Countdown to SDCC 2006

With the convention starting tomorrow, tonight brings us Preview night at the San Diego Comic Con.

The past few days has brought us a wealth of news on what to expect at the convention. I will try to summarize some of the highlights that have been revealed thus far in this post.

Check back for updates. We will have one SDCC post a day, highlighting all the news, revelations and happenings of this pop culture mecca. These posts (including this one) will be updated throughout the day as we have new information to add.

Marvel

Marvel has announced that the Iron Man movie poster will be unveiled at the con. It was also announced that filming will begin in February for the movie. The posters will apparently be given out as freebies on Saturday and Jon Favreau, set to direct the movie, will be on hand to autograph them.
There will be 5 Marvel panels:

• MARVEL CIVIL WAR -THURSDAY, JULY 20 3:00-4:30pm
  • The best-selling book of the new millennium has plunged the Marvel Universe into war, pitting friend against friend. Come in for a debriefing and get a sneak peek at what’s to come from Joe Quesada and guests J. Michael Straczynski (Amazing Spider-Man), Paul Jenkins (Civil War: Front Line), Marc Guggenheim (Wolverine), Daniel & Charles Knauf (Iron Man), and many more! Also, surprise announcements from Jeph Loeb (Ultimates 3) as well as Frank Cho (New Avengers).
• SPIDER-MAN: THEN AND NOW – FRIDAY, JULY 21 10:30-11:30am
  • Welcome, True Believers, to a once-in-a-lifetime event. In one room for the first and only time, join the men who have impacted Spider-Man’s life from the beginning and those who are shaping him into the man he is today: Stan Lee, John Romita Sr., John Romita, Jr., Joe Quesada, J. Michael Straczynski and executive producer of Spider-Man 3, Kevin Feige! Find out what went into creating the world’s greatest super-hero and what the future holds for the wall-crawler.
• MARVEL HALO GRAPHIC NOVEL – FRIDAY, JULY 21 5:00-6:00pm
  • The best-selling video game has hit the four-color world in a stunning Graphic Novel. Join Marvel EiC Joe Quesada and a few of the masterminds behind the graphic novel, including Jean “Moebius” Giraud, Phil Hale, Simon Bisley and others as they reveal the future of Halo in the world of graphic fiction.
• CUP O’ JOE – SATURDAY, JULY 22 11:30am-1:00pm
  • It’s no-holds-barred, rapid-fire news and Q&A, shooting from the hip with the Q himself – Marvel Editor in Chief, Joe Quesada. This is one panel you don’t want to miss! You never know what kind of surprise announcement could be coming out of Joe’s mouth…
• MONDO MARVEL – SUNDAY, JULY 23 11:30am-12:30pm
  • Get the scoop on all-things Marvel, from the Avengers to X-Men and everything in between. Joe Quesada, Charlie Houston (Moon Knight), Greg Pak (Incredible Hulk), and more gather in one room to share secrets from the House of Ideas. Also, the Universe they said wasn’t possible is still shaking things up, and 2007 will see the biggest change yet! Find out what Jeph Loeb (Ultimates 3) and Robert Kirkman (Ultimate X-Men) have in store for the Ultimate Universe, and get your first glimpse at art from Ultimate Power!

Also of interest, Marvel will be reviewing portfolios for artists, inkers and colorists. If you are interested, you must leave your portfolio at the Marvel booth no later than 4PM on Friday. For more on what is expected to be in the portfolio go here at the bottom of the page. A list of creators will be posted on Saturday with names of people they are interested in speaking to and times to meet them. Great chance for anyone trying to get in the industry!

DC Comics

DC Comics will be hosting its own talent search. Details are cryptic and you have to follow a maze of links to get any real information on it, so start here. The page will tell you where to go.

If you’re planning on attending the DC Panels, DC has scheduled your Con for you since they have panels running at nearly all times of the day, each day. I’ll just list panel names and times here. For more information go here.

• Thursday, July 20:
  • 10:30-11:30, DC Talent Search
  • 11:30-12:30, DC Nation
  • 6:00-7:00, CMX: Mega Manga
• Friday, July 21:
  • 10:30-11:30, DC Talent Search 2
  • 11:30-12:30, DC Direct Sculptor Search — A Cut Above
  • 12:30-1:30, Vital Vertigo
  • 2:00-3:00, Justice For All
  • 3:30-4:30, WildStorm: Crossroads
  • 6:00-7:00, 52: A Year in the Life ofthe DCU
• Saturday, July 22:
  • 10:30-11:30, DC Talent Search 3
  • 11:30-12:30, Spotlight on Kurt Busiek
  • 1:00-2:30, DCU: One Year Greater
  • 4:00-5:00, Spotlight on Mark Buckingham
  • 6:00-7:00, Fans Turned Pro Featuring Heinberg, Johns, Meltzer, & Winick
• Sunday, July 23:
  • 10:30-11:30, DCU: The Big Three
  • 11:30-12:30, Spotlight on Gail Simone
  • 1:00-2:00, Vertigo Voices: The Fables Forum
  • 2:00-3:00, DC: Brave New World

Not much else was reportedly going on for DC, but I think all the panels should cover just about anything you’re looking for.

IDW Publishing

IDW will be sharing a booth with Hasbro, so look for Hasbro to find IDW. They will have comics, collections, and more for sale, in addition to having much of the creative talent on hand for signing.

There will be 2 (two) IDW panels:

• IDW Publishing and The Transformers: More Than Meets the IDW
  Thursday, July 20, 3:00 – 4:00 PM
  • This panel will talk about the comics IDW has leading up to the motion picture in addition to the other books and projects they have for 2006 and 2007 related to Transformers.
• IDW Publishing: Ideas and Designs 2006
  Friday, July 21, 1:30 – 2:30 PM
  • This panel will recap some of what was discussed in the prior panel and also cover IDW’s other projects that are not related to Transformers.

Immediately following IDW’s Thursday Panel, Hasbro will be having their Transformers Panel…

Hasbro

Hasbro announced they will be showing off their new Transformers Classics Line, DVD Edition 20th Anniv. Optimus Prime, and possibly new details about the upcoming feature film.

“The Hasbro TRANSFORMERS design and marketing teams take the stage to discuss their plans surrounding their TRANSFORMERS Cybertron, and TRANSFORMERS Classics lines and answer your questions. Also, Sony BMG will be joining Hasbro to talk about their 20th Anniversary Special Edition DVD of TRANSFORMERS: The Movie!

Comic Con kicks off a fantastic year for TRANSFORMERS, that will includes BotCon 2006, the SONY BMG release of TRANSFORMERS: The Movie 20th Anniversary Special Edition DVD, and, of course, an awesome product line. Plus, it all leads up to next summer’s live action release from Paramount, TRANFORMERS. Paramount is creating an outstanding film that will bring the TRANSFORMERS property to life in a way that is simply beyond imagination!”

More to come as I find it…