Twilight : Comics :: Herpes : Picasso: San Diego Comic-Con 2012 Wednesday and Thursday Programming Schedule Release

We are a mere two weeks away from the official opening day for the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con (with the unofficial start occurring at the Nicky Rotten’s bar next to the Arrogant Bastard Ale tap about two hours before Preview Night opens on Wednesday night), and that means that the Comic-Con programming schedule is starting to drop, with Wednesday’s and Thursday’s schedule revealed today.

Now, be aware that this schedule is not official and utterly finalized, since it doesn’t include the annual “Rob yorks raw whiskey and bile into the toilet near the gaming room and screeches ‘Bring me the head of Roberto Liefeldo!'” panel. If by “panel,” you mean “trauma center event.”

Anyhoo, here’s what we have in store (and some of which we will be reporting on in damn near real time) for Wednesday’s Preview Night, and Thursday, July 11!

Wednesday, July 11

Arrow — From executive producers Greg Berlanti (Green Lantern), Marc Guggenheim (Green Lantern), Andrew Kreisberg (Fringe), and David Nutter (Smallville), hard-hitting action series Arrow reinvents the DC hero. After being marooned for five years on a remote island, billionaire Oliver Queen returns home with a mysterious agenda anda lethal new set of skills that he uses in a war on crime. The series stars Stephen Amell (Private Practice), Colin Donnell (Pan Am), Katie Cassidy (Supernatural), David Ramsey (Dexter), and Willa Holland (The O.C.), with Susanna Thompson (Dragonfly) and Paul Blackthorne (The River). From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, Arrow will air Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW this fall.

On one hand, I want to say that the introduction of Green Arrow into Smallville existed only to keep the show on the life support it probably should have mercifully been disconnected from the minute John Schnieder quit the show, arguably jumping a shark on his way out. On the other, Smallville never stopped being at least moderately entertaining, and the underrated and to-quickly-cancelled Birds Of Prey from the same vein was damn solid.

That said: please revisit my comments about spending the afternoon before Preview Night at the bar, and be prepared for us to miss this screening.

Thursday, July 12

11:00-12:00 — Spotlight on Becky Cloonan— Comic-Con special guest Becky Cloonan, one of the most versatile artists in comics today, talks toJimmy Aquino (Comics News Insider podcast host) about her career in comics and illustration, collaborating with writers, artists, and musicians, and the dark secrets she learned through 15 years of self-publishing.

A damn good artist in a small room, and competing only with Nickolodeon’s Butt Biting and Magical Mischief panel… and keeping in mind  my personal panel referenced above, I don’t need The Nick’s help to figure out that kind of biting and / or mischief, thanks.

11:30-12:30 — DC Comics: Tales from The Dark and The Edge — They’re some of the hardest hitting-and strangest-comics anywhere, and this is your chance to find out what’s coming up in these DC Comics-The New 52 titles, with editor Pat McCallum and creators Jeff Lemire (Justice League Dark), Rob Liefeld (Deathstroke, Grifter), and Jimmy Palmiotti (All-Star Western). Room 6DE

Versus….

11:30-12:30 — Spotlight on Geof Darrow— Comic-Con special guest Geof Darrow is known forhis wildly imaginative and intricately detailed artwork. Geof talks about his comics career, including his current work for Dark Horse, Shaolin Cowboy, in this special spotlight presentation. Room 8

Here we got a chance to be face-to-face with one of the greatest stylized artists in modern comics, and the chance to be in the same room with Rob Liefeld. We’ll see how the lines look.

12:00-1:00 — Avatar Press: News and Q&A — Editor-in-chief William Christensen presents all the fresh news from Avatar Press, the industry’s most groundbreaking, risk-taking publisher. Want insight into the hottest titles from such industry luminaries as David Lapham, Garth Ennis, and Alan Moore? Can’t get enough Ferals, Stitched, or Crossed? Find out what new terrors and triumphs this rogue publisher will unleash in the months ahead, and get your questions answered. Room 23ABC

If neither of the 11:30 panels work out, you can’t go wrong with checking out an Avatar panel. Sure, a lot of the time they announce yet another incarnation of Lady Death, but others they have Warren Ellis peering around, punchdrunk and retarded, wondering what the fuck happened to him. Always entertaining and informative.

Or if any of those fail…

12:00-1:00 – Comics Arts Conference Session #2: Once More,with Comics: How the Whedon Universes Continue in Comic Book Form — Authors Katrina Hill (Action Movie Freak, Geek Nation.com), Jennifer K. Stuller (Ink-Stained Amazon, Geek Girl Con), and Traci Cohen (CSU-Sacramento) examine how comic books and graphic novels provide a new form of media adaptation in which the graphic novel form furthers the canon or official continuity of television series as sequels to the original material.Creator Joss Whedon’s television universes enjoy new life in print (e.g. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9). Sharing their own thoughts on these Whedon comic book follow-ups are comic book writer/actress Amber Benson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow and Tara), editors Scott Allie (Dark House) and Mariah Huehner (IDW), and actors Clare Kramer (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Bring It On) and Tom Lenk (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Cabin in the Woods). Room 26AB

There is a one-in-ten chance Whedon might show up for this. That is enough for Amanda to want us to attend this.

But in case we miss all that, what else might be on the docket?

12:45-1:45 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 —  Summit Entertainment presents a sneak peek at the highly anticipated conclusion of The Twilight Saga films. This is a must-see for fans interested in the story’s final chapter. You will be shown exclusive footage from The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 and be treated to a cast and filmmaker Q & A session providing details on the epic finale.Hall H

Go somewhere and fuck yourself. Seriously.

1:00-2:00 Marvel: House of Ideas — Love having the best comics in the industry on your mobile devices? Want to know how Marvel stays on the cutting edge of technology while bringing you what you’ve come to love? Well, this panel is for you, True Believer! Get exciting news from chief creative officer Joe Quesada on what’s happening on the Marvel Comics App, Marvel Dot Com, and Marvel’s vast social media presence in this don’t-miss panel. Room 7AB

I’d rather hear about the actual, you know, comics you’re gonna deliver to me on whatever device you have in mind… but at least I won’t have to watch Robert Pattinson pretend like he still wants to talk to anyone who knows his name. Or live anymore.

Then again, there’s…

1:00-2:00 — Dark Horse: Powered by Creators-An In-Depth Look at the Best in Creator-Owned Comics — Just over 25 years ago, Dark Horse arrived with a different agenda than any other publisher in comics. The young company was founded on the belief that comics creators should have the option to retain the rights to their own work, and today it continues to be a highly fertile breeding ground for new characters and concepts. Self-publishing sensation Sam Humphries introduces Dark Horse publisher Mike Richardson, along with a cast of top talent from around the industry. Expect exclusive announcements, and much, much more! Room 23ABC

This is the publisher that also published licensed books about Aliens, Predator, Robocop, Aliens Vs. Predator, Terminator, Robocop Vs. Terminator, and Timecop. On the other hand, they also publish The Goon and Sin City, so it’s worth seeing despite their self-congratulatory PR copy.

Or…

1:15-2:15 — Not with a Bang, with a Bite—Great prophets, religious scriptures, and scientific evidence points to an apocalypse in 2012…but these authors envision the end of the world in the form of a zombie pandemic. With their decaying, disintegrating, and sometimes flesh-eating tendencies, zombies have lurched their way into science fiction and fantasy novels and are here to stay. Doomsday takes on a whole new meaning when losing limbs and lumbering across the earth are involved. Learn how to survive everything from zombie invasions to viral zombie infections from panelists Jeyn Roberts (Dark Inside), Michael Spradlin (Blood Riders), Mira Grant (Blackout), Diana Rowland (Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues), Stephen Blackmoore (City of the Lost), Dana Fredsti (Plague Town), Susan Dennard (Something Strange and Deadly), and Max Brooks (World War Z), ledby John Hornor Jacobs (This Dark Earth). Room 6A

Not only am I a sucker for a zombie story, but I love Mira Grant’s Newsflesh trilogy, and I would really, really love a clean shot at Max Brooks (seriously: he’s kind of a cock).

2:00-3:00 — DC Comics: Batman: Beyond the Night of Owls — Gotham City’s Night of the Owls may be over – but the fallout will affect Batman’s home town for years to come! Find out what’s on the horizon for the Dark Knight and his crime fighting cohorts in this panel featuring Batman group editor Mike Marts, with Chris Burnham (Batman, Incorporated), Tony Daniel (Detective Comics), David Finch (Batman: The Dark Knight), Kyle Higgins (Nightwing), Gregg Hurwitz (Batman: The Dark Knight), Gail Simone (Batgirl), Scott Snyder (Batman),  J.H. Williams III (Batwoman), and others. Room 6DE

Too Goddamned many good comics and creators represented here to skip it. And Rob Liefeld isn’t even here to ruin it.

3:00-4:00 1982: It was 30 Years Ago Today – Greatest Geek Year Ever! — It’s time to stand up and cheer the greatest geek year ever – three decades later – and the editors of Geek Magazine and guests are here to tell you all about it on this nostalgic trip down memory lane in which they go back to the future. Geek editors Jeff Bond and David E. Williams are joined by screenwriter Ashley E. Miller (Thor, X-Men: First Class), director Robert Meyer Burnett (Free Enterprise, The Hills Run Red), writer Steve Melching (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Transformers: The Series), Steve Kriozere (V.I.P., Elvis Van Helsing), Bill Hunt, Todd Doogan and Dr. Adam Jahnke (The Digital Bits, Geek), and Mark A. Altman (Free Enterprise, Femme Fatales, Castle) to discuss the year that gave us Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Blade Runner, E.T., Tron, Poltergeist, Conan: The Barbarian, The Road Warrior, The Thing, Liquid Sky (Liquid Sky? Really?!?), The Sword and the Sorcerer, Diner, 48 Hours, Dexy’s Midnight Runner’s “Come On Eileen” and many more. What’s your favorite?And can 2012 possibly compare? You be the judge. On second thought, they’ll be the judge. Moderated by Geek Magazine (geekexchange.com). Room 5AB

As an aging Gen X’er, I remember that summer, and this panel means I will be in a room full of my people. And as a Gen X Drunkard, I will proclaim my love for Diner, because I haven’t found enough situations this year to shoot my way out of.

3:00-4:00 — I Can’t Write, I Can’t Draw,But I Love Comics! — Just because you missed out on the writing and drawing genes doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for you in the comics, animation, and gaming industries…  Room 32AB

Two words: comics Website. Any drunken shitbag can start one.

3:15-4:15 — DC Entertainment-All Access: DC NOW! — At DC Entertainment, there’s never beena better time to be a comics fan. Come to this all-access panel and find out what some of DC’s top talent is looking forward to, with Amanda Conner (Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre), Geoff Johns (Justice League, Green Lantern, Aquaman), Rob Liefeld (Deathstroke, Grifter, Savage Hawkman), Scott Lobdell (Teen Titans, Superboy, Red Hood and the Outlaws), Francis Manapul (Flash), Jimmy Palmiotti (All-Star Western), Scott Snyder (Batman, Swamp Thing) and others. Room 6DE

This one is a must-attend, if only because there will be an equal number of awesome creators and creators to whom I can ask, “Why the fuck would you do that?”

3:45-4:45 — Image: The Walking Dead — 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.Moderated by Sina Grace. Room 6A

In 2006, we were able to wander into Kirkman’s Spotlight panel with no line, It’s 2012. So you’ll probably get your coverage of this panel from a bigger, more powerful outlet.

4:30-5:30 Marvel: Next Big Thing — The Marvel Universe is where the biggest comic stories happen – so wouldn’t you like to be the first to know what Marvel has planned? Get the latest news on Marvel’s plan for their biggest heroes and villains, with some surprises along the way! Editor Sana Amanat, editor-in-chief Axel Alonso, Marvel talent scout C. B. Cebulski, and others answer all your burning questions while giving you a sneak peek at the future of Marvel .Room 6DE

Somewhere Ben Grimm is saying, “Whaddya mean, ‘next’ big Thing?  I thought you said it was a good size!”

And the there’s some other stuff, but most importantly to us…

7:00-8:00 Bleeding Alliance of Beat Reporters — Andy Khouri of Comics Alliance, Rich Johnston of Bleeding Cool, Heidi MacDonald of The Beat, and Tom Spurgeon of The Comics Reporter represent the four most influential and popular blogs in the comics industry. Join them for a one-time-only chat about the changing role of comics news, how they run their sites, what makes news, and what makes a rumor. It will be either a love fest or a slugfest. Moderated by Douglas Wolk (Reading Comics). Room 23ABC

What can we say? Someday we want our own fucking panel at SDCC.

With that said, that’s just the stuff that looks cool to use. You can find the complete Wednesday and Thursday SDCC 2012 programming here.