William David Lee, ESQ.

A belated post, but a post nonetheless.

My shoulder hurt, my back was sore, and my feet were killing me. That's right, I was at a comic book convention. I hit up the first annual Long Beach Comic-Con this past Saturday. I should note that the LBCC has no relation to the more renowned San Diego Comic-Con. Most conventions are re-branding themselves as "Comic-Con" to capitalize on the success of San Diego's.

The main reason I attended was to do all the things I used to be able to do at SDCC before it became such a massive endeavor. Walk around the exhibit hall without feeling like a sardine, get my comics signed, gawk at D-list celebrities, and (most importantly) not have to deal with Twilight fans.

I was also hoping for better luck than the last time I visited the Long Beach Convention Center. This was back in 2004 when Wizard Magazine held the first Wizard World L.A. It was Spring Break and I bought a 3-day pass, looking forward to geeking out. Only I got crazy sick the night before. I was in a germ-induced daze and hardly remember even driving myself to Long Beach. I stumbled through the con for less than an hour (most of that time was spent sitting at a picnic table with my head down) before cutting my losses and heading home. I did get some comics signed by George Perez so it wasn't a total fail.



The set-up was pretty old school. No crazy, super expensive multimedia extravaganzas, just tables with toys, comics, and other cool crap on them. Only Nintendo had anything fancy with a carpeted area where people could play Wii and DS games. Best of all, Artists' Alley was placed in the center of the hall whereas SDCC has kind of shoved it off into a corner like it was an ugly stepchild. The main floor was miniscule compared to San Diego. You could walk the hall at SDCC for days and still not see everything while it only took me 15 minutes to walk LBCC and see all the booths. Also, the Long Beach Convention Center is kind of a dump. Sorry, Long Beachers.

I got some books signed by Jim Lee and Geoff Johns, but missed out on a few others like J. Scott Campbell because the lines were too long (which was something I wanted to avoid.) Other comic professionals in attendance included: Stan Lee, Marc Andreyko, Philip Tan, Scott Williams, Peter Tomasi, Jeph Loeb and Norm Rapmund. I did see Seth Green and Kevin Grevioux from Underworld (the man has an insanely deep voice) scoping out the Con. Thomas Jane was there, and just like at SDCC, he was walking around barefoot and chomping on a cigar. I don't think he pissed on the side of a hotel this time.

I hope the convention lasts and expands as a nice alternative to the hustle/bustle of the increasingly Hollywood-centric SDCC. I would like to see a deeper involvement next year from the major comic book companies.

After a brief hiatus, Wizard is bringing back Wizard World L.A., rechristened as the Anaheim Comic-Con, taking place April 16-18. Eliza Dushku will be there and as primary Eliza Dushku Stalker, you know I'll be there.

I didn't really take that many pictures, but here's a sampling:







More pics available on Flickr.

One week later and I've thankfully gotten over my Comic-Con hangover. My feet were hurting two days later and my right foot is still a little sore. I'm still wading through all the news and as usual I missed about a hundred different cool things. I'm jealous to all those folks who found Flynn's Arcade and played a round of Space Paranoids.

I'm excited about Marvel purchasing the rights to Mick Anglo's Miracleman (or will he revert to Marvelman?) which hopefully means the Alan Moore run will be released in trade paperback. Also, hopefully, it means Neil Gaiman might go back and finish his run.

I wrote up a brief report over at DVD Town and I've posted over 300 photos to Flickr.

THE BEST

1. Running into old friends who I only ever seem to see at Comic-Con and even a few making the trip for the first time.

2. Iron Man 2 and Kick-Ass footage. I have no doubt that Iron Man 2 will be even better than the original thanks to the additions of Don Cheadle, Sam Rockwell, and Mickey Rourke. Kick-Ass will indeed kick ass. Close second would be Avatar of which I watched close to half an hour of footage and it looks amazing.

3. Bumping into random semi-famous celebrities while walking through the exhibit hall. All of whom are, like us, trying to get their geek on. One of my friends bumped into Seth Green buying action figures.

THE WORST



1. The crowds and the lines. Where the Hell did all these people come from? I remember when Preview Night was open to a select few and you had plenty of elbow room. Now, Preview Night is just as packed as any Saturday. I got inside less than 15 minutes after they opened the doors and already there are lines everywhere. Lines for sketches, lines to buy exclusives, lines for autographs, lines for freebies. Nearly all of them had quickly been cut off due to their size.

That photo is of a SMALL fraction of the people waiting in line for Hall H, taken at 8AM on Friday, the LEAST busiest day for panels. It used to be if you showed up maybe 2 hours early you were good to go. Now, if you want to hit a panel, you have sit there for 6 hours to ensure a good spot inside. Everybody keeps talking about Comic-Con moving to another city or expanding the convention center which won't really solve the problem. Switching to a bigger venue just means they can let in even more people. And it sucks that most of these people don't even read comic books.

2. Twilight. Before you jump down my throat, I'm not hating on Twilight (as easy as that woudl be), but their panel was a secondary problem indicative to the immense crowds. Hundreds of Twilight fans camped out two days early to make sure they got in, while thousands more slowly trickled in as the day progressed. Nearly all of them were squatting into the earlier panels to save their seats for Twilight, meaning thousands of other fans hoping to get in for the Disney panel at the beginning of the day were locked out. That goes for a lot of other panels. Logistically, it'd be a nightmare to empty out some of the larger rooms (in particular Hall H & Ballroom 20). Not to mention it would be unfair to the people who genuinely want to see everything. But, there really should be a new way of doing things so people aren't forced to get up at 3AM and wait around for 8 hours just to get in and watch 5 minutes of footage to a movie that won't come out for another year.

Pre-registering for certain panels is one idea I've heard with security scanning your badge's barcode as your ticket. A VIP fastpass option for an additional fee is another. Broadcasting the panels to other rooms is another excellent option.

3. Elite Security. Is there any year that doesn't go by where I don't hear complaints about Elite's idiotic behavior? I've gotten used to the occasional minimum wager on a power trip incidents, but what really pissed me off this year was their sheer unwillingness to do anything even remotely helpful. I've seen Elite staffers stand there while a guy in a wheelchair can barely move 2 inches because the crowds are so damn thick. Paparazzi stampeding towards the stage? Don't count on Elite to get them under control. Even worse was when the papparazi would stand right in front of the sign language interpreter, blocking the view of the attendees who are hearing impaired. Oh, even better, there were some fans who clearly weren't deaf that were sitting in the seating reserved for the hearing impaired. You think Elite did anything to boot them out? Nope.

While waiting in line for Hall H on Saturday, some homeless guy came around trying to buy coffee off some girl. She ignored him and the dude starting getting seriously belligerent. I saw three Elite staffers stand there, hoping and praying that nobody would ask them to do anything. Way to go, guys.

I can't blame them as individuals. The majority of them aren't trained security personnel. They are temps hired specifically for the Con. They probably flip burgers for a living and can't be counted on to do any task more difficult than standing around. Management just sucks ass for not training them properly and putting out more professional personnel who actually have some brain cells left in their head.

4. Mattel. Oh, boy, never has there been a company so willing to give the middle finger to their fans. Even when they're trying to do something nice for their fanbase, they still manage to alienate them. And what caused all this trouble?



Yeah, a stupid, blue, plastic monkey. Mattel announced several exclusive toys that would only be available at Comic-Con. The Wonder Twins were the most prominent. The Twins themselves would be made available later on their website for sale, but Gleek would ONLY be available in limited amounts at Comic-Con. This was a "special reward" for fans who attended the convention. They had several other items as well including an art book on the He-Man line which was limited to only 1000 copies. You were only allowed to buy 2 copies of the book and the figures had a limit of 6. Preview Night, only attendees were allowed to buy anything. No press, exhibitors, or professionals. This was in response to last year, where exhibitors lined up before doors opened, bought up everything in stock, then resold them at their own booths with significant mark-up.

Unsurprisingly, Mattel managed to fuck this up royally. One particular scalper was able to walk away with 6 cases (not 6 figures, 6 CASES) of figures and at least 20 copies of the art book. Standing only a few feet away from the people in line, he bragged that they now had to go to his booth to buy the exclusives. The saddest were the scalpers who would stand in line with their kids and had them buy up 6 figures as well. Great parenting, I'm sure the kids had a fun time.

Think that's the end of Gleek-Gate? Wrong. Mattel handed out Fastpass tickets to those in line unable to buy figures. Unfortunately, Fastpass doesn't work when you give them out to everybody. People from Preview Night were still lining up Thursday and Friday. Other attendees were turned away and not even allowed to line up.

Gleek didn't come inside the package nor was he attached to the box in anyway. He was essentially a glorified Happy Meal toy given out as a "free gift" to those who bought the Wonder Twins. Some people didn't even receive a Gleek with their purchase. Some jackasses bought the Wonder Twins, went back to the cashier, claimed they didn't receive a Gleek, and were given a handful, no questions asked. So those of you who went to Comic-Con and want their "special reward" have to go on eBay. I haven't even mentioned the stories of cashiers being rude, condescending, and short changing customers.

Mattel has taken the typical corporate route and refused to acknowledge how badly they fucked up. What's truly pathetic is they've sent out a press release from one of their VPs claiming the profits from the art book were going to Make-A-Wish. So don't get angry at Mattel for selling 25 copies to one guy so he can re-sell them, the money went to charity. How about you track down the scalpers and have them give their profits to charity too?

Four day passes for next year's Comic-Con were selling on-site for $100 and I'm sure they'll go up in price online in a few months. They're also capping Preview Night to 12,000 to 15,000. That will certainly solve the overcrowding for that one 3 hour period, but I fear lines will be even worse next year.

Sorry for the lack of prompt updates, but I'm too fuckin' tired and busy. Posting just a smidgen of the pics I've taken. Some of them didn't turn out as well as I thought. Too many people and me being so damn short didn't help. Comic-Con is kicking the shit outta me. Post more later.


Tim Burton


Johnny Depp


Kristen Stewart in full-on Joan Jett mode


Man...I don't like this shot of Gary Oldman. I made him look like a total goofus.


Denzel Motherfucking Washington


Josh Brolin, Megan Fox, and Michael Fassbinder


On Friday, he's Sherlock Holmes. On Sat., he'll be Iron Man


Rachel McAdams and Robert Downey Jr.


Jennifer Connelly


Zoe Bell

Wow...whatta day. Officially, I only clocked in 3 hours of Con, but it felt like an eternity. Arrived early to get my press pass and that was a bit of a clusterfuck. Line was long since they mixed pros and press this year, but it moved rapidly. That is, until I actually got right up to the registration desk and it took nearly half an hour. If you've got hundreds of people in line, it's good form to have more than 2 people working.

Preview Night was originally something special for all the pros and exhibitors. Then, they opened it to the public and it was a great time to walk around before the rest of the crowds arrived. Now, it's like a Saturday. I think there were even more people than last year. I don't have that many pics as I couldn't get off any damn shots because dozens of people kept walking into frame. You could barely cut through the crowds in some areas.

I entered the exhibit hall about 10-15 minutes after the doors opened and already there were lines everywhere, all closed down because of how long they were. Insanity.


I didn't see that many cosplayers tonight. And most of my best pics were of toys.


Sideshow G.I. Joe figures look like they're posing for an album cover.


Bumblebee in Camaro mode.


Tony Stark's Armory.


Hot Toys continues to impress with their upcoming Watchmen line.


Dear Hasbro, please make Paper Bag Head Spider-Man a reality.

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And, finally, the new Christian Bale action figure. Says 12 different phrases like, "We are dead! We are all dead!", "I'll be back.", "I'm not wearing hockey pads!", "...fucking amateur.", and "You and me? We're done professionally."

The wait is almost over. Tomorrow is Preview Night. Then Thursday Comic-Con begins full-on.



There's only so much Comic-Con that Lucy Lawless can take.



Mr. Kennedy (Kennedy) trying to be a pimp.

Dead of Night
“Dead of Night” stars Brandon Routh (“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” and “Superman Returns”), Sam Huntington (“Fanboys” and “Superman Returns”) and Anita Briem (“Journey to the Center of the Earth”) will participate in a discussion on the making of “Dead of Night” and present an exclusive sneak peek of their new film “Dead of Night”, based on the Dylan Dog comic books.

“Dead of Night” director Kevin Munroe (“TMNT”) will moderate this third annual IESB.net panel with participants that include Robert Sanchez (IESB.net), Ryan Rotten (Shocktilyoudrop.com), Mike Sampson (Joblo.com), Jeremy Smith (Aintitcoolnews.com), Brad Miska(Bloody-Disgusting.com), Drew McWeeny (Hitfix.com), Devin Faraci (CHUD.com), Paul Christensen (Movieweb.com), Wilson Morales (Blackfilm.com/AOL Black Voices), Vic Holtreman (Screenrant.com) and George Roush (Latinoreview.com).

The panel takes place in Room 32AB on Thursday, July 23rd at 10am.

An autograph signing session for “DEAD OF NIGHT” will follow the panel at 12Noon and will include Routh, Huntington, Briem and Munroe in the San Diego Comic Con International Autograph Alley where an exclusive “DEAD OF NIGHT” poster will be given away.


G4
Thursday, July 23, 7PM ET/PT
On Thursday, July 23, “Attack of the Show” will offer a sneak peak at the Comic-Con floor from the preview night with Alison Haislip. “AOTS” will give viewers inside scoop on some major announcements that will be made by “Fresh Ink’s” Blair Butler about Top Cow & Image Comics, Marvel, DC & Dark Horse, during Saturday’s show.

Star Wars Spectacular! - The Official Lucasfilm Panel
Saturday, July 25, 2-4PM ET/PT – only on G4
The Star Wars Spectacular! will be hosted by Kevin Pereira and Olivia Munn, and broadcast on G4 for TV audiences, for the first time in Comic-Con history. The panel will feature never-before-seen footage, breaking news, surprise announcements, guest stars, a live table read of an exclusive new Clone Wars script and much more. The panel will feature a wide array of exciting panelists, including Steve Sansweet (Lucasfilm’s Head of Fan Relations), Star Wars: The Clone Wars supervising director Dave Filoni, voice actors Matt Lanter (Anakin Skywalker), Ashley Eckstein (Ahsoka Tano), James Arnold Taylor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Catherine Taber (Padmé Amidala), Tom Kane (Yoda), and several other surprise guest stars.

“Comic Con ’09 Live” – Three Hours of Live Coverage
Saturday, July 25, 4-7PM ET/PT, only on G4
Hosts Kevin Pereira and Olivia Munn will be joined by comic book maven Blair Butler, correspondents Alison Haislip, Blair Herter and others, to deliver some of the most exciting news from the convention. The team will interview James Cameron, Peter Jackson, Megan Fox, Ben Foster, Rob Zombie, the cast of 24, the cast of the upcoming Sherlock Holmes movie, the cast of V and many other celebs and stars. In addition, this year’s show will include an exciting array of costume changes and surprise characters.

G4’s on-site events for Comic-Con attendees include:

Thursday, July 23
1:00-2:00PM - In-Booth signing session with “Attack of the Show” Special Correspondent Alison Haislip (Booth # 4249)

Friday, July 24
11:00AM - In-booth give away for the Focus Features screening of “Thirst”
Screening will take place Friday night at the Gaslamp Stadium 15

1:30-2:30PM - “Attack of the Show!” Attacks Comic-Con – AOTS’ Official Comic-Con PANEL
Room 5AB
Fans are invited to join Kevin Pereira, Olivia Munn, Alison Haislip, Blair Butler and “AOTS” producers as they recreate the experience of being part of a live show. Fans will be able to take part in one of the largest group Tweets to ever hit the Twittersphere, join in on the “AOTS” Orchestra for a moving rendition of the Attack theme, bear witness to a “Comic-Con” exclusive AOTS comedy short, have chances to win one-of-a-kind props from the show and grill the hosts of the show to find out the dirty secrets and television tricks behind their favorite “Attack of the Show” stunts.

3:00 – 4PM - In-booth signing session with “Attack of the Show” Special Correspondent and “Web Soup” Host Chris Hardwick

Saturday, July 25
10:00-11AM - In-booth signing session with Halloween 2 Director, Rob Zombie

5-6:30PM PT - G4 Cast Autograph signing Autograph Area 5
Fans attending Comic-Con are invited to meet Kevin Pereira, Olivia Munn and comic book expert Blair Butler who will be signing autographs in Autograph Alley.

Sunday, July 26
1:00-4:00PM In-booth Trivia Challenge hosted by “X-Play” Special Correspondent Blair Herter, with prizes provided by G4, Dark Horse Comics, Fandango, Lucasfilm, and Fearnet


MARVEL
Join In The Marvel Costume Contest At Comic-Con International

Are you going to Comic-Con International in San Diego? Will you be dressed as your favorite Marvel character? Then get your friendly neighborhood, star-spangled, best-at-what-you-do self down to the Marvel Booth at Comic-Con for The Marvel Costume Contest taking place on Friday, July 24th at 4:00 PM!

If you have the heroic (or villainous) qualities to participate in this exciting contest, make sure to be at the Marvel Booth (#2429) by 3:30 PM to register! All you need to do is wear a costume of your favorite Marvel character (but keep it family friendly!) and you could win the Grand Prize of a Marvel Omnibus signed by Stan Lee! All entrants may also be featured in a gallery on Marvel.Com! The winner will be determined by you, the fans, as you vote on who you want to be crowned this year’s winner!

So, True Believer, if you’re at Comic-Con International in San Diego, don’t miss the Marvel Costume Contest!


MATTEL
An exiting new event has been added to the Mattel booth!

Mike Berling and Saun Omos from Mattel's sculpting team will be at our booth creating a live brand new statue sculpt at SDCC. They tell me they are going to take a stab at a stylized He-Man sculpt of their own creation. This will not be a Classic or a 200X figure, but a one-off artistic interpretation of the defender of Eternia, created live at the show right before fan's eyes!

Then, on Friday we'll run their new sculpt up to Mattel in El Segundo and use our rapid prototype machines to make a handful of one-off casts to raffle off on Saturday! Ain't that cool?

So come on down to see just how the Mattel sculpting process works! Raffle tickets will be given out throughout the show.

Sculpting demos will be as follows:
Thurs: 11-1pm, 3-5pm
Fri: 10-11am, 4-6pm

Mattel's star sculpting team, The Four Horsemen will be signing product at the Mattel booth during the following times:
Thursday: 1 - 2:00pm
Friday: 3 - 4:00pm
Saturday: 1 - 2:30pm


Secret Identities
With Comic-Con International: San Diego just around the corner, the editors of Secret Identities, the groundbreaking Asian American superhero anthology, have announced a full schedule of signings at Epic Proportions’ Booth #1735.

Featuring some of the creative talent behind the stories in Secret Identities, these appearances give fans the opportunity to meet some of the biggest names in comics, television and film!

Leading off the signing schedule at 12:30pm on Thursday, July 23 is the team behind “The Blue Scorpion & Chung,” Gene Yang (The Eternal Smile) and Sonny Liew (Liquid City). On Friday, July 24, the “Learn to Share” creative team of actress Keiko Agena (Gilmore Girls) and artist Ming Doyle (Comic Book Tattoo) will be signing from 2pm to 4pm. Superstar actress Kelly Hu (X2: X-Men United) and superstar artist Cliff Chiang (Green Arrow & Black Canary) are scheduled for Saturday, July 25 at 2pm. In addition, SIUniverse Media will be offering a convention exclusive lithograph of the Kelly Hu-created character JIA, featuring art by Cliff Chiang. Finally, “The Citizen” artist extraordinaire Bernard Chang (Wonder Woman) wraps up the show on Sunday, July 26 at 2pm.


Here's Warren Ellis's schedule for Con.

Matt Fraction just posted his schedule.

The make-up artists behind the upcoming Zombieland will be teaming up with the Zombie Walk guys for this year's zombie-fest.

And don't forget about the annual Slave Leia photo op Friday at 1PM. More info at Leia's Metal Bikini.

If you get tired of Con, here's a list of art events scheduled to coincide with Con, in and around Downtown San Diego.

Picture of Sherlock Holmes at Listal

Tentative plans for Friday.

10:00-12:30 Warner Bros. — Join WB for a look at their much anticipated slate of upcoming genre films, including Where The Wild Things Are, The Book of Eli, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Box, Jonah Hex, and Sherlock Holmes. Hall H

12:45-2:15 Disney: Animation Panel — Walt Disney Pictures, Disney•Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios present a director panel with previously unseen footage from its upcoming animated slate, including Toy Story & Toy Story 2 – Double Feature, Beauty And The Beast, Toy Story 3, Prep & Landing, The Princess and the Frog and Ponyo. Special guests include Lee Unkrich, Kirk Wise, Ron Clements, John Musker, and Hayao Miyazaki. John Lasseter hosts the panel, with Patton Oswalt moderating. Hall H

A maybe for...

2:30-3:30 Focus Features: 9 — Focus Features and Comic-Con present an exclusive look inside director Shane Acker's animated fantasy epic 9, the feature-length expansion of his short film of the same name. Directors Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov are among the feature version's producers. The action-packed adventure—opening nationwide 9/9/09—takes place after our world fell to pieces, when a group of "stitchpunk" creations must summon individual strengths well beyond their own proportions. While showcasing a stunning steampunk-styled visual brilliance, 9 dynamically explores the will to live, the power of community, and how one soul can change the world. Join Shane Acker, Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov, and actors Elijah Wood and Jennifer Connelly LIVE for this panel presentation! Hall H

I might sneak back in later for the Peter Jackson/James Cameron discussion, but I'd rather wander around the exhibit hall for the rest of the day.

The plan for Preview Night is to pick up my badge and just walk around the exhibit hall, orienting myself as best I can. Oh, and hit the Mattel booth to buy the Wonder Twins.

Here's my tentative plan for Thursday, the first official day of Con.



11:00-12:30 Disney: 3D Panel — Walt Disney Pictures presents key filmmakers, select cast members and previously unseen footage from its upcoming slate, including Disney’s A Christmas Carol, Alice In Wonderland and Tron. Special guests include Robert Zemeckis, Tim Burton, Sean Bailey, Steve Lisberger, and moderator Patton Oswalt. Hall H

3:00-4:15 20th Century Fox and James Cameron present Avatar — In this first public screening of footage in 3D from his much-anticipated action/adventure/fantasy, James Cameron, producer Jon Landau, and cast members take you to a spectacular new world beyond imagination. Conceived 14 years ago and over four years in the making, Avatar breaks new ground in delivering a fully immersive, emotional story and reinvents the movie-going experience. Hall H



4:30-5:15 Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus — Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of both Comic-Con and Monty Python, we welcome the sole American Python, the great animator and director Terry Gilliam (Time Bandits, Brazil, 12 Monkeys) to introduce you to his new film starring Christopher Plummer, Johnny Depp, Heath Ledger, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, Verne Troyer, Tom Waits, and Lily Cole. Dr. Parnassus is a fabulous anachronism, touring the streets of modern-day London in a horse-drawn carnival wagon accompanied by his beautiful daughter, devoted dwarf, and neophyte barker. On stage Parnassus plays a holy man whose Imaginarium can realize the innermost fantasies of all who dare to enter. Backstage, he is a drunkard, a gambler who centuries ago lost a wager with the Devil and must now pony up with his daughter once she turns sixteen. Tomorrow. Yet, there may still be hope for the Doctor and Valentina in the person of Tony, a well-dressed amnesic they rescue from a perilous fate and invite into their world of unrelenting magic and possibility. Hall H

5:45-6:30 Kick-Ass — World premiere footage from Kick-Ass, based on Mark Millar's bestselling comic, is presented by director Matthew Vaughn (Stardust, Layercake). Joining him on the panel are Nicolas Cage, Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad), and comic co-creator John Romita Jr., among others, including a surprise guest. You don't want to miss the chance to be the first to experience this gritty, brash, and funny actioner. Hall H



8:00-9:30 Green Lantern: First Flight World Premiere — Warner Home Video, Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation proudly present the World Premiere of Green Lantern: First Flight, the fifth DC Universe animated original PG-13 movie. Green Lantern: First Flight finds Hal Jordan recruited to join the Green Lantern Corps and placed under the supervision of respected senior Lantern Sinestro. The earthling soon discovers his mentor is actually the central figure in a secret conspiracy that threatens the philosophies, traditions and hierarchy of the entire Green Lantern Corps. Hal must quickly hone his newfound powers and combat the treasonous Lanterns within the ranks to maintain order in the universe. Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) leads the cast as the voice of Hal Jordan aka Green Lantern. The cast includes Emmy Award nominee Victor Garber (Milk, Titanic), Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica), Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs), Juliet Landau (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and John Larroquette (Night Court). Produced by animation legend Bruce Timm, Green Lantern: First Flight is directed by Lauren Montgomery (Wonder Woman) and scripted by four-time Emmy Award–winning writer Alan Burnett (The Batman). Warner Home Video will release Green Lantern: First Flight on Blu-ray Hi-Def and DVD on July 28, 2009. Ballroom 20

Ugh...after doing the smart thing and pushing the Twilight panel up, they just moved it back and pushed Avatar even later into the schedule. So the Hall H lineup is Disney, Columbia/Sony, Summit, Avatar, Terry Gilliam, Pandorum, Kick-Ass, and Thirst. So now those fuckwits are now wasting space for two panels instead of one. Thanks, guys.

Okay, this is officially my number one 'MUST-HAVE' freebie. I hope Marvel doesn't run out.



The Black Widow, Iron Man, and Mickey Rourke~! This is officially my number one 'MUST-SEE' panel.

...or 10 if you count Preview Night.







Sunday's schedule is up so the only thing left for them to post is the signing schedule.

It looks like most of Friday and Sunday will be my only days to walk the exhibit hall. I don't know if I'll be doing any interviews this year as nothing has really popped out at me yet.

I'll be in Hall H all of Thursday. Thankfully, they've moved up the Twilight panel and put Avatar afterwards. Unfortunately, it still means they're wasting good air and space during the Disney panel beforehand. I'm still undecided about what I want to do in evening. It's either the Dr. Horrible screening or the premiere of Green Lantern: First Flight.

Friday, I don't know. I want to check out the Warner Brothers panel and the Disney one with Hayao Miyazaki, but I don't know if I want to stay in there all day just to get to the Peter Jackson/James Cameron double-shot. I really don't want to sit through another Star Wars George Lucas verbal blowjob shill-fest even if Olivia Munn is there.

Saturday, all I care about is the Lost panel at 11 and the Iron Man 2 and Kevin Smith ones at the end of the day. Everything else in the middle I'm ambivalent too. As usual, it looks like I'll miss all the goodness in Ballroom 20 and other parts of the Con. I'll definitely stick around in the evening for the Watchmen screening with live commentary by Zack Snyder.

I don't think I'm gonna have time to get any comics signed. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a couple sketches, at least. I'll have my tentative itinerary ready to go by next weekend. Be sure to say, "Hi," if you see me.

Non-Stop Action, Thrills, Laughs And Excitement
Are Coming To Comic-Con From
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Eliza Dushku, Joss Whedon, Danny DeVito, Matt Groening And Many More On Hand In San Diego To Showcase An Awesome Line-Up Of Blu-ray And DVD Releases

Get A First Look At The Hottest New Titles Including "Dollhouse" Season One,
"It's A Very Sunny Christmas," "Futurama" The Complete Collection And More

Unveiling of "Wolverine" Wax Figure By Madame Tussauds Hollywood

WHO: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings the thrills, the action, the mystery and the laughs to San Diego Comic-Con International as they showcase an assortment of some of the most highly anticipated Blu-ray and DVD titles of 2009.

The line-up includes:
· Eliza Dushku and Joss Whedon, star and creator of the thrilling fantasy drama "Dollhouse"
· Stars of the hilarious FX comedy series "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and the upcoming DVD premiere "It's A Very Sunny Christmas" - Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson and Danny DeVito
· Voice actors from the resurrected animated series "Futurama" including Katey Sagal, Billy West, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche and Executive Producer Matt Groening
· WWE Superstar Ted DiBiase Jr. from the upcoming action-packed feature The Marine 2
· Wrong Turn 3: Left For Dead director Declan O'Brien and star Janet Montgomery
· "Wolverine"-the amazing, life size wax figure of one of the world's most popular anti heroes, "Wolverine," as portrayed by superstar Hugh Jackman in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," will be unveiled by Madame Tussauds Hollywood (which opens Aug.1); free photo ops during Comic.Con

WHAT: Fans will have the opportunity to purchase limited edition Comic-Con exclusive releases of "Dollhouse" Season One and get a first look at "Futurama" The Complete Collection at the Fox Booth.

Additionally, TCFHE will preview two of their hottest DVD premieres of the year - the pulse-pounding action-thriller The Marine 2 starring WWE Superstar Ted DiBiase Jr. and the terrifying cannibalistic bloodbath Wrong Turn 3: Left For Dead.

Also, the ladies of Miss March will be parading the Comic-Con floor allowing fans to take a picture of their "assets" with their cell phone to access exclusive clips from the film premiering on Blu-ray and DVD July 28.

WHERE: Booth #4129 - Twentieth Century Fox

Comic-Con International
San Diego Convention Center
111 W. Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92101

WHEN: Autograph / Meet-and-Greet Sessions Are As Follows:

Wednesday, July 22nd
6:00pm - Unveiling of Madame Tussauds Hollywood wax figure, "Wolverine," as portrayed by superstar Hugh Jackman in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (Comic-con attendees may pose with the figure during regular convention hours)

Thursday, July 23rd
12:30pm - 1:30pm - WWE Superstar Ted DiBiase Jr. (The Marine 2)
2:00pm - 3:00pm - Declan O'Brien and Janet Montgomery (Wrong Turn 3: Left For Dead)

Friday, July 24th
6:15pm - 7:00pm - Eliza Dushku and Joss Whedon ("Dollhouse")

Saturday, July 25th
11:45am - 12:30pm - Katey Sagal, Billy West, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche and Matt Groening ("Futurama")
3:00pm - 3:45pm - Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson and Danny DeVito ("It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia")

Sunday, July 26th
11:00am - 11:45am - Katey Sagal ("Sons of Anarchy")
12:45pm - 1:30pm - Wendy Schaal, Dee Bradley Baker, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman ("American Dad")

Programming schedule for Friday is now online. Looks like the Disney panel with Hayao Miyazaki will be on Friday not Thursday. Peter Jackson is Friday as well along with his symposium with James Cameron.

Marvel just posted their schedule for Comic-Con. The biggie:

WHAT: Marvel Studios/Paramount: "Iron Man 2" Movie Panel
WHEN: 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
WHERE: Hall H
THE 411: Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the sequel to the blockbuster film based on the legendary Marvel Super Hero Iron Man. Directed by Jon Favreau, "Iron Man 2" stars Robert Downey Jr. Joining Downey in the cast are Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Jon Favreau, Clark Gregg, John Slattery, Mickey Rourke and Samuel L. Jackson.

Animation greats Hayao Miyazaki and John Lasseter and directors Robert Zemeckis and Tim Burton will take part in their first ever Comic-Con at the San Diego Convention Center July 23-24. The filmmakers will be on hand to help Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures showcase a wide-ranging roster of upcoming films, including 3D juggernauts ALICE IN WONDERLAND, TRON and DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL, and animated gems THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, PONYO and the TOY STORY trilogy.

COMIC-CON’S FIRST EVER 3D PANEL — Veteran directors Robert Zemeckis and Tim Burton join TRON producers Sean Bailey and Steve Lisberger on Thurs., July 23 at 11 a.m. for an unprecedented presentation featuring behind-the-scenes filmmaker insights about the highly anticipated 3D adventures DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL, ALICE IN WONDERLAND and TRON. In addition to Q&A opportunities with each of the filmmakers, the 90-minute panel will feature never-before-seen concept art, trailers, actual 3D film footage and other Comic-Con-only footage debuts. In a groundbreaking technical feat, this is the first time ever that 3D footage will be shown at Comic-Con. Patton Oswalt will moderate.

ANIMATION PANEL — Animation legends Hayao Miyazaki and John Lasseter join veteran animation directors Lee Unkrich, Kirk Wise, Ron Clements and John Musker on Fri., July 24 at 12:45 p.m. for an animation panel which will highlight upcoming animated films, including Disney•Pixar’s TOY STORY/TOY STORY 2 double feature, Disney•Pixar’s TOY STORY 3, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ half-hour holiday TV special PREP & LANDING, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG and Miyazaki’s PONYO. John Lasseter will host the panel and Patton Oswalt will moderate a group Q&A following the presentation, which will include filmmaker insights, trailers and select film sequences.

D23 TO MAKE FIRST-EVER APPEARANCE AT SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON

The Official Community for Disney Fans to Bring Special Exhibits, Sneak Peeks and a D23 Member-Exclusive Lithograph to Comic-Con.

The fantastic intersection of Disney creativity and science-fiction imagination will be the focus of D23’s first-ever appearance at San Diego Comic-Con from July 23 to July 26, and D23: The Official Community for Disney Fans has been developing unique plans for its debut at the popular annual convention.

At Booth 3917 on the Comic-Con floor, D23 will present a display of costumes and props from Disney’s classic sci-fi and fantasy films, including The Rocketeer, The Black Hole, Condorman, Sky High and 1982’s landmark Tron. This “Heroic and Robotic” exhibition has been created exclusively for Comic-Con International 2009.

ADULT SWIM SIGNINGS
Adult Swim Booth: 3351

Friday, July 24
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. The Mighty Boosh Signing – Adult Swim Booth #3351
Noel Fielding, Julian Barrett, Michael Fielding, Dave Brown, Richard Fulcher

4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Robot Chicken Signing – Adult Swim Booth #3351
Seth Green, Matt Senreich, Breckin Meyer, Chris McKay

Saturday, July 25
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Robot Chicken Signing – Adult Swim Booth #3351
Seth Green, Matt Senreich, Doug Goldstein, Tom Root

3:00 – 4:00 p.m. The Venture Bros. Signing – Adult Swim Booth #3351
Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer


ADULT SWIM FAN EVENTS
TIM & ERIC AWESOME SHOW PERFORMANCE
Friday, July 24, 7 p.m.
Location: 4th and B, 345 B Street

Enjoy a live performance featuring Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim. Much like the television series on Adult Swim, the live show is a fast-paced, variety show, complete with short films, parodies, pranks and musical numbers.

The BBC AND ADULT SWIM PRESENT: THE MIGHTY BOOSH BASH (A full cast DJ Set)
Friday, July 24, 11 p.m.
Location: 4th and B, 345 B Street

A multi-media DJ set house party featuring the full cast of The Mighty Boosh, including Noel Fielding and Julian Barrett. The cast will spin records and perform bits. For more information, go to www.themightyboosh.co.uk

TIM AND ERIC AWESOME-CON 2009
Saturday, July 25, 12 -3 p.m.
Location: Embarcadero Marina Park North

Picnic in the park hosted by Tim and Eric and other characters from the show with fan challenges (costume contest, karaoke contest, etc).

ROBOT CHICKEN FAN EVENT
Saturday, July 25, 8 – 11p.m.
Location: Skate San Diego, 700 East 24th Street, National City, CA 91950