The Horror Highlights of WonderCon 2012

Steve Barton   |  

Mar 7, 2012

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It’s almost time for WonderCon 2012 to start packing fans into the Anaheim Convention Center, and we have the horror highlights of the three-day event that runs from March 16th-18th right here.

Along with the horror, we’ve included a few other panels that we thought would be of interest to our readers. For more info be sure to visit the official WonderCon website.

Friday, March 16th

12:30-1:30 IDW Presents: THE IDW Panel!— Chief creative officer Chris Ryall and sergeant of marketing Dirk Wood, give out prizes, make announcements, and evade questions! Featuring a host of creators, including Steve Niles, Ben McCool, Jason Ciaramella and more! All this, plus the Smoke & Mirrors boys, Mike Costa and Jon Armstrong, perform live magic! Yes, you read that right! Room 203

1:30-2:30 Monsters Anonymous— Comics and prose authors discuss the pros and cons of world-building with monsters and whether or not to make them known to that world’s public. Panelists include WonderCon special guest Mike Mignola (Hellboy) with Amber Benson (How to Be Death) and Christopher Farnsworth (The President’s Vampire) in discussion with Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy. Room 207

2:30-3:30 Spotlight on Eric Powell— Special guest Eric Powell (The Goon) and his collaborator Tracy Marsh (Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters) discuss things they don’t like over pastries and disillusionment. New projects might also be discussed. If this isn’t the most fun panel at WonderCon, it will without doubt be the worst episode of Intervention ever. Room 211

3:00-4:00 It Was 30 Years Ago Today: Celebrating 1982 — Greatest Geek Year Ever!— It’s time to celebrate, it’s time to light the lights, it’s time to fete (not Boba, just fete) the greatest geek year ever; three decades later and we’re all here to tell about it. Geek Monthly editor Jeff Bond is joined by screenwriter Ashley E. Miller (Thor, X-Men: First Class), director Robert Meyer Burnett (Free Enterprise, The Hills Run Red), writer Steve Melching (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Transformers: The Series), Daren Dochterman (ST: TMP Special Edition), and Bill Hunt (The Digital Bits) along with guests as they discuss the year that gave us Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Blade Runner, E.T., Tron, Poltergeist, Conan: The Barbarian, The Road Warrior, The Thing, Liquid Sky (Liquid Sky? Really?!?), Battletruck, The Sword and the Sorcerer, and many more. Plus a look forward at the summer of 2012, including The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers, The Amazing Spider-Man, Prometheus, Dark Shadows, and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Can it compare? You be the judge. On second thought, they’ll be the judge. Room 204

4:00-5:30 Exclusive Warner Bros. Television Screenings: Person of Interest and The Secret Circle— For the third straight year, Warner Bros. Television kicks off WonderCon with exclusive preview screenings of upcoming original episodes of fan-favorite series. For 2012, WBTV will screen episodes of the first-year hit dramas Person of Interest and The Secret Circle. Ballroom, Third Level

4:30-5:30 Spotlight on Mike Mignola— Hellboy creator and WonderCon special guest Mike Mignola talks about his signature creation and the upcoming year in the Hellboy universe, when the big red horned guy visits…Hell! Room 207

5:30-6:30 Vertigo: New Blood— They come from the cutting edge of comics…and Vertigo has never been edgier, with thought-provoking titles from some of comics’ most acclaimed creators. Senior editor Will Dennis, all-star writer and WonderCon special guest Scott Snyder (American Vampire), and others appear on this must-see panel featuring the latest news on all your favorite Vertigo titles, plus details about the new, upcoming wave of Vertigo titles! Room 207

6:00-7:30 The Write Stuff IV: Writing and Selling Genre Television & Beyond— Get an incredible insider look from the scribes behind some of today’s hottest genre shows as they share their candid thoughts on how to make the series we love (and sometimes loathe). Find out the highly classified secrets of getting TV shows made and how to break in and break out in today’s highly competitive broadcast environment, the deep dark secrets (and snacks) of the writer’s room, and why network executives actually care about what you say on message boards. Panelists include Ashley E. Miller (Fringe, Transformers: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Jesse Alexander (Lost, Heroes), Steve Kriozere (NCIS, Femme Fatales), Steve Melching (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Transformers: The Series), Gabrielle Stanton (The Vampire Chronicles, Haven), Dave Simkins (Blade, Human Target), Jose Molina (Firefly, Terra Nova), Amy Berg (Eureka, Leverage), Charles Murray (V, Castle), and Mark A. Altman (Necessary Roughness, Femme Fatales). Room 213

6:30-7:30 TV Horror Hosts— John Stanley (Creature Features, 1971-1984), Mr. Lobo (Cinema Insomnia), Tom Wyrsch (writer/director), and Strephon Taylor (November Fire) will present a history of television horror hosting. Vampira, Zacherley, Ghoulardi, Svengoolie, Bob Wilkins, Elvira, and many more will be covered in a historical journey illuminating a genre of television that should never be forgotten. Introduced by John Stanley and Mr. Lobo. Video history by Tom Wyrsch and Strephon Taylor. Room 203

6:30-8:00 Detecting Deviants in the Dark Knight: Profiling Gotham City’s Serial Killers— From the dark corners of Crime Alley to the bleak cell blocks of Blackgate Penitentiary, Gotham City has been plagued by murderous villains who stalk the night. Mr. Zsasz, Abbattoir, and even Commissioner Gordon’s son, James Jr., have preyed on Gothamites for reasons that seemingly defy logic. How should Batman, the world’s greatest detective, apprehend these and other notorious serial killers? With updated content, the forensic psychiatrists of Broadcast Thought, H. Eric Bender, M.D., Praveen R. Kambam, M.D., and Vasilis K. Pozios, M.D., team up with Mark E. Safarik, M.S., V.S.M., and FBI (retired) supervisory special agent, Behavioral Analysis Unit (Killer Instinct), to explore the dark world of Gotham City’s serial killers. Are serial killers psychotic, psychopathic, or neither? Do Gotham City’s serial killers have real-world counterparts? Are common traits shared among serial killers, and can “profiling” lead to their successful apprehension? Learn how real FBI agents profile and arrest serial murderers. With that knowledge, don the mantle of the Bat, profile the Dark Knight’s deadliest villains, and plan their capture. Bring your questions and your curiosity, and discover once again that real life is, in fact, stranger than fiction! Room 207

See Saturday’s and Sunday’s schedules on the following pages.

Saturday, March 17th

12:00-12:30 Trailer Park— The triumphant return of a WonderCon tradition! See the latest and greatest trailers for movies coming to a theater near you in the near future, some of them in 3D. Ballroom, Third Level

1:00-2:00 Spotlight on Joe Hill— WonderCon special guest Joe Hill, Eisner Award-winning creator of Locke & Key, talks about the final chapters of the series, who will be the next person to wear The Cape, IDW’s Road Rage, his next novel (and accompanying comic series), and future projects. His discussion with editor Chris Ryall will be followed by a Q&A and pole-dancing demonstration. Room 213

1:15-2:15 20th Century Fox: Prometheus and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter…in 3D— 20th Century Fox and WonderCon attendees have two big reasons to celebrate the year’s event. Sir Ridley Scott, director of Alien and Blade Runner, returns to the genre he helped define and he’ll be live on stage to tell you all about Prometheus, his epic and groundbreaking new mythology. Sir Ridley and co-screenwriter Damon Lindelof will screen some exclusive footage. You’ll also meet this country’s 16th president and first superhero — Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, which explores the secret life of our greatest leader, and the untold story that shaped our nation. The filmmakers will screen special footage, which presents the visionary work of producer Tim Burton and director Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted), who bring a fresh and visceral voice to the classic portrayal of the bloodthirsty vampire, while imagining Lincoln as history’s greatest hunter of the undead. Ballroom, Third Level

2:30-3:15 Open Road Films: Lockout— Global exclusive! Be among the first in the world to see footage of the highly anticipated new film Lockout. Starring Guy Pearce (Memento, The King’s Speech, upcoming Prometheus) and Maggie Grace (Taken, Taken 2, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Parts 1 & 2). Set in the near future, Lockout follows a falsely convicted ex-government agent (Pearce), whose one chance at obtaining freedom lies in the dangerous mission of rescuing the President’s daughter (Grace) from rioting convicts at an outer space maximum security prison. Lockout was directed by James Mather and Stephen Saint Leger from their script, co-written with Luc Besson, who is also a producer. Peter Stormare co-stars. Ballroom, Third Level

3:15-4:15 Universal Pictures: Battleship and Snow White and the Huntsman— Universal Pictures will present footage and special guests from two of its upcoming epic action-adventures: Battleship (May 18) and Snow White and the Huntsman (June 1). Battleship director/producer Peter Berg will be joined by two of the stars from the film, Alexander Skarsgård and Brooklyn Decker, to discuss the project. Snow White and the Huntsman’s director, Rupert Sanders, will answer questions about the new movie starring Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth and Sam Claflin. Ballroom, Third Level

4:15-5:30 Sony: Resident Evil: Retribution, Looper, The Amazing Spider-Man— In Resident Evil: Retribution, we learn more about Alice’s mysterious past as she continues to hunt those at The Umbrella Corporation responsible for the T-virus outbreak. Appearing in person is Alice herself, Milla Jovovich, who along with writer/director Paul W. S. Anderson will host a preview and discussion of the wildly successful film franchise based on the popular video game series Resident Evil and this highly anticipated fifth installment, Resident Evil: Retribution in state-of-the art 3D. In addition, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and writer-director Rian Johnson come to WonderCon to give fans a first look at the futuristic action thriller Looper. And when we say, “First look,” we mean it! The panel will premiere the first footage anyone anywhere has seen from this movie. Lastly, The Amazing Spider-Man director Marc Webb and star Emma Stone appear live at WonderCon to give you your Spidey fix! For the fans who haven’t seen it, here is your chance to see the eight minutes of footage that the filmmakers recently presented in a 13-city global launch event. Ballroom, Third Level

6:00-7:00 Femme Fatales Revealed: Behind the Scenes of the New Hit TV Series— Meet the cast and crew of the surprise summer hit on Cinemax that Entertainment Weekly hailed as a “badass chick anthology series.” Inspired by pulp novels, comic books, and classic film noir, Femme Fatales is based on the bestselling magazine of the same name. Every episode features the exploits of powerful and dangerous women who use their survival instincts to escape perilous situations and exude their inner guile. Creators and executive producers Mark A. Altman (Necessary Roughness, Castle) and Steve Kriozere (NCIS, Necessary Roughness, Elvis Van Helsing) host a panel of the show’s best-known guest stars as well as its most popular and beautiful femme fatales (who will be autographing all weekend at the Femme Fatales booth), along with special surprise guests, giveaways, and an exclusive preview of the highly anticipated second season, premiering Friday, May 25, only on Cinemax. (Recommended for adult audiences.) Room 204

6:00-7:00 Horror in Comics— Whether it be in movies, TV shows, books, or comics, everyone loves to be scared. This panel focuses on horror in comics with WonderCon special guests Joe Hill (Locke & Key), Rebekah Isaacs (Angel & Faith), Mike Mignola (Hellboy, B.P.R.D.), Eric Powell (The Goon), and Scott Snyder (American Vampire) as they talk to the not-scary-at-all Mark Waid about things that go bump in the night in comic books. Room 213

6:30-8:30 Wizards: 35 Years Later— Director, writer, producer, and animation legend Ralph Bakshi presents a Q&A session after the premiere of his classic animated film Wizards, now remastered by FOX on Blu-ray! (Recommended for adult audiences.) Room 207

See Sunday’s schedule on the following page.

Sunday, March 18th

11:30-12:30 Steampunk 101— H.G. Wells, leather corsets, goggles, gears and steam-powered blasters: These are all marks of the genre, but what exactly is Steampunk? Explore the answer to this basic question and much more with scintillating steampunk experts Donna Ricci (Clockwork Couture), Joe Benitez (Lady Mechanika); Thomas Willeford (Brute Force Studios); Nick Bauman, Andrew Fogel and Duane Matthews (The League of S.T.E.A.M.); and moderator Dina Kampmeyer (The Manticore Society). Room 213

12:00-1:00 Avatar Press and Max Books— Max Brooks (Zombie Survival Guide, World War Z) joins the folks from Avatar Press to discuss the latest zombie news and horror comics. Enjoy Brooks’ fan-favorite lecture on the zombie genre and tips for surviving the holocaust, while simultaneously learning about the industry’s most risk-taking comics publisher, Avatar Press. Room 204

12:00-1:00 Alcatraz Special Video Presentation and Q&A— Don’t miss this classified session with stars Sarah Jones (Sons of Anarchy), Jorge Garcia (Lost), Jonny Coyne (Lara Craft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life), and Parminder Nagra (ER); executive producers Jennifer Johnson (Lost), Daniel Pyne (Lost), and Jack Bender (Lost); and co-creators/co-executive producers Bryan Wynbrandt and Steven Lilien (both Kyle XY). They’ll dish the ultimate insider information about the mysterious 1963 disappearance of the Alcatraz inmates, guards, and staff. Fans will learn about where they’ve been and why they are returning, and the creative team will reveal exclusive information about the remaining episodes of the first season. Ballroom, Third Level

12:30-1:30 Spotlight on Steve Niles— WonderCon special guest Steve Niles (creator, 30 Days of Night), talks about his career, including his new ventures in film (Remains, based on his zombie comic story and appearing on Chiller Network) and what’s coming up next for him with fellow writer Joshua Fialkov (I, Vampire). Room 211

1:00-2:00 Behind the Music: Composing for Fan-Favorite Projects— Featuring the musically creative minds behind this year’s top sci-fi/fantasy/action/animated television series and highly anticipated films. A group of talented composers describe how they elevate scoring to new heights, provide sneak peaks to their projects, and participate in WonderCon’s exclusive debut of a LIVE composing demo. Prolific composers include Nathan Barr (True Blood), Jim Dooley (Wilfred), Robert Duncan (Castle), Mark Isham (Once Upon A Time), Danny Jacob (Phineas and Ferb), David Ari Leon (The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes) and Blake Neely (The Mentalist). A special guest moderator will be announced. A Q&A session and exclusive giveaways will follow the discussion! Hosted by CW3PR, Costa Communications and ASCAP. Room 204

1:00-2:00 Fringe Special Video Presentation and Q&A— Join the producers and cast of the mind-bending, universe-crossing series Fringe for a Q&A session and get a sneak peek of what is to come, as the fates of all your favorite characters hang in the balance between two universes, two timelines, and too many creepy bad guys to go around. Talk doppelgangers, shapeshifters, Observers and whatever Walter is cooking up! Now in its fourth season, Fringe continues to explore new cases with endless impossibilities. Ballroom, Third Level

2:00-3:00 Once Upon a Time— A must-see event for LOST and Once Upon a Time fans! Master storytellers Eddy Kitsis (LOST and Tron: Legacy) and Adam Horowitz (LOST and Tron: Legacy) bring you an exclusive advance screening of “Heart of Darkness,” an all-new episode of ABC’s Once Upon a Time. After the screening, Join Eddy and Adam for Q&A and lots of great surprises. You won’t want to miss it! Ballroom, Third Level

3:30-4:30 The Godzilla Films of Ishiro Honda— Honda historian Peter H. Brothers, author of Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men, will discuss the director’s eight Godzilla films and the circumstances leading to the monster’s metamorphosis from powerful social commentary to pop-culture icon. Room 213

4:00-5:00 Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog— WonderCon’s going out on a high note! FandomCharities.org and Whedonopolis.com, the folks who bring you the Comic-Con Buffy sing-along of “Once More With Feeling,” present a screening of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog! This will be an event to remember, so come to the show and revel in the musical genius of the Whedons! But remember, the best part of the show is up to you! Cheer for Dr. Horrible! Cheer for Penny! Cheer for Moist! Cheer for the Freeze Ray! Cheer — or whatever — for “Captain Hammer, Corporate Tool”! Just have fun and be sure to make Bad Horse gleeful. Audience participation: it isn’t just for Rocky Horror and mob riots anymore. Ballroom, Third Level

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