Friday is a big day for television in Hall H and Ballroom 20 and chances are you already know what programming is happening in those popular rooms (if you don’t, here is the schedule for Hall H and here is the schedule for Ballroom 20).
Beyond HBO, AMC, and the Psych movie, we’re bringing you some of the panel highlights for Friday that we think are interesting, informative, or innovative, with a few hidden gems tucked away in there. Take a look at our picks and tell us what you’re most looking forward to in the comments (and why it’s Game of Thrones)!
Hero Worship: Capes, Conflicts, and the Creative Process
10:00am – 11:00am @ Room 6DE
Frank Miller and Tony DiTerlizzi are absolute legends in the industry. This panel brings them together to talk about the heroes and anti-heroes of their work, their own inspirational heroes, how they feel about being inspirational to other artists, and their soon-to-open career retrospective installations at the Norman Rockwell Museum.
Intro to TV Writing: From First Draft to Getting Staffed
10:00am – 11:00am @ Room 4
Bring your burning television script questions for some of the biggest successful names in the industry, including Keto Shimizu (Legends of Tomorrow), Ryan Condal (Colony), Terry Matalas (12 Monkeys), and Sera Gamble (The Magicians), and Karen Horne (SVP, NBC’s Writers on the Verge Program). It’s sure to be a wealth of information for anyone looking to write for television.
Lucasfilm Publishing: New Star Wars Stories from A Galaxy Far, Far Away…
12:00pm – 1:00pm @ Room 7AB
Lucasfilm has gathered some of the bestselling and fan-favorite authors of Star Wars stories and brought them together for a fun-filled discussion with sneak peeks, surprise guests, and giveaways. Christian Blauvelt (Star Wars Made Easy), Cullen Bunn (Star Wars: Darth Maul), Christie Golden (Battlefront II: Inferno Squad), Claudia Gray (Leia: Princess of Alderaan), Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Star Wars Jedi Academy: The Force Oversleeps), Cavan Scott (Star Wars Adventures), Beth Revis (Star Wars: Rebel Rising), and Landry Walker (Star Wars Adventures) will all be in attendance.
Building a Geek Brand (and Getting Paid to Do It!)
12:00pm – 1:00pm @ Grand 1 & 2, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
San Diego Comic Con is one of the most inspiring places to hang out if you’re a geek. Join friend of the blog, Tony B Kim (Hero Within, Crazy 4 Comic Con), as he hosts panelists Chris Gore (Gemr, Film Threat, G4), Steve Aurajo (Nerd Fu), and Ani-Mia (professional cosplayer). Learn how to take your big ideas and inspiration and turn to that into a brand you can bring back to SDCC on a professional level one day!
Marvel: Secret Empire
12:30pm – 1:30pm @ Room 5AB
Chances are you’ve got an opinion on this event series from Marvel. Hear all about it right from the source with Mark Waid (Avengers), Humberto Ramos (Champions), and Matthew Rosenberg (Secret Warriors) along with and editors Nick Lowe and Alanna Smith.
Stan Lee and Friends: A Celebrity Tribute to the Comics Legend
12:30pm – 1:30pm @ Room 6DE
May we all be as active as Stan Lee when we reach his age. It’s an unwritten rule of conventions that you have to see Stan Lee at least once, right? Felicia Day, Adam Savage, and Lee’s manager, Max Anderson, are just bonuses to hearing about the one-of-a-kind life that Stan Lee’s lived throughout his career. Plus, see footage from premiere footage from Icons: Face to Face, a cutting-edge VR project featuring Stan and Kevin Smith, coming soon from Legion M, the world’s first fan-owned media company.
Hollywood Location Scouts
1:00pm – 2:00pm @ Room 9
Have you ever recognized one city skyline being passed off as another? Do you still marvel at the Game of Thrones sets or one day hope to visit Middle Earth in New Zealand? This panel highlights location scouts, whose job it is to find these fantastical places in our world. Join them as they discuss the creative and logistical aspects of their jobs, relate some exciting anecdotes, and answer audience questions.
Selling the Hit – What You Always Wanted To Know About The Stunt Industry
1:00pm – 2:05pm @ Marriott Grand Ballroom 3 & 4
A good mix of stuntmen and stuntwomen have gathered to discuss their experiences and offer advice in getting into and navigating the stunt industry in movies and TV, as well as how the industry has changed and is changing. It’s nice to see this mix of genders lending their voice to an under-appreciated aspect of the industry.
Causeplay: It’s So Much Bigger
2:00pm – 3:00pm @ Grand 1 & 2, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
Do you cosplay? Do you want to start? Would you like ideas on how to use your cosplay to help better your community? This panel is for you! Join panelists as they chat about how costumers volunteer for their communities through their hobby and the service organizations that receive help. Hear about what they’ve already done and how to become involved yourself!
Hollywood’s Illustrators: Craft, Pop-Culture, and Careers
2:00pm – 3:00pm @ Room 9
Another interesting panel highlighting some of the unsung behind-the-scenes work that goes into our favorite Hollywood blockbusters. Join panelists who have worked on films such as Captain America: Civil War, Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Trek Beyond and more as they discuss their work with pre-visualization—concept art, storyboards, and much more created by motion picture illustrators.
The Science of Star Wars
2:00pm – 3:00pm @ Room 7AB
Do you want to win your next pedantic argument about what is and is not possible in the Star Wars universe? Join panelists Kim Steadman (engineer, NASA-JPL), Kieran Dickson (editor, CometTV.com, MGM Studios), Fon Davis (Star Wars production designer), Travis Langley (editor, Star Wars Psychology), Steve Huff(fight choreographer and weapons expert), Eliot Sirota (VFX expert), and host Jenna Busch (creator, Legion of Leia) as they explore the science behind the franchise. There will be giveaways!
Best of Earwolf
4:00pm – 5:00pm @ Neil Morgan Auditorium, San Diego Central Library
You probably listen to at least one Earwolf podcast (Welcome to the Magic Tavern!) and now you can learn about the start of the company, the network success, and hear some behind-the-scenes stories from founder Scott Aukerman and Paul Scheer (How Did This Get Made?).
Into the Past: History and Comics
4:30pm – 5:30pm @ Room 26AB
Join panelists for a dynamic discussion of the processes involved in creating characters that give a peek into the past and use politics and history to create nuanced sequential stories. This is the panel for history nerds ready to take a deep dive into historical fiction and nonfiction in comics.
Adobe Photoshop with Creative Insights from Pros and Members of the Photoshop Team
6:00pm – 7:00pm @ Room 11
Learn secrets, techniques, and best practices from the software company themselves alongside master manipulators of Photoshop. There’s no better time than San Diego Comic Con to discover a new hobby, profession, or interest like photoshop!
Sharknado 5!
6:45pm – 7:45pm @ Room 6DE
Yes, we have made it to five Sharknado movies and they’re no strangers to SDCC! Alongside this panel with series stars, Sharknado always has plenty of branding floating around the Gaslamp. Hear the latest ridiculousness planned for the newest movie in the franchise right from the cast and crew who have been there from the beginning.
Star Wars’ Dysfunctional Skywalker Family
7:00pm – 8:00pm @ Room 7AB
For speculation on what’s next with Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, as well as a fun yet serious look at how poor parenting choices in the Skywalker family led to a galaxy far, far away thrown into chaos, head to this panel. From Darth Vader to Han Solo, listen to panelists argue that the greatest threat to the galaxy is poor parenting!
Cards Against Humanity
7:15pm – 8:15pm @ Room 6A
Finding new asinine and creative ways to waste time, the Cards Against Humanity crew is infamous for their hilarious stunts. At San Diego Comic Con, the Cards Against Humanity writers’ room will improvise scenes based on rounds of the game played live on stage. Audience members can suggest their own black cards (and be mocked for terrible suggestions).
An Hour with Adam Savage
7:30pm – 8:30pm @ Room 5AB
If you don’t recognize him on the floor of the Exhibit Hall, you won’t be the only one! Join Adam Savage and surprise guests as he talks about his latest elaborate cosplay build and his past, present, and future in the entertainment industry (even Mythbusters!).
SYFY Presents the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards
8:00pm – 10:30pm @ Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
There will be plenty to celebrate and tons of celebrity presenters are the 29th annual Eisner Awards (the “Oscars” of the comics industry) to honor comics creators and works in 30 categories. Come cheer on your favorites at the Hilton Bayfront and watch the biggest awards show in the comics industry live!
Tabletop Roleplaying Games in the Digital Era
8:30pm – 9:30pm @ Room 8
As technology evolves, so does geekery. Join Roll20 in a discussion of the RPG industry and its impact on pop culture, how famous games like Dungeons & Dragons have migrated to online play spaces, and what might be next for tabletop gaming.
Don’t have a Friday badge or looking for things to fill out your schedule? Check the offsites calendar from the SDCC Unofficial Blog! Some Friday-specific highlights outside the convention center include a Vikings funeral through the Gaslamp, a Game of Thrones Charity SDCC Pub Crawl, the MTV Fandom Fest, The Black Girl Nerds of Color Meet-up with Racialicious, and The Adventure Zone.
If you were lucky enough to get tickets to Funko Fundays, we’ll just be over here crying with jealousy.
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