R.I.P. - Anthony Mason : You will always be my favorite Knicks 6th Man.

  Former NBA player Anthony Mason dies at 48

Mase was a favorite Knick of mine, from the era that I will always remember as the best for me. I went to a lot of games then, and even sat behind the bench once. I never got to meet Mase face to face that game, or to shake his hand, because I was just in awe of them all back then. Sure he played 13 NBA seasons for a lot of different teams, but he will always be a Knick to me. 

Rest in Peace Mase 

                                             Taken from a Sports Illustrated article today.

Former NBA forward Anthony Mason has passed away, a New York Knicks spokesperson confirmed to the The Associated Press on Saturday. Mason was 48.

Earlier this month, Mason suffered a heart attack and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. The 6-foot-7 Mason played for six teams over 13 NBA seasons from 1989-2003.

He spent five seasons with the Knicks (1991-96) and helped the franchise reach the Finals in 1994. The next season, he was named the league's Sixth Man of the Year.

While a member of the Charlotte Hornets, in 1996-97, Mason was named to the All-NBA third team and All-Defensive second team. Mason earned his first All-Star appearance in 2001, as a member of the Miami Heat.

He was selected in the third round of the draft by the Portland Trail Blazers in 1988, but spent time playing abroad before joining the Nets for the 1989-90 season.

Mason then played one season for the Nuggets before beginning his stint in New York. He averaged 10.9 points and 8.3 rebounds during his career.

Mason's oldest son, Anthony Mason Jr., played for St. John's. His other son, Antoine, is a guard at Auburn. Antoine left the team on Thursday to be with his father.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a statement on Saturday.

"Anthony Mason exemplified perseverance for all players fighting for their chance in the NBA. With a gritty style of play and a distinctive skill set, he blossomed from a third-round draft pick into a Sixth Man Award winner, All-NBA selection and, at age 34, an All-Star. NBA fans and players around the league admired his tenacity on defense and playmaking on offense. Our deepest sympathies go out to the Mason family during this difficult time."

 

 

Convention Madness - New York Comic Con Was Attended By 151,000 People, Surpasses San Diego

At a panel at the end of this year’s New York Comic Con, ReedPop, the company that organizes the event, reported that it 

sold 151,000 tickets this year.

This means that New York Comic Con is now the 

biggest pop culture event in North America.

San Diego Comic Con has had to cap it’s attendance at 130,000, due to capacity issues at the San Diego Convention Center. NYCC actually surpassed SDCC in attendance last year as well, with 133,000 attendees. Most seem to consider the 3,000 person difference to be close enough to call “even” (because math works that way, I guess?), but it’s pretty hard to 

ignore a 21,000 person gap.

NYCC met capacity problems at the Javitz Center, similar to SDCC’s problems, last year, but ReedPop solved this problem by extending the convention for another day, opening on Thursday instead of Friday. This allowed for another day’s worth of ticket sales.

It will be interesting to see how ReedPop handles such immense 

growth at the convention going forward.

The next New York Comic-Con has already been 

announced for October 8-11, 2015.

Funko NEWS - POP! Exclusives : Red Son Superman from Midtown Comics

 PRE-ORDER HIM RIGHT HERE

Convention Madness - A Long Island Geek's Weekend Paradise

 ON SATURDAY

 F.C.C. - the Gathering for POP! Neutrality

Will be held @ Special Edition : NYC
More info on SE : NYC is here - http://www.specialeditionnyc.com/

(this event is a prelude to the F.C.C. : Funatic Con Convergence 

that will go on @ NYCC this year in October on the 9th - 12th)

 Tomorrow should be a good day in the City .. 

77 degrees and Sunny.
I will be at the Con (Javits Center) @ 10am,

 but will be at my usual breakfast spot 

(Skylight Diner on 34th St by 9th Ave.) 

at about 9:15am if anyone wants to do some eats.

 ON SUNDAY

 Eternal Con is Long Island NY's large scale multi media pop culture convention. Held annually at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, Eternal Con brings together the best in Comic Books, Collectibles, Gaming, Sci-Fi, Cosplay, Horror, and all things pop culture.
DATES:
Saturday and Sunday
June 14th and 15th, 2014

SHOW HOURS:
Saturday 10-7
Sunday 10-5

Con Link - http://www.eternalcon.com/

 
COSPLAY PARADE:
Saturday June 14 9:00am-10:00am

LOCATION:
The Cradle of Aviation Museum
Garden City NY

Funko NEWS - Hikari Vinyl Figures : Batman @ Toy Fair '14

NEWS that ROCKS - BILLY JOEL IS “MOVING IN” TO THE GARDEN

December 3, 2013 (New York, NY) – Madison Square Garden announced today that legendary music icon Billy Joel will become the first-ever music franchise of “The World’s Most Famous Arena.” Joining the ranks of The Garden’s other original franchises – including the New York Knicks, Rangers and Liberty – Billy Joel will kick off this franchise at The Garden performing a show a month, as long as there is demand, starting January 27, 2014. The first four previously announced shows -- January 27, February 3, March 21, April 18 are sold out. The just announced May 9 show, which is also Billy’s 65th birthday, will be available to Citi cardmembers during an exclusive presale from December 4th at 10am (EST) through December 6th at 10pm (EST). Tickets will then be available for purchase by the general public beginning at 10am (EST) on Saturday, December 7th.
“Since his first show in 1978, Billy has performed 46 shows at Madison Square Garden, including an unprecedented 12 consecutive sold-out shows that have earned Billy a spot among the Garden greats with a banner raised in his honor. Today, we take that relationship even further and are extremely honored to have Billy as The Garden’s first music franchise,” said James L. Dolan, executive chairman, The Madison Square Garden Company. “This new partnership will ensure that someone who has been such an important figure in our past, will also be a major part of our future. We welcome Billy home and look forward to many unforgettable nights of music at the Garden.”
“Today’s announcement that Billy Joel is joining the Madison Square Garden family as their first music franchise is truly a momentous occasion,” said Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of New York. “It is particularly fitting that these two great icons are coming together to make entertainment history right here in New York. I offer my congratulations to Billy Joel and Madison Square Garden and the millions of fans worldwide who will benefit from this collaboration for years to come.”
“Performing at Madison Square Garden is a thrilling experience. I’ve played different venues all over the world, but there’s no place like coming home to The Garden. Since my first show in 1978, I’ve always looked forward to the energy of the crowd. I’m honored to be joining the Madison Square Garden family and look forward to taking the stage of the newly transformed Garden to create many more memorable nights.”
Over its 130-year history, Madison Square Garden has become known as the preeminent venue for legendary artists and athletes. Billy Joel’s first concert at The Garden was held on December 14, 1978 and, since then, he has performed an astounding 46 concerts at the Arena. In 2006, with 12-consecutive performances, Billy Joel broke the Garden’s record for “Longest Run of a Single Artist.” To commemorate this historical moment, a banner featuring “Joel – 12” was raised to The Garden rafters, and now hangs alongside other Garden legends such as Mark Messier, Rod Gilbert, Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Bill Bradley and Willis Reed.
Billy Joel is one of the highest grossing touring artists in the world. Having sold more than 150 million records over the past quarter century, Billy Joel ranks as one of most popular recording artists and respected entertainers in history. Throughout the years, Joel's songs have acted as personal and cultural touchstones for millions of people, mirroring his own goal of writing songs that "meant something during the time in which I lived ... and transcended that time.” The singer/songwriter/composer is the sixth best-selling recording artist of all time and the third best-selling solo artist.
In December, Billy Joel will receive The Kennedy Center Honor, one of the United States' top cultural awards. New York’s quintessential son performed at the historic 12.12.12 The Concert For Sandy Relief, joining other music greats to raise awareness and money to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy. Billy Joel was honored by Steinway & Sons with a painted portrait that hangs in Steinway Hall in Manhattan, making him the first non-classical pianist to be immortalized in the collection. He played to more than 110,000 fans when he performed the final concerts at Shea Stadium, featured in the 2010 documentary film "The Last Play At Shea.”
Billy Joel has received six GRAMMY® Awards, including the prestigious Grammy Legend Award. He has been inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has received numerous industry awards. His music has also served as the inspiration and score for the hit Tony Award-winning Broadway play “Movin’ Out.”
MSG now offers a rich visual history of Billy Joel and his many Garden performances through a scrollable timeline, featuring archival images, video insights from Billy, sharable images and lyrics, plus direct links for ticketing. Visit billyjoelmsg.com for more information. Join the conversation with #BillyJoelMSG.
Tickets for the May 9, 2014 Billy Joel performance at Madison Square Garden will be available to Citi cardmembers during an exclusive presale from Wednesday, December 4 at 10am through Friday, December 6 at 10pm. Tickets will then be available for purchase by the general public beginning at 10am on Saturday, December 7 via ticketmaster.com and by calling 800.745.3000. Prices range from $64.50 to $124.50. The remaining shows will be announced later this year. Tickets will also available at the Madison Square Garden Event box office on Sunday, December 8, 2014. The concerts are being promoted by MSG Entertainment in association with AEG and Q104.3 as a media partner.
About The Madison Square Garden Company
The Madison Square Garden Company is a fully integrated sports, media and entertainment business. The Company is comprised of three business segments: MSG Sports, MSG Media and MSG Entertainment, which are strategically aligned to work together to drive the Company's overall business, which is built on a foundation of iconic venues and compelling content that the Company creates, produces, presents and/or distributes through its programming networks and other media assets. MSG Sports owns and operates the following sports franchises: the New York Knicks (NBA), the New York Rangers (NHL), the New York Liberty (WNBA), and the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL). MSG Sports also features the presentation of a wide variety of live sporting events including professional boxing, college basketball, bull riding and tennis. MSG Media is a leader in production and content development for multiple distribution platforms, including content originating from the Company’s venues. MSG Media’s television networks consist of regional sports networks, MSG Network and MSG+, collectively referred to as MSG Networks; and Fuse, a national television network dedicated to music. MSG Networks also include high-definition channels, MSG HD and MSG+ HD, and Fuse includes its high-definition channel, Fuse HD. MSG Entertainment is one of the country's leaders in live entertainment. MSG Entertainment creates, produces and/or presents a variety of live productions, including the Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the Radio City Rockettes. MSG Entertainment also presents or hosts other live entertainment events such as concerts, family shows and special events in the Company’s diverse collection of venues. These venues consist of Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre, the Forum in Inglewood, CA, The Chicago Theatre, and the Wang Theatre in Boston, MA. More information is available at www.themadisonsquaregardencompany.com.

Zenescope NEWS - Grimm Fairy Tales #90 Cover D Midtown Exclusive Elias Chatzoudis Regular Variant Cover

GET THEM HERE ----> MIDTOWN COMICS

NYCC 2013 - Zenescope NEWS : the HOTTEST Exclusives @ the Con Booth #1565

Why would this year be any different ?

AWESOME Cover Art for there Exclusives !! 

The Con is October 10th - 13th ..

Yes .. this week !! 

Get there to get these HOT Exclusives !!

Still need to get a couple from last year.

Love the NYC Back drops .. 

Damn ..

How did that one sneak in there .. ?