The Horrors of Comic-Con 2009: Saturday

Updated with an After Dark signing event



Television takes the spotlight as Showtime and The CW roll out their presentations for True Blood and The Vampire Diaries. It’s a pretty light day for horror films per se – Sony’s got a big Zombieland panel on tap (don’t miss it) – so you might want to use the hours that you have to hit the main floor and do some shopping. However, if horror comics are your thing there are plenty of discussions scheduled.

Saturday, July 25th

10:00-11:00 IDW: Angel on the Rise – With L.A. back from Hell, what’s next for IDW’s Angel comics? Fans of the show and the tall, dark, and brooding fangster can find out who’s still fighting, who’s been eaten, and what sinister forces are still to come during this panel featuring Juliet Landau (Angel writer/actress), Brian Lynch (“Angel: After the Fall”), Peter David (“Fallen Angel”), plus the reveal of the all-new monthly Angel writer and more! Room 7AB

12:30-1:30 Spotlight on Gary Gianni – “Monsters, Cowboys, Ghosts and Pirates” is the theme of a chat and slide show presented by Comic-Con special guest Gary Gianni (“The Monster Men”). Geof Darrow (“Shaolin Cowboy”) and Mike Mignola (“Hellboy”) will also be on hand to add commentary. Comics, books, and movies will be discussed. Room 4

12:30-1:30 IDW: Joe Hill – Bestselling novelist and Eisner-nominated comics writer Joe Hill (“Locke & Key”) will discuss his acclaimed comic book series, “Locke & Key,” with IDW publisher/editor-in-chief Chris Ryall, complete with details on the next installment, coming this fall! Room 10

1:00-2:00 From Chainsaws to Renegade Spies: 101 Ways to Save the Universe Only on Xbox 360 – Xbox 360 has established itself as the home of the best action games in the industry, bar none. Join the creative teams behind Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell: Conviction, Valve’s Left 4 Dead 2, BioWare’s Mass Effect 2, Bungie’s Halo 3 ODST, and Epic’s Cliff Bleszinski (Gears of War) as they discuss developing their blockbuster franchises exclusively on Xbox 360. Room 6DE

UPDATE! 2:00-3:00 After Dark Films – Rachel Miner (The Butterfly Effect 3) will be signing. Also, ADF reps will be recording fans in our booth discussing various “horrific” topics. Drop on by and be seen and heard. The video will be seen on Horrorfestonline.com shortly after the convention. Booth #4035

2:45-3:45 Sony Pictures: Zombieland – What if the Zombies won? Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) has made a habit of running from what scares him. Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) doesn’t have fears. If he did, he’d kick their ever-living ass. In a world overrun by zombies, these two are perfectly evolved survivors. But now, they’re about to stare down the most terrifying prospect of all: each other. Also starring Emma Stone and Abigal Breslin as two sisters who seem to constantly cause even more trouble for our erstwhile heroes. Appearing on stage: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and director Ruben Fleischer. Hall H

3:00-4:00 Monster Mash – Because vampires shouldn’t get all the attention, panelists Amber Benson (“Death’s Daughter”), Alice Henderson (“Voracious”), Walter Greatshell (“Xombies: Apocalypse Blues”), S. G. Browne (“Breathers: A Zombie’s Lament”), Marlene Perez (“Dead Is So Last Year”), Rob Thurman (“The Cal Leandros Novels”), and Samantha Sommersby (“Forbidden: The Temptation”) discuss their use of other monsters in their works, drawn from myth and their own imaginations. Moderator: Maryelizabeth Hart, Mysterious Galaxy. Room 2

4:30-5:30 Top Cow: Comics & Multimedia – Marc Silvestri (“Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia”), Matt Hawkins (president of Top Cow), and Filip Sablik (publisher of Top Cow) hit you with a hurricane of exciting news and announcements from comics, film, television, anime, and much more! Joining them will be Milo Ventimiglia (“Heroes,” “Berserker”) and Robert Kirkman (“The Walking Dead”)! Don’t miss major announcements regarding the Witchblade feature film, “Witchblade” anime, and “Darkness” video game! Plus a major casting announcement for The Darkness film and a special surprise guest or two! Room 7AB

5:15-6:15 True Blood Panel and Q&A session – Just as it seemed things were settling down in the backwoods Louisiana town of Bon Temps, deadly new twists and evil forces have begun to threaten Sookie Stackhouse and everyone around her. Mixing romance, suspense, mystery, and humor, True Blood kicked off its 12-episode second season on June 14 on HBO. The series, which earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Television Seriesâ??Drama for its debut season, follows the romance between waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), who can hear people’s thoughts, and her soul mate, 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer). Alan Ball created and serves as executive producer of the series, which is based on the best-selling Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris. The series also features Nelsan Ellis (The Soloist) as Lafayette Reynolds, Rutina Wesley (How She Move) as Tara Thornton; Sam Trammell (Medium) as Sam Merlotte; Michelle Forbes (Battlestar Galactica) as Maryann Forrester; Alexander SkarsgÃ¥rd (Generation Kill) as Eric Northman and Deborah Ann Woll (The Mentalist) as Jessica Hamby. Moderated by Kate Hahn of TV Guide. Ballroom 20

5:55-7:00 The Vampire Diaries Pilot Screening and Q&AThe Vampire Diaries stars Nina Dobrev (Degrassi: The Next Generation), Paul Wesley (Killer Movie), and Ian Somerhalder (Lost) appear with executive producer/writer Kevin Williamson (Scream), writer Julie Plec (Kyle XY), and executive producer Bob Levy (Gossip Girl), as the series makes its Comic-Con debut with a screening of the much-talked-about pilot, followed by a Q&A. This edgy and romantic new drama, in which two vampire brothersâ??one good, one evilâ??are at war for the soul of one girl, is based upon the bestselling book series of the same name. Lynette Rice of Entertainment Weekly moderates. From Bonanza Productions Inc., Outerbanks Entertainment and Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios, The Vampire Diaries airs Thursdays at 8:00 PM ET/PT this fall on The CW, premiering September 10. Room 6BCF

6:00-7:00 Fewdio’s Door to Nightmare House – The filmmaking mavericks collectively know as Fewdio (Marshall Carr, John Crye, Drew Daywalt, Paul Hungerford, David Schneider, Todd Sharp, and Kirk B. R. Woller) have built a brand and grown a devoted following with their horror anthology web series, Nightmare House. Join them as they screen selected films from the series and discuss all aspects of their unique process and philosophy in an open Q&A session. Room 2

6:30-8:00 Troma Roast – In Tromaville, you don’t just roast ’em, you nuke ’em! Join Tromaster of Ceremonies Trey Parker (South Park) for this no-holds-barred roast of Troma Studios president Lloyd Kaufman, featuring past and present BFFs: Stan Lee (Spider-man, Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Hulk), Brian Pulido (Lady Death, Evil Ernie) Richard Saperstein (Planet Terror, John Q, Se7en), James Gunn (Scooby Doo, Dawn of the Dead, Slither) Batton Lash (Supernatural Law) Steven Paul (Ghost Rider, Baby Geniuses), Penelope Spheeris (Decline of Western Civilization, Wayne’s World), Ron Jeremy (Boondock Saints, Studio 54, Killing Zoe), Joe Lynch (His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th), Mick Garris (Stephen King’s The Stand, Sleepwalkers), Chad Gilbert (lead guitarist, New Found Glory), John Rieber (G4 senior VP), Jean Prewitt (Independent Film Alliance), Matt Stone (South Park), Terry Stewart (president, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame), and more! What a way to celebrate 35 years of Reel Independence with Troma Entertainment! Indigo Ballroom / Hilton Bayfront

Source: Full Saturday Schedule Here

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