Powerhouse Comic Con 2021
October 9th, 2021, after more than 2 years, Powerhouse Comic Con returned to the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. The convention was much anticipated by kid and adults alike and brought back the laid-back and affordable pop culture fun for everyone.
We were were fortune to have LINDA MILLER as our Special Guest. Jo Miller enjoyed a successful career as a model and an actress, best known for her starring role in KING KONG ESCAPES.
Upon graduating high school, Linda moved to Japan with her family in 1965, where she enrolled in a charm school for young women. The Tokyo school also served as a modeling agency, supplying Western talent for advertising and commercials in Japan. She soon began appearing on television in ENGLISH FOR MILLIONS (百万人の英語) with James B. Harris, a 30-minute language program utilized to teach English in Japanese schools.
Linda was regularly featured on the cover of popular magazines such as Josei Seven and Mademoiselle, as well as in numerous print advertisements for Noritake China, which garnered interest from producer Arthur Rankin. Rankin cast her as Lieutenant Susan Watson in KING KONG ESCAPES (キングコングの逆襲 ), opposite co-stars Rhodes Reason and Akira Takarada. Widely distributed in the USA and throughout the world, the Toho sci-fi film cemented Linda’s place in popular culture as she joined the prestigious ranks of King Kong’s cinematic leading ladies.
She had a supporting role in another Japanese/USA co-production, THE GREEN SLIME (ガンマー第 3 号 宇宙大作戦) for Toei and MGM, the cast of which was almost entirely comprised of American and European actors. Linda also guest-starred in a TV episode of SEVEN FACES of MAN (七つの顔の男), an hour-long detective series produced by Toei in late 1967.
Lina Miller was joined by CARL CRAIG. At age 10, Carl Craig lived the dream of starring in a Japanese giant monster movie, playing the role of Jim Morgan, the all-American boy scout who helps GAMERA thwart an alien invasion from the planet Viras in 1968's DESTROY ALL PLANETS, also known as Gamera vs. Viras.
At Powerhouse Comic Con 2021 we celebrated the 55th anniversary of Ultraman with a special guest appearance by DORE KRAUS. Dore Kraus (ドーレ・クラウス Dōre Kurausu) is an Australian actor who is well known for his role as Jack Shindo/Ultraman Great in ULTRAMAN: TOWARDS THE FUTURE.
.jpg)
Star Wars fans got a rare chance to meet KYLE PACEK. Kyle Pacek is an up and coming actor who has lit Hollywood on fire with his roles on THE MANDALORIAN (2020-2022) as an Underworld Jawa, and a Bounty Hunter in Season Two in the episode “The Passenger”. Kyle is also starring on the upcoming show THE BOOK OF BOBBA FETT.
His other credits include All About Lizzie (2012-2013), The Jimmy Kimmel Show (2016), and American Horror Story (2014-2015).
We were also lucky to have with us one of the Hollywood legends, CHARLOTTE STEWART. Charlotte Stewart is beloved by Little House on the Prairie fans around the world as schoolteacher Miss Eva Beadle. Her 50-year acting career also includes roles on the TV show Twin Peaks, Coach, Gunsmoke, My Three Sons, and The Waltons as well as films including Eraserhead, Human Highway, Cheyenne Social Club and Tremors. She recently released her memoir Little House in the Hollywood Hills.
Charlotte Stewart was joined by another classic entertainment icon, JON PROVOST. Jon Provost is a national treasure. The check shirt and jeans he wore for seven years as Timmy on television's beloved LASSIE hang in The Smithsonian next to Archie Bunker's chair.
Jon was already a seasoned professional when he won the role of Timmy at age seven. He was barely three when cast as Jane Wyman and Sterling Hayden's son in So Big. During his career as a child actor and teen heart throb, he worked with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood: Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby in The Country Girl, Natalie Wood and Robert Redford in This Property is Condemned, Rod Steiger and Anita Ekberg in Back From Eternity, Clint Eastwood in Escapade in Japan, Kurt Russell in The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and on television with Kim Novak, Jack Benny, Ann Sothern and even with that famous talking horse, Mr. Ed.
Always charming and a fan-favorite, LAURIE JACOBSON appeared at PHCC 2021. Laurie Jacobson is an award-winning Hollywood author. A reformed stand-up comic, Laurie worked out in Harvey Lembeck's Comedy Improv Workshop for years with classmates Robin Williams, John Ritter and John Larroquette. While performing improv, she immersed herself in the history of those who came before her. The stories she uncovered became the basis for her debut, archetype book, Hollywood Heartbreak, a 75-year history of Hollywood told through the lives and deaths of 31 celebrities. Following its publication, Laurie emerged as a leading Hollywood historian. Since then she has written and produced documentaries, television series and specials, including: The 20th Anniversary of the Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Warner Bros. Studio Rededication Party and The Suzanne Somers Show.
With PHCC 2021 happening in October just weeks away from Halloween, we were extremely excited to have LORD BLOOD-RAH with us. to have Lord Blood-Rah is the geeky creation of Frank Wallace-Ailsworth, himself a life long horror and sci-fi geek. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 60's/early 70s, Frank was introduced to genre films, both classic and not so classic, through the legendary TV horror host show Creature Features hosted by Bob Wilkins.
The combination of monster classics like Frankenstein and The Wolf Man, as well as lesser cult films like The Beast of Yucca Flats and Attack of the Mushroom People, with Wilkins' dry witty commentary became the inspiration that would drive the creation of Lord Blood-Rah in 2009.
Relying on his study of voice acting and improvisation, Frank created the character of Lord Blood-Rah; the self proclaimed High Lord of Geekdom, a proud Geek who lives to spread the love of off-beat and imaginative genre films to all those ready to "Geek Out".
In 2013, Lord Blood-Rah's Nerve Wrackin' Theatre made the leap to television and the web. Now Geeks, Geekerellas, Geekulas and Geekeritas all over the country, and the world online, join Lord Blood-Rah in Blood-Rah Manor each week as he presents the best, worst and wildest horror and sci-fi films ever made!
PHCC 2021 has a fantastic array of comic book artists starting with WALDEN WONG who also did a convention exclusive for the show. Walden Wong is a well-respected comic book artist/inker and has a wide range of experience in the industry. He has worked for practically every publisher out there, including DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, and VIZ media. You can see his name on a variety of titles every year. Just a few of his titles include Deadpool, Wolverine and The X-Men, JLA, Superman The Man of Steel, The Avengers, Guardians Infinity, The Warlord, Black Panther, Amazing X-Men, Superboy, Action Comics, The Flash, Hulk, Scarlet Spider, Guardians of The Galaxy, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spiderman, Captain Marvel, Cable, Aquaman, Titans, Batgirl, Uncanny X-Men, Bat Man, Green Lantern, Wonder Women, Captain America, Star Wars, Wolverine, Stargate, Iron Man and Excalibur. He is available for sketches and commissions.
EXCLUSIVE CONVENTION PRINT BY WALDEN WONG
LUIS RIVERA has worked in the comic book industry for many years and on such great titles as The Sensational G-Girl, The Mis-Adventures of Adam West, Robin The Hood, Fun Adventure Comics, King City, Champions, War’s Chosen, Vampires Unlimited: Shades of Things to Come, Old School, The Powerhouse, Fire Fox, Pirate Bay, and C.L.A.W.S. Luis also inked Team Colossus comic book which will be available at the show.
WARREN MONTGOMERY is a comic book artist, colorist, letterer and publisher. He has provided comic book lettering and/or coloring for such publishers as Albatross Funnybooks, BOOM! Studios and many independents. With Will Lill Comics, he self-publishes titles like John Kirby: Firefox, The Adventures of Lightning Marval, Monty’s World and Fun Adventure Comics!. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon. Visit: www.wlcomics.com
Raised in the Pacific Northwest, BLAKE COKER is a published illustrator who strives to tell new and engaging stories. His work often pulls from his background of reading comics and watching films and has always been inspired by the detailed storytelling.
He is a BFA graduate from the University of Idaho and is currently working on a comic book about his brother with Autism. Blake wants to share his personal experiences that he has had with his brother to help spread knowledge and empathy towards all people with disabilities.
Blake has had the pleasure of illustrating four children’s books and has taken the experiences he has learned to help him tell his own creative narratives. Along with children’s books, Blake has also done album artwork as well as posters and other advertisements for numerous events.
Blake is also a Team Colossus comic book artist.
EXCLUSIVE CONVENTION PRINT BY BLAKE COKER
PETER SECOSH is an American graphic artist born in San Francisco. He has worked on posters, board game logos, tattoos and storyboards. He has also worked on various comic books over the years. Credits include: The Bod (Image), Doll and Creature (Image), Elvira #108-111 (Claypool), Nocturnals: Troll Bridge, Vampirella Quarterly #1, Soul Searchers, The Software that Held The Developer Captive, Out with a Bang.
LORY DE VERA started out as one of the Nestor Redondo’s associates during the 1960’s doing several sketches for Nestor Redondo’s short stories and some of his novels. After moving to the States in 1982, his first comics work was illustrating Cowboy series in small size comics and assisting Argentinian illustrator Hector Lustre in sketching and inking his horror story works. Lory did several graphic novel illustrations, religious comics illustrations for Kingston Publication with Danny Bulanadi.
LADY DEADPOOL FRESNO and DEADPOOL FRESNO are local Central Valley cosplayer who have been cosplaying and bringing smiles to fans' faces.
NOELSE COSPLAY has been cosplaying for about 4 years. He started this because of his son, it gave them something to look forward to, on weekends here and there at local cons. Although his son grew out of this, It became some what of a passion for Noel. He enjoys putting smiles on kids, even on adults, when they see there favorite hero.