‘Giant Killer’ to launch with Kickstarter party
Word Balloons #1168: Pop culture fun in the summer with cons and more
Now that we are officially into summer, the calendar continues to fill up with potential pop-culture adventures. There are lost toys, 1980s wrestlers and Captain America himself all on the schedule for this weekend.
On Saturday, Zachary Gilbert will have a launch party for his Kickstarter campaign for his new graphic novel, Giant Killer.
The launch party will be held starting at 6 p.m. June 24, 2023, between Lazy Circles Brewing & Stash, by 422 E Main Street, Norman, Oklahoma.
Literati will host an Ink & Draw gathering at the event.
The “Giant Killer” graphic novel is about a strange land where lost toys battle monsters, It is set to be released as a graphic novel by Literati Press later this year. If you want to be notified when the Kickstarter campaign goes live, click over to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/giantkiller/giant-killer-0
Pop Culture Con at Remington Park
Also happening this weekend is Oklahoma City’s Pop Culture Con, held Saturday and Sunday at Remington Park. Kids 12 and under will be admitted free.
There are a plethora of Power Rangers, Ninja Turtles and wrestling stars at the event, so fans of those properties who want to get an autograph or selfie with a star should have good opportunity – prices range per guest, but many can be found at
Jason Faunt and Steve Cardenas of the “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” franchise are scheduled to appear, as are wrestlers “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan and Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, among many others.
Longtime Captain America fans should be pleased to see the Oklahoma City appearance of the live-action Captain America of the 1970s TV movies, Reb Brown.
Both released in 1979, “Captain America” and “Captain America II: Death to Soon” featured a Captain America with a star-spangled suit and a sweet motorcycle.
Reb Brown stars in both TV films as Steve Rogers. Dr. Simon Mills (Len Birman) wants Steve to take the FLAG formula, a sort of “super-steroid” that was developed by Steve’s late father. Because his father experimented using his own DNA, the formula is only likely to work on someone who shares that DNA. Steve refuses the injection, but when he's nearly killed investigating the death of a friend, Mills uses the FLAG formula on him anyway. The formula gives Steve peak human strength and other abilities, which he puts to use as Captain America.
In the second film, The terrorist Miguel (Christopher Lee) has stolen a rapid aging formula that he will use on a major American city if his demands are not met. Steve tracks Miguel down to a small town, where he falls in love with a local woman, tussles with local roughnecks, and eventually tracks down the bad guys.
A weekend pass to the convention is $40. Day passes are $25; limited VIP packages are available for $100 as of this writing.
And the convention hits keep coming.
Next weekend, June 30-July 2, save the date for SoonerCon in Norman, where I’ll be appearing as a panelist among many others. Headlining guests include Billy West (“Futurama,” “Space Jam”), YouTuber Red Bard and author John Scalzi (“Redshirts”). More information: soonercon.com
Matthew Price, matthew@matthewlprice.com, has written about the comics industry for more than two decades. He is the co-owner of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman.