SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 20: (L-R) Phil LaMarr, Lindsay Whisler, and Dominic Monaghan attend as Audible kicks off San Diego Comic-Con with 'Moriarty: The Devil's Game' stars Dominic Monaghan, Phil LaMarr and Lindsay Whisler at "The Audible Beach" on July 20, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Audible)
What if Professor Moriarty was an innocent man? That’s the key question behind the new Audible Original podcast/radio drama Moriarty: The Devil’s Game. Created and written by Charles Kindinger, the series follows James Moriarty (Dominic Monaghan) as he seeks to clear his name in the murder of his beloved, matching wits with Sherlock Holmes (Phil LaMarr) and struggling to stay one step ahead of the dark forces arrayed against him. But neither of them are who you think they are, and Moriarty may discover that when you lie down with dogs, you might as well become a criminal mastermind.
It’s just one of the Audible Originals that Amazon will celebrate at Comic-Con this year. While you may have noticed the publisher’s sublime adaptations of The Sandman, Moriarty may just give that a run for its money in terms of quality and intrigue. Both Moriarty and Skybound’s Impact Winter will have spotlight panels featuring creators and actors from those productions.
Of course, the surge of scripted podcasts means we’re moving into new directions for multisensory entertainment. If the convention itself becomes a little overwhelming, you can relax on “Audible Beach” starting Thursday. Featuring large sand sculptures based on these Audible Original dramas, the activation offers a chance to recharge. At least, that’s what they’re telling me.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 20: Phil LaMarr attends as Audible kicks off San Diego Comic-Con with ‘Moriarty: The Devil’s Game’ stars Dominic Monaghan, Phil LaMarr and Lindsay Whisler at “The Audible Beach” on July 20, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Audible)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 20: Dominic Monaghan attends as Audible kicks off San Diego Comic-Con with ‘Moriarty: The Devil’s Game’ stars Dominic Monaghan, Phil LaMarr and Lindsay Whisler at “The Audible Beach” on July 20, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Audible)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 20: Lindsay Whisler attends as Audible kicks off San Diego Comic-Con with ‘Moriarty: The Devil’s Game’ stars Dominic Monaghan, Phil LaMarr and Lindsay Whisler at “The Audible Beach” on July 20, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Audible)
Three main cast members of Moriarty: The Devil’s Game officially “opened” the beach this evening, taking a moment to relax themselves before the hustle of Thursday at Comic-Con. LaMarr and Monaghan are old hands at the intensity of this convention; LaMarr has hosted the Eisner Awards a few times. Lindsay Whisler is a bit of a newcomer to SDCC, so I hope she enjoyed that beach chair as long as she could.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 20: (L-R) Phil LaMarr, Lindsay Whisler, and Dominic Monaghan attend as Audible kicks off San Diego Comic-Con with ‘Moriarty: The Devil’s Game’ stars Dominic Monaghan, Phil LaMarr and Lindsay Whisler at “The Audible Beach” on July 20, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Audible)
Audible Beach will be open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8:30 pm, then Sunday, July 24 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (one hour after the convention officially ends). It’s on the corner of 1st Avenue and Martin Luther King Promenade, near Netflix’s The Gray Man activation.
From Amazon:
On Thursday, July 21, Audible will host Impact Winter’s “Sound to Page” panel about the hit audio series from writer/director Travis Beacham (Pacific Rim, Carnival Row). The team will spill secrets behind the year’s biggest audio sensation and its evolution into a visual medium via the stunning prequel comic written by Beacham, with art from Stephen Greene (Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.). Stop by panel from 10:00-11:00am in Room 9 at the San Diego Convention Center.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 20: A view of the atmosphere as Audible kicks off San Diego Comic-Con with ‘Moriarty: The Devil’s Game’ stars Dominic Monaghan, Phil LaMarr and Lindsay Whisler at “The Audible Beach” on July 20, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Audible)
On Thursday, Audible will also host a Moriarty: The Devil’s Game panel with cast members Dominic Monaghan, Phil LaMarr, and Lindsay Whisler, moderated by Andre Meadows, to discuss the thrilling task of bringing these known characters to life in stunning audio. Don’t miss it 12:15-1:15pm in the Hilton San Diego Bayfront’s Indigo Ballroom.
And for a little bonus, here’s the Sandman sculpture, featuring Morpheus and Orpheus:
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 20: A view of the atmosphere as Audible kicks off San Diego Comic-Con with ‘Moriarty: The Devil’s Game’ stars Dominic Monaghan, Phil LaMarr and Lindsay Whisler at “The Audible Beach” on July 20, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Audible)
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In addition to running Fanboy Planet, Derek has written for ActionAce, Daily Radar, Once Upon A Dime, and The Wave. He has contributed stories to Arcana Comics (The Greatest American Hero) and Monsterverse Comics (Bela Lugosi's Tales from the Grave). He has performed with ComedySportz and Silicon Valley Shakespeare, though relocated to Hollywood to... work in an office? If you ever played Eric's Ultimate Solitaire on the Macintosh, it was Derek's voice as The Weasel that urged you to play longer. You can buy his book "I Was Flesh Gordon" on the Amazon link at the right. Email him at [email protected].
