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Around the Tubes

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Graphic Policy Team

It’s new comic book day! What’s everyone excited for? What are you planning on getting? Sound off in the comments below!

While you await your shops opening, here’s some comic book news and reviews from around the web.

Around the Tubes

The Beat – Que Spit-take: Two Broke Girls lead actress Beth Behrs Launches Comic – And she’ll remain broke….

CBR – “Punisher” Solo Series Not ‘Actually Happening’ at This Time, Says Jeph Loeb – You mean all the sites reporting this as fact were wrong!?

Kotaku – The Best Cosplay From MAGFest 2016 – Some great cosplay.

Vulture – It’s Stan Lee’s Universe – A very good read.

Kotaku – The Walking Dead: Michonne Adds Depth to The Series’ Toughest Character – Who’s playing and what do you think?

Around the Tubes Reviews

The Beat – The Book of Hope

Nothing But Comics – Faith #2

The Outhousers – Fight Club 2 #9

Talking Comics – Godzilla in Hell

Newsarama – Best Shots Advance Reviews: Transformers #50, Street Fighter G.I. Joe #1, Bloodshot Reborn #11, Z-Men #3

Around the Tubes

Come play at the Smithsonian American Art Gallery Gamer Family Festival Saturday, August 15th!

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Brett

The Smithsonian American Art Gallery found huge success when they featured the Art of Video Games exhibition a few years ago. The exhibit covered the history of video games from an artistic and technical standpoint. It drew record crowds to the museum, and ever since the American Art Gallery has embraced video games hosting chiptune concerts and more.

This Saturday, August 15th, the museum is hosting the Gamer Family Festival. Featured programming included a panel discussing video games and art held this past Wednesday, but Saturday is the big event.

Gamer Family Festival

Saturday, August 15, 2015, 11:30am – 3pm

Imagine a whole day inspired by the video games in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection! Play the game Flower, create pixel art and other crafts, catch up with our partners at MAGFest, and enjoy live music by Mega Ran and performances. MAGFest will arrive with 30 TV and console stations including games like: Pong, Duck Hunt, Sonic Adventure 2, Super Mario World, and Starfox 64.

MAGFest 12, Jan 2-5 2014, Feat. Machinae Supremacy in Washington, DC

Posted on December 26, 2013 by Brett

In just under a week, Washington, DC will kick off the twelfth annual Music And Gaming Festival aka MAGFest The festival will again be held at National Harbor, MD (right next to DC), on January 2-5, 2014.

With over 12,000 people expected to be in attendance, this year’s MAGFest promises to be the biggest and best one yet. As in previous years, the event will feature non-stop 24 hour activites for four days straight, including (but by no means limited to):

Music
Over 40 musical performers, ranging from video game cover bands, to DJs, to chiptune artists, and why the hell not, a blue-grass style 80s pop cover band. MAGFest 12 will also be home to the first ever USA performances of Swedish SID metal band Machinae Supremacy, and Brazilian video game cover band MegaDriver.

Gaming
Consoles, handhelds, tabletop, LAN, and 100+ free-play arcades, all with a huge catalog of selections celebrating the past 40 years of gaming.

Guests and Panels

A whole host of gaming and internet celebreties join us for discussions on a variety of topics, both fun and serious. Duke Nukem and Leisure Suit Larry have some dirty jokes to tell, while Extra Credits writer James Portnow has got some knowledge bombs to drop.

Indie Game Showcase
20+ Indie studios showing off the fruits of their labor. This year’s showcase also features the sequel to Tales of Game’s Barkley’s Shut Up and Jam Gaiden.

“Games on Film” film festival
A dozen gaming-inspired films, and even more gaming-inspired shorts come together to be part of the the largest gaming film festival in the world a second year in a row.

Charity
Table flipping, pot smashing, beard shaving, auctions, and more. If there is any conceivable way to raise money for Child’s Play Charity, and be thoroughly entertaining in the process, then you will find it at MAGFest.

Four day passes for the event are available both through the website, and at the door for $60. Single day passes will be available for purchase at the door for $40 for Friday or Saturday, and $20 for Thursday or Sunday.

Tommy Tallarico to Appear at MAGFest

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Brett

MAGFest loves to bring out the best, brightest, and most colorful composers from the video game music scene, and Tommy Tallarico certainly fits that bill. It’s been five years since Tommy has attended a MAGFest event, so it’s a real treat to bring him back into the fray of the annual video game music mecca at MAGFest 12, coming January 2-5, 2014, in National Harbor, MD.

MAGFest is a four day long festival dedicated to the appreciation of video game music, gaming of all types, and the gaming community. The festival runs 24 hours a day, and offers consoles, arcades, tabletop, LAN, live video game cover bands, chiptunes, vendors, guest speakers, and much much more. MAGFest is run by MAGFest, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the appreciation of games and video game music. MAGFest Inc.’s main method of achieving this goal is to create events which provide a means for people to enjoy games, as well as musical concerts.

Tommy Tallarico’s career spans over 20 years of hits including Earthworm Jim, Metroid Prime, Advent Rising, and many more. Tallarico is also the creator and producer of Video Games Live, the world’s premiere touring orchestral video game concert event. Since 2005, Video Games Live has toured in countries all over the world, boasting a repertoire of over 60 different games in a wide variety of styles.

The third album from Video Games Live is currently in its planning phases, but needs OUR HELP to make it a reality. Show your support by chipping in to the “Video Games Live: Level 3” Kickstarter. The Kickstarter ends on September 13th, so move quickly before it’s over!

Tallarico joins a host of other guests and bands at MAGFest 12, including Bastion composer Darren Korb, Leisure Suit Larry creator Al Lowe, Swedish SID Metal group Machinae Supremacy, and Brazilian Video Game cover rockers MegaDriver.

That’s just a small sample of the dozens of guests, and almost 40 musical acts that’ll be performing at MAGFest. Be there, or be some form of polygonal shape that indicates that you are not there!

MAGFest Releases Film Festival Lineup

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Brett

MAGFest, the Music And Gaming Festival, has always been known for bringing together all aspects of the video game fan community to host the most all-encompassing gaming event possible. This year, MAGFest sets their sights on the silver screen by adding their very own film festival: Games on Film.

Usually known for its non-stop gaming and concerts, the upcoming 11th annual MAGFest will also be the debut year for Games on Film, and will take place January 3rd -6th, 2013, right next to Washington, D.C.. Over a dozen features will be screened, including full length feature films, web series, and sneak peeks at new attractions on the horizon.

In addition to the screenings, there will also be Q&A with the film creators, discussion on topics related to the films, as well as both tabletop and video game tournaments to coincide with the film screenings. You can check out their official teaser trailer:

The full line up for MAGFest 11’s Games on Film is:

Minecraft: The Story of Mojang (A MAGFest Exclusive!)
Beyond the Game (World Premiere!)
Ecstacy of Order: The Tetris Masters
Get Lamp
Going Cardboard
Indie Game: The Movie
More than a Game
Machinima Expo
Journey Quest 2
Mario Warfare
Standard Action
Video Game Theater
Sneak Peek – Arcade: A Documentary
Sneak Peek – Inside the Dragon’s Lair
Sneak Peek – The Space Invaders
Sneak Peek – Zach Cooper’s Epic Speed Run

Yuzo Koshiro to appear at MAGFest 11

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Brett

For the first time in the US, the man who filled the streets with rage, the legend who raised the act of video game music; Yuzo Koshiro will make his long awaited appearance at MAGFest 11.

An industry legend and pioneer of the FM synthesizer, Koshiro has long been one of the most well respected and admired video game composers in the entire world with his incredibly energetic and dance friendly style of music, contrasted by his grand orchestral masterpieces, making him one of the most versatile and diverse composers of all time.

After studying under the tutelage of Joe Hisaishi, Koshiro made his mark as part of the JDK unit for Falcom’s groundbreaking action RPG games, most notably Ys. From Falcom to SEGA, where he would create the soundtracks that ultimately became his most popular; Shinobi and Streets of Rage. In 1990, Koshiro composed the music for Enix’s Actraiser, a soundtrack that redefined orchestral sound in a video
game, and became one of the most popular soundtracks on the Super Nintendo. Since the creation of his family run company ANCIENT in that same year, Yuzo Koshiro has continued to compose for video games for close to 2 decades, with games including Shenmue, Castlevania: Potrait of Ruin, and Etrian Odyssey.

Koshiro will take part in a rare not-to-miss panel and Q&A, tellingthe story of his career and allowing the fans to ask the questions they want answered. On addition to that, he will also have a full DJ set featuring his own video game music! That’s right, as Yuzo Koshiro makes his debut on US soil, you will be soiling your pants dancing to the sounds of Streets of Rage, Shinobi and other classic surprises DJ’d by the legend himself.