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https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/self-funding-viral-fame-oxyshred/

A young woman drinking a protein shake after exercise.The shake is in a sports bottle. By Kimberly Wilson ·

The post From Self-Funding To Viral Fame: The Impact of Black Creators On This Fitness Brand’s Journey appeared first on Essence.

https://blackgirlnerds.com/tianas-bayou-adventure-opens-at-disneyland-and-tchalla-takes-centerstage-on-disneys-destiny-cruise-ship/

Coming out of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event was the annoucement that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will make its debut at Disneyland Nov. 15, 2024. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opened this past June in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

D23 also added the announcement of their cruise lines. Disney has four new ships setting sail beginning 2027. And set to sail in 2025, the ship Disney Destiny, will feature the King of Wakanda, Black Panther himself! Presiding over the Grand Hall will be a stunning statue of T’Challa, devoted son and beloved brother sworn to protect his kingdom! 

 Also, Pride Lands: Feast of The Lion King, an all-new family restaurant, and a first-of-its-kind Disney dining experience. Live musicians and storytellers will take Disney Destiny guests on a musical journey through “The Lion King” soundtrack featuring live musicians and storytellers. It’s a musical retelling of Simba’s heroic journey to triumph over his villainous uncle and claim his rightful place as king of Pride Rock. Five ships are currently in the fleet, with four others already in the works. These new, four additional ships will bring the fleet to a total of 13, giving you 13 different opportunities to experience everything that Disney Cruise Line is known for.

During the D23 Expo, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro gave Disney fans a download on upcoming plans for Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and more! Here are a few of the exciting events coming up!

DISNEYLAND

AVATAR-THEMED DESTINATION AT CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE EXPLORE MORE OF PANDORA 

This new and thrilling excursion will bring all the action, excitement, and wonder of Avatar, taking guests all the way to the wide-open seas of Pandora. 

COCO ATTRACTION AT DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE CONSTRUCTION BEGINS 2026 

The attraction will be filled with the characters — and music! — you know and love from the beloved movie, as you join Miguel on a trip to the land of the dead. This marks the first-ever “Coco” ride in a Disney park! Walt Disney Imagineering will draw inspiration for the attraction from beloved classics, like Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean.

WALT DISNEY WORLD

VILLAINS LAND AT MAGIC KINGDOM SOMETHING WICKED BEGINS CONSTRUCTION SOON 

The new land will encompass all your dreams-er, nightmares. The space will be home to two major attractions, dining, and shopping on an incredibly twisted grand scale.

MONSTERS, INC. LAND JOKES AROUND AT HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS 

Picking up after the events of Pixar’s beloved film, humans have now been invited to visit the world of Monsters, Inc. — and the monsters need laughter to power the city and keep it running smoothly. But it’s not a true visit without the factory itself. You’ll be able to see the sights, hear the laughs and zoom through the building just like James P. Sullivan (a.k.a. Sulley) and Mike Wazowski — via a door!

NEW NIGHTTIME PARADE TO DEBUT AT MAGIC KINGDOM ARRIVING ON MAIN STREET, U.S.A. IN 2025 

“Disney Starlight” will continue the nighttime spectacular legacy started by the “Main Street Electrical Parade” using the latest technology to tell new stories about the characters you love. All of this is brought to life by the magic of the Blue Fairy, in addition to beloved characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios films “Peter Pan,” “Encanto,” “Frozen,” and more.

INDIANA JONES AND ENCANTO AT ANIMAL KINGDOM SPROUTING TO LIFE IN 2027 

A new Indy experience is set to arrive in Disney’s Animal Kingdom and will be different from any other Indiana Jones experience around the world.

In this new venture, the man with the hat has recently discovered a perfectly preserved Maya temple, and that can only mean one thing: it’s time to explore it. He’s heard rumors about a mythical creature deep within the temple — and he’s got to see it for himself. So, he brings us along on the adventure… but will there be snakes? We’ll just have to wait and see.

If you’re a fan of drawers, floors, and doors, let’s go! The first-ever “Encanto”-themed ride-through attraction is coming to Animal Kingdom, featuring the beloved Madrigal family from the Walt Disney Animation Studios film. Inside the Casita, Antonio has just received his special gift — the ability to communicate with animals — and his room has transformed into a rainforest. It’s time to go explore alongside him, and you never know what member of the family you might bump into…

THE LION KING ROARS INTO DISNEYLAND PARIS 

The Lion King — which is celebrating its 30^th anniversary this year — has long been a beloved Disney story. A new area of the park will be dedicated to the characters and stories from the film, including dining, shopping, and a chance to meet some favorite characters. Then, when you’re ready (you don’t have to wait to become a king for this one), head down to the caverns beneath Pride Rock. The new attraction will bring you alongside Simba’s journey from cub to king — it’s going to feel like you stepped right into the movie.  

DISNEY AND EPIC GAMES COLLABORATION UPDATE NEW MARVEL SEASON PREMIERES NEXT WEEK 

Disney announced a new collaboration with Epic Games, the creators of Fortnite, to build all-new games and entertainment universe.  Later this Fall, Maleficent, Cruella de Vil and Captain Hook will become the first Disney Animation characters to join Fortnite. Pete Docter also shared a glimpse at upcoming content launching later this Fall in Fortnite – the first from Pixar – with The Incredibles. Lucasfilm Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni shared a sneak peek at new Star Wars characters and items coming to Fortnite – IG-11, Moff Gideon and all-new Grogu dynamic Back Bling arrive… next week! From films to gaming, fans of Marvel will recall the very first entertainment gameplay crossover ever in Fortnite – the addition of the Infinity Gauntlet from Avengers: Infinity War in 2018.

https://www.thenerdelement.com/2024/08/06/super7s-super-busy-booth-at-sdcc-2024/

By Désirée Guzzetta

Booth visits can be chaotic even in the best of times. But when a booth has several highly sought-after collectibles, it can be almost impossible to get around. Super7 is one of those booths. 

When The Nerd Element stopped by to talk founder and owner Brian Flynn about Super7’s presence at the Con, a large line was already being managed in the aisles as dozens of con-goers waited for their chance to buy exclusives such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pizza Party Wagon. There were also plenty of Dungeons & Dragons and Godzilla items available, as well as a collection of nerd T-shirts.

Super7 also hosted two off-site pop-ups, Mikey’s Pizza and Dungeons & Dragons. They’ve been coming to SDCC since 2003 and getting more and more popular. Flynn walked TNE through the booth and pointed out the fun items available, some of which are available for a limited time at 

https://super7.com/collections/sdcc-2024-super7-con-all-stars, and one of which is based on Flynn’s childhood.

For more Super7 goodness, check out https://super7.com/

The post Super7’s Super-Busy Booth at SDCC 2024 appeared first on The Nerd Element.

https://www.thenerdelement.com/2024/08/06/stern-pinball-debuts-new-john-wick-machine-at-sdcc-2024/

The Godzilla pinball line gets a new premium edition tied to the King of the Monster’s 70^th anniversary

By Désirée Guzzetta

Stern Pinball once again brought the fun to its booth at San Diego Comic-Con’s 2024 event. It also brought back its offsite Stern Pinball Pop-Up Arcade at the San Diego Marriott Marquis, where pinball aficionados could take a break from the crowded Exhibition Floor and general “Line Con” madness and relax with Jaws or other brightly lit games.

The Nerd Element met up with Stern Pinball Marketing Manager Joe Marchfield, who as you can imagine is an expert pinball player, to discuss its forthcoming John Wick game developed from Lionsgate’s popular film franchise. Also new this year to Stern’s line-up is the 70^th Anniversary Premium edition of its popular Godzilla machine.

Both games feature Insider Connected, which allows players to save their progress in the game and preserve their scores for later sessions, as well as get exclusive content and other goodies.

Marchfield kindly gave us demos of both pinball machines, which you can watch in our series of videos. 

We also played the games ourselves at the Stern Pinball booth on the Con floor, patiently waiting our turn in a long line of other pinball fans. The Godzilla game is chock full of ways to battle the King of the Monsters and includes a collapsing building for multi-ball action and a fearsome Mecha-Godzilla waiting for his turn to fight. The machine is predominantly black & white in homage to the original Godzilla (1954). By contrast, the John Wick table has more empty space in the field of play, which leaves more room for its bright, colorful graphics of the assassins you’ll fight. It also features the Continental Hotel and other details from the films. Both machines have enticing goals that will keep players coming back for more. Be sure to look out for the games, coming soon to an arcade near you!
For more information on both machines, you visit https://sternpinball.com/game/godzilla/ and John Wick – Stern Pinball. Both are currently listed in production, with the 70^th Anniversary Premium edition of Godzilla having a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $9,699 plus tax. The John Wick machine comes in pro, premium, and limited editions, which have MSRPs of $6,999, $9,699, and $12,999, respectively, before taxes. To learn more about Insider Connected, visit insider.sternpinball.com/.

The post Stern Pinball Debuts New John Wick Machine at SDCC 2024 appeared first on The Nerd Element.