Friday, Feb 10 | Saturday, Feb 11 | Sunday, Feb 12 Map of Programming Room Locations

10:30-11:00 Focus Features Presents Brick— Get on the “in” and meet Joseph Gordon-Levitt the star of Brick and catch a sneak peak of the film. Winner of the Sundance Film Festival’s Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision, Brick takes its cues and its verbal style from the novels of Dashiell Hammett, also honoring the rich cinematic tradition of the hard-boiled noir mystery, here wittily and bracingly immersed in fresh territory—a modern-day Southern California neighborhood and high school. For more info visit www.brickmovie.net. Room 2000

10:30-11:30 Spotlight on Frank Cho— One of the most popular artists working in comics today, Frank Cho sits down with Image Comics’s PR & marketing coordinator Jim Demonakos to talk about his work, including Liberty Meadows, Shanna, Spider-Man. and what’s next for this fan-favorite artist. Room 2014

10:30-11:30 Peter David, Gahan Wilson, Mark Cotta Vaz— Three writers. What do they have in common? Work in genre fiction and nonfiction books! Peter David’s noncomics work includes popular fantasy novels, such as Sir Apropos of Nothing, and movie adaptations of Spider-Man 2 and Fantastic Four, plus numerous novels set in the Star Trek universe. Noted cartoonist Gahan Wilson also writes genre books, such as his two peculiar mystery novels, Eddy Deco’s Last Caper and Everybody’s Favorite Duck, and has a great love of all things science fiction and fantasy-oriented. And Mark Cotta Vaz has a treasure trove of pop culture–related books on his resume, including the recent biography of Merian C. Cooper, the creator of King Kong, and behind-the-scenes books on movies and TV shows such as Spider-Man 2, Batman Begins, Alias, and Lost, just to name a few. Alan Beatts of Borderlands Books interviews the three authors. Room 2018

10:30-11:30 How to Create A Video Game— Ever wonder what it takes to turn a great idea into a genuine video game? Foundation 9, the largest independent games developer in North America, shows you the ropes by walking you through the development of their original title, Death Jr., for the PSP. Discover the humble origins of Death Jr. before it blossomed into the critically acclaimed video game with its own comic book series and clothing line. Taking you through this macabre journey are those closest to Death Jr’s heart (or scythe): Mike Mika, studio head, Backbone Emeryville; Chris Charla, executive producer of development, Foundation 9; and Gary Whitta, Reaper. Room 2020

10:30-12:00 Costuming for Conventions— Ever wonder how to make those cool costumes that you see the fans wearing at conventions? Well here’s your chance to find out, with tips and advice from those very same fans. You’ll hear how to create costumes from simple to extravagant, from novice to professional, and with every budget in mind. See examples and procedures on sewing, vacuum forming, mold making, fiberglass, metalwork, working with off-the-shelf items, and more. Panel members include Brian Schaubmeyer, Jon Jones, AJ WU, Karen Katich, and Tami Ashford. Room 2022

11:00-12:30 20th Century Fox/Fox Searchlight Presents— Fox Searchlight presents, from deep within the brilliant imagination of film master Wes Craven (the Scream trilogy, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Red Eye), a reinterpretation of his 1977 cult classic The Hills Have Eyes, coming out March 6. With Craven in a producing role, the cutting-edge filmmakers behind Haute Tension, Alexandre Aja (as director/writer) and Gregory Levasseur (as writer), have refashioned Craven’s chilling story so that it may terrify yet another generation of filmgoers. Craven is joined by stars Aaron Stanford and Vinessa Shaw. Plus a special look at the acclaimed Russian horror film, Night Watch, debuting Feb. 17!  

20th Century Fox presents an exclusive look at some of the studio’s biggest pictures for 2006. Fear the day—6/6/06 (666!)—when The Omen takes over theaters across the country. A remake of the 1976 classic, the new film takes the tale of the coming of the Antichrist, personified by a young boy named Damien, to an even more thrilling and visceral level. Director John Moore will screen specially prepared footage.

From Marcus Nispel, the director of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, comes Pathfinder, starring Karl Urban in a rare combination of myth of adventure, grounded in a provocative moment, over a thousand years ago, of untold American history. Urban portrays a young warrior (Viking by birth but raised by American Indians) who wages a one-man war against the Vikings’ trail of death and destruction against his adopted people. Nispel will introduce footage prepared especially for WonderCon. Room 2000

11:30-1:00 DCU 2006: The Best is Yet to Come— Dan DiDio, senior VP/executive editor, DCU, and Bob Wayne, VP-sales, are joined by Howard Chaykin (Hawkgirl), Grant Morrison (Seven Soldiers), Greg Rucka (Wonder Woman, Supergirl), Mark Waid (Legion of Super-Heroes), and Mathew Clark (Outsiders) for a panel that’s not to be missed. Catch up on the secrets of 52, the outcome of Infinite Crisis, who’s who one year later, and more! Room 2014

11:30-12:30 Spotlight on Eric Powell—Hey, you! The Goon here! Come hear my creator (he makes me call him that) talk about me and all the other cool stuff he’s doing for Dark Horse and more. Even I don’t know what Eric Powell is gonna do next, but he won me an Eisner Award or two, so I ain’t complainin’. Be there! Don’t make me come lookin’ for ya! Room 2018

11:30-12:30 Boldly Going: The Making of the Free Enterprise Special Edition— Anchor Bay releases a new extended version of Free Enterprise on March 7 with all-new special effects and never-before-seen scenes. Now you can go behind the scenes of this modern cult classic with filmmakers Robert Meyer Burnett and Mark A. Altman, who share their odyssey of bringing the film to the screen while showing exclusive previews of this highly anticipated DVD along with sharing exclusive anecdotes about making the film and working with the man, the myth, the legend, our captain and yours: William Shatner. Room 2020

12:00-1:00 National Cartoonists Society/NC Presents: Redrawing the Boundaries : A Look at the Future of Cartooning— Members of the Northern California chapter of the National Cartoonists Society take a look at the current state, and possible future, of such fields as comic strips, animation, video games and comic books. Panelists include Michael Jantze (The Norm), Norm Felchle (American McGee’s Alice), and Jeff Pidgeon (Pixar). Room 2022

12:30-1:15 Paramount Pictures Presents: J. J Abrams/M:i:III— J. J. Abrams, the writer/director of Mission:Impossible III (and the creator of Lost and Alias) makes a rare personal appearance to give us a hint of what he has in store for the movie. J. J. is excited to be joining the fans, showing some exclusive footage from the film, and answering your questions. M:i:III stars Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Laurence Fishburne, Billy Crudup, Michelle Monaghan, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Keri Russell, Maggie Q, and Simon Pegg (yes, our very own Shaun of the Dead). M:i:III will be released May 5, 2006. Room 2000

12:30-1:30 Spotlight on Erik Larsen— From Spider-Man to his own creation Savage Dragon, Erik Larsen has consistently thrilled superhero fans with his comics work. Now he’s the publisher of Image Comics, while continuing to tell his tales of the Dragon! Room 2018

12:30-1:30 Comic Book Heaven LIVE—Scott Saavedra offers his fourth brand-new trip down “What-the-Heck-Were-They-Thinking?” Comic Book Memory Lane. It’s the same affectionate, mad celebration of purple prose, red-blooded heroes, and yellowing newsprint seen in Scott’s magazine Comic Book Heaven (Slave Labor Graphics) and blog (www.comicbookheaven.net), only bigger, better, and in a Room full of strangers. Room 2020

1:00-2:30 Secrets of Horror Hosting: TV’s Coolest Ghouls Reveal All!— Discover closely guarded secrets that other horror hosts don’t want you to know! See rare clips of the great masters and mistresses of the macabre. Legendary San Francisco Bay Area horror hosts Bob Wilkins and John Stanley are joined by current hosts Mr. Lobo from KTEH Channel 54’s Cinema Insomnia, and Doktor Goulfinger, one of the country’s leading experts on TV horror movie hosts, to reveal all. Members of the audience will have a chance to become a real horror movie presenter in this exciting workshop! Choose your horror host name. Work from a professional TV script in front of a camera and learn to ad lib wisecracks. After trying all the terrifying tips, the audiences will beg you to go back to showing the movie! A must for monsterkids and the kids of monsterkids! Room 2014

1:00-2:00 ComicBase User Group Meeting— Attention all comic collectors! ComicBase, the world’s #1 program for managing comic collections, will be on site to host a ComicBase User Group meeting. Be there to meet ComicBase creator Pete Bickford, who will be revealing the new ComicBase 10 Giant-Size, sharing hidden tips and tricks, and answering all of your questions. There will also be prize giveaways, as well as a special, top-secret preview, which no collector should miss! Room 2022

1:15-2:45 Spotlight on Kevin Smith— Heee’s back! Returning to WonderCon after a standing-room-only appearance last year, Kevin Smith promises another of his stellar Q&A sessions. Plus, this is the year of Clerks 2: The Passion of the Clerks! Room 2000

1:30-2:30 Dark Horse Comics Q&A— Dark Horse representatives will be on hand to answer your questions about upcoming plans for the company’s 20th anniversary year, as well as to give you a little deeper insight into the titles you love: Hellboy, Star Wars, Conan, DH’s line of Japanese manga, and more! Room 2020

1:30-3:00 Animation Writing: Getting In and Staying In— When it comes to the animation industry and your own ambitions, you may ask yourself: How do I get started? And once I get started, how do I keep doing it? What spec scripts should I be writing? How do I get a producer to read my material? How do I get an agent? Our panel of animation industry experts will answer these questions and many more. Scheduled to appear: Mark Evanier, Paul Dini, Alan Burnett, Adam Beechen, and moderator Stan Berkowitz. Room 2018

2:00-5:00 Sacramento and San Francisco Browncoats Meetup— Join the Sacramento and San Francisco Browncoats for a showing of panels recorded in December at the first U.S. Firefly/Serenity convention, The Big Damn Flanvention. These home-recorded panels include the cast of Firefly/Serenity: Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Alan Tudyk, Sean Maher, Ron Glass, Jewel Staite, Morena Baccarin, and Summer Glau. If you need something to keep you busy while enjoying the frivolity, Chinese checkers will be on hand to test your skill. Room 2022

2:30-3:30 Spotlight on Grant Morrison— He’s one of the most imaginative writers in comics, and he’s the go-to guy for jump-starting heroes, concepts, and franchises that need that extra oomph. Grant Morrison’s work on X-Men, JLA, The Invisibles, and now All Star Superman and Seven Soldiers, has breathed new life into comics. Room 2014

2:30-3:30 Cartoon Art Museum presents “Gross, Gruesome and Gothic”— San Francisco’s Cartoon Art Museum (located at 655 Mission Street, just two blocks from WonderCon) presents a gathering of five amazing artists currently featured in its horror comics exhibition “Gross, Gruesome and Gothic.” You can expect Chris Bachalo (Sandman, Death), Batton Lash (Supernatural Law), Bill Morrison (Bart Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror), Eric Powell (The Goon), and legendary cartoonist Gahan Wilson (Playboy, National Lampoon) to discuss horror, humor, and other things that go bump in the night. Room 2020

2:45-3:30 Pixar’s 20th Anniversary Tribute/Cars Preview— Join the fun and excitement in celebrating 20 years of groundbreaking computer-animation and inspired storytelling with this tribute to Pixar Animation Studios. From their acclaimed and award-winning CG shorts to their groundbreaking animated features, Pixar has set the standard for the medium and provided great entertainment to moviegoers all over the world. Special guests, rare footage, and some exclusive footage from their latest film, Cars, makes this a must-see program. Room 2000

3:00-4:00 Spotlight on Terry Moore— It’s true. In 2007, with issue #90, Strangers in Paradise comes to an end. Terry Moore has just started in on the final story arc in this incredible self-published series, which combines humor, vivid characterization, suspense, action and the best-drawn hair in comics. Only Terry knows what happens next. Maybe he’ll tell you. Room 2018

3:30-4:00 TriStar Presents Silent Hill— Deborah Kara Unger (White Noise, Crash)presents a special look inside Silent Hill! The eerie and deserted town of Silent Hill draws a young mother desperate to find a cure for her only child’s illness. Unable to accept the doctor’s diagnosis that her daughter should be permanently institutionalized for psychiatric care, Rose (Radha Mitchell) flees with her child, heading for the abandoned town in search of answers and ignoring the protests of her husband It’s clear this place is unlike anywhere she’s ever been. It’s smothered by fog, inhabited by a variety of strange beings, and periodically overcome by a living Darkness that literally transforms everything it touches. As Rose searches for her little girl, she begins to learn the history of the strange town and realizes that her daughter is just a pawn in a larger game. Directed by Christophe Gans (Brotherhood of the Wolf). Room 2000

3:30-5:00 A Quick Draw Special Event: Louder Than Words— WonderCon special guests Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier are back with a new spin: Evanier will interview the world’s fastest cartoonist, who will respond in drawings! That’s right: come see the first ever cartoon interview in which our hero, the incredible Sergio, draws responses to all the questions put forth! Think you’ve seen it all at comics conventions? Try this one on for size, bub! Room 2014

3:30-4:30 Charles M. Schulz Museum presents The Girls of Peanuts— Be treated to a visual investigation of Charles Schulz’s portrayals of his central female characters. Moderator Paige Braddock (Jane’s World) talks with guest curator Stephan Pastis (Pearls Before Swine) and Gina Huntsinger, marketing director, Charles M Schulz Museum. This slide presentation and talk will explore the personalities of Patty, Violet, Lucy, Sally, Peppermint Patty, and Marcie from the comic strips of the 1950s through the 1990s. Room 2020

4:00-5:00 Spotlight on Peter David— He’s the self-proclaimed “writer of stuff”—and what glorious stuff it is! Peter David’s work includes runs on Incredible Hulk, Supergirl, Spyboy, and his fan-favorite Fallen Angel, now published by IDW. His two new marvel books, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and X-Factor, were certified hits right out of the gate. Add to that already-impressive list his numerous Star Trek and fantasy novels and his many movie adaptations...but we digress. Peter talks about all these projects and more in this special guest spotlight (spot light not included). Room 2018

4:00-5:30 Warner Bros. Presents Superman Returns— Following a mysterious absence of several years, the Man of Steel comes back to Earth in the epic action-adventure Superman Returns, a soaring new chapter in the saga of one of the world’s most beloved superheroes. While an old enemy plots to render him powerless once and for all, Superman faces the heartbreaking realization that the woman he loves, Lois Lane, has moved on with her life. Or has she? Directed by Bryan Singer (X2: X-Men United, X-Men, The Usual Suspects), Superman Returns stars newcomer Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth (Beyond the Sea, Blue Crush), James Marsden (X2: X-Men United, The Notebook), and Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey (Beyond the Sea, American Beauty, The Usual Suspects). Longtime comics fan Bryan Singer will be present to answer your questions and with a surprise to show. Room 2000

4:30-6:00 Scott Shaw! Presents Oddball Comics— Direct from his live stage show at Hollywood’s ACME Comedy Theater, award-winning cartoonist Scott Shaw! (Simpsons Comics, Weird Tales of the Ramones, Captain Carrot And His Amazing Zoo Crew!, The Flintstones, etc.) presents an all-new version of Oddball Comics, an even bigger and better presentation of “the craziest comic books ever published” than he hosted at last year’s WonderCon! You won’t believe your eyes when you see such real (and really weird) funnybooks as Ricky and Debbie in Sardineland, Sidewalk Romance, All-Negro Comics, Space Western, and It’s Fun to Stay Alive . . . plus, learn all about those infamous “fish-in-the-face” and “crotch-centric” covers! See why Stan Lee says, “Scott Shaw’s hysterically hilarious Oddball Comicsis the wildest, wackiest exposé of some of the craziest comic books I’ve ever seen!” Room 2020

5:00-6:00 Spotlight on Mark Waid— If there was ever a writer who understood the fans’ love of superheroes, it’s Mark Waid. From a memorable run on the Flash to his redefining of Superman in Birthright and his rebirth of the Legion of Super-heroes, Waid takes those guys with capes to a whole new level. Room 2018

5:00-6:00 Memory Lane with Noel Neill— To many of us, Noel Neill will always be the Lois Lane. The popular Adventures of Superman TV series, starring George Reeves, Jack Larson, and of course, Noel, is being released season by season by Warner Home Video. Noel joins comics writer and pop culture historian Mark Evanier on a trip down Memory Lane to reminisce about her many years as the living personification of the first lady of comics. Room 2022

5:30-6:30 Star Wars Saga: There’s More to Come! with Steve Sansweet— Steve Sansweet, head of fan relations at Lucasfilm, will share what’s on the horizon from the talented crews at Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Lucas Animation, and Industrial Light & Magic. Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith, the biggest box office film of 2005, may already be out on DVD, but the saga is far from over. Letterman Digital Arts Center, the new location of Lucasfilm Ltd., is in San Francisco’s Presidio, and it’s home to the next generation of creative minds in entertainment. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to hear what’s next. Room 2000

5:30-7:00 World Premiere! Ultimate Avengers DVD— From the pages of The Ultimates, Marvel’s mightiest heroes come to life in their first animated film from Marvel Animated Features and Lions Gate. The DVD doesn’t come out until February 21, but you can be the first to see the world premiere of this animated movie in its entirety, only at WonderCon! Plus, dress up as your favorite Ultimates or Avengers hero and have the opportunity to be one of the first to own the DVD before it’s released. The top 25 costumes will receive a free advance copy at the screening. Marvel VP of animation and X-23 creator Craig Kyle will be on hand to introduce the screening and select the costume contest winners. Room 2014

6:00-7:00 Spotlight on Greg Rucka— His writing straddles the worlds of comic books and spy and crime fiction. Greg Rucka is best known for his DC comics work, including stints on the big three, Superman, Batman. and Wonder Woman, but his creation Queen and Country features ripped from the headlines stories in both its Oni Press comic book series and Greg’s novels of the adventures of Tara Chace, A Gentleman’s Game and Private Wars. Room 2018

6:00-7:00 20 Years of Wonder: WonderCon’s 20th Anniversary— Join former WonderCon honchos Mike Friedrich (Star*Reach), Joe Field (Flying Colors Comics), and moderator Bryan Uhlenbrock, along with current WonderCon director of publicity and marketing David Glanzer, as they take a look back at 20 years of stories and WonderCon’s wild history as the Bay Area’s premiere popular arts convention. It’s the “Wonderful World of Comics,” it’s the show that “Preserves a Sense of Wonder,” it’s the “Nexus of All That’s Cool”—it’s still WonderCon! Bring your favorite WonderCon reminiscences! Room 2020

Saturday Night

7:30-9:30 The Second Annual WonderCon Masquerade— Click here for more information. Room 3003 (on the third level of Moscone West)

9:30-11:00 Time Approximate—After the Masquerade in Room 2014

Star Wars Fan Films: Dark Side or Light?— How do you take your fan films? Join Lucasfilm for a friendly competition between “Dark Side” and “Light Side” Star Wars fan films. All the short movies in the late-night presentation are selected from the best finalists in Lucasfilm and AtomFilms’s Star Wars fan competition. Now in its fifth year, the competition recognizes outstanding achievements in fan films, with the top prize each year chosen by Star Wars writer/director George Lucas. Show your support for the Light Side of the Force or the Dark! Those on the winning side will take home a Star Wars souvenir of the evening. Here are the competing films:

Representing the Light Side of Fan Films

Anakin Dynamite. Vote for Palpatine! Wayne Barnes parodies the mad skills of Napoleon Dynamite. (2005 Best Crossover Spoof)

Boba. Can a Star Wars fan find love and keep his fandom? (Mark Rusciano; 2005 Spirit of Fandom Award)

Carbonite Confusion. Han Solo meets Dr. Jones. What movie universe is this anyway? (Ryan Simmons; 2004 Best Crossover Spoof)

Christmas Tauntauns. A lyrical, Light Side favorite since 2002. (Matt Bagshaw; 2002 George Lucas Selects Award)

For Love of the Film. For Star Wars fans, all is not lost when the film reel breaks. (Barry Curtis; 2005 George Lucas Selects Award)

One Season More. What could be more Light Side than Luke Skywalker breaking into spontaneous song? (Timothy Edward Smith; 2005 Best Song Award)

Pink Five. “Like, the Light Side is totally awesome, little robot guy.” (Trey Stokes; 2003 George Lucas Selects Award)

Representing the Dark Side of Fan Films

8 Minutes. Can a fan fall to the Dark Side in only 8 minutes? (Wendy Woody; 2004 Spirit of Fandom Award)

Dark Side Switch Campaign. Which would you rather do? Listen to your Jedi Master nag, or shoot lightening from your fingers? The choice is simple! (Daniel Johnson; 2003 Best Commercial Parody)

Jar Jar’s Walking Papers. The Gungan gets his pink slip from the maker at a local bar. (Joe Fournier; 2002 Best Animation)

Star Wars: Elements. The garbage chute monster sings the periodic chart. No kidding. (Robert Bunch; 2005 Best Original Concept)

Silent But Deadly 2. The Emperor’s Finest battle line rage gone wild. (Jeff Cioletti and Lou Tambone; 2003 Spirit of Fandom Award)

Star Wars Gangsta’ Rap Special Edition. The classic Dark Side rap from Vader and his posse. (Jason Brannon, Chris Crawford, and Thomas Lee; 2002 Audience Choice Award)

Trooper Clerks. Underpaid and over-tattooed purveyors of death at the Death Star Quick Stop. (Jeff Allen; 2003 Best Animation Award)