Can't do nuthin' without a schedule.

Same as it ever was, only this year, by the time this post is published, I won’t even have a job that feints at the prospect of affording San Diego Comic-Con...or will I? Seriously, will I? Anyway...

Thursday

12th Annual Musical Anatomy of a Superhero and Other Heroes | Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront | 10:00a - A lot of composers here from recent projects, including the son of Michael Giacchino (incidentally, also the panel’s moderator) and the wife of Atticus Ross. It really is who you know in this business.

Animation History with Jerry and Mark | Room 9 | 10:00a - Jerry Beck and Mark Evanier will answer questions about animation and express what must be a mind-blowing amount of combined knowledge about the subject.

Rhapsody PR’s 18th Annual Behind-the-Music Panel: Supersonic | Room 29CD | 11:30a - Another composer panel where I know only half the people on the dais...and even then, I only have one CD between them. Really, who knows what composers will be working by the time I break in?

Bear McCreary: Musical Worldbuilding | Room 6BCF | 11:45a - Okay, a promising (and familiar) talent in the field of film composition and he gets a panel all to himself. That’s how damn good he is.

Great Cartoonists and Comedians We Have Known | Room 9 | 12:00p - Evanier is back and this time, he and Leonard Maltin talk about the many artistic talents they've crossed paths with. 

Malcolm and Friends | Room 6A | 12:30p - Really hoping I can get in on this action someday. Not sure I’m extroverted enough to host a panel like this. I can be the guy on the end who chimes in, occasionally.

Anniversary of Deja Vu and the Art of Time Travel Writing for TV and Film | Room 25ABC | 1:00p - Haven’t seen Deja Vu since it opened, but I am interested in the mechanics of time travel, especially since I’m planning at least two different time travel scripts.

-Lunch break-

Thematic Tunes from Star Wars to Pokemon | Room 6A | 4:15p - Okay, I’m not sure how this will work as composers are pretty much forbidden from creating themes for film scores these days, but it’ll be interesting to see them flail their way through an explanation.

-Dinner break-

Fleischer Cartoons: Greatest Hits Vol. 1 | Room 28DE | 7:00p - A panel where one gets to hear about the history and restoration of legendary cartoons. I might even get to watch some of them.

The 29th Annual Superhero Kung Fu Extravaganza | Room 6A | 8:00p - A whole bunch of fight scenes and, really, what more could one ask?


Friday

Regular Show: the Lost Tapes | Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront | 10:00a - I am not loving the new direction the show is taking. “Stilt Walkers” and “Coffee Shop Wars” are the only episodes I would classify as legitimately good. Pretty much everything else seems to dump on Benson in some way and that gets awesomely offensive after a while.

Bad Medicine in TV and Film | Neil Morgan Auditorium, San Diego Central Library | 10:00a - Apparently, there’s a podcast that explores what movies and television get wrong about medicine and fixing people up...and it’s called ‘Hi, Everybody!’. 

Collector’s Call with Lisa Whelchel and MeTV | Room 6DE | 10:00a - At the same time, it is crazy that this is getting a Comic-Con panel, but also, it seems entirely appropriate.

Intro to TV Writing: From First Draft to Getting Staffed | Room 28DE | 10:00a - One question: are there even writers’ rooms anymore? Be really interesting to break an episode of a show and figure how to piece it together...but mainly, I suppose I’m nostalgic for the days of episodic television instead of a serialized show. Too many moving pieces there.

Love in Every Universe: The Great Romance Trope Debate | Room 32AB | 10:00a - A chance to debate which romance tropes work and which ones don’t. Not a problem. ‘I Love You, But Not When Anyone is Looking’, ‘I Treat You Like the Floor Around Stevie Wonder's Urinal Because I'm Not Emotionally Stable Enough to Tell You That I Really Love You’ and ‘I'm Annoying My Way Into Your Heart, Therefore You Have No Choice But to Fall In Love with Me’ can all go fuck themselves.

-Lunch break-

The Pitching Hour | Room 32AB | 12:00p - The time-honored ritual of explaining to the people with money exactly why they should carve out some of it for your heart’s desire...but the idea of getting in front of people is not my idea of a good time, so I think I’ll be heading to...

Writing Dialogue That Drives Your Scenes | Room 3 | 12:00p - Now, I consider myself pretty good when it comes to a line of dialogue or turn of phrase, but we could all use some help in this regard.

President Curtis Premiere Panel | Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront | 1:00p - I have to say that the ads for this look fun. Not much more I can say.

The Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics | Room 4 | 1:00p - There are so many aspects to McDuffie that I wish I could share, it’s hard not to admire the guy.

25 Years of Pearls Before Swine: Stephan Pastis and Bill Amend | Room 29CD | 1:30p -  Haven’t read the comic section - much less a newspaper - in an age, but I do remember the bite that this strip had (and, presumably, still does).

John Cusack Showcases the Surreal World of Momo | Rom 5AB | 2:30p - The ol’ film career stalling out? Create a comic book. I wonder what Savage Steve Holland would think of Cusack having, more or less, become Hoops McCann.

Collider’s Showrunners on Showrunning | Ballroom 20 | 3:00p - Once upon a time, I had a fantasy of showrunning a reboot of “Danny Phantom” (better character motivations, organic humor, darker tone, all that good stuff). It wouldn’t hurt to know the ins and outs of putting a show together...but then, I would probably have to answer to that “Ha, Ha, You Clowns!”-looking mother running Paramount and, in the words of another Nickelodeon show, “Uh, no?”.

You’re Wrong Again, Leonard Maltin | Room 24ABC | 3:30p - Having discovered Witness to Murder (***/4) and The Man Who Knew Too Little (**/4), this panel is more needed than ever.

J. Michael Straczynski Workshop | Room 11 | 5:00p - Surely, I can learn something from a writer of movies, television, comics and books.

Spotlight on Jim Cummings | Room 6BCF | 5:45p - Not the indie filmmaker, which I suppose wouldn’t make much sense now that I think about it, but the acclaimed voice actor. Seriously, that guy needs to consider a middle initial.

Black Heroes Matter: Icons and Identity | Room 28DE | 7:00p - I’m not sure if I could work on an existing one, but I might be able to create one or two of my own.

-Dinner break-

Fourth Annual Ghostface’s Killer Trivia | Room 25ABC | 9:00p - Really, how can I not be curious? (Strange that I’m not very keen on horror movies and yet, I know so much about them.)


Saturday

Bob’s Burgers | Ballroom 20 | 10:00a - The fatigue is definitely setting in (One of the last two episodes of the season featured the kids snarking at Bob, even while he was enmeshed in a disgusting and dangerous situation he might never have come back from, and the other one spotlighted Hugo, which just…ugh!), but I’ll more than likely be watching the next season.

Dark Horse: Star-Powered Storytelling | Room 23ABC | 10:00a - I’m sure that the comics that Patton Oswalt and David Dastmalchian wrote are good, but watching them shoot the shit would be even better.

MeTV’s Svengoolie Returns: Camera Ready | Room 6DE | 10:00a - Ah, Saturday with Svengoolie and the Sven Squad, but Saturday morning? Most peculiar.

Why Do Saturday Morning Cartoons Still Matter and How Are They Shaping the Next Generation? | Room 9 | 10:00a - How Saturday morning cartoons came to be. As with traditional writers’ rooms, I guess I am just nostalgic for a time that does not exist anymore and probably never will again. (BTW, totes unfair that this and the Svengoolie panel are happening at the same time.)

Inside the Writers Room: Re-imagining Television for the New Normal | Room 24ABC | 10:00a - Pretty much what I said about yesterday’s “From First Draft to Getting Staffed”. Maybe, having a deadline staring me in the face would get me to produce stuff.

Futurama | Ballroom 20 | 11:00a - It’s weird to even list this show as I haven’t watched it since the Comedy Central era. Even so, could the Hulu run be that bad?

Next Stages of Movie and Theater Evolution | Neil Morgan Auditorium, San Diego Central Library | 11:00a - Despite people having forgotten their manners, overpriced concessions and ludicrously brief theatrical windows, I still believe in the moviegoing experience and I will fight like hell to maintain it. (I’m kind of reminded of that Ernest Hemingway line at the end of Se7en.)

-Lunch break-

American Dad! | Ballroom 20 | 12:45p - There’s been a couple of speed bumps along the way (fuck you, Mertz), but for the most part, things are sailing along quite well with this show. I can’t wait to see where it goes next. However, I don’t remember hearing about any premiere dates for this or “Bob’s Burgers”. Meanwhile, the fact that the sub-“Jeff and Some Aliens” bullshit airing alongside “The Simpsons” get Fall slots doesn’t exactly fill me with joy. 

The Greatest American Hero Returns | Grand 10 & 11, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina | 1:00p - I’m certainly more familiar with the theme song than the show itself, but as I mentioned before, I did enjoy the sample on Free Comic Book Day.

The Saturday Cartoon Voices Panel | Room 6BCF | 1:00p - No matter how old I get and how many of these (sometimes hypothetical) cons I go to, I doubt I’ll ever get tired of a bunch of voice actors going ham on a pre-existing script.

Building a Pop Culture Podcast | Neil Morgan Auditorium, San Diego Central Library | 2:00p -  There seem to be a lot of moving parts to making a podcast. One thing is for certain: I do not want to leave listeners hanging. For example, no fewer than two different podcasts promising to cover every movie from the 1980s crapped out over the ears. This panel may help me out...or I could get some tips from my younger sister. I still can’t believe she has a podcast and I don’t.

Mad Rewind: Talking About Mad TV | Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront | 3:00p - Honestly, I can count on one hand the recurring characters on this show that didn’t annoy me, but the sketches they weren’t in were damn funny and the performers were up for anything. Some good times I had with this.

Dugout Dads: From the Sandlot to the Dugout | Room 6DE | 4:15p - I would not have expected The Sandlot to get a legacy sequel, but fate has a way of surprising you. The whole crew (minus the sadly trouble-prone Mike Vitar) is back. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious.

Spotlight on J. Michael Straczynski | Room 7AB | 4:30p - Getting to know one of the more interesting talents in film, television and comics. Sounds cool.

Dread the Hall H 2026: More (Fictional) Comic Convention Horror Stories | Room 23ABC | 5:00p - I get the sense that you could squeeze a damn good thriller out of one or two of the stories recounted here (with the names changed, obvi), which is reason enough to check this panel out. Until then, the comic will have to suffice.

1980s Comic-Con Lost Videos Part III: The Trilogy | Room 29CD | 5:30p - Footage from Comic-Cons from the early 1980s. That should be enough of a lure for anyone.

From Indies to Blockbusters: The Storytelling Power of Diversity | Room 6A | 5:30p -  I want to help. The casts of my projects will not - and should not - be limited to one color.

A Look Back at Animated Series from the '80s | Room 7AB | 6:30p - Over the last couple weeks on the ‘80s cartoons’ subreddit, people have been posting the Saturday Morning schedules from every year of the decade and I can’t help but thank my lucky stars I was too young to register anything from that era, because 90% of the shows from the first half of the decade sound absolutely dire. Still, it’s hard not to feel a twinge of vicarious nostalgia for that time.

The Unsung Heroes of Superhero Films | Room 29CD | 6:30p - Various below-the-line talents, including Christopher Young! - offer their know-how and insight into what goes into creating a superhero movie and that alone works for me.

-Dinner break-

An Evening with Kevin Smith | Hall H | 7:15p - A lot of Hall H’s offerings leave me cold, but this one I absolutely need to get into, at some point. Smith is a master of these stories, more so than telling stories on film. Go figure.

Trivia for the Rest of Us: Let’s Play! | Room 29AB | 9:00p - Panels like this are, let us face it, the closest I will ever get to being on a game show. (Honestly, I would much rather play as a nobody and squirrel away money for myself than as a celebrity and give the money to a charity and if you think that sounds greedy, take a good look in the mirror and try to disagree.)


Sunday

90s Cartoon Draft 2026 | Neil Morgan Auditorium, San Diego Central Library | 10:00a - A bit of audience participation seems to be encouraged for four comedians drafting their perfect team of 90s cartoon characters. Should be fun.

Writing Cozy Villains | Grand 10 & 11, Marriott Marquis, San Diego Marina | 10:00a - The villains in my movies I’m writing for the Complete Monster page at TV Tropes (because - let’s face it - some motherstuffers cannot be rehabilitated), but it’d be interesting to see how to create an adversary you love to watch.

The Voices of Billy West | Room 6A | 10:30a - From “Ren & Stimpy” to “Doug” to “Futurama”, I’ve grown up listening to this cat. He’ll be sharing stories from his memoirs, which could be promising.

Harvey Pekar’s American Splendor at 50 | Room 4 | 11:00a - It was primarily the movie that led me to the comics so maybe, this panel will affect me and maybe, it won’t.

The Sunday Cartoon Voices Panel | Room 6A | 11:45a - Pretty much what I said about Saturday’s panel, but with a different group of voice actors. I just can’t get enough.

The Choice Behind the Voice | Neil Morgan Auditorium, San Diego Central Library | 12:00p - How to pick the right voice for the right character is a question I just know every voice actor has asked themselves at one time or another. I would love to know how it works.

-Lunch break-

Starship Smackdown XXXIII: We're Getting Too Old for This Ship Edition | Room 6A | 2:45p - The best ship for an interstellar journey. Who’s to say? Maybe, this panel can.

In My Y2K Era: Anime Fandom Before Streaming and Social Media | Room 24ABC | 3:00p - Watching Sailor Moon before school on 29 and moving onto the likes of Outlaw Star and Yu Yu Hakusho on Toonami? I remember it well.

It Came from the Black Lagoon: Universal’s 3-D Movies of the 1950s | Room 28DE | 4:00p - Having been raised on a steady diet of these things thanks to Svengoolie, I can think of no better way to close out San Diego Comic-Con, then a retrospective on Universal’s 3-D offerings.

The festivities begin on July 23rd. Hell, if I could somehow hop into someone else’s body that’s already in San Diego, I would love to go, but elaborating on that kink is for another time.

Witty Comic-Con title.

Let's stop screwing around and get to it, shall we?

Thursday

11th Annual Musical Anatomy of a Superhero and Other Heroes | Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront | 10:00a - Every year, I extoll the potential joys and virtues of going to an honest-to-God panel of composers and nerding out with fellow film music fans, but though I recognize most of the names spotlighted here, I'm still getting the biggest "They took the idols and smashed them! And who do we got now? Some nobodies!" sensation. Maybe, it's time for something different to kick off Comic-Con.

Great Cartoonists and Comedians We Have Known | Room 9 | 10:00a - Apparently, Leonard Maltin and Mark Evanier will be regaling an audience with stories of the incredible talent they've met. This sounds way more fulfilling than getting a composer to explain why a tone-deaf executive didn't want any hummable themes in their scores.

Rhapsody PR’s 17th Annual Behind-the-Music Panel: Supersonic | Room 29CD | 11:30a - Pretty much all the stuff I said above, but what the fuck else am I gonna do with this time? Talk to people?!

2nd Annual From Script to Screen: Behind the Camera of Film and TV | Room 7AB | 12:00p - Even more composers here, but other creatives are here as well, going into the parts that make up our favorite movies.

Weird Al-Gorithim Live: 40 Years of "Dare to Be Stupid" | Neil Morgan Auditorium, San Diego Central Library | 12:00p - A podcast does a deep dive on the Weird Al album. Mad love for the title track and there are some solid bangers supporting it ("Like a Surgeon", "One More Minute", "This is the Life").

Malcolm and Friends | Room 6A | 12:30p - Not sure what kind of pull the guy from "Timeless" has to swing a panel like this, but I hope I get it someday.

2nd Annual Fan Favorites: Behind the Scenes of Popular Film and TV Shows | Room 7AB | 1:00p - Another panel of various creatives bringing projects to life.

Hallmark Hallstars | Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront | 1:45p - Okay, now I've seen everything. A bevy of Hallmark movie stars talking up their future projects. Didn't see this coming.

Nightmare Notes | Room 29AB | 2:00p - Animation writers have dealt with a number of idiotic network notes and some of them are gonna share. Given that some of them worked in the 1980s, they definitely have some doozies.

1985: Greatest Geek Year III | Room 5AB | 3:00p - Having done a cram session of roughly 25 scores in two days for FSM‘s forthcoming Retro FSMies - 1985 article, I feel I’m uniquely qualified to attend this panel.

The Blerd Panel | Room 7AB | 4:00p - I am Blerd, hear me roar. There have got to be all kinds of different experiences I could hear about here.

CBR's Magnificent Trivia and Hijinx Gauntlet | Grand 10 and 11, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina | 4:00p - Because I couldn't possibly resist a fake game show setting at a convention.

The Choice Behind the Voice | Room 23ABC | 7:00p - Voice actors go into how they came up with the voices for their characters. Sounds fascinating.

The 28th Annual Superhero Kung Fu Extravaganza | Room 6A | 8:00p - An assemblage of guests, clips, previews and, no doubt, the words "Holy shit!" exclaimed repeatedly and excitedly.

Friday

The Black Panel | Room 5AB | 10:00a - What once felt like an obligation may have turned very necessary. I consider myself reasonably talented, but how do I break in when the industry seems more and more calculated to keep me out?

Star Wars and More Movie Memories | Room 7AB | 12:00p - Not that familiar with Craig Miller, but there's no doubt that a man who marketed movies and wrote for cartoon shows has stories worth listening to. 

You’re Still Wrong, Leonard Maltin | Room 23ABC | 4:00p - If nothing else, the legendary critic is a good sport for being so willing to admit when he (and his team) badly misjudged a movie.

WTF Did I Just Watch? 25 Years of Titmouse's Craziest Animation Moments | Room 5AB | 7:30p - I've been a fan of Titmouse as far back as the cruelly underrated "Downtown". Wonderful that they've managed to stay in the game for so long. Their most recent project is "Kiff", quite the turnaround from the hallucination scenes of Beavis and Butt-Head Do America.

Ghostface’s Killer Trivia | Room 25ABC | 9:00p - There's something perverse about a trivia panel hosted by the voice of Ghostface, but, come on, you'd want to go, too.

Saturday

Coyote v. Acme | Hall H | 10:00a - Well, it’s finally happening. The outfit that bought and released The Day the Earth Blew Up managed to get their hands on this and, next year, it will be bloody happening in theaters. Fuck you with fifty rusty bayonets all at the same time, David Zaslav. Fuck you very much.

Real Stories, Real People: Why Representation in Film Matters | Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront | 10:00a - I'm working on quite a few scripts featuring POC leads, so it never hurts to have a support system to reassure you why this is a good idea.

DreamWorks Animation's The Bad Guys 2 | Hall H | 11:15a - A promising trailer + an uproarious short film before Dog Man = consider me hyped.

In Sync: Directors and Composers | Room 10 | 12:30p - Pretty much the same song, but it's all women here. Maybe, I should just walk away.

Cartoon Voices 1 | Room 6BCF | 1:00p - It's always fun to hear voice actors tear their way through a pre-existing script.

Moderated by Matt: the Art of Editing | Omni San Diego Hotel, Omni Grand Ballroom DE, 4th Floor | 1:00p - I think I need to know the ins and outs of editing if I'm to make it in the business.

What is the Best Superpower? | Room 25ABC | 4:00p - Because I will never be able to say it enough: shapeshifting.

Dread the Hall H: (Fictional) Comic Convention Horror Stories | Room 23ABC | 5:00p - Some 12 years ago brought the underrated comic "Fanboys vs. Zombies". Presumably more based in reality is this. I imagine that real life ordeals can yield fun stories.

Spider-Man: the Animated Series 30th Anniversary | Room 5AB | 5:30p - If only for the underscoring, I should do a re-watch of this show, but the writing should make it a neat revisit, as well.

MeTV's Svengoolie and the Sven Squad Make Their Comic-Con Debut! | Room 7AB | 7:30p - It's just not Saturday night without "The Three Stooges"* and "Svengoolie". (*Note: that’s Larry, Curly, Moe, Shemp and sometimes Joe, not the Sven Squad.)

The Animation Showrunner | Room 5AB | 7:30p - What goes into putting an animated cartoon series together? These folks know pretty well, I wager.

Sunday

Cartoon Voices II | Room 6A | 11:45a - Because I can never resist one of these panels...or two, as the case may be. We're being spoiled here.

Andreas Deja: 30 Years of Disney Villains | Room 6BCF | 1:00p - It was a behind the scenes special on Beauty and the Beast that I first heard his name. He was the lead animator for Gaston and he would go on to perform the same function for Jafar on Aladdin and Scar on The Lion King. Not a bad run.

An Afternoon with George Takei | Room 6A | 1:30p - A life like his is no doubt loaded with fascinating stories. I should look into getting his graphic novel.

From Indies to Blockbusters: The Power of Equity in Storytelling | Room 6DE | 1:45p - A panel about the lives of a number of creatives and the importance of giving a leg up to those who need the opportunities they aren't always afforded.

Starship Smackdown XXXVI: The Ship Hits the Fan Celebrity Showrunner Edition | Room 6A | 2:45p - What seems to be "Family Feud", but with genre showrunners as the contestants. Sounds fun.

Where Do Ideas Come From? | Room 28DE | 3:00p - How to get past writers' block. Lord knows it's something I could use.

Lugosi and Karloff: The Twin Titans of Terror | Room 32AB | 4:00p - A look at their careers and the movies they made together. Not a bad way to end Comic-Con.

July 24th. Let's flipping go.

The next flight leaves tomorrow morning.

Well, another year, another Con I dream about going to. Eh. Let's get on with it. (A lot of conflicts this year. The panels I would be going to are in bold.)

Thursday

Meet Michael Hirsh | Room 9 | 10:00a - A conversation with the co-founder of Canada's Nelvana animation. Who wouldn't want to hear his story?

The History of Peanuts in Animation | Room 5AB | 10:00a | From prime time specials to theatrical movies to a Saturday morning series, the gang has been all over. Be nice to take a look back.

So You Want to Start a Podcast | Neil Morgan Auditorium, San Diego Central Library | 11:00a | I do! I totally do! I just hope it’s not too expensive.

10th Annual Musical Anatomy of a Superhero Along with Heroes | Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront | 11:15a - Another panel of film composers, only a small percentage of whom I'm interested in. Still, who else caters to film music at these things?

Marketing Movies and Writing Cartoons | Room 29CD | 11:30a - Apparently, Craig Miller made the jump from marketing big genre movies to writing for animation. Surely, someone like that has tales to tell.

Science of Futurama | Grand 10 & 11, Marriott Marquis, San Diego Marina | 12:00p | How possible is it to see the 31st century innovations before that time? Who knows? Just get me a brain switcher and I'll be fine.

Weird Al-Gorithm Podcast Celebrate Al's TV Album | Neil Morgan Auditorium, San Diego Central Library | 12:00p | So, this is how I find out there's a Weird Al podcast. They'll be looking at the best songs he wrote about television.

Malcolm and Friends | Room 6A | 12:30p | Malcolm Barrett…of “Timeless” hangs out with some famous friends discussing nerd culture. Man, it’d be cool to have my own panel…or famous friends…or friends.

Spotlight on Patrick McDonnell: The 30th Anniversary of Mutts, Freeing Guard Dog, Marvel Superheroes and the Dalai Lama | Room 5AB | 1:00p - You had me at '30th Anniversary of Mutts', though I'm sure those other aspects are interesting, too.

Worst Mistake I Ever Made | Grand 12 & 13, Marriott Marquis, San Diego Marina | 1:00p | God willing, the errors we make in the course of seeking success can end up leading to our greatest moments. I’m still waiting.

Unveiling the VFX Magic: 20th Century Studios' Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes | Room 6A | 1:45p | A Visual Effects Oscar is pretty much assured, at this point. I would love to see how the magic was made.

1984: Greatest Geek Year Too: Big Brother Was Watching You! | Room 5AB | 3:00p - I will never not be fascinated by this panel, even if the hosts did slag off Arthur B. Rubinstein's scores for Blue Thunder and WarGames on an episode of their podcast. Seriously, fuck them for that.

The Groundlings Celebrate 50 Years of Laughs | Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront | 3:00p | Somehow, I think that I’ll be surprised by some of the people who were a part of this.

What We Do in the Shadows' Farewell Kick-Off Tour | Hall H | 3:30p - The forthcoming sixth season will be the show's last, sadly. Much as I can't fathom sitting through a bunch of crap just to get to this, I would love to see this panel.

What to Know When Selling an Animated Show | Room 10 | 3:30p | I had an idea for an original show, but then, one of the people I wanted for a lead role passed away. Some years after that, I came up with a reboot for a 2000s series that could’ve been done better. Maybe, I can find a way through this.

Fleischer Cartoons: Restoring Betty Boop! | Room 28DE | 7:00p | Just what it says on the tin: the restoration of the Betty Boop cartoons, even (I presume) those weird early ones where she was a dog, for some reason.

The Art of Movie Posters | Room 26AB | 7:30p | I feel like what used to be a constant in film is now done as a cute throwback and that needs to change.

The GCATs: Aptitude Test! | Room 23ABC | 8:00p - The first of the night’s three quiz games, this one is structured like an old exam from school, which I suppose could be fun?

Trivia for Chocolate | Room 32AB | 8:00p - The second of the night’s quiz games, where each right answer is rewarded with a piece of chocolate and whoever has the most at the end can trade it for a big piece of chocolate.

The 27th Annual San Diego Comic-Con Superhero Kung Fu Extravaganza | Room 6A | 8:00p - As with trailers, put a montage of fight scenes in front of me and I’m happy…well I guess I would be. I’ve never really seen one of these.

Ranking Time Travel Movies According to Their Scientific Accuracy | Room 29CD | 8:30p - As someone who fixates endlessly on their mistakes and wishes they could go back and do them over, of course I’m fascinated by time travel stories. Maybe, they’re not all accurate, but isn’t that what makes them more fun?

Ghostface's Killer Trivia | Room 25ABC | 9:00p - The third of the night’s quiz games (seriously, space these out better next year, yeah?) sees the voice of Ghostface asking horror questions, presumably with less slashing in the event of wrong answers.

Friday

That 70s Panel | Room 10 | 10:30a | Comic books were changing in the 1970s, and thankfully, a lot of the people that experienced this first hand are still around.

The Pitching Hour | Room 32AB | 12:00p | Maybe, just maybe, a panel like this can give me the courage to succeed at pitching.

MeTV Toons: The New Destination for Your Favorite Classic Cartoons | Room 6A | 1:00p | An awesome TV network that brings together cartoons from my childhood and even earlier than that, so, of course it’s not in any local cable package. Even so, there are streaming services apparently, and it would be nice to hear about this channel.

The Blerd Panel | Grand 12 & 13, Marriott Marquis, San Diego Marina | 3:00p | I’ll probably be on this panel some day, so I may as well get a feel for it.

Defiant: The Robert Smalls Story | Room 6A | 3:30p | As a movie or as a graphic novel, this is a story that absolutely needs to be released to the public.

Bob's Burgers | Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront | 4:00p | I just hope that the show isn’t running out of gas.

Collider's Directors on Directing | Hall H | 4:00p | A lot of crap I’d have to sit through to get to this panel, but somehow, I think it’d be worth it to have the directors of 2013’s ‘Die Hard in the White House’ action movies facing off.

You're Wrong, Leonard Maltin | Room 23ABC | 4:00p | To engage him on a movie I loved that he and his writers hated…I would enjoy at least one opportunity for that.

Mobile Filmmaking: How to Make a Movie Using a Smartphone | Grand 6, Marriott Marquis, San Diego Marina | 4:15p | Seriously, how the fuck do I do this?

Trailer Park | Ballroom 20 | 4:30p | Weird how people complain about trailers giving away the whole movie, yet nobody wants to step forward to demand that trailers be edited in a less spoilery manner. I just don’t get people.

Pitching Film and Television | Grand 6, Marriott Marquis, San Diego Marina | 6:45p | Apparently, pitching is a vital skill for a writer to have, thereby decreasing my chances of making it in the business…

J. Michael Straczynski Workshop | Room 11 | 7:00p | …but maybe, with this guy’s tips in my back pocket, things won’t be so hopeless.

From Candyman to The Blackening | Room 10 | 7:30p | The focus here is on Black horror; not so much horror with Black people in it, but horror themed around the Black experience. Not sure if I could do it, but it’s worth a shot.

Black Heroes Matter | Room 29AB | 8:00p | Black heroes in pop culture, past, present and future. I’d sure like to do my part.

Villains: Shedding Light on the Darkness | Room 9 | 8:00p | Adding depth to your villain or just depicting them as monsters. That is the question.

Saturday

Inside the Writers' Room All-Stars: The Channels They Are A-Changin' | Room 24ABC | 10:00a | Writers and showrunners get together and talk about the television industry in the post-strike era. A lot of venom in store, no doubt.

Becoming Betty Boop: The Evolution of an Animation Icon | Room 29CD | 10:30a | A look at her history, popularity and impact on pop culture. Neat.

Futurama | Ballroom 20 | 11:00a | The cockroach of animated programs; you think you kill it and it just pops up someplace else. I haven’t even watched the first Hulu season yet. Maybe, I should get up on that.

American Splendor: Celebrating Harvey Pekar at 85 | Room 29AB | 11:00a | I enjoyed the movie and read some of the comics though given how deeply I related to the former you’d think I’d have read more of the latter.

Everybody Still Hates Chris | Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront | 11:15a | Apparently, there’s an animated reboot in the works. One can only imagine how much further they can push things in this new medium.

What is the Best Superpower? | Room 25ABC | 12:00p | How many times do I have to tell you people? Shapeshifting! Nobody listens to me.

Spotlight on J. Michael Straczynski | Room 7AB | 1:00p | Once more into the breach in the career of the film and television veteran.

Cartoon Voices I | Room 6BCF | 1:00p | It’s always a fun time hearing voice artists good their way through some kind of script.

Bear McCreary: Musical World Building | Room 6DE | 3:00p | I’m not gonna lie: my fascination with his work is waning, mainly due to ‘his’ score for We Have a Ghost that - with its disparate thematic elements - made no attempt to disguise the fact that he’d farmed it out to eight different people. Still, accounting for a vacation in the immediate future, he may regain the eye of the tiger, yet.

DreamWorks Animation's The Wild Robot | Room 6BCF | 4:00p | It’s gonna take a lot for another robot-themed animated feature to impress me following the marvelous Robot Dreams, but I’m sure I’ll appreciate the effort.

Hanna-Barbera: The Recorded History | Room 7AB | 4:30p | Not every one of their shows hit the mark, but the longevity of the company cannot be denied.

Black Superheroes, Black Power Fantasies, Double Consciousness, Oh My! | Room 29AB | 6:00p | Given the description at the website, the panel isn’t as sensational as the title: “This panel looks at the origins and development of Black superheroes and Black power fantasies in contrast to their White counterparts while asking: Who is telling these tales, to what end, and for whom?”

A Panel With Kevin Smith | Hall H | 7:30p | Despite the potentially winning The 4:30 Movie (no relation to the podcast, I presume), it seems that Smith is at his best when he just chatting, so this could be fun.

Sunday

Cartoon Voices II | Room 6A | 11:45a | Like I said about yesterday…

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Dwayne McDuffie But Were Afraid to Ask | Room 28DE | 12:00p | One can only wonder if “Ben 10: Omniverse” would’ve turned out good had he lived, but perhaps it matters more to focus on what he produced in his lifetime.

Jellystone Screening and Panel | Room 6DE | 1:45p | I found this show odd but enjoyable. Nice to know there’s more of it coming.

The Character of Music: The Art of Scoring for Animation | Room 6BCF | 2:15p | More composers I’ve never heard of. (Yeah. Real ‘some nobodies!’ energy, here.) Hell, they might have interesting stories.

The Business of Cartoon Voices | Room 7AB | 3:00p | I have always wanted to voice a cartoon character, not as a career, but for fun, though it would be nice to have knowledge of the ins and outs of the business.

Well...here's hoping I get my chance, one day.

But will the strike affect Fan Expo Canada?

This schedule was drawn up before the SAG went on strike. I will not update it, because there's too much cool stuff hereabouts.

Thursday

15th Annual Behind the Music Panel: Supersonic | Room 25ABC | 10:00a - Primarily TV composers, but who says I can't learn anything from them?

Ninth Annual Musical Anatomy of a Superhero: Film and TV Composer Panel | Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront | 11:15a - Beck, Karpman, Krlic, Lennertz, Russo and Wallfisch in a panel moderated by Giacchino. What more can I say?

The Owl House: Us Weirdos Have to Stick Together | Room 6A | 12:30p - The voices of Luz, Lilith and Raine talk about the show. Sounds fun.

Master Class: Writing for Animation and Comics | Room 10 | 1:30p - Because one can never learn too much about how to do this.

Celebrating 1982: Greatest Geek Year Ever on the CW | Room 5AB | 3:00p - Been enjoying the series on the CW. Another of those things that makes me feel I was born too late.

FX’s What We Do in the Shadows - In lieu of the actors talking about the craziness of the fifth season - which started with a bang, I think - they’re offering 'A Familiar Weekend'; a stroll through Laszlo’s garden,  and I suppose that could be just as good. It’s on the Hilton Bayfront Lawn, which I imagine would get a lot of traffic for the network's programming. 

35th Anniversary of Beetlejuice | Room 25ABC | 6:00p - Mainly a chat with the make-up artist that created Michael Keaton's look. Still might be worthwhile.

Ghostface's Killer Trivia | Room 25ABC | 8:00p - The voice of Ghostface, Roger L. Jackson, hosts a horror trivia contest. What I wouldn't give to have this experience.

The 26th Annual Comic-Con Superhero Kung Fu Extravaganza | Room 6A | 8:00p - Yes, a conflict, so why is it listed here? Because I'm convinced I can sneak in once the previous panel is over. Hell, I think I can.

Friday

A Look Back at Animated Series of the 80s | Room 32AB | 10:00a - Looking at various title sequences on YouTube (especially from the beginning of the decade), a lot of shows of the era were mercenary crap and that's before the 22-minute commercials entered the picture. Still, living vicariously.

Is The Orville the Greatest Science Fiction Show on Television? | Grand 10 & 11, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina | 11:00a - Would it be disingenuous to attend this panel if I've only seen a handful of episodes? Asking for a friend who also happens to have my name and body type.

Spotlight on John Semper | Room 4 | 12:00p - How's this for a sweet gig: writing and showrunning an animated series and pretty much being left alone because the parent company you're working for is staring down the barrel of bankruptcy? I can only imagine what over stories he has.

Rick and Morty 10th Anniversary | Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront | 2:00p - The sixth season rebounded nicely from the tasteless, pointless fifth. Here's hoping that the new voices for the title characters sound more like the original than impressions, which - let's face it - is a very thin line to tread.

The Blerd Panel | Grand 12 & 13, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina | 3:00p - I got to get on one of these one day.

You’re Wrong, Leonard Maltin | Room 23ABC | 4:00p - As wrong as some of his reviews have been over the years (hello, Cats Don't Dance), I really do miss his yearly book. Still, would be interested in hearing what others have to say to him.

Bob’s Burgers | Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront | 5:00p - The last season has had its problems (Linda going Annie Wilkes on the children's author and the snarky police operator refusing to believe the woman's Nazi report in the WWII flashback episode are noted examples), but I can't help but wonder if the show can get back on track.

Q and A Writing Workshop with J. Michael Straczynski | Room 11 | 7:00p - The man's worked in film, television and comics. It'd be foolish to not want to hear some tips.

Yippee-Kai-Yay, or Nay? Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie? | Room 29AB | 8:00p - What even constitutes a Christmas movie? 

Saturday

That 70s Show 25th Anniversary | Originally, Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp were going to look back at the show and the effect it had on their careers. All things being honest, the first four years were the best. The last four (pro tip: these episodes are all named after songs)...were not.

Futurama | Ballroom 20 | 11:00a - The show is back for (I presume) the final time thanks to Hulu. I really hope the ratio of good episodes to dull ones is better than it was in the Comedy Central run. (It was nice to get a Prisoner of Benda or Saturday Morning Fun Pit, but having to sit through five Zapp Dingbats to get to them? Life is too short.)

Cartoon Voices I | Room 6BCF | 1:00p - While I'm glad that Fan Expo has had these panels (though not last year, for some reason), it'd be nice to revisit this one.

Defiant: the Robert Smalls Story | Room 6DE | 3:00p - A movie may never be produced of this incredible true story, but a graphic novel is just as good. Can't wait to pick it up.

From The Dark Knight to Count Crowley: David Dastmalchian's Journey from Comic Book Movie Actor to Comic Book Creator | Room 6DE | 4:15p - From a scene stealer to a comic book writer. If his Fangoria article is anything to go by, he's seen some shit. I imagine those experiences translating well to comics.

Adapting Comics to TV and Film | Room 29CD | 5:30p - The challenges of adapting comics to the big screen...though I see a real blood in the water scenario having the panel anchored by the writers of Morbius.

Live Celebrity Gameshow: ITATYWOYCTSATATIWOMC | Room 7AB | 7:30p - Or (deep breath) "Is The Answer That You Wrote On Your Card The Same As The Answer That I Wrote On My Card?". Okay, was somebody paid by the word? "The Match Game" with voice actors. Cool.

Sunday

Cartoon Voices II | Room 6A | 11:45a - More talented VAs putting their spins on some kind of script.

Spotlight on J. Michael Straczynski | Room 5AB | 1:15p - There's a new "Babylon 5" project on the way, so what better time to get to know the man and his career?


Conflicts:

Superheroes and Not-So-Super Villains with Patton Oswalt and Friends | Room 6DE | Thu 3:15p - Any opportunity to hear Oswalt speak is a good one, especially if he has a comic book in the chamber.
From the Screen to Your Plate: Food in Pop Culture | Room 24ABC | Thu 6:30p - A discussion on how 'favorite fandoms inspire culinary creations'. Neat.
The Black Panel | Room 5AB | Fri 10:00a - I got to get on one of these one day.
Mobile Filmmaking: How to Make a Movie Using a Smartphone | Grand 6, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina | Fri 4:45p - Most years, I list the various filmmaking panels as something I might want to attend, but, really, all I need is this one. I'm sure.
History of Cartoon Voices | Room 7AB | Sat 4:30p - The 'history of how cartoons learned to talk'. What a neat chance to hear about some of the all-time greats of the genre.
Looney Legends: A Conversation with the Voices of Bugs Bunny and Other Favorite Characters | Room 29CD | Sun 1:30p - Ostensibly, a documentary focusing on Noel Blanc and Jeff Bergman (the latter in person) talking about classic cartoons. Awesome.

That's all, folks! (until next year)

San Diego Charging.

Looks like the biggest Con in the world is back on...and back in July, where it belongs. (Thanksgiving. Are you fucking serious?) Anyway...

Thursday

Rhapsody PR's 14th Annual Behind-the-Music Panel - 10:00am - Room 25ABC - Okay, so the panelists are mainly TV composers and Media Ventures graduates. Still, there are worse ways to start the Con.

8th Musical Anatomy of a Superhero: Film and TV Composer Panel - 11:00am - Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront - The second of the Con's three film music panels, breaking down the way to score heroes with a number of up-and-coming ladies and a couple of guys named Chris.

Ship-It Show Live with Tara Strong and Greg Cipes - 12:00pm - Ballroom 20 - Huh. I didn't even know they had a podcast. Maybe, she mentioned it in her Twitter feed, but I can't recall.

Animated Lives: John Musker and Ron Clements - 1:30pm - Room 10 - Together, they've put out an impressive array of animated features. Here's hoping that 2D isn't entirely gone. I'm sure they have one more masterpiece in them.

1982: Greatest Geek Year Ever First Look - 3:00pm - Room 5AB - I want to see this documentary, even with the small number of major movies from this year I've watched.

Animation Story Editors: What Do They Do? - 6:00pm - Room 9 - From the sounds of things, they do it all: hiring writers, approving storyboards, some light voice directing. No windows, though. 

Jaws: the Trial - 7:00pm - Grand 12 and 13, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina - Peep this: "The Town of Amity is being sued by the families of shark attack victims! Was it right for Mayor Vaughn to keep the beaches open after the death of Chrissie Watkins? Was the medical examiner right to change Watkins’s cause of death to a boating accident?" Perhaps one of the most inventive-sounding panels of this year’s Con. I just hope the execution is up to snuff.

The 25th Annual San Diego Comic-Con Superhero Kung Fu Extravaganza - 8:00pm - Room 6A - Action scenes from all over the world. I am so in.

Friday

The Black Panel - 10:00am - Room 5AB - Where can we go from here and will it be worth the trip?

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder - 1:00pm - Room 6A - I really should get around to watching this, huh?

Horror and the Inevitable Remake - 2:00pm - Neil Morgan Auditorium, San Diego Central Library - Based on Nothing New: A Remake Podcast, this panel explores the potential in delivering another go-round of a scary story.

Bob's Burgers - 3:00pm - Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront - I liked the movie and I really hope the show isn’t in danger of getting stale. 12 seasons is a lot, after all.

You're Wrong, Leonard Maltin - 4:00pm - Room 23ABC - The idea of defending something that he disparaged in his Movie and Video Guide is a fascinating one. 

Saturday

A Look Back at Animated Series from the 80s - 10:00am - Room 9 - Okay, so the major networks don't air cartoons on Saturday mornings anymore (schmucks!), but the writers behind a lot of these shows will no doubt provide some fascinating background info.

The Character of Music - 11:30am - Room 5AB - One can't help but think the blurb may be overselling this a tad. 'Lush adventurous soundscapes'? 'Emotional character themes'? I don't mean to be cynical, but are we talking about modern film music?

Spotlight on J. Michael Straczynski - 1:00pm - Room 7AB - Kind of a continuation of 'A Look Back at Animated Series' given his cartoon work, but he's been all over the map. Who wouldn't want to follow?

The Orville (3:00pm - Ballroom 20) - I really ought to get back into watching this. I've been hearing so much about the new season.

Spotlight on Phil LaMarr - 4:00pm - Room 23ABC - Been a fan of his ever since "Mad TV". It'd be so cool to hear his stories.

Becoming a Writer - 6:00pm - Room 11 - Not quite a spotlight as a Q&A session with J. Michael Straczynski on how to break in to writing.

Sunday 

I Hear Voices w/ Will Friedle and Christy Carlson Romano - 10:15am - Room 6BCF - Apparently, this is a podcast that the two of them have started and while I'm still not crazy about Ron's higher voice, the reunion episode with John DiMaggio and Nicole Sullivan was delightful.

Cartoon Voices 2 - 11:45am - Room 6A - Because why wouldn't I?

Starship Smackdown XXXVI: Battle of the Network Starships in the Multiverse of Madness - 2:45pm - Room 6A - I likely could care less about the subject itself, but the collection of guests (most of whom participated in the various 'Best Movie Year Ever' panels of the past) makes it a must-see.

And I must mention the B-team schedule of events:

Thur
Legends Talk Animation (2:30pm - Room 10) - A pair of veteran animators - based at Disney mainly - share stories from their careers. 
Fifty Years of Funny: The Cartooning Career of Scott Shaw! (3:30pm - Room 10) - Even as a child watching "Muppet Babies", it's hard not to notice a name with an exclamation point. Maybe, I'd get to find out what it means.
Making Magic: From Script to Screen in 2022 (7:00pm - Room 23ABC) - The truth about adapting a piece of literature or comic book into a movie. 
Battle Brackets: Best Pop Culture Pets (8:00pm - Room 28DE) - As everyone knows, the best pop culture pet is Tenchi Muyo's Ryo-Ohki. A combination of a cat and a rabbit that can turn into a spaceship. Anyone who chooses anything else is dead to me.
Psychology of Cult TV Shows: How to Cope with Loneliness Through Pop Culture (8:00pm - Room 25ABC) - Finding a sense of belonging and refuge in TV shows. Why else do people watch television?

Fri
Intro to TV Writing: From First Draft to Getting Staffed (10:00am - Room 4) - I've worked on a spec for an original series last year. Maybe, there's a way to break in.
The Multiverse of David Dastmalchian (3:30pm - Room 5AB) - His scene-stealing turns in The Suicide Squad and the Ant-Man duology could not have prepared me for his article in Fangoria (#11). Wow. I just know he'll have some interesting stories.

Sat
Inside the Writers' Room: Zooming Back to the Room (10:00am - Room 24ABC) - Various showrunners dish about how the sausage is made...but I don't watch as much television now as I did then...at least, nothing I can point to as appointment television.
Cartoon Voices 1 (1:00pm - Room 6BCF) - Fun fact: this was initially on the first string schedule, but then I changed my mind; one of these panels should be enough, right?
Mobile Filmmaking: How to Make a Movie Using a Smartphone (1:45pm - Grand 6, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina) - I've had an iPhone for the last three years. Clearly, there's much that I need to learn.
Live Celebrity Game Show: Nerdy Match Game (6:30pm - Room 5AB) - First, there's no way in Hell I'm typing out that long-ass acronym. Second, this sounds like a neat twist on a classic.
Back with a Vengeance: Chucky (6:45pm - Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront) - Once I was past my initial issues (annoying characters, Brad Dourif's noticeably older voice), this was something of a blast. I'm definitely awaiting season two, especially with some of its promised guest stars.

Sun
Disney Classics Retold with a Twist (1:00pm - Room 24ABC) - A series of novels that pick up where the studio's animated movies leave off. Hands up: who'd like to see these on screen instead of remakes?
What We Do in the Shadows Exclusive Screening and Q&A (1:15pm - Hall H) - By Sunday, it may just be easier to get in than during the rest of the Con, which is just as well. I would brave most anything to watch this show.

Now, I may or may not be using SDCC as a canary to consider going back to Fan Expo Canada next month, but only time will tell.

Finally going back to SDCC!

Yes, it's a Virtual ComicCon being done entirely online, but the fact remains that I'm gonna enjoy myself at a convention again. And the admission is free. My favorite price.

Thursday

12:00pm - Cartoon Network Studios First Look - To be honest, I'm just here for the "Craig of the Creek" footage, and the voices of Craig and Jessica are hosting the panel, so clearly the people who put it together feel the same.

1:00pm - Amazon Prime Video: Utopia - Many years ago, I fell in love with a comic series, "Fanboys vs. Zombies", which saw a bunch of friends witness their convention experience get overrun with the living dead. Perhaps, it was at that point that planted a seed in gravitating toward stories placing comic geeks in real-life terror. This one sees a group of them facing a conspiracy from a graphic novel made real. Sounds crazy but fascinating.

2:00pm - Collider: Directors on Directing - Yes, I still want to direct. Who knows? I might pick up something useful.

2:00pm - The New Mutants - Assuming it ever comes out, this "X-Men" horror film sounds too good to miss.

3:00pm - HBO Max and Cartoon Network Studios: Close Enough - From the creator of "Regular Show", a fact borne out from the character designs, this takes a look at a budding family.

3:00pm - Thundercats Roar! - Another day, another reboot that (supposedly) takes a dump on the source material. I've been watching the show and it's pretty decent. People who look for things to complain about usually find them.

4:00pm - Bugs Bunny's 80th Anniversary Extravaganza - A look at the history of one of animation's most famous characters. However, it has to be said: much as I love Billy West, his Bugs from Space Jam was...not great.

5:00pm - Nerd Up or Shut Up Live - Yet another podcast I should bookmark, this promises to be a raucous good time.

6:00pm - 23rd Annual San Diego Comic Con Superhero Kung Fu Extravaganza - If I understand correctly, this is an assemblage of the best action scenes of the year. Sounds fun.

6:00pm - Mystery Science Theater 3000: A Panel Panorama - Okay, not quite the riff-fest I was expecting, but a Q&A. Could still be good.


Friday

10:00am - Charlize Theron: Evolution of a Badass - An Action Hero Career Retrospective - The potential for The Old Guard spoilers aside, this sounds like a neat way to pick the Oscar winner's brain. Maybe find out why the Moe Howard cut was a sensible choice for that Fast and the Furious movie.

1:00pm - From Idea to Hired: Books, TV, Film and Comics - I am increasingly desperate. My current situation isn't going to fulfill me or pay off my debts. I need to know how to get into the business and someone - anyone! - needs to tell me.

2:00pm - UnMasked: Rhapsody PR's Behind the Music Panel - This is not even close to the kind of film music panel I wanted; the names here very much recall my Desmondian rant from long ago: 'Who do we have now? Some nobodies!'. Jesus, maybe an older panel with names I recognize is on YouTube. Worth a shot.

4:00pm - Bob's Burgers - Holy merde! I may not get a chance to attend The Black Panel, but this is definitely happening. Having the voice cast bounce off of each other is worth any actual admission fee.

5:00pm - Deep Blue Sea 3: The Panel! - Because, fuck it, I'm bored.


Saturday

10:00am - Warner Archive's Secret Origins of Saturday Morning Cartoons - Okay, so they're going to be talking mostly about Hanna-Barbera shows, but it seems like they'll be digging into the history of what was once the best part of the week.

1:00pm - American Dad! - Who knows what the future will hold as a lot of the TBS episodes seem to prefer being weird-ass to being funny, but the last couple episodes have pointed in a promising direction.

3:00pm - Bill & Ted Face the Music - Unfortunate change in composers aside, I’m looking forward to this sequel. Here’s hoping that they can recapture the magic of the first two movies.

4:00pm - Cartoon Voices - Because duh! It's always fun times having voice actors yuk their way through a movie script.

4:00pm - The Stars and Executive Producers of ABC's Stumptown - This splendid mix of detective procedural and character comedy quickly became one of my favorite shows of the season and how they follow up on the mysteries has me intrigued.

5:00pm - What We Do in the Shadows - There must be something about Wednesday night at 10 (let's never speak of "American Horror Story: 1984" again). Based on (and ably surpassing) the cult hit movie, this show is a bright light of hilarity in the darkness of life.

6:00pm - Afrofuturism - "Black to the Future 3(D): Real A.F." - I have no desire whatsoever to make exclusively Black projects, but I can't help but be curious about this panel and what it entails.


Sunday

1:00pm - The Stars and Executive Producer of ABC's "The Goldbergs" - No doubt about it, they're gonna have to find a work around for Beverly's propensity for snuggies...though it's probably a moot point. Given that the last couple seasons have seen Barry, Beverly and Adam treating their respective friends like the floor around Stevie Wonder's urinal, maybe it's time to pack it in.

3:00pm - Masters of the Illustrated Film Poster - The Sequel - Posters drawn by actual human beings seems to be a lost art and there have been so many who specialized in this (pretty sure I've said this before, but I'd have killed to have one of my movies accompanied by a Jack Davis poster). I would love to have at least one of my movies so blessed.

4:00pm - Composer Squares Game Show - Okay, this is like "Hollywood Squares", but with composers as celebrities. I'm down with that...and even more so if I get to be a contestant.

Welp, this experience is new, but something I'm sure to enjoy. All times listed are PST. I hope I don't screw this up and forget.

No time for a Padres game.

In fact, with all the panels listed here and the schedule-conflicted ones, I probably won't even have time to eat.

Still, Comic-Con Film School. Comic-Con through the decades. More than ever, I need to get cracking on my genre scripts. Anyway...

Thursday

Best Movies Never Made (10:30a - Room 24ABC) - Based on a podcast, this panel is about the movies that - for whatever reason - didn't come to fruition. I'm sure we missed out on some gems...and, more likely, some pieces of work.

7th Annual Musical Anatomy of a Superhero: Film and TV Composer Panel (11:30a - Ballroom 20) - So many awesome composers, many of whom made their mark this year: Wallfisch, Toprak, Lennertz, Neely (and his associate Chung) and Giacchino.

You're Wrong, Leonard Maltin (1:00p - Room 6BCF) - Casino. The Mummy. Hudson Hawk. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Hot Fuzz. The chance to argue the merits of all of these films (which have less than glowing write-ups in his Movie and Video Guide) is too great to resist.

Super 8 Daze (2:30p - Marriott Grand Ballroom 6) - Living vicariously through people who have had more vibrant childhoods than myself is always interesting, especially those who - with their friends - produced super-8 movies.

The 4:30 Movie: 1989 Week (4:00p - Room 5AB) - Based on another podcast (yeah, I think I should make a list of these podcasts), the films of 1989 are spotlighted.

Animation Story Editors: What Do They Do? (6:00p - Room 9) - Yeah, you're gonna be seeing a lot of writing panels in this year's post, so get comfy. This one made the final cut because I was recently struck with a yen to reboot a terribly-executed comedy-action series from near the beginning of the century. I have a lot of ideas, not all of which might pass muster with the conservative creator, so it would help to know what to do when I run this particular madhouse.

The Anatomy of Choreographing Action in Film (7:30p - Marriott Grand Ballroom 6) - If nothing else, I can get some cool pointers on what goes into a great screen fight, though off the top of my head, I don't think there are too many fight scenes in my writing.


Friday

The 2019 Black Panel (10:00a - Room 5AB) - Even though I am firmly what the kids used to call an 'Oreo', I can't help but be curious what a panel like this would entail.

Women of the Hollywood Art Department (11:00a - Room 9) - It'd be nice hearing from some veterans and up-and-comers on what goes into designing big Hollywood movies.

[adult swim] Robot Chicken (12:00p - Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront) - Season 10. I really hope there's enough gas in the tank to maintain interest.

[adult swim] Rick and Morty (1:00p - Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront) - Season 4. I can only imagine how they up the ante on this...and I'm quite intrigued by the rumored guest stars.

Bringing Films to Comic-Con (2:00p - Room 25ABC) - Apparently, showcasing upcoming movies has always been a part of the Con. I can only wonder how much different the reaction was between the early panels and the ultimate releases.

My Best Comic-Con Story (3:00p - Room 9) - Let's face it: good or bad, we all have a story to tell about what makes this event so special (or frustrating). I'm sure I do.

Bob's Burgers (4:00p - Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront) - To see just one panel with the voice actors bouncing off of each other would be amazeballs, I just know it.

Ray Harryhausen: the Lost Movies (6:30p - Room 26AB) - Having spent the last year diving into the man's impressive creations, I am curious to see the work of his that never made it to the screen.

Sounds of Horror: Inside Hollywood's Most Terrifying Film Scores (8:00p - Room 9) - When they mentioned Critters, my heart skipped a beat; could this be the recognition that David Newman has long deserved? Then I saw how the names on the panel corresponded to the credits and I deflated. They probably meant the new Critters movie. Still, Christopher Young and Michael Abels. Nothing to sneeze at.


Saturday

Nostalgia-Ganza: A Look Back at Animated Series from the 80s (10:00a - Room 9) - The 1980s were not the best time for cartoons. Even so, people worked really hard to bring them to life. A lot of big names got their start at Hanna-Barbera and Filmation. Wouldn't mind hearing from them.

Cartoon Voices I (1:00p - Room 6BCF) - Of all the panels here, this...okay, there are a bunch more I'd like to see on YouTube than this, but these are always entertaining.

The Orville (2:30p - Ballroom 20) - The general consensus is that this is the best "Star Trek" series currently airing. I'm no Trekkie, but it is very good. Can't wait for season 3.

The Music of Monsters: Kaiju Concerto with Composer Bear McCreary (5:00p - Room 25ABC) - Godzilla, King of the Monsters. Child's Play. It's been an impressive year for the man. Here's hoping for more awesome music.

What We Do in the Shadows (FX) Screening and Q&A (6:30p - Room 6BCF) - One of the funniest shows of recent memory and I just know that the cast can be as funny on a panel as they are on the show.

Happy Endings (8:00p - Room 28DE) - It's the same old story: a great movie carves a place in your heart as a new masterpiece, only to shit the bed with a terrible ending. This panel will (apparently) give audience members a chance to rewrite the ending with an improv troupe to perform it. I'm sure there are a number of titles bouncing around my head.


Sunday

World Premiere of Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island (10:15a - Room 6BCF) - The brief series of films staring with "Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island" is, for my money, second only to "Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated" as the finest incarnation of the property, so this new movie should be a kick.

Riverdale Special Video Presentation and Q&A (11:45a - Hall H) - I am still greatly enjoying this show, narrative wackiness and all. Still, I could've done without that flash forward in the finale. Give the audience some mystery.

I'll Take Muggles for $500: A Fan Game Show (Pop Culture Edition) (2:00p - Grand 10 & 11, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina) - Yeah, I think I do far better at these convention game shows when it's general knowledge instead of focused on a particular fandom.

----------------------------------

And now for the other panels I would've gone to if they weren't a) going on at the same time as the other panels or b) happening in the insanely hard to get into Hall H.

Thur

11th Annual "Behind the Music": Celebrating Fan-Favorite Sounds and Scores of Sci-Fi and Fantasy Television (10:00a - Room 25ABC) - The first of an unprecedented five film music panels doesn't quite have the line-up of composers to make me prioritize it. Still, what a start to the day.
Afro-futurism, "Black to the Future, Too": The Revenge (This Time, It's Personal) (11:30a - Room 24ABC) - I can only hope that there's room for me at the big table in the future. As the description says, 'Can we truly go black to the future...before we go black to the past?'.
The Pitching Hour (12:00p - Room 7AB) - Do I even have the strength to put myself out there and pitch my work to total strangers? Surely, there's a few tips for this.
Batman Beyond 20th Anniversary (12:15p - Hall H) - I imagine that the writers, producers and VAs will have some great stories to tell about this clever spin-off.
Flipping the Script for Newbies (1:00p - Grand 12 & 13, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina) - Much like 'The Pitching Hour', I'd like to think that there are tips for networking for people too inward of themselves.
From an Idea to Hired: Books, TV, Film and Comics (2:30p - Room 24ABC) - Again, what does it take to sell my works (and myself) to prospective representation?
Writers' Coffeehouse at Comic-Con (2:30p - Santa Rosa Room, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina) - Writers bouncing off of each other about their careers and the business. Sounds interesting.
Screenwriting: Turn Your Idea into a Screenplay (4:00p - Room 11) - Okay, this might be a bit disingenuous. I've known the last...roughly 15 years how to turn an idea into a screenplay (having the will to do so in a timely matter is a less rock-solid skill). Even so, I'm sure could learn a few cool tricks.
The Super-Awesome Pro Writers AMA Smackdown (4:30p - Room 24ABC) - Didn't I tell you there were going to be a lot of writing panels? Who knew they all be on the same day? More writers gabbing about the life. How I hope to be among them.
Home Movies 20th Anniversary Reunion (4:45p - Room 6BCF) - Like a lot of people, I discovered this when Adult Swim rescued it...and when it transitioned from Squigglevision to Flash. Good times.
The Writers' Journey: The Importance of Original Material in the Marketplace (6:00p - Room 29AB) - Last writing panel of the day. I've got a crap-ton of original material to be sold (derived from other ideas; hey, you do your best with only seven stories to tell).
22nd Annual Superhero Kung Fu Extravaganza (8:00p - Room 6A) - A montage of fight scenes from various media sounds like fun.

Fri

Writing Avengers: Endgame (10:00a - Hall H) - Balancing dozens of characters and a passel of plot strands accumulated over the course of a decade in a three-hour movie. I cannot even imagine.
Masters of the Illustrated Film Poster (1:00p - Room 23ABC) - Too many posters these days are of the 'floating head, too busy with characters' variety. What I wouldn't give to have some of my posters done by Jack Davis...or someone like him who's still alive.
The Character of Music (1:00p - Room 32AB) - A handful of composer-director teams talk about how their relationships work and how they try to get the music they need for their projects. Me, I'm way too picky and couldn't settle on one composer.
Building Cinematic Dreams (2:00p - Room 9) - How do production designers create those unusual sets for motion pictures?
The Future of Film is Female (2:30p - Room 5AB) TCM host Alicia Malone (she of the ever-shifting accent) moderates a panel about women in film - past, present and future.
The Genius of Animation: Building Character and Story in Classic and Contemporary Cartoons (2:30p - Room 24ABC) - Animators spanning the century talking about their craft. Almost makes me wish I could draw worth a damn.
Marvel Animation Celebrates Marvel's 80th Anniversary (3:30p - Room 6A) - There have been a lot of cartoons based on Marvel comics and I know that I came to them through the underrated shows of the mid-90s: Spider-Man, Iron Man, Fantastic Four and The Incredible Hulk.
The First Geeks: Ray Bradbury and the LA Science Fiction League (3:30p - Room 24ABC) - Ray Bradbury. Ray Harryhausen. Forrest J. Ackerman. These legends of genre were friends. Tell me there's not a movie in this.
How to Think Like a Cartoon Character for a Living (7:00p - Room 4) - Basically, how to write for animation, something I could really use as I've mentioned what I planned to do.
ScreenJunkies/Fandom: The Truth Behind Honest Trailers and More (8:30p - Room 6A) - I cannot get enough of Honest Trailers. It'd be a treat to see one before the rest of the world.

Sat

Infinity Train (10:00a - Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront) - A civilization on a train. Exciting yet dangerous. I wonder how this will turn out.
Intro to TV Writing: From First Draft to Getting Staffed (12:30p - Room 24ABC) - It helps to have some semblance of how to write for television and given that I've written a pilot, I think I'm a few steps ahead of the game.
American Dad! (1:00p - Ballroom 20) - Not every episode hits the mark (and while I like Richard Kind as much as the next guy, maybe ease up on Tuttle?), but when it does, it is hysterical.
Spotlight on J. Michael Straczynski (1:00p - Room 7AB) - From Filmation to "The Twilight Zone" to creating his own shows to writing features. No way I can't learn something from this guy.
Much Ado About Mean Girls (2:30p - Horton Grand Theatre) - A Shakespearean re-write of Mean Girls. How can one not be curious about this?
Snowpiercer: on TBS: Panel and Exclusive First Look at Series Premiere (3:00p - Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront) - A civilization on a train. Exciting yet dangerous. I wonder how this will turn out.
Supergirl Special Video Presentation and Q&A (4:15p - Ballroom 20) - Despite the writing closely (way too closely) reflecting real life, I'm intrigued about season 5.
From Lt. Jim Dangle to Ronan Boyle: A Discussion with Thomas Lennon (5:00p - Horton Grand Theatre) - I barely have the energy to write screenplays. I'm not sure I could write a novel...which explains why he has a panel and I don't.
Writing Workshop with J. Michael Straczynski (7:30p - Room 2) - And here, in this panel, the man will teach us what to do and not do. Dude was a compatriot of Harlan Ellison. He must be doing something right.

Sun

Cartoon Voices II (11:45a - Room 6A) - I'm always up for a good 'voice actors clowning around while reading a script' panel, but there was a little too much this morning.

I will go back to San Diego one day. This, I swear.

If only flights to San Diego were as cheap as their Airbnbs.

And you just know that those Airbnbs are filling up like crazy. (BTW, I'm glad I managed to get one for my trip to Toronto, but I'll elaborate in September.)

Also, there don't seem to have been any Twitter puzzles allowing people to go. Odd.

Thursday

6th Annual Musical Anatomy of a Superhero (10:00a - Indigo Ballroom) - Ah, film music. One of cinema's most emotionally effective and yet, taken-for-granted aspects. It's always nice to hear about composers talking about their craft (and speaking of which, what I wouldn't give to go back to Fans of Film Music).

You're Wrong, Leonard Maltin! (11:30a - Room 24ABC) - Cats Don't Dance. Shoot 'em Up. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. The Adventures of Tintin. Man, has he missed the mark over the years. I'd love the chance to argue the awesomeness of these movies.

How to Make Cartoons When You Can't Draw (a.k.a. How to Write for Animation) (2:00p - Room 25 ABC) - Writing cartoons. The perfect job for a guy who loves watching cartoons and can write well, but can't draw for shit. Be real cool to do someday.

1988: Greatest Geek Year Ever - Yippie Kai Yay Edition (3:00p - Room 5AB) - One of these days, I'm going to this panel, as a panelist or a guest. Yakking about movies from that year. Sounds like it'd be a favorite.

We Wrote Your Childhood (4:00p - Room 7AB) - Another cartoon writers panel, but this one is made up of veterans of 90s shows. No doubt there are stories here.

I Can Fix It (5:00p - Room 7AB) - My brain is so disorganized, that whenever a post like this shows up on how you'd fix a narrative, I'm at a loss on how I'd do it. I'm sure, though, that others with organized minds will have better theories

Writing Great Dialogue (6:00p - Room 9) - I'm pretty damn sure I can write great dialogue already, but it never hurts to get some pointers..

ScreenJunkies: the Truth Behind Honest Trailers Plus Movie Fights! (7:15p - Room 6BCF) - I think I mentioned before that I only watch "Honest Trailers" on this channel, but it'd be cool to get some exposure to the rest of their stuff and maybe get into it.

Revenge of Name That Movie! (8:00p - Room 9) - Just once, I'd love to participate in this. I've watched a lot of movies in life. I'd like to think I'd do decently.

Friday

The Genius of Animation: Problem Solving in Character and Story (10:00a - Room 23ABC) - The fascinating thing about constantly developing projects in your head is that you can always make a change to something and, more often than not, that change is just what you needed. So many animated projects go through years of trial and error before reaching the screen. I'd sure like to know how different these were in development.

RetroFans Unite! (11:00a - Room 29AB) - I get the sense that this was before even my time, but it would still make for an entertaining panel.

Marvel's Black Panther Costume Designer Ruth Carter: Designing the Costumes of Wakanda (12:00p - Room 9) - When I make movies, she is definitely one of the designers I'll be working with. I'd love to hear her process for her work on this movie, an almost-certain third Oscar nomination.

Afro-Futurism: Black to the Future! (1:00p - Grand 9, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina) - The future of African-Americans in Hollywood. I hope against hope that I'm included in that future.

[adult swim]: Robot Chicken (2:30p - Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront) - On the one hand, I feel myself falling out of love with the show. On the other...I guess I'd like to see where they go next.

DuckTales (3:30p - Room 6A) - Unlike a lot of Disney's current animated shows, this seems to have a strong balance of humor, excitement, long-game storytelling and characterization (with a buttload of fun Easter eggs for those who remember the Disney Afternoon).

Bob's Burgers (4:15p - Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront) - Not much to say that I haven't already said before. Here's to lots of laughs in the next season.

I'll Take Dementors for $500, Obi-Wan: A Fan Game Show (Heroes and Villains edition) (5:00p - Grand 9, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina) - I've been dabbling in Geeks Who Drink specialty nights for a while, and while I didn't dominate like I wanted, it's still fun to take part in, just like I imagine these game show panels to be.

The Writer's Journey: Maximizing Your Potential in the New Marketplace (6:00p - Room 32AB) - Secrets in how to build a career these days. I'll take what I can get.

Twilight Zone Marathon Screenings (7:15p - Room 6A) - Granted, there are a lot of panels about writing and writers here, but I think I could learn best at the feet of Rod Serling.

Super Geeked Up: Geeky Improv Live! (9:00p - Room 25ABC) - Maybe I'd enjoy this geek-themed variation on "Whose Line is it Anyway?", but you never know if you don't try.

Saturday

Unikitty! New Episode Premiere and Q&A (10:00a - Room 6A) - Cut from the same, 'goofy but funny' cloth as "Teen Titans Go!", I've been enjoying this show.

Agent Carter, We Know Her Value (12:00p - Grand 1 & 2, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina) - There were only two seasons of this show and, let me tell you, that was not enough. One cannot get enough of Peggy Carter.

IFC's Stan Against Evil (1:00p - Room 7AB) - I really dig the show (and am pleased that a third season is in the offing, but one of these days, they're coming up with a crazy cliffhanger and IFC's gonna cut the legs out from under it), but the tipping point of choosing this over the other two panels at this time is that someone is gonna want John C. McGinley to call them a 'newbie' and why would I not want to see that?

Cartoon Network Creators: Drawing on Inspiration (2:00p - Room 25ABC) - It's gonna be a real treat hearing from the creators of "Craig of the Creek" (delightful), "We Bare Bears" (uneven but good), "Victor and Valentino" (don't think it's aired yet) and "Summer Camp Island" (cutesy, though fairly entertaining).

Batman: the Animated Series on Blu-Ray (4:15p - Room 6DE) - A retrospective of one of the best cartoons of the 1990s with the people who helped bring it to life. Need more be said?

Deadpool 2 (5:15p - Hall H) - It'd be a struggle to get in, never mind rushing from the previous panel, but it's a Deadpool panel. Dollars to donuts, people will be gathering early in the morning and sitting through everything else to get to this.

Totally Awesome: the Greatest Cartoons of the 80s (7:00p - Room 25ABC) - Okay, so roughly half the cartoons from that era were a) poorly animated, b) cutesy garbage or c) barely disguised toy commercials. Still, it'd be nice to look back at the good ones...provided nostalgia doesn't keep the panelists from distinguishing the difference.

25 Years with The Nightmare Before Christmas with D23: The Official Disney Fan Club (7:45p - Room 6BCF) - From its lovely stop-motion to the fascinating story to its unimpeachable soundtrack, this is just about a perfect feature, and I would love to hear how it came together.

Sunday

Riverdale: Special Video Presentation and Q&A (11:45a - Hall H) - Though it ramped up the crazy in its second season, I am really digging this show and I can't wait to see what happens in the third season.

Harlan Ellison: A Celebration of His Life and Works (3:00p - Room 6DE) - Ah, to have the discipline to create literary masterworks...and to be so good, you can get away with a 'suffer no fools' attitude. Living the dream, he was.

Wally Wingert: I Was Cosplay Before Cosplay Was Cool! (4:00p - Room 4) - Apparently, voice actor Wingert (Invader Zim, Tokyo Pig) has a rich history of cosplaying. I'd be curious to hear about it.

And now, for something completely different. Here are the panels I'd have a conflict with if I got to go...or panels that would seem to be perfect for me, but...


Thur
Behind the Music 10th Anniversary: Crime, Death and Resurrection (10:00a - Room 25ABC) - Two composer panels at the same time. How dare you! But it is mostly television composers, so not that big a loss.
We're Not from 'Round Here: Star vs. the Forces of Evil and Big City Greens (10:00a - Room 6DE) - It's like this: "Star vs..." was an amusing diversion for a while, but then, it got too ship-happy and lost in its own mythology (and the casting off of Jackie Lynn Thomas like dead skin rubbed me the wrong way). And "Big City Greens"...I'd be willing to bet eyeteeth that Disney's thinking went something like this: "That selfish bastard only gave us two seasons of 'Gravity Falls'. We need more of it...or maybe, we need something just like it." Only, they gave the characters jaundice in order to avoid a lawsuit. Shameful.
20th Century Fox: The Predator (10:30a - Hall H) - As a writer or a director, Shane Black can do no wrong. Definitely looking forward to this. Still, Thursday in Hall H. A madhouse, I tells ya.
TMNT Reboot: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1:45p - Room 6A) - Maybe, it's because I'm too wedded to the "Ninja Turtles" series before it (did it even have an ending?), but I'm not too excited about this show.
Supergirl 1984 - The Warner Archive Collection Blu-Ray! (4:30p - Room 6DE) - Morbid curiosity and a vague recollection of having seen the film in the past compel me to find out if there's anything worthwhile about this film besides the music. Maybe, one day.
Shooting Clerks: the Kevin Smith Biopic (6:45p - Room 6A) - Not sure how a situation like this could be dramatized, but I look forward to the effort.

Fri
Intro to TV Writing (10:00a - Room 4) - I could use the knowledge in how to write for TV (my skill set is features), but the lure of hearing about what could've been is too strong.
The Black Panel (10:00a - Room 5AB) - I'd like to see or be on this panel just once, but I can't help but think that the room would be too political for me.
Teen Titans Go! to the Movies (12:00p - Horton Grand Theatre) - Who's to know if there would be more or less children in a theatrical setting? I greatly prefer less.
What is the Best Superpower? (1:00p - Room 25ABC) - Who hasn't asked themselves (or others) this question, at some point? For me, the answer is shapeshifting, without a doubt.
Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus! (1:00p - Room 6A) - So Nickelodeon is bringing this back? New management, no question. Might be interesting.
Trailer Park (2:45p - Hall H) - I cannot say this enough: you put a line-up of trailers in front of me and I will watch. Still, most of these will be online within weeks, so I can wait.
It Was 50 Years Ago Today: Celebrating Planet of the Apes, 2001: a Space Odyssey and Rosemary's Baby: Geek's Ground Zero (4:30p - Room 5AB) - Fun as it would be hearing about fan theories and life-changing viewings, I haven't seen any of these movies. Messed up, I know.
Bumblebee (5:00p - Hall H) - A Transformers movie that won't insult people's intelligence. I guess if you live long enough, anything can happen.
Pop Culture Witches (5:00p - Room 23ABC) - Women with powers to cut down adversaries. Boy, could we use them now.
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas 25th Anniversary Screening (7:00p - Horton Grand Theatre) - I don't know. I can watch this any time of year.

Sat
Saturday Morning Cartoon Jam with IDW (10:00a - Room 23ABC) - As much as I enjoy comic books based on cartoons, it seems pretty right to actually watch a cartoon on Saturday mornings.
This is Your Life, Jonny Quest (11:30a - Room 5AB) - Truth be told, I'm more familiar with (and fond of) the 90s "Real Adventures" reboot than the vintage series. Also, did I read that there's gonna be a crossover with "Tom and Jerry"? In the tradition of similar "crossovers" like with The Wizard of Oz and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? Do people even like Tom and Jerry anymore?!
Big Hero 6 the Series: Heroes Return (12:30p - Room 6A) - Been watching the show and, I gotta say, I don't like it as much as I want. Don't get me wrong: I enjoyed the movie and Mark McCorkle/Bob Schooley shows have never been less than watchable, but...well, the girl who hates regular Hiro, but crushes on hero Hiro is basically Cindy Vortex 2.0 (always a bad sign), the villains (with the exception of creepy ninja lady from 'Aunt Cass Meets Gordon Ramsay' - not the actual episode title, but it may as well have been) are various shades of annoying, even the uber-played out 'shadowy villain manipulating things from behind the scenes' and the more I see of Krei, the more I think, "Maybe they should've let Callaghan kill him.". But that's just me.
American Dad! (1:00p - Ballroom 20) - The TBS episodes have been pretty hit or miss for me, but that the VAs for Steve and his friends are present seems like an interesting change.
Cartoon Voices I (1:00p - Room 6BCF) - I can never resist a good voice actors panel, but if I had to choose between reading of a fairy tale and reading of a movie script, 'movie script' wins every time.
Supergirl: Special Video Presentation and Q&A (3:30p - Ballroom 20) - I hate to say it, but with the third season, this show is teetering dangerously close to 'watching it out of obligation' territory, which is unfortunate as I was a huge champion of it back in the day.
The Orville (4:00p - Indigo Ballroom, San Diego Hilton Bayfront) - Basically Seth MacFarlane doing "Star Trek" fanfiction, but it's entertaining enough. Still, "Batman: the Animated Series". What can I do?
EW: Women Who Kick Ass (4:00p - Hall H) - The main attraction for me is Camila Mendes, who I have such a ridiculous crush on, but again, "Batman".
An Evening with Kevin Smith (6:45p - Hall H) - Certainly recently, but Smith has always been better at speaking than making movies and who wouldn't love to hear about him staring Death in the face and not blinking?

Sun
Cartoon Voices II (11:45a - Room 6A) - I really think I'd be able to get into Hall H on a Sunday. Just a handful of panels, really and would I be missing much with the other voices panel?

Seriously, why is Seth Green not here?

There's a "Ninja Turtles" panel, a "Family Guy" panel and a "Robot Chicken" panel and he's not listed for appearing at any of them. Well, whatever's happening, I wish him well.

Now, to the nitty-gritty...

Thursday

The 5th Annual Musical Anatomy of a Superhero (10:00a - Indigo Ballroom) - The best part of waking up on the first day of SDCC is a panel of composers, especially if they're talking about what goes into making music for superhero movies.

Teen Titans Go! (10:00a - Room 6A) - Having grown surprisingly fond of this show over the last year, it would've been fascinating to see (hear?) what goes into an episode. It'd be mighty shameful if people paid hundreds if not thousands of dollars to travel to San Diego and deprive someone of the opportunity to truly enjoy the fruits of SDCC just so they could go to this panel and boo it.

Ghostbusters 101: A Ghostbusters Panel of Biblical Proportions! (10:15a - Room 6DE) - Speaking of needless triggering, the newest installment of the "Ghostbusters" comic is folding in the characters and universe of last year's reboot. I'm confident that the execution will be tighter and more focused. Lord knows the characters weren't the problem (and I sincerely mean that).

Behind the Scenes of Freeform's Hit Series Stitchers (12:00p - Indigo Ballroom) - Ordinarily, I wouldn't be much interested in a show airing on Freeform (formerly ABC Family, formerly Fox Family, etc.), but the premise has me slightly intrigued: "College student Kirsten joins an organization where they are "stitched" into the memories of the dead to solve their murders." (my paraphrase from the SDCC website)

The Writer's Danger Room (12:00p - Santa Rosa Room) - Writing exercises at SDCC? Hey, whatever gets me off my butt and actually doing stuff.

Rocko's Modern Life: Return to Earth (1:45p - Room 6A) - If ever there was a Nicktoon that needed to comeback with a brand-new story for its cast of wacky characters, it's "The Angry Beavers". I guess this wouldn't be far behind.

IFC's Stan Against Evil (2:00p - Room 5AB) - Anyone who doesn't believe that the world is big enough for this show and "Ash vs. Evil Dead" doesn't deserve either one. (Also, following that cliffhanger, I can't tell you how pissed I'd have been if this wasn't getting a second season.)

1987: Greatest Geek Year Ever (3:00p - Room 5AB) - So help me, God, I'm gonna go to one of these panels one day. Gabbing about movies and hearing about people's different experiences? What's not to love?

NBC's Timeless: Fan Tribute Celebration (3:30p - Room 6BCF) - I'm still not crazy about how the show Belvedered itself with the conspiracy nonsense, but if you eat around that, the show is a lot of fun and I'm glad that it's getting a second season.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Remastered and Ready for Blu-Ray (4:15p - Room 6A) - I can only imagine that it took a ton of blackmail to finally give one of the best Batman movies of all time the home entertainment treatment it deserves.

Ghosted (4:45p - Room 6BCF) - The premise reads as "The X-Files", but comic. If the writing is good, I can definitely see myself watching this.

ComiXology and IMDb: Kevin Smith's Comic Book Movie Trivia Mayhem (5:30p - Room 6A) - God help me, I can never resist a movie trivia challenge. Everyone needs to be good at something, right?

Superhero Family Feud (6:00p - Horton Grand Theatre) - It's got to be better (and less leeringly dirty) than the current incarnation of "Family Feud", right?

Adam West Celebration (7:00p - Room 6DE) - It would be interesting to hear about him and how he was so much more than 1960s Batman.

Name That Movie Meets Frankenstein (8:00p - Room 9) - This game sounds like so much fun. I really want to give it a try, someday.

Kung Fu Extravaganza 20th Anniversary Celebration (8:00p - Room 6A) - One of my (many) pop culture blindspots is kung fu cinema. I feel that this panel would help me to plug that hole and expose me to fascinating methods of ass-kicking.

Friday

The Black Panel (10:00a - Room 5AB) - As an African-American and someone with delusions of creating genre pictures, I'd really like to be considered as a panelist someday. Automatic in to SDCC!

I Know That Voice: the Series (12:00p - Horton Grand Theatre) - I caught the movie on Netflix last year, so I can't help but be fascinated by a spin-off series. (and just what would that entail; following around a different VA each episode? Sounds cool, though.)

Behind the Music: Fantasy, Fiction and Fandom (1:00p - Room 29AB) - Not as many known names as the Thursday panel, but might still be worthwhile, if only because Mac Quayle is one of the panelists and I'm in lesbians with his Emmy-nominated theme from "Feud: Bette and Joan".

Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1:00p - Room 6A) - It's been a bumpy ride, but this show is getting better and better. I can't wait to see where it goes from here.

[adult swim]: Rick and Morty (1:15p - Indigo Ballroom) - Season 3 is finally almost on its way here and if the April 1st episode is any indication, it's gonna be insane. (Can't believe I slept on this show for so long.)

[adult swim]: Robot Chicken (2:15p - Indigo Ballroom) - The latest scuttlebutt is that there's gonna be a special "The Walking Dead" episode. Much as I like the show, how much you wanna bet it's not gonna be as entertaining as Frank Darabont's e-mails?

DisneyXD's DuckTales (3:30p - Room 6A) - Neat designs, interesting voice cast (for some reason, Margo Martindale as Ma Beagle sounds perfect)...honestly, I can't wait.

Bob's Burgers (4:15p - Indigo Ballroom) - A cookbook, a (finally available, if incomplete*) soundtrack and an eighth season. If there's a time that we reach peak "Bob's Burgers", I don't want to know about it.

Spotlight on J. Michael Straczynski (5:30p - Room 6DE) - From "The Real Ghostbusters" to "The Twlight Zone" to "Babylon 5" to Ninja Assassin and Thor, with quite a few comics in between. Wow.

The Writer's Journey: Breaking In and Managing a Career in Hollywood (6:00p - Room 32AB) - Apparently, it's not enough to break in to Hollywood; you need to stay there, too.

Villains: Creating the Perfect Antagonist (7:00p - Room 9) - Is there a perfect antagonist? Who knows, but I saw a Vulture video not long ago that speculates that the best antagonists are the relatable ones. I'd have to believe that.

Writing the Wrong (8:00p - Room 32AB) - Experts reveal what not to do to ensure a long career in Hollywood. Should make for an interesting panel.

Super Geeked Up: Geeky Improv LIVE! (9:00p - Room 25ABC) - "Whose Line is it Anyway?, but filtered through a geek sensibility. Sounds like something I should try to see at least once.

ScreenJunkies: Honest Trailers and All-Star MovieFights Live! (9:15p - Room 6DE) - I can only assume that the crew is as entertaining in person as they are in the trailers.

Saturday

Inside the Writer's Room: From Script to Screen and Beyond (10:00a - Room 24ABC) - Given my inability to play well with others, why would I show interest in how a writer's room operates? No crime in curiosity, right?

Riverdale Special Video Presentation and Q&A (11:00a - Ballroom 20) - Archie Comics, but gritty and "Twin Peaks"-infused? 'What a croc of crap.' God, did I fall and fall hard for this show. So entertaining. Hopefully, season 2 doesn't get too dark.

DC's Harley Quinn: Celebrating 25 Years (12:30p - Room 6DE) - From "Batman: the Animated Series" to Suicide Squad. What a long, strange trip it's been.

Archie Comics Forever: Riverdale and Beyond (1:00p - Room 4) - In the last year, I've been reading "Afterlife with Archie" and, once at Barnes and Noble, I perused a fairy-tale crossover digest. Sweet zombie Jesus, there is no comparison. More like the former, less like the latter.

Cartoon Voices I (1:00p - Room 6BCF) - A panel of voice actors performing and impersonating their way through a pre-existing script ought to be on the to-do list of any Con goer.

Lucifer Special Video Presentation and Q&A (1:50p - Indigo Ballroom) - Hey, as long as this show doesn't fall headlong into the bottomless pit of 'Lucifer and Chloe hook up', I'll keep watching. (I'm not adverse to the pairing; it's just such a cliche at this point, you know?)

Writing for Television, Film and Comics with J. Michael Straczynski (2:00p - Room 11) - Another Q & A panel. How does one break into the business? How can you balance working in so many media? (I'd like to think that I revised my questions by the time the panel rolled around.)

Mystery Science Theater 3000: the Return (3:00p - Horton Grand Theatre) - As I don't currently have Netflix (but I'm working on it), I've missed the newer episodes. Perhaps, I should get a list of essential Comedy Central and SciFi Channel episodes watched before jumping in, huh?

Supergirl Special Video Presentation and Q&A (3:30p - Ballroom 20) - Yeah, it's hard as hell to get into these Ballroom 20/Hall H panels, but I would really love to see where season 3 takes us ahead of time...especially since I'll have to choose between this and "Lucifer" (yeah, I know, DVR, but it's the principle).

The Orville (4:15p - Room 6A) - A pseudo-comic take on "Star Trek" created by and starring Seth MacFarlane. The trailer was mildly amusing and, if nothing else, we get full orchestral scores for each episode by Bruce Broughton and Joel McNeely. Sold!

The Arkham Sessions: Psychology of Batman: the Animated Series (7:00p - Room 25ABC) - Apparently based on a real podcast that applies real-world psychology to Batman and his Rogues Gallery. With the input of Paul Dini and Alan Burnett, this promises to be one of the more fascinating panels.

Sunday

Spotlight on Paul Dini (10:00a - Room 7AB) - Been a fan of his as far back as "Tiny Toon Adventures" and having discovered "Dark Night" in the last year or so, I want to know even more about him.

Spotlight on Bruce Timm (11:00a - Room 7AB) - Another architect of "Batman: the Animated Series" (and a fellow "Tiny Toons" vet). If nothing else, it'd be nice to know how he got his start in character design.

Cartoon Voices II (11:30a - Room 6A) - One more chance to hear talented VAs goofing around.

Then, I'd probably hit up the convention floor to take advantage of any sales (if my experience at New York Comic Con is any indication, some vendors will be desperate to lighten their loads on the last day) and just walk around; maybe, see the city before I have to catch my flight. Yeah.

And some random thoughts...

- ABC moved "Once Upon a Time" to Friday nights. Most of the core cast is gone...and yet, there's still a panel. "Oh, wake up, Norma. You'd be killing yourself to an empty house! The audience left twenty years ago!"

- There's a panel for a Lifetime remake of Disney's The Watcher in the Woods produced by Melissa Joan Hart and starring Anjelica Huston in the Bette Davis role. See, this is what Disney ought to be doing: focusing on the lesser entries in their catalogue in terms of remakes (still waiting on The Sword in the Stone).

- "Rocko's Modern Life" isn't the only Nicktoon returning in a movie; there's a "Hey Arnold!" movie coming, too. Not sure what else to say beyond I'm still not crazy about the romantic pairing that threatened to engulf the show.

- A panel for how to create a cartoon series. Hopefully, there's room enough for a guy who can't draw worth a damn.

- There's a panel on costume design for the movies. One of several aspects of film I don't quite understand, but am curious about.

- Whoa. Terry Crews created a comic? Why wasn't I notified?

* - Over 100 tracks and no "Candy Randy"? Unacceptable.