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Comic Book Men Season 7 Panel [AMC, NYCC 2017]

Comic Book Men Season 7

Comic Book Men Season 7

There’s no denying filmmaker Kevin Smith is a man of the people, and it was never more evident than at 2017 New York Comic Con. As he walked out onto the Hammerstein Ballroom stage Thursday afternoon to introduce the Comic Book Men panel, Smith made it clear that he was there to embrace his fans as much as possible.

The iconic independent director, wearing exactly what you would imagine he would wear (backwards baseball cap, hockey jersey, and shorts), welcomed the packed crowd with a sizzle reel for the upcoming seventh season of the AMC series, Comic Book Men. In it, we were given much to look forward to – and for many it was a chance to reminisce. (The community of the show is so tight-knit, many of those in attendance had actually appeared in episodes). Within the walls of Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash comic book store in Red Bank, NJ, you’ll find great books, cool guest stars, and endless shenanigans.

The employees of The Secret Stash – Walt Flanagan, Michael Zapcic, Bryan Johnson (though technically he’s not an employee), and Ming Chen – get to have a lot of fun in season 7. Some of the antics you can expect are a trip to Pez Land, the unveiling of Comic Book Men Funko Pop figures, a Guinness World Record, and a canine cosplay contest that you have to see to believe. In addition, guest stars abound; Lloyd Kaufman, Method Man, Robert Englund, Burt Ward, Mike Colter, and Rosario Dawson are just a few names that you can expect to see pass through the doors of The Secret Stash. Finally, for those that can’t get enough of the comic books, the guys will get to look at some real classics – and some really bizarre ones. Some books include Fantastic Four #52 (the first appearance of Black Panther), The Walking Dead #100 (first appearance of Negan), and a weird mashup comic featuring Eminem and The Punisher. My personal favorite is Alf #48, which was pulled from the shelves after they realized the cover showed Alf and a seal getting a little too friendly.

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Once the reel was done, it was time to bring up Walt, Michael, Bryan, and Ming. Smith, being a man of the people, skipped all moderation and opened things up straight to the audience for Q&A. One of the more poignant stories of the night came after a fan asked Bryan if he realized how inspirational he was to those suffering from mental health issues. Bryan Johnson, who mentioned he is bipolar, shared a touching story with Smith about how starting up the CBM podcast was critical to him “putting the stool away”, and essentially finding a way to persevere against the chronic condition which plagues so many.

Naturally, there were some questions aimed at Smith about his film career. One audience member brought up Dogma, the much-loved 1999 film about renegade angels trying to get into heaven, and how it is not available for purchase anywhere. Smith explained that Dogma is currently owned by the Weinstein’s, and he recently had a conversation with them about a possible re-issue of the film on DVD or Blu-Ray. Smith goes on to say that Harvey tried to push the idea of a sequel, which Smith firmly rejected, citing “never wanting to do a religious movie again” as the reason. Either way, Smith seemed sure that a re-issue of Dogma would be coming soon. (Though with recent news, I’m not sure this is still the number one priority for Harvey Weinstein. He may have some bigger things to worry about).

It was hard not to be charmed by the camaraderie of the room, and the panel did give us all a great tip on how to be part of the show forever. If you are interested in appearing on an upcoming season of Comic Book Men, visit this website , record a video of yourself, and most importantly, have something to sell or buy. The shop location again is Red Bank, NJ, and it’s open to all comic book lovers.

Leave your thoughts on the Comic Book Men panel at 2017 New York City Comic Con below in the comments section. For more NYCC panel coverage, reviews, images, and videos, visit our New York Comic Con Page. Comic Book Men will begin airing season 7 on October 22, 2017 on AMC at 9 p.m. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by EmailTwitterTumblrGoogle+, and Facebook.

 

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Nick DeNitto

Nick DeNitto graduated with Honors from Adelphi University. He began writing movie reviews in middle school and has worked tirelessly to mold his own unique critical voice. He is currently affiliated with the National Board of Review and hopes that one day he is remembered as “The People’s Film Critic.”
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