Written by Matt Goldberg

I'm scared of the San Diego Comic Con. I'm excited, anxious, and scared shitless because I have no idea what to expect. I've seen pictures, heard stories, and have just come to the conclusion that nothing can prepare me for my first visit to the halls of madness that is this convention. Thankfully, the schedule is finally arriving piecemeal so I can at least know where I want to be before I'm trampled to death by about 120,000 people. I'd like to tell you what I'm looking forward to, but first I need to procure a time-turner so I can attend multiple events that occur at the same time. I've included just some of the highlights below. Click here for Thursday's full schedule, and here are my highlights for Sunday.

10:00-11:00 Masters of the Web— For the second year in a row the biggest genre and movie websites are coming together to discuss how new media have affected movie making, what it takes to run a popular site, and much more in a panel discussion and Q&A session. Participants include Robert Sanchez (IESB.net), Garth Franklin (Darkhorizons.com), Mike Sampson (Joblo.com), Erik Davis (Cinematical.com), John Campea (TheMovieBlog.com), Brad Miska (Bloody-Disgusting.com), Eric "Quint" Vespe (Aintitcool.com), Devin Faraci (CHUD.com), Paul Christensen (Movieweb.com), and Kellvin Chavez (Latinoreview.com). Moderated by directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (Crank 2, The Game). Room 32AB

10:30-11:30 Freaks, Geeks, and Tiny Toons— Warner Home Video brings the hit animated television series Tiny Toon Adventures and Freakazoid! to DVD on July 29. This panel features Bruce Timm (storyboard artist, character designer), John McCann (Douglas Douglas, Hero Boy story editor), Paul Rugg (Freakazoid writer), Sherri Stoner (writer, producer, story editor), Paul Dini (writer, story editor), Jean MacCurdy (executive producer), Rich Arons (producer, writer, director) and Andrea Romano (voice director). They're tiny, they're toony, they're all a little loony! Executive produced by Steven Spielberg, Tiny Toon Adventures is a Daytime Emmy Award animated series that spawned a whole new generation of madcap Looney Toons characters, including Buster Bunny, Babs Bunny, Plucky Duck, and Hamton J. Pig, among others. Freakazoid! aired for two seasons. Also executive produced by Spielberg, this Daytime Emmy Award–winning series chronicles the adventures of Freakazoid, a manic, insane superhero who battles a vast array of supervillains. Room 6A

10:45-11:45 Reinventing the Page: Stan Lee and Grant Morrison Talk Virgin Comics— Two of the most important creators in the history of comic books team up to discuss the bold new frontiers being explored in the art of storytelling. Legendary creator Stan Lee (Spider-Man, Hulk, Iron Man, X-Men) shares his insights on the world of comics and presents never-before-revealed hints of his new superhero universe with Virgin Comics. Joining Stan is prolific creator Grant Morrison (New X-Men, All Star Superman, Final Crisis), contemporary comics' most active mind, who will discuss his new Virgin Comics animated online series MBX while offering his own insights on comics and engaging with Stan in a once-in-a-lifetime conversation about the long history and boundless future of their beloved medium. Ballroom 20

11:30-12:30 SPORE: One-on-One with Will Wright— Will Wright is best known for creating the SimCity and The Sims video game franchises, the latter of which has sold more than 100 million games to date. In 2007, he was given the Vanguard Award from the Producer’s Guild of America, making him the first person in the videogame industry to receive such an honor. Wright’s next video game, SPORE, is scheduled for release on September 7. Join Will Wright for his first-ever appearance at Comic-Con! Room 6CDEF

11:30-1:00 20th Century Fox: The Day The Earth Stood Still and Max Payne—

Stars Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly, plus director Scott Derrickson and producer Erwin Stoff, present an exclusive look at The Day The Earth Stood Still, Fox's contemporary reinvention of its 1951 classic. Keanu is Klaatu, an alien whose arrival on our planet triggers a global upheaval. As governments and scientists race to unravel the mystery behind the visitor's appearance, a woman (Jennifer) and her young stepson get caught up in his mission—and come to understand the ramifications of his being a self-described "friend to the Earth."

Klaatu Barada Nikto.

The legendary interactive video game Max Payne comes to the big screen, telling the story of a maverick cop determined to track down those responsible for the brutal murder of his family and partner. Hell-bent on revenge, his obsessive investigation takes him on a nightmare journey into a dark underworld. As the mystery deepens, Max is forced to battle enemies beyond the natural world and face an unthinkable betrayal. "Max Payne" himself—Mark Wahlberg—will be on hand with Mila Kunis, Ludacris, and director John Moore to discuss turning the game's noirish, hard-hitting, and complex world and characters into a movie event.

 

1:15-2:45 Summit Pictures — Summit Entertainment presents a sneak peek of exclusive footage of some of its upcoming major film releases:

 

Push—In this futuristic sci-fi thriller set in Hong Kong, a group of young American ex-pats with extraordinary psychic abilities must band together and use their different talents on a final mission to escape a clandestine government agency forever. Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Djimon Hounsou, Camilla Belle and director Paul McGuigan present a first look at exclusive footage and answer questions about the film.

 

Knowing—An action thriller of global proportions. Director Alex Proyas appears in person to introduce never-before-seen footage for his new major motion picture starring Nicolas Cage.

 

Twilight—Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling book series, Twilight is an action-packed, modern-day love story between a vampire and a mortal. Director Catherine Hardwicke, author Stephenie Meyer, and the cast—including Robert Pattinson (Edward), Kristen Stewart (Bella), Cam Gigandet (James), Rachelle LaFevre (Victoria), Edi Gathegi (Laurant), and Taylor Lautner (Jacob)—answer your questions about bringing the world of these beloved characters to life on the big screen and show exclusive footage from the film.

 

 

3:15-4:15 Capcom: The Making of Street Fighter IV — Producer Yoshinoro Ono (Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams) and associate producer David Crislip deliver an exclusive behind-the-scenes peek at the making of the much-anticipated Street Fighter IV video game, featuring the design of classic and new characters, creating compelling gameplay. Also, a sneak peek at the animated SFIV minimovies being created to complement the game. There will be a Q&A session as well as Street Fighter-related surprises! Street Fighter cosplayers are highly encouraged to attend this event, as it marks the 20th anniversary of the Street Fighter

franchise. Room 6CDEF

 

3:30-4:30 Entertainment Weekly’s The Visionaries: Comic Creators — Jim Lee (All-Star Batman & Robin), John Cassaday (The Astonishing X-Men), Matt Fraction (Casanova), Mike Mignola (Hellboy), Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead), Colleen Doran (A Distant Soil), and Grant Morrison (Final

Crisis) are the writers and artists blazing a path into the future of comics. Coming from both the mainstream and the independent worlds, these men and women can provide unique insights into the comics landscape. Moderated by Entertainment Weekly staff editor Nisha Gopalan. Room 6A

 

4:30-5:30 HBO’s True Blood — Based on the popular Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris, True Blood is created by Alan Ball, creator of HBO’s Emmy-winning series Six Feet Under. The series takes place in the not-too-distant future, when, thanks to the invention of synthetic

blood, vampires no longer need humans for their fix and can walk freely, if not yet comfortably, among their living counterparts. With their integration into a small Louisiana town causing a stir, a love story ensues between Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin, the X-Men films; Academy Award winner for The Piano), an innocent waitress with the unusual ability to read minds, and vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer, The Starter Wife). The series also features Ryan Kwanten (Summerland), Rutina Wesley (How She Move), Sam Trammell (Judging Amy), and Nelsan Ellis (The Inside). True Blood debuts September 7 exclusively on HBO. Room 6CDEF

 

5:30-6:30 Dark Castle: RocknRolla — Launched in 1999, Dark Castle Entertainment was founded to create a unique brand of horror movies inspired by the works of legendary filmmaker William Castle. Recently, Dark Castle entered into an arrangement with CIT Group Inc. to broaden the company into a full genre label encompassing feature films, Home Video and comic books. Under the supervision of producer Joel Silver, Dark Castle's upcoming roster includes the action film RocknRolla, directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Gerard Butler, scheduled for an October 2008 release; Ninja Assassin, directed by James McTeigue and starring Korean music sensation Rain; and Whiteout, directed by Dominic

Sena and starring Kate Beckinsale. Its Home Video titles will include The Hills Run Red, starring Sophie Monk, William Sadler and Tad Hilgenbrink, and comic book projects will include Ferryman, by Marc Andreyko and Jonathan Wayshak. Appearing in person: Gerard Butler and Guy Ritchie (Rocknrolla), Rain (Ninja Assassin), and producer Joel Silver. Hall H

 

5:45-6:45 Showtime: Dexter — Showtime presents exclusives from the set of the highly anticipated third season of Dexter. Moderator Kristin Dos Santos (E!) presides over this revealing interview and Q&A session with the top stars and executive producers of Dexter, featuring Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Clyde Phillips, and John Goldwyn, plus a special guest! Room 6CDEF