Informed Art - Comic-Con Revealed

Rock comforts director Fickman when photographers want solo pics of Gugino.

Disney planned panel for Thursday was for “Race to Witch Mountain.” The panel kicked off with a rough trailer with some scenes not featuring completed visual effects. Filled with more action, this version of the franchise is far more 21^st century. Featured on the panel were stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Carla Gugino, and director Andy Fickman. Johnson charmed the crowd as usual, joking and kidding with the fans who had questions. The fans were very glad to hear that the original stars Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann have a much bigger role in the film than a cameo.

Closing the panel was a special preview of the “Tron” re-imagining. The clip, which will not be seen by other viewers for another year, features two cyclists racing in the computer world, leaving glowing trails behind them like in the original film. Later an aged Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn shows up in a look out point watching over the scene. The chase ends with one biker killing the other with the victorious cyclist being a younger version of Bridges’ Clu. The fans were ecstatic.

Pattinson, Stewart, and Lautner instantly become Comic-Con icons.

Summit Pictures just left Hall H shaken. It started with the upcoming sci-fi film “Push,” showing the trailer and a few clips. On the panel were stars Chris Evans (“Fantastic Four), Camilla Bell (“10,000 B.C.), Djimon Hounsou (“In America”) and director Paul McGuigan. Dakota Fanning was set to appear but was stuck in traffic for 7 hours due to an accident. She did make a quick appearance at the end of the panel just to say sorry to the fans. The film deals with a group of young American ex-pats with telekinetic and clairvoyant powers that are on the run from the U.S. government. Next director Alex Proyas (“Dark City”) came out to talk about this next sci-fi film “Knowing,” starring Nicolas Cage. In the film, Cage’s teacher character finds a time capsule, which contains some scary predictions about the future. Proyas, known for his smart sci-fi, said that the film is based on science not psychic faux-science.

But the real reason people were on hand was for “Twilight,” based on Stephenie Meyer’s mega-selling book series. The fans, some of which waited outside since 1:30 pm Wednesday, screamed constantly as the cast stepped on stage. Featured on the panel, with Meyer and director Catherine Hardwicke, were Kristen Stewart (Bella), Robert Pattinson (Edward), Cam Gigandet (James), Edi Gathegi (Laurent), Rachelle Lefevre (Victoria) and Taylor Lautner (Jacob). The cast members could barely answer questions due to the roar of the crowd and the sheer force of the reception from the fans, which sent many of the male cast members into blushing embarrassment. Fans asked the handsome young cast questions such as their favorite scenes and whether they wore boxers or briefs. The reaction from the crowd was one of the most intense receptions I’ve ever seen at Comic-Con. One fan did ask whether it would beat “The Day the Earth Stood Still” at the box office and Robert said, “what do you guys think?” The scream from the crowd seemed to answer the box office potential.

Keanu comes to the Con.

Thursday at Comic-Con started out dramatically with the giant curtain lining the back wall of Hall H giving way and slowly descending to the ground. Luckily no one was hurt in the incident. This technical malfunction delayed the first panel by nearly 45 minutes. But it was worth the wait for the fans.

The first film previewed was “The Day the Earth Stood Still.” The panel included stars Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly, and director Scott Derrickson, helmer of “The Exorcism of Emily Rose.” The actors talked about how they dealt with their characters, with Reeves having his alien character learn to be human over the course of the film. In addition to an extended trailer, they showed two clips that showed Reeves’ Klaatu being interrogated and turning the scene on his interrogator. The other clips featured a bonding moment between Klaatu and Jaden Smith’s Jacob character.

Wahlberg, Kunis, Ludacris, and Moore.

Next the fans got two clips from the big screen adaptation of “Max Payne.” Coming on stage were stars Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, and Ludacris, along with director John Moore (2006’s “The Omen”). Along with the clip, the studio shared the trailer on the new improved HD screens in Hall H. Wahlberg said he actually read the script for the film before playing the game and was attracted to the role for the chance to kick ass again. With the cheers and hoots from the adoring fans, Wahlberg joked that he understands why the New Kids on the Block are getting back together.

Hugh Jackman makes a surprise visit.

Closing the first panel, the fans got a surprise with the appearance of Hugh Jackman aka Wolverine. Fans got the first look with a rough trailer for the film that debuts May 1, 2009. In the crowd was Wolverine creator Len Wein, who Jackman credited his career too. He was so excited to meet the creator he left the stage and entered the crowd to shake the man’s hand, bringing a roar from the crowd.

Rick DeMott reporting from the Comic-Con floor. The first Wednesday programming in Comic-Con history started with a jaw-dropping beginning, literally. Via a taped video introduction, exec producer J.J. Abrams treated the Comic-Con faithful with the world premiere of his new TV series, “Fringe.”

The new sci-fi series follows an investigation into the mysterious deaths of the passengers on an airplane. When one of her fellow agents is infected with the same disease as the passengers, special agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Trov) locates the institutionalized Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble) whose earlier work may lead to a cure. However, Bishop is restricted to family visits only, so Dunham tracks down his estranged son Peter (Joshua Jackson) and blackmails him into helping her. The series, which should fill a space in the hearts of “X-Files” fans, mixes the FBI with the supernatural. The 80-minute pilot successfully mixes action twists and turns with humor. The dynamic between Trov, Jackson and Noble is engaging and could provide for entertaining possibilities from week to week.

For the visual effects, the pilot features a gruesome opening sequence upon the plane that featured the literal jaw-dropping that I mentioned earlier. Some great visual effects were employed in making a translucent look to the infected’s skin.

The fans in the crowd seemed very receptive to the latest offering from the reigning king of action and sci-fi on TV, Mr. Abrams.

Now I’m off to the convention floor. If you’re planning on attending the Con, make sure to stop by the Digital or Not booth, #5022, on Thursday from 2-3 pm for the Bill Plympton signing. He’ll be signing his two films – “The Fan and the Flower” and “Eat” – that are featured in the Animation Show of Shows box sets, which will be on sale at the booth. Come by and say hi.

If you’re not able to make the Con, or if you just want to find out what you may have missed, keep checking back throughout the week for more on the floor updates from AWN.

This is AWN’s Rick DeMott reporting directly from Comic-Con in San Diego. Thanks to DreamWorks, free WiFi is available from the convention center, allowing us to bring quicker updates right from the panels to you our readers. Keep checking back throughout the week for the latest announcements and impressions from the Con.

Tonight we have the preview screening of J.J. Abrams’ new TV series “Fringe,” starring Joshua Jackson of “Dawson’s Creek” fame. The new series debuts on FOX Sept. 9th, and Comic-Con attendees are getting the first public look at the new sci-fi series, which follows the strange investigations of a FBI special agent, a mad genius, and the genius’ estranged son.

Check back at around 7:30 pm for impressions of this new series.

Iron Man crew waves to the crowd.

For the first time, Marvel Studios took over Hall H, celebrating its first two independent productions The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man. Director Louis Leterrier, producers Ari Arad, Kevin Feige and Gale Anne Hurd and stars Edward Norton and Liv Tyler. Norton announced that he helped write the screenplay for the film and that one of the reasons he was attracted to the role because advanced motion capture technology will allow him to play not just Bruce Banner, but the Hulk as well. Norton said that he was a big fan of the comic as a kid and was unsure how his friends would react when he told them he was doing the film. However, what he found was that many of them were very excited, because they grew up on the TV series, starring Bill Bixby. Because it was so early in the production, they was no footage to show, but Hurd did show a conceptual illustration of the Hulk, which will be created by Rhythm & Hues.

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Last year Dark Horse celebrated its twentieth anniversary of publishing original graphic works by some of the world’s greatest creators. Next year, Dark Horse celebrates their twentieth anniversary of publishing manga in English. This year, at San Diego Comic-Con Dark Horse is proud to announce that these two commitments held for so long have come together. Dark Horse will have the honor of publishing a new original manga created by Satsuki Igarashi, Mokona, Tsubaki Nekoi and Ageha Ohkawa.—the manga-ka all-female supergroup known to their millions of fans worldwide as CLAMP. These four brilliant writers and artists work together to produce award-winning, best-selling manga, including RG VEDA, X, Chobits, Tsubasa, and xxxHOLiC.

CLAMP’s original manga with Dark Horse will be launched simultaneously in the United States, Japan, and Korea. The story will come out in a small digest consisting of about eighty pages each, which will then be collected into trade paperbacks with bonus material. CLAMP and Dark Horse are coining the bilingual term Mangettes to describe this innovative new format for manga distribution. This digest format, or Mangette, signifies CLAMP’s personal wish to reach their large international readership by now speaking to them directly as artists through Dark Horse, and on a basis of equality with their Japanese fans.

CLAMP and Dark Horse chose the term Mangettes to describe this revolutionary format, whose Japanese pronunciation, mangetsu, means “the full moon.” The two kanji in mangetsu also have the individual meanings of “fulfilled” and “monthly,” reflecting what will be a monthly appearance of each CLAMP Mangette.

According to CLAMP, “Mangettes are a completely brand new experience for us, too, and we’re really happy to be working on this. And we’re really looking forward to the day when we can bring you this new story from CLAMP, and the day when we can meet our fans face-to-face to hear what you think about Mangettes!”

“Dark Horse has made original comics for over twenty years; our editors have seen the hard work of individual Japanese creators in every manga we’ve ever brought over. Now we’re going to work just as hard to meet the trust CLAMP has placed in Dark Horse to publish their original work,” explains Mike Richardson, president and founder of Dark Horse. “Thanks to CLAMP, Dark Horse is today a manga publisher in a complete sense. After two decades of experience in adapting licensed editions of manga released previously by Japanese publishers, we will now become the original publisher of CLAMP, creators at the top of the manga world.”

Soon to come, details on CLAMP’s exciting new story.

Shannon Muir, Stephanie Graziano, Greg Weisman, Tad Stones (image courtesy Kevin Paul Shaw Broden using my camera)

I had the pleasurable experience of moderating a panel at Comic-Con called the ANIMATION PRODUCTION PROCESS.  The panelists with me were Greg Weisman (THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN, GARGOYLES), Tad Stones (HELLBOY: SWORD OF STORMS, DARKWING DUCK) and Stephanie Graziano (THE TICK, X-MEN: THE ANIMATED SERIES). Greg, Tad, and Stephanie made my job really easy as they were willing to speak at length on the four questions presented to them.

The first of the four questions involved what makes a good producer.  First we broke down for the audience how there are different flavors of producers, from the business to the creative kind, and made it clear all the guests came from a creative producer background.

 Next I posed a question to them about their experiences in the pre-production process.  Pretty soon, my original next two questions started getting wrapped up in the response and we ended up making comparisons between development, pre-production, production, and post-production… which actually knocked out all the rest of my preplanned questions quickly. 

I’m still getting practice public speaking and nervous enough that I’m not always the quickest on my feet, so I had to come up with another question fast.  So I asked them to talk about what they felt their greatest challenge as producers had been.  The production schedule itself was agreed upon to be the biggest hurdle to be faced.

Finally, we came down to the last 10 minutes for Q&A. Just the right length of time, we got in everyone’s questions and practically across the board it was real quality stuff.

Overall, an afternoon I enjoyed and I’d love to do it again sometime.

Shannon

The new costume design for Prince Caspian unraveled for the fans.

Saturday at the Con was the fullest day of the event. Disney panel came at the midday point and was one of the best of the show, especially for new information. The panel begun with The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Weta’s Richard Taylor moderated the panel, which included producer Mark Johnson, costume designer Isis Mussenden, creature supervisor Howard Berger and visual effects supervisor Dean Wright. Director Andrew Adamson addressed the audience via satellite from Prague with Prince Caspian, himself, Ben Barnes. Adamson shared with the audience the first footage ever shown to anyone outside the production. The production is a larger scale than the original, featuring more battles and more variation in the creatures. Adamson also shared previz footage of one of the battle sequence that features griffins carrying the children into battle at a castle. Berger treated the audience with an animatronic creature head and Mussenden showed off an example of the new costumers for the film’s new warriors.

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Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane shared his love for Star Wars.

Friday was Star Wars day. Steve Sansweet, head of fan relations for the company, led the panel giving the fans a montage honoring the fans support. Sansweet was joined by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane to share scenes from the hour-long Star Wars episode of Family Guy, which will kick off the next season. I guess it’s an obvious choice to have Stewie play Darth Vader. Sansweet also shared with the audience a clip reel of some of the best satire of Star Wars over the years. After highlight LucasArts upcoming titles including the new Battlefront and LEGO titles as well as the latest game extension of the storyline, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Sansweet shared the trailer for Clone Wars, which debuted at Star Wars Celebration IV. They ended with behind the scenes footage of the fourth Indiana Jones, which featured Indy in his bowtie and Shia LaBeouf’s character with his leather jacket and bike. They also announced the creation of LEGO Indiana Jones, which will allow fans to play the adventures of the first three films.