting Police Academy.

Forward to a Buddy Invite a Buddy