Day 2 (Friday)

Brad & Christian at Comic-Con, July 2008

Back to Thursday

It's Friday and that can only mean one thing-- the Watchmen preview and panel. The line to get in has no end in sight; easily the most anticipated comics-related event at the show, as fans can't wait to get a brief look at the movie many said was simply "unfilmable".   (Here's a quick movie clip of the line to get into Watchmen-- it snaked across a whole park (and this was only the first 1/3rd of the line!)   A total of 6,500 people attended the screening-- it easily wouldv'e been more but the room can't hold more than 6500!   My plan was simple: suffer thru the long line in the morning, get into Hall H, and plant my butt in a seat for the entire day.

The Watchmen panel started at 11:55AM. The clip shown was short but it was met with almost universal approval. The fans are counting down the days until the film's release on March 6, 2009!

The Cast of "Watchmen", onstage at Comic-Con:

Billy Crudup, Actor "Dr. Manhattan"

Dave Gibbons, original artist of "Watchmen" & Malin Akerman, Actor "Silk Spectre"

Carla Gugino, Actor "Sally Jupiter" & Jackie Earle Haley, Actor "Rorschach"

Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Actor "The Comedian" & Patrick Wilson, Actor "Night Owl"

Zack Snyder, Director of "Watchmen"


Following the Watchmen session, we were treated with 45 minutes worth of trailers & previews of upcoming films.   Then a short panel on the upcoming Wolfman film-- yes, the classic monster movie (originally starring Lon Chaney Jr.) is BACK, with Benicio Del Toro in the starring role.   I have to say that I wasn't very interested in this film, but after seeing the clips they showed, it looks pretty darn good.

Benicio Del Toro

The legendary Rick Baker, special makeup & effects artist supreme


Next up: The Spirit. The Spirit is one of my all-time favorite comics, and the work of writer/artist Will Eisner is considered the Gold Standard by many comics fans. This new film is helmed by Frank Miller, a comics legend himself. But the buzz on this film is very skeptical, and I have a lot of mixed feelings about it. This preview & panel discussion made me feel a little better about it, but I still have my doubts...

Frank Miller (Director), Deborah Del Prete (Producer), Samuel L Jackson (Actor, "The Octopus")

Samuel L Jackson, "The Octopus"

Gabriel Macht, who plays "The Spirit"


Following The Spirit was a Lucasfilm panel discussing the new Star Wars video game, the Clone Wars animated movie and the new Clone Wars television series. I'm kinda burned out on all things Star Wars, but the Clone Wars looked interesting enough that I'll certainly TiVo it.

Then came The Visionaries: Filmmakers panel, featuring 3 of the most popular comics-related directors-- Kevin Smith, Zack Snyder and Frank Miller, plus the current king of geek comedies, Judd Apatow. No real news made here at this panel, but it was a lively discussion between four guys with unique & different visions and personalities.

Kevin Smith, Judd Apatow, Zack Snyder & Frank Miller

Directors Kevin Smith and Judd Apatow

Directors Zack Snyder and Frank Miller


My day in Hall H wrapped up with the preview & cast panel for Kevin Smith's upcoming film, Zack & Miri Make A Porno.   In typical Kevin Smith fashion, the session was rowdy, rude and a lot of fun. Most of the cast was present, including stars Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks, plus cast members Justin Long, Ricky Mabe, Katie Morgan, Traci Lords, longtime Smith cohort Jason Mewes, and producer Scott Moser. Suffice it to say the film will be inappropriate and hilarious.

The cast of "Zack & Miri Make A Porno"

Ricky Mabe & Justin Long, actors

Katie Morgan (yes, THAT Katie Morgan) & Traci Lords (yes, THAT Traci Lords), actors

Jason Mewes, Seth Rogen & Elizabeth Banks, actors


Then it was time to remove my backside from the seat I'd been occupying all day (don't worry-- Hall H has it's own bathroom inside the hall, along with it's own food kiosk, so all our bodily functions were catered to.)

I met up with Christian (he left after the Watchmen panel to do his own thing) and we walked the Exhibit Hall for a while, then the Gaslamp District a bit, and then back to the hotel for a late dinner.

Then to bed-- we had a early morning coming up: Heroes & Lost panels tomorrow!


Next: Saturday