WonderCon 2008 :: Programming Schedule for Friday, February 22

Important note about programs and events at WonderCon:
All event and program rooms have limited capacity as set by the Fire Marshall. Even though your badge is needed to get into all events, it does not guarantee you access to any event if it has reached its capacity. We do not clear rooms between events. Most autograph signings are of a limited nature. Your badge does not guarantee autographs at any signing event.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22

1:00-2:00 Spotlight on Bill Willingham— Popular writer/artist and WonderCon special guest Bill Willingham talks about his comics work on titles such as Fables, Jack of Fables, and the DC Universe mini-series, Salvation Run. Audience Q&A also featured. Room 204/206
Categories: Comic Books | Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances

1:00-2:00 Free Comic Book Day & You!— Free Comic Book Day is coming up again on May 3, 2008. So what's on tap for the 7th annual event, and how can fans and pros alike make the event even better? Join FCBD founder Joe Field (Flying Colors Comics, Concord CA) to get prepared for the only day of the year that's pretty much a holiday for comic books! Room 232/234
Categories: Comic Books | Retailer Programming

1:00-2:00 Comic Arts Conference Session 1: Comics & Education— Jeff Kahan (Caped Crusaders 101: Composition through Comic Books) and David Baldizon (The School of Arts and Enterprise) explain how comic book production and analysis can be used in an educational setting to enhance literacy and social-political awareness. Room 228/230
Categories: Comic Arts Conference | Comic Books

1:30-3:00 Battlestar Galactica: Past, Present, and Future— Actor Richard Hatch (Tom Zarek, Capt Apollo) celebrates and discusses 30 years of Battlestar Galactica in this extended Q&A forum with special trailers. Room 220
Categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy | Television

2:00-3:00 Spotlight on Astro City: Kurt Busiek & Brent Anderson— Join writer Kurt Busiek and artist Brent Anderson for an informal chat about Astro City, past, present, and future, and get a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most award-winning creator-owned series of the last 15 years! Room 204/206
Categories: Comic Books | Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances

2:00-3:00 Spotlight on Becky Cloonan— One of the fastest-rising stars in comics, artist and WonderCon special guest Becky Cloonan talks about her work on titles such as American Virgin, DEMO, and East Coast Rising, in this spotlight and Q&A event. Room 232/234
Categories: Comic Books | Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances

2:00-3:30 Comic Arts Conference Session 2: Finding Truth in Comic Books— Steve Higgins (Lewis and Clark Community College) uses Chester Brown's metafictional story "Showing Helder" as a case study to examine the inaccuracies or embellishments that may creep into "true" autobiographical comics. Shawn O'Rourke (popmatters.com) analyzes how Alan Moore, via Promethea, creates a working philosophical framework that actually explains how all religions, including those with competing creation stories, can be true at the same time. Room 228/230
Categories: Comic Arts Conference | Comic Books

2:30-3:30 The Secret History of Manga in the U.S.— It's been thirty years since the first manga was translated in 1978. From MixxZine to Raijin, from Astro Boy to Tenjho Tenge, discover the bizarre secrets of translated manga in this visual time machine full of dreamers, censors, antiwar activists, and ninja. Lots of ninja. Narrated by Jason Thompson (WIRED, Manga: The Complete Guide). Room 236/238
Categories: Anime & Manga

3:00-4:00 Spotlight on Terry Dodson— The popular artist behind such books as Wonder Woman, Spider-Man/Black Cat, and Harley Quinn talks about comics and art with interviewer Aaron Lopresti. Terry Dodson is a first-time WonderCon special guest. Room 204/206
Categories: Comic Books | Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances

3:00-6:00 Lucas Licensing Portfolio Review— Troy Alders, art director at Lucas Licensing, will conduct portfolio reviews, provide critiques, and offer tips for aspiring artists. Bring in a portfolio selection of your best work and see if you have what it takes to create art for the ever-expanding Lucasfilm galaxy. Room 214
Categories: Art and Illustration

3:00-4:00 The Sergio and Mark Show— The popular duo of WonderCon special guests, Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier, return to let us know what's happening with Groo, coming off his 25th anniversary. Also their most recent collaboration, co-writing Will Eisner's The Spirit for DC Comics and their individual projects. Room 232/234
Categories: Comic Books | Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances

3:30-4:30 History of Superhero Movies— Comic books started out modestly 75 years ago, printed on pulp paper and appealing to a very young audience. Today, comics have become American mythology with a broad ranging readership, with legendary characters and stories that have transcended time and inspired generations of readers and artists in all different mediums. With movie companies now issuing bonds to finance the purchase of rights to characters, super-hero movies have become an international multi-billion dollar industry. Arie Kaplan and Eddy Friedfeld analyze the history of the comic book movie, from the innovative Fleischer animated Superman cartoons and the Columbia Batman and Superman serials of the 1940s to George Reeves and Christopher Reeve’s Men of Steel, to the modern collection of Keaton, Kilmer, Clooney and Bale Batmans, Superman Returns, the Spider-Man trilogy, Ghost Rider and the upcoming The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man. Room 236/238
Categories: Comic Books | Movies

3:30-5:00 Comic Arts Conference Sesion 3: Undiscovered Geniuses of the Comics— Robert N. O'Nale (Henderson State University) argues that Al Hartley, who left a powerful legacy of work with Archie Comics and Christian publishers such as Spire, should be remembered among the ranks of the greatest comics creators. Nick Langley (Henderson State University) discusses the collaboration, diversity of perspectives, and innovation through mutual appropriation that occurred in The Workday Comic, a student project inspired by Scott McCloud's 24-Hour Comics. Room 228/230
Categories: Comic Arts Conference | Comic Books

4:00-5:00 Spotlight on Darwyn Cooke— The Eisner Award winning writer/artist behind DC: The New Frontier talks about his comics work and the adaptation of his magnum opus to the animated screen. WonderCon special guest Darwyn Cooke just finished an amazing run telling new stories of Will Eisner's The Spirit for DC Comics. Scott Dunbier interviews Darwyn. Room 204/206
Categories: Animation | Comic Books | Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances

4:00-5:00 Writing with J. Michael Straczynski— The superstar scribe of comics, movies, and television talks about the writing process. J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5, The Twelve) will help answer your questions on the things that stump you most and the issues you may have with writing. Room 220
Categories: Comic Books | Movies | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances | Television

4:00-5:00 Spotlight on Noel Neill— She's celebrating her 60th anniversary as America's favorite super-hero sweetheart! Noel Neill first took on the role of ace reporter Lois Lane in the 1948 Superman serial from Columbia, and went on to present the definitive depiction of the character in the popular 1950s TV show, Adventures of Superman, with George Reeves. Mark Evanier interviews Ms. Neill about her life with the man in the cape and the rest of her amazing career! Room 232/234
Categories: Comic Books | Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances | Television

4:30-5:30 Tripwire— Join the editors and staff of Tripwire Magazine and Studio Space, Image's upcoming book on comic creators, as they discuss the future of genre media. There will be special industry guests and free door prizes to the first faithful few. Room 236/238
Categories: Comic Books

5:00-6:00 DC Nation!— The call goes out once more! Join Dan DiDio, senior VP—executive editor DCU, Bob Wayne, VP—sales, Mike Carlin, senior group editor—DCU, Jann Jones, senior coordinating editor—DCU, Bill Willingham (Salvation Run), Sergio Aragonés (Bat Lash), and others to catch a glimpse of what will be the most talked about events of the new year! Room 204/206
Categories: Comic Books | Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances

5:00-6:00 Spotlight on Terry Moore— Last year, he was wrapping up his fan-favorite comic, Strangers In Paradise. This year, Terry Moore introduces his new self-published book, Echo, and talks about his work for the Marvel titles Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane and Runaways. Room 220
Categories: Comic Books | Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances

5:00-6:00 Masquerade 101— An overview of costuming at fan conventions, discussing on-stage masquerade presentations as well as "hall costumes", including growth and style differences at various conventions; design, fabrication, and tips, what mistakes to avoid, how to make an impact on stage or just walking around, what goes on behind the scenes, and how to have a lot of fun with this living art form. Panelists will include WonderCon Masquerade Director Martin Jaquish, and highly experienced award-winning fan costumers Dany Slone and Valerie Perez. Room 232/234
Categories: Costuming | Fandom

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5:15-6:15 Universal: Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Wanted—

For anyone whose heart has been ripped out comes a hilarious look at relationships from the producers of Knocked Up: Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The romantic disaster comedy's Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, Bill Hader, Jack McBrayer, director Nicholas Stoller and producer Shauna Robertson are scheduled to appear on the WonderCon stage.

In Wanted, James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie star in a fantasy-thriller with a hero for a new generation. Based upon Mark Millar's graphic novel and directed by stunning visualist Timur Bekmambetov, Wanted uncovers one apathetic nobody's transformation into an enforcer of justice. Star James McAvoy is scheduled to appear.

Hall A
Categories: Comic Books | Movies | Science Fiction & Fantasy

5:30-6:30 BOOM! Studios— The BOOM! Studios team—Mark Waid, Ross Richie, Michael Alan Nelson and Chip Mosher, take to the WonderCon stage for one full hour. Surprise announcements will be made. BOOM! Studios promises to make your head explode! Room 236/238
Categories: Comic Books

6:00-7:00 Blood +: From Japan to America’s Adult Swim— A provocative and entertaining discussion from the artists’ perspective of the issues, hurdles, and joys of transforming a Japanese anime series into a Cartoon Network Adult Swim hit. Get the first glimpse of the new DVD and the scoop on the year ahead! Panelists include voice and casting director Michael Hack, actors Crispin Freeman (Hagi/Van/Joel the 6th) and Ben Diskin (Kai) plus Joe D'Ambrosia and Tom Teves, the American story editors who have very interesting tales about the challenges of translating the series for American audiences. Room 204/206
Categories: Animation | Anime & Manga

6:00-8:30 Gahan Wilson: Born Dead Still Weird Film Screening— Join legendary cartoonist Gahan Wilson and filmmakers Steven-Charles Jaffe and Robert Jaffe (writers and producers of such films as Ghost, Star Trek VI, Near Dark, Strange Days, Motel Hell, and Demon Seed), as they discuss their new feature documentary about Gahan Wilson with a special Q&A following the film. Room 220
Categories: Cartooning and Comic Strips | Comic Books | Movies

6:00-7:00 Spotlight on Brian Wood— One of the hottest writers in comics right now, WonderCon special guest Brian Wood talks about his comics work, past, present, and future. Brian's edgy, provocative series include VERTIGO's DMZ and Northlanders. Room 232/234
Categories: Comic Books | Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances

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6:15-7:00 New Line Cinema: Journey 3D— Based on the classic Jules Verne novel Journey to the Center of the Earth, Journey 3-D, the first live action digital 3D movie, is an exhilarating adventure staring Brendan Fraser as a science professor whose untraditional hypotheses have made him the laughing stock of the academic community. On an expedition in Iceland, he and his nephew stumble upon a major discovery that launches them on a thrilling journey deep beneath the Earth's surface where they travel through never-before-seen worlds and encounter a variety of unusual creatures. Journey 3D is directed by Academy Award-winning visual effect veteran Eric Brevig. The film, which is a co-venture between New Line Cinema and Walden Media, is scheduled to be released on July 11, 2008. New Line Cinema will show exclusive footage, and star Brendan Fraser will be there to discuss the film, along with producer Charlotte Huggins and 3D expert Ed Marsh. Hall A
Categories: Movies | Science Fiction & Fantasy

Nighttime Programs

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7:00-9:00 Appleseed: Ex Machina DVD Premiere— Based on the popular science fiction manga from renowned creator Shirow Masamune (Ghost in the Shell), Appleseed: Ex Machina follows partners and lovers, Deunan and Briareos. As members of ESWAT, the elite forces serving Olympus, they are deployed everywhere trouble strikes. The two fighters find their partnership tested in a new way by the arrival of Tereus who uncannily resembles Briareos before the wartime injuries that led to his becoming a cyborg. At the same time, Olympus finds itself under a stealth attack. Cyborg terrorism, deadly nanotech zealots, and rioting citizens are just some of the threats that Deunan must contend with as she fights to save Olympus and her relationship. Fans will also get to view the winning entry to the "Remix Your Trailer" contest. Hall A
Categories: Anime & Manga | Nighttime Programming

9:00-10:30 Star Wars Fan Films: Last Film Standing— The Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge, now in its seventh year, honors promising moviemakers who do outstanding work, with the top prize each year chosen by Star Wars writer/director George Lucas. How do your movie tastes compare? Lucasfilm will present a friendly competition where you, the audience, will choose the "Last Film Standing" from among some of the very best of the Challenge finalists from previous years. Come and show your support for the Force. Lucasfilm's Mary Franklin will host, and you just might take home a Star Wars souvenir from the event. Hall A
Categories: Fandom | Movies | Nighttime Programming | Science Fiction & Fantasy

Names appearing in Bold in these descriptions will be appearing on stage.

All event and program rooms have limited capacity as set by the Fire Marshall. Seating is limited and is on a first-come-first served basis. Even though your badge is needed to get into all events, it does not guarantee you access to any event if it has reached its capacity. We do not clear rooms between events. Most autograph signings are of a limited nature. Your badge does not guarantee autographs at any signing event. If an event or program interests you, we recommend you get there early.

This schedule is subject to change without notice. For last-minute additions and changes, please check the complete schedule signs posted in the programming Room hallways. People appearing on panels are subject to change.

Remember: Your WonderCon membership gets you access to all events onsite at the convention—space permitting—including panels, programs, screenings, and the giant Exhibit Hall. There are no extra fees!

Friday, Feb 22 | Saturday, Feb 23 | Sunday, Feb 24
Map of Programming Rooms (pdf) | Programming Home

A LOOK BACK AT WONDERCON 2008

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22

Nighttime Programs