We’re in the midst of yet another summer movie season and you know what that means; San Diego Comic Con is here to raise big screen anticipation even further, teasing fans with all the incredible action, stories and stars we’ve got to look forward to.
This time last year I was scrambling to put together a solo schedule for an event I’d never experience before, but this time around, not only am I heading to San Diego as a Comic Con veteran, but I won’t be going alone. Shockya.com will feature SDCC 2012 from both myself and Melissa Molina. Not only am I thrilled to have such a talented teammate, but we’re both very excited to bring you more coverage than ever!
What do you have to look forward to between the two of us? Here’s a brief breakdown of our plans …
The Art of “Frankenweenie” (Wednesday)
I could do without “Dark Shadows” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” but has Tim Burton had a single miss in the animation department? “The Nightmare Before Christmas” crawled its way into my heart years ago and, ever since, Burton has continued to win me over with his animated work time and time again. As a major dog lover, “Frankenweenie” struck a cord right from the start so Preview Night’s
Art of “Frankenweenie” should be quite the treat.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (Thursday)
While I won’t be in Hall H for the madness that’ll likely ensue, I will be on hand to bring you all the latest from the “Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” press conference. No, I’m not a Team Edward or Team Jacob diehard, but I do respect the franchise’s truly incredible amount of success and, after four years of being entrenched in the “Saga,” the cast will likely have some thoughtful insight on the experience and how it feels to be leaving it behind, too.
ParaNorman Panel (Friday, Hall H 10:45-11:45)
I’m a horror lover and have a soft spot for animated movies; how could I not be psyched for “ParaNorman?” It’ll be great to see Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and more take the stage to represent the production, but this is an instance where I’m much more interested in checking out whatever footage they have to offer and, should it fall in line with the trailers released thus far, it’ll easily win me over.
The Walking Dead (Friday, Hall H 1:25-2:25)
You know what Comic Con rule could wind up being your biggest asset? Not clearing rooms in between panels – especially when you’re going to the first panel of the day. Thanks to “ParaNorman,” I’ll hang around to catch the cast and crew of one of my favorite TV shows, “The Walking Dead.” Most of the main players will be on hand to dish about working on season three and to unveil a sneak preview of the new episodes.
Game of Thrones (Friday, Hall H 2:45-3:45)
The no room clearing rule means the next event on my list will be the “Game of Thrones” panel. Not bad, huh? Alfie Allen, Emilia Clarke, Michelle Fairley, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Richard Madden, George R.R. Martin and Carolyn Strauss will all take the stage to discuss the show and, considering season two wrapped just a few weeks ago, hopes are high for something big enough to hold us over until season three.
Elysium (Friday, Hall H 4:35-6:35)
Not entirely sure what the coverage plan is for this one, but as a major sucker for “District 9,” I’m eager to cover Neill Blomkamp’s follow-up. It’ll either be hanging around in Hall H for the full Sony panel, which also includes “Total Recall” and “Looper” or ditching the convention center for the day and vying for another form of “Elysium” press opportunity.
Total Recall (Friday, Hall H 4:35-6:35)
Perhaps I shouldn’t admit this, but I had my first “Total Recall” experience just a few days ago. Over 20 years later, some of the effects and Mars material are a bit ridiculous, but the film is certainly ripe for rebooting and the trailers we’ve seen thus far prove it.
Django Unchained (Saturday, Hall H 11:30-12:30)
Quentin Tarantino is coming to Comic Con; there is no way I would miss covering that! And, on top of simply being a huge fan of Tarantino’s body of work, “Django Unchained” is looking pretty damn good so far. Could Saturday be the day we finally get to see a full scene from the film? I’m betting on it.
The Walking Dead Escape
There’s an overabundance of events I’m eager to catch, but this might be at the very top of my to do list. You just can’t watch The Walking Dead and all of the zombie apocalypse movies out there without wondering how you’d fair in that situation. I’m absolutely thrilled to say that, come Saturday, I’ll find out because I’ll be participating in The Walking Dead Escape as a Survivor – well, unless I can’t make it to the Evacuation Zone before a Walker gets me.
Comic-Con, for some people, is their equivalent of Christmas. It’s that one time of the year where all sorts of avid fans from comics, video games, television and movies meet up under one roof and celebrate their geeky obsessions. And you can’t forget those who show their pride through cosplaying (dressing up).
We’re less than a week away from Comic-Con, so in anticipation for the four and a half day event lets list off a couple of things I’m looking forward to seeing.
Walt Disney Studios Presentation (Thursday, Hall H 2:05-3:05)
This is basically Disney’s glorious return back to the confides of Hall H. They’ve been holding back for the past couple of years presentation-wise at Comic-Con but this year they’re back with a bang. Between “Oz, the Great and Powerful,” “Frankenweenie” and “Wreck-It Ralph,” we’re psyched to see what they show and who they bring out.
Hotel Transylvania (Thursday, Hilton Bayfront Indigo Ballroom 3:00-4:00)
Genndy Tartakovsky was pretty influential when it came to the early Cartoon Network watchers of the late nineties. He had his hand in several great shows including “Dexter’s Laboratory,” “The Powerpuff Girls” and “Samurai Jack.” Now he’s making his feature film debut with “Hotel Transylvania.” Come on, as if we’d miss out on seeing this panel.
Archer (Thursday, Hilton Bayfront Indigo Ballroom 5:00-6:00)
Who doesn’t love Archer? Evil people, that’s who. If you don’t go to this panel and check out the latest episode for the new season, then you should have your clothes chucked out of a balcony. That also applies if you don’t know how to poach an egg.
Community: School is Back in Session (Friday, Ballroom 20 10:00-11:00)
Greendale Human Beings! From this point on you should read this paragraph with the voice of The Dean in your head. We have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) and most of the Greendale Seven will be at this panel! The bad news is that we have no idea how the latest season will be Harmon-less. Either way, we’re thrilled to hear what they have to say, or what they may do.
Firefly 10-Year Anniversary Reunion (Friday, Ballroom 20 12:30-1:30)
This is the first time that Captain Malcolm Reynolds and the crew will be underneath one roof once again since they made “Serenity” a few years back. We have to say it was the stupidest decision of the Con to go and shove this in Ballroom 20. We’re pretty much convinced that the line for this one will be snaking all around upstairs, the same like how it was for “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.” After all, everyone at the Con loves the Whedonverse!
Sony Panel (Total Recall, Looper, Elysium) (Friday, Hall H 4:35-6:35)
One of the movies I’m drooling over the most is “Looper.” Rian Johnson, the director of this movie, has done no wrong in cinema. This is the same guy who made “Brick” and “The Brothers Bloom.” If you haven’t seen those films, you should. But we know he’ll blow audiences away with his first science fiction picture. So color me excited.
Dark Horse: Joss Whedon (Friday, Ballroom 20 5:30-6:30)
This is Joss Whedon we’re talking about. The man put together one of my favorite X-Men story arcs of recent years (Astonishing X-Men). He brought Katherine Pryde and Piotr Rasputin together. He’s practically a nerdy god in my eyes. So why wouldn’t I pop into a panel and find out what he’ll be doing in the comic world next? If you dig his comic work, you have to go to this.
Cartoon Network: Adventure Time (Saturday, Room 6A 11:15-12:15)
“Adventure Time” is easily one of the smartest cartoon shows to pop up on television in the past couple of years. It’s cute and absolutely hilarious. There’ll be a lot of new clips to show, so check out the show if you haven’t seen it before. It’ll be awesome!
Warner Bros/Legendary Pictures (Saturday, Hall H 2:30-5:00)
This year Warner Bros is bringing in some monster movies including Guillermo del Toro’s “Pacific Rim,” “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and “Man of Steel.” There’s currently no specifics listed for “Man of Steel” so here’s hoping we at least get a full length trailer. And we must admit though, we really wish they would have brought both Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch in Hall H. Everyone in there would literally explode because we all love “Sherlock.”
Marvel Studios: Iron Man 3 (Saturday, Hall H 6:00-7:00)
Come on, this is “Iron Man 3” we’re talking about. Jon Favreau and company have brought the house down with “Iron Man” and “Iron Man 2” at Comic-Con. So this time around Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige is ending Saturday with one of the most popular Avengers once again. Perhaps we’ll finally find out what’s up the Iron Patriot look-a-like with the new footage they show us.
BBC America’s Doctor Who (Sunday, Hall H 12:30-1:30)
The Doctor! He’s back at Comic-Con and we’re desperate to find out what Steven Moffat has planned for the 11th Doctor and his companion this season. Will we see footage of the new companion? What will happen to Amy and Rory? How badly will we all cry when that time comes? We hope some of these questions will be answered at the panel. Fingers crossed!
Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot more panels I’d like to see. I just don’t happen to own a time-turner in order to attend all the panels I want and soak up The Floor at the same time.
Anything missing from our lists? Let us know in the comments section below and we’ll do our best to get you some coverage!