Our blogging buddies Mark Evanier, Scott Shaw!, and Earl Kress are moderating (or appearing) on several panels of note at the San Diego Comic Con later this week.Earl Kress will be discussing PINKY AND THE BRAIN and ANIMANIACS on Thursday, 4:00pm in Room 6B.Mark Evanier’s panels are always a highlight of the con. He’ll be hosting the annual Jack Kirby tribute (Friday 2pm, Room 8), interviewing artists Jim Mooney, Jerry Robinson and John Romita, and moderating two panels (Saturday at 2pm, Sunday at 1pm, Room CDEF) devoted to Cartoon Voice actors (including appearences by Billy West, Maurice LaMarche and Bob Bergen, among others). Mark will also be appearing on a panel discussing SHE-RA AND HE-MAN / DUNGEONS & DRAGONS on Friday at 4:30 PM in Room 5AB.Scott Shaw! will be at table I-8, right next to Sergio Aragonés. He’ll also be appearing, sometime during the show, at McFarlane Toys’ booth, which will have the company’s new line of classic Hanna-Barbera action figures (which Scott designed) on display. If you haven’t seen it, don’t miss Scott’s hilarious Oddball Comic Slide Show on Saturday at 4:30 PM in Room 5AB. Even if you have, this is the place to see it again!

Sketchcrawl founder and Pixar story artist Enrico Casarosa is debuting the second volume of SKETCHCRAWLINGS in San Diego. The book is a collection of watercolor sketches and autobiographical comics. Enrico’s stubby self-caricature always delivers a laugh and his storytelling sensibilities are superb - in other words, I can’t wait to pick this one up. He’ll be signing the new SKETCHCRAWLINGS at the FLIGHT comics booth (#1131) for most of Friday and Saturday, and he’ll also be doing a signing with Ronnie del Carmen on Saturday from 2:30 to 4pm at Stuart Ng Books (booth #5113).

Maverix Studios is a San Francisco-based collective of animation and comic artists. They’ll be exhibiting in San Diego this year at booth #5485. Among the artists at their booth will be director/designer Ed Bell, who has a new 40-page sketchbook called OASIS. He describes the book as a “visual prologue” to an animated short that will be starting production this fall. If you can’t make it to San Diego, the book is also available at the print-on-demand bookseller Lulu.com. Another prolific talent who’ll be appearing at the Maverix booth is animator/director Robert Valley (AEON FLUX, Gorillaz videos). He’ll have a book called MASSIVE SWERVE, which compiles his strips and sketchbook pages. That book is also available on Lulu.

Animation artists Jamie Baker and Ronnie del Carmen offer you their personal shopping lists for this year’s Comic-Con. Anybody else with a personal shopping list posted on-line?

I first met John K in San Diego eleven years ago so it’s only fitting to mention that John will be in attendance at this year’s Comic-Con. He’ll be appearing at the Every Picture Tells A Story booth (#4721) on Saturday from 2-5 pm, where he’ll be selling original artwork, as well as signing copies of the brand-spanking new dvd REN & STIMPY: THE LOST EPISODES, which was officially released today. Having worked on these episodes, I’m certainly not the right person to offer an unbiased review - for an objective and impartial view on these cartoons, look no further than the blog of animation authority Eddie Fitzgerald.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences in Beverly Hills has set Friday August 18th for A Salute To Norman McLaren. Hosted by animation critic Charles Solomon, the evening will include the screening of thirteen newly restored and remasterd 35mm prints of McLaren’s pioneering work for the National Film Board of Canada. Films include NEIGHBORS (1952), A CHAIRY TALE (1957), BEGONE DULL CARE (1949), STARS AND STRIPES (1940), BLINKITY BLANK (1955) and eight others. A panel discussion will precede the screening; panelists to be announced. Tickets are $5. and the event will be presented at 8pm in the Academy’s Goldwyn Theatre at 8949 Wilshire Blvd. More information will be posted on the Academy’s website.

It’s hardly an everday occurrence that an unknown twenty-something walks into a major studio and is assigned to direct a big-budget animated feature. Today’s LA TIMES has an ARTICLE about that exact scenario: it’s the story of 29-year-old MONSTER HOUSE director Gil Kenan, an artist with no prior track record in feature animation. Unfortunately, it’s a frustrating article because the writer makes a big deal that Kenan is an untested director, yet the piece doesn’t offer any clues as to what’s so impressive about Kenan’s work or what inspired Sony to entrust him with a $75 million film.

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Pixar story artist Scott Morse wins the award for the widest variety of wares being sold by one artist. This year he’s offering custom-painted bowling pins, ukuleles, skate decks (above), hand-bound sketchbooks, t-shirts, the book NOBLE BOY, and various comics he’s done including SOULWIND and VOLCANIC REVOLVER. Morse will be at the Red Window/E-Ville Press booth (#4802). Check out Morse’s blog for a preview of all his products.