San Diego Comic Con 2007

It's July 26-29 at the San Diego Convention Center.

BFFC member Cujo and I will be attending. (Single day date to be updated here within the next couple days.)

We're not VIP for this one, but we'll put the $25 cover to good use with another killer news and photo report, ala Celebration 4.

Guests aren't listed on the site yet (lame), but below are the Star Wars-related things going on.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

1:00-2:00 Sideshow Collectibles: From Concept to Collectible—Get a behind-the-scenes look at the artistry and innovation involved in creating your favorite figures, statues, and busts, from Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Marvel Comics, and more! The Sideshow Collectibles Creative Team explains the development process and conducts a Q&A session. Room 10

3:00-4:30 Starz Media: Harryhausen Returns and Hatchet—Two great new features are previewed in this event. First up it’s Harryhausen Returns, with motion picture special effects legend Ray Harryhausen talking about his upcoming feature film, Ares: God of War, a new adventure of Jason and the Argonauts, produced by Starz Media. Harryhausen will be joined by the film’s producers, Karen Bailey and Kevin VanHook. VanHook is also well known in the comic world as one-time executive editor for Valiant Comics and the co-creator/writer of the Bloodshot series and writer of the Flash Gordon Sunday comic strip. Also joining the panel will be actor/martial artist Ray Park, best know as Darth Maul in Star Wars Episode One and Toad in X-Men. With Hatchet, writer/director Adam Green celebrates old-school American horror with his upcoming film featuring the new slasher icon Victor Crowley! See what makes Victor tick with Green and stars of the film, including horror legends Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger), Kane Hodder (Jason Voorhees), and Tony Todd (Candyman), along with Tamara Feldman (Perfect Stranger), Mercedes McNab (Buffy The Vampire Slayer), Joleigh Fioreavanti (Nip/Tuck), and Deon Richmond (Not Another Teen Movie). Room 6CDEF

6:00-7:00 Fanboys—Fanboys is an uproarious comedy that follows a group of young friends on a cross-country quest to break into Skywalker Ranch and see Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace before it is released. Fanboys is a Weinstein Company presentation being released in theaters by MGM on January 18, 2008. Stars Dan Fogler (Balls of Fury), Sam Huntington (Superman Returns), Chris Marquette (Joan of Arcadia), and Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) join writer/director Kyle Newman and producers Matt Perniciaro and Dana Brunetti for a Q&A session. Room 6CDEF

Friday, July 27, 2007

10:30-11:30 Star Wars Day: Great Star Wars Books and Book News—J. W. Rinzler, author of the recently released The Making of Star Wars, will hurtle you back in time for a one-of-a-kind behind-the-scenes look at the nearly decade-long quest of George Lucas and his key collaborators to make the “little” movie that became a phenomenon. Stephen J. Sansweet, author of the upcoming The Star Wars Vault, will talk about collecting the amazing, never-before-published artifacts that will be part of each copy of the new book. Finally, Keith Clayton (editor, Del Rey) will reveal an exclusive announcement on an upcoming Star Wars title from Del Rey and LucasBooks, just for audience members at Comic-Con! Room 1AB

11:30-12:30 Star Wars Day: What’s New and What’s Coming from Hasbro—Come for first announcements about Hasbro’s products that you might not hear anywhere else, plus a special sneak preview of the 2008 product line. Meet members of Hasbro’s Star Wars marketing and design teams, the talented people who work on the company’s Attacktix, Titanium, and Star Wars action figure line. Q&A time included! Room 1AB

12:30-1:30 Star Wars Day: LucasArts—Celebrate 25 of LucasArts videogames and learn about the past, present, and future by attending this panel with key LucasArts producers. See what LucasArts has in store, then ask your own questions in a Q&A session. Room 1AB

1:30-2:30 Star Wars Day: Robot Chicken Sets and Toys—As production designer for the Robot Chicken: Star Wars Special, Jed Hathaway researched and designed each miniature set with exact replication and utmost detail. In this discussion, Hathaway will explain the basics of designing sets, props, and vehicles for stop-motion animation. An in-depth behind the scenes video will show how his team brought the Star Wars universe to life and show various comparisons between the special and the original Star Wars Saga. There will be a 20-minute presentation video followed by a Q&A session. Room 1AB

5:00-6:00 Star Wars at 30 Years with Steve Sansweet—This summer marks the 30th anniversary of the Star Wars saga, and its indelible influence on popular culture. We’ve got 30 years of great memories thanks to the galaxy far, far away, but there are also great things to come, too. Join Lucasfilm’s Steve Sansweet for a little Star Wars nostalgia, a review of the 30th anniversary year so far, and a look at what’s new and what’s coming for Star Wars. Hall H

6:30-7:30 Star Wars Day: Star Wars Trivia—Members of the San Diego Star Wars Society, veteran hosts of great Star Wars trivia game shows at Comic-Con International in 2004, 2005, and 2006, are planning another trivia challenge for all

Saturday, July 28, 2007

1:30-2:30 Family Guy—Back by popular demand, join creator/star Seth MacFarlane, showrunner/executive producer David A. Goodman and the creative team behind Fox’s number-one comedy Family Guy for an uproarious and uncensored hour of laughs and Q&A. Rumor has it they’ll even preview what is destined to become a Family Guy classic—this year’s season premiere episode, which retells the Star Wars story with the Griffins and their fellow residents of Quahog, Rhode Island, cast in the iconic roles of the legendary film. Stewie as Darth Vader? Victory shall be his! Room 6CDEF

2:15-4:00 Disney—Disney and Disney•Pixar showcase two upcoming films with this exclusive Comic-Con presentation!

WALL•E—From Academy Award–winning director Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo), WALL•E is the story of one robot's comic adventures as he chases his dream across the galaxy. Meet director Andrew Stanton and sound designer Ben Burtt (Star Wars) as they present a first look at Disney·Pixar’s next animated adventure! Hall H

Sunday, July 29, 2007

12:30-1:30 Kids’ Day Drawing Workshop: You Can Draw Star Wars—Pack your pencil and come to class! The author and artists of You Can Draw Star Wars will show you how it’s done during Kids’ Day at Comic-Con. Bonnie Burton, author of You Can Draw Star Wars, is a prolific writer, particularly on all things Star Wars. As an online content developer at Lucasfilm, she has written a multitude of step-by-step drawing tutorials. Her first book, Never Threaten to Eat Your Co-Workers: Best of Blogs, is out now. Artist Tom Hodges has become a Star Wars fan favorite. Named one of wizarduniverse.com’s Top 5 to Watch in 2006, his work appears on the popular starwars.com Hyperspace webstrip series. Illustrator Matt Busch’s work can be seen regularly on official Star Wars projects, and his hilarious “How To Draw Star Wars” webisodes are quickly becoming fan favorites. Room 30CDE