Halfway To Nerdvana

Thanks to friend of the blog The One True b!X, we were alerted that half the Comic Con schedule, for Thursday and Friday programming only, was posted last night without fanfare. It has since been taken down, but we saved PDFs for download here. [ETA: Comic Con's David Glanzer left a comment on the Spout blog saying these are not final schedules.]

The BSG-related panels listed for these two days are:

Thursday, July 24

• 11:15am-12:15pm - 30th Anniversary Battlestar Galactica Panel: Richard Hatch (Tom Zarek/Apollo), Bear McCreary (BG composer), producer Tom DeSanto (Transformers, X-Men), Dr. Kevin Grazier (science consultant), and surprise guests present an in-depth discussion of the Battlestar universe from the classic to the re-imagined and beyond, including BSG trailers and Q&A.

• 11:45am-12:45pm - Knight Rider: First Look at the New Series and Q&A with Cast and Executive Producers. Room 6A. *castmember Paul Campbell (formerly "Billy" on BSG) is scheduled to attend with the rest of the cast.
  

• 10:00-11:00am - Kings: Exclusive Sneak Peek Screening and Q&A with Cast and Executive Producers. Kings is a contemporary re-imagining of the timeless tale of David and Goliath, an epic story of greed and power, war and romance, forbidden loves and secret alliances, and a young hero who rises to power in a modern-day kingdom. Be the first to see an exclusive sneak peek from the two-hour pilot. Moderated by Greg Grunberg (Heroes), the panel includes a Q&A with creator/executive producer Michael Green (Heroes), director/executive producer Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend), executive producer Erwin Stoff (I Am Legend), and the cast: Golden Globe winner Ian McShane (Deadwood), Chris Egan (Resident Evil: Extinction), Susanna Thompson (Star Trek: Voyager), Sebastian Stan (Gossip Girl), and Allison Miller (Seventeen Again). Room 6B * We list this because BSG's Kevin Fahey has just joined their writing staff. Also because we follow Ian McShane wherever he goes nowadays.

• 11:00am-12:00pm - Professional Writing: Threat or Menace? Let's talk writing, creativity, and selling (and selling out), and what the world of professional writing is like. Questions that you've always wanted to ask? Creative blocks bugging you? Wondered what the H*O*L*L*Y*W*O*O*D life is really like? Show up and get answers to those questions. This no-holds-barred talk is moderated by J. Michael Straczynski. Room 5AB * I'm listing this one because I wanted to make Logan's day. He's a fan. :D
  

Friday, July 25

• 1:00-2:00pm - Production Designers: For the second consecutive year, Comic-Con attendees will have the opportunity to interact with a lineup of master production designers—the artists responsible for creating the looks of today’s most celebrated sci-fi/fantasy films and television. Organized by the Art Directors Guild, IATSE Local 800, these production designers will show clips, answer questions, and share their methods for creating imaginary worlds and convincing environments. Participating panelists (listed alphabetically) include Richard Hudolin (Battlestar Galactica, Caprica), Alex McDowell (Watchmen, Corpse Bride), J. Michael Riva—(Iron Man, Spider-Man 3),—Barry Robison (Wolverine, The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader). Moderating the panel is John Muto, designer of Terminator 2 3D, Species, and Home Alone. Room 32AB

• 6:00-7:00pm - Exceeding Expectations and Exploring New Worlds: Feature Effects for the Small Screen. Zoic Studios moderates a discussion with VFX supervisors on their passion for creating narrative enhancing, eye-popping effects for television. Some of the best in the business discuss future trends as well as their contribution to the television series Heroes, Battlestar Galactica, The Middleman, Lost, Eureka, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Smallville, and the new fall show Fringe. Room 32AB

No official word yet on the Holy Grail that is Saturday's schedule, but I have cobbled together the following:

• The Saturday BSG panel may include Tricia Helfer, James Callis, and other "human/cylon couples" such as Katee Sackhoff and Michael Trucco (source); and may include Kevin Smith (source). This would be great, since Smith was a hilariously good moderator of the 2007 BSG panel at New York Comic Con. This is what Tricia had to say recently in a long interview:
  

Question: How busy are you going to be at COMIC CON in a couple of weeks?
Helfer: I’m sure I’m going to be pretty busy. I think Battlestar is sending down some Cylon human couples, so I know I’ll be there with Baltar and Starbuck will be there with Anders, so it should be a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to it.

Question: Are you going to do anything with Burn Notice at COMIC CON?
Helfer: I don’t know yet actually. I will certainly be willing. I just haven’t heard yet.

• The Saturday evening TV Guide New Series panel will include Ron Moore discussing VIRTUALITY, as well as Jason Smilovic (formerly with BIONIC WOMAN) for MY OWN WORST ENEMY and others. (source)
  

• Mark Verheiden has mentioned he will be at Nerdvana as well:

…it appears that I'll be involved in the Dark Horse panel at the big San Diego convention later in July. Bruce Campbell will also put in an appearance and clips from the long awaited My Name Is Bruce will be on display. I haven't got an exact time yet but it will be Saturday, and hopefully won't collide with the Battlestar panel, which promises to be a star-studded affair. Otherwise I don't have any panels scheduled, so I'll just be wandering the halls looking at a expensive comic books and meeting up with old pals.

More as it becomes available!

• Famous BSG fans Seth Green, Joss Whedon and Kevin Smith are busy as all heck this year at Comic Con. Green will be there for ROBOT CHICKEN, and with Seth McFarlane for FAMILY GUY (which will be a big hoot). His NY Comic Con panel was HILARIOUS, I highly recommend you see him do something, anything. Whedon is promoting his Buffy Comics and internet musical DOCTOR HORRIBLE'S SINGALONG BLOG on Friday, and TV show DOLLHOUSE on Saturday. Smith will do his own panel for all topics including his new film ZACK & MIRI MAKE A PORNO (we hear there may be a new red band trailer to see), participate in EW's Visionaries: Filmmakers panel, and mod a panel hosted by Spike TV's Scream Awards, called "Spike Salutes the Women of Sci-Fi."