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The Road to SDCC: Thursday Schedule

Comic-Con_logoThursday is the first big day of San Diego Comic-Con. Wednesday evening, Preview Night, was a cake walk and Thursday is when SDCC fires it’s engines in earnest. There are tons of panels, talent and exclusives flying around with even more news covering the mayhem. Come see what you can look forward to Thursday at SDCC 2012!

There are easily over a hundred panels and events going on Thursday, both inside and outside the convention. I won’t go over all of them, by the time I got done talking I’d need to catch my flight to San Diego and I’d still need to write about Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. For those that don’t know, MySched is an online app that I’ve found very useful to graphically organize panel schedules and be able to share them with interested persons.

Another great aspect of the app is that it tells you how many other people signed up for an event. That’s perfect for scouting events and measuring priorities. The disclaimer here is that obviously not all attendees are using this app so there could be hidden crowds to attend an event. So what I have for you today are the highlights, I went through MySched and selected the most popular events.

Here are the top pics for Thursday:

    1. Walt Disney Studios: Frankenweenie, Oz The Great and Powerful, and Wreck-it Ralph

      Thursday July 12, 2012  2:05pm –  3:05pm @ Hall H
        Walt Disney Studios hosts a Q&A panel featuring the imaginative director of Frankenweenie, Tim Burton (Alice in Wonderland); a special look at the world of Oz The Great and Powerful with director Sam Raimi (Spider-Man trilogy); and the illustrious voice cast of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Wreck-It Ralph, including John C. Reilly (Step Brothers) and Sarah Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program), and director Rich Moore (Futurama).

      No big surprise that Disney calls in the #1 slot at Hall H with over 1000 people interested in showing up. Most of the time movie media is a strong contender at the SDCC scene and Disney, along with other movie companies, come out in force. This year they are unveiling some of their Fall productions, the highlights being Frankenweenie, Wreck-It Ralph, and Oz The Great and Powerful. Tim Burton will be sure to draw in a lot of attendees.

    2. Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope

      Thursday July 12, 2012 8:30pm – 10:30pm @ Ballroom 20
      San Diego Comic-Con premiere screening of the ultimate fanboy documentary from executive producers Stan Lee, Joss Whedon, Harry Knowles, and Thomas Tull. Q&A to follow with director Morgan Spurlock (Warrior Poets) and special surprise guests.

      There has been a lot of buzz over this film. I saw the trailer and immediately felt that surge of excitement and urgency to get right back to SDCC. I haven’t seen the film yet myself, but I’ve been told it’s amazing. No wonder it rocked the charts with nearly 900 attendees.

    3. The Walking Dead

      Thursday July 12, 2012  3:45pm –  4:45pm @ Room 6A
        UPDATED: Fri, Jun 29, 08:27AM The bestselling, award-winning comic The Walking Dead has been a critical and commercial success — and its TV adaptation on AMC holds its own weight as a record-setting juggernaut. Join creator/writer Robert Kirkman and series artist Charlie Adlard for a rare sit-down, where they will discuss the past, present, and future of the decade’s most talked about zombie phenomenon. A Q&A will follow the conversation between the visionary collaborators.

      No big surprise here. It’s even perked up a bit by the fact that Charlie Adlard will be crossing close to a dozen time zones to talk at this event; so when they say, “rare sit-down,” they mean it. Not to mention, also it also has a Q&A session for the panel. Mind you it’s that feature in a panel, such as this, that makes attending even more enjoyable. The Walking Dead will expect just short of 850 attendees shambling in.

    4. Showtime: Dexter

      Thursday July 12, 2012  6:00pm –  7:15pm @ Ballroom 20
        The gasps from last season’s finale can still be heard among Dexter fans as their worst fears were realized, Dexter got caught and by none other than Deb! What will he do? What will she do? What’s next for America’s Favorite Serial Killer? If the suspense is killing you, don’t miss this incredible panel, where you’ll be the first to see the Comic-Con exclusive first two minutes of the season premiere. Moderator Ralph Garman (KROQ Entertainment reporter) presides over a revealing interview and Q&A session with the stars and executive producers of Dexter. Featured panelists include series star/executive producer Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Jennifer Carpenter (Deb), and special guest star Yvonne Strahovski (Hanna). Also appearing are executive producers John Goldwyn, Sara Colleton, Scott Buck, and Manny Coto. Plus Dexter fans will be the first to see the world premiere trailer of one of the hottest series on television, Homeland, presented by executive producers Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa. The new season of Dexter premieres September 30, at 9pm ET/PT only on Showtime.

      Dexter returns again and pulling strong numbers, weighing in at a hefty 800 attendees. This panel will be charged letting off of one of the series’s biggest cliffhangers, and then letting into a Q&A to let fans query the cast and crew of the now epic-sized serial killer drama. The best part? The first two minutes of the new season. The next time those two minutes will be seen (outside of YouTube) will be in late September. Also including an added bonus of a sneak peek at Homeland!

    5. The Expendables 2-Real American Heroes

      Thursday July 12, 2012  4:45pm –  5:45pm @ Hall H
      Sylvester Stallone and the legendary cast of the sequel to 2010’s smash hit film preview the real-deal muscles, weapons, skills, and explosions that went into making a film even bigger and badder than the original. Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, Jean Claude Van Damme, and Arnold Schwarzenegger will join the panel discussion.

      You know how when you saw the trailer for this film you saw so many action stars you swore? When I saw the guest list for this panel I swore, twice. This is also happening in Hall H… the land of mystery and adventure in SDCC. I wouldn’t be horribly surprised if Chuck Norris somehow infiltrated SDCC and then rushed the stage in a true Peter Jackson fashion, as Mr. Jackson did during Mr. Spielberg’s talk last year. Expendables hits the show at just shy of 800 attendees.

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