Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves weren’t the first dudes to play Bill and Ted. During the Comic-Con@Home livestream for the Bill and Ted Face the Music panel, franchise screenwriters Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon revealed that they originally performed as the characters and how an icon of the sci-fi genre convinced them to script Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/25/bill-ted-face-the-music-official-panel-comic-con-2020"] Matheson and Solomon’s own excellent adventure with these characters began in 1983 as part of a comedy improv group with friends. An improv prompt they received was to play two teenage boys studying history who didn’t know anything about the subject. “We started playing these two guys and we just liked them instantly. They struck us as really funny instantly and we just started playing with them,” Matheson recalled. The duo enjoyed playing these characters just for fun, spending about a year fleshing out their ideas for them. Matheson said they “would just talk on the phone as Bill and Ted. We would write letters as Bill and Ted. We just loved them. They were just really fun to be, long before we ever thought of putting them in a movie or anything like that. We just enjoyed them.” [caption id="attachment_2382409" align="alignnone" width="720"] Ed Solomon and Chris Matheson performing as Bill and Ted in the 1980s.[/caption] While their performances as Bill S. Preston, Esq. and Ted ‘’Theodore’’ Logan had been largely confined to their improv group and one another, Solomon said, “Once we did it in front of an audience at UCLA. We took questions as Bill and Ted and basically everything was either ‘excellent’ or ‘bogus’ as far as I remember.” Matheson and Solomon later explored the idea of including Bill and Ted within a movie they were scripting but the characters would have just been a small part of a larger framework. That was until Matheson received some sage advice from a legendary writer. “We were going to write kind of a skit movie with a bunch of different skits because we had just had a bunch of silly ideas. And Bill and Ted was going to be one of the pieces. It was going to be an eight or ten-minute piece,” Matheson explained. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/04/19/7-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-bill-and-ted"] “It was actually my dad -- who was Richard Matheson, who wrote I Am Legend and (The Incredible) Shrinking Man -- and I sort of ran it by him and he said, ‘You could make a whole movie out of that.’ And so we started looking at it that way.” The late Richard Matheson was the author of many classic sci-fi, horror and fantasy novels and short stories. His works were adapted for the big and small screen, including The Twilight Zone, Real Steel, The Legend of Hell House, The Box, Stir of Echoes, Somewhere in Time, and What Dreams May Come. His seminal post-apocalyptic novel I Am Legend has been filmed for the silver screen three times, most recently in 2007 with Will Smith. While the younger Matheson and his writing partner Solomon may have been the first to “play” Bill and Ted, they would not, of course, end up portraying their creations on the big screen. Solomon said “it was hard for us to imagine who would take the characters over and we were not involved in the casting process or anything.” Solomon recalled an anecdote about how they found out who did end up landing the title roles. “We were in Arizona when the movie was about to shoot and we were in line at McDonald’s and we were actually complaining to each other, ‘I bet whoever they cast won’t be able to do it the way we hoped,’” Solomon said. “And then there are these two guys in front of us at McDonald’s just goofing off and talking to each other. And Chris and I are like, ‘Now those should be the people that play Bill and Ted!’ And then we ended up on set for the first rehearsal and it was Alex and Keanu [who were the same guys from McDonald’s]. Unbelievable.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=bill-and-ted-face-the-music-first-look&captions=true"] A sequel nearly three decades in the waiting, Bill and Ted Face the Music will open in theaters and on VOD on September 1. For more, be sure to check out our full Comic-Con 2020 panel schedule.

Back at the beginning of the month, Cyborg actor Ray Fisher tweeted a video of him speaking at SDCC 2017, where he praised Joss Whedon as a "great guy," with this caption: "I’d like to take a moment to forcefully retract every bit of this statement." The actor then went on to say that Whedon's "on-set treatment of the cast and crew of Justice League was gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable" and that former DC Films co-leads Geoff Johns and Jon Berg "enabled" the behavior. Now, during Fisher's Justice Con panel, Fisher said, replying to a question about his previous statements, "Obviously I put out some pretty strong words, and some pretty strong comments about Joss Whedon and every single one of those words, and every single one of those comments is true." Fisher then added "there is a process that is being undergone as we speak to get to the heart of everything that I’m talking about." "The man is probably scared," Fisher said, "and he should be because we are going to get to the heart of everything -- everything -- that went down." You can watch the full Spotlight on Ray Fisher panel below. The Joss Whedon topic comes up around the 26:00 mark. [youtube clip_id="8lMIZmmYkH8"] "I've been in projects where, artistically speaking, I did not agree, but you do your work," Fisher also said. "You go there and you do it. But there is a certain amount of abuse, there's a certain amount of behavior that one is willing to tolerate and once it gets beyond that point you gotta go ahead and deal with it." Following Fisher's remarks from weeks back, Jon Berg responded by saying it was "categorically untrue that we enabled any unprofessional behavior." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=history-of-the-justice-league-on-tv&captions=true"] In other Justice League news, Snyder revealed a better look at Superman's black costume in a new clip, which you can watch below, and confirmed that the Snyder Cut of Justice League won't use any of Joss Whedon's footage. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/26/zack-snyder-reveals-henry-cavill-in-snyder-cut-black-superman-suit-clip"] Zack Snyder's cut of Justice League is being completed and is expected to debut on HBO Max in 2021, For more Snyder Cut coverage, watch the first Darkseid clip and find out about some of the visual changes the movie will have from Justice League's theatrical release. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Back at the beginning of the month, Cyborg actor Ray Fisher tweeted a video of him speaking at SDCC 2017, where he praised Joss Whedon as a "great guy," with this caption: "I’d like to take a moment to forcefully retract every bit of this statement." The actor then went on to say that Whedon's "on-set treatment of the cast and crew of Justice League was gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable" and that former DC Films co-leads Geoff Johns and Jon Berg "enabled" the behavior. Now, during Fisher's Justice Con panel, Fisher said, replying to a question about his previous statements, "Obviously I put out some pretty strong words, and some pretty strong comments about Joss Whedon and every single one of those words, and every single one of those comments is true." Fisher then added "there is a process that is being undergone as we speak to get to the heart of everything that I’m talking about." "The man is probably scared," Fisher said, "and he should be because we are going to get to the heart of everything -- everything -- that went down." You can watch the full Spotlight on Ray Fisher panel below. The Joss Whedon topic comes up around the 26:00 mark. [youtube clip_id="8lMIZmmYkH8"] "I've been in projects where, artistically speaking, I did not agree, but you do your work," Fisher also said. "You go there and you do it. But there is a certain amount of abuse, there's a certain amount of behavior that one is willing to tolerate and once it gets beyond that point you gotta go ahead and deal with it." Following Fisher's remarks from weeks back, Jon Berg responded by saying it was "categorically untrue that we enabled any unprofessional behavior." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=history-of-the-justice-league-on-tv&captions=true"] In other Justice League news, Snyder revealed a better look at Superman's black costume in a new clip, which you can watch below, and confirmed that the Snyder Cut of Justice League won't use any of Joss Whedon's footage. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/26/zack-snyder-reveals-henry-cavill-in-snyder-cut-black-superman-suit-clip"] Zack Snyder's cut of Justice League is being completed and is expected to debut on HBO Max in 2021, For more Snyder Cut coverage, watch the first Darkseid clip and find out about some of the visual changes the movie will have from Justice League's theatrical release. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Nadji Jeter, the star of Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales for PlayStation 5, has shared a message of how much this role means to him alongside a look at some behind-the-scenes performance capture images. Jeter, who also played Miles Morales in 2018's Marvel's Spider-Man, took to Twitter to write the following;

To become a character so impactful Means the World to me. The story of Miles is what this generation & the next need! I just thank the heavens above for blessing me with the opportunity & responsibility to bring him to Life!! #MilesMoralesps5 pic.twitter.com/iz2vLZrHgD

— Nadji (@NajJeter) July 24, 2020

"To become a character so impactful Means the World to me," Jeter wrote. "The story of Miles is what this generation & the next need! I just thank the heavens above for blessing me with the opportunity & responsibility to bring him to Life!! #MilesMoralesps5" Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales was announced during the PlayStation 5's reveal event and is set to be released during Holiday 2020, the same release window as PS5. While this is not a full-fledged sequel, it is more than an expansion and is a standalone game in the vein of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/11/spider-man-miles-morales-announcement-trailer-ps5-event"] Insomniac has given a few more plot details for this new game, including that it will take place a year after the events of Marvel's Spider-Man and will begin just before Christmas. There is a street war between "an energy corporation and a high-tech criminal army" that has come Harlem, where Morales lives, and he must step up to stop it. For more on Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, check out its PlayStation 5 box art, info on its 4K/60fps Performance Mode, and six Miles Morales stories that could inspire the PS5 game. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-playstation-5-games&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN who can't wait and is so excited he just can't hide it. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Nadji Jeter, the star of Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales for PlayStation 5, has shared a message of how much this role means to him alongside a look at some behind-the-scenes performance capture images. Jeter, who also played Miles Morales in 2018's Marvel's Spider-Man, took to Twitter to write the following;

To become a character so impactful Means the World to me. The story of Miles is what this generation & the next need! I just thank the heavens above for blessing me with the opportunity & responsibility to bring him to Life!! #MilesMoralesps5 pic.twitter.com/iz2vLZrHgD

— Nadji (@NajJeter) July 24, 2020

"To become a character so impactful Means the World to me," Jeter wrote. "The story of Miles is what this generation & the next need! I just thank the heavens above for blessing me with the opportunity & responsibility to bring him to Life!! #MilesMoralesps5" Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales was announced during the PlayStation 5's reveal event and is set to be released during Holiday 2020, the same release window as PS5. While this is not a full-fledged sequel, it is more than an expansion and is a standalone game in the vein of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/11/spider-man-miles-morales-announcement-trailer-ps5-event"] Insomniac has given a few more plot details for this new game, including that it will take place a year after the events of Marvel's Spider-Man and will begin just before Christmas. There is a street war between "an energy corporation and a high-tech criminal army" that has come Harlem, where Morales lives, and he must step up to stop it. For more on Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, check out its PlayStation 5 box art, info on its 4K/60fps Performance Mode, and six Miles Morales stories that could inspire the PS5 game. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-playstation-5-games&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN who can't wait and is so excited he just can't hide it. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Keanu Reeves joined director Francis Lawrence and producer Akiva Goldsman at Comic-Con@Home today to look back at the original live-action version of the Hellblazer himself for Constantine's 15th anniversary. It's hard to believe it's been 15 years since the DC character was first realized in live-action -- long before the DCEU was even a twinkle in Warner Bros. execs' eyes. The reunion panel was a lot of fun, with Reeves in top "the world loves you, Keanu" form. Several interesting tidbits were revealed during the session, including how the team talked a lot about making a sequel at one time. The Constantine 15th Anniversary panel was featured on IGN's Comic-Con@Home livestream. You can also check out our full Comic-Con 2020 panel schedule. Read on for the highlights from the Constantine panel, which was hosted and organized by Collider.com's editor-in-chief Steven Weintraub. Watch the Constantine reunion panel in its entirety below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/25/constantine-15th-anniversary-official-panel-comic-con-2020"]

Constantine 2: The Sequel That Never Was

Goldsman recalled that during the making of the 2005 film a potential sequel was frequently discussed. "Yes, oh my God, yes," he said. "[It] endlessly came up. Boy, we wanted to. We wanted to make a hard R [rated] sequel, we wanted to ... I think we could probably make it tomorrow. Yes, we tried a lot of different ways to find [a way]. It was always, to the studios who made it, which was Village Roadshow and Warner Bros., a little bit of a feathered fish." Goldsman feels the studio didn't quite know what to make of the film's "oddness." "I do think [that] is one of the most lovely things about the film, the way it's equally comfortable in a character scene between Keanu and [co-star] Rachel [Weisz] as it is with demons flying, hurling themselves at a man who's going to light his fist on fire and expel them," he continued. "It's odd, right? It's not really action-packed. It just has a bunch of action. And this movie isn't exactly a thing, it's kind of a few things, which is what I think is beautiful about it. Those seem to get harder and harder to make. And even then, as much as we wanted to, and we've talked about it and we've had ideas... [sighs] I like that one where he wakes up in a cell and he has to identify the prisoner, that was Frank's idea, remember? And it was Jesus! ... Yeah, we talked about it!" Lawrence, who made his feature directing debut on Constantine, said that the creative team thought about a potential sequel or sequels more than the studio did. He thinks they always "loved it" more than the studio did, but the director is gratified by what he sees as an ever-increasing fanbase for the film in the years since it was released. "You know, the movie did fairly well," said Lawrence. "And this was also still a time when people sold DVDs, and so I think it did decently at the time. But it wasn't a knock-out success, and it also wasn't really sort of critically acclaimed by any means at the time. I mean, the kind of cool thing for me about this movie is just in the 15 years since it released, every time I do a movie and go out and travel the world and do junkets, I am signing Constantine DVDs more than any other movie that I've done. Over the years, different countries... people really, really love this movie. And I think that it's found a sort of a new life in a weird way." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2005/07/26/constantine-movie-trailer-constantine-trailer"]

Could Keanu Have Played a Blond, British Constantine?

The character from the comics is of course blond and British, which caused some small amount of controversy in fandom when the distinctly brunette and American Keanu Reeves was cast in the role for the movie. When asked during the panel whether or not there were discussions about Reeves maybe going with the blond hair and a British accent for Constantine, his answer was simple. "No, no," he smiled, without elaborating further. Lawrence confirmed that they never even discussed the matter. "And then I remember in costumes too the one other big change for the Constantine character was the coat," said the director. "And we did try the sort of Constantine coat and wound up going with the black one, which is different from the one in the comics and the graphic novels. We wanted to do what was right for what we were doing."

Constantine the Movie's Origins... With Nicolas Cage

Goldsman discussed how this was the project that helped him to break into producing. There had been a script "laying around that was really compelling," and so a package was put together with Tarsem Singh (The Cell, Immortals) as director and Nicolas Cage as star. Prep on the movie started, and then it stopped and then it "went to sleep for a while." Cage's involvement with the project ended when Singh parted ways with the studio. [caption id="attachment_2383039" align="aligncenter" width="1548"] Keanu Reeves impersonates the film going "to sleep for a while."[/caption] "And surely but slowly, the idea was durable enough -- like any interesting scripts -- to outlive whatever struggles it had," he continued. "And there was this video director who was really something." He's referring, of course, to Lawrence, who got his start as a director making music videos. By 2002, Reeves was also attached to the project, although he recalls that he wasn't familiar with the character at the time. "I hadn't read Hellblazer or seen any of the [creator] Alan Moore stuff in Swamp Thing," he said. "So I didn't know the character." The group laughed about how Reeves was "one of the gauntlets" that Lawrence had to pass to get the job on Constantine. Their meeting happened just days after Reeves had returned to the U.S. from Australia, where he had been shooting the Matrix sequels. "I really loved the script," continued Reeves. "And then I did some research on the character and I was, not hesitant, but I'm not English and I'm not blond. And the character is, and so I had to reconcile that, and part of that was what is the base of the character. What could I bring to the character? Why even do it? And it's such a beautiful character, this kind of humanitarian cynic. Tired, world-weary, tired of all the rules and morals and ethics and angels and demons, but still a part of it. And I loved his sense of humor." And Nic Cage got to play Ghost Rider a few years later anyway.

Other DC or Vertigo Characters

The team was asked during the panel whether or not other DC or Vertigo characters were ever considered. Vertigo Comics, of course, was DC's long-running imprint of adult-leaning titles that often had a more supernatural slant to them. Constantine was a key part of Vertigo back in the day. But Reeves jokingly took exception to this question. "Wait, you got Midnite, you got Chas!" he smiled. "What are you talking about?" Djimon Hounsou played Papa Midnite, a Hellblazer supporting character, and Shia LaBeouf played Constantine sidekick Chas Kramer in the film. But today's superhero films obviously are often focused on world-building and shared universes, a concept that was not prevalent on the big screen in 2005. Lawrence said that for as long as he was on the project, there was never any talk about bringing in other familiar faces. "The focus was on Constantine and Constantine's world," said the director. "So all the characters that surround him, but not weaving in the other kind of classic DC heroes."

Best Wrap Gift Ever

At one point during the panel, Lawrence whipped out the Holy Shotgun prop from the film, much to Reeves' delight. It turns out it was a wrap gift from Reeves to his director, and he actually had the props department make a replica of the piece from the shoot. Made of bronze, the gun weighs "probably 35 pounds." Unfortunately, when asked if he has the original, Reeves said he doesn't. Which sounds like the perfect reason to finally make Constantine 2... For even more on the world of DC, be sure to check out every upcoming DC movie.

Keanu Reeves joined director Francis Lawrence and producer Akiva Goldsman at Comic-Con@Home today to look back at the original live-action version of the Hellblazer himself for Constantine's 15th anniversary. It's hard to believe it's been 15 years since the DC character was first realized in live-action -- long before the DCEU was even a twinkle in Warner Bros. execs' eyes. The reunion panel was a lot of fun, with Reeves in top "the world loves you, Keanu" form. Several interesting tidbits were revealed during the session, including how the team talked a lot about making a sequel at one time. The Constantine 15th Anniversary panel was featured on IGN's Comic-Con@Home livestream. You can also check out our full Comic-Con 2020 panel schedule. Read on for the highlights from the Constantine panel, which was hosted and organized by Collider.com's editor-in-chief Steven Weintraub. Watch the Constantine reunion panel in its entirety below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/25/constantine-15th-anniversary-official-panel-comic-con-2020"]

Constantine 2: The Sequel That Never Was

Goldsman recalled that during the making of the 2005 film a potential sequel was frequently discussed. "Yes, oh my God, yes," he said. "[It] endlessly came up. Boy, we wanted to. We wanted to make a hard R [rated] sequel, we wanted to ... I think we could probably make it tomorrow. Yes, we tried a lot of different ways to find [a way]. It was always, to the studios who made it, which was Village Roadshow and Warner Bros., a little bit of a feathered fish." Goldsman feels the studio didn't quite know what to make of the film's "oddness." "I do think [that] is one of the most lovely things about the film, the way it's equally comfortable in a character scene between Keanu and [co-star] Rachel [Weisz] as it is with demons flying, hurling themselves at a man who's going to light his fist on fire and expel them," he continued. "It's odd, right? It's not really action-packed. It just has a bunch of action. And this movie isn't exactly a thing, it's kind of a few things, which is what I think is beautiful about it. Those seem to get harder and harder to make. And even then, as much as we wanted to, and we've talked about it and we've had ideas... [sighs] I like that one where he wakes up in a cell and he has to identify the prisoner, that was Frank's idea, remember? And it was Jesus! ... Yeah, we talked about it!" Lawrence, who made his feature directing debut on Constantine, said that the creative team thought about a potential sequel or sequels more than the studio did. He thinks they always "loved it" more than the studio did, but the director is gratified by what he sees as an ever-increasing fanbase for the film in the years since it was released. "You know, the movie did fairly well," said Lawrence. "And this was also still a time when people sold DVDs, and so I think it did decently at the time. But it wasn't a knock-out success, and it also wasn't really sort of critically acclaimed by any means at the time. I mean, the kind of cool thing for me about this movie is just in the 15 years since it released, every time I do a movie and go out and travel the world and do junkets, I am signing Constantine DVDs more than any other movie that I've done. Over the years, different countries... people really, really love this movie. And I think that it's found a sort of a new life in a weird way." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2005/07/26/constantine-movie-trailer-constantine-trailer"]

Could Keanu Have Played a Blond, British Constantine?

The character from the comics is of course blond and British, which caused some small amount of controversy in fandom when the distinctly brunette and American Keanu Reeves was cast in the role for the movie. When asked during the panel whether or not there were discussions about Reeves maybe going with the blond hair and a British accent for Constantine, his answer was simple. "No, no," he smiled, without elaborating further. Lawrence confirmed that they never even discussed the matter. "And then I remember in costumes too the one other big change for the Constantine character was the coat," said the director. "And we did try the sort of Constantine coat and wound up going with the black one, which is different from the one in the comics and the graphic novels. We wanted to do what was right for what we were doing."

Constantine the Movie's Origins... With Nicolas Cage

Goldsman discussed how this was the project that helped him to break into producing. There had been a script "laying around that was really compelling," and so a package was put together with Tarsem Singh (The Cell, Immortals) as director and Nicolas Cage as star. Prep on the movie started, and then it stopped and then it "went to sleep for a while." Cage's involvement with the project ended when Singh parted ways with the studio. [caption id="attachment_2383039" align="aligncenter" width="1548"] Keanu Reeves impersonates the film going "to sleep for a while."[/caption] "And surely but slowly, the idea was durable enough -- like any interesting scripts -- to outlive whatever struggles it had," he continued. "And there was this video director who was really something." He's referring, of course, to Lawrence, who got his start as a director making music videos. By 2002, Reeves was also attached to the project, although he recalls that he wasn't familiar with the character at the time. "I hadn't read Hellblazer or seen any of the [creator] Alan Moore stuff in Swamp Thing," he said. "So I didn't know the character." The group laughed about how Reeves was "one of the gauntlets" that Lawrence had to pass to get the job on Constantine. Their meeting happened just days after Reeves had returned to the U.S. from Australia, where he had been shooting the Matrix sequels. "I really loved the script," continued Reeves. "And then I did some research on the character and I was, not hesitant, but I'm not English and I'm not blond. And the character is, and so I had to reconcile that, and part of that was what is the base of the character. What could I bring to the character? Why even do it? And it's such a beautiful character, this kind of humanitarian cynic. Tired, world-weary, tired of all the rules and morals and ethics and angels and demons, but still a part of it. And I loved his sense of humor." And Nic Cage got to play Ghost Rider a few years later anyway.

Other DC or Vertigo Characters

The team was asked during the panel whether or not other DC or Vertigo characters were ever considered. Vertigo Comics, of course, was DC's long-running imprint of adult-leaning titles that often had a more supernatural slant to them. Constantine was a key part of Vertigo back in the day. But Reeves jokingly took exception to this question. "Wait, you got Midnite, you got Chas!" he smiled. "What are you talking about?" Djimon Hounsou played Papa Midnite, a Hellblazer supporting character, and Shia LaBeouf played Constantine sidekick Chas Kramer in the film. But today's superhero films obviously are often focused on world-building and shared universes, a concept that was not prevalent on the big screen in 2005. Lawrence said that for as long as he was on the project, there was never any talk about bringing in other familiar faces. "The focus was on Constantine and Constantine's world," said the director. "So all the characters that surround him, but not weaving in the other kind of classic DC heroes."

Best Wrap Gift Ever

At one point during the panel, Lawrence whipped out the Holy Shotgun prop from the film, much to Reeves' delight. It turns out it was a wrap gift from Reeves to his director, and he actually had the props department make a replica of the piece from the shoot. Made of bronze, the gun weighs "probably 35 pounds." Unfortunately, when asked if he has the original, Reeves said he doesn't. Which sounds like the perfect reason to finally make Constantine 2... For even more on the world of DC, be sure to check out every upcoming DC movie.

Legendary television host Regis Philbin has died at the age of 88. Philbin passed away on July 24, 2020, and his family gave a statement to People; "We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved Regis Philbin passed away last night of natural causes, one month shy of his 89th birthday. His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him – for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about. We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss." Philbin made his big break in 1988 as one of the hosts of Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee alongside Kathie Lee Gifford. In 2001, the show became Live! with Regis and Kelly, and Philbin co-starred with Kelly Ripa. He left the show in 2011 after 23 years on-air and was replaced by former New York Giants star Michael Strahan. Philbin was also the original host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? from 1999 to 2002, and also appeared on Million Dollar Password, the first season of America's Got Talent, and was a reoccurring co-host on Rachael Ray. Born on August 25, 1931, Philbin was raised in the Bronx and graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School in 1949 and earned a sociology degree in 1953 from the University of Notre Dame. He also served in the Navy, and made his first appearance in front of the camera in 1961 with The Regis Philbin Show, a local talk show in San Diego. His accolades include winning a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding talk show host for Live! in 2001 and 2011, and one for being an outstanding game show host for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Furthermore, he received his Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2003 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmy Awards in 2008. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Joy Philbin, and his daughters J.J., Joanna, and Amy. His first wife was Catherine Faylen and they had a son, Daniel Philbin, who passed away in 2014. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Legendary television host Regis Philbin has died at the age of 88. Philbin passed away on July 24, 2020, and his family gave a statement to People; "We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved Regis Philbin passed away last night of natural causes, one month shy of his 89th birthday. His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him – for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about. We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss." Philbin made his big break in 1988 as one of the hosts of Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee alongside Kathie Lee Gifford. In 2001, the show became Live! with Regis and Kelly, and Philbin co-starred with Kelly Ripa. He left the show in 2011 after 23 years on-air and was replaced by former New York Giants star Michael Strahan. Philbin was also the original host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? from 1999 to 2002, and also appeared on Million Dollar Password, the first season of America's Got Talent, and was a reoccurring co-host on Rachael Ray. Born on August 25, 1931, Philbin was raised in the Bronx and graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School in 1949 and earned a sociology degree in 1953 from the University of Notre Dame. He also served in the Navy, and made his first appearance in front of the camera in 1961 with The Regis Philbin Show, a local talk show in San Diego. His accolades include winning a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding talk show host for Live! in 2001 and 2011, and one for being an outstanding game show host for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Furthermore, he received his Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2003 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmy Awards in 2008. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Joy Philbin, and his daughters J.J., Joanna, and Amy. His first wife was Catherine Faylen and they had a son, Daniel Philbin, who passed away in 2014. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

The winners of the 2020 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards have been revealed. Essentially the comic book industry equivalent of the Oscars, the ceremony was again held (albeit virtually) during Comic-Con, this year hosted by actor Phil LaMarr. G. Willow Wilson and Christian Ward's Invisible Kingdom was among the big winners this year, taking home awards for Best New Series and Best Painter. Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell’s graphic novel Laura Dean Is Breaking Up with Me also won big, taking home the awards for Best Publication for Teens, Best Writer (with Tamaki also being recognized for her work on Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass and Archie) and Best Penciller/Inker. David Walker, Chuck Brown, and Sanford Greene won Best Continuing Series. George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steve Scott and Harmony Becker's graphic novel They Called Us Enemy won Best Reality-Based Work (it also won IGN's Best Original Graphic Novel of 2019). And the massively popular Guts by Raina Telgemeier won Best Publication for Kids and Best Writer/Artist. It was also a very noteworthy year in terms of creators being inducted into the Eisners Hall of Fame. Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson was among those honored, along with Nell Brinkley (The Brinkley Girls), E. Simms Campbell (Cuties), Alison Bechdel (Fun Home), Howard Cruse (Stuck Rubber Baby), Louise Simonson (X-Factor), Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo) and Comics Buyer's Guide creators Don and Maggie Thompson. Scroll down to see the full list of nominees, with the winners bolded. And be sure to check out the full Comic-Con@Home schedule and find out the biggest announcements from the show so far. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=comic-con-2020-24-must-have-exclusive-collectibles&captions=true"]

Best Short Story

• “Hot Comb,” by Ebony Flowers, in Hot Comb (Drawn & Quarterly)
• “How to Draw a Horse,” by Emma Hunsinger, The New Yorker, https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/how-to-draw-a-horse
• “The Menopause,” by Mira Jacob, The Believer, https://believermag.com/the-menopause/
• “Who Gets Called an ‘Unfit’ Mother?” by Miriam Libicki, The Nib, https://thenib.com/who-gets-called-an-unfit-mother/
• “You’re Not Going to Believe What I’m About to Tell You,” by Matthew Inman, The Oatmeal, https://theoatmeal.com/comics/believe

Best Single Issue/One-Shot

• Coin-Op No. 8: Infatuation, by Peter and Maria Hoey (Coin-Op Books)
• The Freak, by Matt Lesniewski (AdHouse)
• Minotäar, by Lissa Treiman (Shortbox)
• Our Favorite Thing Is My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics)
• Sobek, by James Stokoe (Shortbox)

Best Continuing Series

• Bitter Root, by David Walker, Chuck Brown, and Sanford Greene (Image)
• Criminal, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)
• Crowded, by Christopher Sebela, Ro Stein, and Ted Brandt (Image)
• Daredevil, by Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto (Marvel)
• The Dreaming, by Simon Spurrier, Bilquis Evely et al. (DC)
• Immortal Hulk, by Al Ewing, Joe Bennett, and Ruy José et al. (Marvel)

Best Limited Series

• Ascender, by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen (Image)
• Ghost Tree, by Bobby Curnow and Simon Gane (IDW)
• Little Bird by Darcy Van Poelgeest and Ian Bertram (Image)
• Naomi by Brian Michael Bendis, David Walker, and Jamal Campbell (DC)
• Sentient, by Jeff Lemire and Gabriel Walta (TKO)

Best New Series

• Doctor Doom, by Christopher Cantwell and Salvador Larocca (Marvel)
• Invisible Kingdom, by G. Willow Wilson and Christian Ward (Berger Books/Dark Horse)
• Once & Future, by Kieron Gillen and Dan Mora (BOOM! Studios)
• Something Is Killing the Children, by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera (BOOM! Studios)
• Undiscovered Country, by Scott Snyder, Charles Soule, Giuseppe Camuncoli, and Daniele Orlandini (Image)

Best Publication for Early Readers

• Comics: Easy as ABC, by Ivan Brunetti (TOON)
• Kitten Construction Company: A Bridge Too Fur, by John Patrick Green (First Second/Macmillan)
• The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! by Mo Willems (Hyperion Books)
• A Trip to the Top of the Volcano with Mouse, by Frank Viva (TOON)
• ¡Vamos! Let's Go to the Market, by Raúl the Third (Versify/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
• Who Wet My Pants? by Bob Shea and Zachariah Ohora (Little, Brown)

Best Publication for Kids

• Akissi: More Tales of Mischief, by Marguerite Abouet and Mathieu Sapin (Flying Eye/Nobrow)
• Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls, by Dav Pilkey (Scholastic Graphix)
• Guts, by Raina Telgemeier (Scholastic Graphix)
• New Kid, by Jerry Craft (Quill Tree/HarperCollins)
• This Was Our Pact, by Ryan Andrews (First Second/Macmillan)
• The Wolf in Underpants, by Wilfrid Lupano, Mayana Itoïz, and Paul Cauuet (Graphic Universe/Lerner Publishing Group)

Best Publication for Teens

• Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass, by Mariko Tamaki and Steve Pugh (DC)
• Hot Comb, by Ebony Flowers (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Kiss Number 8, by Colleen AF Venable and Ellen T. Crenshaw (First Second/Macmillan)
• Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell (First Second/Macmillan)
• Penny Nichols, by MK Reed, Greg Means, and Matt Wiegle (Top Shelf)

Best Humor Publication

• Anatomy of Authors, by Dave Kellett (SheldonComics.com)
• Death Wins a Goldfish, by Brian Rea (Chronicle Books)
• Minotäar, by Lissa Treiman (Shortbox)
• Sobek, by James Stokoe (Shortbox)
• The Way of the Househusband, vol. 1, by Kousuke Oono, translation by Sheldon Drzka (VIZ Media)
• Wondermark: Friends You Can Ride On, by David Malki (Wondermark)

Best Anthology

• ABC of Typography, by David Rault (SelfMade Hero)
• Baltic Comics Anthology š! #34-37, edited by David Schilter, Sanita Muižniece et al. (kuš!)
• Drawing Power: Women’s Stories of Sexual Violence, Harassment, and Survival, edited by Diane Noomin (Abrams)
• Kramer’s Ergot #10, edited by Sammy Harkham (Fantagraphics)
• The Nib #2–4, edited by Matt Bors (Nib)

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Best Reality-Based Work

• Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations, by Mira Jacob (One World/Random House)
• Grass, by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, translation by Janet Hong (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos, by Lucy Knisley (First Second/Macmillan)
• Moonbound: Apollo 11 and the Dream of Spaceflight, by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm (Hill & Wang)
• My Solo Exchange Diary, vol. 2 (sequel to My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness), by Nagata Kabi, translation by Jocelyne Allen (Seven Seas)
• They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker (Top Shelf)

Best Graphic Album—New

• Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden (First Second/Macmillan)
• Bezimena, by Nina Bunjevac (Fantagraphics)
• BTTM FDRS, by Ezra Claytan Daniels and Ben Passmore (Fantagraphics)
• Life on the Moon, by Robert Grossman (Yoe Books/IDW)
• New World, by David Jesus Vignolli (Archaia/BOOM!)
• Reincarnation Stories, by Kim Deitch (Fantagraphics)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint

• Bad Weekend by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)
• Clyde Fans, by Seth (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Cover, vol. 1, by Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack (DC/Jinxworld)
• Glenn Ganges: The River at Night, by Kevin Huizenga (Drawn & Quarterly)
• LaGuardia, by Nnedi Okorafor and Tana Ford (Berger Books/Dark Horse)
• Rusty Brown, by Chris Ware (Pantheon)

Best Adaptation from Another Medium

• Giraffes on Horseback Salad: Salvador Dali, the Marx Brothers, and the Strangest Movie Never Made, by Josh Frank, Tim Hedecker, and Manuela Pertega (Quirk Books)
• The Giver, by Lois Lowry and P. Craig Russell, (HMH Books for Young Readers)
• The Handmaid’s Tale: The Graphic Novel, by Margaret Atwood, adapted by Renee Nault (Nan A. Talese)
• HP Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness, vols. 1–2, adapted by Gou Tanabe, translation by Zack Davisson (Dark Horse Manga)
• The Seventh Voyage, by Stanislaw Lem, adapted by Jon Muth, translation by Michael Kandel (Scholastic Graphix)
• Snow, Glass, Apples, by Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran (Dark Horse Books)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

• Diabolical Summer, by Thierry Smolderen and Alexandre Clerisse, translation by Edward Gauvin (IDW)
• Gramercy Park, by Timothée de Fombelle and Christian Cailleaux, translation by Edward Gauvin (EuroComics/IDW)
• The House, by Paco Roca, translation by Andrea Rosenberg (Fantagraphics)
• Maggy Garrisson, by Lewis Trondheim and Stéphane Oiry, translation by Emma Wilson (SelfMadeHero)
• Stay, by Lewis Trondheim and Hubert Chevillard, translation by Mike Kennedy (Magnetic Press)
• Wrath of Fantômas, by Olivier Bouquet and Julie Rocheleau, translation by Edward Gauvin (Titan)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia (tie)

• BEASTARS, by Paru Itagaki, translation by Tomo Kimura (VIZ Media)
• Cats of the Louvre, by Taiyo Matsumoto, translation by Michael Arias (VIZ Media)
• Grass, by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, translation by Janet Hong (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Magic Knight Rayearth 25th Anniversary Edition, by CLAMP, translation by Melissa Tanaka (Kodansha)
• The Poe Clan, by Moto Hagio, translation by Rachel Thorn (Fantagraphics)
• Witch Hat Atelier, by Kamome Shirahama, translation by Stephen Kohler (Kodansha)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips

• Cham: The Best Comic Strips and Graphic Novelettes, 1839–1862, by David Kunzle (University Press of Mississippi)
• Ed Leffingwell’s Little Joe, by Harold Gray, edited by Peter Maresca and Sammy Harkham (Sunday Press Books)
• The George Herriman Library: Krazy & Ignatz 1916–1918, edited by R.J. Casey (Fantagraphics)
• Krazy Kat: The Complete Color Sundays, by George Herriman, edited by Alexander Braun (TASCHEN)
• Madness in Crowds: The Teeming Mind of Harrison Cady, by Violet and Denis Kitchen (Beehive Books)
• Pogo, Vol. 6: Clean as a Weasel, by Walt Kelly, edited by Mark Evanier and Eric Reynolds (Fantagraphics)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books

• Alay-Oop, by William Gropper (New York Review Comics)
• The Complete Crepax, vol. 5: American Stories, edited by Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)
• Jack Kirby’s Dingbat Love, edited by John Morrow (TwoMorrows)
• Moonshadow: The Definitive Edition, by J. M. DeMatteis, Jon J Muth, George Pratt, Kent Williams, and others (Dark Horse Books)
• Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo: The Complete Grasscutter Artist Select, by Stan Sakai, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
• That Miyoko Asagaya Feeling, by Shinichi Abe, translation by Ryan Holmberg, edited by Mitsuhiro Asakawa (Black Hook Press)

Best Writer

• Bobby Curnow, Ghost Tree (IDW)
• MK Reed and Greg Means, Penny Nichols (Top Shelf)
• Mariko Tamaki, Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass (DC); Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me (First Second/Macmillan); Archie (Archie)
• Lewis Trondheim, Stay (Magnetic Press); Maggy Garrisson (SelfMadeHero)
• G. Willow Wilson, Invisible Kingdom (Berger Books/Dark Horse); Ms. Marvel (Marvel)
• Chip Zdarsky, White Trees (Image); Daredevil, Spider-Man: Life Story (Marvel); Afterlift (comiXology Originals)

Best Writer/Artist

• Nina Bunjevac, Bezimena (Fantagraphics)
• Mira Jacob, Good Talk (Random House); “The Menopause” in The Believer (June 1, 2019)
• Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, Grass (Drawn & Quarterly)
• James Stokoe, Sobek (Shortbox)
• Raina Telgemeier, Guts (Scholastic Graphix)
• Tillie Walden, Are You Listening? (First Second/Macmillan)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

• Ian Bertram, Little Bird (Image)
• Colleen Doran, Snow, Glass, Apples (Dark Horse)
• Bilquis Evely, The Dreaming (DC)
• Simon Gane, Ghost Tree (IDW)
• Steve Pugh, Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass (DC)
• Rosemary Valero-O'Connell, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me (First Second/Macmillan)

Best Painter/Digital Artist

• Didier Cassegrain, Black Water Lilies (Europe Comics)
• Alexandre Clarisse, Diabolical Summer (IDW)
• David Mack, Cover (DC)
• Léa Mazé, Elma, A Bear’s Life, vol. 1: The Great Journey (Europe Comics)
• Julie Rocheleau, Wrath of Fantômas (Titan)
• Christian Ward, Invisible Kingdom (Berger Books/Dark Horse)

Best Cover Artist

• Jen Bartel, Blackbird (Image Comics)
• Francesco Francavilla, Archie, Archie 1955, Archie Vs. Predator II, Cosmo (Archie)
• David Mack, American Gods, Fight Club 3 (Dark Horse); Cover (DC)
• Emma Rios, Pretty Deadly (Image)
• Julian Totino Tedesco, Daredevil (Marvel)
• Christian Ward, Machine Gun Wizards (Dark Horse), Invisible Kingdom (Berger Books/Dark Horse)

Best Coloring

• Lorena Alvarez, Hicotea (Nobrow)
• Jean-Francois Beaulieu, Middlewest, Outpost Zero (Image)
• Matt Hollingsworth, Batman: Curse of the White Knight, Batman White Knight Presents Von Freeze (DC); Little Bird, November (Image)
• Molly Mendoza, Skip (Nobrow)
• Dave Stewart, Black Hammer, B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know, Hellboy and the BPRD (Dark Horse); Gideon Falls (Image); Silver Surfer Black, Spider-Man (Marvel)

Best Lettering

• Deron Bennett, Batgirl, Green Arrow, Justice League, Martian Manhunter (DC); Canto (IDW); Assassin Nation, Excellence (Skybound/Image); To Drink and To Eat, vol. 1 (Lion Forge); Resonant (Vault)
• Jim Campbell, Black Badge, Coda (BOOM Studios); Giant Days, Lumberjanes: The Shape of Friendship (BOOM Box!); Rocko’s Modern Afterlife (KaBOOM!); At the End of Your Tether (Lion Forge); Blade Runner 2019 (Titan); Mall, The Plot, Wasted Space (Vault)
• Clayton Cowles, Aquaman, Batman, Batman and the Outsiders, Heroes in Crisis, Superman: Up in the Sky, Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen (DC); Bitter Root, Pretty Deadly, Moonstruck, Redlands, The Wicked + The Divine (Image); Reaver (Skybound/Image); Daredevil, Ghost-Spider, Silver Surfer Black, Superior Spider-Man, Venom (Marvel)
• Emilie Plateau, Colored: The Unsung Life of Claudette Colvin (Europe Comics)
• Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo (IDW)
• Tillie Walden, Are You Listening? (First Second/Macmillan)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

• Comic Riffs blog, by Michael Cavna, www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/comics/
• The Comics Journal, edited by Gary Groth, RJ Casey, and Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)
• Hogan’s Alley, edited by Tom Heintjes (Hogan’s Alley)
• Inks: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society, edited by Qiana Whitted (Ohio State University Press)
• LAAB Magazine, vol. 4: This Was Your Life, edited by Ronald Wimberly and Josh O’Neill (Beehive Books)
• Women Write About Comics, edited by Nola Pfau and Wendy Browne, www.WomenWriteAboutComics.com

Best Comics-Related Book

• The Art of Nothing: 25 Years of Mutts and the Art of Patrick McDonnell (Abrams)
• The Book of Weirdo, by Jon B. Cooke (Last Gasp)
• Grunt: The Art and Unpublished Comics of James Stokoe (Dark Horse)
• Logo a Gogo: Branding Pop Culture, by Rian Hughes (Korero Press)
• Making Comics, by Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Screwball! The Cartoonists Who Made the Funnies Funny, by Paul Tumey (Library of American Comics/IDW)

Best Academic/Scholarly Work

• The Art of Pere Joan: Space, Landscape, and Comics Form, by Benjamin Fraser (University of Texas Press)
• The Comics of Rutu Modan: War, Love, and Secrets, by Kevin Haworth (University Press of Mississippi)
• EC Comics: Race, Shock, and Social Protest, by Qiana Whitted (Rutgers University Press)
• The Peanuts Papers: Writers and Cartoonists on Charlie Brown, Snoopy & the Gang, and the Meaning of Life, edited by Andrew Blauner (Library of America)
• Producing Mass Entertainment: The Serial Life of the Yellow Kid, by Christina Meyer (Ohio State University Press)
• Women’s Manga in Asia and Beyond: Uniting Different Cultures and Identities, edited by Fusami Ogi et al. (Palgrave Macmillan)

Best Publication Design

• Grunt: The Art and Unpublished Comics of James Stokoe, designed by Ethan Kimberling (Dark Horse)
• Krazy Kat: The Complete Color Sundays, by George Herriman, designed by Anna-Tina Kessler (TASCHEN)
• Logo a Gogo, designed by Rian Hughes (Korero Press)
• Madness in Crowds: The Teeming Mind of Harrison Cady, designed by Paul Kopple and Alex Bruce (Beehive Books)
• Making Comics, designed by Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Rusty Brown, designed by Chris Ware (Pantheon)

Best Digital Comic

• Afterlift, by Chip Zdarsky and Jason Loo (comiXology Originals)
• Black Water Lilies, by Michel Bussi, adapted by Frédéric Duval and Didier Cassegrain, translated by Edward Gauvin (Europe Comics)
• Colored: The Unsung Life of Claudette Colvin, by Tania de Montaigne, adapted by Emilie Plateau, translated by Montana Kane (Europe Comics)
• Elma, A Bear’s Life, vol. 1: The Great Journey, by Ingrid Chabbert and Léa Mazé, translated by Jenny Aufiery (Europe Comics)
• Mare Internum, by Der-shing Helmer (comiXology; gumroad.com/l/MIPDF)
• Tales from Behind the Window, by Edanur Kuntman, translated by Cem Ulgen (Europe Comics)

Best Webcomic

• Cabramatta, by Matt Huynh, http://believermag.com/cabramatta/
• Chuckwagon at the End of the World, by Erik Lundy, https://hollowlegcomics.tumblr.com/chuckwagon
• The Eyes, by Javi de Castro, https://www.javidecastro.com/theeyes
• Fried Rice Comic, by Erica Eng, https://friedricecomic.tumblr.com
• reMIND, by Jason Brubaker, https://is.gd/T7rafM
• Third Shift Society, by Meredith Moriarty, https://www.webtoons.com/en/supernatural/third-shift-society/list?title_no=1703

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.