Friday, July 23, 2010

USA Networks, Showtime Networks Inc., Sailormoon! at Comic-Con

Yesterday kicked off the first day of Comic Con (minus Preview Night), San Diego's annual popular arts event. There was the usual: major networks and comic book companies promoting upcoming films (such as Salt, Red, and Tron: Legacy) and successful comics and television series, but Comic Con is bigger than ever, once again transforming the downtown cityscape into a pop wonderland. I sat in Ballroom 20 from USA Network panels to Showtime panels.

Some highlights were definitely the antics at the "Psych" panel (see the photo story below), and Willie Garson animatedly moderating the "White Collar" panel. Matt Bomer was charming, but not rakish -- rather, he was sweet, humble, and very relaxed for the "White Collar" panel. Bruce Campbell was slipping dollar bills to anyone who would stroke his ego, and being his usual lovable self for the "Burn Notice" panel, where a "Burn Notice" prequel film involving his character was unexpectedly announced by Jeff Wachtel, president of USA Networks, who admitted: "What the world needs right now is more Bruce Campbell!"

Tv's Nancy Botwin (Mary Louise Parker) of "Weeds" compared her character to Scarlett O'Hara, in that "She thinks she's gonna make up for [her parenting mishaps] later. Like, next month she'll take them on a family outing." As we all know, Scarlett had a tendency of putting off serious thoughts for tomorrow, often quipping: "I'll think about that later." Victoria Morrow revealed that she and the writing team saw grisly things during police-sanctioned tours of the Mexico-U.S. "no man's land" in east county San Diego, and when faced with the question of the Botwins experiencing a downward spiral in the upcoming season, said that the Botwins have been constantly in a downward spiral and that seeing them resolve the barrage of misfortune is the center of the show. Is it possible that the fan asking that question somehow distinguishes apart Agrestic as a stable period and Ren Mar/Tijuana as a beginning of a downward spiral? Feigning normalcy in Agrestic doesn't cover up the fact that the Botwins have been in a tornado upon Judah Botwin's death! This is a credit to Mary Louise Parker and the entire "Weeds" cast for making shit-hitting-the-fan look appealing to suburban television watchers! P.S. Victoria Morrow, when asked if Season 6 was the last season of "Weeds," said "No." :)

Also, Jennifer Carpenter clarified that though the "Dexter" audience is privy to Dexter's true nature, her character of Deb Morgan does not connect the dots to his serial killer tendency due to a lack of knowledge that the audience has to an advantage. "She's putting the puzzle together," Carpenter explained, "but it's not going to read 'My brother is a serial killer.'" She also said that, "Harry [Morgan] raised both of us," therefore Deb possesses aspects of Harry that Dexter possibly lacks, but both represent Harry's dual nature. The panel seemed impressed when a fan asked if the show would explore the reason the Dark Passenger can inhabit Dexter's host persona, suggesting a sentience in the Dark Passenger apart from Dexter's consciousness. That may border on United States of Tara material, and definitely a subtle nod to the book series' more esoteric content, but Executive Producer Sara Colleton (though explaining that since Season 1, the show has presented orignal material building from the immediately previous seasons and that the writers make a conscious effort to not read the books) still suggested that traces of that line of questioning will be present in Season 5.


The early morning line to get into the Exhibition Hall. I love the "True Blood" (Showtime) advertising overhead!

More Comic-Con Day 1 photos after the jump!


On a set with props from "The Walking Dead," an up-coming AMC series, from the network that brought you "Mad Men"!


A friend trying out the Glee Karaoke Revolution game! ♫ Set me free why don't you baby? Get out my life why don't you baby!

That's a thumbs up for the Lego Threepio and R2D2!

Buffy Season 8 does a great job of keeping the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spirit alive in a Twilight age...  (The Dark Horse area)


Odin's "Thor" Throne. Thanks Marvel Comics!

Some models acting as "Programs" in the digital world of the Tron: Legacy area (Disney).


Todd Stashwick (The Riches, Heroes, The Air I Breathe; and, notably for us Buffy fans, the M'Fashnik demon in "Flooded" from BVTS S6, and Vocah demon in "To Shansu in L.A." from Angel S1), co-creator of the new and expertly-illustrated, engagingly written "Devil Inside" series!


Lego has been hitten' 'em out of the park! A great Hermione Granger and Harry Potter, of, of course, the Harry Potter series (Warner Brothers).


Rock Band 3, from MTV Games and Harmonix.


David Lizerbram, panelist of Comic Book Law School: Hot Topics at this year's Comic Con! So proud to know him, wish I had the Friday pass!


...And of course, Sailor Moon! :)


Reena Leone, Social Media Coordinator at Digitaria, doing her Comic Con coverage and taking temporary shelter at the Ugly Dolls area!


I'm the hugest fan of the Puppet Master metaseries. Andre Toulon makes the BEST totems of vengeance!


Yoshi!


Bruce Campbell and Tim Matheson sitting for the "Burn Notice" (USA Network) panel at CCSD.


Tim DeKay and Matt Bomer of "White Collar" (USA Network) sitting for their panel at CCSD.


Marsha Thomason and Tiffany Thiessen (does Kelly Kapowski need an introduction?!) sitting for the "White Collar" (USA Network) panel at CCSD.


Thomason, Thiessen and DeKay repartee.


Willie Garson (Stanford Blatch of the Sex and the City metaseries) moderating the panel for his new show "White Collar" (USA Network) at CCSD.


Curt Smith of Tears for Fears singing "Shout" at the "Psych" panel (USA).


Dule Hill (left) and James Roday singing "Shout" with Curt Smith (middle; Tears for Fears!) at the "Psych" panel at CCSD!


Dule Hill and choreographer Jason Samuels Smith doin' some ill tap dancing!




New Executive Producer (to the show "Dexter"; formerly of "24") Chip Johannessen, and Dexter himself, Michael C. Hall!


Mary Louise Parker of Weeds (Showtime)! She's sitting in the "Showtime Anti-Heroes" panel at CCSD.


The very focused Mary Louise Parker (I say focused because I really think her performances have a studied looseness that is just so damn expert!) with writer/co-producer Victoria Morrow of "Weeds."


The talented Jennifer Carpenter taking a seat next to James Remar (Harry in "Dexter," Richard in "SATC"!).


The Morgans! The beautiful, splendid, luminous, clever Jennifer Carpenter and the darkly handsome, focused, eloquent Michael C. Hall sitting for the "Dexter" (Showtime) panel at CCSD!


They're amazing!


I have to go watch White Chicks again... I love her comedic performance!

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