However, one man is able to to look past the mind control and get on the offensive against the corporate overlords. Take that, capitalism!

That wasn’t a premonition, that’s the premise for the sci-fi film Branded which debuted this trailer at Comic-Con a couple of days ago. The film’s cast includes Jeffrey Tambor (Bluth Company brand awareness!), Ed Stoppard, Leelee Sobieski, and Max von Sydow.

The film, directed and written by Jamie Bradshaw makes its bow on September 7th. You should go see it. YOU WILL GO SEE IT!

Sorry, didn’t mean to come across as so mind-control-ly.

Catch the first episode here.

It Started Small

Contrary to what you might think, Comic-Con wasn’t always the massive, almost-impossible-to-actually-get-into behemoth and media frenzy that it is today. No, when it started in 1970, it was truly a niche operation, attracting only 300 comic book devotees to the U.S. Grant Hotel. What would go on to become San Diego Comic-Con was called “Golden State Comic-Con,” and it’s a safe bet that no one expected it to become such a massive phenomenon.

It’s Not Just About Comics

Casual observers could be forgiven for assuming that Comic-Con is just about comic books. After all, it’s called Comic-Con, not “General Pop Culture Stew-Con.” But that name might actually be more accurate, since Comic-Con has exploded to include pretty much every form of pop culture under the sun. Movies used to be the primary focus, but in recent years this has shifted to TV, but really all aspects of pop culture are included, from anime to TV commercials to obscure science fiction movies.

It’s More Popular Than Ever

Ever since 2006, when Comic-Con had to temporarily suspend registration due to crowding, the organizers of the event have had to deal with the problem of too many people trying to get into it at once. In 2008, all the tickets to Comic-Con were sold out before the event even began, for the first time in the event’s history. And it has only continued to grow since then – if this keeps up, they might have to add a “Sort of Comic-Con” for spillover or something.

It’s Been In The Movies And On The TV

You know you’re on the map when Hollywood is setting movies around you – and Comic-Con is definitely on the map. It was the primary setting for the aptly-titled Comic Book: The Movie, and in episodes of TV shows like Entourage, Numb3rs, Beauty and the Geek, and Punk’d. Also, it’s been featured in at least one actual comic book: The Invincible Iron Man #72. File under “Is This Ironic?”

It’s Stuck In San Diego Until At Least 2015

Despite the aforementioned issues with crowding and whatnot, it appears that most of the parties involved are happy with the San Diego Convention Center as the home of Comic-Con, as it’s been since 1991. And it’s easy to see why the people of San Diego are willing and eager to accommodate such a giant spectacle: The San Diego Convention and Visitor’s Bureau has calculated the convention’s economic impact as $162.8 million a year.

It Was Robbed In 1979

Not much information on this incident is available online, but apparently the Comic-Con organization was robbed of a significant amount of money in 1979. Instead of closing up shop, they had to ask for donations from patrons in order to cover bills like rent and expenses. Nowadays, if something like that happened, they could probably just get a quick loan from George Lucas or something.

At Least One Attendee Has Made Good

It’s a safe assumption that many Comic-Con attendees of today have dreams of making it big. Money, caviar, gorgeous women, etc. And at least one lucky guest from the early years of the convention has made good on those dreams: Matt Groening, creator of the animated sitcom/merchandising bonanza The Simpsons is said to be one of the attendees of the convention in its early years, long before he found yellow animated stardom. See? It can happen!

Click these links or you’ll have to pay the troll toll:

Freddy Wong & Cowboys…And Aliens (Movieline)

Planking Attempt Gone Wrong (BarstoolSports)

25 People Too Old For Cosplay (Holytaco)

Comic Con Photo Gallery (FilmDrunk)

Scarlett Johannson Nude GIF (CelebJihad)

25 Years Of Zelda (Unreality)

Sarah Palin Movie Bombs (Moviefone)

Arnold Re-files For Divorce (PopEater)

The Cutest Girls Of Comic Con (Smosh)

Brutal Planking Fails (Ranker)

Entourage Finale…Fails (BroBible)

Kelly Rowland Hotness (Maxim)

Stephen Colbert: Humanist (Pajiba)

Ambiguously Gay Couples (NextMovie)

Gerald Harris Signs Big Contract (CagePotato)

The Hottest Comic Con Booth Babes (MadeMan)

Uncharted Director Signs For More (GameFront)

Tabata Jalil Hotness (TuVez)

I’ve seen a life-sized R2D2, Mr. Hulk Hogan, and a guy in a homemade minotaur outfit. And while I could post pictures of all of these things, the fact of the matter is you don’t give a damn. The only Comic-Con related galleries you care to look at involve scantly-clad cosplay girls. Don’t deny it. But don’t worry, the rest will come later.

Well, give the people what they want, that’s what I say. Here’s a gallery of the hottest cosplay babes we’ve seen so far.

Just so that you’re aware, I want to layout for you our tentative schedule for Thursday – Saturday. There are a plethora of panels, and being only three people we obviously can’t cover them all, but we think we nailed down the ones you’ll enjoy the most. If you have something else you’d like to see covered, let us know in the comment section and we’ll try to work it in.

THURSDAY

3:00-4:00 Game of Thrones Panel and Q&A session— Based on the bestselling fantasy book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, HBO’s Game of Thrones concluded its 10-episode debut season on June 19. The series, executive produced and written by David Benioffand D.B. Weiss, follows kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars and noblemen as they vie for power in a land where summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime. Some of the cast featured in the first season and appearing on this panel are (in alphabetical order) Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Ser Jaime Lannister,Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Kit Harington as Jon Snow, andJason Momoa as Khal Drogo. Moderated by George R. R. Martin, who also serves as a co-executive producer and writer on the series. Ballroom 20

3:15-4:30 20th Century Fox— At past Comic-Cons, 20th Century Fox has previewedIndependence Day, X2 Avatar, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. You won’t want to miss the excitement this year, as Fox presents first-looks at some of its most-anticipated pictures of 2011 and 2012. Hall H

5:00-6:00 Beavis & Butthead— In 1993, Mike Judge (creator of Beavis and Butthead) and MTV knocked their heads together and launched a cartoon series starring a couple of lunkheads and unwittingly started an animated pop culture revolution. Now, Beavis and Butthead are coming back to MTV in 2011 to unleash on music videos, Jersey Shore, viral videos, and more. See the first footage from the new episodes, and join Mike as he discusses the duo’s return to MTV! Room 6A

5:30-7:30 Showtime : Tired of Ordinary Television?— This year at Comic-Con, Showtime saves! The casts and creative forces behind Dexterand Shameless give sneak peeks into the new seasons. And be the first to see an exclusive look at the new Showtime original series Homeland. Ballroom 20

6:15-7:30 Wilfred Screening and Q &A— Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings, Happy Feet) stars as Ryan, a young man struggling unsuccessfully to make his way in the world until he forms a unique friendship with Wilfred, his neighbor’s canine pet, played by Jason Gann (The Wedge,Mark Loves Sharon), who co-created and starred in the Australian version of Wilfred in 2007. While everyone else sees Wilfred as just a dog, Ryan sees a crude and surly man in a cheap dog suit. Elijah and Jason, along withWilfred co-stars Fiona Gubelmann(Californication, Cold Case) andDorian Brown (Roommates, Psych), executive producer David Zuckerman (Family Guy, American Dad, King of the Hill), and co-executive producer/director Randall Einhorn (The Office, Modern Family) discuss bringing this unique, live-action comedy to life. Room 6A

(FYI, we won’t be covering Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 that day. I hear other sites might be though.)

FRIDAY

11:15-12:15 AMC’s The Walking Dead— Stars Andrew Lincoln (Love Actually), Jon Bernthal (The Pacific), Sarah Wayne Callies (Prison Break), Laurie Holden (The Mist), Norman Reedus (The Boondock Saints), Steven Yeun (The Big Bang Theory), Jeffrey DeMunn (The Green Mile); series creator/writer/director/executive producer Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption); executive producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator); executive producer Robert Kirkman(creator/writer of The Walking Dead comic book series); and makeup artist and consulting producer Greg Nicotero discuss the success of season one of AMC’s series The Walking Dead and reveal what to look forward to in season two, which will air on AMC thisfFall. Join the panelists for a one-on-one Q&A session and an official sneak preview of season two. Ballroom 20

11:45-12:30 Adult Swim: The Venture Bros.— Show creators Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer will screen an early premiere of The Venture Bros. Special — From the Ladle to the Grave: The Story of Shallow Gravy — a 15-minute documentary-style animated special (premiering August 28 on Adult Swim), discuss their original series, and answer questions. The panel also features James Urbaniak (Dr. Venture).Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront

12:45-1:15 Adult Swim: Pilots/New Shows/Additional Sundry Topics— Mike Lazzo(senior vice president, programming and production for Adult Swim), Keith Crofford (vice president of production for Adult Swim), and Nick Weidenfeld (vice president, comedy development for both Cartoon Network and Adult Swim) preview and discuss new Adult Swim programming. Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront

1:30-2:30 Adult Swim: Childrens Hospital— See a never-before-screened episode ofChildrens Hospital and hear from the show’s creative team led by Rob Corddry (Cedar Rapids) and Jon Stern (The Ten). They will be joined by members of their ensemble cast of comedic heavyweights, including Malin Akerman (Couples Retreat), Lake Bell (No Strings Attached),Erinn Hayes (Parenthood), Rob Huebel (I Love You Man), and Megan Mullally (Will and Grace). Childrens Hospital explores the emotional struggles and sexual politics of a group of doctors charged with healthy libidos. The panel will close with a sneak peek at Adult Swim’s newest live-action comedy, NTSF:SD:SUV::, featuring creator and star Paul Scheer (The League). NTSF:SD:SUV:: is a clandestine team of government agents working to protect San Diego from numerous terrorist threats coming in daily from such evil countries as Mexico, Canada, and Guam. This team of highly trained operatives has only one job: saving your ass so you can drive your Prius and see your movies in 3D without worrying about living in a country run by no-good terrorists. Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront

2:45-3:45 DreamWorks: Fright Night— Colin Farrell (The Way Back), Anton Yelchin (Star Trek), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad), Imogen Poots (Jane Eyre), Dave Franco(Charlie St. Cloud), director Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl), and screenwriter Marti Noxon (I Am Number Four) take the dais to give fans a taste of the horrific fun to come in DreamWorks Pictures’ 3D reimagining of the classic horror film. Hall H

3:30-4:15 Adult Swim: Robot Chicken— Seth Green (co-creator, Robot Chicken),Matthew Senreich (co-creator, Robot Chicken), and Tom Root (head writer, Robot Chicken) discuss the popular Adult Swim series. The series uses stop-motion animation to bring pop culture parodies to life in a modern take on the variety/sketch show format. In Robot Chicken, no pop culture target is safe. Legions of action figures are used to spoof everything from reality television and Star Wars to past presidents. Moderated by Keith Crofford, vice president of production, Adult Swim. Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront

4:00-6:30 Sony— Sony returns to Hall H with a stellar lineup of films and talent, including: Ghost Rider-Spirit of Vengeance, 30 Minutes or Less, Total Recall, The Amazing Spider-Man. Hall H

SATURDAY

11:00-12:00 Terra Nova— Star Stephen Lang (Avatar), executive producer Rene Echevarria (Castle, Medium, The 4400, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), executive producerBrannon Braga (24, Star Trek: Enterprise), and co-executive producer Jose Molina (Haven, Castle) premiere footage from the highly anticipated epic adventure series 85 million years in the making, set to premiere this September on FOX. This new event drama from the minds of Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park, The Pacific) and Peter Chernin follows an ordinary family on an extraordinary journey back in time to prehistoric Earth as a part of a massive expedition to save the human race. Ballroom 20

1:00-2:00 Community—

The cast and creative team from Sony TV’s critically acclaimed NBC series –

Joel McHale (The Soup), Chevy Chase (Hot Tub Time Machine), Donald Glover(30 Rock), Yvette Nicole Brown (Rules of Engagement), Danny Pudi (Greek), Gillian Jacobs (Choke), Jim Rash (Reno 911), and Ken Jeong (The Hangover Part II), and executive producers Dan Harmon (The Sarah Silverman Program), Joe Russo (Arrested Development),Anthony Russo (Arrested Development), Neil Goldman (Scrubs), Garrett Donovan(Scrubs) and Russ Krasnoff (The Soloist) — come together for an animated discussion and Q&A session about what’s in store for viewers this fall! 

3:30-4:15 Universal Pictures: Snow White and the Huntsmen—

Universal Pictures is bringing the stars and filmmakers of its epic action-adventure film based on the script

Snow White and the Huntsman to Comic-Con. Scheduled to appear to discuss their roles in this breathtaking new vision of the legendary tale are Kristen Stewart (Twilight), Oscar winnerCharlize Theron (Prometheus), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), and Sam Claflin (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides). Director Rupert Sanders (Halo 3 campaign) and other filmmakers will also be on hand to reveal exclusive footage. Q&A session to follow. 

5:45-7:30 An Early Evening with Kevin Smith—

You know Comic-Con is over for the night on Saturday when the fat man sings. Kevin Smith takes to the Hall H stage for his annual Q&A. Fair warning: he works bluer than Doctor Manhattan (though, unlike Doctor Manhattan, Smith will wear clothes for this performance). 

7 photosYvonne Strahovski

FRIDAY, JULY 22

• “MAD”: 10:00–11:00 a.m., Room 25ABC
• “The Big Bang Theory”: 12:30–1:30 p.m., Ballroom 20
• “Childrens Hospital”: 1:30–2:20 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
• “Green Lantern: The Animated Series”: 2:00–3:00 p.m., Room 6BCF
• “ThunderCats”: 3:30–4:30 p.m., Room 6A

SATURDAY, JULY 23

• “Chuck”: 10:00–10:45 a.m., Ballroom 20
• “The Vampire Diaries”: 3:30–4:15 p.m., Ballroom 20
• “Fringe”: 4:15–5:00 p.m., Ballroom 20
• “Alcatraz”: 5:00–6:00 p.m., Ballroom 20
• “The Secret Circle”: 5:10–6:00 p.m., Room 6BCF
• “Nikita”: 6:00–6:45 p.m., Room 6BCF
• “Person of Interest”: 6:45–7:30 p.m., Room 6BCF

SUNDAY, JULY 24

• “Young Justice”: 10:00–11:00 a.m., Room 7AB
• “Supernatural”: 11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m., Hall H
• “Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated”: 1:00–2:00 p.m., Room 6A
• “The Looney Tunes Show”: 2:15–3:15 p.m., Room 6A

While Comic-Con started as a niche convention for comic book enthusiasts, it’s exploded into a mecca for things both geek-y and blockbuster-y. The fact that the Spidey set is making the trip down there isn’t that surprising. Though it’s a ways out from the release of the film, next year’s Comic-Con comes a few weeks late, and it’s not like the crew could just SKIP Comic-Con. That would be comic-book movie marketing suicide. So this year it is.

4 photosNew Set Photos Reveal Spider-Man’s Powers Are Wire-Based

The gang will sit on a panel and discuss production of the movie and the source material, while artfully dodging myriad questions about plot points. They will also be contractually bound by Marvel to start 25% of their sentences with “It was such a pleasure working with ____.” Ahh, Hollywood.

New York Comic Con always pales in comparison to the San Diego convention. Food and water are over-priced, the booth-bait is in short supply, the panels are meh, and David Hasselhoff never shows up on a party bus. Until this year.

AMC has announced that they will premiere full scenes from "The Walking Dead" at the convention on Sunday, September 10th. In addition, the series stars, producers, and creators will be in attendance to field questions from New York’s finest nerds. Hasselhoff remains unconfirmed. (Walking Dead Blog)

What does it mean?!

You don’t need much more setup than the headline. Roll the clip!

Is 300 too much or not enough? I’ll let you know after I hit the clubz this weekend. (FilmDrunk)

Oh my! Links!

_{Top 20: TV’s Best BFFs (TVSquad)}

_{Meet The Borat Of The Gaming World (Asylum)}

_{Fisto’s Lament (HolyTaco)}

_{The Inception Infographic (FilmDrunk)}

_{Booth Babes Of Comic-Con 2010 (Maxim)}

_{Britain’s Fattest Women Dies From A Chicken Wing (BarStoolSports)}

_{8 Road Trip Movies I Would Love To Expirence (EgoTV)}

_{The Most Confusing Movie Of All Time (Pajiba)}

_{A Zombie Wedding: Why? (Unreality)}

_{Synthol Arms (GIF) (TotalProSports)}

_{I See Invisable Clowns (Smosh)}

_{Happy Birthday Kate Beckinsale! (BroBible)}

_{Justin Biber Arrested For Molesting A Fan (CelebJihad)}

_{MMA Artwork That Doesn’t Suck (CagePotato)}

_{Eric Roberts Is Addicted To Weed (PopEater)}

_{Best Bathtub In The World (MadeMan)}

I was fortunate enough to interview the cast and writers of "Community" while at Comic-Con this year, a.k.a. Allison Brie looked into my eyes. I also attended the jam-packed panel before the roundtables, but Vince at FilmDrunk took notes with such diligence that you should go to his write-up for those specifics. The entire cast was completely humbled and moved by how many people stood in a long-ass line to squeeze into a hotel ballroom to see them. One little tidbit I snagged is a video of Donald Glover and Danny Pudi singing "Somewhere Out There" from An American Tail live.

Donald Glover and Danny Pudi Sing Somewhere Out There Live – Watch more Funny Videos

After the panel, a few members of the press (I guess that includes me?) sat down and shot off questions to the cast and writers round-robin-style. I asked you guys to tweet me some of your inquiries and I think I got most of them answered. Check out the highlights from the interviews below.

Big News:

They are working on a zombie themed episode for Halloween.

They’re doing a story where Shirley wants to make a movie about Jesus for her church and she enlists Abed’s help and it becomes Cyber Jesus. That’s the new Kick Puncher they’re been talking about: Cyber Jesus.

Fuckyeahjeffannie.com is a “Community” fan fiction site that exists.

Alison Brie, Joel McHale, Neil Goldman

Will we ever be seeing you guys in a tag together?

AB: The girls at first were like, “We want to be in one!” then after awhile we saw the popularity and it’s like oh no, I don’t want to be in the one tag where everyone’s like, “Booooo, bring the guys back!”

What’s it like juggling all your projects?

AB: I think Joel does a bit more juggling than me. My “Man Men” schedule doesn’t usually overlap. Joel’s doing a weekly gig. He’ll work on our show everyday and then on Thursdays he runs out for a few hours, does “The Soup,” comes back and continues shooting “Community.”

JM: And then I’m like, I should book some stand-up gigs to fill up some time.

When can we expect your 6 a.m. radio show, since you’re gunning for Seacrest?

AB: You could do a 4 a.m. radio show.

JM: That’s not a bad idea. I do have a paper route, and that kills me. What am I thinking? It doesn’t even pay that well. 

Did you guys see anything weird at Comic-Con?

JM: Master Chief from Halo asked, “Can I get a picture?” I said, “Yes, Master Chief.”

AB: I was surprised. I thought I’d see more costumes.

Donald Glover, Chevy Chase, Garrett Donovan

How is it being in front of the camera now as opposed to behind it?

DG: Everything is way easier. Writing is the fucking hardest job in the world.  On “30 Rock,” we were writing for like 25 hours sometimes.

CC: I started on “The Smother Brothers,” I started on “SNL” as their first head writer. I wrote for 12 years. Writing is a bitch. 

Do your improv skills ever take over on set?

CC: We clown around here and there between takes, but for the most part we stay with the script.

DG: My favorite thing to hear is, “Go crazy, Donald,” because then I can do whatever I want.

GD: Then we discover things these guys can do and I think that’s how we discovered your [Donald’s] crying.

DG: Someone was pointing that out to me today. They tweeted, “Man, is there something funnier than Donald crying?” I was like, you sound like my dad.

Have you seen anything off-putting at Comic-Con this year?

DG: Girls are not afraid around here. They’re like walking through a lion’s den covered in steaks.

CC: I had never seen anything like it. And I don’t understand it still. But God bless ‘em, they show up.

Yvette Nicole Brown, Danny Pudi, Russ Krasnoff

Were you thinking of walking around the Comic-Con floor in costume?

YNB: I’d love to come as Yoda. I love Yoda. 

DP: I’d like to be The Flash. Then I could just run around the floor. Just sprinting around the floor.

Favorite episodes?

RK: The pilot because that’s where all of this was created and these characters developed. I think back at that very fondly.

YNB: My favorite episode is Modern Warfare but my favorite Shirley episode is Christmas. You really see how high her freak flag flies. You get to see she’s crazy and judgmental and she’s guilty.

Gillian Jacobs

How will Britta act this next season to Jeff and Annie getting together?

GJ: It’s probably going to be a bumpy road, I would think. No only did she get rejected after she told Jeff she loved him in front of everyone, but then he went outside and kissed Annie. I think that it’s going to be hard for her ego to take. It’s always unclear where their hearts are at because both Jeff and Britta are egotistical people.

Who would you have dressed up as at Comic-Con?

GJ: Martian Manhunter. He’s from the Justice League.  He lives in the Tower of Justice. He’s a green alien. He looks like he has one head and he can pull it off. He actually has another pointy head underneath. His power is mind control.
 

_{I’ve got cinematography skillz.}

While at Comic-Con, I attended a party for The Expendables where Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, and Steve Austin presented an Action Hero Hall of Fame Award to Sylvester Stallone. He’s the first recipient, so I’m not sure how prestigious it is. Guess it all depends on who receives it next year. If it’s Luke Wilson for his work in Blue Streak then I’ll know it’s legit.

Check out the shakey, blurry video after the jump…

Sylvester Stallone at Comic-Con The Expendables Party – Watch more Funny Videos

_{In 3D, you could smell the rum.}

Right after the Tron Legacy panel at Comic-Con, Disney screened a teaser trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. It basically features Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow letting everyone know that the movie is a thing and they can see it next summer. It was in 3D only so Capt. Jack could awkwardly shove a bottle of rum into the mostly underage audience. I took an imaginary swig, but imagine all those tween alcoholics in attendence. The 3D must have been torture for them.

Check out the teaser after the jump…

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Teaser Trailer – Watch more Funny Videos

The first event I caught at this year’s Comic-Con was the Tron Legacy panel, moderated by Patton Oswalt, a favorite comedian of mine and yours. I’m not allowed to show you the footage that was screened, although you can read my brief description in my Thursday’s adventures recap, but I have video of the panel discussion. You can also check out the awesome new trailer here.

All of the actors were in attendence (for a third year in a row), including Garret Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Michael Sheen, and Jeff Bridges, as well as director Joseph Kosinski. They enlighten us on the process of making the film, the flashy difference between Tron Legacy and Tron proper, and how Olivia kicked-ass in high heels. You really shouldn’t need much more convincing to see the film when it opens on December 17, 2010.

Check out video from the Tron Legacy panel below, or you will de-rez.

Comic-Con 201 Tron Legacy Panel Part 1 – Watch more Funny Videos

Comic-Con 2010 Tron Legacy Panel Part 2 – Watch more Funny Videos

Thursday at Comic-Con is in the history books, except for the videos I still need to post. Friday started off with Noah from the Break Horror Channel wanting to touch the hot Green Hornet Girls.

_{Nice half thumbs-up, Noah.}

Then it was off to "The Walking Dead" panel. But wait… "Hawaii 5-0" had theirs first. We got good seats by the water cooler and the footage I had already seen looked pretty rockin’, so I was moderatly excited to see the new Danno and McGarrett. The crew and cast came out and there was no sign of Danno (Scott Caan) or McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin). How are you going to have a Hawaii 5-0 panel with just Chin Ho and Kona?

_{Jin from "Lost" and Boomer from "Battlestar" pretend like the show’s leads aren’t there.}

Whatever. Grace Park is hot and Daniel Dae Kim seemed like a genuinely gracious and standup guy. The show’s producers, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci ("Lost," "Fringe," Star Trek) were also there to tell everyone the show is delving deep into the characters and that they didn’t f*ck with the iconic theme song. They even brought back the original orchestral musicians to rerecord it.

_{Book ‘em, Roberto.}

They showed a few clips, which I have to admit brought my meter back over to the cold side. The action and setting pulled me in, but then the stilted dialogue made me feel like I was watching a CBS procedurial, which I was, but still, let’s not always cater to 70 year-olds drifting off in their recliners, The Eye.

Finally we got to what I was most anticipating: zombies!!! I’m onto "The Walking Dead" panel now, by the way. Zombies with leis didn’t shuffle out during "Hawaii 5-0," which would have been amazing.

_{Frank Darabont, Gale Anne Hurd, and Robert Kirkman get everyone pumped about a zombie TV show.}

The teaser for AMC’s upcoming "The Walking Dead" series was fantastic. Everything you’d expect from the director and writer of The Shawshank Redemption and the producer of Aliens. I’ve never read the comics, but I think everyone else in the crowd had and could probably smell the phoniness wafting from my person. They loved the footage, I loved the footage, we all got boners equally. I don’t want to ruin it by describing every frame I saw, but hopefully AMC will release it soon. Okay, I’ll give you words: zombies, tanks, spike strip, sniper, headshot. Sounds just like the comic, right? By the way, the chick who plays Lori Grimes is hot.

_{I’m Netflixing ‘Prison Break’ right after I type this.}

At the end of the panel, people dressed as zombies, or actual real zombies, shuffled their way to the front of the crowd. I’d show you a picture, but Noah couldn’t manage to snap a clear one. Snorting coffee creamer makes his hands shakey. Overall, you must seriously, definitely, totally not miss "The Walking Dead" this October on AMC. It’s going to be a six episode season of pure delight and killshots. 

Lunch time! I had Mahi Mahi fish tacos. There could have been more sauce on them but I wasn’t drunk enough to get belligerent about. Plus, the waitress had a nice smile. Unless you’re my girlfriend reading this. Then she was a trashy whore. (My girlfriend made me say it, Waitress). 

After lunch, we walked right into Hall H. How there was no line, I have no idea. I guess no one was excited to see the "Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark" panel with producer Guillermo del Toro and director Troy Nixey.

_{You can’t see it, but del Toro’s surrounded by Hershey’s Kisses. Seriously.}

They showed some creepy footage from the film and I pooped my pants a little. Figuratively speaking. Maybe. I’m a huge fan of the del Toro-produced The Orphanage and I think Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark will bring the goods as well. Actually, I know it will because del Toro said, "Horror has to have balls. And they have to be sweaty and wrinkled." So there’s that. Also, the guy said "motherf*cker" more than the bum I passed who was yelling at CVS’s brick wall. How cool is that? There could have been kids present, you guys!

And then my digital camera died. And my phone was on it’s last legs. So I have no pics from the Sony Priest, The Other Guys and Green Hornet panels. I don’t even really want to go into Priest because the footage didn’t excite me in the least bit and I’m too tired to be negative in a creative way. Although Maggie Q was lookin’ fiiiiiiiiine. I might have to catch that "Nikita" panel tomorrow just to get within shouting distance. I’m sure she’d appreciate my cat calls.

The Other Guys panel was hilarious, and it wasn’t just Will Ferrell who did all the heavy lifting. Adam McKay, Eva Mendes, and Marky Mark also brought the laughs. The funniest part was when a 16 year-old kid, who looked 10, came up and shyly sputtered out that he thought Eva was hot. She made some earnest remark about wanting to have sex with him (or maybe it was more like she thought he was also cute) and the guys went crazy with it. They kept giving her sh*t, but she didn’t back down. Eva played right along with the whole pedophile-persona. Like most of the Comic-Con happenings I have described and will describe in the future, you kinda had to be there.

Here’s how the Green Hornet panel went down: Moderator Ralph Garman introduced Seth Rogen, who came out and introduced the trailer. They played the trailer. Half the crowd in Hall H left. No effing joke. As the rest of the cast and crew came out, people walk-ran to the exits. Damn nerds, at least wait until Michel Gondry starts speaking broken english. Then I could understand you’ve had enough. No one has time to decipher dropped consonants after going eight hours on only nachos.  

I ended the night with a red velvet cupcake. Don’t be jealous.

It’s my first time at Comic-Con. I didn’t know what to expect except madness, and madness is what I got. And David Hasselhoff singing on a bus surrounded by half-naked women, but we’ll get to that later. Thursday proved to be a test of the mind, feet, and senses. I saw some terrific panels, cruised the main floor, and even attended a party where Sly Stallone was given an award that looked like a bomb. It was supposed to signify his contribution to the action movie genre, but made him look like an Italian who was at his wits end with the Hard Rock Hotel.

I started the day bright and early waiting in line for the Tron Legacy panel. Sally from A Nightmare Before Christmas was also there. 

Once in the Tron panel, Patton Oswalt, returning as moderator from last year, came out and introduced the cast and crew. Jeff Bridges, Olivia Wilde, Garrett Hedlund, Michael Sheen, Bruce Boxleitner, Director Joseph Kosinski, among others were there. I’ll have the video up for you tomorrow, but here are some blurry pics in the meantime.

Like most panels at Comic-Con, the Tron panel wasn’t much more than the cast and crew telling you to see the movie, how awesome it’s going to be, and how everyone loved working with everyone else. The reason to go see these panels is because of the exclusive footage. The very footage that attendees aren’t allowed to record and share. I was privy to a five minute scene that showed Sam Flynn abducted and then placed int the Master Control Program. It looked fairly awesome and I know the finished product will look even better. Unfortunately it ended right when Sam was about to kick some ass in the arena. We then got to check out the new trailer, which you can see here.

After the Tron panel ended, they played a video with Johnny Depp dressed as Jack Sparrow that basically reminded everyone that Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is coming out next summer.

Then came a big announcement. Guillermo de Toro wobbled out and told the crowd that he’s remaking Disney’s Haunted Mansion sans Eddie Murphy. It’s going to be scary, not family-friendly, unfunny bullsh*t. Little kids might crap their tighty-whities. Check out the announcement:

Haunted Mansion Announcement – Watch more Funny Videos

After a delicious lunch (I had the turkey club) with Noah from the Break Horror Channel and Vince from FilmDrunk (check out Vince’s first day HERE), we were all walking back to the convention center when David Hasselhoff appeared out of nowhere singing "Hooked on a Feeling" atop a double-decker bus. Only at Comic-Con, right?! He was surrounded by hot chicks in tight, red outfits. Threats must have been made in Deutsch to get such a display sanctioned. I wasn’t quick enough with the FlipCam because I was getting money from the ATM, but luckily Vince can always sense when The Hoff is approaching and had his camera at the ready.

After The Hoff puttered back to whatever bottle he emerged from, we perused the convention floor. It’s massive a space with more booths set up than any human would care to or would be able to visit in one go-around. Some are too hokey, some are too nerdy, and the weird, sexual stuff is stationed in the back corner. Here are some of the highlights:

_{Tron lightcycle. I want to go to there.}

_{The Walking Dead display. Bloody. Creepy. Perfect.}

_{Hot chicks play with Vince’s entrails.}

_{Mousepad with boob wrist support. Say "no" to carpal tunnel.}

_{Fleshlights. And they thought they could hide them from me…}

_{I’m bured alive! But really just standing upright in a closet.}

_{Stan Lee signs autographs at the Thor display. Meh. He always eats at a deli by my office.}

_Shopped!

Next up was the "Dexter" panel.

We saw a short teaser that gave away nothing, followed by a panel with Manny Coto, Sara Colleton, Chip Johannessen, John Goldwyn, James Remar, Jennifer Carpenter, and Michael C. Hall, who all gave away nothing. They obviously wouldn’t divulge who killed Rita, and literally wouldn’t let anything slip regarding ho Dexter will balance raising three kids and continuing to murder people. The biggest news that I took away from the panel is that John Lithgow has a kids album called "Singing in the Bathtub." The writers say it’s a coincidence, but I’m certain that Lithgow, through the use of mind control, influenced their arrival at last season’s climax.

Finally, the night ended at a party for The Expendables at The Hard Rock Hotel hosted by IGN. The booze was free and the foods was hand passed. It doesn’t take much more than that for me to show up somewhere. The DJ spun while Noah and I enjoyed pastries stuffed with mushroom stuff on a nearby sofa. Then it was award time. Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, and Steve Austin presented an inert bomb to Sylvester Stallone for his action moviestar achievements. I’ll put a video up tomorrow, but here’s a barely visable pic for now.

It was cool to watch all those guys on stage together, but uncool that a fight didn’ break out. I wanted to see the San Diego Hard Rock Hotel go down in infamy tonight for awesomeness. I suppose I could have instigated it, but I was sleepy.

So basically the Comic-Con teaser posters for Captain America and Thor are awesome. If the films are half as awesome as these gritty, realistic conceptual depictions by artist Ryan Meinerding we’re in for an awesome treat.

Look at Captain America up there, deflecting those bullets with his massive patriotic shield. He looks furious and hungry enough to eat a Nazi’s face for lunch. Please Joe Johnston, dangle this poster in front of your face for inspiration as you direct the film. If Joel Schumacher would have done such a thing, the bat suit never would have been altered with nipples.

Check out larger versions of the posters after the jump…

Holy crap, Saturday is jam-packed. Thursday and Friday are bringing the events as well, but Saturday makes them look like booths at an interior designer convention. We’re talking Green Lantern Captain America: The First Avenger Thor, Sucker Punch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Let Me In, Resident Evil Afterlife, Paul, Cowboys & Aliens, and on the TV side, "Futurama," "The Simpsons," "Community," "Family Guy," and "LOST" for some reason. I’m going to have to find a secret nook in Hall H to avoid the madness of standing in line. I’m not saying I’ll be inside the baby grand piano, but just don’t look there.

Check out the Saturday highlights after the jump.

Full schedule HERE.

11:00-11:45 Family Guy— A freakin’ sweet discussion on all things Family Guy with Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green, and others. And don’t miss never-before-seen clips of the third Star Wars parody. Ballroom 20

11:45-1:15 Warner Bros.: Green Lantern, Sucker Punch, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows— Warner Bros. showcases three eagerly awaited upcoming new films in this Hall H presentation!

Green Lantern— Get a first look at the upcoming sci-fi action adventure Green Lantern, directed by Martin Campbell. Green Lantern is an epic adventure that crosses galaxies to bring to life the legendary Silver Age superhero Hal Jordan, who is chosen by the ring itself to become the first human member of the Green Lantern Corps and take on the vast and powerful Parallax as it threatens to destroy the world. The film stars Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan, Blake Lively as Carol Ferris, Peter Sarsgaard as Dr. Hector Hammond, and Mark Strong as Sinestro.

Sucker Punch— Fasten your seatbelt for a sneak peek at the dark action fantasy Sucker Punch, from director Zack Snyder, who previewed his films 300 and Watchmen at past Comic-Cons. A group of young girls escape the dark reality of their lives through their vivid imagination, which takes them to various fantasy locations in different realms. The ensemble cast features Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens, Carla Gugino, Jena Malone, Jamie Chung, and Jon Hamm.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows—Every saga has a final chapter. Kick off the year of Harry Potter with a first look at the coming screen adaptation of J. K. Rowling’s final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, with a program created just for Comic-Con fans. One way. One hero. One destiny. Don’t miss it!

12:45-1:30 Futurama— Celebrate Futurama’s triumphant re-return to the airwaves! World-premiere footage will offer an exciting and informative glimpse of Comic-Con in the year 3010. Panelists include executive producers Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, cast members Billy West, John DiMaggio, Katey Sagal, and Maurice LaMarche, director Crystal Chesney-Thompson, writers Ken Keeler and Patric M. Verrone, and animation producer Claudia Katz. Ballroom 20

1:30-2:30 Overture: Let Me In— The cast and filmmakers of Let Me In, a haunting and provocative thriller written and directed by filmmaker Matt Reeves (Cloverfield), give the Hall H audience a sneak peek at this highly anticipated film. Let Me In is an astonishing coming-of-age story involving a young girl (Kick Ass’s Chloe Moretz) and an alienated boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee from The Road) unlike any you have seen. Based on the bestselling Swedish novel Lat den Ratte Komma (Let The Right One In) by John Ajvide Lindqvist and the highly acclaimed film of the same name, Let Me In takes audiences straight to the troubled heart of adolescent longing and loneliness. Academy Award–nominee Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) also stars in this exhilarating reboot of the beloved original.

1:30-2:15 The Simpsons— Now entering its record-annihilating 22nd season on Fox, The Simpsons has won 25 Emmy awards, has been the subject of a smash feature film in 2007, and has inspired an awesome ride at Universal Studios — and Homer Simpson was just named the greatest television character of the last 20 years by Entertainment Weekly. Get insights into the daily doings of this series from creator Matt Groening, showrunner Al Jean, executive producer Matt Selman, and supervising director Mike Anderson. Ballroom 20

3:00-4:00 NBC’s Community Cast and Creative Team— The cast and producers — Joel McHale (The Soup), Chevy Chase (Hot Tub Time Machine), Donald Glover (30 Rock), Yvette Nicole Brown (Rules of Engagement), Danny Pudi (Greek), Gillian Jacobs (Choke), Alison Brie (Mad Men) and executive producers Dan Harmon (The Sarah Silverman Program), Joe Russo (Arrested Development), Anthony Russo (Arrested Development), Neil Goldman (Scrubs), Garrett Donovan (Scrubs) and Russ Krasnoff (The Soloist) — are on hand for an animated discussion and Q&A session about what’s in store for viewers this fall. Indigo Ballroom, San Diego Hilton Bayfront

4:00-4:45 Screen Gems: Resident Evil: Afterlife— In a world ravaged by a virus infection that turns its victims into the Undead, Alice (Milla Jovovich) continues on her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety. Her deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation reaches new heights, but Alice gets some unexpected help from an old friend. A new lead that promises a safe haven from the Undead takes them to Los Angeles, but when they arrive the city is overrun by thousands of Undead and Alice and her comrades are about to step into a deadly trap. The fourth installment of the hugely successful Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil: Afterlife is again based on the wildly popular video game series and this time will be shot in 3D using the same state-of-the-art cameras created for Avatar. Writer/director Paul W. S. Anderson, along with the film’s stars Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, and Wentworth Miller, will be on hand to show you some stunning 3D sequences and answer your questions.

4:45-5:45 Universal: Paul and Cowboys & Aliens— Universal presents two upcoming films in this exclusive Hall H presentation.

Paul— Scheduled to appear for Universal Pictures’ sci-fi comedy-adventure Paul are a who’s who of film comedy. Director Greg Mottola (Superbad) will be joined by cast members Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz), Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead), Kristen Wiig (Date Night), Bill Hader (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Jeffrey Tambor (The Hangover), Joe Lo Truglio (Role Models), Seth Rogen (The Green Hornet), and Sigourney Weaver (Baby Mama) as they discuss the movie about two sci-fi geeks whose pilgrimage to Comic-Con ultimately takes them to America’s UFO heartland. While there, they accidentally meet an alien who takes them on an insane road trip that alters their universe forever. Q&A session to follow.

Cowboys & Aliens—Director Jon Favreau (Iron Man series) discusses what’s happening behind the scenes of Universal Pictures and DreamWorks’ action-thriller Cowboys & Aliens, based on Platinum Studios’ graphic novel. Currently shooting in New Mexico, Cowboys & Aliens stars Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford and takes audiences into the Old West, where a lone cowboy leads an uprising against a terror from beyond our world. Q&A session to follow.

6:00-7:00 Marvel Studios: Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger— Producer Kevin Feige and special guests give you an inside look at the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe.

6:00-7:00 Lost But Not Forgotten— Lost Encyclopedia authors Tara Bennett and Paul Terry, along with other special Lost guests, discuss this seminal show’s legacy, their thoughts on the finale, and the creation of the forthcoming Lost Encyclopedia. Attendees will have a chance to win a signed copy of the Lost Encyclopedia. Room 8

7:15-8:45 Kevin Smith— He’s back! Spend a quiet, refined evening with the one-and-only Kevin Smith, who will no doubt solve all the bad things in the world for you or, at the very least, make you laugh a few hundred times.

After a bomb diggity Thursday schedule for Comic-Con 2010, the Friday schedule is sure to make your nerd boner deflate to half-stalk. Not to say there aren’t events worth getting excited about, but none of them are about Tron.  Some of the bigger panels will be for Drive Angry 3D, "The Walking Dead,&quot Piranha 3D The Other Guys, andThe Green Hornet. I was expecting Friday to take me to Hell and back, but it looks like it’ll just take me to Hell. I meant for that to sound like it would be less stressful. Whatever, you get it. It’s also Star Wars day on Friday. I don’t expect to cover much of that because the plastic casing on my Stormtrooper costume is cracked and I don’t want to look like an idiot.

Check out some of the Friday highlights after the jump.

The full schedule is HERE.

10:30-11:30 Summit Entertainment: Drive Angry 3D— A vengeful father hunts down the people who brutally killed his daughter and kidnapped her baby in the newest film shot in 3D from the writer and director of My Bloody Valentine 3D, starring Nicolas Cage, William Fichtner, Billy Burke, and Amber Heard. Join the cast and filmmakers as they showcase never-before-seen footage of this high-octane, blood-spattered road trip through hell! Hall H

11:00-11:45 Dimension Films: Piranha 3D— Dimension Films presents never-before-seen footage of Piranha 3D, which hits theatres August 20. Director/producer Alex Aja (The Hills Have Eyes), producer Mark Canton (300), producer Gregory Levasseur, and executive producer Alix Taylor are joined by cast members Elisabeth Shue, Jerry O’Connell, Jessica Szohr (Gossip Girl), Steven R. McQueen (Vampire Diaries), Kelly Brook, and Adam Scott for a sneak peek at Piranha 3D and a Q&A!

11:30-12:30 AMC’s The Walking Dead— Andrew Lincoln (Love Actually), Jon Bernthal (The Pacific), Sarah Wayne Callies (Prison Break), Laurie Holden (The Mist), Emma Bell (Law & Order), series creator/director/executive producer Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption), executive producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator), executive producer Robert Kirkman (creator/writer of The Walking Dead comic), makeup artist Greg Nicotero, and Joel Stillerman (AMCs senior VP) discuss the making of AMC’s series The Walking Dead, based on the Image comic book series created and written by Robert Kirkman, premiering in October on AMC. Room 6BCF

12:00-1:00 Skyline— Universal Pictures, Relativity Media, and Rogue Pictures present an exclusive look at the sci-fi thriller Skyline, directed and produced by the Brothers Strause (Alien vs. Predator: Requiem), whose company Hydraulx has provided visual effects for Avatar, Iron Man 2 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and 300. In Skyline, strange lights descend on the city of Los Angeles, drawing people outside like moths to a flame, where an extraterrestrial force proceeds to swallow the entire human population off the face of the earth. Colin and Greg Strause unveil an exclusive Comic-Con trailer and scenes from Skyline, along with stars Donald Faison (Scrubs), Eric Balfour (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 24), David Zayas (The Expendables, Dexter), Scottie Thompson (Star Trek), and Brittany Daniel (Club Dread) and moderated by Drew McWeeney. Hall H

2:15-3:45 Miramax Films: Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark— Producer/co-writer Guillermo del Toro and director Troy Nixey present a first look at their new film Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, a hair-raising, spine-chilling tale of horror about a little girl (Bailee Madison) who is sent to live with her father (Guy Pearce) and his girlfriend (Katie Holmes) in the old mansion they are renovating, only to unwittingly unleash malevolent creatures bent on destroying all of them. Hall H

4:00-6:00 Sony Pictures Entertainment: The Other Guys and The Green Hornet— Two more sneak peeks at upcoming films from Sony Pictures Entertainment!

The Other Guys–NYPD Detectives Christopher Danson and P.K. Highsmith (Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson) are the baddest and most beloved cops in New York City. Two desks over and one back, sit Detectives Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg). You’ve seen them in the background of photos of Danson and Highsmith, out of focus and eyes closed. They’re not heroes — they’re "the Other Guys." But every cop has his day and soon Gamble and Hoitz stumble into a seemingly innocuous case no other detective wants to touch that could turn into New York City’s biggest crime. It’s the opportunity of their lives, but do these guys have the right stuff? Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, and co-writer/director Adam McKay will be appearing in person.

The Green Hornet–Director Michel Gondry, who makes movies with a special, personal signature, is taking on The Green Hornet—and he’s doing it in 3D. Comic-Con audiences, prepare yourselves. In The Green Hornet, Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) is the son of L.A.’s most prominent and respected media magnate and perfectly happy to maintain a directionless existence on the party scene—until his father (Tom Wilkinson) mysteriously dies, leaving Britt his vast media empire. Striking an unlikely friendship with one of his father’s more industrious and inventive employees, Kato (Jay Chou), they see their chance to do something meaningful for the first time in their lives: fight crime. To get close to the criminals, they come up with the perfect cover: they’ll pose as criminals themselves. Protecting the law by breaking it, Britt becomes the vigilante The Green Hornet as he and Kato hit the streets. Confirmed to appear in person to unveil this early look at The Green Hornet in 3D are the Hornet himself, Seth Rogen,  director Michel Gondry, writer Evan Goldberg, producer Neal Moritz, and actor Christoph Waltz. Hall H

Comic-Con descends upon San Diego in two weeks, and Screen Junkies will be there every step of the way getting stepped on by costumed freaks in pursuit of footage. Luckily, Summit isn’t showcasing a Twilight panel this year, so we won’t have to worry about Twihards ripping off our genitals in an effort to bum rush Hall H. Make sure you continually reload SJ’s homepage July 21-25 for the latest Comic-Con updates. My fingers are crossed I can pick up a wireless signal in the Convention Center, or else I’ll have to start eliminating bloggers, thus boosting bandwith.

Check out some of the Thursday highlights after the jump.

11:15 AM – 12:45 PM (Hall H): TRON: LEGACY – Returning for an unprecedented third year to the fans and convention that started it all, Walt Disney Pictures is pleased to present a special insider look at the upcoming TRON: Legacy. Panelists include filmmakers and talent from the film: director Joe Kosinski, producers Sean Bailey and Steven Lisberger, and cast members Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Michael Sheen, and Bruce Boxleitner. The discussion, moderated by Patton Oswalt, is set to include exclusive glimpses of the film, as well as a Q&A involving all panel participants, along with special surprise guests.

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM (Hall H): Sony Pictures (BATTLE: LOS ANGELES and SALT – Appearing in person from BATTLE: LOS ANGELES are Michelle Rodriguez, Aaron Eckhart, Neal Moritz, and director Jonathan Liebesman. Columbia Pictures also brings an exclusive and surprising look at Salt to Comic-Con, featuring some very special guests.

2:15pm – 3:15pm (Hall H): RED – Stars Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban, and Mary Louise Parker join director Robert Schwentke and Red’s graphic novel writer Warren Ellis as they debut the final trailer exclusively to Comic-Con 2010, before it’s ever in theaters, and answer questions about bringing this well known D.C. Comics graphic novel to the big screen.

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Room 32AB): MASTERS OF THE WEB – Hollywood writer/producer Roberto Orci and Edgar Wright, moderate a panel of the most popular movie website personalities as they come together to discuss how new media has influenced moviemaking and marketing, what it takes to run a popular site, and much more in a panel discussion and Q&A session. The panel consists of Jen Yamato, Edward Douglas, Vic Holtreman, Mike Sampson, George "El Guapo" Roush, Erik Davis and Devin Faraci.

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM (Hall H): Entertainment Weekly: The Visionaries — A discussion with geek gods J. J. Abrams (Star Trek) and Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) on the future of pop culture. EW presents an in-depth conversation with these two creative geniuses about how technology, gaming, and global culture are reshaping how we tell and consume stories on television, film and the web. Plus: Is the superhero movie waning, or is it on the cusp of reinvention? And what do they think the pop culture universe will look like a decade from now? Moderated by Jeff "Doc" Jensen.

4:45 PM – 5:45 PM (Hall H): THE EXPENDABLES – Prepare to have your ass kicked by The Expendables, the biggest action movie this summer! Lionsgate presents exclusive scenes and the inside scoop on every punch, kick, and bloodied lip from the most iconic cast of heroes and villains ever assembled, including the director, writer, and star Sylvester Stallone (Rambo), along with Dolph Lundgren (Universal Soldier), Steve Austin (The Condemned), Randy Couture (Scorpion King: Rise of the Warrior), and Terry Crews (Gamer).

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Hall H): SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD – Genre-bending filmmaker Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz), graphic novel author Bryan Lee O’Malley, and the cast of Universal Pictures’ Scott Pilgrim vs. the World provide a sneak peek of summer 2010′s epic of epic epicness. Joining Wright will be our hero, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera of Superbad); Scott’s two current girlfriends, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead of The Thing) and Knives Chau (Ellen Wong of Unnatural History); his band, SEX BOB-OMB: Kim Pine (Alison Pill of Milk) and Stephen Stills (Mark Webber of Broken Flowers); SEX BOB-OMB super-fan Young Neil (Johnny Simmons of Jennifer’s Body); Scott’s awesome roommate, Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin of Igby Goes Down); and four of Ramona’s seven evil exes: Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha of Fair Game), Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh of Superman Returns), Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman of Funny People) and Roxy Richter (Mae Whitman of Parenthood); plus Scott’s younger sister, Stacey Pilgrim (Anna Kendrick of Up in the Air), and the obnoxious Julie Powers (Aubrey Plaza of Parks and Recreation). Q&A to follow.

Click HERE for the entire Thursday schedule.

The destination for all your Comic-Con panels, videos, and chaos.

^{Off-camera: a giant sandwich.}

Keep an eye out for Guillermo del Toro at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con because he has big news. He shouldn’t be that difficult to find. Just look for the heavyset guy with glasses and an unshaven neck. Ask a Convention Center employee if you have trouble. Guillermo’s official site has this message from the director:

Van Helsing (writing and producing) is still in talks and not quite certain. Even then, I would like to share my plans only at COMICON. I am taking it slowly and marking very, very carefully the calendar of projects that I will be involved as producer, writer, etc I will not announce the project I intend to direct until then . I am very happy to say that all the projects and partnerships being considered are both quite surprising and, I hope, powerful. Much as I want, I cannot say much more at this time but I anxiously await to share these with you. I will be shopping on the floor in San Diego for several days. See you there!!

So what could this "quite surprising" news be? Is he going to play Magneto? I bet he’d make a great Magneto. He’s already quite adept at bending metal chairs.

^{That sandwich doesn’t stand a chance with Knowles hanging around.}

Morgan Spurlock and Harry Knowles may not see eye to eye on the subject of McDonald’s, but they’re willing to put that difference aside. The Ain’t It Cool News founder and comics legend Stan Lee will join Spurlock and Joss Whedon in producing their San Diego Comic-Con documentary. The doc, newly titled Comic-Con Episode Four: A Fan’s Hope, will begin following seven fans in June as they prepare for this year’s convention.

I’ve only been to the crappy New York version of Comic-Con and am looking forward to see how the film capture the spirit in San Diego. And with the Four Horsemen of Geekdom (Acne, Asthma, Cheeto Fingers, and Dumb Laugh) behind the lens, it’s sure to take us where no film ever cared to go before. (THR)

Joss Whedon is looking for a few big nerds. The Buffy/Dollhouse/Dr. Horrible creator is currently searching for three fanboys or fangirls for an upcoming documentary about San Diego Comic-Con and nerd culture. He and Super-Size Me director/star Morgan Spurlock want to follow their subjects around for the three months leading up to this year’s convention. Why they want three months worth of masturbating to anime footage is well beyond me.

Filming is sure to be hectic on convention day when the crew loses Whedon due to his instantaneous blending in with the crowd. He’s like a nerd chameleon. In all earnestness, this seems like a unique look at a growing counter-culture I am a little bummed though that Spurlock will not be upping the ante of his previous works by remaining a virgin and living in his parent’s basement for 30 years. (E!)

The panel for the "The Family Guy" spinoff "The Cleveland Show" didn’t have as much hype as the panels that were premiering big movie trailers or had anything remotely to do with either Lost or Twilight.  What it did bring, however, was laughs, and lots of them.  Instead of rambling, the group of panelists, which included Seth Macfarlane, Mike Henry, Jamie Kennedy, and the rest of the principal cast, let the show speak for itself, showing an extended clip of the pilot and a clip of an episode airing in December…

The first clip established Cleveland as a surrogate father to the new cast, including roughing up a boyfriend (Jamie Kennedy as the “urban enthusiast” Federline Jones) of his new flame’s daughter Roberta, as well as teaching the young Rollo (think Stewie mixed with Tim Meadows‘ "Ladies’ Man" character) how to sneak looks at the ladies in his kindergarten class without getting caught.

The second clip was a favorite with the guests in Ballroom 20.  When Cleveland tries to get Roberta to pledge her virginity to God, Cleveland Jr. jumps to pledge himself to God in an effort to impress his dad.  Cleveland, being the ladies’ man he is, does not want his son to be a hapless virgin.  Cleveland’s technique for getting his son to realize the dire need to lose one’s virginity, you ask?  Show him the inside of a comic book convention.  That backfires, however, when they both realize that there’s a bunch of cool stuff at comic-book conventions.

The style of the show seemed very similar to "Th Family Guy," judging by the clips.  One might go so far as to ask, “Well, what’s different about it, then?”  Awesome question!  So awesome, Screen Junkies already asked Cleveland himself, Mike Henry.  Video clip ahoy!

CLEVELAND FROM THE FAMILY GUY 2 – Watch more Funny Videos

Not mentioned is the presence of other guest actors, such as legendary director David Lynch playing “A bartender who looks a lot like legendary director David Lynch.”

The group also mentioned that while they intend to have some "Family Guy" crossover, they intend to let Cleveland do his own thang on his own show.  Judging by the response the clips got, and Mike Henry’s winning enthusiasm for the show, it seems like the Macfarlane factory has another hit on their hands.  I, for one, have always wanted "Family Guy" to be funkier, sweeter, and feature Christmas songs with Earth, Wind, and Fire.  It seems like The Cleveland Show is addressing all of my concerns.

Fellow Junkies,

Comic-Con has come and gone, as has Screen Junkies from San Diego.  It was our first ever trip down to Comic-Con and it will not be our last, but we learned a lot.  Mostly, we learned that you have to surrender to the fact that you can’t cover EVERYTHING at Comic-Con.  Here’s everything we DID cover:

AVATAR
Video clips of James Cameron speaking about AVATAR just moments after having unveiled 25-minutes of the film to Hall H @ Comic-Con. 

G4′s ATTACK OF THE SHOW
Video clips and a rundown of Olivia Munn, Kevin Pereira, Blair Butler and the producers’ AOTS presentation.  Includes a clip of Comic-Con’s first ever "Nerd Rave!"

LOST: THE FINAL SEASON
Co-creators Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse are joined by a bevy of the hit show’s stars for a presentation of Season 6.  Includes video clips (of course), but does not include major spoilers (of course).

DISTRICT 9 SNEAK/SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
Ace Screen Junkie Spencer Vickers sees a sneak peek of the Neill Blomkamp-directed, Peter Jackson-produced sci-fi violence-fest and promptly writes an open letter to the studio execs that killed HALO to remind them of their own stupidity for having ever committed such stupidity.  As if they didn’t know.

JENNIFER’S BODY
A rundown of the film’s first 15 minutes, and Q&A with Megan Fox, writer Diablo Cody, director Karyn Kusama and producer Jason Reitman.  As Megan Fox says about J’s B, "You better be wearing your sexy shoes!"

SOLOMON KANE
A recap of the Hall H panel about the Michael J. Bassett-directed, James Purefoy-starring film adaptation of CONAN-creator Robert E. Howard‘s badass demon slayer.  Well received at Comic-Con, and a potential sleeper hit when the film opens later this year.  Give it up for sword & sorcery flicks!

EXTRACT
Video clips and commentary about Mike Judge‘s latest, including a video of Jason Bateman passing out on Mila Kunis (not a bad place to land).

THE CLEVELAND SHOW
Interviews with cast members and video of "The Family Guy" spinoff’s panel in Hall H, with creator Seth MacFarlane.

And that’s all she wrote.  We’ll see you next year, Comic-Con, and we’ll be loaded for bear when we do. 

So send us out, Oscar-nominated writer/director Frank Darabont!

After the promising SOLOMON KANE presentation in Hall H, the crowd at Comic-Con was buzzing for geek legend Mike Judge to make a return to his OFFICE SPACE form with his latest flick EXTRACT.  He was joined on stage by cast members Jason Bateman and Mila Kunis, as well.  Comedienne du jour Kristen Wiig could not make it because of filming commitments in New Mexico.  To Bateman’s credit, he was running on an hour’s worth of sleep, having just wrapped on the same shoot at 5am, which, it’s safe to say, is Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Greg Mottola‘s alien comed PAUL…

If you haven’t seen the trailer for EXTRACT, the basic setup is this: Joel (Bateman) owns and operates an extract factory.  He’s depressed, thinks his wife (Kristen Wiig) is cheating on him, and on top of it all, a worker named Step (Clifton Collins Jr.) has his nut taken off in a freak mechanical accident.

The panel jumped right into a clip from the film, which was a scene in which Cindy (Kunis) a new temp at the Extract factory that Joel owns and operates, is shown around by JK Simmons‘s character.  Simmons is his usual funny self, playing a slightly lecherous manager who introduces CIndy to Joel. Afterwards, we see Joel and Cindy chat in his office for the first time, and we learn that Cindy is actually a grifter, who’s only looking to get close to Step so she can take all that workman’s comp money he’s owed.  And there’s not too much of a commitment on her part: the man’s got no nuts.

The scene ends with Joel’s buddy Dean (Ben Affleck) coming into the room as Cindy leaves, and the two friends doing the whole "Cindy’s a temp – She’s a TRAMP?!" bit from the trailer.  At this point, it was solid stuff: authentic comedy that didn’t try too hard.  Classic Mike Judge tone, but not gut-bustingly hilarious just yet.

The panelists weren’t much for talk, so they quickly jumped right into a second clip, which featured Joel and Dean hiring a dumber-than-dirt gigolo named Brad (Dustin Milligan) to sleep with Joel’s wife in order to prove that she’s willing to cheat on him.  The scene’s setup saw Dean feeding Joel a horse tranquilizer by accident (he thought it was Xanax), which made the whole conversation with the gigolo satisfyingly awkward.  After the clip, Judge informed the crowd that a huge chunk of the scene was missing from the reel somehow.  No one seemed to care too much, except for the moderator from MTV, who joked, "Someone’s getting fired!"  Yeah… my guess is that someone actually did get fired for it, which sort of took the sails out of that joke…

Said Bateman about Judge’s brand of comedy, "What makes Mike laugh is what a lot of my bosses [other directors?] laugh.  He will blow a guy’s balls off, but he’ll draw the line."  He also laid out his mentality for taking the job. "Not often do actors get the chance to do something that they themselves would watch.  We like to eat too.  This is one of those dream jobs.  It’s something I really like and am really proud of."

They can certainly be proud of the final clip, which was easily the crowd’s favorite.  In it, Joel calls Brad the gigolo and listens to him recount his attempt to seduce Joel’s wife.  While his story isn’t embellished, Judge’s visual presentation of it is, complete with a pro mist filter that makes it look like Happy Gilmore’s fantasy world.  Bateman plays the cuckold very well, and the moment in which Brad reveals how pleased he was with himself for having offered to rub sunscreen on the wife’s back in order to seduce her is classic.

The jury is still out on Judge’s next project, but the strength of his previous work was enough to get me to check out the film.  After the panel, I rushed upstairs to check in for the roundtable interviews with Mike Judge, only to be offered a chance to stand in the TV line and do 1:1 interviews. And I took it.

In the end, it was a mistake on my part.  I didn’t know that Mr. Judge would only be doing the roundtables, so let me apologize to my Twitter subscribers that tweeted questions for him.  (Maybe we can work something out later.) 

Outside in the TV line, I had to compete with the big guns like ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT and EXTRA.  Sadly, we were far down the receiving line for Bateman & Kunis, and had to squeeze into a group interview.  Note to self: When offered a TV line next time, either have a four-person crew with you or don’t attend.  Case in point: here’s some crappy video I took of Bateman (with Kunis fighting sleep while answering questions being shouted at him by about five different outlets:

It’s at least a bit of an indication as to how big a media circus Comic-Con has become, and it’s a testament to Bateman’s professionalism for having even shown up for the cameras after the panel in Hall H. 

All of us at Screen Junkies hope EXTRACT brings its A-game to theaters on September 4th, 2009.  Then Bateman can sleep easy.