It’s two weeks away from Comic-Con, and CCI is releasing the programming schedule for Comic-Con 2023 in its annual fashion. We’ll be bringing you the highlights of each day as they’re announced.
We’ll also be discussing our thoughts on this year’s lineup, including our top picks, what time to line up, room flow, and more in a special series of live podcasts this weekend. The first of which will cover Thursday’s and Friday’s lineup, and will be on Friday July 7 at 9:30PM ET/6:30PM PT (which is tonight!)
With that said, let’s dive right into Friday. If movies are what you’re after, then Friday is… pretty light. Collider is interviewing directors of Deadpool 2, Haunted Mansion, and The Creator over in Hall H, and you can catch some of the art department behind Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 at 2pm in Room 9. Come get a look into the upcoming horror trilogy The Strangers with Riverdale actress Madelaine Petsch at 8:30pm in Room 29CD. Your other options for the day are a Sharnado 10th anniversary celebration with many of the cast members including Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, and Cassie Scerbo — or the world premiere screenings of the animated Justice League: Warworld in Ballroom 20 at 9pm or Sand Land at 8:15pm in Room 6BCF.
You can also look back at the past, present, and future of the Star Wars universe with creatives across film, gaming, TV, and more at 4pm in Room 7AB. The fabulous Wētā Workshop will be on hand to discuss creating special effects and more for films at 2:15pm in Room 6A.
And that’s… kind of it.
Instead, TV reigns supreme on Friday at Comic-Con, as it does most years. Hall H is filled with The Walking Dead Universe from AMC when you will surely get some looks into the many spinoff series and Entertainment Weekly’s “Brave New Warriors”, Entertainment Weekly’s annual panel around the men of many of your favorite TV series.
Over in Ballroom 20 for TV, things technically kick off with the 23rd Annual Animation Show of Shows at 10:45am, but things really heat up at 12:30pm with Prime’s Good Omens 2, a panel around “Audience is King” at 1:45pm with TJ Miller discussing franchise creation and how it intersects with fandom, Peacock’s The Continental John Wick prequel series at 3pm, Prime’s The Boys spinoff series Gen V at 4:15pm.
There’s plenty of other TV around the rest of the convention as well. In the Indigo Ballroom, it’s all animation, all the time, with Tiny Toons Looniversity, My Adventures with Superman, Teenage Euthanasia, Metalocalypse, Rick & Morty, Solar Opposites, The Great North, and Bob’s Burgers.
There’s also an Invincible season two special screening at 10pm in Room 6A, and earlier in the day at 5:45pm a conversation with cast and creators of the series in Room 6BCF.
Want some Doctor Who? The “Deja Who: Multitasking Actors in Doctor Who” panel discusses the actors who appeared on the series in multiple roles over the series’ 60 year history.
Female writers, directors, and other filmmakers of some of your favorite series discuss blazing their own trail in the industry at 4:30pm in Room 5AB.
For fan panels, you’ll find lots of smart folks dissecting Andor at 7pm in Room 7AB, and get a lesson in shipping ‘ships’ at the Our Flag Means Death fan panel at 6pm.
For fans of comics, Friday is a very strong day. You’ll find Deadpool co-creator Rob Liefeld over in 5AB at 5:30pm, and you can dive into the world of horror manga’s Junji Ito at 10am in Room 6DE. Celebrate the 20th anniversary of Invincible with Skybound and creators Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley at 4:30pm in Room 6BCF.
Join the legendary Jim Lee “& Friends” at 6pm in Room 6A for a lively discussion.
After “star power” when it comes to Comic-Con? Well, you won’t find much bigger than Oscar-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis making a special appearance for her upcoming eco-horror graphic novel, Mother Nature, at 1pm in Room 6A. You’ll also find Run-DMC Darryl DMC McDaniels discussing building powerful worlds and characters with other creators at 2pm in Room 23ABC.
Come celebrate the legacy of Kim Jung Ji at a tribute panel at 4pm in Room 3.
Learn more about what indie publisher AHOY Comics! is up at at their panel at 5pm in Room 28DE, with talent like Paul Cornell and Tyrone Finch.
San Diego Comic-Con just isn’t San Diego Comic-Con without writer and creator J. Michael Straczynski, and luckily you’ll find him on several panels on Friday, including “Marvel: Heroes, Hulks, and Super-Soldiers” at 3pm in Room 6DE, a Q&A Writing Workshop with Straczynski at 7pm in Room 11.
Speaking of Comic-Con mainstay’s, former Comic-Con International Director of Programming and Publications, Gary Sassaman, is bringing back his “Tales from My Spinner Rack Live!” panel at 2pm in Room 29AB, to discuss Jimmy Olsen & Lois Lane comics from the 1950’s and 1960’s.
Get a drawing lesson from Todd Nauck at 1pm in Room 3, or get an exclusive first look at the upcoming DSTLRY projects for legends Scott Snyder and Jock at 2:30pm in Room 24ABC.
What makes a good graphic memoir? Find out with a few legendary writers and creators, including Bill Griffith, Jim Benton, Raina Telgemeier, and Felicia Day at 1pm in Room 25ABC.
Looking for the perfect panel to take your kiddo to? Try “Graphix Origins: The Rise of Children’s Graphic Novels” at 4pm in Room 9, which features Jeff Smith and Raina Telgemeier.
Fans of toys are definitely going to want to check out the “LEGO Masters: Behind the Brick” panel at 4pm with members from the LEGO team. Fans of the cutest toys this side of the internet will want to stop by “The Vibrant World of tokidoki” at 5pm in Room 9pm.
Gamers can get excited about Telltale’s The Expanse series at 10:15am in Room 6BCF, and the upcoming Mortal Kombat 1 at 3:15pm in Room 6BCF. There’s also a “Titans of Fighting: The Evolution of Fighting Games” with TEKKEN game director Katsuhiro Harada at 2pm in Room 6BCF, and a look behind the scenes of the award-winning Marvel SNAP game at 5:30pm in Room 24ABC.
You can also get the inside scoop on the music from the recent Star Wars Jedi: Survivor video game from the composers at 10am in Room 7AB.
Then of course, there’s the annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards at 8pm in Indigo Ballroom, where creators are honored for their work in the 35th annual iteration of this event.
Elsewhere, we’re excited about “Blind Date with a Book 2”, in which librarians from the San Diego Public Library attempt to make a love connection with three lucky audience members and what is (hopefully) their new favorite book, at 6:30pm in Room 10.
Matching that same awesome, creative, and chaotic energy is “Puppet-Filled D&D One-Shot”, which is exactly what it sounds like, at 8pm in Room 32AB. Puppets!
We’re also curious about “The Blerd Panel”, which features lots of fun folks like Marc Bernadin, doing a Q&A at 3pm in Marriott Grand 12 & 13.
Come discuss “What Makes a Great Collaborator?” with 9B Collective, the first Black-owned concept art studio, with actor and co-founder Aldis Hodge and others at 4:30pm in Room 29CD.
And finally, are you feeling… musical? Because the annual Dr. Horrible screening has now added horrible karaoke. Come try your hand at it at 9:15pm in Room 6DE.
You can also read the programming highlights for Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.
What will you be lining up for on the second full day of Comic-Con? Let us know in the comments.
