It's less than two weeks until a lot of us will be truckin' on down to San Diego and the Comic-Con International. Here's what I'll be doing there and where I'll be doing it…
THURSDAY, JULY 22
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM / Room 8 • SPOTLIGHT ON MIKE ROYER
He started assisting the great Russ Manning and moved on to become Jack Kirby's favorite inker on many important works, including The New Gods. Along the way, his work also appeared in Creepy, Vampirella, Tarzan and dozens of other comics. We interview a true professional, MIKE ROYER.2:30 PM – 4:00 PM / Room 8 • THE ANNUAL GOLDEN/SILVER AGE PANEL
Every year, we gather together several of the industry's greats. This time out, come meet TOM GILL (The Lone Ranger), FRANK SPRINGER (Nick Fury), GENE COLAN (Daredevil), FRANK BOLLE (Doctor Solar), SID JACOBSON (Harvey Comics), JACK ADLER (DC Production Crew) and HARRY HARRISON (EC Comics), who between them have logged over 300 years in comics!4:00 PM – 5:30 PM / Room 8 • THE SERGIO AND MARK SHOW
What would a Comic-Con International be without SERGIO ARAGONES, MARK EVANIER, STAN SAKAI and TOM LUTH giving you the lowdown on the world's stupidest barbarian, Groo the Wanderer, and other weird projects they have in the works? (It would be the same but with one less panel.)FRIDAY, JULY 23
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM / Room 8 • SPOTLIGHT ON JACK ADLER
You may not know his name but if you read DC Comics in the fifties and sixties, you know his work. JACK ADLER was the main colorist and the inventor of many of comics' most innovative techniques. We'll talk with him and view photos he took over the years in the DC offices.1:00 PM – 2:30 PM / Room 5AB • SPOTLIGHT ON CHUCK McCANN
If you grew up in New York, you probably remember his brilliant, ground-breaking kid show. Otherwise, you know him as one of the funniest comic actors in the business. CHUCK McCANN will share funny clips and even funnier stories with the audience. A not-to-be-missed event!2:30 PM – 4:00 PM / Room 8 • THE ANNUAL JACK KIRBY TRIBUTE PANEL
It's been ten years since we lost the man they still call "The King of the Comics" and hail as its most influential artist. Let's celebrate his life with DAVE STEVENS, DAVE GIBBONS, MIKE ROYER, PAUL RYAN, WALT SIMONSON, STEVE RUDE and members of the Kirby family.4:00 PM – 5:00 PM / Room 8 • REMEMBERING BOB CLAMPETT
He was one of the great directors of Warner Brothers cartoons and he went on to innovate kids' TV with Beany and Cecil. Come hear animation historian JERRY BECK, historian-animator MILT GRAY, animator LEO SULLIVAN and daughter RUTH CLAMPETT as they gather to view rare film footage and to recall the creative force known as Bob Clampett.SATURDAY, JULY 24
12 NOON – 1:30 PM / Room 6AB • QUICK DRAW!
We take three swift cartoonists and throw challenges at them. They draw as fast as they can and the results are always hilarious. This year, the combatants are MAD Magazine's SERGIO ARAGONES, Simpsons comic artist SCOTT SHAW! and the creator of Bone, JEFF SMITH.1:30 PM – 3:00 PM / Room 6AB • THE ANNUAL CARTOON VOICE PANEL
Witness a demonstration of the art form with JOE ALASKEY (Duck Dodgers), DEE BRADLEY BAKER (The Fairly Odd Parents), GREGG BERGER (Men in Black), TOM KENNY (SpongeBob SquarePants), NEIL ROSS (Transformers), BILLY WEST (Futurama) and many more!3:00 PM – 4:00 PM / Room 6AB • RAY BRADBURY
Catch up with the world's most acclaimed author of science-fiction and fantasy (The Martian Chronicles, Fahrenheit 451, Something Wicked This Way Comes, et al) as he honors us with an hour of his time and discusses his past, your present and everyone's future.4:00 PM – 5:30 PM / Room 6AB • SPOTLIGHT ON JUNE FORAY
She's not only Rocky (pal of Bullwinkle) and Granny (owner of Tweety), she's the undisputed queen of cartoon voicing. We'll interview JUNE FORAY and then have a reading of vintage cartoon scripts with her, CHUCK McCANN, JOE ALASKEY and others as we re-create a Rocky & Bullwinkle episode!SUNDAY, JULY 25
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM / Room 8 • TRIBUTE TO JULIUS SCHWARTZ
We remember one of the industry's great editors and the man who launched the Silver Age of Comics and helped start fandom. Come hear FORREST J ACKERMAN, LEN WEIN, ELLIOTT S! MAGGIN, PAUL LEVITZ, MARV WOLFMAN, MIKE CARLIN and others.1:00 PM – 2:30 PM / Room 8 • SPOTLIGHT ON TOM GILL & FRANK SPRINGER
Two great comic artists, together. TOM GILL is one of the great western comic illustrators (for years, the artist for The Lone Ranger) and an acclaimed teacher of comic art. FRANK SPRINGER has drawn everything from Batman to Spider-Man and everything in-between. Come hear them interviewed about two incredible careers.
Please remember that everything in the above is subject to change. Keep your eye on this weblog and when you get to the con, consult your program guide and various announcements posted around the exhibit hall.