We’re just a little more than a week away from the San Diego Comic-Con. Last night the meters measuring how many badges they had left were getting dangerously close to being sold out, so I imagine they’ll be gone soon.
Also, the official signing schedule is up … these are the signings that the con arranges and puts in the special autograph area, so it doesn’t include all the signings they’ll be having at booths on the floor.
If you’re a creator, publisher, company or any other entity that’s exhibiting at the San Diego Comic-Con, there’s still time to send in your update. I’ll likely be doing these reports right up until the show starts. So send’em on over.
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Mattel will have several folks signing at their booth during the convention, including Keith Giffen, who will be signing the exclusive Lobo figure they’ll have at the show:
–Four Horsemen (Jim Preziosi, Eric “Cornboy” Mayse, Eric Treadaway and Chris Dahlberg) - Famous action figure sculptors, responsible for Mattel’s DC Universe Classics and Masters of the Universe action figures (Thursday – Saturday, 1 p.m.)
–Keith Giffen - Appearing courtesy of DC Comics, creator of “Lobo” (Thursday and Friday, 2 p.m.)
–Frank Varela – Mattel Graphic/Concept artist (Thursday and Saturday, 11 a.m.)
–Emiliano Santalucia - Cover artist on the recent Masters of the Universe animated series (Thursday and Saturday, 3 p.m.)
–Brandt Peters and Kathie Olivias - Husband/Wife team, VW Bus Artists (Friday, 3 p.m.)
–Greg Smikins - VW Bus Artist (Saturday, 2 p.m.)
–Mattel Executives - Available for interviews regarding Hot Wheels® and much more (throughout show)
They’ll also have lots of Hot Wheels and action figure stuff to show off:
Designed to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Hot Wheels® cars, an exhibit featuring customized 1:18 scale Hot Wheels® Volkswagen buses was showcased earlier this year at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles. Hot Wheels® returns to Comic-Con International in San Diego to feature these one-of-a-kind creations and offer autograph sessions with the VW Bus artists. Hot Wheels® will also unveil the new 1:50 scale Batmobile along with the Batman and Batgirl die-cast motorcycles. In addition, the Mattel action play booth will feature giveaways, Mattel DC Comics and Masters of the Universe fan panels and product unveils from the DC Universe Classics, Justice League Unlimited, Infinite Heroes, CARS and Batman “The Dark Knight” line.
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Viz Media sent over a quick update last Friday, along with a promise for another one this week:
VIZ Media will be doing their first San Diego Comic-Con portfolio reviews on Sunday, July 27, from 2 to 4:30 in the Portfolio Review area in the Sails Pavilion. Reviewing portfolios will be Marc Weidenbaum, VP of Original Publishing, VIZ Media and Eric Searleman, Senior Editor, VIZ Media.
Keep an eye out - more VERY EXCITING Comic-Con news coming next week!
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TellTale Games has panels and will be announcing a new game at the show:
Panel Information (times / rooms subject to change until Comic-Con releases the official schedule…)
Spotlight on Steve Purcell , Thursday July 24, 1:00-2:00
Join Sam & Max creator—and Eisner Award winner and Comic-Con special guest— Steve Purcell on a visual tour from his first scratchy Sam & Max strips through his career as an illustrator, game designer, and concept artist to his current role as a Pixar storyteller. Q&A to follow. Room 2Episodic Games: Re-writing the Adventure Genre, Thursday July 24, 4:30-5:30
With the first installment of Penny Arcade Adventures launched, the season finale of Sam & Max Season Two in the bag, and the recent debut of Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People, episodic adventure gaming has emerged as a viable new medium for interactive entertainment. Learn about episodic storytelling, adapting the humor and gameplay of the traditional adventure genre for a new generation of gamers, and the challenges of both as Joel DeYoung (Hothead Games), Arthur We (Hothead Games), Dan Connors (Telltale Games) and Dave Grossman (Telltale Games) sound off in this panel and Q&A session moderated by Frank Cifaldi (GameTap). Room 3
Sam & Max, Strong Bad, and the Secrets Behind Turning Comics into Games, Saturday July 26, 11:30-12:30
Sam & Max may have their roots in indie comics, but the crime-fighting duo is right at home starring in a successful series of episodic games. The cast of the popular Homestarrunner.com web cartoons are following suit this summer in Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People. Why do comics make for such great games? Join Telltale designers Mark Darin, Chuck Jordan , and Mike Stemmle, artist Mai Nguyen, and Sam & Max creator Steve Purcell to hear about the fun (and work) of bringing comics to life. Plus, get a never-before-seen first look at a third, completely new episodic game series! Room 4
Signing with Steve Purcell , Saturday July 26, 12:30 @ Telltale’s booth #5365
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Marvel Zombies cover artist Arthur Suydam will have a limited edition sketchbook at the show:
It’s just been announced that award-winning creator and cover artist Arthur Suydam will be making a West Coast appearance at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, AND he’ll also be offering a limited edition sketchbook at the show as well!
The new sketchbook, entitled “Mostly Zombies,” features an array of Suydam pencils, preliminaries and finished compositions, serving as a must have package for collectors of his eye-popping horror pieces, while sneaking in a healthy bite of his other stellar work as well.
A master illustrator and haunting storyteller, Suydam is routinely cited for his unique style of blending classical painting with the art of comics. In addition to his creator-owned work, Arthur’s run on the wildly popular “Marvel Zombies” series unarguably set comic book collecting on fire–spawning a slew of reprints, retrospective hardcovers, T-shirts, statues and toys! In juxtaposition to his zombie work, his recent gorgeous “Red Sonja” covers for Dynamic Forces, clearly showcases his riveting and romantic classical flair.
It’s no wonder that within recent years, Arthur has been honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards from both the University of Maryland and the San Sebastian Film Festival, as well as receiving Guest of Honor nods from numerous conventions, including the legendary Dragon Con. Other recent accolades include the Spike TV Award for Best Comic, and the Gold Award for Artistic Excellence from Spectrum Magazine.
So get in on the excitement! The new sketchbook, “Mostly Zombies,” will be signed by the popular creator while supplies last. And, Arthur will also be available all days of the SDCC, accepting a limited number of commissions. The sketchbook is priced at only $20.00!
For more information, visit Suydam all days of the San Diego Comic Con at the “Arthur Suydam Art” booth located at #4301.
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Del Ray Manga is bringing Hiro Mashima to the con; note that his autograph sessions are ticketed events:
New York, NY – June 27, 2008 – Del Rey Manga, an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing Group, announced today plans for popular Fairy Tail manga creator Hiro Mashima’s first-ever US convention appearance at Comic-Con International in San Diego, California. During his appearance at the convention, which takes place from Thursday, July 24 through Sunday, July 27, Hiro Mashima will be featured on a panel hosted by Del Rey Manga. Mashima will also meet with fans at two separate signing events.
Mashima made his US debut with the series Rave Master, which made him one of the most popular manga artists in America. Mashima’s second series, Fairy Tail, was one of the most highly anticipated Del Rey Manga launches this year. In a show of support and admiration of Mashima’s work, Del Rey Manga launched the first two volumes of Mashima’s Fairy Tail at the same time in March 2008.
Del Rey Manga Presents: Hiro Mashima
Saturday, July 26, 2008
2:30-3:30 PM
Room 10, San Diego Convention Center
Join Hiro Mashima, Dallas Middaugh, Associate Publisher of Del Rey Manga, and Del Rey Manga’s Director of Licensing and Acquisitions Mutsumi Miyazaki for a conversation on Mashima’s latest creation, Fairy Tail.
Signings with Hiro Mashima:
Friday, July 25, 2008
2:30-3:30 PM
Del Rey Booth (#1128), San Diego Convention Center
Saturday, July 26, 2008
4:30-6:30 PM
Official Autographing Area 1, San Diego Convention Center
*All signings with Hiro Mashima will be ticketed events. Tickets will be limited and on a first-come, first-serve basis. Tickets will be distributed at the Comic Cellar booth. Convention goers who purchase a copy of any of the first three volumes of Fairy Tail from the Comics Cellar booth will receive a ticket to one signing, limited to one ticket per customer. Mashima will be signing exclusive copies of Fairy Tail shikishi boards specially created for his San Diego convention appearance.
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ABC Family has a new TV mini-series called Samurai Girl coming up this fall, and they’ll have a panel and autograph session to promote it at the show featuring the stars … which includes former wrestler/Danicng with the Stars alum Stacy Keibler:
12:00 – 1:00 PM Samurai Girl Q&A panel with stars Jamie Chung, Brendan Fehr, Stacy Keibler, executive producers Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec, and co-executive producer Luke McMullen.
1:30 – 2:30 PM Samurai Girl Autograph Session with Jamie Chung, Brendan Fehr and Stacy Keibler in the ABC Family booth 3913.
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Harry N. Abrams has several comic creators — including Kirby: King of Comics author Mark Evanier and Nat Turner creator Kyle Baker — signing at their booth:
Harry N. Abrams, Inc., is pleased to be hosting a booth at San Diego Comic-Con for the third year in a row. The Abrams booth (#1021) will feature books from its children’s and adult imprints. There will be several celebrated authors signing in the Abrams booth, including revered comic artist Kyle Baker (Nat Turner), Mark Evanier (author of the landmark biography Kirby: King of Comics), Jon J Muth (artist and writer of the critically acclaimed graphic novel M), Lela Lee (creator of The Angry Little Girls), and comics legend Al Jaffee (MAD Magazine and Tall Tales). (See schedule of events below).
Abrams publishes innovative works in the areas of comics, graffiti, fantasy, science fiction, and film. The 2008 lists include the immensely successful Kirby: King of Comics; the stunning graphic novel M by Jon J Muth; Kyle Baker’s landmark graphic novel Nat Turner (in both paperback and hardcover); Wordless Books: The Original Graphic Novels by David A. Beronä; Erotic Comics by Tim Pilcher; Graffiti Paris by Fabienne Grévy; The Animation Bible by Maureen Furniss; Child’s Play: The Berenstain Baby Boom by Mike Berenstain; Wacky Packages by the Topps Company (which includes an introduction by Art Spiegelman and four rare bonus stickers), Angry Little Girls in Love by Lela Lee, and last but not least, Tall Tales by Al Jaffee.
Says executive editor Charles Kochman, “There really is something for everyone on this list—books for all ages and for all tastes—each title unique and crafted in the classic Abrams tradition that readers have come to expect from us.”
“Quality. That’s the first word, the one word that comes to mind when I think of the books published by Abrams.”
—Stan Lee, former president and chairman of Marvel Comics
Since the company’s inception in 1949, Harry N. Abrams has identified and celebrated contemporary and groundbreaking art, championing burgeoning creative forms, and presenting them to the public in high quality, beautifully produced, and authoritatively written illustrated books.
In 1973, Abrams published The Art of Walt Disney, clearly defining animation as fine art and presenting it as such to the public and the media. The book was a success, with 50,000 copies printed in its first year of publication alone. Since then Abrams and its imprints have been responsible for many books on comics, championing the genre in the world of fine art with titles such as Krazy Kat: The Comic Art of George Herriman by Patrick McDonnell, and Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades by Les Daniels.
Harry N. Abrams San Diego Comic-Con 2008 Event Schedule
Thursday, July 24
Abrams Booth # 1021
10:00 – 11:00 Jon J Muth M
11:30 – 12:30 Al Jaffee Tall Tales
3:00 – 4:00 Kyle Baker Nat Turner
5:00 – 6:00 Mark Evanier Kirby: King of ComicsFriday, July 25
Abrams Booth # 1021
10:00 – 11:00 Mark Evanier Kirby: King of Comics
1:30 – 2:30 Al Jaffee Tall Tales
3:00 – 4:00 Kyle Baker Nat Turner
5:30 – 6:30 Jon J Muth MSaturday, July 26
Abrams Booth # 1021
10:00 – 11:00 Mark Evanier Kirby: King of Comics
11:30 – 12:30 Kyle Baker Nat Turner
1:30 – 2:30 Al Jaffee Tall TalesRoom 3
3:00 – 4:00 Abrams panel
Participants: Jordan Crane, Brian Fies, Jaime Hernandez,
Denis Kitchen, Charles Kochman, and Craig YoeSunday, July 27
Abrams Booth # 1021
1:00 – 2:00 Lela Lee Angry Little Girls in Love
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Capcom’s got a lot going on this year:
Leading video game publisher, Capcom, proudly presents one of the biggest booths at San Diego Comic Con this year with over 1800 sq. ft. of interactive displays, exclusive merchandise, gaming tournaments, celebrity appearances, and special events that are sure to thrill their diehard fans in the massive Comic Con crowds.
Foremost is the full-size, 20′x20′ boxing ring that holds ten Street Fighter IV arcade units from Japan. Comic con fans will be among the first gamers outside of Japan to play this much anticipated sequel to the best-selling fighting game franchise of all time as it celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
Meet Capcom’s product managers, developers, and staff daily as they share with you all that Capcom has to offer!
The Games!
Be the first to play advance demos of the hottest new Capcom games coming out in the remainder of 2008 into 2009 including:
Bionic Commando
Bionic Commando: Rearmed
Dark Void
MotoGP 08
Mega Man 9
Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
Neopets
Flock!
Plunder
Capcom Mobile games
Exclusive trailers:
Resident Evil 5
Resident Evil: Degeneration CG movie
SF IV CG animated mini-movie trailers
- plus, some surprise game demo and trailers!
Celebrity Appearances:
- Yoshinoro Ono, David Crislip
- Ben Judd
- Andy Diggle
- Kristen Kreuk
- Justin Marks (SF movie, BC comic book)
- Top comic book artists that contributed pieces to Udon’s Street Fighter Tribute Book including Adam Hughes, J. Scott Campbell, Mark Brooks, and more!
- Mega Man
- Bionic Commando or be a lucky fan to wear the BC arm yourself!
Events:
SF IV Tournaments every morning at 11am, register early as soon as the show starts to get a berth to compete.
SFIV Tournaments at 3pm on FRI, SAT and SUN afternoons.
Grand Tournament at 3pm on SUN
Prize: Exclusive limited edition SFIV Chun-Li action figure
Daily “Making of SFIV” presentation by Ono-san
Calling ALL SF cosplayers! SF Cosplay parade and contest on Friday at 2:30pm - winner personally chosen by Ono-san. Prize = Chun-Li statue
Panels:
THU 7/24, 3:15-4:15, Room 6 CDEF
The Making of Street Fighter IV featuring Ono-san, Crislip.
FRI 7/25, 2-3pm, Room 2
Capcom Presents: How to Get a Job in the Video Game Industry with Capcom insiders as well as industry vets.
SAT 7/26, 6-7pm, Room 2
The Making of Bionic Commando and Bionic Commando: Rearmed featuring Ben Judd, Andy Diggle, Justin Marks, and meet the BC himself!
Capcom Store:
Top-quality Capcom games and gear
Incredible bargains > grab bags and surprises
Exclusive Capcom Comic Con tshirt > limited!
Exclusive items:
- Limited Edition SFIV Chun-Li statue by SOTA Toys, supervised by Ono-san himself, limited to just 700 units made > 400 for sale ($100) at CC, rest for promotional use.
** Also 3000 mini statuettes for sale ($10).
- Street Fighter Tribute Book: Featuring over 300 pages of original SF art celebrating the 20 year legend of the franchise featuring artwork by top names in the comic book industry including: Adam Hughes, J. Scott Campbell, Mark Brooks and more. Limited editions printed and only available at CC or Udon booth.
- Limited prints of Street Fighter Tribute Book artwork signed by artists for sale as Capcom booth
Sneak Peeks : at upcoming Capcom licensed products including:
Prototypes of BC and SFIV action figures by NECA
Cool Giveaways when you Demo Capcom Games:
Exclusive SFIV Ryu headband
SFIV poster
Bionic Commando poster
Dark Void frisbee flyer
Capcom lanyards
Capcom mints
Capcom character tattoos
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Pantheon has creators and free goodies:
Chip Kidd will be discussing Bat-Manga! (hardcover and paperback versions on sale this fall) at a panel called Bat-Manga! Chip Kidd and the Secret History of Batman in Japan. In the book—and the presentation—Chip will be investigating official Batman manga stories from 1966 Japan which haven’t been seen for more than forty years. Then, he’ll answer any questions you may have. The panel will be at 3:30-4:30 on Thursday July 24th in Room 30AB. Get there early, since it’s likely to be standing room only (just ask those who saw Chip speak at the 2008 MoCCA Art Fest!)
Austin Grossman will be at Comic-Con, too, promoting the Soon I Will be Invincible, which is now out in paperback. If you haven’t read this book yet, you’re missing out: When it first came out David Itzkoff of the New York Times Book Review said it was “Imaginative and, at times, achingly real. . . . I mean it as the highest possible compliment when I say that it would make a damn good comic book.” And, that’s just one of many stellar reviews. Read them here.
As if those weren’t good enough reasons to stop by Pantheon’s booth here’s one more: free goodies! That’s right, we’ll be giving away a preview of David Heatley’s forthcoming book My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down and a poster with artwork from Art Spiegelman’s forthcoming book, Breakdowns.
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And to end today’s edition … the lightning round, with links to SDCC plans around the Web:
–Kingdom of Loathing
–Virgin Comics
–Jill Thompson
–Cameron Stewart
–Ben Templesmith
–Todd Klein
–Terry Moore
