2014 Comic-Con Hit List
If looking at the events line-up for Comic-Con International in San Diego (July 24-27) is giving you palpitations, here’s a minimalist approach to your Con experience: Warner Bros. Television Group will once again have a massive presence at the show, including a first-ever, three-hour Saturday night WBTV/ DC Entertainment event featuring the world premiere of Gotham (and its only CCI screening), The Flash pilot and footage from the highly anticipated Constantine and third season of Arrow. Other live-action fare on offer for screenings, panels and signings include comic properties Arrow and iZOMBIE.
Animation must-sees are a first look at Mike Tyson Mysteries (coming to Adult Swim this fall), a comedy that follows boxing legend Mike Tyson as he takes the fight from the ring to the streets … by solving mysteries! The panel features Tyson, Rachel Ramras, Jim Rash and producer Hugh Davidson [Friday, 2:30, Indigo BR]. And don’t miss a new episode screening and Q&A for Cartoon Network’s Teen Titans Go! with producers Michael Jelenic, Aaron Horvath and voice cast stars. Plus, the Japanese pop duo responsible for the show’s theme song Puffy AmiYumi will make a special appearance [Sunday, 11:45, Rm. 6BCF]. Cartoon Network will offer fans the ultimate smorgasbord of current, original animated series from the acclaimed channel. Adventure Time, Regular Show, Steven Universe, Uncle Grandpa and Clarence will all get star-studded panels, signings, screenings and event-exclusive giveaways, Not to mention behind-the-scenes looks with new clip, panels and Q&As with series creators, producers and voice talent. And be sure to make a beeline for their booth to pick up whatever awesome swag they’re bringing this year.
Not for the faint of heart (or attenders of elementary school), Adult Swim is bringing lots of mature-audiences fun with it’s first-ever, very own booth as well as signings and panels for hit toons Robot Chicken, The Venture Bros., Rick and Morty and Mike Tyson Mysteries, plus live-action fare Childrens Hospital and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. The super fun Adult Swim Fun House returns with new rooms and activities. Plus, check out the brand-new The Meatwad Full Dome Experience next door — a 360-degree animation experience. The dome also will host private panels on Saturday for an intimate experience with creators and talent from Superjail!, King Star King Mr. Pickles (tickets available through Adult Swim). Nickelodeon is pulling another CCI first: the acclaimed kids’ channel is bringing its Animated Shorts Program to the event, with an open call for original projects from attendees. Nick’s animation development team will take live, in-person pitches from Thursday to Saturday at its convention floor booth to greenlight a project for the global program. The chosen pitch will be developed into a short with the potential to air on Nickelodeon, appear on nick.com or the Nick App — it may even follow other great ideas to become a long-format series, like the recently picked up The Loud House from first-time creator Chris Savino. Disney TV is warming up their lightsaber-swinging arms for events centered on the new CG-animated Lucasfilm Animation series Star Wars Rebels, arriving on Disney XD and Disney Channel this fall with a one-hour premiere special. The show is created by X-Men: Days of Future Past writer Simon Kinberg, who executive produces with Dave Filoni ( Avatar: The Last Airbender, Star Wars: The Clone Wars). You may even get a chance to check out the action-packed upcomer in the company of voice stars Freddie Prinze Jr., Taylor Gray, Tiya Sircar, Vanessa Marshall and Steve Blum during a panel on Thursday from 6-7.
And don’t forget to tune in to Disney Channel from your hotel room Saturday night at 9 for the TV premiere of Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars, in which Dan Povenmire and Swampy Marsh’s adventurous duo (plus platypus) encounter beloved characters from the Star Wars universe and do everything in their power to help the Rebel Alliance defeat the evil Darthenshmirtz. The episode will be simulcast on WATCH Disney Channel for verified users. The Comic-Con Film Festival has eclectic programming sessions going all through the event, but if you’re after an animation-centric experience you should plan to pop in on Friday. The day kicks off at 10 a.m. with the second session of the Comic-Con Film School panel before screenings begin. Check out shorts from five to 30 minutes; Arcane, JFH: Justice-For-Hire, Bill Plympton’s Drunker Than a Skunk, Foxed!, Ed, Create, MITE, Origami and There’s an Octopus in Your Head. You can grab a quick lunch after the closing panel The Chair: One Script, Two Visions, One Winner.