Terror Tuesday: Comic Con’s Horror Highlights
Thus, here’s my top horror based pick for each day of the con (and in most cases, where I’ll most likely be if you want to say hi!), plus a couple other cool things that a horror nut might be interested in checking out.
THURSDAY:
AICN Comics: Horror On The Paneled Page (Room 24ABC)
It’s kind of a bummer that Walking Dead was around for like 75 issues before the TV show hit and THEN all of a sudden a bunch of folks caught on (“Oh, it’s a comic?”). With the big companies rebooting and resetting their superhero titles seemingly every other year now, horror comics are a terrific option for fans of the medium, as never deal with nonsense like crossovers, or create alternate universes to explain plot holes. So check out this panel, featuring Steve Niles (Cal McDonald), Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash), Brea and Zane Grant (We Will Bury You), Terrance Zdunich (The Molting) and many more as they discuss their ongoing/limited horror series.
FRIDAY:
At The Drive-In (Hall H)
When I saw that Tucker And Dale Vs. Evil would be hitting Hall H, I thought it was some sort of typo. But with a lot of the studios diminishing their presence this year, smaller properties like this get a chance to win over a lot more fans than they would in one of the smaller rooms upstairs. And if there’s anything that deserves the love, it’s Tucker and Dale, a hilarious horror comedy that I got a chance to see last year at Screamfest (it’s been on the festival circuit for a while, winning tons of awards, but it’s just now finally found a home at Magnet). Not since Scream has a horror film so wonderfully deconstructed a horror sub-genre (in this case, the “rednecks terrorize some teens in the woods” type flick), and Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine make for the best horror duo since Ed and Shaun.
SATURDAY:
Knights of Badassdom (Hall H)
Community fans should follow Danny “Abed” Pudi en masse from that panel (Indigo Ballroom) over to Hall H, where he joins his Badass co-stars (Summer Glau, Ryan Kwanten, Steve Zahn, and the immortal Peter Dinklage!) and director Joe Lynch as they screen the first-ever footage/trailer for this awesome sounding horror comedy. The plot concerns a group of LARP-ers who accidentally conjure a real demon in the middle of their weekly “battle”, and thus are forced to fight for real (albeit still with plastic swords). But this is no family friendly comedy; Lynch has revealed that 450 gallons of fake blood were used in the (R-rated) film, and DP Sam McCurdy (The Descent, Centurion) has given the film a real adventure look. And how can you not love it based on the title alone?
Note – fans of Lynch should also check out the sneak preview of Chillerama at the Gaslamp 15 Cinema on Friday night, as he joins Adam Green, Adam Rifkin, and Tim Sullivan for a comedic horror anthology that salutes the golden age of drive-in movie theaters. Unfortunately (and somewhat confusingly), it will be at the same time as the Drive-In panel on Friday, so you’ll have to make a Sophie’s Choice. However (full disclosure time), Badass Digest fans will have an easier choice to make – yours truly is one of the zombies seen rampaging around the drive-in during Lynch’s segment of the film! Come on down and give a loud BOO-URNS! when you see me! Info on how to win tickets is HERE – space is limited!
SUNDAY:
Supernatural (Hall H)
Sunday’s kind of a wash for horror properties, with mostly just a bunch of zombie/vampire nonsense – the last thing that needs any more exposure, if you ask me. So if you STILL haven’t given this show a chance, maybe (if you can get a seat) wander over to Hall H and see what the fuss is as Supernatural enters its SEVENTH season! Not too many shows can say they’ve had more seasons than millions of viewers, so they must be doing something right to keep coming back, right? I think it’s the best genre TV show in ages (including the good but madly uneven Walking Dead), and with both Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles on stage, you’re bound to laugh and/or swoon a lot. They will not only be showing off some of the bonus features from the Season 6 DVD (in stores this September) but also footage from the Anime version (!) that will be hitting stores a few days later. Wouldn’t be shocked if they had a few copies to give away to audience members….
Another thing to check out if you’re on the main show floor is the new volume of “Darkchylde” from creator Randy Queen, which features an intro by John Carpenter. Queen and producer Sandy King will also have 100 teaser posters for the planned Darkchylde film, which Carpenter plans to direct (the posters will be pre-signed by Carpenter and signed live by King and Queen) – it all goes down Saturday, 5:30-6:30, at the Image booth. Carpenter/King fans should also stop by the Graphicly booth for promo items for the team’s upcoming “Asylum” comic, which features illustrations by Jason Craig (“Freddy vs Jason vs Ash”), who will be on hand on Saturday and Sunday.
Also, in a truly unique move, FOX has allowed Joe King and the creators of the Locke & Key pilot (which was not picked up to series) to screen the entire thing, not once but TWICE on Friday (Room 8 at 10:30 in the morning, followed by a panel; Room 6DE at 9:15 at night). I am hoping I can find time to check it out, as I am a big fan of the comic series (just picked up the trade of Volume 3!) and was disappointed to see that it wasn’t going forward. With Walking Dead making such a big splash, I figured comic based horror TV shows would be a no-brainer, but… well, you can make your own FOX joke there.
And again, if you see me (or any of the BAD folk) there – say hi! In fact, I will have a crappy horror movie DVD to give to the first BAD reader who comes up to me and says “Spider Sandwich”!
