With all the excitement around Celebration Europe, and the recent Force Unleashed trailer unveiling at E3, don't forget that Comic-Con International is next week! At a glance, here are some of the exciting things Star Wars fans can look forward to in San Diego:
- Lucasfilm returns to the convention floor with a huge Star Wars pavilion you can't miss, complete with licensees, LucasArts, and Star Wars Shop, all celebrating 30 years of Star Wars and all that is to come
- Official Pix will have autograph celebrities in the booth -- the guest list is still being finalized, but we do know Dave Prowse (Darth Vader) will be there Thursday through Sunday and Matthew Wood (General Grievous) will be there Friday through Sunday.
- There will be a display of select helmets from the Vader Project
- Also in the pavilion, an autograph session (to be scheduled), with actors from the upcoming movie Fanboys
- On Thursday, from 1:30 - 3:30 in Hall H, Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies will present a sneak peek at their upcoming films, including a special segment of the presentation dedicated to the new
Indiana Jones movie - Don't miss the Fanboys panel on Thursday featuring some of the talent from the forthcoming Star Wars-themed comedy. It's Thursday from 6-7 pm in Room 6 CDEF
- The fine folks at LucasArts will be setting up shop, and you will actually be able to play their games: LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (XBOX 360, Wii and Nintendo DS), Thrillville: Off The Rails (XBOX 360 and Wii), Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron (PSP) and Star Wars Galaxies (PC)
- Friday is Star Wars Day, with Star Wars-themed panels throughout the day (see below for the schedule)
- Steve Sansweet, Head of Fan Relations, will present the major Lucasfilm piece on Friday from 5-6 pm in Hall H
- Sunday is kids' day at Comic-Con, and Bonnie Burton, Tom Hodges, and Matt Busch will be teaching one of their great "How to Draw Star Wars" classes for kids on Sunday from 12:30 -- 1:30 in Room 30 CDE
Troy Alders of Lucas Licensing will be doing artist portfolio reviews on Sunday from 11am -- 2 pm in the portfolio review area. - Official Pix is hosting an Official Star Wars Fan Club breakfast Saturday morning from 6:30 -- 8:30 at the Marriott Hotel & Marina next door to the Convention Center.
And there's bound to more as fans gather to continue the year-long celebration of the saga's 30th anniversary. The souvenir program book for the show has a Star Wars cover by popular comic artist Star Wars Day (Friday, July 27) Schedule: Great Star Wars Books and Book News (10:30-11:30am) Room 1AB What's New, and What's Coming at Hasbro (11:30am-12:30pm) Room 1AB Star Wars: LucasArts (12:30 - 1:30pm) Room 1AB Star Wars Robot Chicken Sets & Toys (1:30-2:30pm) Room 1AB Star Wars at 30 Years with Steve Sansweet (5:00 -- 6:00 pm) Hall H Star Wars Trivia (6:30-7:30pm) Room 1AB As always, last-minute schedule changes may occur, so be sure to check on-site scheduling on the day. For more information about San Diego Comic-Con International, visit the official site here: http://www.comic-con.org.
Join J.W. Rinzler, author of the recently-released The Making of Star Wars as he hurtles you back in time for a one-of-a-kind behind-the-scenes look at the nearly decade-long quest of George Lucas and his key collaborators to make the "little" movie that became a phenomenon. Stephen J. Sansweet, author of the upcoming The Star Wars Vault, will talk about collecting the amazing, never-before-published artifacts that will be part of each copy of the new book. Finally, Keith Clayton (Editor, Del Rey) will reveal an exclusive announcement on an upcoming Star Wars title from Del Rey and LucasBooks, just for audience members at Comic-Con!
Come for first announcements about Hasbro's products that you might not hear anywhere else, plus a special sneak preview of the 2008 product line. Meet members of Hasbro's Star Wars marketing and design teams -- the talented people who work on the company's Attacktix, Titanium, and Star Wars action figure line. Question & Answer time included!
Celebrate 25 years of LucasArts videogames and learn about the past, present, and future by attending this panel with key LucasArts producers. See what LucasArts has in store, then ask your own questions in a Q&A session.
As Production Designer for the Robot Chicken: Star Wars Special, Jed Hathaway researched and designed each miniature set with exact replication and utmost detail. In this discussion, Hathaway will explain the basics of designing sets, props and vehicles for stop-motion animation. An in-depth behind the scenes video will show how his team brought the Star Wars universe to life, and show various comparisons between the special and the original Star Wars Saga. There will be a 20-minute presentation video followed by a question and answer session.
This summer marks the 30th anniversary of the Star Wars Saga, and its indelible influence on popular culture. We've got 30 years of great memories thanks to the galaxy far, far away, but there are also great things to come, too. Join Lucasfilm's Steve Sansweet for a little Star Wars nostalgia, a review of the 30th anniversary year so far, and a look at what's new and what's coming for Star Wars.
Members of the San Diego Star Wars Society, veteran hosts of great Star Wars trivia game shows at Comic-Con International in 2004, 2005, and 2006 are planning another trivia challenge for all fans who think they know their stuff about the galaxy far, far away.
