San Diego Comic Con Unofficial Blog

Friday was another great day at the con. Though not as busy as other days there was still a lot of fun stuff. Check out the details here:

(Check out all my photos at http://s938.photobucket.com/albums/ad225/SDCC_Blog/ )

1. Warner Brothers Pictures

-Where the Wild Things Are – This was really a great panel. The kid who plays max was there and great. They showed some clips and a recut of the trailer to wondrous applause. IT looks great and really different and was visually amazing! This was a big hit!

-Book of Eli – First they showed a boring clip to the motion comic and then they showed a pretty bad trailer for the movie but then they had the entire cast. This included Denzel, Gary Oldman, and Mila Kunis! They were great together and the Q&A was way better than the footage. Too bad the movie looks so bad! Gary Oldman also announced that Batman 3 would start shooting next year!

-Nightmare on Elm Street – A pretty scary trailer was shown but there wasn’t much of Haley in the trailer. He was at the panel though and though there were many watchmen questions it was still a decent q&a.

-The Box – A 4 minute trailer was shown that made it look ok. It was hard to judge since it was mostly random weird clips but both Diaz and James Marsden was at the panel and it was a decent q&a.

-Jonah Hex – Trailer was shown. Looked pretty good considering they had such a small budget. It had a very big scale. Brolin and Fox were there and they had a really funny q&a.

-Sherlock Holmes – Extended trailer shown and it looks really cool. Downey was great for the entire panel and drove people insane! People loved the footage and Downey charmed his way through the entire Q&A!

2. Disney Animation

-Toy Story 1 & 2 3D trailer was shown. Sure we’ve seen both movies before but not in 3D!!! (I’m not impressed)

-Beauty and the Beast is coming in 3D!!!! (Big Whoop)

-Ponyo was shown. Looked good but much more mainstream then Miyazaki’s movies. He was there and was given a huge standing ovation!

3. 9

-Missed most of the panel but saw the final trailer that was very impressive and cool!

-They had a lot of star power like Tim Burton and Elijah Wood but that made most of the Q&A questions “I’m your biggest fan”.

-Not as good a panel but still looks like a good movie!

4. District 9/Legion

- Legion – Looks horribly bad. There are angels with machine guns, evil ice cream men, and old killer grandmas. And it’s a completely serious movie. It was just sad!

-District 9 – They showed a 7-minute trailer and it looked really great! Was super intense and looked way better than earlier trailers. Peter Jackson also had his first appearance and made it a good one. He also said that the Hobbit script would be done in 4 weeks and casting would start in 2 months. Overall D-9 looked really good!

Winners: Tie between District 9, Sherlock Holmes, and Where the Wild Things Are!

Flynn’s Arcade:

-This was some of the best marketing I’ve ever seen! You stood outside a discreet building only labeled Flynn’s, you get inside and there are about 20 vintage 80’s arcade games, and you freak out. For about 20 minutes you can play the games while listening to some 80’s tunes and then the Tron Machine opens up and there’s a passage behind it. In the secret hallway there’s production art leading up to the big reveal, a full size light bike! It was awesome and you got to take pics. The score by Daft Punk was also playing and you got a shirt as you left! It was crazy cool and I hope they do it again tomorrow!

Overall it was a very good day!

Follow me on twitter @SD_Comic_con for more updates

And stay tuned tomorrow for another great day!

Though not as jam packed, Saturday was still a very exciting day at the con! Here are the highlights:

Lost: Lost was one of the best panels of the con for many reasons. Heres my rundown from twitter:
New logo w/ every charaters evr! Marketing for “lost unviersity online”. New trailer w/ old clips. Fan appreciation day. Great montage o Fan videos. Many characters from 1 season will be in new season. Unpredictablily is key to new season! Theme song winner shown, was great. Kates stepfather isn’t dead! Jorge/Hurley was there w/ Emerson. Were really funny! Everythin important answered. Alpert was there and funny. Holloway surprise appearence! Tribute to all dead characters!Dominic/Charlie surprise apperaence. Great, funny panel. Fans love it!

Extract: Extract looks look a quite funny movie from Mike Judge. They showed a couple clips and they got funnier and funnier as the panel went on. The panle had Judge, Kunis, and Jason Bateman and each was really funny. Overall it was a good panel for a good looking comedy!

Sony:
-Zombieland – A big hit at the con, this movie looks really good. A quirky hybrid of horror and comedy it seems like it will be a great movie. The cast was in attendence and Harrelson, thjough wierd, was pretty entertaining! A new trailer and clips were shown and the audience loved it! A big hit at the con!
-2012 – This movie is all about effects. End of story. Though the effects loook great the plot is so stupid and everything is so propesterous the movie just looks really bad. A pretty big dissapointment.

Iron Man 2 – The final panel of the day was a big hit. They showed off an impressive clip/trailer full of great stuff. Though it didnt appear as though they had much done what they did have made the movie look great. They had almost the whole cast an though many of them didnt say much, Downey realy stole the show and it still was a great panel.

Winner: Clearly Iron Man 2

Stay tuned later today for more SDCC wrap-up!

Thursday got the con kicked off to a great start! Heres the details:

Photos: Check out all my photos at http://s938.photobucket.com/albums/ad225/SDCC_Blog/

Panel Highlights:

1. Disney:

-Tron Legacy – New title revealed, pre-production pics (see them on photo link), cool new test footage, test footage from last year in 3D, 2D scene from movie shown. Daft Punk doing scoring. Test footage was cool and 2D scene was interesting but it’s too early to really tell. Should be huge next year though.

-Alice in Wonderland – Short trailer shown 3 TIMES! IT was worth it though! Great trailer set to time to pretend by MGMT. Johnny Depp showed up to say 3 words and then left. Tim Burton was fun. Not much footage but what was there looked great!

-A Christmas Carol – Robert Zemeckis showed off a clip/tailer thing and it looked really cool! More scarry and creepy then i expected and it had some great 3D. Not as good as the rest of the panel but it still looked good!

While the full Saturday, July 25, schedule of Comic Con 2009 will be released later today, it is now confirmed that the panel for “Iron Man 2″ at the con will be held on the third day (Saturday). According to Coming Soon, the panel for this massivly anticipated sequel will be from 4:00 to 5:00 P.M. in Hall H. No word yet on which cast members will be making appearances at the panel. Stay tuned for more details!

In an act of pure genius, the con has moved around some of there thursday schedule to help us avatar fans. Summit just confirmed to the website Cinematical that their panel has been moved up to 1:45-2:45. Also, the Avatar panel has been moved after the Summit panel to 3pm. This simple switch means that the new moon fanatics can clear out of hall h and not disrupt the avatar panel. UPDATE: The con has now put in a 3D Showcase with Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, The Hole, The Final Destination between Disney and Summit. This is great news and will be much appreciated at the con!

Comic con has now posted the schedule for Friday and its jam packed with awesome panels and big guests!

Check it out Here

What do you think?

BURBANK, Calif. – (BUSINESS WIRE) – 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.

Zemeckis, Burton, Miyazaki and Lasseter will take part in industry panels.

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.

The details for the fringe and the big bang theory panels have been released and they both seem like must see panels with screenings and q&a with their big stars! Check them out:

Friday, July 24th

1:00-2:00 p.m. The Big Bang Theory Screening and Q&A – Bazinga! Your favorite scientists and girl-next-door are back as The Big Bang Theory returns to Comic-Con with a special screening and a Q&A with the show’s creators and stars. Come chat with executive producers Chuck Lorre (Two and a Half Men) and Bill Prady (Dharma & Greg), as well as series stars Johnny Galecki (Roseanne), Jim Parsons (Garden State), Kaley Cuoco (Charmed), Simon Helberg (Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog) and Kunal Nayyar (NCIS). From Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television, The Big Bang Theory airs Mondays at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Second Season is released on DVD September 15. Ballroom 20.

Saturday, July 25t

4:00-5:00 p.m. Fringe Screening and Q&A – Fringe cast members Anna Torv (upcoming The Pacific), Josh Jackson (Shutter) and John Noble (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) return to Comic-Con along with consulting producers Alex Kurtzman & Robert Orci (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) and executive producers Jeff Pinkner (Lost) and J.H. Wyman (Keen Eddie) for a Q&A with fans and an exclusive video presentation. Join the discussion of this critically acclaimed thriller, which explores the ever-blurring line between science fiction and reality, where hybrid monsters tear through sewers, thieves walk through walls and portals open to worlds unknown. From Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, Fringe will air Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT this fall on FOX, premiering September 17. Fringe: The Complete First Season will be released on DVD and Blu-rayTM Hi Def September 8. Ballroom 20.

Your thoughts?

Cartoon Network and Adult Swim announced all their panels and signings and it’s a huge list!

THURSDAY, JULY 23

ADULT SWIM: Robot Chicken w/ Titan Maximum
3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Location: 6A
Moderator: Keith Crofford, vice president of production Adult Swim

Seth Green (co-creator, Robot Chicken and Titan Maximum), Matthew Senreich (co-creator, Robot Chicken and Titan Maximum), Tom Root (head writer, Robot Chicken/co-creator, Titan Maximum) and Doug Goldstein (head writer, Robot Chicken) with Chris McKay, Breckin Meyer, Kevin Shinick, Mike Fasolo and Dan Milano discuss the popular Adult Swim series Robot Chicken. They also discuss the upcoming new stop-motion animated series Titan Maximum, slated to premiere on Adult Swim this fall.

CARTOON NETWORK COMEDY – ORIGINAL ANIMATION
4:15 – 5:15 p.m.
Location: Room 6A
Moderator: Brian Miller, senior vice president and general manager Cartoon Network Studios

Come join us for a panel celebrating three of the best comedies from Cartoon Network Studios. First up is a sweet treat with Chowder, including special guests C.H. Greenblatt (creator), Tara Strong (voice of Truffles) and Dana Snyder (voice of Gazpacho). Then set sail with The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack and creator Thurop Van Orman (voice of Flapjack) and Steve Little (writer, voice of fan favorite Dr. Barber). Finally, hold on to your seats for a sneak peak of the new series, Adventure Time with Finn and Jake, with creator Pendelton Ward.

FRIDAY, JULY 24

WB PANEL: Batman: The Brave and The Bold
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Location: 6B
Moderator: Sam Register, executive producer

Gotham takes over San Diego as Diedrich Bader (Surf’s Up), the voice of Batman, returns to headline a panel alongside John DiMaggio (Futurama), the voice of Aquaman, executive producer Sam Register (Teen Titans), producer James Tucker (Justice League), producer and story editor Michael Jelenic (The Batman) and voice director Andrea Romano (Superman Doomsday). Fans will enjoy a discussion and lively Q&A as this dynamic and creative team look back upon the show’s incredible first season and provide an exclusive look at what season two holds for the Caped Crusader. From Warner Bros. Animation, Batman: The Brave and The Bold airs on Cartoon Network.

LUCASFILM PANEL: Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Building the Universe
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Location: 7 AB

The Clone Wars expanded the scope of Star Wars beyond anything seen in the feature films – but Season One was just the beginning. Get a rare glimpse into the epic scale of the ongoing galactic conflict with supervising director Dave Filoni and key production staff from the series. Find out insider secrets about building the Star Wars galaxy, making the first season of the groundbreaking series and what’s to come in Season Two!

LUCASFILM PANEL: Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Behind the mic
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Location: 7 AB

Season Two of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is coming in hot, and you can believe that the talented voice cast has something to say about it! Join supervising director Dave Filoni as he talks with the actors behind your favorite Clone Wars characters, and get an intimate look at the animated antics inside the recording studio – as well as some unique and exclusive insights into what’s coming this Fall!

The BBC PANEL: The Mighty Boosh
4:45 – 5:45 p.m.
Location: Room 6A

Cult comedy favorite and BAFTA-nominated, The Mighty Boosh, comes to Comic-Con for the first time to celebrate the airing of all three seasons on Adult Swim, and the BBC’s DVD release, just two days before the convention begins. Inspired by the Perrier Comedy Award-winning live comedy show, creators-stars Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding, along with actors Michael Fielding, Rich Fulcher and Dave Brown. The hit UK comedy series follows crazy zookeepers Howard Moon and Vince Noir and was described by The San Jose Mercury News as “an acid-trip fantasy-comedy [that] is seriously deranged and seriously funny.”

LUCASFILM PANEL: The Star Wars Spectacular
5:15 – 6:15 p.m.

Location: Hall H

Get all the latest news from the Star Wars universe – including some of Lucasfilm’s most tightly-guarded secrets! Join our galaxy of guests from The Clone Wars and beyond, including supervising director Dave Filoni, voice talent from the show and more!

SATURDAY, JULY 25

CARTOON NETWORK ACTION ADVENTURE ANIMATION: Ben 10
11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

Location: ROOM 6DE
Moderator: Tramm Wigzell director of development, original series Cartoon Network

It’s all about Ben 10 at this panel featuring director Alex Winter and cast members Ryan Kelley (Ben), Galadriel Stineman (Gwen), Nathan Keyes (Kevin) and Alyssa Diaz (Elena) from the live-action movie Ben 10: Alien Swarm coming this fall on Cartoon Network. Also appearing are Ben 10 Alien Force producer Glenn Murakami, story editor Dwayne McDuffie and Yuri Lowenthal (voice of Ben). Make sure not to miss an exclusive look at what’s coming next with a sneak peak of Generator Rex and the first images from the upcoming series, Sym-Bionic Titan, by creator Genndy Tartakovsky (Samurai Jack, Dexter’s Laboratory).

ADULT SWIM: Series Development and The Venture Bros.
6:00 – 7:15 p.m.

Location: 6DE
Moderator: Keith Crofford, vice president of production Adult Swim

Fans will get the chance to hear from the Adult Swim development team and get a first look at upcoming Adult Swim programming. Nick Weidenfeld, director of development for Adult Swim and Matt Harrigan, executive producer/series writer for Adult Swim will give highlights of what’s in the tube for fall 2009. Then, Jackson Publick (co-creator), Doc Hammer (co-creator), Jon Schnepp (co-director), James Urbaniak (voice of Dr. Venture) and Mike Sinterniklaas (voice of Dean Venture) discuss the hit animated Adult Swim series The Venture Bros. and give fans insight into the future of the series.

SUNDAY, JULY 26

MATTEL PANEL: Hot Wheels Battle Force 5
12:00-1:00
Location: 7AB

Hot Wheels Battle Force 5: World Premiere! – Be the first to see an episode of the all new CG-animated series, Hot Wheels Battle Force 5! The series starts this August on Cartoon Network and tells the story of a group of teen drivers and their 5 ultra-cool, ultra-fast vehicles. Their mission is to protect the Earth from The Sark, an army of evil robots, and The Vandals, a species of super-predators. After the screening, join producer Audu Paden (Spider-Man: The New Animated Series), director Johnny Darrell (Storm Hawks) and real-life Hot Wheels car designers for a behind-the-scenes peek at how the series was created. There will also be plenty of fun activities, trivia, and lots and lots of great prizes!

WB PANEL: Zoinks! Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins
12:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Location: 6DE
Moderator: TBA

Come join everyone’s favorite Great Dane as Warner Premiere & Cartoon Network present Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins. The all-new, live-action/CGI film reveals the origins of the Mystery Inc. gang on their first mission together. Be the first to witness the film, then stay for a fun-filled panel featuring director Brian Levant (Beethoven, Snow Dogs), producer Brian Gilbert (Wrong Turn, Skinwalkers) and introducing the all-new live-action cast: Robbie Amell (Life with Derek, True Jackson VP) as Fred, Kate Melton as Daphne, Hayley Kiyoko as Velma and Nick Palatas as Shaggy. Also expected to attend is Frank Welker, a member of the original Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! voice-cast, who provides the voice of Scooby-Doo for Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins – which will premiere on Cartoon Network and be distributed by Warner Home Video in Fall 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 and 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 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

Join Robot Chicken creators and executive producers Seth Green and Matt Senreich for a special preview party – Comic Con Style – kicking off their two week roller skating tour to promote the release of the Robot Chicken: Star Wars – Episode II. The free, all ages party is open to the public and will feature a guest DJ, special Robot Chicken guests, including the show’s writers and producers, celebrity guest stars, Robot Chicken-themed activities and games, and exclusive Adult Swim merchandise.

CARTOON NETWORK SIGNINGS

Thursday, July 23
- 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. – Chowder & The Misadventures of Flapjack Signing – Autograph Alley – Chowder: C.H. Greenblatt, Tara Strong, Dana Snyder – The Misadventures of Flapjack: Thurop Van Orman, Steve Little

Saturday, July 25
- 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. – Ben 10 Alien Force Signing – Autograph Alley – Glen Murakami, Yuri Lowenthal, Dwight McDuffie

- 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. – Ben 10: Alien Swarm Cast Signing – Autograph Alley – Ryan Kelley (Ben), Galadriel Stineman (Gwen), Nathan Keyes (Kevin) Alyssa Diaz (Elena)

Sunday, July 26
- 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. – Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins Signing – WB Booth – Robbie Amell (Fred), Kate Melton (Daphne), Hayley Kiyoko (Velma),
Nick Palatas (Shaggy)

The heroes panel has been confirmed by NBC but with a shorter panel, a smaller room, less cast members, and only a trailer and q&a! Though this is good news for heroes fans who wanted a panel, the question remains why they decided to downsize when they can fill hall h and they need the buzz?
The official press release:

WHAT: Comic-Con International 2009 fans will be the first to watch an exclusive for Heroes Season 4, titled “Volume Five: Redemption,” created just for the annual event in San Diego.

WHO: Following the trailer, creator Tim Kring and cast members Jack Coleman, Masi Oka, Adrian Pasdar and Zachary Quinto, as well as guest stars Robert Knepper, Dawn Olivieri, Ray Park and Madeline Zima, will participate in a Q&A session.

WHEN: Saturday, July 25 at 3:15-4:15 PM

WHERE: Indigo Room @ Hilton San Diego Bayfront (1 Park Blvd., San Diego)

FYI: Heroes Season 4 will debut with a two-hour premiere on Monday, September 21, from 8-10 PM. Following the premiere, the show will air on Mondays at 8 PM.

Your thoughts?