Don't get too excited about the Preview Night Email

 14 NOVEMBER 2023

Today some of us received a surprising missive from CCI. With the heart-skipping subject line of "Are you interested in Preview Night?" (the silliest question ever asked), the email congratulated me and my brethren on obtaining all 4 days of SDCC in Returning Registration. It then reminded us we could still try for Preview Night this weekend. 

We know, CCI! But what we didn't know was the somewhat oblique process to obtaining it. You have to click the Preview Night option in the top menu bar, confirm you're eligible, etc. And then you can buy for others. I can't replicate the whole thing here so please study the email closely if you received it.

Most importantly, the email specifies "If you are selected for a session and if inventory is available" - so please don't jump to the conclusion that Preview Nights will be handed out like party favors, which some people seemed to think. The sale will be as competitive and stressful as always. It's just guiding you through the process if you have 4 days already.

Why did we get this email?

Now. I'm not entirely surprised this email went out, because I know of a few people who were confused on how to buy Preview Night in Ret Reg. (Or in my case, how to remove Preview Night before it would let me check out, only for my entire session to go down in flames like the Hindenburg.) The process wasn't clear in the moment to everyone.

And - this is still theoretical - many people have speculated that because some people who DID get Preview night originally (like the person who tried to buy for me) wound up in limbo, a number of Preview Nights went off the shelf but were never actually attributed to anyone. So there may be a slightly higher number of Preview Nights for taking. I repeat, this is theoretical. And probably just false hope.

If you didn't get this email today, you probably are not in the "All 4 Days But No Preview Night" club that I'm in. In that case, don't worry your head about it and proceed as normal.

Are you ready for Saturday?

SDCC is back!

 20 JULY 2022

At long last, Comic-Con is here! With just minutes to go before Preview Night, here are a few observations:

The COVID-19 verification stations are pretty easy to locate and complete. The one in front of the convention center - which I did around 9:00 am with a 2 minute wait - is the exception now, with a massive line. I know some people want to check off all 3 steps - wristband, then bag and lanyard, then Exhibit Hall line - but they could probably head out to a different nearby station, get their wristband, and get in line quicker. 

On that note, we saw people walk all the way past that line to G to get their bag - only to be told they had to go back, get in the wristband line, and get their wristband first.

Many of the offsites were still being put together, it seemed. Including this Sandman promo - made literally out of sand.

There were some old favorites too - such as what seems like the 18th year of Walking Dead offsites. (I know it isn't really.) In fact, seeing wraps for Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire and Beavis and Butthead gave today a slightly nostalgic 90's feel. 

Some of the cosplay has been top-notch, despite it being pre-Con. What happened to cosplayers during pandemic lock-down? Did they dress up alone before their bedroom mirrors? Post a lot of selfies? That must have been frustrating. 

On the other hand, maybe some have used this time to plan extremely sophisticated cosplay and we'll all be blown away this week. This guy told me his name. Rory? Russ? (ed. - IMDb.me/RoryRoss) He looked great. No doubt we'll see more cosplay from The Mandalorian, Moon Knight, WandaVision, and other staples of our pandemic life.

As I'm sure you know, we only got 2 bag choices this year. Well, "choice" is not the right term. My friend really wanted the one with Black Adam on the back and of course, they didn't have any where we were. Same as it ever was. And, not to whine about this again, but I really miss the physical copy of the Souvenir Book.

Still, there was no wait to walk in, go up to the Sails Pavilion and grab our stuff. On the whole, today has been really manageable. Even the Exhibit Hall line was not that long when I was buzzing around up there around 3:30 pm.

What do you think so far? What have you seen? I'll report back after Preview Night. 

Preview Night report

17 JULY 2019

The night we've been anticipating for - well, a year - has come and gone. San Diego Comic-Con 2019 blazed into life tonight and it was pretty much business as usual.

Preview Night opened its doors slightly earlier than usual, which was nice. What wasn't: the lack of line information. As everyone walked down toward G, they gradually realized they were already in line - or assumed so at least. It wouldn't have taken much to post a few people along the way to confirm that, but instead people kept asking each other, "is this a line? Should we turn around? How does far the other line go? Is this the same line as those people?"

Though it's year 50 for SDCC, you could be forgiven for mistaking this for any other year. The same booths, the same vendors, the same stuff you bought last year. I showed up ready to shop but spent little; some people expressed the same lack of interest while others were clutching deeply prized things.



Lines moved slowly - as they usually do. Miscommunications and inconveniences abounded, but no more than usual. One guy got so belligerent in the Hasbro line that he was escorted out of the convention center. I know tempers flare in these situations, but really - you fight for a Preview Night badge, wait months for Comic-Con, then get thrown out in under an hour? Not worth it.

I managed to make a cursory pass through every aisle, but mostly got stuck at certain points for long periods of time. My badge also didn't work (which none of the staffers noticed, oddly) so I spent some time at the RFID help desk in lobby A. Mercury Retrograde, I guess.

I thought the Exhibit Hall was reasonably spacious and the right temperature - both past challenges.




Pilot reports: didn't see them but heard that Batwoman was typical CW fare and Pennyworth was impressive - "all actors well cast and talented."  What did you think?

ScareDiego looked really fun and earned glowing reports from people who went. Having experienced Preview Night, I think ScareDiego was the better evening. A bigger time commitment, but fun.


Overall I think Preview Night continues to be worth it mostly for its fresh shopping. You'll have a much easier time getting what you (or your friends) want, and it's great to snatch up everything on your list in 1 night so you can enjoy the rest of the Con without worry about it. But I don't think anyone who doesn't have Preview Night should feel they're missing something incomparable - even though we all feel that way during the badge sales.

Preview Night: what did you think?

18 JULY 2017

A few months ago, a select group of nerds achieved their wildest dreams as they were plucked from an online waiting room to buy the ultimate Comic-Con badge: Preview Night. Social media was filled with cries of joy, relief and gratitude, as if people had won the lottery.

Today those same people filed into the convention center to enjoy the fruits of their good luck. Preview Night had come at last. And yet - no one seemed especially grateful or emotional. On the whole it was a fairly neutral crowd I saw moving through the Exhibit Hall. So let me ask you: what did you think of Preview Night?

My experience: my friend and I showed up a few minutes before 6 and wound up at the end of the line. THE line, you understand; it wasn't like the years where various sets of doors would swing open and we'd all storm in like villagers attacking the Bastille. In recent years, they've opened only limited doors, forced us to march through the center, across halls and down escalators and generally hampered our entry - but today seemed especially onerous. By 6:10 the line was still immobile and then suddenly a guy opened the doors in section G where we'd been and we filtered in.

I wasn't on an exclusives hunt, and spent 2 hours checking specific comic tables (Fantagraphics, Drawn and Quarterly, etc) or just kicking around - a rather aimless PN for me. So I can't say how frustrating or easy it was to raid certain exclusives booths. I also can't report on the pilots, but everyone I spoke with expressed a general disinterest. This just wasn't a compelling year in that regard.

As far as the Exhibit Hall goes, it didn't hold too many surprises. Even the Walking Dead photo op - sitting in a chair next to Shiva - was unsurprising. Like a lot of people, I headed to Netflix but the booth action - passing through a video - was kind of a letdown. Hopefully their offsite at Hilton Gaslamp will be better. Other booths seemed fairly predictable. I covered about 87% of the floor and didn't make any bold discoveries. Maybe you did?

The crowd itself seemed to harken back to 2014-2015, when Preview Night seemed almost as thick and populous as a Saturday. Last year was fairly spacious on PN, but this year the crowds were back. In terms of lines, I saw the Preview Night line move inside just before 11; they said they'd been in line 5-6 hours. And it wasn't long before we were hearing about Conan and Hall H lines, sometimes incredibly far in advance.

So the perennial question remains: is getting Preview Night really the be all and end all of the Con? I'm going to say no. I didn't experience anything tonight that couldn't have waited until tomorrow. Collectors may feel differently, of course. But I do think that as SDCC becomes increasingly predictable, some attendees will loosen their grip and be more content with a partial badge (or even sitting out a year.) Maybe I'm just too jaded to tap into the vitality of the Con (likely) but I also think tonight proved that we may tend to build the Con up in our minds just a bit much.

Tomorrow brings the start of the Con proper. Lots of good panels; lots of great ways to have a stellar day. Rest up and be ready.

Preview Night report

20 JULY 2016

Did you go to Preview Night tonight? If so, I think you and I were in the minority; this was the most spacious Preview Night I've seen in years, Aisles were easily navigated, many booths were nearly ignored, and most of the exclusive lines - while long - seemed orderly. Let's break it down.

Bag and lanyard pickup: Got multiple answers on this from multiple staff and volunteers. It was in the Sails Pavilion! No, it's at the Marriott. Wait, the Marriott is only for people picking up badges. The bags and lanyards are back in the Sails Pavilion. Etc.

Access: I came straight from Conan.  Again, there were multiple answers on where badged attendees could get in. One person insisted we had to walk all the way down to Lobby G. We moved one more down to C or D and got in. It was 6:08. Tip: if you are sheparded into a line that goes up the escalators and winds through the entire center and brings you back down again, you don't have to follow the leader. If you come up the main escalator, break off and go left at the top until you come to some stairs, which will take you right back down into the lobby and let you into the Exhibit Hall.

Exclusives: While I barely dipped my toe in, I did come across the same dynamics; vendors not telling people they were sold out of items until they'd already waited 40 minutes, confusion over where to wait in line, confusion over multi-step lines (wait in that line to pick up a button, then bring it over here and get in line and exchange the button for a ticket, etc), and bitter complaints over items selling out or not being exclusive.

Pilots: I caught the 2nd half of Riverdale. The audience liked it a lot. To me it seemed to hit all of the TV teenage cliches and wasn't quite as weird as promised, but it does look good. If you're looking for something to do Saturday evening, seeing the 2nd showing of the pilot might be good. The others? I've heard mixed reviews.

The Exhibit Hall: How do I say this politely? It was pretty much identical to every other year. Yes, some of the video games and photo ops have changed but it's mostly the same vendors, companies and publishers selling the same stuff. The Archie booth seemed a little sparse. Fantagraphics has some beautiful work available, including some great box sets. Boom, IDW and such have what you expect. The big loud studio booths weren't cranked up to full capacity, so it was quiet. All in all, it was like a Preview Night from years gone by.

What did you think?

Welcome to Comic-Con!

20 JULY 2016



It's finally here - after all your heart-pounding badge sales and hotel room deals and anxious waiting, San Diego Comic-Con starts today.

Well, in my opinion. I know it "officially" starts tomorrow but Preview Night is Comic-Con at its core - crowded, exciting, avaricious and loud. And look at what else we have on the docket:

• More than a thousand of us are going to Conan O'Brien this afternoon to see the cast of Silicon Valley
• Umpteen jillion of us are lining up for the ticket drawing for the Star Trek premiere - and a smaller number going to the actual event
• Hundreds more are going to the Fandago party, the Enchantment Under the SDCC party and the HitFix party

And that doesn't even include smaller but still important events, like the preview of "Neil deGrasse Tyson Presents Space Odyssey" at the Hilton Gaslamp. (Press preview from 3-6 pm; everyone else preview from 6-9 pm. If you want to test out all the space/VR/NASA fun before the masses, consider heading over when you're done with the Exhibit Hall.)

So yes, Comic-Con starts today. If you're here and badged, decide if you want to do Ballroom 20 pilots or the Exhibit Hall. Get plenty of cash so you don't lose out on a sweet exclusive while you run to the ATM. Check the map again so you know exactly which aisle your #1 booth is in. And if you're not badged, walk around and see the sights. It's always fun to see the activations go up.

I'll report back on Preview Night - which I'll probably be late to after Conan, unless someone spots me a jet pack.

Comic-Con Eve: are you ready?

19 JULY 2016

It's the night before the big show. A full moon is over the convention center and the streets are mostly quiet. The Marriott pool is almost deserted.

If you're already here, enjoy this last quiet night. Rest up for tomorrow -  and keep the below in mind:

Happy Comic-Con.

The SDCC Daily

27 JUNE 2016

Sometimes it seems like we've already gotten so many panels, events and toys announced that there can't be anymore - and then more announcements come. That happened today.


Like this Cosplay Train Express. There is so much packed into this - a cosplay train hurtling through California, trivia contests, Julie Newmar and Adam West sauntering up and down the railway cars, personal phone messages from celebrities. You could view it as one way for Angelenos to get to San Diego each day for the Con or you could embrace it as the "world's first all immersive pop culture rail experience."

Data nerds, you will like this study/word cloud that analyzes all the subcultures and groups that go to San Diego Comic-Con. Or as they call it, the "tribes" of Comic-Con. Conclusion: "NYCC and similar events are giant regional shows that aggregate niche fandoms, whereas SDCC is a mass media event that appeals to a more global audience with broader, overlapping interests in pop culture of all kinds." I can agree with that.

Well, this is depressing. San Diego has launched a human trafficking awareness campaign deliberately before the MBL's All Star Game and Comic-Con to remind everyone that buying other people is not the best way to spend your vacation.

On a lighter note, you'll find out more about the new Sonic the Hedgehog game at the 22 July Sonic Comic-Con party.

And here's a radio contest offering multiple badges.

Your favorite Twilight Zone creatures are now a Pin Mate wooden figure set - everyone from Talky Tina to the plane gremlin who drove William Shatner nuts.

The Wicked + The Divine rolled out a new line of threadless t-shirts - so let's assume these will be at the more hipster SDCC booths.

True, the Walking Dead Escape is not going to be at SDCC. However, you can catch the experience at the new TWD attraction at Universal Studios if you're heartbroken over missing it.

Warner Bros. is going to drown you in TV shows at the Con - both these appetizing pilots and shows like Supergirl, The Flash, The 100, Big Bang Theory, Arrow, Blindspot, Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, Lucifer, The Originals, iZombie, Legends of Tomorrow, Frequency, Gotham and Animaniacs Live.

The Marriott Marquis, the hotel where I used to sleep each Comic-Con before the housing situation dissolved into madness, is going to be extra fancy for you this summer. A sprawling Swarovski crystal chandelier, 16 foot digital walls, floor to ceiling windows that gaze out on the skyline, a ginormous outdoor terrace - we may not have gotten our convention center expansion but we got this. We also got a great description of SDCC as "San Diego's biggest space hog" which is my favorite visual ever.

Supposedly Syfy Presents tix are going to go live at any moment. We'll see.

Preview Night pilots are pretty ace this year

27 JUNE 2016

If you've followed talk about Preview Night, you might think it's all hungry hordes of attendees and their war cries over exclusives. It's not; there's a whole other side to Preview Night that may be quieter, but is still pretty exciting. I'm talking about the pilots that are screened in Ballroom 20.

Some years these are appetizing; other years quite skippable. This year has some pretty sweet offerings, in my opinion. If you attend, you'll see:

People of Earth. Oh hi, Carla from Silicon Valley. This show features a support group for alien "experiencers," dished up by a Daily Show alum; it's already amassing a built-in fanbase. Let's hope it's as funny as it could be.

Powerless. Superheroes and insurance agents = wacky fun; that's the premise. I'm not feeling it but maybe you are.

Time After Time. I like time travel shows but they don't always have the greatest track record - partly because the history gets bungled, the actors all have 21st century teeth and makeup even in 1872, and the networks tend to get sick of them. Still, it's hard to resist a show that has Jack the Ripper and says "Good lord, Wells, you actually built the bloody thing!"

Riverdale. We all know this is why our favorite comic books Afterlife with Archie and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina have been mostly MIA; their creators were creating this instead. Everyone's curious about this new Lynchian Archie universe where Betty's addicted to Adderall, Archie's sexing down Ms. Grundy and Jason Blossom is murdered, so this is going to be a top pick for many attendees.

A new episode of Teen Titans Go! and the debut of Justice League Action. Wait, this is supposed to be aimed at "younger fans?" This, ahem, more mature fan is very interested. And I bet a lot of other attendees are eager to see this new JL as well. This will be a major draw.


So yes, Ballroom 20 on Wednesday night is going to be a pretty great way to kick off Comic-Con. But as always - and this should make you happy, attendees who didn't get a Preview Night badge - these will screen a 2nd time throughout the Con. You can see the whole schedule here to find out when, along with the other shows Warner Bros. is bringing.

It's worth noting that last year, the iZombie panel screened late Friday afternoon in Ballroom 20 right before Justice League: Gods and Monsters. And what do you know, this year iZombie is back in Ballroom 20 on Friday at 5:30 - and The Killing Joke screens Friday night. Same bat room, same bat time? Just something to keep in mind as you plan your Friday adventures.

Preview Night

8 JULY 2015

Preview Night has come and gone.  If you went, did it live up to your expectations? Did you see the pilots or work the floor?

I didn't see anything too different from previous years. A lot of the same vendors, often selling the same product. I mostly skipped the exclusives hullabaloo (except for an instance where I waited in line only to get up to bat and be told they only took cash, which I didn't have.) I saw crazy crowds and wraparound lines for Dark Horse, Hasbro, all the usual suspects.

The comics section was lighter, of course. I raided Last Gasp, Bud Plant, Fantagraphics, Boom!, Archie and Drawn & Quarterly like a pirate. Everything else? The crowds seemed fairly even - intense but not quite as bad as last year's Preview Night. I didn't see too many unique new gizmos that will drive attendees into a frenzy. But it's not like I closely examined every booth so I'm sure there are some surprises in store.

What I did see: a lot of good photo ops. The Walking Dead always brings it in that department and this year they're having attendees reenact the infamous revolving door death scene that killed Noah. Penny Dreadful had a parlor complete with chaise and cast portraits.

In terms of attendee priorities, I met several first-timers who thought Star Wars/Walking Dead/GOT was on Saturday in Hall H; this seemed to come from an assumption that all the biggest panels will take place on Saturday. Several of them also assumed Preview Night was a "look-but-don't-touch" deal and were surprised they could buy pretty much anything. (I also heard from person after person who'd fared terribly in the hotel sale. This seems to haunt attendees anew now that they've checked into whatever hotels they wound up with.)

As for tomorrow, I met 2 Hall H campers with pillows and sleeping bags; everyone else seemed to still be deciding on panels. Several people were going to do the off-sites tomorrow to avoid the increasing lines each day. But overall I didn't find one common goal amongst attendees.

On that note, I'll close with poor Peter Capaldi, who I practically blinded on Fifth Avenue. For whatever reason, a nuclear-level burst of light shot out of my phone when I took his picture and he staggered back and said, "I've lost my powers!" So if Doctor Who becomes helpless, you know who to blame.

See you tomorrow for the first official day of the Con - and the first taste of SDCC ever for many of you.

Preview Night summary

23 JULY 2014

Preview Night has come and gone. It was a fruitful one for me, largely because I worked an aggressive Exhibit Hall program. But many good things happened today in general. Such as:

Everyone was let into the convention center early to get our Preview Night badges and also let in before the official 6:00 opening. None of that marching around for 20 minutes nonsense some of us went through last year.

Town & Country opened early and stayed open late to accommodate a larger number of people. The general speed and efficiency was reported as better than previous years. Traffic was still a snarl, but that can't be helped.

There seemed to be a larger number of exclusives available. I got my top items and a few gifts for other people, and so did everyone else I talked to. A general harmony prevailed over the whole process. (Unless you were at the Hasbro booth, I'm guessing, because that looked downright barbaric.)

I saw many tantalizing new books and assorted Exhibit Hall surprises, like this Archie Afterlife chocolate bar (not available for sale yet - this was shown to me by a "handsome stranger" at the Archie booth who wishes to remain anonymous.) Apparently Archie is coming out with a line of gourmet candy bars and the staff assured me they're delicious.

What else I noticed:

Preview Night is crazy crowded. Gone are the days when it was just a small fraction of us. It's intensely crowded. On the up side, I imagine that lessens the badge pick-up demand for the following days.

There's a new feature when you press a button to cross the street: a voice instructs you quite commandingly to "wait," like our very own Hal. It seems to be triggering everyone's authority issues, because I keep hearing people mimic it spitefully, along with pushing the button five times in a row just to make it snap "Wait - wait - wait - wait -" It got old fast and and it's only the first night.

I kept having to pony up cash for things because Square wasn't working for a lot of vendors. So be aware of that and bring cash with you tomorrow if you intend to shop.

First-timers can be hilarious. "Are people seriously that into toys?" one woman asked her husband with a dumbfounded look. Welcome to Comic-Con, ma'am. 


What I'm waiting to hear about: The pilots. How were they? I went to a restaurant then a bar after leaving tonight, and couldn't find one person who'd been in Ballroom 20.

Tomorrow brings us many things - Batman '66 and Batman 75, a ton of panels for writers, the highly anticipated NASA panel, Community, Teen Wolf, Penny Dreadful. And the lines are much worse than I anticipated, which makes me wonder how bad it's going to get for Friday and Saturday. Get a good night's sleep if you can and be ready.

Preview Night pilots have been announced

3 JULY 2014



One of the most popular Preview Night traditions of Comic-Con - besides chasing down exclusives - is watching the pilot episodes of new television series in Ballroom 20. We now know what's on the docket for this year:

• The Flash
• Constantine
• iZombie
• a new episode of Teen Titans Go! (not exactly a pilot but still new)

We also have some - not much - panel information.


Thursday Panels

Dig. 11:30. TBA.
Teen Wolf. TBA.
The Legacy and Return of Battlestar Galactica: 10:30-11:30. 6BCF.
Hannibal. 4:45-5:45 pm.
Childrens Hospital: 6-7 pm. Room 25ABC.
Marie Lu/Sci-Fi and Fantasy Lit. TBA.
Witches of the East End. 5:45-6:45.
Dr. Horrible's Sing Along. 8:30-10.


Friday Panels

Big Bang Theory: 10-11 am. Ballroom 20.
Vengeance and Villains/Marie Lu. TBA.
iZombie: 11:30-12:30. Room 6BCF.
Mike Tyson Mysteries: 2:30-3:15. Indigo Ballroom.
The 100. 3:15-4:15. 6BCF.
Vikings: 4_45-5:45. 6A.
20th Century Fox: 4-7 pm. Hall H.
The Originals: 4:15 - 5:15. Ballroom 20.
Arrow: 5:30-6:30. Ballroom 20.
Neil Gaiman Documentary: 6ish, TBA.

Saturday Panels
 
Spark Your Creativity: 1:00-2:00.
The Vampire Diaries: 4-4:45 pm. Ballroom 20.
Constantine: 5:15-6:15 pm. 6BCF.
Person of Interest: 6:15-7:00. 6BCF.
The Secrets and Art of Great Acting and Performing: 7-8 pm. 30CDE.
Fight Club. 7-8 pm. 25ABC.
Warner Bros/DC - Gotham premiere, The Flash pilot, Constantine & Arrow: 8-11 pm. Hall H.

Sunday Panels

Supernatural: 10-11. Hall H.
The Following: 11:15-12:15. Hall H.
Teen Titans Go! 11:45 - 12:45. 6BCF.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Sing-Along: TBA

Preview Night summary

17 JULY 2013


So does everyone have a badge for Preview Night? Because that's how it felt in the convention center tonight. It was more mobbed than I have ever seen Preview Night - except in the comics section, of course.

Something new: every other year everyone has amassed out front, then the doors opened at 6:00 and we all flooded in. Not this year! In my section, we stood around till about 5:55, then the doors opened and we were routed into a line that wound up the escalators, past Ballroom 20, down a hall, outside, through ropes, around the convention center and back inside and down the escalators. By the time we got into the Exhibit Hall, it was about 6:20 and the exclusives lines were already quite long. It was the most pointless thing ever.

Also new: Preview Night stickers. Yes, some people had stickers on their shirts instead of badges. I was told a complicated story of people who bought Preview Night badges but somehow the system assigned them only regular ones, and those who complained got stickers to admit them tonight.

The Walking Dead brought an awesome prison zombie scene that you will want your picture taken in. The Black Sails photo op is also decent, wenches and all. Nickelodean was way too loud. Otherwise I didn't see too much because I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to get in line to buy Mattel exclusives, being told the line was closed and being chased away, then seeing a new line and joining, being chased away, being told different stories by floor mangers, volunteers and Mattel security guards - total chaos. People would wait in line for 20 minutes, be kicked out, new people would be allowed to join the line, etc.

My best friend was aghast at the unfairness of it all but it reminded me that a lot of what happens at the Con is determined by your own wiles and persistence. I say this every year: if you just walk around expecting the Con to be delivered to you, you won't get much out of it. You have to be proactive and sometimes a little aggressive in getting what you want.

Did anyone see the pilots?

No lines yet for Hall H or Ballroom 20

16 JULY 2013

So don't be in too much of a rush to stake your claim. Apparently without Twilight, all those tents are for naught - well, today at least. I'm sure they'll fill up as day turns to night.

The Ballroom 20 line (for tonight's pilots - not for tomorrow) was quite manageable. So again, don't feel you have to rush down to the convention center right this second - you'll probably get a seat no matter what.

I'll report back after Preview Night.

Preview Night pilots and other TV panels

22 JULY 2013


We finally know what pilots will be screening in Ballroom 20 on Preview Night. They are once again from Warner Brothers and they are...

A special presentation of The Originals - this is the The Vampire Diaries spinoff that originally aired as an episode; it includes footage that never aired then, and centers on the "Original Family" in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Knowing how popular TVD panel is, I foresee a lot of people lining up for this one alone.

Almost Human - a futuristic show where police partner with cyborgs to stop crime. From J.J. Abrams if that entices you.

The Tomorrow People - beautiful youngsters who embody "the next stage of human evolution," telepathy, special powers, basically everything but Magneto and Kitty Pryde.

The 100 - a century ago, Earth was ruined by a nuclear apocalypse; the only survivors were up in space stations, who now are sending a group of juvenile delinquents to the surface to see whether it's safe to come back.


Quite a few panels have been announced now; I'll keep updating the Comic Con 2013 page as they come in but for now we know of:


Thursday

Murder Police.  New animated series. Panelists: David Goodman, Jason Ruiz, Will Sasso, Chi McBride, Peter Atencio and Justina Machado.
MAD. With producers Kevin Shinick and Mark Marek.
Black Sails. No panel, just the pilot of the Michael Bay pirate drama airing on Starz. Yes, I said Michael Bay pirate drama; the trailer is exactly what you'd expect. 
Hannibal at 6:45 pm. A sizzle reel of season one footage and Q&A with Bryan Fuller, Hugh Dancy, David Slade and Martha DeLaurentis.


Friday

Sleepy Hollow. The pilot premieres Friday with a Q&A and stars Tom Mison and Nicole Beharie.
Bones. Panelists include producers Hart Hanson and Stephen Nathan, plus star David Boreanaz.
Banshee. Airing on Cinemax.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Joss Whedon, Jeph Loeb and additional guests.
Bob's Burgers. Executive producers are joined by cast members H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, Eurgene Mirman, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal and Larry Murphy.
Brickleberry. Panelists include producers Waco O'Guin, Roger Black and Zac Moncrief and stars David Herman, Tom Kenny, Jerry Minor and Natasha Leggero.

Almost Human. 

The Big Bang Theory. The producers and writers, no stars.

Children’s Hospital. Creator/star Rob Corddry and executive producers David Wain and Jonathan Stern join cast members Lake Bell, Erinn Hayes, Ken Marino and Rob Huebel.

The Following. Kevin Bacon, Shawn Ashmore and Valorie Curry join executive producers Kevin Williamson and Marcos Siega.

Nikita: The very last panel, with stars Maggie Q, Shane West, Lyndsy Fonseca, Aaron Stanford, Melinda Clarke, Devon Sawa and Noah Bean.

The 100. Series stars Eliza Taylor, Thomas McDonell, Marie Avgeropoulos, and Henry Ian Cusick join executive producers Matthew Miller and Jason Rothenberg.

The Paranormal and Extraterrestrial Squad. A "new digital series about the misadventures of a ragtag group of ex-community college students searching for paranormal and extraterrestrial (PET) activity."


Saturday

Futurama. cast members and executive producers.The Simpsons. Matt Groening and producers will screen unseen footage, including some from guest director Guillermo del Toro.
Family Guy. Season 12 preview.
American Dad. Includes premiere of a song from the Christmas episode.
How I Met Your Mother. This is apparently taking Glee's place in the category of shows that don't really belong at SDCC. The full cast will be there.
Once Upon a Time and Wonderland. Cast and producers.
Arrow. Stars Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy, David Ramsey, Emily Bett Rickards and Colton Haynes joining executive producers.

The Originals. Cast and producers.

Person of Interest. Executive producers Jonathan Nolan and Greg Plageman join the cast.

Revolution. Series stars and creator/executive producer Eric Kripke power up this panel.

The Tomorrow People. Stars Robbie Amell, Mark Pellegrino and Peyton List with executive producers Greg Berlanti, Phil Klemmer and Danny Cannon.

The Vampire Diaries. Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Kat Graham and Candice Accola join executive producers Julie Plec and Caroline Dries.

Sunday

Sons of Anarchy. Cast Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Ron Perlman, Maggie Siff, Kim Coates, Mark Boone Junior, Tommy Flanagan, Theo Rossi, Dayton Callie and Jimmy Smits.
Dr. Who.
Supernatural.  Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins and Mark A. Sheppard; executive producers Jeremy Carver and Robert Singer.

Beware the Batman. A new CG animated series.

Teen Titans Go! Producer Aaron Horvath joins members of the voice cast for screening and Q&A.



No, I don't know when the Game of Thrones, Walking Dead and True Blood panels will be. Walking Dead and Game of Thrones are usually on the same day in Hall H; True Blood has been in Ballroom 20 the past few years, but maybe this is the year it's deemed worthy of Hall H. It would be great if they could package all three together as a triple slam and let the shared fanbase only have to suffer through one overnight line - but we'll see.

ETA: The Walking Dead will be on Friday. Breaking Bad is on Sunday.

As for when we know everything - historically, CCI has published the programming two weeks to the day before Comic Con. This year, that would put the date for publishing Thursday programming on July 4.

Preview Night: Lines, lines and more lines

20 JULY 2011



I got badged at approximately 1:30 p.m. today. There were already a few hundred people in line for the Exhibit Hall opening at 6:00. I understand they were stalking exclusives but it gave me an uneasy feeling about the pre-reg line tomorrow, which I have heard discussed at intersections, on the escalator and in the women's room. 7:00 am seems to be the time people feel secure about. The fools.

There was also a line for the pilots in Ballroom 20 before 2:00. Not a long one but it seemed to be picking up steam as people arrived after 3:00 (the official badging time for Preview Night.) I still couldn't get a solid answer on the timing of the pilots, but the general consensus seems to be that Alcatraz is first, at 6:00.

Now. I consulted some official Elite security people on this new policy of not being allowed to form lines unless you are badged. They clarified that you CAN stand in line, you just won't be allowed inside without a badge. In other words, it's exactly the same as always. However, they did say they aren't responsible if they're wrong, so that's also the same.

The Hall H lines wasn't outrageous as of this morning; it kind of looked like spectators at a polo match, with lots of women sitting in folding chairs and drinking iced tea under a long canopy. I have a great picture I unfortunately can't post of a life-sized Edward Cullen statue that was wrapped in a blanket to protect it from the sun. God knows what it's been used for.