San Diego Comic-Con returns to the San Diego Convention Center and surrounding area. Saturdayās programming schedule has been revealed. Below are the panels I am most looking forward to attending, but once Comic-Com commences, who knows where the day may take me, especially this day with too many panels that I want to see happening at the same time or overlapping.
Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall – 10:00am – 11:00am – Room 6A
When the mysterious behemoth known only as Bane frees Batman’s entire rogues gallery from Arkham Asylum, the Caped Crusader is pushed to his mental and physical breaking point. Rick Morales (supervising producer), Jim Krieg (producer), and Michael Mando (voice of Bane), along with other members of the creative team, discuss the multi-part animated event from Warner Bros. Animation, DC Studios, and Warner Home Entertainment, bringing to life one of the most iconic sagas in Batman comics. Based on characters from DC and the DC comic book event Batman: Knightfall by Doug Moench, Chuck Dixon, Alan Grant, Dennis O’Neil, Peter David, Jo Duffy, Jim Aparo, Graham Nolan, Norm Breyfogle, and Jim Balent.
Buy Batman: Knightfall Part 1: KnightfallThis landmark Batman story is getting the animated treatment. Am curious to see what’s in store for Part 1.
Dark Horse: Usagi Yojimbo – 12:30pm – 1:30pm – Room 24ABC
The wandering rabbit ronin takes center stage as Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo) discusses 40+ years of creating his beloved comic book series. From past adventures to new horizons, Jared Cullum (Kodi) and Zack Rosenberg (T.S. Hullabaloo) join Sakai for a conversation moderated by Justin Eisinger (editor-in-chief, Dogu Publishing; It Rhymes with Takei).
Buy Usagi Yojimbo Saga Volume 1 (Second Edition)Can’t wait to learn what Mr. Sakai has in store in these aforementioned “new horizons.” Once the audience questions start, I’ll be heading to…
The Comic Art of David Lynch – 1:00pm – 2:00pm – Room 11
Iconic director David Lynch is best known for his films and Twin Peaks, but he was also an accomplished artist, including in the comic arts. Comics creator Matt Haley (unpublished Twin Peaks season 3 graphic novel), author and former Los Angeles Reader editor Dan Barton, author and professor Michael Dooley, and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s Jeff Trexler discuss Lynch’s comics and cartoons, connections to comics in Lynch’s films, and Lynch’s influence on comics, manga, anime, and fandom. From The Angriest Dog in the World and the animated web series Dumbland to the quest for justice in a creative multiverse, the panel examines what can be learned from Lynch’s dreams.
Buy David Lynch: The Art Life (Criterion Collection)Good to see the late David Lynch’s art celebrated. Hope someone is collecting and publishing The Angriest Dog in the World
Spotlight on Frank Miller – 3:00pm – 4:00pm – Room 6DE
Comic-Con special guest and legendary cartoonist Frank Miller, one of the most important comic book creators of the last half-century, returns to San Diego to discuss his new masterclass memoir, Push the Wall, and share a lifetime of creative wisdom and knowledge with fans. Attendees get a glimpse of Miller’s life story, including how he went from a 19-year-old Vermonter freshly arrived in 1970s New York to becoming an innovative comic book artist and writer who reimagined Daredevil and Wolverine, rescued and reimagined Batman, and created original characters.
Buy Push the Wall: My Life, Writing, Drawing, and the Art of StorytellingA controversial figure but no denying the impact he has had on the medium and industry. AM curious to learn more about the man and his book.
Jack Kirby’s Greatest Villains – 3:30pm – 4:30pm – Room 26AB
Tracy Kirby and Jeremy Kirby (Kirby family) join Rand Hoppe (Kirby Museum), Mark Evanier (former Kirby assistant), Bruce Simon (cartoonist), Mark Badger (artist and teacher), and Roy Schwartz (pop culture historian and journalist) in a discussion of Jack Kirby’s greatest villains, including Dr. Doom, Darkseid, and Galactus, illustrated with archival slides from the Jack Kirby Museum.
Buy Kirby: King of Comics: Anniversary EditionHail to the King, baby! Always good to take a moment to spend some time honoring Jack.
Marvel Studios Hall H Presentation – 5:30pm – 6:30pm – Hall H
Marvel Studios’ Hall H presentation features Kevin Feige and special guests from across the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with a look at what’s next from Marvel Studios.
Buy The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic UniverseSurely, there won’t be anything as earth-shattering as the last year’s reveal of Robert Downey Jr. playing Doom, but got to be some little taste of Avengers: Doomsday.
A Look Back at Animated Series from the ’80s – 6:30pm – 7:30pm – Room 7AB
Writers from favorite 1980s cartoon series recount fond memories and painful war stories about the shows that shaped childhood, including Karen Willson (Dink the Dinosaur, She-Ra), Craig Miller (The Real Ghostbusters, Curious George), Buzz Dixon (G.I. Joe, Transformers), Brooks Wachtel (Dinosaucers, Super Mario Brothers), and John Semper, Jr. (Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Static Shock).
Buy He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: The Complete Original SeriesI watched cartoons on TV in the early ’80s. Didn’t pay attention in the latter half after I graduated high school. Will be a fun combo of revisiting and learning.
What Might Have Been: Lost Disney – 7:00pm – 8:00pm – Room 23ABC
Danielle Kelly and Ian Wilson (I Love Disney’s Magic Kingdom, I Love EPCOT) explore some of the most fascinating unrealized projects and little-known chapters in Disney history. From ambitious transportation systems and resort concepts to surprising connections beyond the theme parks, Kelly and Wilson examine ideas that never came to fruition and the stories behind them. Drawing from their research for the forthcoming The Lost History of Disney, they discuss how these forgotten plans continue to shape Disney’s legacy.
Buy I Love Disney’s Magic KingdomGoing to close the day with some Disney trivia.
