Comic-Con Preview 2011: What to Do Saturday

Between its hundreds of combined panels, parties, events and contests, Comic-Con International in San Diego can make for a pretty overwhelming week if you're not careful. Have heart, though, ComicsAlliance readers! We're here to help you make the most of your pending adventure into the heart of pop culture's ultimate obstacle course.

After the jump you will find ComicsAlliance recommendations for Conic-Con panels, events and screenings taking place on Saturday, July 23.The Panels

10:00-11:00 From Buddha to Batman: Deepak Chopra and Grant Morrison Discuss The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes - Room 6A

The short version is that comics writer Grant Morrison and spirituality/self-help author and holistic medicine proponent Deepak Chopra believe that superheroes and the values they embody can and have influenced the makeup of our culture. A similar discussion at a Comic-Con of years past inspired Chopra's new book, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes, and Chopra and Morrison have reunited to expand upon these ideas and connect them to characters and concepts both modern and ancient. This is sure to be a fun lecture.

10:00-11:00 Attack of the Show! Attacks Comic-Con - Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront

Kevin Pereira, Candace Bailey, Sara Underwood, Blair Butler and the producers of G4's Attack of the Show! recreate their popular geek lifestyle television show live for the Comic-Con audience, who will be able to interact with the panelists in Q&A while they roll out games, giveaways and screenings of new AOTS material. This will be a very funny event.

10:30-12:00 Comic-Con How-To: Sketching with Adam Hughes- Award-winning artist Adam Hughes - Room 28DE

Watch Adam Hughes draw for an hour and a half. What else is there to say?

10:30-11:30 Marvel Television- Room 6BCF

Jeph Loeb hosts a panel dedicated to all of Marvel's television activity, both current and forthcoming. The big draw here will be to get a look at the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series. Marvel also promises some other sneak peaks and surprises.

11:15-12:30 DC Comics - The New 52 - Room 6DE

DC is hosting a New 52 panel every day of the convention and it's a safe bet they will not be boring. Fans definitely have more questions for Co-Publisher Dan DiDio, Editor-in-Chief Bob Harras and Executive Editor Eddie Berganza, and we don't expect them to be shy about asking them.

12:00-1:00 CBLDF Master Session 5: Matt Wagner- Room 30CDE

You get to watch Matt Wagner - creator of Grendel and Mage and the author of works including Batman/Grendel, Sandman Mystery Theatre and Madame Xanadu - draw for an hour. All pieces will be auctioned later in the evening for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

12:15-1:00 Futurama - Ballroom 20

The Futurama panels are known for being just as hilarious as the animated series itself. In years past, the cast and crew have entertained Comic-Con audiences with dramatic readings of Futurama comics, answered questions and previewed new and in-progress material. The line will be massive enough to create its own gravity and weather, but you will not regret it.

12:30-1:30 Fantagraphics 35th Anniversary- Room 24ABC

Publishers Gary Groth and Kim Thompson ought to have a lot of stories after publishing beautiful comics for 35 years, and this panel will be the place to hear them. The duo will present a retrospective of Fantagraphics' distinguished publishing history -- which includes Love and Rockets, Acme Novelty Library and The Complete Peanuts -- announce new products as well.

12:45-1:45 DC: The Dark and The Edge - Room 6DE

A preponderance of ComicsAlliance contributors agree the "Dark" titles of DC's relaunched superhero line are the most immediately compelling of the 52+ new titles the publisher is releasing later this year, and this will be the panel where (hopefully) lots more can be learned about series like Swamp Thing, Justice League Dark, Animal Man and more. On hand will be editor Pat McCallum to present the books and answer fan questions about The Dark as well as The Edge.

1:00-2:00 Designing the SuperHero Costume: Costume Designers, Costume Illustrators and Superhero Costume Builders - Room 23ABC

The designers of costumes for such films as TRON: Legacy, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Iron Man 2, the original Star Trek, Watchmen and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra reveal the methods to their madness. A must-see for serious cosplayers and fans of superhero fashion.

1:30-2:30 Is the Comic Book Doomed? - Room 24ABC

ComicsAlliance Editor-in-Chief Laura Hudson sits on a panel with Mark Waid, Douglas Wolk, Vijaya Iyer, and Amanda Emmert to debate the viability of the comic book itself -- which is to say, the 32-page, stapled, monthly serial comic book. This will be a fascinating discussion between people with strong opinions and not something to be missed.

2:30-3:30 Digital Disruption: Comics, Webcomics, and the Business Model of the Future - Room 8

Along similar lines, Waid joins PvP webcomic creator Scott Kurtz for what's sure to be an extremely candid and honest discussion of the nature of digital comics, whether free, for sale or pirated. It's a subject Waid is particularly passionate about, and the veteran writer has indicated he plans to release much of his new material in the digital realm.

2:45-3:45 Marvel: Cup O' Joe - Room 6BCF

Marvel hypes this panel hosted by former Editor-in-Chief, current Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada as follows: "the no-holds-barred, anything goes, full of surprises panel you wait all year for! Marvel's chief creative officer Joe Quesada takes on all questions, shocks the audience with jaw-dropping announcements, and keeps you guessing with surprise guests. You never know who will show up, but you better be here, because this is the panel that everyone will be talking about!"

If previous Cup O' Joe panels are any indication, that's all probably true.

4:30-5:30 Top Shelf Productions - Room 8

Top Shelf Productions has so many great graphic novels out right now or very soon that ComicsAlliance has referred to this as the Summer of Top Shelf. Kagan McLeod (Infinite Kung Fu), Nate Powell (Swallow Me Whole, Any Empire), Robert Venditti (The Surrogates, The Homeland Directive), Mike Huddleston (The Homeland Directive), and James Kochalka join Top Shelf's PR man Leigh Walton to discuss the publishing slate and preview material from Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neil's next installment of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

5:00-6:00 BOOM! Studios/KABOOM!/BOOM! Town Panel - Room 9

CEO Ross Richie, Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon and Director of Marketing Chip Mosher host a panel dedicated to all things BOOM! Studios. You can be sure you'll hear more about the publisher's just launched Elric series by Chris Roberson, not to mention Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Hellraiser. This is an entertaining group of gentlemen with passion for comic books, and their panel will be a fun one with which to wrap up the day before dinner.

5:30-7:00 Gays in Comics: Year 24! - Room 6A

A special video appearance by Batwoman writer/artist J. H. Williams III will be part of this year's annual Gays in Comics panel. Moderated by author Andy Mangels, panelists include Robert Kirkman, Chip Kidd, Dan Parent, Jon Macy, Paul Cornell and Greg Pak, all of whom will talk about the increased visibility of gay characters in comic books and gay or gay-friendly creators.

5:45-6:45 Spotlight on Jonathan Hickman - Room 6DE

The creator of The Nightly News and writer of such Marvel Comics favorites as Fantastic Four, Secret Warriors and SHIELD, Jonathan Hickman is among the most exciting new voices in mainstream comics. Word Balloon's John Siuntres interviews Hickman for a full hour about his prodigious work, which also includes the upcoming Ultimate Comics Ultimates and Feel Better Now.

7:00-8:00 Fables - Room 6DE

Hosted by writer Bill Willingham and editor Shelly Bond, the annual Fables panel is one of the most fan-friendly presentations of Comic-Con. Joined by an assortment of Fables collaborators, Bond and Willingham typically dazzle the crowd with surprising announcements, roaring wit and, usually, some lovely giveaways as well. The panel is highly recommended for all fans of the enduring Vertigo series.

The Events and Screenings

5:15-6:00 Alcatraz Pilot Screening and Q&A - Ballroom 20

Get an advance look at the new series from JJ Abrams' Bad Robot Productions and participate in the Q&A with Elizabeth Sarnoff and series stars Sarah Jones and Jorge Garcia.

5:45-7:30 An Early Evening with Kevin Smith - Hall H

Whatever your opinion is of Kevin Smith's films, it cannot be denied that the man can tell a story. Don't believe me? Check out this NSFW video of Smith recounting his experience working on Superman Lives with producer Jon Peters. This event will be funny and feature excellent swearing.

7:30-9:30 CBLDF 25th Anniversary Gala Benefit Auction - Sapphire Ballroom IJ, Hilton San Diego Bayfront

Come celebrate the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund's 25 years of protecting the First Amendment rights of comics and win incredible original art by the most talented creators in the industry at the CBLDF's Comic-Con Benefit Auction. Among the material, that which we spotlighted last week here on ComicsAlliance, put together with the help of Things From Another World.

8:30-11:30 HBO's True Blood Presents the Comic-Con International Masquerade - Ballroom 20

From the Comic-Con program:

Fabulous original and re-created costumes crafted by talented attendees appear on stage before an audience of thousands, with impressive awards and cash prizes bestowed to those judged most outstanding. Doors will open for audience seating at 7:45 pm, but the line will start much earlier! Tickets will be required for seating, and will be given out free to those lining up near Ballroom 20 beginning at 2:00 pm Saturday until all tickets are gone. The masters of ceremonies will once again be writer/artists Phil Foglio and Kaja Foglio of Studio Foglio. (Note: overflow seating is available in Rooms 5AB, 6A and in the Sails Pavilion; tickets not required for overflow areas)