FINALLY, A GOOD REASON TO GO TO COMIC CON

Have you been waffling about going to San Diego Comic Con this year?* Sure, you’re thinking, I could go to Con and meet actors and comic creators, be among the first to see footage from upcoming exciting movies, fill the holes in my collections of geek crap for only moderately gouged prices and possibly finally have a chance to have sexual relations with a 400 pound woman in a Slave Leia outfit in a handicapped restroom… but none of that is quite enough. Here’s the news that will put you right over the edge and decide to drop a lot of money on tickets to the show: I’ll be in a panel there.

A Peek at Thursday, July 26

12:30-2:00 The Many Faces Of The Graphic Novel—Graphic Novels come in many shapes, sizes, and formats, and they’ve been written about almost every topic under the sun! Six creators whose work explores very different aspects of the medium—Jeffrey Brown (Clumsy), Becky Cloonan (East Coast Rising), Renee French (The Ticking), Jim Ottaviani (Cowboys, Bone Sharps, and Thunder Lizards), Andy Runton (Owly), and Doug TenNapel (Creature Tech)—come together to discuss the diversity of the form and the innovative places that the graphic novel is going with moderator Mark Siegel (First Second Books). Room 4

1:30-3:30 Paramount Pictures—Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies present a bold new vision for the future of adventure. Join us for a one-of-a-kind presentation put together just for the fans at Comic-Con as we look at such highly-anticipated films as Beowulf, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Stardust, Hot Rod, Iron Man, and the next installments of Indiana Jones and Star Trek, plus a few surprises. Appearing in person: JJ Abrams, Robert Downey Jr., Jon Favreau, Neil Gaiman, Roger Avary and SNL’s Andy Samberg. Hall H

2:00-3:00 Bongo Comics Sneak Peek—Bongo Comics offers a mouth-watering preview of upcoming projects featuring The Simpsons and Futurama. Managing editor Terry Delegeane and creative director Bill Morrison will host a panel featuring the writers and artists who create the comics and books based on Matt Groening’s phenomenal TV shows. Find out what’s in the future for Futurama Comics and what to expect in Simpsons Comics and Simpsons Super Spectacular. Plus, Thomas Lennon (Reno 911), Tone Rodriguez (Violent Messiahs), and Gerry Duggan (The Last Christmas) will be on hand to talk about their terrifying contributions to this year’s star-studded issue of Bart Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror! This is a ”must-attend” panel for all fans of The Simpsons and Futurama, and anyone looking for a place to sit down! Room 3

2:15-3:15 BBC America: Torchwood—Writer Russell T. Davies (Doctor Who) has created a spectacular spin-off TV series from Doctor Who with Torchwood, about a rogue team of investigators who use scavenged alien technology to solve present day crime—both alien and human. Catch an extended clip of the new series and a panel discussion with actors John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness); Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper); series writer Chris Chibnall; and executive producer Julie Gardner. TV Guide’s West Coast Bureau Chief Craig Tomashoff moderates. Room 6A

2:30-4:00 Sergio & Mark: Groo’s 25th— It’s hard to believe, but it’s been 25 years since Sergio Aragonés’ Groo first wandered into our lives. Many issues and seemingly just as many publishers later, Groo is still hale and hearty. Join creator Sergio Aragonés, colorist Tom Luth, letterer Stan Sakai, plus a Groo editor or two, along with Mark Evanier, whose involvement with the character remains a mystery to all of us. Room 8

3:00-4:00 Fletcher Hank: The Ed Wood of Comics?— Welcome to the bizarre world of Fletcher Hanks, Super Wizard of the inkwell. Hanks worked for only three years in the earliest days of the comic book industry and then … disappeared. Genius? Nutcase? Visonary? All of the above? Cartoonist Paul Karasik (co-adapter of Paul Auster’s City of Glass), has spent years tracking down these obscure buried stories and collected them in, I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets: The Comics of Fletcher Hanks. But he saved one of the weirdest to present at this lecture. Hanks is the greatest Golden Age cartoonist that you never heard of … until now. Visit www.fletcherhanks.com for more information. Room 10

4:00-5:00 Popeye: Well Blow Me Down!—The most popular sailor in animation history is coming to DVD nearly 75 years after his Silver Screen debut. The classic Popeye animated shorts on Popeye The Sailor 1933-1938 Volume 1 made Popeye, Olive Oyl and Bluto national pop icons and have been demanded by fans for generations. Panelists include Frank Caruso and Stephen DeStefano, both having worked on Popeye for years from King Features Syndicate, film historian Jerrry Beck and others. Room 6B

4:45-5:45 Mondo Marvel—2007 has already been a major turning point for all things Marvel! Join Marvel creators and editors and special guests as they discuss World War Hulk, Annihilation: Conquest, and all things Marvel! Room 6A

4:45-5:45 Spotlight on George Romero—George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead) is the undisputed master of zombie genre films and Max Brooks (World War Z, Zombie Survival Guide) has written the best selling zombie novels. Join these two titans of the undead as Max sits down for a personal interview with George talking about everything zombies! Room 6CDEF

5:00-6:00 Random House: Flight/Postcards—Meet some of the most creative minds in graphic novels today, including Joshua Hale Fialkov (Elk’s Run), Kazu Kibuishi (Flight), Mike Knapp (Out of Picture), Vincent Nguyen (Out of Picture), Jason Rodriguez (Postcards: True Stories That Never Happened), as well as Villard editors Chris Schluep and Dallas Middaugh. Villard, an imprint that has positioned itself on the leading edge of popular culture, is quickly expanding its graphic novel offering with critically acclaimed anthologies and original content. Join these creators for a Q&A session and also hear the latest news from Villard. Room 10

5:00-6:30 Lost Season 4— If the Lost finale was any indication of things to come, you will not want to miss this panel! Co-creator/executive producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer Carlton Cuse will discuss the exciting new season of ABC’s Lost, all leading up to the ultimate series finale. They’ll spotlight bonus features from the 3rd season DVD box set, preview the new Lost video game, take questions from the audience and perhaps serve up more surprises. Ballroom 20

6:00-7:00 100 Manga Magazines in 60 Minutes—In Japan, manga is published in massive weekly, biweekly and monthly manga magazines, which fit every imaginable category: shojo to shonen, science fiction to horror, moe to yaoi, children’s to adult. Join Jason Thompson (Manga: The Complete Guide) on a visual tour of the manga world, its industry secrets and future trends! Room 4

6:00-7:00 DC Group Therapy: Leagues, Legions, Societies, and Teens!—The DCU is home to the world’s greatest super-heroes, and they have banded together in teams with one common goal in mind: Justice. Whether they’re rambunctious teenagers from the future, WWII veterans teaching a new generation, the super-powered elite, or the sidekicks who have forged their own way, they are one of the DCU’s greatest assets. Join an important panel featuring the best teams that define heroism in the DC universe. Geoff Johns (Teen Titans, Justice Society of America), Sean McKeever (Teen Titans), Gail Simone (Birds of Prey); and Tony Bedard (Supergirl and The Legion of Superheroes) will be teamed with senior VP/executive editor DCU Dan DiDio, group editor Eddie Berganza, senior editor Mike Marts and editor Mike Siglain to bring you teamwork as you have never experienced before. Room 6A

8:30-10:30 World Premiere! Superman Doomsday—Superman is dead? Or is he? All will be revealed at Comic-Con’s world premiere of DC Comics, Warner Bros. Home Video, and Warner Bros. Animation’s Superman Doomsday. It’s the highly anticipated first DC Universe made-for-DVD release presented by Warner Premiere and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Inspired by the best-selling graphic novel of all time, Superman Doomsday is the epic tale of heroism and tragedy, sacrifice and redemption. The film is rated PG-13 for action violence. The film stars Adam Baldwin (Serenity, Chuck) as Superman, Anne Heche (Men in Trees) as Lois Lane, and James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as Lex Luthor. DC Comics’ Gregory Novek will moderate the post-premiere panel of executive producer/director/writer Bruce Timm (Justice League Unlimited, Batman: The Animated Series); directors Brandon Vietti (Legion of Super Heroes) and Lauren Montgomery (Legion of Super Heroes); writer Duane Capizzi (The Batman) and, quite possibly, members of the voice cast. And stay ‘til the end—there might just be a glimpse of future DC Universe films. Ballroom 20

A Peek at Friday, July 27

10:30-11:30 Image Comics: The Founders—Jim Lee, Erik Larsen, Mark Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and maybe even a surprise guest panelist or two, reunite for Image’s remarkable 15th anniversary. Join the conversation as we explore Image Comics’ beginnings, impact, and future in the comics industry. Moderated by George Khoury (author of Image Comics: The Road to Independence from TwoMorrow Books). Room 5AB
10:30-11:30 Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 1—Join three of Disney • Pixar’s most talented filmmakers, Ralph Eggelston, Oscar-winning director of For the Birds, Andrew Jimenez, Oscar-nominated co-director of One Man Band and Gary Rydstrom, director of Pixar’s newest animated Oscar-nominated short, Lifted, for a discussion about the studio’s acclaimed short films with a Q&A session to follow. Room 6CDEF

12:30-1:30 Terry Moore: SIP RIP—Last month Terry Moore brought his Eisner award-winning series, Strangers In Paradise, to an end with issue 90 and closed a chapter in comic book history. Now readers in eleven languages around the world are scrambling to read the conclusion to this epic series as the final trade paperbacks, pocketbooks and hardcovers hit the market. So what now? If you think the cartoonist plans to retire and polish his many awards, think again! Find out what’s next when Terry reveals his plans for the future and his next series! Room 3

12:45-1:45 Sony Pictures Television/Kids’ WB: The Spectacular Spider-Man—Get an early look at the stunning art direction and exciting storylines within the renowned web-slinger’s newest animated adventures in The Spectacular Spider-Man, a Culver Entertainment production coming to Kids’ WB! on The CW in early 2008. Michael Vogel from Sony Pictures Television Animation will moderate a panel headed by supervising producer Greg Weisman (Gargoyles), producer/supervising director Victor Cook (Hellboy: Blood and Iron), character designer Sean “Cheeks” Galloway (Hellboy animated films), Marvel senior VP of creative development-animation Craig Kyle, and the newest voice of Spider-Man, Josh Keaton (The Young & The Restless). Room 6CDEF

1:15-2:15 Stargate Atlantis—The Stargate legacy continues to burn bright on SCI FI with the fourth original season of Atlantis. Amanda Tapping, one of the most beloved stars in the Stargate universe, travels to the Pegasus galaxy to join the Atlantis cast by reprising her role as television’s favorite astrophysicist, Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter. Taking the torch from SG-1 as television’s most thrilling adventure series, Atlantis promises to up the ante this season by introducing a powerful new race, welcoming new cast members and mourning the loss of some beloved friends. Featuring panelists Amanda Tapping, (Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter); David Hewlett (Dr. Rodney McKay); Joe Mallozzi, executive producer/writer; Nora O’Brien, VP, original programming, SCI FI; Charlie Cohen, senior executive VP, MGM Studios; and Robert Cooper, executive producer/writer. Moderated by Gary Jones (Chief Master Sergeant Walter Harriman, Stargate SG-1). Ballroom 20

1:30-2:30 Kill Your Darlings—Writers of mystery and suspense discuss the satisfaction in (fictionally) killing victims who provide the world with a wealth of suspects and alibis through their daily behavior. Try not to draw the authors’ attention as F. Paul Wilson (Repairman Jack novels); David Morrell (Captain America: The Chosen); Max Allan Collins (A Killing in Comics); Richard Morgan (TH1TRE3N); Josh Conviser (Echelon); Joe Schreiber (Chasing the Dead) and Elizabeth Forrest (At Twilight’s Fall) plan their next victims. Moderated by Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy. Room 4

2:00-3:30 Marvel in the 60s and 70s—The Marvel Age of Comics was a magical time for both the people who created the books and those of us who read them. Mark Evanier talks to Roy Thomas (Avengers, Conan); Gary Friedrich (Sgt. Fury, Ghost Rider); Gene Colan (Daredevil, Tomb of Dracula); Dick Ayers (Sgt. Fury, Fantastic Four); Mike Ploog (Ghost Rider, Monster of Frankenstein); and Magazine Management’s David George, about that magical Marvelous era. Room 8

2:15-3:00 New Line Cinema: Shoot ‘Em Up—A gritty, fast-paced action thriller, Shoot ‘Em Up kicks into high gear with a memorable opening scene and never relents. New Line Cinema will show exclusive footage from Shoot ‘Em Up and star Clive Owen, along with director Michael Davis, will be there to discuss their new film! Also included in the presentation will be a special preview of New Line Cinema’s upcoming films including The Golden Compass. Hall H

2:30-3:30 Legacy of Will Eisner—Even after his death, Will Eisner’s legacy continues with the same intensity that marked his long and remarkable career. A major motion picture adaptation of The Spirit, new Spirit comic books and archival collections from DC Comics, new collections of Eisner’s influential graphic novels from W. W. Norton, theatrical adaptations, art exhibitions and a never-before-published textbook are among the many projects in the works. Discussing the wide range of activity are Will’s widow Ann Eisner, writer/artist Darwyn Cooke (DC Comics’s Will Eisner’s The Spirit), and movie producers Michael Uslan and Deborah Del Prete. Moderated by Eisner’s long-time publisher, art and literary agent Denis Kitchen. Room 4

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

5:30-6:30 Scott McCloud and Family—Join award-winning comics artist and author Scott McCloud (Making Comics) and his whole family as they recap an incredible year on the road, meeting thousands of comics artists and fans, and seeing all 50 states, plus Canada, England and Spain! Want to know the state of American comics in 2007? The Clan McCloud has all the answers! Room 5AB

6:00-7:00 Babylon 5: The Lost Tales—Created by J. Michael Straczynski in 1993, Babylon 5 became an sf cult fan favorite and a top rated show. Now in 2007, you are being taken to 2271 A.D. for Babylon 5: The Lost Tales, a made-for-video movie. See footage from the movie with a panel to follow. Panelists include writer/director/executive producer J. Michael Straczynski, and members from the original cast including Bruce Boxleitner (President John Sheridan), Tracy Scoggins (Captain Elizabeth Lochley) and Peter Woodward (Galen) as well as executive producer Douglas Netter and producer Samm Barnes. Room 6CDEF

6:15-7:45 Kevin Smith—He’s back and this time not even traffic can stop him! Comic-Con favorite Kevin Smith holds court in another of his no-holds-barred Q&A sessions, talking about just anything he damn well pleases. Hall H

7:15-9:00 Doctor Strange World Premiere Screening and Panel—Lionsgate and Marvel Studios present the world premiere of the newest Marvel Animated Feature, Doctor Strange with a film screening and Q&A panel featuring Marvel’s senior VP of creative development animation, Craig Kyle, plus members of the cast and production team. Room 6CDEF
8:30-11:30 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards— The 19th annual Eisner Awards, the “Oscars” of the comics industry, will be given out by celebrity presenters, including Reno 911’s Tom Lennon and Ben Garant, comedian Brian Posehn, cartoon voice actor Maurice LeMarche, and author Neil Gaiman. Other prestigious awards to be given out include the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award and the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award. The master of ceremonies is Bongo Comics’ Bill Morrison. Admission to the Eisners is free to all Comic-Con attendees—just be sure to bring your badge. Doors open for pros and VIPs at 7:30 and for attendees at 8:15. Ballroom 20

A Peek at Saturday, July 28

9:15-10:15 Special Early Screening: Pushing Daisies—Get to Comic-Con early to see this exclusive screening of one of Fall’s most eagerly anticipated new shows! The stars and creators, including executive producer/creator Bryan Fuller (Heroes), of this new series—about an ordinary guy who can bring people back from the dead with the touch of his finger—come together to screen the Pushing Daisies pilot and answer fan questions. Produced by The Jinks/Cohen Company in association with Warner Bros. Television, Pushing Daisies will air Wednesdays at 8 PM ET/PT this fall on ABC. Room 6CDEF

10:45-12:00 The Simpsons–Having just aired its 400th episode, The Simpsons has now released its first feature film. Join members of the team responsible for both and find out how they did it, including Matt Groening (creator and executive producer); Al Jean, executive producer/head writer); David Mirkin (former executive producer); Matt Selman (executive producer); Michael Price (co-executive producer); David Silverman (director of The Simpsons Movie); Matt Warburton (supervising producer); Don Payne (consulting producer); and Yeardley Smith (voice of Lisa Simpson). Moderated by Bill Morrison. Hall H

11:30-12:30 Newspaper Editorial Cartoonists—MSNBC.com’s Daryl Cagle moderates a panel of eight top newspaper political cartoonists who will discuss their own work and the state of the editorial cartooning profession where interest in politics, world events and the work of political cartoonists is exploding as the newspaper industry is shrinking. Featuring panelists Steve Breen (Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist for the San Diego Union-Tribune); Mr. Fish (AKA Dwayne Booth, LA Weekly and Village Voice); Patrick O’Connor (Los Angeles Daily News); Monte Wolverton (syndicated editorial cartoonist, Mad Magazine artist and son of legendary cartoonist Basil Wolverton); Brian Fairrington syndicated editorial cartoonist, co-editor of the annual Best Political Cartoons of the Year books); Lalo Alcaraz (syndicated editorial cartoonist, LA Weekly, and the syndicated comic strip La Cucaracha); and Steve Kelley (New Orleans Times-Picayune). Room 4

12:45-2:00 Heroes: Exclusive Volume II Clip and Q&A—Heroes chronicles the lives of ordinary people who discover they possess extraordinary abilities. Be the first to see an exclusive clip from Volume II and learn more about the DVD, Heroes 360 and more. Moderated by co-executive producer/comic book writer Jeph Loeb, participate in a Q&A session with creator Tim Kring; comic book artist Tim Sale (Batman: The Long Halloween); and the entire cast—Jack Coleman (H.R.G.); Noah Gray-Cabey (Micah Sanders); Greg Grunberg (Matt Parkman); Ali Larter (Niki Sanders); James Kyson Lee (Ando); Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura); Hayden Panettiere (Claire Bennet); Adrian Pasdar (Nathan Petrelli); Zachary Quinto (Sylar); Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder Suresh); Dania Ramirez (Maya); Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli); and more. Ballroom 20

1:30-2:30 Great American Comic Strips—We’re living in the Golden Age of comic strip reprints and this panel discusses the many ongoing series of books devoted to this great American art form. Moderator Tom Spurgeon (comicsreporter.com) talks to Eric Reynolds of Fantagraphics Books (Peanuts, Krazy Kat, Popeye and the upcoming Pogo); Carolyn Kelly, daughter of Pogo creator Walt Kelly; Tom Devlin of Drawn and Quarterly (Walt and Skeezix, Moomin, Oh Skin-nay); Bruce Canwell of IDW (Terry and the Pirates, Dick Tracy, Little Orphan Annie); Steve Tippie, VP, marketing and licensing, Tribune Media Services; Charles Pelto of Classic Comics Press (Mary Perkins On Stage, Dondi); and noted comics historian and author R. C. Harvey (Meanwhile…A Biography of Milton Caniff, Creator of Terry and the Pirates and Steve Canyon), about the sudden growth of high-quality, completely chronological reprints and the art of the American comic strip. Room 4

3:30-4:30 Simplicity: The Life and Art of Alex Toth—Featured for the first time will be the exclusive screening of the documentary Simplicity: The Life and Art of Alex Toth. The documentary will show what made Alex such a unique and beloved artist. Following the screening will be a brief panel discussion featuring the appearance of Mark Chiarello, Ruben Procopio, Toth’s children as well as documentary producers Alex Gray and Jon Mefford. Room 3

4:00-5:00 Two Rays: Bradbury and Harryhausen—Two of the living legends of science fiction and fantasy reunite in this Comic-Con exclusive event! Author Ray Bradbury and filmmaker Ray Harryhausen share a life-long friendship and passionate interest in all things fantastic. Joining them are Bradbury biographer Sam Weller and Harryhausen friend Arnold Kunert. Room 6CDEF

4:45-5:45 Dark Horse Presents: Joss Whedon—With the hugely successful release of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 for Dark Horse Comics, Joss Whedon (Fray, Astonishing X-Men) talks about picking up where the TV series left off, his other projects as well as future plans and possibly even a few surprises. A sneak peek from the upcoming Serenity—Collector’s Edition DVD will be shown. Ballroom 20

6:30-7:30 Smallville Screening and Q&A – Comic-Con favorite Smallville returns with an all-new screening and Q&A, featuring executive producers Al Gough and Miles Millar (both from Spider-Man 2) and cast members. Special appearance by the actress chosen to play Supergirl in the upcoming season of Smallville! Produced by Tollin/Robbins Productions, Millar/Gough Ink and Warner Bros. Television, Smallville airs Thursdays at 8 PM ET/PT on The CW. Room 6CDEF

A Peek at Sunday, July 29

10:30-11:45 Jack Kirby Tribute—Let’s face it: when it comes to comics, it’s Kirby’s World and we just live in it. 2007 has seen a bumper crop of Kirby projects including the first volume of DC’s deluxe chronological reprinting of all the Fourth World stories, a major documentary about Jack on the Fantastic Four DVD, and Mark Evanier’s upcoming art book Kirby, King of Comics. Join Evanier as he talks to Neil Gaiman, Erik Larsen, Darwyn Cooke, Mike Royer and members of the Kirby family about the lasting influence of the undisputed King of comics. Room 1AB

10:30-11:30 TOKYOPOP: The Creators—Join a diverse and talented panel of artists and authors, featuring Becky Cloonan (creator, East Coast Rising, artist, American Virgin); Brandon Graham (author, artist King City); Tricia Hale (author, Grand Theft Galaxy); David Hine (creator, Poison Candy, writer, Son of X, Daredevil, and Spawn ); Jim Pascoe (author, Undertown); and Felipe Smith (creator, MBQ), as they discuss the creation of their original and innovative TOKYOPOP manga titles. Room 2

11:30-1:00 Comics are Not Literature—For years, comics have presented themselves as a new kind of literature—but cartooning isn’t prose, and graphic novels aren’t novels. What if conflating comics with "literary" storytelling is a terrible mistake? Douglas Wolk (Reading Comics) moderates what should be a contentious discussion with Cecil Castellucci (The PLAIN Janes); Dan Nadel (PictureBox Inc.); Austin Grossman (Soon I Will Be Invincible); Paul Tobin (Spider-Man Family); and Sara Ryan (The Rules for Hearts). Room 8

12:00-1:00 My Dad Makes Comics!—What does a comics career look like from a kid’s-eye view? Find out with Sky and Winter McCloud, daughters of Scott McCloud (Making Comics); Alexa Kitchen (Drawing Comics is Easy (Except when it’s Hard)), daughter of Denis Kitchen; and Brennan Wagner, son of Matt Wagner (Grendel, Mage) discuss what it’s like living with dad, the cartoonist. Room 5AB

12:00-1:00 The 4400—Get a sneak peek of upcoming scenes from The 4400, CBS Paramount Network Television’s hit sci-fi series for USA Network, during a panel discussion led by TV Guide West Coast editor Craig Tomashoff with series stars Billy Campbell (Jordan Collier), Chad Faust (Kyle Baldwin), Megalyn Echikunwoke (Isabelle Tyler), Jenni Baird (Megan Doyle), and executive producer Ira Steven Behr (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) and supervising producer Craig Sweeny (Medium). In season four of The 4400, widespread distribution of the drug promicin has created a dangerous new world, a world in which special abilities are no longer the exclusive province of the 4400. Fifty percent of those who take the shot pay the price with their lives, while those who survive are now ostracized by a government determined to rid the world of promicin forever. Room 6CDEF

12:30-2:00 Pro/Fan Trivia Match: The Multiverse—The Purple Pros (Len Wein, creator of Wolverine ); Mark Waid (52); and two versions from parallel worlds to be named later) take on the Black Ink Irregulars: Tom Galloway, Terence Chua, David Oakes, and Hal Shipman, in a contest of trivia about the Multiverses of both DC and Marvel moderated by Keith DeCandido (Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Deathless). Room 4

12:45-1:45 Pathology—From the creators of Crank, join Pathology writer/producers Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor as they moderate a killer panel that includes film director Marc Schoelermann and participating cast members Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes), Michael Weston, Alyssa Milano and Lauren Lee Smith (scheduled to attend). Neveldine and Taylor will introduce First-Look Footage from the film exclusively for Comic-Con participants. Panel attendees have a chance to win a meet-n-greet with the Pathology panelists immediately following. Pathology is in theaters in November. Ballroom 20

1:00-2:00 Vertigo: Fables Forum—The fan favorite panel from last year returns this year with a bigger cast of characters! Fables is not just another series; it’s an institution with successful spin-offs such as Jack of Fables and graphic novels like Fables: 1001 Nights! Vertigo group editor Shelly Bond is joined by Bill Willingham (Fables, Shadowpact); Mark Buckingham (Fables); and Matthew Sturges (Jack of Fables), as they guide you trough the magic world of Fables. Room 5AB

1:00-2:30 Masters of the Web—Hosted by Tom DeSanto (Transformers, X-Men), the biggest genre and movie websites are coming together to talk about how new media has affected movie making today, what it takes to run a popular site and much more in this panel discussion and Q&A session. Participating panelists include Robert Sanchez (IESB.net); Garth Franklin (Darkhorizons.com); Berge Garabedian (Joblo.com); Patrick Lee (Scifi.com); Ed Douglas (Comingsoon.net/Superherohype.com); Brad Miska (Bloody-Disgusting.com); Steven Weintraub (Collider.com); Devin Faraci (CHUD.com); Drew McWeeney (Aintitcool.com); Paul Christensen (Movieweb.com); Kellvin Chavez (Latinoreview.com); and Eric Moro (IGN.com). Room 6A

1:30-3:00 Cover Story: Art of the Cover— They lied. You really can tell a book by its cover, and Mark Evanier is going to talk to some of the best cover artists in the comics biz about it. Join Mark along with fellow Comic-Con special guests Adam Hughes (Catwoman, Wonder Woman); Joseph Michael Linsner (Dawn); Joe Jusko (Tomb Raider, Marvel Masterpieces); Rowena (renowned fantasy cover illustrator); Matt Wagner (Grendel, Batman); J. H. Williams (Promethea), and others as they tell their own cover stories. Room 1AB

2:00-3:30 Scribe Awards Media Tie-In Writers—First annual presentation of the IAMTW "Scribe" awards, followed by a panel of nominees, including Donald Bain (Murder She Wrote); Marv Wolfman (Superman Returns); David R. George III (Star Trek Crucible: McCoy—Provenance of Shadows); Jeff Mariotte (30 Days of Night: Rumors of the Undead); Nathan Long (Warhammer: Orc Slayer); Christina York (Alias: APO: Strategic Reserve); Alice Henderson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Portal Through Time); and moderator Max Allan Collins (The Pink Panther). Andy Mangels (Star Trek: Excelsior) will present the awards. Room 5AB

2:30-4:00 Starship Smackdown™ Ultimate Episode 4: The Final Showdown—A Comic-Con favorite returns with ships, aliens, computers, robots, oh my! The original Starship Smackdown™ is back in San Diego and it’s never been smackier (or snarkier). Watch as the Enterprise battles Gort, Robby the Robot goes mano e mano with Hal 9000 and Death Star does the Klingon Empire. It’s the ultimate conflagration for the supereme winner of Starship Smackdown. Be there as we celebrate our tenth year at ComiCon. This time it’s war with our expert panel of spaceship-ologists including Robert Meyer Burnett (director, Free Enterprise); Chris Gossett (creator, The Red Star); Steve Melching (writer, Star Wars: Clone Wars, X-Men Animated, The Batman); Daren Dochterman (Hollywood conceptual designer on Get Smart, X2, Master & Commander); Jeff Bond (editor, Geek Monthly); and the Richard Dawson of the stars, moderator Mark A. Altman (producer, DOA: Dead Or Alive). It’s Starship Smackdown, Robot Rumble, Alien Armageddon and Computer Crashdown all in one 90-minute panel! Our prediction for the fight … pain! Room 2

* If so, too fucking late… at least if you intend on staying in a hotel within 30 miles of the convention center. Whole damn city is booked up.