Going to Comic Con? Here are some tips.

io9’s Graeme McMillan has done this thing for years: steps to surviving Comic Con. Frankly it would be presumptuous for me to tell you how to survive the convention, considering I’ve never gone and I’m not going this year. However, that does not mean that I won’t be bringing you highlights from the con as there are a number of things going on our end here. So, you along with me, can live vicariously through this blog on what’s going on there. As for me, here is what I would be checking out if I was going:

Thursday:

There are many, many things going on, but I’ll try to keep it to a bare minimum. Comic Con is generally seen to have literally something cool going on every hour on the hour, so if you resign yourself to the belief that there is no way you’re likely to make it to everything you’ll be better off.

10:15-11:15 Summit Entertainment: Astro Boy Room 6BCF: With stars Freddie Highmore and Kristen Bell they’ll be showing footage from the the upcoming animated movie that looks ridiculously gorgeous. I say that’s a great way to start your Thursday.
11:15-12:15 The Middleman Cast Reunion and Lost Episode Table Read, Room 6A: The show has been canceled, but the cast are reuniting to do a table read of an un-aired episode which was published in comic book form by Viper Comics. The show may be gone, but the complete series will be available on DVD soon, and you can always get the fantastic comics.
12:00-1:00 LongBox Digital Comics— Rantz Hoseley, Room 32AB: Spotlighting the iTunes of comics and how its going to work, I’m truly fascinated in what this will bring to the table. And how it will change how comics are distributed.
1:00-2:00 Mondo Marvel, Room 6DE: It wouldn’t be Comic Con without having to attend at least one of the Big Two’s panels as I’m sure all kinds of juicy tidbits will be coming up around this panel.
Most importantly, I love virtually all the comics Will Dennis edits, and coming soon is his Vertigo Crime Line of comics, so I would be making a bee-line to room 5AB for the panel discussing this line. The panel starts at 5pm.
9:30-12:00 Halloween Comes Early: Trick ‘r Treat Screening: The final thing I would think about checking out is Mike Dougherty’s screening of “Trick R Treat” his indy horror flick. Dougherty is one of the two writers behind “X-2: X-Men United” and “Superman Returns.” The screening involves the entire cast including Anna Paquin (“True Blood”), Tahmoh Penikett (“Battlestar Galactica”), and Brian Cox (“The Bourne Identity”)

Friday:

We’re getting you there later, especially after the screening.

11:30-12:30 AMC: The Prisoner— Jim Caviezel. Room 6BCF: I am very much so looking forward to seeing what they do with this remake of the classic, but short, television series. Before you do that I feel like its my civic duty as a blogger to bring to your attention: the entire original series is available for free on AMC’s website. Go. Watch. Scram. Do it now.
12:30-1:30 Spotlight on Fábio Moon. Room 10 Fabio Moon is easily one of my favorite artists working today, and this is an opportunity I’d likely jump on because its just as unlikely that I’d ever get the opportunity to see him on this side of the coast.
2:00-3:00 IDW: Darwyn Cooke, Room 4 In which my favorite working artist today (next to Paul Pope and Fabio Moon/Gabriel Ba) talks about his latest work, adapting Richard Stark’s novel The Hunter. Which I will have a review for you coming up today.
3:00-4:00 DC Nation. Room 6DE: Like I said, its necessary to make it to at least one panel where you can check out what’s going on in the Big Two’s universe.
5:15-6-00 Spotlight on Joss Whedon: I’m a Joss Whedon fanboy. So if there is an opportunity to see him speak, I’m all over it like a cheap suit.

Friday night is also the Eisner Awards, which is like the Oscars for comics, so if I could get into it, I would go. And probably live blog it for you all here.

Saturday:

I’m beginning to think five panels a day is probably going to get pretty tedious. So, I think limiting them now with two days still left to go is advisable.

11:00-12:00 Lost: The Final Season Begins, with Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, Hall H: I know, I know! I should have walked away from this show forever ago, but with its final season I just have to see how terrible it can get. Now that Brian K. Vaughan is gone, I’m sure all sense of coherent storytelling has left with him. So, like watching a car crash, I just want to see how they sweep the bodies under the rug.
2:45-3:45 Sony Pictures: Zombieland and 2012 (Also in Hall H, I think): No, not for 2012, for Zombieland you guys, that movie looks righteous and 100% awesome.
5:30-6:30 American Original: Birth of an Original, Room 7AB: Friend of the blog, Jeff Katz plans to have some big announcements in regards to his new production company American Original, and I want to see what shakes out of this.

Sunday:

I think its safe to say that if I were there, Sunday would be a dragging my feet day.

10:00-11:00 Dr. Who, Ballroom 20: This would be a toughie, I think, I know there is going to be something said at this one, but considering the night before was Saturday night. I think I would find myself hard-pressed to roll myself out of bed in time for this panel, but I would at least set my alarm to try to make it. If I did go, there would probably be a nap figured in somewhere later in the day. That’s fascinating to all of you, I’m sure.

The rest of the day, I think I would probably spend wandering the Con floor, as it is the last day of the convention. Generally, on the last day of any convention, retailers on the con floor starting giving out great deals, so Sunday is generally a good day to go shopping.

If you are going to the convention, let us know what you checked out over the period. Have a safe and fun time. I’m sure it will be a blast. Regardless, even though I’m not going, I will be bringing you updates of what I’m sure is con full of goings-on.