ComicCon

"Even when the movies ended up bad — and they usually did — crime novelist Donald E. Westlake never had a problem taking Hollywood money for his ideas. But with his signature creation, the ruthless career criminal known simply as Parker, Westlake insisted that the names be changed to protect the guilty. Westlake, who died at age 75 this past New Year’s Eve, saw seven movies made from his Parker novels (which were all published under his pseudonym Richard Stark), but in each film the main character’s name was changed; even when Lee Marvin, Robert Duvall or Mel Gibson was in the role, Westlake wouldn’t entrust his favorite brand name to anyone else. That changed, though, in the final months of Westlake’s life in an unexpected way that had nothing to do with Hollywood. A Nova Scotia-based illustrator named Darwyn Cooke and an San Diego book editor named Scott Dunbier persuaded the aging author that the ideal visual medium for his terse, bare-knuckled tales of mayhem was the graphic... more... - RAPatton from Bookmarklet

"Below is my schedule for Comic-Con this week. I have a piece in a show that Mark Murphy curated opening on Thursday, and I'll be signing on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Hope to see you there! Thursday, July 23rd. Scribble08 Art Film Premier and Exhibition 6:00pm - 11:45pm Wonderhaus 1441 L. Street San Deigo, CA Please join us for a premier event featuring a new documentary art film “Scribble08,” art exhibition, live music, cash bar, food and great friends. 21 and over only. Featured Artists Jesse M Balmer + Glenn Barr + Tim Biskup + Cathie Bleck + Matthew Bone + Marc Burckhardt + Collin Christian + Sas Christian + Kevin Christy + Christian and Rob Clayton + Robert Connett + Tony Fitzpatrick + AJ Fosik + Femke Hiemstra + Hiro Kurata + James Jean + Chris Mars + Jeff Soto + Gary Taxali + Thesis + Mark Todd + Damon Soule + Esther Pearl Watson + Kent Williams + Martin Wittfooth Friday, July 24th Eden Skate Deck - Giant Robot Signing 2:00pm - 4:00pm Giant Robot Booth 1729 Saturday, July... more... - RAPatton from Bookmarklet

""Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Firefly" creator Joss Whedon has always enjoyed having informal conversations with fans, and his latest fireside chat about the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con is no different. Whedon took a minute to share with fans about what he and Fox had in store for "Dollhouse" at the convention, including a special Blu-Ray release of the first season of the series that is going to be made available to fans for the first time at Comic-Con. Only 2,500 copies were created, and each features a "personal letter" to fans from Whedon, as well as special Comic-Con packaging. Want to own the Blu-Ray version of "Dollhouse"? At least for this promotion, it will set you back about $70." - RAPatton from Bookmarklet

Damn - if I can get out of my booth long enough I'd LOVE to attend the Dollhouse/Whedon panel! - Humerus

"Director Matthew Vaughn will bring his big-screen adaptation of "Kick-Ass" to San Diego this month, and along with joining members of the cast on the "Kick-Ass" Comic-Con panel, he'll also debut the first footage from the much-anticipated film. In an interview with MTV News, Vaughn shared some details about exactly what fans can look forward to seeing during Thursday's "Kick-Ass" presentation. "There will be at least four scenes from the first act," he explained, "then a minute's montage of what's going to happen in the next two acts. ... They're all good scenes. Not the best scenes in the movie, but they set up what the film is about." Vaughn said the decision to select specific scenes from the first act instead of putting together a full-on trailer came from seeing far too many "great trailers for crap movies" in the past. Instead, he opted to let actual scenes from the film do the talking. Even so, Vaughn said he's still cutting it close with what he brings to Comic-Con -- and... more... - RAPatton from Bookmarklet

"On Thursday, July 23, at Noon, Comic-Con will be featuring one of North America’s funniest and most innovative cartoonists, Bryan Lee O’Malley for an hour of conversation, and I have the best seat in the house—right on stage with him. Cue up early at Room 5AB to make sure you get a seat. BTW: The whole family and I will be at Con as usual, but this might be my only official appearance, since I’ll mostly just enjoying the sights. I’ll let you know if anything else comes up." - RAPatton from Bookmarklet

"DC Comics is resurrecting one-time popular intergalactic biker/bounty hunter Lobo with a writer sure to appeal to the character's core audience: Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian. Is this the latest example of headline-hunting stunt casting or a moment of editorial genius? Ian confirmed the news in a recent interview, telling the Quietus that he found Lobo a perfect fit for his talents: [If I wasn't making music] I think I'd be writing comic books for a living, full-time. I have a bit of that going on already with the comic book character Lobo. I find it much easier to write comic-books than lyrics actually because it's a natural dialogue. Writing song lyrics is not natural but over the years I know what I need to know to get it done. I find it quite easy to capture a character and use my own personality and humor." - RAPatton from Bookmarklet

"The two-part Lobo: Highway To Hell will launch in November, but don't be surprised if Ian shows up at San Diego Comic-Con at the end of the month to talk more about what's coming up." - RAPatton

"12:00-1:00 Spotlight on Bryan Lee O'Malley— Comic-Con special guest Bryan Lee O'Malley (winner of the Doug Wright, Joe Shuster, and Harvey Awards) talks with legendary comics scholar Scott McCloud (Understanding Comics, Zot!) about Bryan's groundbreaking slice-of-life graphic novel series Scott Pilgrim. From its genesis to the production of the upcoming film version, O'Malley speaks frankly about where Scott Pilgrim came from and where the series is going from here. With a fan Q&A to close the discussion, this is the must attend event of Comic-Con 2009! Room 5AB Categories: Comic Books | Comic-Con Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances" - RAPatton

"5:45-6:45 Kick-Ass— World premiere footage from Kick-Ass, based on Mark Millar's bestselling comic, is presented by director Matthew Vaughn (Stardust, Layercake). Joining him on the panel are Nicolas Cage, Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad), and comic co-creator John Romita Jr., among others, including a surprise guest. You don't want to miss the chance to be the first to experience this gritty, brash, and funny actioner. Hall H Categories: Comic Books | Movies" - RAPatton