The Programming Schedule is up and operating for this year's Comic-Con International in San Diego. If you're attending, I highly suggest that you take the time before the con to peruse the schedule, jot down the items you want to attend and jot down the second-choices you'll attend if/when your first choices prove impossible to get into.
Here are links to the schedules for programming at Comic-Con on Preview Night, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday — in that order. And to make things even easier for you, here's the list of the important panels — i.e., the ones I'm hosting…
Thursday, July 20 – 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM in Room 4
SPOTLIGHT ON MIKE ROYER
As part of this year's gala Jack Kirby Centennial, here's an hour-long chat with Jack's favorite inker of his work, the man who worked with him on the Fourth World comics, Kamandi, The Demon, and many others. But Mike Royer was so much more than just Jack Kirby's inker. He worked with Russ Manning on the Tarzan comic books and newspaper strip and again with Russ on the Star Wars newspaper strip. He drew for Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella and worked on the '60s Marvel superhero cartoons and for Gold Key Comics and had a multi-decade career working for Disney on things as un-Kirbylike as Winnie the Pooh. Come hear him be interviewed by his friend and colleague, Mark Evanier.Thursday, July 20 – 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM in Room 8
THE MARK, SERGIO, STAN AND TOM SHOW
The old "Sergio and Mark Show" has a new name-but what it doesn't have is new panelists. It's still the crew who bring you the bumbling adventures of Groo the Wanderer, talking about what they do and why they do it. See the award-winning team of Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier along with Stan Sakai (the creator of Usagi Yojimbo) and the hardest-working man in comics, colorist Tom Luth. They'll be discussing the latest Groo miniseries, many upcoming projects, and why Mark doesn't get paid for the work he does on their comic. Then again, he's not getting paid for writing this panel description either.Friday, July 21 – 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM in Room 8
POGO, WALT KELLY AND CAROLYN KELLY
Some call Walt Kelly's Pogo the greatest newspaper strip of all time. This program provides a discussion on Kelly, his legacy, and his lovely daughter, who passed away in April. Topics include the future of the Eisner Award-winning Pogo reprint series from Fantagraphics Books that Carolyn had been co-editing and that will continue to reprint that wonderful feature. On the dais: comic historian Maggie Thompson (Comics Buyer's Guide), film critic Leonard Maltin, cartoonist Scott Shaw!, friend John Plunkett, Fantagraphics's Eric Reynolds (co-editor of the Complete Pogo series), and moderator Mark Evanier (co-editor of the Complete Pogo series).Friday, July 21 – 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM in Room 8
JACK KIRBY: FRIENDS AND FAMILY
If Jack Kirby were as immortal as his work, he'd be 100 years old next month . . . and he's still here in spirit and impact. Today a group of his family members and closest friends will talk about the man they knew, the man whose genius revolutionized the comic book industry again and again, and they'll even tell you what he liked on his pizza. Your moderator is former Kirby assistant Mark Evanier (author, Kirby: King of Comics).Saturday, July 22 – 11:45 AM to 1 PM in Room 6BCF
QUICK DRAW!
It's the fastest, funniest panel in the whole convention! Once again, your Quick Draw Quizmaster Mark Evanier pits three super-speedy cartoonists against one another with dueling Sharpies as they create great cartoon art right before your very eyes. Competing this year are (as usual) Sergio Aragonés (MAD magazine, Groo the Wanderer) and Scott Shaw! (The Simpsons), joined this year by Maria Scrivan (Half Full) plus a couple of highly surprising surprises!Saturday, July 22 – 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM in Room 6BCF
CARTOON VOICES I
Each year, moderator Mark Evanier gathers a bevy of the most talented cartoon voice actors working today and invites them to explain and demonstrate their artistry. This year's lineup includes Grey Griffin (Scooby-Doo!, DC Super Hero Girls), Richard Horvitz (Invader ZIM, The Angry Beavers), Jeff Bergman (Bugs Bunny, Fred Flintstone), Mick Wingert (Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes), Kaitlyn Robrock (Mr. Pickles, Golan the Insatiable), Josh Robert Thompson (Family Guy, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson), and maybe a few other members of the vocal majority.Saturday, July 22 – 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM in Room 5AB
THAT 70'S PANEL
It was a time of change in comics, with a new generation intermingling with the old and taking command. Hear what the comics industry was like in the 1970s from Mike Grell (The Warlord; Jon Sable, Freelance), Paul Levitz (Legion of Super-Heroes, Stalker), Keith Pollard (Fantastic Four, Thor), Ron Wilson (The Thing, Super Boxers), Marv Wolfman (Tomb of Dracula, New Teen Titans), Joe Staton (E-Man, Dick Tracy), and moderator Mark Evanier (Groo the Wanderer, Blackhawk).Sunday, July 23 – 10:00 AM to 11:15 AM in Room 5AB
THE ANNUAL JACK KIRBY TRIBUTE PANEL
Continuing the celebration of the Kirby Centennial, this is the annual panel about Comic-Con's first superstar guest, the man they call "The King of Comics," Jack Kirby. Jack left us in 1994, but his influence on comics, film, and this convention has never been greater. Discussing the man and his work this year are Jim Chadwick (editor at DC Comics), Paul Levitz (former president at DC Comics), Mike Royer (Kirby's favorite inker), attorney Paul S. Levine, and several highly surprising surprise guests. Naturally, it's moderated by former Kirby assistant Mark Evanier.Sunday, July 23 – 11:30 AM to 12:45 PM in Room 6A
CARTOON VOICES II
With the smash-hit success of yesterday's Cartoon Voices I panel, there's no choice but to do another one-with different but equally talented actors from the world of animation voicing. Once again, moderator Mark Evanier has assembled an all-star dais that will include Neil Kaplan (Transformers, Voltron), Nickie Bryar (Family Guy, American Dad!), Bob Joles (Puss in Boots, SpongeBob SquarePants), Debra Wilson (MADtv, Family Guy), Chuck McCann (Fantastic Four, DuckTales), and probably someone else.Sunday, July 23 – 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM in Room 25ABC
COVER STORY: THE ART OF THE COVER
What does it take to make a great cover for a comic book? Let's ask five of the top artists . . . all folks who've created some of the best. Come hear the "shop talk" of Arthur Adams (Longshot, Monkeyman and O'Brien), Mike Grell (Warlord; Jon Sable, Freelance), Joyce Chin (America, Deadpool the Duck), Joe Staton (E-Man, Dick Tracy), and Erica Henderson (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Jughead). Moderated by Mark Evanier.Sunday, July 23 – 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM in Room 25ABC
THE BUSINESS OF CARTOON VOICES
Interested in a career doing voices for animation and videogames? There are plenty of people around who'll take your money and tell you how to go about it, but here's 90 minutes of absolutely free advice from folks who work actively in the field. Hear from cartoon voice actors Gregg Berger, Julie Nathanson, and Debra Wilson, talent agent Sandie Schnarr (AVO Talent) and your moderator, voice director Mark Evanier (The Garfield Show).
I am actually on some panels I'm not moderating too so don't be surprised if you see me where you don't expect me. As always: Times, room assignments and panel participants are subject to change. Matter of fact, I'm still trying to get them to postpone the whole convention to late August because I'm not ready for it. It's not looking good for that though so the above schedule will probably happen.