comicon 2010

SUNDAY, JULY 25

THE SLOW-ASS LAST DAY, a.k.a. “FAMILY DAY”

Luke Y Thompson covers Hollywood events at the Con for Deadline:

10:00-11:00 AM: Emily The Strange. So every year, they promise an announcement of a potential movie deal for this goth-chick fave. This year? Maybe. Or not. Room 3

10:00-11:00 AM: Smallville Screening and Q&A. Apparently, this next season is going to be the final one for the Superman prequel series. I did not know that. Which makes this the last official Comic-Con panel. Some of you might find that important. Plus Tom Welling’s coming. Ballroom 20

10:00-11:00 AM: Sideshow Collectibles. Hey Sideshow: I bought your expensive dolls back when they were around $60. Now that most of them are almost twice that, I can’t. And if you keep this up, I will not care. Just so you know, there’s a recession on. Room 32AB

11:45 AM-12:45 PM: Comic-Con Debut: International Hit Merlin. If my girlfriend were coming to Comic-Con, she’d be first in line for this. If I attend the panel, it will primarily be on her behalf, as I can’t quite understand why this show so drastically rewrites Arthurian legend as to make Merlin a kid serving Prince Arthur. But star Colin Morgan will show up, and I know firsthand that that means a lot to some. Room 6BCF

12:00-2:00 PM: Browncoats Fan Group. Obsessive fans of Joss Whedon’s SERENITY/FIREFLY meet at this thing. I’d advice everyone else to stay far, far away. Room 32AB

12:30-1:15 PM: American Dad. Good morning USA! I’ve got a feeling that it’s gonna be a…Sunday! For my money, this is Seth MacFarlane’s best show in terms of characterization and plot. Dunno if I’m motivated enough to see a whole panel dedicated to it, but they promise to screen a brand-new episode. Ballroom 20

1:30-2:30 PM: Glee. Comedy can be a mixed bag at Comic-Con, but hey, why not try? Jane Lynch isn’t expected, but stars Chris Colfer, Amber Riley, Jenna Ushkowitz, Kevin McHale, Mark Salling, Heather Morris, and Naya Rivera are coming. Exclusive footage will be shown…I don’t actually know or care anything about this show, but it is popular, and sounds like they’re packing this thing with good stuff. Ballroom 20

2:00-3:00 PM: Keenspot 2010…in 3D! Webcomics publisher Keenspot have apparently been coming to Comic-Con for ten years, and now have a 3D feature film in the works entitled SHOCKWAVE DARKSIDE, about a war on the moon, to be directed by Jay Weisman. No idea what any of this means, but it is movie news. Room 4

3:00-4:30 PM: Starship Smackdown XVIII: Ultimate Platinum Collector’s Edition. No Comic-Con is complete without at least a brief stop-in on this panel, in which minutiae-obsessed geeks debate the all-important issues of who would win in a battle between fictional starships. Hilarious and seriously nit-picky nerd level, this must be experienced at least once, though the panel does tend to run long. Room 7AB

And that’s kinda it. Interesting – and significant — to note that this year, for the first time in several years, there are no big movie panels in Hall H on Sunday. Also interesting to note that there are really only two must-see panels in the whole show – Marvel and WB. Yes, TRON would like to be the talk of the town, but they’ve shown stuff at two prior Cons, and people have an idea of what to expect already. Plus no TWILIGHT panel…even though this sold out early, look for casual fans to call it disappointing. And, perhaps, a slower sell-out time next year. Oh, wait, BREAKING DAWN is next year. Never mind.

For me, I’d be happy if the crowds did die down just a tad. And I haven’t mentioned the parties, because if you haven’t been invited yet, you probably won’t get in. If the Con folks were hoping to leverage their negotiating power for a potential move, this might have been the wrong year to do it.