One of the more interesting side effects of the Internet age is that it takes almost no time for things to get meta. There doesn’t seem to be a better way to get recognition from geek culture than to point out how insane geek culture can sometimes be. Enter Alan Tudyk (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Firefly, Frozen), Nathan Fillion (Castle, Firefly, Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog), author PJ Haarsma, and $3.2 million dollars funded by fans via Indiegogo. They created the web series Con Man about the post-show life of a man who starred in a cult classic TV show canceled before its times that runs in the convention circuit now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBEUfh09ExA
“Loosely based on Tudyk’s and Fillion’s experiences starring in Firefly, Con Man centers on the post-show life of Wray Nerely (Tudyk), the co-star of “Spectrum,” a sci-fi TV series canceled before its time that later became a cult classic beloved by fans. Wray’s best friend, Jack Moore (Fillion) starred as the series’ Captain and has gone on to become a major celebrity while Wray continues to struggle to find his big break. While Jack enjoys the life of an A-lister, Wray is the begrudging guest of sci-fi conventions, comic book store appearances, and different pop culture events. The series explores these events and all the crazy and real things that happen behind the scenes in the world of fandom.” said the press release provided by Comic Con HQ and Lionsgate.
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It sounds like a way to print money, and now it will become the first major piece of call the new streaming service Comic Con HQ home. The streaming service is designed to extend the experience of San Diego Comic Con into a year-long event where you don’t have to sleep outside on concrete for twelve hours to see the content.
“Season one of Con Man will be exclusively available for streaming on Comic-Con HQ when the platform launches this summer. Comic-Con HQ will also produce a second season of the series which will debut on the service later this year.
“Comic-Con HQ is all about capturing the spirit of the fan community, and in its own way, so is Con Man. Alan uniquely understands all sides of the fan experience, and he’s captured it in such a farcical way that it’s as much parody as it is commentary on the power of fandom,” said Seth Laderman, EVP and General Manager, Comic-Con HQ.
“We are thrilled to be a part of the Comic-Con HQ family,” said Tudyk. “For a series that was born out of a passion for the genre and support from the fans, we couldn’t think of a better way to connect with our community.”
This is a walking example of the modern Internet, so we’ll have to see how this all turns out. Season 1 will be available via Comic-Con HQ next month, following the platform’s beta launch on May 7th, Free Comic Book Day. Fans who join Comic-Con HQ during the first two weeks of beta launch will be entered to win an all-expenses-paid trip to San Diego Comic-Con 2016. For more details and to sign up for free beta access, visit Comic-ConHQ.com.
Images provided by Comic Con HQ and Lionsgate
