Things I would do on Friday at Geek Vegas if I could, with additional commentary in red. This one's not entirely chronological.
3:00-4:00 The Black Panel— Featuring Reggie Hudlin (president, BET), RZA (Wu Tang Clan), Jeffery Wright (CEO, Urban Ministries), Denys Cowan (senior VP, BET Animation), Mike Davis and Mark Davis (Blokhedz), and Axel Alonso (editor, Marvel Comics). This is the definitive panel for what’s up in black content, and black content is hip content. Moderated by Michael Davis. Room 6A This panel should more appropriately be titled The Black Male Panel, and I am thrilled to see the guys behind Blokhedz included on it. Yet even as I wonder why Keith Knight or Kyle Baker are not on this panel, reading its description I a have a guess as to *why* they are not on this panel, and it makes me go hmmmm. Last summer I shared thoughts on why a panel on blacks exists at show, why they're always filled with men, and what this type of panel might evolve into down the road. You can read that by clicking here. Rereading that now, I forgot about my pledge to do micro-profiles of Not White Women in comics that I'm aware of. Fuck! BGF Central is LITTERED with mentions of stuff I meant to get around to, but never did (such as the Anansi Boys essay that I swear to god I am going to stop fussing over and get done in time for the paperback release...) This fall I'm going to make a true effort to at least get up tidbits about the NWW in Comics stuff.
Anyways....
4:30-5:30 Fantagraphics 30th Anniversary— Fantagraphics Books co-owners Gary Groth and Kim Thompson will be joined by Love & Rockets creators Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez and Eightball creator Dan Clowes for a trip down memory lane as they reminisce about Fantagraphics' 30 years history as "Publisher of the World's Greatest Cartoonists." Moderator Gary Groth talks to key figures in comics history about all aspects of the company, from the beginnings of the Comics Journal in the mid-1970s to its present-day profile as the publisher of cartooning powerhouses like Charles M. Schulz, R. Crumb, Daniel Clowes, and Los Bros Hernandez. Featuring special surprise guests! Room 7B LOS BROS! LOS BROS! LOS BROS! CLOWES! LOS BROS! LOS BROS! But what about Mario? Where is Mario? MARIO, WHERE ARE YOU?!
3:30-5:00 Spotlight on Roger Corman: 50 Years of Filmmaking— Join the talented filmmaker of Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, Grand Theft Auto, Death Race 2000, Caged Heat, Little Shop of Horrors, and many more as Roger Corman discusses his 50 years of filmmaking with Cinefantastique’s Mark Altman. Q&A session to follow. Room 6B
5:00-6:00 The Art of Dan DeCarlo— For nearly six decades, Dan DeCarlo entertained the world with his unique cartooning talents. Though best known as the definitive Archie Comics artist and creator of Josie and the Pussycats, DeCarlo also brought his unique style to dozens of other characters including Millie The Model, Willie Lumpkin, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Big Boy, Batman, and even The Simpsons. Though Dan passed away in 2001, his brilliant art lives on in Innocence and Seduction: The Art of Dan DeCarlo, a new lavishly illustrated retrospective book from Fantagraphics. Join the author and the designer of the book, Bill Morrison (The Simpsons) and Serban Cristescu (Futurama) for a big screen look at the art and life of one of the world’s all-time best cartoonists. Room 9
9:00-11:00 CCI:IFF Extra: Eliot Ness: An Untouchable Life— Writer/director Max Allan Collins (Road to Perdition) introduces and presents the award-winning film from his acclaimed one-man play of the life of the real-life gangbuster who helped jail Al Capone, tracked the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run, and inspired Dick Tracy. Room 6B Max Allan Collins, keepin' it real on the neo-noir front.
12:30-2:00 Spotlight on George R.R. Martin — With a career that covers fantasy writing (his popular “A Song of Fire and Ice” series of books), television (Twilight Zone and the beloved Beauty and the Beast), and comics, George R.R. Martin has pleased fans for many years. He and his works are featured in this special spotlight presentation. Room 6B
12:30-1:30 Ray Harryhausen: King Kong and the Colorization of Merian C. Cooper’s She— Legendary visual effects artist Ray Harryhausen discusses his career and current projects (including the revitalization of She) with Mark Cotta Vaz, author of the Merian C. Cooper biography Living Dangerously: The Adventures of Merian C. Cooper, and Joe DeVito, creator/illustrator of Kong: King of Skull Island. Moderated by Arnold Kunert, producer of the Saturn Award-winning DVD, Ray Harryhausen: The Early Years Collection. Room 6A
11:30-1:00 Spotlight on Jean-Claude Mezieres— For decades, Jean-Claude Mezieres has been thrilling science fiction fans worldwide with Valerian: Spatiotemporal Agent, a galaxy-roaming series of graphic novels whose grungy, lived-in world, wild alien life forms, and all-around visual inventiveness predated Star Wars by a full decade. Kim Thompson, who grew up reading Valerian in the pages of Pilote magazine, will quiz Monsieur Mézières about his nearly 40-year career (including his involvement as a designer for Luc Besson's The Fifth Element). Room 1A
11:30-12:30 75 Years of Dick Tracy— Comics historian RC Harvey will interview Max Allan Collins (Road to Perdition) on his 15-year stint as writer of the syndicated strip as well as his personal relationship with creator Chester Gould, and they‘ll explore the bullet-riddled history of this influential comic strip. Plus: exciting news about a major new Dick Tracy project that you won’t want to miss! Room 4
1:00-2:00 It All Begins with the First Second— Mark Siegel (:01 editorial director) leads Eddie Campbell (The Fate of the Artist) and Gene Yang (American Born Chinese) in a discussion of the new directions graphic novel publishing is taking. Room 1A All Eddie Campbell, All The Time, the the unofficial motto of BGF Central. Except for when it's All Los Bros All The Time.
2:00-3:00 SCI FI: Battlestar Galactica— "The #1 television show of 2005"—Time magazine. "One of the most original and provocative programs on television"—New York Times. "The toughest, smartest show on television"—Rolling Stone. “A wildly intense gem . . . riveting . . . not to be missed"—TV Guide. If you’re not watching it, you should be. See what the buzz is all about. Be sure to stop by the SCI FI booth for a chance to win the ultimate BSG prize packet! Panelists include stars Edward James Olmos (Admiral William Adama), Mary McDonnell (Laura Roslin), James Callis (President Gaius Baltar), and Lucy Lawless (D’Anna Biers), plus executive producers David Eick and Ronald D. Moore and SCI FI VP for original programming Erik Storey. Moderated by Lisa Chambers, features director, TV Guide. Room 20 Actually I won't attend this because I've only seen the miniseries and don't want spoilers. But I desperately want to get a glimpse of Edward James Olmos in the flesh so perhaps I'll just peek in from the door, ooogle and run away before I hear anything.
2:30-3:30 Graphic Novels: The Universal Language— It’s true. Graphic novels are sweeping the world! (Admittedly, we Americans were the last to get this, but we’re playing catch-up hard and fast.) Comics historian Tom Spurgeon will moderate a panel made up of creators from around the world, including James Sturm (The Golem’s Mighty Swing), Linda Medley (Castle Waiting), Roger Langridge (Fred the Clown), Jean-Claude Mezieres (Valerian), Yoshihiro Tatsume (The Push Man and Other Stories), and John Wagner (A History of Violence, Button Man) in a discussion what makes the world go ‘round. Room 5AB Have already raved about Medley, but there is also much admiration for the historical comics of Sturm here at BGF Central.
3:00-4:00 Fox: Bones— David Boreanaz is one of television's biggest stars. Boreanaz and Bones creator/executive producer Hart Hanson will dish up all the fun behind-the-scenes stories on the show and answer your questions! Room 20 I've never seen this show and probably never will, but I want to stop by for the Q&A just to confirm my thought that 98% of the questions from the audience will be about Buffy & Angel. That's what happens whenever someone attached to one of those shows up trying to talk about something else. It's gonna be funny.
4:00-5:00 BET Animation— Panelists Reggie Hudlin (president, BET), Denys Cowan (senior VP, BET Animation), and Sidney Clifton (executive VP, Film Roman) share their big vision of what is to come from BET’s new animation division. Moderated by Michael Davis. Room 6A Less about my interest in BET's animation plan and more about my always enjoying Michael Davis on a podium. He's a hoot. Also Rich might want the scoop, so I'll try to show up for part of it and take notes.
5:30-7:00 Masters of American Comics— Masters of American Comics is the sensational new exhibition revolutionizing the art world. Co-curator Brian Walker (The Comics Before 1945; The Comics Since 1945) explains how the century’s 15 top artists were selected. From the Hammer Museum, Cynthia Burlingham, coordinating curator, and Claudine Dixon, catalog coordinator, share amazing behind-the-scenes tales. And two lenders, cartoon entrepreneur Denis Kitchen (Steve Krupp’s Gallery) and cartoonist/designer/writer Craig Yoe (Arf book series), reveal the joys and agonies of collecting original comics art. Masters events participant and author Michael Dooley (The Education of a Comics Artist) moderates this lively, illustrated discussion. Room 8 Want to attend because somebody needs to ask, directly and in public, Why No Women? Dunno about you, but I am keenly interested in the answer.
7:00-8:30 Klingon Lifestyle Presentation— Just in time for Star Trek’s monumental 40th anniversary, Comic-Con once again presents our friends, the Klingons! The crew of the IKV Stranglehold return with their latest mission, and this time it may turn to disaster for the entire crew as their loyalties are tested, causing some to mutiny. All species are welcome to experience the ongoing voyage and adventure of life aboard a Klingon vessel. Room 6A I have always wondered what the hell this is. Maybe this year I'll find out. One of my fave con memories involves a collection of large Klingons from this group (with a few Stormtroopers mixed in) providing a wall of guards to help get a guest out of one room and into another before he was stampeded. It was very nice of them to help. I have no idea if it irritated the guest, but I found it highly amusing. Guest escorting does involve a fair amount of thinking on your feet and often far out of the box. I have told that story so many times to my friends that I'm not allowed to bring it up anymore.
