Sunday at Comic-Con is/was “Kids Day“, time for the underrepresented of today’s comic shelf and Television listings to finally have a day to themselves. The occasional brat aside, this would be so much fun to watch. Fun kids are fun.
However, not only do Marvel and DC not take advantage of this to push Marvel Adventures and the Johnny DC line (even Boom! Kids only has one panel, exclusive to the Muppet Show comics, and none of the Disney/Pixar properties like The Incredibles), but DC is a no-show period. That is, unless you count another showing of Green Lantern: Final Flight and a panel where you sit and watch Jim Lee draw whatever he feels like (in his defense, he does go through the process so it should be interesting on that level). Marvel has something for their upcoming video games, and that’s it. This is just pathetic.
I do have to give them credit, however, for having more comic-related stuff in their schedule that I would have been led to believe. Not that most of the mainstream press is going to report on that, though. Still, here are the panels I missed out on this last day of the Con.
10:00-11:00 The Annual Jack Kirby Tribute Panel— Fifteen years ago, Jack Kirby left us, but his vision and creations live on to inspire everyone who comes into contact with his work.
Kirby is one of the biggest legends in comics. I’d have to want to see this.
10:00-11:00 The Spectacular Spider-Man— This Q&A session…highlights the animated series that hearkens back to the webslinger’s junior year in high school, when a not-so-typical 16-year-old must conceal his secret identity, endure the pressures of teenage life, and combat never-before-seen supervillains.
Robert England voices the Vulture? That has to score points somewhere. It’s a good cartoon, even if it does have Gwen Stacy.
10:00-11:00 Dr. Who— Actor David Tennant, writer/executive producer Russell T Davies, director Euros Lyn, and executive producer Julie Gardner discuss their creative process and experiences working on BBC America’s Doctor Who—television’s longest-running sci-fi series—with exclusive clips and a Q&A session.
As a Whovian, I would definitely want to check this out. On the other hand, there’s this one:
10:00-11:00 Christian Comics Meeting— What are the different ways that Christian creators express their faith through their art? How can “new media” best be used to communicate timeless truths? Discuss the latest trends of the Christian comics movement…A short sermon and worship music will precede the panel discussion.
I’d be torn were it not for my issues with Davies. The Christian Comics panel might be more important for me in the long run.
10:00-11:00 BOOM!: The Muppet Show— BOOM! Studios’ bestselling sold-out The Muppet Show Comic Book took the industry by storm this spring. Roger Langridge’s work on the series has been praised by all quarters and was quickly followed up by the bestselling sold-out Muppet Peter Pan, both series setting a new high bar for licensed properties coming to comics. Join a host of surprise guests to see what is next in the world of The Muppets!
I do love this comic, but isn’t the other series Muppet Robin Hood? Muppet Peter Pan isn’t even out yet.
11:00-12:30 Secret Origin of Good Readers— AKA “Evil Plots to Get Kids Reading.”…The panelists will discuss how teachers, librarians, retailers, authors, artists, and publishers can work together to bring comic books into the classroom for use as an innovative and motivating cross-curricular teaching tool and a vehicle for promoting reading and literacy. Through a multimedia presentation, personal remarks, and a question-and-answer session, the speakers will present an overview of the medium and highlight specific ways that comic books and graphic novels can be used to engage a variety of learners. Breakout sessions will follow the main presentation. The 70-page resource book The Secret Origin of Good Readers is available for free download by clicking here courtesy of XMission.com.
Something near and dear to my heart.
OK, correction here. Didn’t notice the “Women of Marvel” panel. The way Marvel females are treated, I can understand why. (Tigra, the Wasp, and Scarlet Witch come to mind as well as Jean “are you a good Phoenix or a bad Phoenix–let me know when you not busy being dead” Grey comes to mind. True story: A few days ago I was in the toy section of some store and a little kid–around 5-years-old was showing his mother a Phoenix toy. Even he knew Jean has a habit of dieing and coming back. AT 5!!!!)
11:00-12:00 How to Draw Star Wars for Kids— Lucasfilm’s Bonnie Burton (You Can Draw: Star Wars) and artist Katie Cook (The Clone Wars webcomic) help kids draw fun Star Wars characters. Lucas Online senior editor Bonnie Burton edits the drawing tutorials and craft projects, which can be found at Starwars.com/kids.
Now why weren’t Marvel and DC thinking of things like this? Imagine a kids drawing session with Eric Jones or the Cartoon Network comics artists.
11:00-12:00 Keenspot— Pioneering webcomics powerhouse Keenspot returns for their 9th annual Comic-Con panel!
I need to think hosting for when I start this game.
11:30-1:00 Comics Arts Conference Session #14: Changing Identity of the Superhero— Martin Pedler (University of Melbourne) examines the transformation faced by superheroes as they shift from the niche audience of their comic book adventures to broader mainstream acceptance.
I’m more concerned how they’d transformed from heroes to dysfunctional. (See Civil War and Infinite Crisis.
12:00-1:00 Hot Wheels Battle Force 5: World Premiere!— Be the first to see an episode of the all-new CG-animated series Hot Wheels Battle Force 5! The series starts this August on Cartoon Network and tells the story of a group of teen drivers and their five ultra-cool, ultra-fast vehicles. Their mission is to protect the Earth from The Sark, an army of evil robots, and The Vandals, a species of superpredators.
Sounds interesting, but I’m interested in finding out what happened to the World Race/Acceleracers universe. Some of Mainframe/Rainmaker Enertainment’s best work outside of Reboot and Transformers.
image from Comic-Con's site
12:30-1:30 25 Years of Usagi Yojimbo: Spotlight on Stan Sakai— Learn the history of the ronin rabbit and his supporting cast, and find out what is in store this year. Comic-Con special guest Stan Sakai will do a step-by-step demonstration on his creative process and take questions from the audience.
Have you read this series? If I hadn’t just realized the other day just how out of control my collection really is, I’d totally be picking this up. No wonder Usagi’s shown up in both Turtles cartoons even though he’s not a Mirage Studios character. (They did have a crossover once or twice.)
1:00-2:00 It Was 30 Years Ago Today: The Kicks and Kitsch of the Year Sci-Fi Struck Back (or: It Was No 1982)— Go back to the thrilling days of yesteryear as the disco era said its final good-byes and the bad hair of the ’80s prepared to make its emergence. A group of professional geeksters guides your look back at some of 1979’s crowning achievements, kitsch, and crap. Join them as they beam aboard Star Trek: The Motion Picture as the human adventure just begins (and possibly give their three cents on the new Trek movie as well), go bidi-bidi-bidi over Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, get sucked into The Black Hole, rip on Jack the Ripper in Time After Time, make Moonraker eyes over Lois Chiles, and listen fruitlessly for screaming in space in Alien.
80’s kid/sci-fi fan. I would love this panel.
1:00-2:00 Comics Web 2.0 and Connected Commerce— Join comiXology’s David Steinberger in a discussion of Web 2.0’s impact on the creation, publishing and retailing of comic books.
Not only for the opportunity to meet one of the head guys from ComiXology, a site I mention at least once a week thanks to the edited cross-posting on Sundays of my weekly comic haul, but it’s something I’ll have to think about if I start self-publishing my crap stuff.
1:30-2:30 Comics and Graphic Novels for All Ages— It’s true! There’s a wealth of great comic books series and graphic novels out there for comics-loving kids of all ages—so much so, that Comic-Con presents its second big panel of the day on the topic!
This might make me feel better about the industry’s chances at survival. Now if there were one for TV shows/movies and one for video games, we’d have the bases covered.
OK, so Dan Didio IS having a panel. Still no Johnny DC stuff on Kid’s Day, though. Big mistake! Also, Boom! Kids is having one for their “World of Cars” series, but still nothing for The Incredibles?
2:00-3:00 Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time Panel and Q&A— Insomniac Games, creators of the bestselling Ratchet & Clank franchise, are on hand to reveal behind-the-scenes stories about the development of this fall’s Playstation 3 blockbuster, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time. Creative director Brian Allgeier and other team members, including voice talent, will reveal new scenes from the game, the latest trailer, and a new weapon feature. In addition, get a first look at Clank’s new gameplay, and ask your questions during a Q&A
That new weapon is probably the one from the design-a-weapon contest Insomniac held. The winner is supposed to have had a replica handed to him by X-Play’s Adam Sessler at the G4 coverage event on Saturday where the winner was announced. I’ve never played the game, not being a “Playstation” person, but it does look like a fun game, and winning that kind of contest, where your entry could be in the game itself as well as a replica made to show off to your friends has to be the awesome-est thing ever.
2:00-3:00 Kids Write!— Kids, join creators Chris Giarrusso (G-Man), Chris Schweizer (Crogan’s Vengeance), Eric Wight (Frankie Pickle), and Gene Yang (American Born Chinese) as they draw the story you tell!
Oh, I would love to see that. If someone records this session and puts it up somewhere, please PLEASE send me a contact! That sounds like such fun.
2:30-3:30 The Cultural Shift— Graphic novels and comics have been finding a louder voice in American culture. From the movies to television shows, the influence of comics is now working its way into classrooms and onto the New York Times bestseller lists. How is this happening, and where can it go from here?
Post fodder if ever I saw it.
2:45-3:45 Kamen Rider Dragon Knight— Meet the cast of TheCW4Kids new action-packed, monster-clobbering masked-heroes series Kamen Rider Dragon Knight. Stars Stephen Lunsford (Kit), Matt Mullins (Len), and Yvonne Arias (Maya) will answer all your Kamen Rider questions! Plus, fans will get to view never-before-seen footage from future KRDK episodes!
I’m just happy there are going to BE future episodes. This is an amazing series. This is what Saban’s Masked Rider, another show that used Japanese Kamen Rider shows and footage as a template for original stories, should have been. I’ve also seen the plot for the series Dragon Knight uses, and the DK version is so much better. Sorry, Japan, but it’s true! Also, the Highlander series did a better job with the “there can be only one” story.
3:00-4:00 Making Webcomics— Ron Perazza (Zuda Comics), Kwanza Johnson (Zuda Comics), Kevin Colden (Fishtown, I Rule The Night), Cameron Stewart (Transmission X, Vertigo), Molly Crabapple (Act-i-vate, Dr. Sketchys Anti-Art School), and others present a roundtable discussion about the advantages, challenges, questions, solutions, costs and benefits of making webcomics for fun and profit. Topics include working with a publisher, self-publishing, promoting yourself, best practices, style, and moving from web to print (or vice versa)!
Sounds like a panel I would need to sit in on.
3:00-4:00 Full-time Creative Work on a Part-time Schedule— Learn the secret to using part-time collaboration to achieve full-time results! No matter which industry (comics, illustration, movies, animation), breaking into today’s media is a full-time job, even if you have only part-time hours to accomplish it...Whether you struggle with deadlines, are a creative hobbyist, or simply want to know how to get your foot in the door, this panel is not to be missed!
Sounds like what I’ll be going through. Throw in a blog for kicks, but I needed to vent.
3:30-5:00 How-To Session: Jim Lee— End Comic-Con with a bang watching the most popular artist in comics draw anything he wants! Jim Lee (Batman: Hush) creates art before your very eyes on the big screen. Follow his creative process as he explains what he’s doing while he’s drawing.
It does sound like an interesting capper to a weekend at Comic-Con. I’ll be spending the next few weeks gathering information, and plan on a final thoughts article on Thursday. But now it’s time for comic reviews.
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