Friday, October 19th Programming Schedule

11:00 am-noon: After Watchmen- The ethics of the Before Watchmen comics: Some people are offended by the several DC Comics limited series featuring characters from Alan Moore’s classic Watchmen series from 1986-87. Others hold that Moore did his work under contract with DC and that any work created under those circumstances may be continued legitimately by others at a later date. What do you think? Panelists: Tess Fowler, Chris Gutierrez, Russell Nohelty, Rod Underhill. Room: Garden Salon 1.

11:00 am-noon: The Best Original Graphic Novels of All Time- We asking panelists to bring their separate lists of the top 10 graphic novels of all time, then compare notes and see where they agree and disagree. To be clear, we’re limiting this discussion to original graphic novels, not books that were first serialized such as Watchmen, Dark Knight or Maus. Bring your own list! Panelists: Erik Bear, Jackie Estrada, Tone Milazzo. Room: Crescent.

12:15-1:15 pm: Spotlight on George Gladir- George Gladir began writing for comics in 1959 with one-page gag fillers for Archie Comics. Less than three years later, he created the enduring pop-culture character Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and he continued to write for Archie for nearly 50 years. He also wrote for Cracked, the most successful competitor of Mad magazine, for 30 years. Come hear about George’s remarkable career and his upcoming projects. Batton Lash will be George’s interviewer for this spotlight. Room: Garden Salon 1.

12:15-1:15 pm: Remembering Forry- The late, great Forrest J. Ackerman was San Diego Comic-Con’s first guest (along with inker Mike Royer). Many a young fan dreamed of visiting Uncle Forry’s treasure-packed abode, the legendary Ackermansion. Several fans who realized that dream will gather to tell their favorite Forry stories. Panelists: David Clark, Wyatt Doyle, Chris Gore, William R. Lund. Room: Garden Salon 2.

12:15-1:15 pm: Writing Comics Workshop with James Hudnall (Part 1 of 2) — Crafting Comics Stories- Acclaimed comics writer James Hudnall reveals the secrets to crafting a good comic book story and making it exciting. He breaks down into easy to understand steps how to get the most out of your ideas. (Part 2, Creating Characters, Sunday, 3 pm) Room: Crescent.

1:30-2:30 pm: Fantasy Summers: Phil Tippett, Greg Bear, Scott Shaw!, David Clark, Roger Freedman and moderator Paul Sammon discuss growing up in Southern California in the 1960s, making movies, traveling to LA, interacting with film culture – from Star Trek to Cascade Studios – hanging out with Forry Ackerman, Ray Bradbury, Marcel Delgado, Ray Harryhausen, Jim Danforth, Dave Allen, Jack Kirby and many other luminaries – in short, getting in early on the trends that would dominate the world of entertainment for decades to come. Room: Garden Salon 1.

1:30-2:30 pm: Best. Fanzines. Ever.- Comics had a huge fanzine boom in the 1960s and 1970s. Which ones had a lasting impact on comicdom, and why? Learn from our panel of fanzine creators nd scholars. Panelists: Aaron Caplan, Gary Carter, William R. Lund, Ken Meyer Jr., James Van Hise. Room: Crescent.

2:00-3:30 pm: Remembering Café Frankenstein- George Clayton Johnson and Doug Myres, co-owners of the Café along with the late Burt Shonberg, will be joined by moderator Barry Alfonso in recalling the legendary Laguna Beach night spot. We will leave plenty of opportunities for people in the audience to share their own memories as well. Room: Café Stage.

2:45-3:45 pm: Glory Days of National Lampoon- Hear about the best days of National Lampoon from Michael Gross, who became Art Director in 1970 and proceeded to set the tone for years to come. Learn why New Times stated, “If Doug Kenney and Henry Beard are the parents of the National Lampoon, Michael Gross is the doctor that delivered the baby.” Print magazine contributing editor and graphic design historian Michael Dooley will be his interviewer for this spotlight. Room: Garden Salon 1.

2:45-3:45 pm: History of comics coloring with Tom Luth- Esteemed comic book colorist Tom Luth presents a history of comics color from old school to computers. Room: Crescent.

3:45-4:45 pm: Text, Image and Computation – Comics in the Data-Driven Society- Igor Goldkind will present an overview of what comics have to do with technology in terms of conveying complex information simply through Infomatics, the idea of text and image being a primary way the brain assimilates complex information leading into games and on-line comics computational narratives. Igor’s personal interests are in the convergence of storytelling and technologies — the idea of multiple, interchanging narrative threads, varying accounts, folksonomies usurping taxonomies, storytelling as participatory and computational. Igor also will discuss how, as comics became more mainstream, they also established aesthetic templates for storytelling that some would say pervade film these days. Room: Café Stage.

4:00-5:30 pm: 15th anniversary of Starship Troopers and Phil Tippett’s Mad God- On the occasion of its 15th anniversary, Paul M. Sammon and Phil Tippett will discuss director Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers, which featured Phil’s groundbreaking visual effects. They also will talk about Mad God, Phil’s very personal film project. Room: Garden Salon 1.

4:00-5:00 pm: Timothy Leary, Comics and Comic-Con- The San Diego Comic Convention hosted many stellar guests during its first decade, but perhaps the most unlikely among them was psychedelic guru Dr. Timothy Leary. Once labeled by Richard Nixon as “the most dangerous man in America,” he was still a notorious figure when he attended the 1976 Comic-Con, not long after having been released from prison. Hear about the Doctor’s experiences at Comic-Con and his involvement with underground comix from people who were there! Panelists: Barry Alfonso, Wendy All, Ron Turner, Pete Von Sholly. Room: Garden Salon 2.

4:00-5:00 pm: An Hour With Joyce Farmer- Joyce Farmer, one of the first woman underground artists, will sit down with her friend, Mary Fleener (also a noted artist), and discuss her career, her upcoming plans and, most all, Special Exits, her “graphic memoir” based upon her own experience caring for her father and stepmother in their final years. To quote Booklist’s starred review, Special Exits is “in effect an autobiographical graphic novel though with the names of family and friends changed … Emotional and physical crises are depicted naturalistically, never hyped up to tug the heartstrings or extort pity, and the parents’ personalities are convincingly and lovingly evoked … Farmer’s contribution is primarily a work of art, moving and beautiful.” Or as Robert Crumb wrote, “One of the best long-narrative comics I’ve ever read, right up there with Maus…I actually found myself moved to tears.” Special Exits won the 2011 National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Award for Best Graphic Novel. Room: Crescent.

5:15-6:15 pm: Ray Bradbury & Comic-Con- Ray was a guest at the very first Comic-Con and attended regularly through 2010, even when he was restricted to a wheelchair. He was approachable, accessible and very popular with the fans. Our panelists will discuss Ray and his impact on Comic-Con. Panelists: Greg Bear, Wyatt Doyle, Mark Evanier, Lisa Kessler, William R. Lund. Room: Garden Salon 2.

5:15-6:15 pm: A Hugo for Ken Krueger- Come and meet the man! Not only a comic book legend but the best-known forgotten member of science fiction’s hallowed First Fandom. Join the campaign! Join Earl Terry Kemp as he launches a campaign to get Ken Krueger the science fiction Hugo Award he so justly deserves. Find out how you can help to make this happen! Other panelists: Wendy All, Jim Valentino. Room: Crecent.

5:45-7:00 pm: Scott Shaw! Presents OddBall Comics Live, the Super-hero and Others Who Wear Their Underwear on the Outside Edition- Scott presents the first of two sessions of his legendary slide shows of “esoteric” – read crazy, strange, bizarre – comics. This one has been Comic Fest-approved for general audiences. (The late night edition is Saturday, 11 pm) Room: Garden Salon 1.

6:30-7:30 pm: Self-Publishing Today- The comics self-publishing boom began way back with Elfquest and Cerebus and hit its stride in the 1990s led by Bone and Strangers In Paradise. What is the status of self-publishing today? Is it all happening online now? Panelists: Wyatt Doyle, Jackie Estrada, Batton Lash, Blaine Readler, Phil Yeh. Room: Garden Salon 2.

6:30-8:30 pm: A Look Back at Jeffrey Jones- After four years in the making, Maria Cabardo presents Comic Fest fans with an exclusive screening of her work in progress, Better Things: The Life and Choices of Jeffrey Catherine Jones. The documentary is about the reclusive comic book artist, whose art was influential in the early 1980s through the ‘90s and inspired other artists in the field of illustration and fine arts. Maria will hold a Q & A session afterward. (The film also screens Saturday, 7:45 pm) Room: Crescent.

7:15-8:15 pm: The Making of Ghostbusters 2- Michael C. Gross, producer of Ghostbusters 2, and Hank Mayo, who worked as a concept artist for the movie, will discuss the making of this hilarious film. These guys have worked on some other notable genre films, so don’t be surprised if you hear about some other titles, such as the original Ghostbusters, Heavy Metal, Dune, Predator 2 and Men in Black. Room: Garden Salon 1.

7:45-8:45 pm: Zen and the Art of Cereal Boxes – Chapter- Super-Heroes: Super-heroes did not come to you only from flat comic books, TV shows or movies; they also entered your brain and mouth through cardboard standing on your breakfast table. Since 1946, Superman, Batman, Spider-man, Hulk, Wonder Woman, Pacman, X-Men, Justice League, Snap Crackle and Pop, Dynaman and many others have adorned the fronts and backs of cereal boxes.  Come to this program conducted by San Diego cerealogist Duane Dimock and be fed a spoonful of box history, from 1869 to the present, highlighting super-hero cereals. Room: Garden Salon 2.

8:00-11:00 pm: Ken Krueger Celebration- Join us in celebrating the life and accomplishments of Ken Krueger, member of science-fiction’s First Fandom, pioneering small-press publisher, Chairman of Comic-Con #1, beloved friend and mentor to many fans and professionals. Room: Café Frankenstein.

8:30-10:00 pm: Dinosaur Presents Danger 5: Victory Has a New Name- Set in a bizarre, 1960s pop culture-inspired version of World War II, this Australian action-comedy TV series follows a team of five spies on their mission to kill Hitler. The finest group of special operatives the Allies have to offer, Danger 5 unravels Hitler’s diabolical schemes as they travel from one exotic locale to another. The focus here is on action and offbeat humor! We will show the first three episodes, featuring Nazis plundering world monuments, Nazi dinosaurs, and Nazi Japanese robot super-soldiers. Plus, Dinosaur, the show’s producer, has shipped us a limited supply from their few remaining copies of the Danger Monthly promotional imitation men’s adventure magazine that we will give away at the screening! Room: Garden Salon 1.

10:00 pm-2:00 am (or so): Late night movies in Glorious 16 mm- Join our master projectionists for classic films projected just as they were at Comic-Con back in the day, in glorious 16 mm. Plus cartoons and short subjects! Room: Garden Salon 1.