Geekscape Roundtable: What We’re Looking Forward To At SDCC – Panels!
With San Diego Comic-Con just a few days away, everyone here at Geekscape is getting prepared for our biggest convention ever. As always, there will be more to see and do in San Diego this week than is humanly possible, so each of us has been scouring the schedules and deciding exactly what is most important to us while we’re there.
While deciding what we need to do and see, and what we’d be okay with missing, we thought that we’d include all of you in the fun as well. Here’s part three of our pre-SDCC round table, where we share the panels that we’re most looking forward to at San Diego Comic-Con.
Thursday
How to Get News Coverage for Small Press Publishers
What makes the difference between an item that will get news coverage, previews, or interviews, and what doesn’t? Many publishers have no idea what to submit to the press, how to submit it, and why they are being overlooked for coverage. Comic journalist Rik Offenberger (First Comics News, Archie Comics) moderates this panel on just what it takes to get coverage, with the comic journalists themselves telling you what they are looking for in your submission. Panelists include (in alphabetical order) Albert Ching (Newsarama), Glenn Hauman (Comic Mix), Holly Golightly (BroadSword Comics), Rich Johnston (Bleeding Cool), Alan Kistler (Comic Mix), Heidi MacDonald (The Beat), Chris Squires (Buckley Radio), Tanya Tate (First Comics News), Chris Thompson (First Comics News), J. C. Vaughn (The Scoop), Josh Waldrop (M1W Entertainment), and Bryan Young (Huffington Post, Big Shiny Robot). Find out what it takes to self-promote and make a significant impact on your ability to sell your comic.
Thursday July 18, 2013 10:30am – 11:30am
Room 8
Lame, we know. I (Derek) am always on the lookout for a new learning experience, and if that experience can help better Geekscape and the content it features, why wouldn’t I be in attendance?
Video Games to Movies: Is the Golden Age Upon Us?
11:00am – 12:00pm Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
Join some of the top industry professionals as they discuss the challenges, opportunities and the future of what many are calling the next dominant supplier of franchise films to the studios: Video Game-based movies! Are we in for the long anticipated “Golden Age” of video game to movie adaptations? Expect surprises and a glimpse into what is on the horizon for some of the biggest video game characters/franchises as they begin their journey towards the silver screen! Panelists include Adrian Askarieh (Hitman, Agent 47), Tim Miller (Blur Studios, attached to direct Deadpool feature), Justin Marks (producer, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li), Patrick J O’Brien (VP of EA Entertainment, currently developing films based on Need for Speed, Dead Space, Mass Effect and Dante’s Inferno), C. Robert Cargill (Sinister, Dreams and Shadows, Queen of Dark Things, Deus X), and moderator Ben Fritz of The Wall Street Journal.
Our buddy, Adrian Askarieh was on the show a few weeks ago to talk video game movies and had a bit of insight on the direction that Hollywood is headed. If he’s half as knowledgeable on this panel as he was on Geekscape, this one is a must. Plus, you get to find out if that Deadpool movie is ever really going to happen!
Batman: Arkham Origins
Witness the next installment in the blockbuster videogame franchise. Developed by WB Games Montréal, Batman: Arkham Origins features an expanded Gotham City and introduces an original prequel storyline set several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City. Taking place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous criminals, the game showcases a young and unrefined Batman as he faces a defining moment in his early career as a crimefighter that sets his path to becoming the Dark Knight. As the story unfolds, players will meet many important characters for the first time and forge key relationships. Get the latest reveals from a panel headed by WB Games Montréal creative director Eric Holmes and actors Roger Craig Smith (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and Troy Baker (The Last of Us, Bioshock Infinite), the voices of Batman and the Joker, respectively. Batman: Arkham Origins will be released worldwide on October 25.
Thursday July 18, 2013 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Room 6BCF
Considering we don’t know if this game is going to stand up to the previous two or by a shadow of the franchise’s former self, this panel may be a must for those of us who want answers… and we DO want answers! Next to GTAV, this is my most anticipated game left this year. I’ll be damned if I have to wait until October 25th to get my fix in!
Vertigo: Defy
Vertigo is ready to blow your mind with the next wave of trend-setting comics! From horror to mythic fiction to sci-fi and beyond, see what amazing new ideas are coming your way from the imprint that’s on a mission to defy all your expectations! With Mark Buckingham (Fables), Jeff Lemire (Trillium), Scott Snyder (American Vampire, The Wake), and others.
Thursday July 18, 2013 5:45pm – 6:45pm
Room 6DE
I’m a sucker for Syder and Lemire. Snyder’s The Wake is one of my favourite new miniseries, and I can’t wait to see what happens next! I own nearly all of Lemire’s books, and Trillium looks absolutely badass. I couldn’t possibly miss an opportunity to hear the two talking about their next projects!
Friday
ElfQuest: 35 Years of Pointed Ears
Wendy and Richard Pini (ElfQuest, Masque of the Red Death), Paula Rhodes and Stephanie Thorpe (ElfQuest-A Fan Imagining), and Rob Beschizza (managing editor at Boing Boing) celebrate three and a half decades of “the first American manga” and longest-running fantasy graphic novel series. Even if you’ve followed ElfQuest from the beginning, prepare to be surprised by what’s planned as the story builds to its most ambitious chapter yet, Final Quest. Plus, meet ElfQuest’s newest partners in the worlds of publishing, licensing, and even academia in a visual presentation followed by Q&A.
Friday July 19, 2013 6:30pm – 7:45pm
Room 8
I don’t know if I’ve used Geekscape as a forum for discussing my intense ElfQuest fandom before… but I’m a pretty intense ElfQuest fan. I have one panel that I’d like to attend on Friday and this is it! After accosting Stephanie Thorpe at a party 2 months ago and cross-examining her about the latest news on ElfQuest, I’ve had to wait for this panel to get my true answers! If you’re a wolf rider like I am, you’ll be there Friday night!
Saturday
A&E Bates Motel
The Bates Motel is open for business in San Diego! Executive producers Carlton Cuse (Lost) and Kerry Ehrin (Friday Night Lights) will release new footage from the highly acclaimed A&E drama series Bates Motel exclusively for Comic Con attendees. The executive producers will be joined by the cast, including Academy Award nominee Vera Farmiga (Norma Bates), Freddie Highmore (Norman Bates), Max Thieriot (Dylan), Olivia Cooke (Emma), and Nestor Carbonell (Sheriff Alex Romero) to discuss the show’s unique backstory and creation. Fans will get an opportunity to hear more about season 2, debuting in 2014 on A&E, and will have a chance to ask the cast and creators questions during a Q&A. Moderated by Tim Stack from Entertainment Weekly.
Saturday July 20, 2013 10:00am – 11:00am
Room 6A
Want to know the one thing I didn’t love about the first season of Bates Motel? How damned short it was. Sure, there’s a season two in the works, but it won’t premiere until well (well) into 2014! To have a chance to see new footage, as well as hear directly from the creators and actors, is an opportunity that I do not want to miss!
Jay Glatfelter and Jack Glatfelter (Jay and Jack TV, The Married Man Show) and special guests get lost in TV talk. The co-hosts of the popular Lost Podcast with Jay and Jack discuss Lost three years after the airing of its finale, as well as other TV shows that have filled the void, such as Once Upon a Time, Person of Interest, Game of Thrones, Justified, and many more.
Saturday July 20, 2013 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Room 29A
Of course, my second most anticipated panel is LOST Podcast and Beyond. There are other bigger panels on my list, but in terms of actually being able to get into the likes of Hall H or Ballroom 20 without feeling guilty for missing other panels is a different story.
Behind the Scenes with Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead Game Series
Join Robert Kirkman (Creator of The Walking Dead comic series) and Telltale Game’s Dan Connors (Telltale Games, CEO) and Kevin Bruner (Telltale Games, President and CTO) as they discuss the inspiration behind developing the critically-acclaimed game series. Along with PlayStation’s Don Mesa (Director of Product Planning & Platform Software Innovation, SCEA), the team will walk fans through the origins of the game, reveal details on exciting new gameplay features exclusive to PlayStation Vita and include a little sneak peek on what’s to come for next chapter of The Walking Dead game series. A moderated by Greg Miller (Executive Editor, IGN).
Saturday July 20, 2013 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Room 23ABC
You know full well how much all of us at Geekscape love Telltale’s The Walking Dead. Having just finished the 400 Days DLC, we’re hungry for more. This panel is set to include what is bound to be a very exciting origin story about the series, as well as a sneak peek of season two? Yes please.
Batman: The Animated Series Turns 21
Pop the champagne! The landmark television production Batman: The Animated Series turns 21 this year. Spend an hour with the creative core of this groundbreaking series — Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Alan Burnett, and Eric Radomski — as they recollect the dynamics of crafting a series that would have a resounding influence on Dark Knight properties — and the entire animated television landscape — for two decades and counting.
Saturday July 20, 2013 5:45pm – 6:45pm
Room 6DE
Aside from the few video game panels I want to attend, (Arkham Origins, Splinter Cell: Blacklist), I’m incredibly excited for Batman: The Animated Series Turns 21. While the series is almost as old as I am, I’m tempted to show up to the panel with the handmade cape my mom gave me when I was three years old.
Lion Forge Comics Fall Lineup: Knight Rider, AirWolf, Saved by the Bell, Punky Brewster, Miami Vice, and more!
Some of your all-time favorite TV shows from the ’80s are coming to comics with Lion Forge! Joining the event will be creators Joe Philips (Doctor Who), Rick Burchett (Lady Saber), Carl Reed (Lion Forge), Lorenzo Lizana (Lion Forge), Brandon Easton (Thundercats), Joelle Sellner (Jackie Chan Adventures), Geoff Thorne (Leverage), Jonathan London (Geekscape), Shannon Denton (DC/WildStorm), Flex Alexander (Snakes on a Plane), David Gorden (Bulletproof Knights), and some surprise guests.
Saturday July 20, 2013 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Room 26AB
This is it, the panel in which we talk about our brand new Lion Forge comics! I’ll be on stage talking about Miami Vice with my editor Shannon Denton and the creative teams behind the rest of the great Lion Forge Fall Lineup, including recent Geekscape guest Brandon Easton! If you want the down low on the digital comics downloads, look no further than this panel! We might even give away some free stuff!
Well, that’s it! I’m sure we’ll be slipping into other panels as the days go by, but everything you see above is definitely worth waiting in line for. We’re all getting unbelievably excited for the convention, and can’t wait to see you all there!
Don’t forget to visit Geekscape all throughout the week at booth #3919!
