All of the celebrities were out in full force, and even revered comics artists had long lines that wrapped through the convention floor just for an autograph and a chance to chat.

Bar none, one of the best parts of any Comic Con is the the fan costumes. I love talking to my favorite artists and discovering new books and movies to geek out over, but check out the attention to detail that some people put into their costumes.

The Joker

Forget Heath Ledger. This guy’s going for classic Joker straight from the comics.

Creepy and classy all at the same time.

Steampunk Fellows

The steampunk community was faithfully represented by a large number of costumed attendees. These guys went for Steampunk Star Wars. How much geekier can you get? (I was in awe. Ha!)

As a side note, the “device” that the center guy is looking down at on his forearm was his iPhone. Modern meets steampunk.

The Predator

You know, any time there’s a gathering of sci-fi folks, Predator has to drop by for a few laughs and some photos. He’s not such a bad guy once you get him out of the whole “killer” mindset.

And the above selections were only a few of the multiple, high-quality costumes on display. The convention has been a ton of fun 2 years in a row, and I’m already looking forward to 2013.

Hope to see you there!

– Written by resident geek Michael Roberts

Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood

At the Jefferson Performing Arts Center
Saturday, Sept. 24th at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 25th at 2 p.m. (Matinee)

At Benet Hall at Saint Joseph Abbey
Friday, Sept. 30th at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 1st at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 2nd at 2 p.m. (Matinee)

The popular show Petite Rouge makes its return to the stage with its Cajun twist on the classic fairytale Red Riding Hood. The little girl in question is recast as Petite Rouge the duck on her way to her grandmother’s house in the Bayou. And forget the Big Bad Wolf. Big Bad Gator Claude is the sneaky nemesis in this tale. With a wild chase through New Orleans Mardi Gras, Petite Rouge is a fun story for kids and adults.

Petite Rouge runs approximately 70 minutes with a 15 minute intermission.

The Jefferson Performing Arts Center is located at 400 Phlox Street, Metairie, LA, and Saint Joseph Abbey is located at 75376 River Road, Covington, LA.

The Drowsy Chaperone

At the Westwego Performing Arts Theatre
September 30 – October 16, 2011
Fridays at 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
Sundays at 2 p.m. (Matinee)

The Drowsy Chaperone is the tale of a musical-theater fan that plays his favorite cast album on his turntable. Instead of sitting through a calm listening experience, the die-hard fan is privileged to the musical from the record come to life in his living room! And what a musical it is. The cast performs a “rambunctious tale of a brazen Broadway starlet trying to find, and keep, her true love.

The musical stars Brian Peterson, Ricky Graham and Janet Shea, and it is directed by Gary Rucker, with choreography by Kelly Fouchi.

The Drowsy Chaperone runs approximately 2 hours with a 15 minute intermission.

The Westwego Performing Arts Theatre is located at 177 Sala Avenue, Westwego, LA.

Defense Coordinator Greg Williams plans to re-emphasize the importance of defense and has already done so by adding multiple players to this side of the ball including DE Cameron Jordan, LB Martez Wilson, CB Johnny Patrick, DE Greg Romeus, LB Nate Bussey, DT Shaun Rogers. NT Aubrayo Franklin, LB Will Herring, DE Turk McBride and CB Fabian Washington. Some key losses on defense include DE Anthony Hargrove and NT Remi Ayodele.

In the Saints 24-0 pre-season victory against the San Francisco 49ers, it looks as if the pass rush is better than ever before. With a total of 6 sacks on QB Alex Smith, the impact of the defense was reminiscent of the 2009 Superbowl Season.

Head Coach Sean Payton has repeatedly mentioned this offseason that this is the deepest roster than the team has ever had. You may see a lot of new faces on the team, some familiar… some not. One of the most familiar and promising of the new additions is #28 Running Back Mark Ingram, Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Alabama. Ingram scored on a 14-yard touchdown run in the preseason opener, showing off the explosiveness and tackle breaking ability that he is known for.

The Saints now have an overwhelming stable of running backs including Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram, Darren Sproles, Joique Bell, Chris Ivory and Chris Taylor. A serious lack of healthy running backs was a huge factor in the playoff loss against the Settle Seahawks last season, being left with only Reggie Bush and veteran Julius Jones to carry the load. The two were highly ineffective. It goes without saying that the coaching staff and GM Mickey Loomis have dealt with all areas of concern facing the 2011 season.

Along with these new faces comes a great new look to the Superdome. The Superdome recently underwent an $85 million renovation resulting in a “state-of-the-art” facility, which brings the total amount of money spent on the Superdome since 2006 sums up to $336 million. Some key upgrades include expansion of the plaza level concourse, additional concession stands and restrooms, 3,100 new seats and improved sidelines, two premium ground level bunker clubs, 3 additional elevators, and expansion of plaza gates. Champion’s Square is also currently undergoing its second phase of renovations. It will be transformed into a pedestrian mall, decorated with beautiful brick pavers, trees, benches, and a large grand staircase that will lead into the main entrance of the Superdome.

Fans can now breathe a sigh of relief after dealing with a summer of labor talks, no free agency, and the thought of a year without football. Another New Orleans Saints season is upon us, and the players, coaches, fans and facility are looking better than ever before. Prepare yourself for another memorable season and support your New Orleans Saints!

Who Dat!

Let me tell you something that you will not find surprising. It’s hot outside! Participants in the White Linen Night know it’s warm; that’s why everyone dresses in white.

Beyond the attire, what can you expect at the White Linen Night on Julia Street? Art, of course. Galleries and studios along Julia Street, Camp Street and St. Charles Street will feature some of New Orleans’ finest artists with works in oil on canvas, acrylics, photography, mult-media, glass and jewelry. Look for live music from Alex McMurray’s Old-Timey Revue, Ingrid Lucia, and The National WWII Museum’s Victory Belles. And what would a party in New Orleans be without fantastic food and drinks? Area restaurants and bars will have their doors open, ready to welcome art enthusiasts and casual party-goers

Speaking of parties, you can find late night entertainment at the Contemporary Arts Center Celebration and After-Party from 9 – 11 p.m. with cuisine, music, and the following art collections…

• The Center Cannot Hold: Paintings and Drawings by Brooke Pickett
• Drip: The Music of Water in New Orleans
• Patterns and Prototypes: Tina Girouard and Robert Gordy

If you can’t wait to get started with the party, check out the White Linen Night Kick-Off Happy Hour on Wednesday, August 3rd from 5-7 p.m. The event features free appetizers and free Rain vodka cocktails (while they last) at the La Cote Brasserie (700 Tchoupitoulas Street in the Renaissance Arts Hotel).

White Linen Night: Art Appreciation Done Right.

Satchmo Summerfest has officially opened registration for this year’s festival. Both individuals and teams are needed.

If you are interested in signing up a team, you will need everyone’s information before you begin registration. (name, email, cell phone, emergency contact, t-shirt size)

A team consists of 4 people and must have a designated “team leader” working with the group.

Remember – shifts fill FAST, so register early to get the booth and time slot that you prefer.

Click the following link to register: VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION

Satchmo Summerfest depends on its volunteers to make this festival happen. Thanks to everyone who participates!

2011 Artist Line-Up

Main Stage

• Usher (just added!)
• Mary J. Blige
• Kanye West
• Chaka Khan
• Jennifer Hudson
• KEM

• Trey Songz
• Jill Scott
• Boyz II Men
• Charlie Wilson
• Fantasia
• New Edition

You can get more information about this year’s Essence Music Festival and purchase tickets at Experience New Orleans.

Are you heading to the festival? Who are you looking forward to seeing the most?

For local film buffs, the New Orleans Film Sociey’s Film-O-Rama is an event not to be missed. Showcasing films that did not show up in the local Cineplex, Film-O-Rama aims to enlighten the film crowd with some of the best in indie films, including documentaries and fictional stories.

2011’s Film-O-Rama began on Friday, May 13th, and it continues to Thursday, May 19th. So if you haven’t had the chance to see any of the rare big screen offerings, be sure to check them out.

The following films will show this week.

• Certified Copy
• Bill Cunningham New York
• Potiche
• Hobo with a Shotgun
• The Princess of Montpensier
• The Robber
• Poetry
• 13 Assassins
• Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
• The Robber
• Heartbeats
• Cave of Forgotten Dreams 3-D
• Poetry
• Meetk’s Cutoff
• Rubber

Several of the films look interesting and enlightening. I, however, am considering the not-so-educational film Rubber, a French horror / dark comedy movie about a destructive telepathic tire. It’s good to know that Film-O-Rama offers something for everyone.

– by Michael Roberts, Experience New Orleans

You’d think that a movie about a guy investigating a crime scene among werewolves, zombies and vampires would not be a great film to show off the city of New Orleans, but you would be wrong. Dylan Dog, finally released in theaters on April 29th, 2011 was entirely shot in New Orleans and the surrounding area and utilized several interesting locations that do not normally make it to the big screen.

Le Pavillon Hotel was one of the key locations. In the movie, the hotel served as a private dance club for vampires and regular humans. Of course, with vampires involved, things never end up well for the regular people.

The abandoned power building by the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center was the home of castoff zombie population, and a warehouse by the Mississippi River operated as meat-packing plant run by werewolves. All in all, just another day in the city, right?

In the movie, the lead character Dylan Dog explains that these creatures come to New Orleans because of the extensive night life of the city. They knew that they would not draw suspicion as the only people out on the streets at night.

There are also a couple of time-lapse photography scenes that are quite gorgeous. One shot in particular is set right next to the Mississippi River by the French Quarter Market. From the viewpoint, the audience watches a time-lapsed period of 36-48 hours of ships going by on the river, streets cars on the tracks and traffic on the bridge.

While several movies are filmed in New Orleans, most films do not feature the city nearly as prominently as Dylan Dog. For instance, this summer will see the release of another movie adaptation of a comic book Green Lantern, but preview trailers indicate that audiences won’t see much of the city.

While the movie does feature several great locations, Dylan Dog did not perform well with critics or at the box office. The film debuted to less than a million dollars on its opening weekend and will likely not stay in theaters long, but it’s worth checking out when it comes to DVD for the New Orleans scenery.

To see a list of great movies filmed in New Orleans, visit our Films page.

– Experience New Orleans

This success is not confined to just the festival. Hotel occupancy for Friday and Saturday was 100%, and the first and last days of the festival boasted an occupancy rate of greater than 85%.

The people of New Orleans obviously approved of the addition of an extra day to the festival, with strong attendance from the very beginning of the day. Executive Director Marci Schramm also credits the extra day for the large crowds that came out to the parade. Since people were already in town, they were able to come out early to support the parade and the Jackson Square concerts.

The French Quarter Festival relied on its army of volunteers and numerous musical acts. Over 1,800 volunteers gave their time, and more than 260 music groups performed during the festival.

– Experience New Orleans

The focus switches over to the heart of the French Quarter in Jackson Square on Thursday, where the festivities begin at noon with the Preservation HallStars. The largest free music festival in the South boasts a wide array of styles, including jazz, funk, classical, gospel, cajun and zydeco, and brass bands. Bands include

• Bag of Donuts
• Bonerama
• Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue
• Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers
• Little Freddie King
• Irvin Mayfield and the Playhouse Revue
• Russell Batiste & Friends featuring Jason Neville
• And many, many more

Despite adding an additional day to the festival, the French Quarter Festival Parade will still be on Friday, starting at the 100 block of Bourbon Street and winding through the Quarter to Jackson Square. The parade will start at 10 a.m.

While at the festival, be sure to check out the delicious food and drinks from several New Orleans restaurants.

See the full French Quarter Festival live music schedule and create your own personalized, printable schedule at the official site.