Liz OhanesianCheck out our picks from Comic-Con's Thursday and Friday schedules.
Saturday marks the 36th annual Comic-Con Masquerade, a massive costume contest where contestants will compete in categories like “Most Humorous,” “Best Original Design” and “Best Re-creation.” If there's anything we learned from attending conventions, it's that lines for the masquerade event are always quite long and the one at Comic-Con can become an event in and of itself. If, however, you do not plan on spending much of your day in line for the masquerade, there is plenty on the schedule.
We've put together our highlights for Saturday, July 24 here. You can see the whole schedule on SDCC's website.
10 a.m.
“Nickelodeon Presents: The SpongeBob SquarePants Secret Formula Revealed!”
Members of the team behind SpongeBob SquarePants take you through the process of making an episode. This looks like a good panel for anyone wondering how cartoons are made.
11 a.m.
“Reading with Brains: The Rise and Unrelenting Stamina of Zombie Fiction”
Authors talk zombies. Maybe someone will explain why zombies are so popular because, frankly, I still can't figure out that one.
11:15 a.m.
“Spotlight on Gerard Way”
He's a rock star. He's a comic writer. Find out what's going on with The Umbrella Academy creator/My Chemical Romance frontman.
11:30 a.m.
“Dragon Ball Z Kai Voice Actor Panel”
I don't know if you've seen Dragon Ball Z Kai yet, but it's pretty good (and this is coming from someone who was always kind of ambivalent about Dragon Ball Z). Find out what went into redubbing Dragon Ball Z at this panel.
12 p.m.
“Spotlight on Peter Bagge”
Peter Bagge has done some pretty cool work. Back in the 1990s, his comic, Hate, was required reading for the indie crowd. Later on, he was the original cartoonist for the “Bat Boy” strip in Weekly World News. More recently, he has been responsible for Apocalypse Nerd and Other Lives, the latter of which was released last spring.
Venture Bros. cosplay at San Diego Comic-Con, 2009; Credit: Shannon Cottrell
“The Venture Bros.“
One thing we love about The Venture Bros. fandom is that there's a good amount of cosplayers in it. Oftentimes, though, people stick to the major characters. We're hoping that maybe this year, a group will show up as David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Klaus Nomi (maybe with a cameo appearance from Brian Eno?). Or, how about cosplaying White Noise or the Grand Galactic Inquisitor?
12:45 p.m.
“Futurama“
Matt Groening and David X. Cohen will be on hand, along with members of the cast of Futurama, with “world premiere footage.”
1:30 p.m.
“Behind the Scenes with Sid & Marty Krofft: A Look at the Past, Present and Future”
During their 1970s heydey, Sid and Marty Krofft created some wild children's programs, like Sigmund and the Sea Monsters and Land of the Lost. If you watch Yo Gabba Gabba! now, you can probably sense the influence in the use of color. The Kroffts will be at Comic-Con to discuss new projects as well as their classic work.
2 p.m.
“Spotlight on Dave Dorman”
Dave Dorman is perhaps best known for the exquisite art he has contributed to various Star Wars-related projects. He's also responsible for artwork related to Batman, Aliens, GI Joe, Magic: The Gathering and has a few Heavy Metal covers to his name. Amongst the topics of discussion will be the sequel to his graphic novel RAIL: Broken Things.
3 p.m.
“Spotlight on Ray Bradbury”
A regular at SDCC, Ray Bradbury (who, according to the program, was at the first Comic-Con) will talk with Sam Weller and Arnold Kunert at this event.
“Avatar: The Last Airbender Fan Gathering”
We're really curious as to what Avatar: The Last Airbender fans will have to say about the film. Will it even be a topic of discussion?
3:30 p.m.
“International Comics and Graphic Novels”
An international group of comic creators will get together to discuss the art form outside of the U.S.
“Robert E. Howard in Comics: Then. Now. Always.”
Discuss Conan the Barbarian and more here.
4 p.m.
“Scott Pilgrim Vol. 6: Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour vs. The Fans”
Bryan Lee O'Malley talks about Scott Pilgrim's fans at this event.
5 p.m.
“Dark Shadows: The Classic Series, the Comic Books, and the Upcoming Film”
Last we read, supernatural soap opera Dark Shadows was set for a film adaptation involving Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. Perhaps this panel will offer a bit more information.
Dave Willis of Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Squidbillies; Credit: Shannon Cottrell
5:30 p.m.
“Adult Swim: Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Squidbillies, Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job! and Mary Shelley's Frakenhole“
The guys from Aqua Teen, Squidbillies and Awesome Show are joining up with Dino Stamatopoulos of Mary Shelley's Frakenhole (also of the hysterical, yet depressing Moral Orel). This should be a boisterous event.
6:45 p.m.
“Fables Forum 2010″
We're wondering why we keep seeing Fables commercials on BBC America. It's a cool commercial, and a good fit with Dr. Who, but we're still curious. Maybe someone will have an answer.
7:15 p.m.
“Kevin Smith”
We missed Kevin Smith's panel last year and could have kicked ourselves afterwards when we saw the tweets and watched the video clips. This should be a must on Comic-Con schedules.
8 p.m.
“Troma Troma Troma”
Lloyd Kaufman and friends offer a look into the world of making movies.
10 p.m.
“Kevin Smith presents Cop Out in 'Maximum Comedy Mode'”
If you can't get enough of Kevin Smith, head over to this premiere after his panel.
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