Not So Full Coverage of New York Comic Con

So I'll be there with my new old Canon D60 that I'm still figuring out (new to me, old to Eric Westpheling) to scope out the scene at this year's Comic Con New York at the Javits Center. As a pretty strict Marvel fan, I fell off about 14 or 15 years ago but still love dusting off the old stories for another run through every time I go home to my twin size bed upstate (and they never cease to amaze me). I was hoping to make the show presented above but I already got tickets to the English Beat/Bad Manners/Big D show.

Comic Con over the years has certainly expanded (cast of Fringe? Chuck? Torchwood?) but I'm told that New York is where the real costumes come out (eat it San Diego). It's NYC: everything is more excessive here. I'll be taking some photos and getting some stuff done like completing some story arcs....from 14 or 15 years ago that I never picked up issues for. Or I could just spike my hair up and pretend I'm a Dragonball Z character. Or I could fart and I'm sure it would smell better than some odors flying around. See the thing about events like this, and the way they've expanded as they grow more popular and businesspeople get wise to it, is that added exposure is always good, but at what point does it really get too much? Shit like Sundance is a joke nowadays (well now I just sound really bitter about not being famous...), but on the flipside, Comic Con, which is a different brand, a different genre even though movies are creeping in to supply fanboys and girls with some great material, seems to get cooler in it's bloated form. The New York version might not be as trendy, but hell, I'm sure there'll be some really colorful cats and kittens.

Anywho, a lot of action from Cartoon Network/Adult Swim (boy do they love James Harrison now) has come out of the city and Brooklyn, including the guys from Superjail!, which is about as twisted as TV gets. Here are SOME of their panels (and a free party on the night of the 6th which you may or may not want to check out featuring John Glaser and his new Adult Swim live action show, Delocated, filmed here in NYC; see below). Oh and a Venture Bros. panel, of which Season 3 comes out on March 24th.

All times and schedules subject to change, so be sure to double check while you are there to get the very latest schedules. Especially if Breckin Meyer's signing times change.

PANELS

SUPERJAIL!

Friday, Feb. 6, 4:45 – 5:45 p.m. (ET)

Location: Panel Room 1A08-12

Heavy animation and violence run rampant in Superjail! Created by Christy Karacas, Stephen Warbrick and Ben Gruber, the series uses flash animation to create traditional animation gags that move at a dizzying pace. Superjail is the most intense and complicated jail in the universe, residing on a remote island under the tedious eye of the mysterious and slightly delirious Warden. The psychedelic landscape of Superjail! features dangerous criminals, fantastic creatures and frequent riots. The Warden watches over every square inch of the jail like a crazed big brother in his chaotically crafted prison. Criminals may escape from time to time, but their heinous crimes undoubtedly bring them back to Superjail.

The panelists include:

· Christy Karacas, creator / executive producer, Superjail!

· Stephen Warbrick, creator / executive producer, Superjail!

· David Wain, voice of The Warden, Superjail!

· Ted Cohn, voice of Jared, Superjail!

· Richard Mather, voice of The Twins, Superjail!

Moderated by Keith Crofford, Vice President of Production for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim

ROBOT CHICKEN

Saturday, Feb. 7, 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. (ET)

Location: Room 1A08-12

Adult Swim’s Robot Chicken: Seth Green and Matthew Senreich (creators/executive producers) speak about Adult Swim’s original series, Robot Chicken. Now in its fourth season, the network’s Emmy-winning 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 The Hills to James Bond to “Composite Santa Claus.” Throughout the series, Green and Senreich have enlisted the help of numerous guest voice actors, including Tila Tequila, Seth MacFarlane, Conan O’Brien, Hayden Panettiere, Hugh Hefner, Carrie Fisher and George Lucas, among others. In addition to the series, Green and Senreich have also created two Star Wars-themed specials: the Emmy-nominated Robot Chicken: Star Wars from 2007 and its follow-up, Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II, which premiered last November.

The panelists include:

· Seth Green, creator/executive producer, Robot Chicken

· Matthew Senreich, creator/executive producer, Robot Chicken

· Breckin Meyer, writer/actor, Robot Chicken

· Kevin Shinick, writer/actor/creative director, Robot Chicken

· Geoff Johns, writer, Robot Chicken

Moderated by Keith Crofford

THE VENTURE BROS.

Saturday, Feb. 7, 6:45 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. (ET)

Location: Room 1A08-12

The Venture Bros. is an animated comedy series that follows the adventures of Dean and Hank Venture, the twin sons of famous-but-flailing scientist Dr. Thaddeus S. Venture. In August 2004, viewers were introduced to Hank and Dean, the all-American boys oddly out of place in today’s world. The twins live in a high-tech compound where their father, the world-renowned Dr. Venture, carries out his scientific experiments. But it’s not all reading, sports and goofing around in dad’s lab for these fraternal twins. Once the boys leave home, they inevitably find themselves in danger. Doc Venture’s work takes the family everywhere from a space station to the Bermuda Triangle to the slums of Tijuana. And when your father has enemies like The Monarch, there is bound to be trouble. It’s a good thing that muscle-bound Brock Samson, the family’s bodyguard, is around to deliver his brutal form of vengeance.

The panelists include:

· Jackson Publick, creator and voice of Hank Venture, The Monarch, Henchman 24, Pete White and Sgt. Hatred, The Venture Bros.

· Doc Hammer, creator and voice of Dr. Girlfriend, Henchman 21 and Billy Quizboy, The Venture Bros.

Moderated by Keith Crofford (yup him again)

ADULT SWIM SIGNINGS

Saturday, February 7

· 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Seth Green, Matthew Senreich, Breckin Meyer, Kevin Shinick Robot Chicken, Rm. 1A01

· 7:45 – 8:45 p.m. Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer, The Venture Bros, Rm. 1A08-12

ADULT SWIM EVENTS

Adult Swim Presents Jon Glaser, Cheeseburger & Andrew W.K.

Friday, February 6, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)

Santos Party House, 96 Lafayette St., NYC

A free fan event hosted by Jon Glaser, of the new Adult Swim show Delocated!, including performances by Cheeseburger (Superjail! co-creator Christy Karacas is Cheeseburger’s guitarist) and Andrew W.K.

For more on Santos Party House, go here.