Man, is it San Diego yet? Let’s get this show on the road …

Looks like the big Image family reunion panel isn’t Todd McFarlane’s only planned con activity:

This might just be the unlikeliest creative committee ever assembled: athlete and entrepreneur Curt Shilling (founder of 38 Studios, famous for being the Red Sox pitcher who loves him some Everquest), comic book artist Todd McFarlane, and daddy of Drizzt Do’Urden R.A. Salvatore, teaming up to create an MMO. It’s being developed at Schilling’s 38 Studios, and apparently, it’s going to be fantasy themed.

Over on his LiveJournal, Jim Rugg is accepting commissions for San Diego. And drawing lots of Aquaman, as pictured above.

John Layman has some rules for anyone who approaches him at the con:

1. Please stand in a single file line, arms at your side, looking straight ahead, and not talking. Turn off your iPods and your cell phones. Teenagers, that also means NO TEXTING!

2. Look directly at me at all times, but do NOT actually make eye contact. This will be interpreted as an act of hostility and aggression and be returned with punitive measures.

3. Do not stare at my crotch. My body is a temple, and I am just as our Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ made me, and I would never defile myself with anything as crass as a penile implant. Yes, it is real, and, no, it is none of your business.

Study the rest of them on his blog.

AFhub.com has pictures of the exclusive Batmobile by Hot Wheels that’ll be available at the con.

The fine folks at SLG have put together a clever little file that you can download to your iPod that has their booth signing schedule, panel schedule and pictures of SLG creators so you’ll know who to look for is you want a book signed. As always, SLG is ahead of the curve …

Aspiring artists: Bongo will be reviewing portfolios at the con this year. Kevin Church has the details.

Pat Loika dropped me a note about Dial R Studios’ plans:

DIAL R STUDIOS

Dial R Studios (booth 5524) debuts at the San Diego Comic-Con! The Dial R booth will feature creators J. Andrew Clark (Scar Tissue, Genius J’s Almanack), Dave Wachter (Scar Tissue, Fiendish Fables), Pat Loika (Path to Armageddon, HoCal), Tim Loika (Path to Armageddon), Chris Maze (Seeds of Darkness, HoCal), and Michael Woods (Low Orbit).

We will be debuting the first Dial R Studios Anthology book, PANTHEON. Also debuting at the show will be the final issues of Scar Tissue and The Path to Armageddon, the Scar Tissue TPB, ReVamp # 1, and Genius J’s Almanack. Pat, Dave, Chris and Tim will be accepting sketch and commission requests through the weekend as well.

Also, every sketch or comic purchased from the booth gets you a raffle ticket to win one of many prizes, including a Nintendo Wii!

I haven’t had a lot of time for my favorite online game lately, Kingdom of Loathing, what with San Diego coming up and the whole blogging thing. But it looks like the creators of the game will be in San Diego in force. Last year I think they gave out codes for special in-game items, so I’m hoping for something similar this year.

Viz sent over a press release detailing their SDCC events:

VIZ MEDIA WELCOMES SHOJO MANGA ARTIST ARINA TANEMURA AT 2007 COMIC-CON AND CELEBRATES HER WORK IN SHOJO BEAT™ MAGAZINE

Creator Of FULL MOON To Meet Fans In VIZ Media Booth# 4113 And Participate In SHOJO BEAT Panel Discussion While Magazine Plans Interview And Rare Manga Short Story For August Issue

San Francisco, JULY 13, 2007 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, will celebrate the work of famed manga artist Arina Tanemura throughout the month of July with a rare personal appearance at the 2007 Comic-Con International, plus a bonus short story and special cover (both by Tanemura) for the August issue of SHOJO BEAT magazine, which goes on sale nationwide on July 17. Tanemura is the creator of the mega-hit shojo series FULL MOON and the recently debuted THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE †.

Tanemura will make a personal appearance during the 2007 Comic-Con International in San Diego, CA to meet fans in VIZ Media’s Booth #4113 on Saturday, July 28. She will further discuss her work and experiences as a manga artist during the SHOJO BEAT magazine panel discussion set for Saturday, July 28 at 1:30pm. To further honor her visit at Comic-Con, VIZ Media will give an exclusive shikishi (four-color hard poster) of THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE † as a bonus to fans who purchase one of the following products at VIZ Media booth: 1) Any Tanemura manga volume, or FULL MOON DVD; 2) SHOJO BEAT’s August Issue; or 3) an annual subscription of SHOJO BEAT.

The August issue of SHOJO BEAT (out July 17) will feature a special cover drawn by Tanemura, as well as the first domestic appearance of her manga short story, “Shojo Eve ☆Eve’s Applework 24 Hours,” and an additional article about the gorgeous worlds portrayed in her stories. For fans not able to attend Comic-Con, exclusive items autographed by Tanemura will be offered as contest prizes in upcoming issues of SHOJO BEAT magazine. In 2008, the magazine will include an exclusive interview with Tanemura conducted during her Comic-Con visit, as well as a Tanemura drawing lesson and a feature of fan art to be judged by the artist.

“We are honored to welcome Arina Tanemura at the 2007 Comic-Con International and to have her participate in the SHOJO BEAT panel discussion during the show,” says Marc Weidenbaum, Editor-in-Chief of SHOJO BEAT magazine and Vice President of VIZ Media’s Magazine Division. “FULL MOON and THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE † have developed a devoted following and this rare opportunity for fans to meet the artist in person is sure to delight. We also look forward to fans reading the never-before-released manga short story by Tanemura in our special August issue of SHOJO BEAT, which further celebrates the artist with a beautiful cover and feature coverage.”

I’ve got a bunch of Comic Book Legal Defense Fund links related to San Diego, but I think I’ll put those in their own post. As always, if you have anything you’d like listed related to your San Diego activities, drop me a note.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 18th, 2007 at 7:05 am and is filed under Comic Books, Conventions, Creators, Graphic Novels, Independent, Internet, News & Views, Toys & Games. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.