San Diego Comic Con Friday, 7.27.07, 9:15pm
I apologize for all the pix of me lately. Dan O’Shannon and his magical iPhone took these shots of yours truly (above), last night in Room CDEF, warning the packed crowd (below) that they were about to see the Worst Cartoons Ever. And they did.

WHO: Obese fanboy with a thick accent hailing from Mexico
WHAT: The guy was talking to one of the dealers
WHERE: San Diego Comic-Con
WHEN: Thursday afternoon

“Animation just isn’t what it used to be. I really prefer the classic animation, the way it used to be in the old days. When I was growing up, we had quality animation like GI Joe and Transformers.”

Needless to say, I lasted barely a day at the Con this year before heading back on Thursday evening. The stench of the event—both figurative and literal—was overwhelming. There was simply too much crass commercialism on display, and too little appreciation or joy for any art form. Today at the Con, there’ll be panels “celebrating” Family Guy and Class of 3000. Somehow I think I’ll be able to live. I hope Brew readers there get more enjoyment out of it than I did this year.

San Diego Comic Con Thursday, 7.26.07, 5:30pm
Signing Popeye DVD posters with Stephen DeStefano at the Warner Bros. booth. (Thanks to Dan O’Shannon for the iPhone photo)

It’s so difficult to find folks down at the Comic-Con so here’s a thread where we can do a roll call of animation folk who’ll be attending this year. If you’re on a particular panel or just want to mention that you’ll be in attendance, let us know in this thread. Both Brewmasters Jerry and Amid will be down in San Diego. Say hello if you see us there. This comment thread is ONLY if you want to mention that you’ll be down there next week.

We’re starting to receive a lot of announcements from animation folk about what they’re selling next week at San Diego Comic-Con International. In fact, the amount of emails is becoming a bit overwhelming so we’re creating this open thread where any animation artist can announce what they’re selling. Be sure to include your booth number, website, and any other relevant details. It’s a huge convention center and we want to find you. This thread is ONLY about what cool things are being sold on the convention floor by animation folk; to keep things organized, all other comments will be deleted from this thread.

The Brooklyn Academy of Music is hosting a series of three screenings starting tonight and continuing through the end of July. “Animation Around the World” highlights shorts from the Ottawa and Clermont-Ferrand festivals as well as NY’s own Animation Block Party. More details can be found at the BAMcinématek website. Here are the screenings:

Best of Ottawa
Mon, July 16 at 6:50, 9:15pm
Due to popular demand, the Ottawa International Animation Festival has once again produced The Best of Ottawa, a special program highlighting some of the outstanding animated works screened each year at the Ottawa International Animation Festival. This year’s program features an exciting array of award-winning animated work.

The World According to Shorts presents: Best of Clermont-Ferrand
Mon, July 23 at 6:50, 9:15pm
The World According to Shorts presents highlights from one of the world’s premier short film festivals, Clermont-Ferrand’s Festival du Court Métrage. Highlights include a Seussian anthropology of the “piranha bird” (Tale of How); a poetic rendering of Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan; the utterly original Message for the Neighbors, in which a TV repairman is taken by an evangelical fervor; and a Brazilian take on Japanese anime (Yansan).

Animation Block Party
Mon, July 30 at 6:50, 9:15pm
From July 27-30 Animation Block Party will bounce around Brooklyn, exhibiting the world’s best animated shorts of all genres. The July 30th closing evening of ABP at BAM focuses on narrative independent, professional, and international works. Award winning filmmakers will be present for a pre-screening introduction. Last summer, over 1000 fans attended the Brooklyn-based film festival, which screened just under 60 animated films.

(Image at top is from The Runt by Andreas Hykade. The film is screening in both the Ottawa and Clermont-Ferrand programs.)

If you live in L.A. you really have no excuse not to go out and have a good time tonight!

Today we are shooting our forthcoming CartoonBrewFilms.com original web series, Cartoon Dump, at the Steve Allen Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. (near Vermont). We’ll be letting the public in for a sneak preview of what we are up to, tonight at 8pm, when I’ll screen some of my very best WORST CARTOONS EVER, and Frank Conniff and our cast will perform some bits of bizarre musical comedy. Tickets are $10 and we think we are going to have a full house. Call (800) 595-4849 to reserve a ticket.

If you can’t get in to see Cartoon Dump, you can trek a quarter mile west to the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre for an event promoting the new Woody Woodpecker DVD.

Leonard Maltin, June Foray, Tom Kenny and others will be holding a panel discussion about classic cartoons and the Walter Lantz studio. That’s at 7:30pm and it’s free! This too will be recorded for a podcast to be anounced later. So take your pick… and meet us in Hollywood!

They’ve just posted the complete schedule of programming for the San Diego Comic Con, July 26-29. Below I’ve extracted the animation related programming highlights - this is by no means the only programming of interest to our readers (we highly recommend Mark Evanier’s comics history panels, for one), nor does this represent a complete listing of all animation related activities. You’re advised to plan ahead and check the full schedule yourself.

Thursday

11:30-12:30 Nickelodeon: Making Fiends An animated web series which is becoming a new Nicktoon. A panel and sneak peek with creator Amy Winfrey. Moderated by Claudia Spinelli, executive in charge for Nickelodeon. Room 2

12:30-1:30 Cartoon Network: Ed, Edd & Eddy: The Final Goodbye Danny Antonucci, the creator of the show says goodbye. Joining him are Samuel Vincent (voice of Edd), Peter Kelamis (voice of Rolf), Janyse Jaud (voice of Sarah, Lee Kanker), Scott “Diggs� Underwood (storyboard director), and “Big Jim� Miller (storyboard director). Room 1AB

2:45-3:45 Hanna Barbera Retrospective A look back at the lives and times of two of the greatest characters in the history of animation, Bill Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Animation author/historian Tom Sito moderates a panel that includes voice director Andrea Romano, actor Gary Owens (Space Ghost), author Michael Mallory, plus animators Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone who will discuss Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale, Joe Barbera’s final animated project. Room 6B

4:00-5:00 Popeye: Well Blow Me Down! Discussing the new Warner Bros. DVD collection, Popeye The Sailor 1933–1938 Volume 1. Panelists include King Features exec Frank Caruso, cartoonist Stephen DeStefano, cartoon historian Jerry Beck, and others. Room 6B

5:00-6:00 Cartoon Network Sneak Peek A behind-the-scenes look at Cartoon Network’s newest project. Room 3

5:00-6:00 Bill Plympton Goes to the Dark Side Plympton will screen a couple of his brand new shorts, including Shuteye Hotel, and then show selected clips from his newest film, Idiots and Angels. A Q&A session will follow. Room 5AB

6:00-7:00 UPA: Mavericks, Magic, and Magoo Tee Bosustow, son of UPA founder Stephen Bosustow, looks at the lasting legacy of his father’s studio, UPA, with screenings of rare films and commercials and footage from his upcoming documentary on the studio. Long-time UPA animator Fred Crippen, creator of Roger RamJet, joins the panel. Room 3

7:15-8:45 The Pixar Story: To Infinity and Beyond - a the latest film by Oscar nominated documentary director Leslie Iwerks. Room 6CDEF

8:30-10:30 Superman Doomsday - the world premiere of Warner Bros. Animation’s made-for-DVD movie with panelists Bruce Timm, writer Duane Capizzi and members of the voice cast. Ballroom 20

Friday
10:30-11:30 Pixar Short Films Three of Disney/Pixar’s most talented filmmakers, Ralph Eggelston (For the Birds), Andrew Jimenez (One Man Band), and Gary Rydstrom (Lifted) discuss the studio’s short films, with a Q&A session to follow. Room 6CDEF

1:30-2:30 Nickelodeon’s The Mighty B! A sneak peek at The Mighty B!, a brand new Nicktoon with co-creators Cynthia True and Erik Wiese as they screen the pilot episode. Art director Seonna Hong will join the Q&A moderated by Nick exec Claudia Spinelli. Room 2

2:30-3:30 Filmation Spotlight A panel with legendary Filmation founder Lou Scheimer, voice actress Erika Scheimer (She-Ra’s Frosta and Loo-Kee), actor and SF legend Bob Burns, animation director Tom Tataranowicz, voice actor Ron Dante (lead singer of The Archies) and actors from Filmation’s live action. Room 5AB

3:30-4:30 American Dad Seth MacFarlane and the entire cast of American Dad (Wendy Schaal, Rachael MacFarlane, Scott Grimes and Dee Bradley Baker) will read an episode live with exec producers Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman. Room 6CDEF

4:15-5:45 Warner Bros. Animation: The Batman/Legion of Super-Heroes Supervising producer Alan Burnett (The Batman), producer-director Michael Goguen (Batman: The Animated Series), producer James Tucker (Justice League Unlimited), director Brandon Vietti (Superman Doomsday), and story editor/writer Michael Jelenic (The Batman) will be joined on the panel by voice cast members. Room 6B

5:00-6:00 Pitching an Animated Show Eric Coleman, VP animation, development & production at Nickelodeon; Heather Kenyon, senior director of development original animation for Cartoon Network; Jill Stewart, manager, original series, Disney Channel Animation, as well as creators Jorge R. Gutierrez (El Tigre) and Gabe Swarr (Big Pants Mouse), moderated by animation writer/creator Jon M. Gibson. Room 3CDEF

6:00-8:00 Ray Harryhausen and 20 Million Miles to Earth Stop-motion animation genius Ray Harryhausen will speak briefly, answer a few questions, then do live commentary while the film 20 Million Miles to Earth is screened. He’ll also answer more questions as the screening proceeds. Room 6B

6:30-7:30 The Chiodo Bros: Stop-Motion Animation in the Computer Age The Chiodo Bros. look at the surprising changes that computer technology has brought to stop motion. Room 5AB

9:15-10:15 Worst Cartoons Ever! Brewmaster Jerry Beck presents all-new, all awful, all-hilarious episodes of audience favorites Mighty Mr. Titan (the physical fitness superhero), Rocket Robin Hood (a spandex-clad space cadet), and Super President (a nuclear-powered weapon of mass destruction) and even more stuff you won’t believe. Room 6CDEF

Saturday
10:30-11:30 Into the Fire Nation: Nickelodeon’s Avatar Season 3 Sneak Peek Series creator Bryan Konietzko and director Joaquim Dos Santos (Justice League), head writer Aaron Ehasz (Futurama) and voice-over actor Dee Baker (Appa and Momo). Moderated by Eric Coleman, VP/executive producer. Room 6A

10:30-12:00 Animation Writers Caucus: Holy Bleep, Batman! or Censorship and Animation What can’t you say in a cartoon? What can’t you show? Why? Who says? Writers and producers of animated television series tell tales out of school about what they didn’t get to do and what they got away, in a panel sponsored by the Writers Guild of America’s Animation Writers Caucus. Featuring panelists Alan Burnett (Batman), Aaron Ehasz (Avatar), Eric Kaplan (The Drinky Crow Show), Craig Miller (Curious George), and Patric Verrone (Futurama). Room 8

10:45-12:00 The Simpsons Meet Matt Groening, Al Jean, David Mirkin, Matt Selman, Michael Price, David Silverman, Matt Warburton, Don Payne, and Yeardley Smith (voice of Lisa Simpson). Moderated by Bill Morrison. Hall H

11:30-12:30 BET Animation Reggie Hudlin (president, BET) and Denys Cowan (senior VP, BET Animation), share their vision for this new venture. Room 5AB

12:00-1:15 Cartoon Voices 1 Mark Evanier hosts his yearly panel with some of the greatest voice talent in the cartoon business. Today’s panel includes Neil Ross (GI Joe), Wally Wingert (Invader Zim), Kathy Garver (Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends), Will Ryan (Disney voice artist), and more. Room 6B

1:30-2:30 Family Guy Creator/star Seth MacFarlane, showrunner/executive producer David A. Goodman and the creative team behind Fox’s sucessful animated comedy. Room 6CDEF

2:00-3:00 State of the Animation Industry Industry experts assess the year in animation and take a look at the future. Panelists include Tim Johnson (co-director, Over the Hedge), Bill Plympton (independent animator extraordinaire), Sarah Baisley (editor, Animation World Network), Aki Umemoto (creative director, Mattel for 25 years and currently creative director of Base Station), Stephen Chiodo (Chiodo Bros. Studio), Aubry Mantz (formerly of ILM, chair of animation at Laguna College of Art & Design), and Kent Braun (DigiCel animation software). Room 8

2:15-4:00 WALL•E - Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo) introduces Pixar’s newest star, WALL•E. Stanton and sound designer Ben Burtt (Star Wars) present a first look at Disney·Pixar’s next animated adventure! Hall H

2:30-4:00 Scott Shaw!: Oddball Comics Room 5AB

2:45-4:00 Cartoon Network: Class of 3000/My Gym Partner’s a Monkey - Tommy Lynch and Joe Horn, the men behind Class of 3000, talk about the upcoming season and answer questions. Also Tom Kenny (voice of Philly Phil) and the man himself, Andre Benjamin will appear. Plus, the creators and lead writer of My Gym Partner’s a Monkey, Tim Cahill, Julie McNally Cahill, and Tom Sheppard will fill you in on what’s new for the coming season. Plus, a sneak peek of the upcoming show Flapjack. Room 6A

3:30-4:30 Futurama Matt Groening is proud to announce the long-awaited return of the animated sci-fi comedy classic Futurama! Matt and executive producer David X. Cohen will be on the dais, accompanied by writer Ken Keeler, animation directors Peter Avanzino and Dwayne Carey-Hill, and for the first time together on stage in any universe, actors Billy West (Fry), Katey Sagal (Leela), John DiMaggio (Bender), and Maurice LaMarche (Kif Kroker)! The cast and crew will entertain your questions and present a sneak peek at Bender’s Big Score! in glorious wide-screen format! Moderated by Bill Morrison. Ballroom 20

6:00-7:00 Drawing the Line: The Untold Story of the Animation Unions - Author/animator Tom Sito discusses the secrets behind the animation labor movement, from his new book, Drawing the Line. Room 4

6:30-7:30 The Animation Production Process - What goes into bringing an animated script to screen? Producers Stephanie Graziano (X-Men: The Animated Series), Tad Stones (Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms), and Greg Weisman (Spectacular Spider-Man) take you behind the scenes and into the trenches. Moderated by Shannon Muir, management coordinator at Animation World Network. Room 3

Sunday
10:45-11:45 El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera - Creators and co-executive producers Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua and supervising director Dave Thomas offer an inside look at what’s coming up this fall on their hit series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera. Then, sit back and laugh as you enjoy a live table read of a never-before-seen episode El Tigre, featuring series leads Alana Ubach (voice of Manny), Grey DeLisle (voice of Frida), Eric Bauza (voice of Rodolfo), and Carlos Alazraqui (voice of Granpapi).Room 6B

12:00-1:15 Cartoon Voices II - Back for more with some of the greatest voice talent in cartoons today! Moderator Mark Evanier talks with Tom Kenny (Spongebob Squarepants), Michael Bell (Rugrats), Gregg Berger (Transformers), Joe Alaskey (Duck Dodgers), and others in this second installment. Room 6B

1:30-2:30 Cartoon Network: Ben-10 - Creator Alex Soto answers the questions you’ve been dying to know. Meagan Smith (voice of Gwen) will be on hand to liven things up. Room 6B