Comic-Con 2010 Saturday: Panel and Event Picks

Day three of Comic-Con programming, Saturday July 24, looks a shade of green, with a preview of the Green Lantern movie (plus Harry Potter and Sucker Punch, too) as well as a panel on the Green Lantern comic book titles.  Here's another round of highlights, hot and cool plus personal picks. Lots of movie stuff if you don't mind waiting a long time in line to get into huge Hall H. 

Daytime Programming

10:00-11:00 Spotlight on Carla Speed McNeil— McNeil is best known for her creator-owned title Finder, which won an Eisner Award for best Webcomic of 2008 and a new series of reprints from Dark Horse. Room 3

10:00-11:00 Nickelodeon Presents: The SpongeBob SquarePants Secret Formula Revealed!— Executive producer Paul Tibbitt (Nightmare Ned), head writer Steven Banks (The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius), creative director Vincent Waller (Ren & Stimpy), supervising storyboard director Tuck Tucker (Hey Arnold!), layout supervisor Kenny Pittenger (CatDog), storyboard director Luke Brookshier (Kim Possible), background painter Andy Clark (Dexter's Laboratory), animation director Andrew Overtoom (Family Guy), and the voice of SpongeBob himself, Tom Kenny walk fans through creating an episode and also screen  a never-before-seen episode. Moderated by Roland Poindexter, senior VP, animation  for Nickelodeon. Room 6A

10:00-11:00 Marvel Comics Writers Unite!— Comic-Con special guests Brian Michael Bendis (Avengers, New Avengers, Ultimate Spider-Man), Matt Fraction (Invincible Iron Man, Thor), and Chris Claremont (X-Men Forever, X-Women) in a discussion with writer Mark Waid (Amazing Spider-Man, Irredeemable). Room 6DE

10:00-11:00 Mad about MAD!— This fall, MAD returns to TV screens with a new show for the next generation! MAD magazine editor John Ficarra, MAD art director Sam Viviano, legendary MAD artist Sergio Aragonés, current MAD artist Tom Richmond, MAD story editor/producer Kevin Shinick, and your host, Warner Bros. Animation senior VP Peter Girardi offer a light-hearted look at the future of an American institution. Room 7AB

10:00-11:00 Writing Animated Feature Films— The Writers Guild of America's Animation Writers sponsors a panel on writing for animation. With Alan Burnett (Green Lantern: First Flight), Darren Lemke (Shrek Forever After), John Musker (The Princess and the Frog), Dean DeBlois (How to Train Your Dragon), Wallace Wolodarsky (Monsters vs. Aliens), and moderator Craig Miller (Elfquest). Room 8

10:00-10:45 Chuck Screening and Q&A— Executive producers and co-creators Josh Schwartz (Gossip Girl) and Chris Fedak appear along with series stars Zachary Levi (Alvin and the Chipmunks), Yvonne Strahovski (upcoming The Killer Elite), Joshua Gomez (Without a Trace), Ryan McPartlin, Mark Christopher Lawrence (The Pursuit of Happyness), Adam Baldwin (Serenity) and more talk the upcoming season four, along with a special video presentation. Chuck: The Complete Third Season will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 7. Ballroom 20

10:00-11:00 Twilight Fanfiction Author Fangroup—Don't think this won't be crowded. It will be. Santa Rosa Room, Marriott Hotel and Marina

10:30-11:30 Comics Arts Conference Session #9: Batman and the Empty Nest Syndrome— Does Batman become a different type of person when he has a sidekick? Dennis O'Neil (Batman writer and editor), Michael Uslan (executive producer, Batman Films), Tommy Cash (The Workday Comic), psychologists Travis Langley (Henderson State University) and Robin Rosenberg (The Psychology of Superheroes), and neuroscientist E. Paul Zehr (Becoming Batman) address this fascinating topic. Room 26AB

11:00-12:00 Comics in the Library— How are comics used in libraries? Library reps talk about it. Room 8

11:00-11:45 Family Guy— All things Family Guy with Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green, and others. And don't miss never-before-seen clips of the third Star Wars parody. Ballroom 20

11:15-12:15 Marvel: Cup O' Joe— Marvel's EEK (editor-in-chief) and CCO Joe Quesada takes on all questions, drops some announcement bombs, and continues to field darts about Peter Parker and Mary Jane, the fate of Steve Rogers as Captain America and will explain, maybe, The Heroic Age. Room 6BCF

11:30-12:30 Will Eisner, The Dreamer— Denis Kitchen (artist, author, publisher, and Will Eisner's agent and longtime friend), Scott McCloud (artist, author, and theoretician about comics and sequential art), Dennis O'Neil (comic book writer and editor for Marvel Comics and DC Comics), Paul Levitz (writer, former president/publisher, DC Comics), and Michael Schumacher (bestselling author and Biographer with a new biography of Will Eisner due out this fall) talk about the creator of The Spirit, the "Father of the Graphic Novel." Room 4

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11:30-12:30 Shazam! The Golden Age of the World's Mightiest Mortal— Author/designer Chip Kidd (Mythology, Bat-Manga, Rough Justice), author/producer Michael Uslan (Archie Marries...), and Charles Kochman (executive editor, Abrams ComicArts) celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Big Red Cheese. Shazam! Room 9

**Super Hot***

11:45-1:15 Warner Bros.: Green Lantern, Sucker Punch, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows— Warner Bros. showcases Green Lantern with a first look at the film directed by Martin Campbell. Will the film's stars be on hand. One would think so, but no one's saying...yet. Sucker Punch— a dark action fantasy from director Zack Snyder, who previewed his films 300 and Watchmen at past Comic-Cons. And then, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows— part one of the two-part finale of the Harry Potter story. Hall H

12:00-1:00 Indyfans— The Indiana Jones Fan Group returns to Comic-Con to discuss all things Indy, with giveaways, special guests. Santa Rosa Room, Marriott Hotel and Marina

12:30-1:45 DC Universe: Event Horizon— Ian Sattler, senior story editor, with writers and artists. Ask about Brightest Day, The Return of Bruce Wayne and more. But don't expect spoilers; they're good at evading. Very good. Room 6A

12:30-1:30 Stan Lee @ BOOM!— Stan Lee and Mark Waid reveal the details behind Lee's new series at BOOM!, including two special :mystery guests." Room 9

12:45-1:30 Futurama— Panelists include executive producers Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, cast members Billy West, John DiMaggio, Katey Sagal, and Maurice LaMarche, director Crystal Chesney-Thompson, writers Ken Keeler and Patric M. Verrone, and animation producer Claudia Katz. Ballroom 20

1:30-2:30 Behind the Scenes with Sid & Marty Krofft: A Look at the Past, Present and Future— They gave us HR Pufnstuf, The Bugaloos, Sigmund the Sea Monster, and Land of the Lost ,  and now... Creations from the World of Jack Kirby,  A free exclusive gift will be given out to attendees while supplies last. Room 24ABC

1:45-2:45 Cartoon Network: Action Adventure Animation— Meet the creators and talent behind Ben 10 and Generator Rex. From Man of Action, Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau, and Steven T. Seagle along with the Ben 10: Ultimate Alien team members Glenn Murakami (supervising producer), Dwayne McDuffie (story editor), Yuri Lowenthal (voice of Ben), and Greg Cipes (voice of Kevin). Generator Rex panelists include John Fang (supervising producer), Rob Hoegee (story editor), Daryl Sabara (voice of Rex), and Wally Kurth (voice of Agent Six). Also make sure not to miss a first look at Sym-Bionic Titan with Genndy Tartakovsky, Bryan Andrews, Paul Rudish, and Darrick Bachman. Room 6DE

2:00-3:00 Green Lantern: Emerald Empire— Creative teams on DC's Green Lantern books talk, hint about things to come. Group editor Eddie Berganza with Geoff Johns (Green Lantern, The Flash), Tony Bedard (Green Lantern Corps), Joe Prado (Brightest Day), and Ivan Reis (Brightest Day). Room 6A

2:30-3:15 V Screening and Q&A— The cast and creative team behind this thrilling drama series about the world's first alien encounter make their return to Comic-Con. Actors Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost), Morris Chestnut (Boyz n the Hood), Joel Gretsch (The 4400), Logan Huffman (America), Laura Vandervoort (Smallville), Charles Mesure (Xena: Warrior Princess), Morena Baccarin (Firefly), and Scott Wolf (Go) join executive producers Scott Rosenbaum (Chuck, The Shield) and Steve Pearlman (Related) for a Q&A session with fans and to screen a special highlight reel from the show's first season. Ballroom 20

3:00-4:00 Spotlight on Ray Bradbury— He was at the very first Comic-Con and he sure was nice to me years ago, meeting him on Highway 5 at Harris Ranch.  Bradbury talks with biographer Sam Weller and moderator writer/producer Arnold Kunert in his yearly visit with his fans at Comic-Con. Room 6DE

3:00-4:00 DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection: Jonah Hex, Green Arrow, and Beyond!— Warner Home Video, Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation roll out the next wave of DC Showcase animated shorts with the world premiere of "Jonah Hex," an advance look at "Green Arrow," and details on the upcoming compilation Blu-ray/DVD release anchored by "Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam." With executive producer Bruce Timm (DC Universe Animated Original Movies), Jonah Hex voice Thomas Jane (Hung), producer Alan Burnett (The Batman), comics writer and fiction author Joe Lansdale, and writer/producer Greg Weisman (Young Justice)  Room 7AB

3:15-4:15 No Ordinary Family: Exclusive Premiere— Michael Chiklis (The Shield), Julie Benz (Dexter), and executive producers Greg Berlanti (Green Lantern), Jon Harmon Feldman (Tru Calling), and David Semel (Heroes) present an exclusive screening of the new ABC series about a family that gains superpowers. Everyone in the room will receive a surprise, but what is it? Room 6A

3:15-4:15 Fringe Screening and Q&A— Lance Reddick and Blair Brown from the show make their first appearance at Comic-Con, joining fellow series stars Anna Torv , Joshua Jackson, John Noble, and Jasika Nicole plus executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J. H. Wyman. Fringe: The Complete Second Season will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 14. Ballroom 20

3:30-5:00 Warehouse 13 and Eureka—  Back-to-back panels, featuring Warehouse 13's Eddie McClintock (Pete Lattimer), Joanne Kelly (Myka Bering), Saul Rubinek (Artie Nielsen), Allison Scagliotti (Claudia Donovan), and Jack Kenny (showrunner/executive producer) and Eureka's Colin Ferguson (Jack Carter), Salli Richardson-Whitfield (Allison Blake), Neil Grayston (Douglas Fargo), James Callis (Grant), Jaime Paglia (co-creator/executive producer/writer), and Bruce Miller (executive producer/writer). Room 6BCF

3:30-4:30 Robert E. Howard in Comics: Then. Now. Always.— Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane and more. Howard created them in the 1930s and '40s, and they came to comics in the early '70s.  Room 24ABC

3:30-4:30 Comics in the Classroom— Comics are becoming increasingly common in elementary and secondary classrooms. But how can teachers incorporate comics into their course curriculums? Room 26AB

4:00-5:00 Taking Back the Knight: Batman in the 1970s and Beyond— They were key among those who rescued Batman from  1960s TV show camp.  Writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams (mostly in collaboration with inker Dick Giordano) talk to moderator Mark Evanier, with Paul Levitz of DC, too. Room 8

4:15-5:15 Marvel Animation: Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes— Never-before-seen footage and two full-length episodes from the all-new Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes animated series premiering on Disney XD this fall. Room 6DE

4:15-5:00 The Vampire Diaries Screening and Q&A— Series stars Nina Dobrev (Degrassi: The Next Generation), Paul Wesley (Roll Bounce), Ian Somerhalder (Lost), Michael Trevino (Cane), and Matt Davis (Blue Crush) with executive producers/writers Kevin Williamson (Scream) and Julie Plec (Kyle XY) bring a season-one highlight reel and talk about season two as director/co-executive producer Marcos Siega (Dexter) moderates. Ballroom 20

4:30-5:30 Spotlight on J. Michael Straczynski— Genius or ego out of control?  Well, his runs on Spider-Man and Fantastic Four were darn good and his Thor revival was truly great. Now he's on Superman and Wonder Woman (that new costume for her and revamp? Eh...we'll see). Babylon 5 master mind JMS speaks, what else do you need to know?  Room 6A

4:45-5:45 Universal: Paul and Cowboys & Aliens— Paul isa sci-fi comedy and director Greg Mottola (Superbad) will be joined by cast members including Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz), Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead),  Seth Rogen (The Green Hornet), and more as they talk about the film's geeks-go-conventioning and end up a road trip with aliens. Then there's  Cowboys & Aliens—director Jon Favreau adapting the Platinum Studios' graphic novel. Currently shooting in New Mexico, Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford star. Hall H

5:00-6:00 Dark Shadows: The Classic Series, the Comic Books, and the Upcoming Film— Hermes Press celebrates Dark Shadows with a panel discussing the past, present, and future of the series. Join 1960s-70s series stars Jonathan Frid (Barnabas Collins, via special video appearance), Lara Parker (Angelique), Kathryn Leigh Scott (Maggie Evans/Josette), with Jim Pierson (Dark Shadows) and Daniel Herman (publisher, Hermes Press) . Room 3

5:15-6:15 Nikita Pilot Screening and Q&A— A first look at the new CW series with International action star Maggie Q (Mission: Impossible III), Shane West (ER) and Lyndsy Fonseca (Kick-Ass), and executive producer Craig Silverstein (Bones).  Room 6BCF

6:00-7:00 Marvel Studios: Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger— Producer Kevin Feige and special guests give you an inside look at these upcoming films. Hall H

6:15-7:00 Human Target Screening and Q&A— Based on the DC Comics title, Human Target moves to a new night this fall -- Fridays at 8pm ET/PT on FOX. The creator and series stars will be on hand: Mark Valley (Fringe), Chi McBride (Pushing Daisies), and Jackie Earle Haley (A Nightmare on Elm Street). Human Target: The Complete First Season will be released on Blu-ray and DVD September 21. Room 6BCF

Nighttime Programing

8:30-10:30 With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story— A feature length documentary on Marvel Comics icon Stan Lee. Following the screening will be a brief panel with Lee himself, executive producers Michael Uslan (The Dark Knight) and Tom DeSanto (X-Men, Transformers), actor Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk TV Show), illustrator Jim Lee (Marvel, DC), writer Paul Levitz (former president and publisher of DC Comics), Jack Kirby biographer Mark Evanier, and the With Great Power producing team of Terry Dougas, Nikki Frakes, and Will Hess. Room 6BCF

8:30-11:30 HBO's True Blood Presents: The San Diego Comic-Con International Masquerade— Original and re-created costumes, awards and cash prizes bestowed to those judged most outstanding. Doors will open for audience seating at 7:45 pm, but the line will start much earlier. Tickets required for seating and  given out free to those lining up near Ballroom 20 beginning at 3:00pm Saturday until all tickets are gone. Ballroom 20, with additional live broadcasts of the event in Rooms 5AB and 6A, and in the Sails Pavilion. Ballroom 20

10:00-12:00 Kevin Smith presents Cop Out in "Maximum Comedy Mode"— Director Kevin Smith will be there for the world premiere presentation of Cop Out in "Maximum Comedy Mode," showcasing stunts, improves, and all the fun that went into creating he ha-ha buddy cop film with Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan Get a bucket of popcorn, courtesy of Warner Bros. Indigo Ballroom, San Diego Hilton Bayfront