So, what's a poor fanboy/girl to do? Well, you can pretty much rule out attending everything, unless you can muster up some of those time-traveling powers that the characters on "Heroes" can pull off. So, thanks to the organizers of the event, here are some of the spotlight sessions and panels over the course of the event.
With close to 400 events over all four days, Comic-Con’s program slate is the largest in the nation. Programs include major comics publisher presentations, “Spotlight” panels on all the special guests, and the greatest number of events geared toward the entire spectrum of comics of any convention. Hall H features major movie studio programs and the TV networks give presentations that showcase favorite and new shows. (Comic-Con has a tradition of premiering network shows months before they air, with past examples including Lost, Heroes, Chuck, Pushing Daisies, True: Blood, Reaper, and many more.)
Preview Night Programming
Wednesday, July 22
6:00-9:00 Special Sneak Peek Pilot Screenings — Comic-Con and Warner Bros. Television present exclusive pilot premiere screenings of some of the most buzzed-about new TV series of the 2009–2010 season—Human Target, V, and The Vampire Diaries—as well as an exclusive preview trailer for additional upcoming shows.
Thursday, July 23
10:00-11:00 Fan's Guide to Comic-Con — For the third consecutive year Wesley Strawther, Matthew Jeffrey, and gaming expert Jesse Lopez host a hilarious guide to the San Diego Comic-Con. First timers will find just a little more information than veteran attendees! Room 2
10:00-11:30 Comic-Con Film School Session I: Preproduction and Screenwriting.
10:15-11:15 Summit Entertainment: Astro Boy — A superhero origin story set in a futuristic world, Astro Boy is an all-new CG-animated feature film based on the classic manga about a young robot with incredible powers and his adventure-filled journey in search of his identity and destiny. Director David Bowers, producer Maryanne Grager, and stars Freddie Highmore (Astro) and Kristen Bell (Cora) debut footage exclusive to Comic-Con 2009.
11:00-12:30 Secret Origins of Comic-Con — How did it all begin? Those who were there in 1969 (most of them teenagers at the time!) have the behind-the-scenes story of the very first meetings, the first mini-con, and the first Golden State Comic-Con at the U.S. Grant in 1970.
11:30-12:30 Archie Comics: Archie Marries Veronica — It's the wedding of the century, but that is just the start, with plenty of surprise announcements about the future of Archie Comics, including the latest news about Archie on television and in feature films.
1:15-2:15 Entertainment Weekly: Wonder Women: Female Power Icons in Pop Culture — EW moderates a conversation with Sigourney Weaver (Avatar), Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost), and Zoe Saldana (Avatar) about the actresses who have redefined the rules, and the female characters that have shattered the glass ceiling for all women.
1:45-2:45 Summit Entertainment — Summit Entertainment presents a sneak peek of exclusive footage of some of its upcoming major film releases including The Twilight Saga: New Moon —Summit Entertainment is proud to present the panel for The Twilight Saga: New Moon, the highly anticipated sequel to last year's box office smash Twilight. Surprise members of the cast will answer your questions about the second film in the series and debut never-before-seen footage from the new film.
2:30-3:30 USA Network's Burn Notice — Bruce Campbell (Sam Axe), Matt Nix (creator and executive producer) and Alfredo Barrios, Jr. (co-executive producer) host a panel discussion and answer questions about the creative process of evolving an embryonic idea into a finished episode of cable's #1 hit show.
3:00-4:15 20th Century Fox and James Cameron present Avatar — In this first public screening of footage in 3D from his much-anticipated action/adventure/fantasy, James Cameron, producer Jon Landau, and cast members take you to a spectacular new world beyond imagination.
3:45-4:45 USA Network's Psych — James Roday (Shawn Spencer), Dulé Hill (Burton "Gus" Guster), Maggie Lawson (Juliet O'Hara), Tim Omundson (Carlton Lassiter), Corbin Bernsen (Henry Spencer), Steve Franks (creator and executive producer), and the entire creative team give you an all-access behind-the-scenes pass to the USA Network hit original series Psych.
4:30-5:15 Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus — Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of both Comic-Con and Monty Python, we welcome the sole American Python, the great animator and director Terry Gilliam (Time Bandits, Brazil, 12 Monkeys) to introduce you to his new film starring Christopher Plummer, Johnny Depp, Heath Ledger, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, Verne Troyer, Tom Waits, and Lily Cole.
6:30-7:30 10 Other Ways to Break in as a Comic Creator — "Come back when you have a published credit." Sound familiar? How do you get your first professional break as a comic creator when all the studios are looking for "experience"?
8:00-9:30 Green Lantern: First Flight World Premiere — Warner Home Video, Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation proudly present the World Premiere of Green Lantern: First Flight, the fifth DC Universe animated original PG-13 movie.
