To show support.

As per Wil Wheaton blog, he did a episode of Criminal Minds called Paradise. He filmed the episode a few months ago and aired October 22nd. Last week he released his production diary he wrote during the filming, which go from his point of view from the audition to the final shot. From my end to show support, I took some screencaps from the episode and created a mosaic of his time on screen. On his final post about his time on the show, the mosaic I did got mentioned along with my Flickr user name of heath_bar.

In the style of Simpsons

A friend made me aware of this site that is cool. It is called Springfield Punx by Dean Fraser.

Here is some info from the site about the site:

Springfield Punx is a little pet project of mine. The idea of doing fan art parodying some of my favorite characters and stars in such a fun and simple style got me hooked immediately. Some of these guys and gals have appeared on the Simpsons and I could just work from that, but most I had to do from scratch.

Check it out, the artwork is great.

Its not here.

Watching the Food Network show called Unwrapped. Item that came up was for Blue Bell Ice Cream that is sold to 17 mostly Southern States. Now that I recall I have not seen it in the Seattle area, I guess Seattle is not Southern, it more Northern.

Back in my younger days, when me and my brother were at the YMCA summer camp, I am sure there was a field trip to the Blue Bell Creameries. I recall a long bus trip, but worth the free ice cream at the end of the tour.

Crossover

Was watching the current CSI show (The Theory of Everything) on my DVR and I spoted Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman (in the background) from the Mythbusters show from The Discovery Channel.

Some found trivia on The Theory of Everything:

In order to see what caused the flames that killed a man, the team sets up various test using ballistics dummies. During an experiment to determine the cause of the man burning to death, Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman from the T.V. show Mythbusters appear in the background, observing the experiment and taking notes. When a ballistics dummy is successfully lit on fire, the duo give an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

Another The Discovery Channel easter egg is seen with Hodges investigating a crawl space underneath a house. While crawling on his back through a lot of dirt, Hodges resembles Mike Rowe whom is the host of Dirty Jobs. Hodges says the word "dirty" three times in succession, as an homage to Rowe and Discovery Channel television show.

Cut it out.

Last night I caught the last 30 min of "The Fires of Pompeii" a 4th season Doctor Who episode on the SciFi Channel. I had watched the original BBC episode a few weeks ago and with the US release I noticed they had cut at least 2 shots. One was at where the Doctor and Donna were running back to town from the escape pod and they just showed up the house were the Tardis was. They cut the street shot that was in the BBC original. The other shot that was cut was at the very end where had a "Six Months Later" shot of the family that survived. Why did they need to do that? Time? More commercials time?

Our HERO game tangents.

Here are some of the off topics that came up durring on HERO RPG game on 1/11/08:

TV (Series) - Big Bang Theory
TV (Series) - Buffy and The 8th Season in comics
TV (Cartoon) - Kim Possible
TV (Series) - Final season of Veronica Mars
Food - Rikki Rikki
Podcast - Dragons Landing
TV (Series) - How I Met Your Mother
Movie (DVD) - Shrek the Third

My game blog.

Our HERO game tangents.

Here are some of the off topics that came up durring on HERO RPG game on 12/08/07:

Book: Wizard's First Rule
TV: Chuck
Podcast: Dragons Landing

New novel based off the TV show, Heroes.

Got a email with the following info:

NEW YORK, NY - September 18, 2007 - Del Rey, an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing Group, announced plans to publish a novel based on NBC's Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominated Heroes. HEROES: SAVING CHARLIE (Del Rey Hardcover; $23.95; on sale December 26, 2007) by Aury Wallington will be an original novel based on the characters Hiro Nakamura (Emmy and Golden Globe Award-nominated Masi Oka) and Charlie (Jayma Mays), created by executive producer/creator Tim Kring. It is developed through a licensing agreement with Universal Studios Consumer Products Group.

"One of the more memorable relationships in Season One was Hiro's first love, the waitress Charlie. We were as smitten as Hiro by that story and seized the chance to tell the full adventure of Hiro's six months in the past. Aury Wallington was hand picked by the writers of the show for her brilliant voice for these characters. The novel is a welcome addition to the Heroes family," said Tim Kring, creator-executive producer, "Heroes."

The novel--written with the full cooperation and consultation of the show's creators--will tell the story of Japanese office worker Hiro, who, through the use of his ability to pierce the space-time continuum and manipulate time, bravely catapults himself into the past to save Charlie, a small-town Texas waitress with an extraordinary memory, from being brutally murdered by super-powered serial killer Sylar (Zachary Quinto). Fans of the television series were given only a brief glimpse into Hiro and Charlie's relationship as it grew into love over six time-changing months, but their history is told here with the depth and insight that only a novel will allow.

Pictures to the Autograph

Below is a list of most of people I did get a autograph from at the 2007 ComicCon, with a picture link to the larger picture.

Stars

• Gigi Edgley, David Franklin, Lani Tupu and Virginia Hay from Farscape.
  
  
  
• Claudia Christian from Babylon 5
  
  
  
• Patricia Tallman from Babylon 5
  
  
  
• J. Michael Strsczynski from Babylon 5
  
  
  
• Garrett Wang from Star Trek: Voyager
  
  
  
• Teryl Rothery from Stargate: SG-1
  
  
  
• Sanctuary Cast - Amanda Tapping, Martin Wood, Robin Dunne and Damian Kindler
  
  
  
  
• Stargate: SG-1 Cast - Ben Browder (Cameron Mitchell), Christopher Judge (Teal'c), Robert Cooper (executive producer/writer) and Martin Wood (Director/Supervising Producer)
  
  
  
• Stargate: Atlantis Cast - Martin Wood (Director/Supervising Producer), Amanda Tapping (Samantha Carter), Joe Flanigan (John Sheppard), David Hewlett (Dr. Rodney McKay) and Jewel Staite (Dr. Jennifer Keller)
  
  

Artists

• Brian Denham, artist from Iron Man: Hypervelocity
  
  
  
• David Finch, artist from Marvel Heroclix: Avengers, box art
  
  

The new software for my DVR.

After my TiVo died, I went with a DVR from my local cable company of Comcast. This last week the software on my DVR was update to some better improvements.

1. There is better response when you fast forward. It stop at the spot were you push play, not 5 past the spot.
2. The Instant Replay works a lot better. It was 7 seconds, not sure what is now. 7 seconds was not enough time. My guess would be some where around 15 seconds.
3. The guide now shows if the show is New or Repeat.
4. The software in general is more responsive and does not have the slight delay it had before.
5. There is a few more options to view your recorded show, but did loose the folder option when you a few of the same show.
6. With the other software, it crashed the DVR more than a few times. As of yet it has had not crashed (knock on wood).
7. One odd thing with the new software, is when you delete a show that shows as upcoming, it does not delete it from the list. It puts a cancel icon on it and leave the show name. It would be good to have it clear off the list if it is not going to be recorded.

That my 2 cents at this point.

Sanctuary Autograph

Just uploaded the pictures of the people from the Sanctuary cast that was at the 2007 ComicCon. I was at a booth that had star photoson Friday. I picking up a few photos to get sighned in the autograph area and asked if I know who Amanda Tapping was. I said yes, of course and was given a ticket for Saturday. I showed up for the 2pm time . The booth closed down and had some sheet thown over the boxs and photos. They had a table set up ready for the cast when they show up. The line was set part way around the booth and picked on the other side of the booth. When I got there Gary Jones (Walter Harriman from Stargate) was there and left shortly after the group showed up. Amanda Tapping, Martin Wood, Robin Dunne and Damian Kindler (I think).


Check out the full set of pictures at Flickr.

The Panels I Got To.

To start out the convention floor was open from 10 am to 7 pm. The early panels I did not get to and the late panels near or after were too late for me. By 7 pm I had been on my feet for the good part of the day.

On Thursday I made it to my first panel at 11 am for DVD Sneak Peak 2007, which had some good info. Next was Stan Lee: True Believer at 1:45 pm which showed some clips of his upcoming DVD. I left before the end of the panel to head over the the BBC America: Torchwood panel. People were already in the room and there was a long line. I went to the end of the line. It moved slowly. It got to the point were the room was maxed out. So I left sadly, to roam the convention floor.

On Friday my first panel was at 12:15 pm for Stargate SG-1: The Movie, which was fun. I got a good seat around the middle of the room. The next panel was 1:30 pm in the same room, so I stayed put for the Stargate Atlantis with some new cast members. After the two panels the cast was signing posters, which I got (yea!). My next panel was Eureka at 4:45 pm which had most of the cast. Next was the Babylon 5: The lost Tales panel at 6 pm in the same room. They game out some free B5 swag. This was a full day. I went back to the room after the panel for some needed rest.

On Saturday my first panel of the day was the Simpsons panel at 10:45 pm, which I went with Rich. I had planed to go to the Heroes and the Futurama panel, but they filled up fast. I did not get a seat. So I went to roam the convention floor. I headed back to the room early, due to not feeling too good. My two hotel roommates I came down with had a cold (or something). Saturday is a big day for the con and next year I need to plan ahead for any major panels on this day.

On Sunday I did not go to any panels, I just went around the convention floor.

This is what I did for the panels. The convention floor was huge. I sent a lot of time there. Looking around, getting free stuff, taking pictures and purchased a few items. I also spend some time in the autograph area, getting a autograph (see prev post for what I got) or in line for a drawing for autographs (ie Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis).

The autographs I got.

During this first year of Comic Con I got a number of autographs I planed on and a few I had not planed on.

At the For Stan Lee there was limited signing. On the day of (Thursday), I stood in line six time (luckily the line was not that long) till I got a winning ticket. The appointed time came, I went up to the Sails Pavilion and looked for the line. I found that the signing was canceled. I later found out for some reason, Stan Lee's handlers canceled the signing for some reason. I was bumbed and a little pissed off.

Below are a list of people I did get a autograph from and some info.

Stars

• Gigi Edgley, David Franklin, Lani Tupu and Virginia Hay from Farscape.
• Claudia Christian from Babylon 5
• Patricia Tallman from Babylon 5
• J. Michael Strsczynski from Babylon 5
• Garrett Wang from Star Trek: Voyager (was at the Lightspeed booth for a cost)
• Teryl Rothery from Stargate: SG-1 (was at the Lightspeed booth for a cost)
  
• Sanctuary Cast - Amanda Tapping, Martin Wood, Robin Dunne and Damian Kindler (I think) // I was next to the Lightspeed both getting a few cast pictures, was given a pass for a Sanctuary Cast signing on Saturday. All you had to do was show up, they supplied the picture and the autographs (all free of charge).
  
• Stargate: SG-1 Cast - Ben Browder (Cameron Mitchell), Christopher Judge (Teal'c), Robert Cooper (executive producer/writer) and Martin Wood (Director/Supervising Producer) // Stood in line with some friends to get tickets. The cast ended up signing posters they had (for no cost at all).
  
• Stargate: Atlantis Cast - Martin Wood (Director/Supervising Producer), Amanda Tapping (Samantha Carter), Joe Flanigan (John Sheppard), David Hewlett (Dr. Rodney McKay) and Jewel Staite (Dr. Jennifer Keller) // Stood in line with some friends to get tickets. The cast ended up signing posters they had (for no cost at all).

Artists

• Brian Denham, artist from Iron Man: Hypervelocity (on print of comic cover)
• Lim Ri Kai, artist from the DC VS System (on autograph card)
• Kendrick Lim, artist from Marvel VS System (on autograph card)
• Alex Horley Orlandelli, artist from World of Warcraft TCG (on autograph on CCG box insert)
• Zoltan & Gabor, artists from World of Warcraft TCG (on autograph on CCG box insert)
• David Finch, artist from Marvel Heroclix: Avengers, box art (print, 401 of 500)

I will add some links to the picture(s) once I have them posted on my Flickr account.

The Stargate SG-1 Panel

Bit by bit, I have been able to go thru the 500 plus pictures I have taken. They have been sorted and bit by bit the pictures are being uploaded to Flickr. I found a YouTube video of Christopher Judge trying to call Michael Shanks on a cell. Below is the YouTube video is below along with some pictures of the same Stargate SG-1 Panel.



Shanks Phone Call-Comic Con 2007



Link to the San Diego Comic Con 2007 Pictures.

The autographs I hope to get. (Update)

The listing for the Autographs just came up the other day for the 2007 San Diego Comic Con. I am listing the autographs I am (if possable) trying to get.

Updated the prev post and added a few other items.

Limited Signings

Stan Lee
Drawing for a line ticket at 10:00 AM Thursday
Thursday AA2 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm

Stargate: Atlantis
Depending on availability - Robert Cooper; David Hewlett; Joe Mallozzi; Amanda Tapping; Marin Wood
Drawing for line tickets at 9:00 AM Friday
Friday AA6 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm

* I have a photo I took (6 x 8) of Amanda Tapping at a Sci-Fi Con back in 2004 I am hoping to get signed.
* I have a cast picture of Atlantis, I hope to get (in the mail soon) and have David Hewlett (Rodney McKay) sign it.

Stargate: SG1
Depending on availability - Ben Browder; Robert Cooper; Chris Judge; Joe Mallozzi; Michael Shanks; Amanda Tapping; Martin Wood
Drawing for line tickets at 9:00 AM Friday
Friday AA6 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

* I have a old cast photo (~2001) of the Stargate SG1 cast with a autographs already, will try to get it signed by Chris Judge and Michael Shanks.
* I have a photo I took (6 x 8) of Amanda Tapping at a Sci-Fi Con back in 2004 I am hoping to get signed.
* I have a Farscape picture of Ben Browder that I will try to get signed.

Group Signings

Farscape
Gigi Edgley, David Franklin, Lani Tupu, Virginia Hey
Friday AA7 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Saturday AA11 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

* I have some single pictures I am looking to get signed.

Who Wants To Be a Superhero
Matthew Atherton (Feedback), Alison Wilson (Fat Momma), Chris Watters (Major Victory)
Thursday AA8 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Friday AA10 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Saturday AA8 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Sunday AA4 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

(If I have some time, I will get the Feedback comic I have, signed.)

Individual Signings

Katey Sagal, actor (Futurama, Married With Children)
Friday AA8 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Saturday AA10 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

* I have a Futurama Comic #1 that I am looking to get signed.

J. Michael Straczynski, writer/creator (Babylon 5, Amazing Spider-Man)
Thursday AA5 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Sunday AA5 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

* I have a mini Babylon 5 art poster from Lightspeed, I am hoping to get signed.

Patricia Tallman, actor/stuntwoman (American Scary, Babylon 5)
Thursday AA24 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Friday AA16 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Sunday AA16 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

* Lyta Alexander on Babylon 5

* I have a mini Babylon 5 art poster from Lightspeed, I am hoping to get signed.

Claudia Christian, actor (Babylon 5, Highlander)
Saturday AA19 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm

* Susan Ivanova on Babylon 5

* I have a photo I took (6 x 8) of Claudia at a Sci-Fi Con back in 1998 I am hoping to get signed.

Lightspeed (booth 3745)
Not sure that the below actors are signing autographs at the booth, the web page did not make it clear. I plan on bring my pictures, just in case.

Garrett Wang (Star Trek: Voyager as Ensign Harry Kim)
Sunday, July 29th 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM

* I have a old cast photo (~2001) of the Voyager cast with a few autographs already, will try to get it signed.

Levar Burton (Star Trek: The Next Generation as Geordi La Forge)
Friday, July 27th 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Saturday, July 28th 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM

* I have a old cast photo (~1993) of the The Next Generation cast, will try to get it signed.

Cirroc Lofton (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Jake Sisko)
Sunday, July 29th 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM

* I have a old cast photo (~1992) of the DS9 cast with a few autographs already, will try to get it signed.

Teryl Rothery (Stargate SG-1 as Dr. Janet Fraiser)
Friday, July 27th 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Saturday, July 28th 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Sunday, July 29th 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM

* I have a old cast photo (~2001) of the Stargate SG1 cast with a autographs already, will try to get it signed.

Marina Sirtis (Star Trek: The Next Generation as Deanna Troi)
Thursday, July 26th 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Friday, July 27th 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Saturday, July 28th 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM

* I have a old cast photo (~1993) of the The Next Generation cast, will try to get it signed.

What should I go to? (Part 2)

The schedule is online for the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con. Below are some of the events I plan on going to. Today I will review Saturday and Sunday for what looks good and will mark the ones in red I will try not miss. I plan on taking a good number of pictures and will post them to my Flickr account.

Saturday

10:00-11:15 Bionic Woman: Exclusive Pilot Screening and Q&A—Be one of the first to see this special version of the Bionic Woman pilot and participate in a Q&A panel session with series star and newcomer Michelle Ryan (EastEnders); executive producers David EickBattlestar Galactica), Glen Morgan (The X-Files), and Jason Smilovic (Lucky Number Slevin); co-stars Miguel Ferrer (Crossing Jordan) and Will Yun Lee (Witchblade); as well as a special guest appearance by Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica), who portrays Sarah Corvis, and more. When a devastating car accident leaves Jaime Sommers (Michelle Ryan) at death's door, her only hope for survival is a cutting-edge, top-secret technology that comes at a hefty price. With a whole new existence and a debt to repay, Jaime must figure out how to use her extraordinary abilities for good, while weighing the personal sacrifices she will have to make. It's Jaime's journey of self-discovery and inner strength that will help her embrace her new life as the Bionic Woman. Ballroom 20

(might miss some of the below event)

10:45-12:00 The Simpsons–Having just aired its 400th episode, The Simpsons has now released its first feature film. Join members of the team responsible for both and find out how they did it, including Matt Groening (creator and executive producer), Al Jean (executive producer/head writer), David Mirkin (former executive producer), Matt Selman (executive producer), Michael Price (co-executive producer), David Silverman (director of The Simpsons Movie), Matt Warburton (supervising producer), Don Payne (consulting producer), and Yeardley Smith (voice of Lisa Simpson). Moderated by Bill Morrison. Hall H

12:45-2:00 Heroes: Exclusive Volume II Clip and Q&A—Heroes chronicles the lives of ordinary people who discover they possess extraordinary abilities. Be the first to see an exclusive clip from Volume II and learn more about the DVD Heroes 360 and more. Participate in a Q&A session moderated by co-executive producer/comic book writer Jeph Loeb, with creator Tim Kring, comic book artist Tim Sale (Batman: The Long Halloween), and the entire cast—Jack Coleman (H.R.G.), Noah Gray-Cabey (Micah Sanders), Greg GrunbergAli Larter (Niki Sanders), James Kyson Lee (Ando), Masi Oka (HiroNakamura), Hayden Panettiere (Claire Bennet), Adrian Pasdar (Nathan Petrelli), Zachary Quinto (Sylar), Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder Suresh), Dania RamirezMilo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli), and more. Ballroom 20

(The below event overlaps with the above, will try to catch most of Family Guy event, if possable.)

1:30-2:30 Family Guy—Back by popular demand, join creator/star Seth MacFarlane, showrunner/executive producer David A. Goodman and the creative team behind Fox’s number-one comedy Family Guy for an uproarious and uncensored hour of laughs and Q&A. Rumor has it they’ll even preview what is destined to become a Family Guy classic—this year’s season premiere episode, which retells the Star Wars story with the Griffins and their fellow residents of Quahog, Rhode Island, cast in the iconic roles of the legendary film. Stewie as Darth Vader? Victory shall be his! Room 6CDEF

(again, the below event overlaps with the above a little)

2:15-4:00 Disney—Disney and Disney•Pixar showcase two upcoming films with this exclusive Comic-Con presentation!

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian—Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media present never-before-seen footage and a Q&A panel with the filmmakers of the second installment of the epic fantasy adventure series! Be sure to collect the exclusive Prince Caspian Comic-Con poster, designed by fans on Narnia.com, and selected by director Andrew Adamson!

WALL•E—From Academy Award–winning director Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo), WALL•EAndrew Stanton and sound designer Ben Burtt (Star Wars) as they present a first look at Disney·Pixar’s next animated adventure! Hall H is the story of one robot's comic adventures as he chases his dream across the galaxy. Meet director

(Again some overlaping, will try to catch the Futurama event below in full, will leave the above early.)

3:30-4:30 Futurama—Matt Groening is proud to announce the long-awaited return of the animated sci-fi comedy classic Futurama! Matt and executive producer David X. Cohen will be on the dais, accompanied by writer Ken Keeler, animation directors Peter Avanzino and Dwayne Carey-Hill, and for the first time together on stage in any universe, actors Billy West (Fry), Katey Sagal (Leela), John DiMaggio (Bender), and Maurice LaMarche (Kif Kroker)! The cast and crew will entertain your questions and present a sneak peek at Bender’s Big Score! in glorious wide-screen format! Moderated by Bill Morrison. Ballroom 20

4:30-5:30 Spotlight on J. Michael Straczynski—It’s a big summer for popular writer/producer/director J. Michael Straczynski, as his new direct-to-DVD feature Babylon 5: The Lost Tales debuts and he brings back Thor to his rightful place in the Marvel universe. JMS talks about these projects and more, including his upcoming film Changeling for Imagine Entertainment, which is being produced by Ron Howard, starring Angelina Jolie, and directed by Clint Eastwood. And then there’s World War Z, and Goliath: The Story of David and that Silver Surfer movie, too . . . Room 6B

A possible option . . . . .

9:00-11:30 Buffy the Vampire Slayer 10th Anniversary Screening—Celebrate the 10thBuffy the Vampire Slayer with a screening of two Buffy episodes, including the musical episode, “Once More with Feeling,” presented by Whedonopolis.com. There will be free keepsakes for attendees and a few other surprises! Stop by for some music, singing and "dancin' crazy." Room 5AB anniversary of

Sunday

11:45-12:30 SCI FI Tin Man: Story Time—This December, SCI FI will boldly re-imagine L. Frank Baum’s children’s classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. A sometimes psychedelic, often twisted and always outrageous take on the book, SCI FI’s Tin Man is the epic tale of DG (Zooey Deschanel), a young woman plucked from her humdrum life and thrust into The Outer Zone (the O.Z.), a fantastical realm rife with wonder, but oppressed by dark magic. In the adventure of a lifetime, DG discovers her true identity, battles evil winged-monkey-bats, and attempts to fulfill her destiny. Celebrate Kid's Day at Comic Con by joining Kathleen Robertson, who plays the evil sorceress Azkadellia, in a reading that pays tribute to L. Frank Baum’s original classic and catch a sneak peak of the upcoming miniseries coming to SCI FI this December. Room 1AB

2:30-3:30 SCI FI: Flash Gordon—Placing a 21st-century spin on a science fiction classic, SCI FI’s contemporized version of Flash Gordon follows the all-new adventures of Flash (Eric Johnson) and his companions, Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov. Ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances, they find themselves as Earth’s last line of defense against the forces of the merciless dictator Ming. Panelists include Eric Johnson (Flash), Gina HoldenPeter Hume (executive producer), and Mark Stern (executive VP, original programming, SCI FI). (Dale), Room 6CDEF

(Will try to make the above event with getting packed and head to the airport for the trip home.)

What should I go to? (Part 1)

The schedule is online for the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con. Below are some of the events I plan on going to. Today I will review Thursday and Friday for what looks good and will mark the ones in red I will try not miss. I plan on taking a good number of pictures and will post them to my Flickr account.

Thursday

10:30-11:00 U.S. Postal Service Marvel Super Hero Stamps—U.S. Postal Service issues Marvel Super Heroes commemorative postage stamps. Please join Mickey D. Barnett,Room 6A

11:00-12:00 DVD Sneak Peak 2007—Bill Hunt and Todd Doogan of The Digital Bits.com, along with DVD producers Charles de Lauzirika (Blade Runner: The Final Cut; Twin Peaks: The Complete Series), Robert Meyer Burnett (Shoot 'Em Up, Valkyrie), and Javier SotoHellboy 2), offer exclusive sneak peeks of great upcoming DVD and high-def special editions in the works for release later this year. Exclusive footage from Blade Runner and Twin Peaks will be shown. Q&A will follow if time permits. Room 5AB

1:45-2:45 Stan Lee: True Believer—Featuring the new documentary currently being produced that looks at Stan Lee's Marvel-ous life both then and now. The film explores Stan's broad influence on modern pop culture and will try to discover the secret to Stan's youthful energy! Join Stan Lee, Chairman Emeritus Marvel Comics, and Chief Creative Officer/Chairman POW! Ent., along with Paul Levitz, President, DC Comics, Tom DeSanto, producer (X-Men, Transformers), legendary Marvel Comics artist Dick Ayers, and Michael Uslan, executive producer (Batman, The Spirit, The Shadow). Room 6CDEF

(for the above event I will catch a part of it and head to the Torchwood event)

2:15-3:15 BBC America: Torchwood—Writer Russell T Davies has created a spectacular spin-off TV series from Doctor Who with Torchwood, about a rogue team of investigators who use scavenged alien technology to solve present-day crime - both alien and human. Catch a preview of the new series and a panel discussion with lead writer Chris Chibnall; series writer Noel Clarke, who also plays Mickey Smith in Doctor Who; and Matt O'Toole, prosthetics supervisor, Doctor Who/Torchwood (Millennium FX). Moderated by TV Guide’s West Coast Bureau Chief Craig Tomashoff moderates. Room 6A

5:00-6:00 Cartoon Network Sneak Peek—Your first chance to catch a behind-the-scenes look at Cartoon Network’s newest project. Believe me, it’s going to me MASSIVE. Room 3

8:30-10:30 World Premiere! Superman Doomsday—Superman is dead—or is he? All will be revealed at Comic-Con’s world premiere of DC Comics, Warner Bros. Home Video, and Warner Bros. Animation’s Superman Doomsday. It’s the highly anticipated first DC Universe made-for-DVD release presented by Warner Premiere and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Inspired by the best-selling graphic novel of all time, Superman Doomsday is an epic tale of heroism and tragedy, sacrifice and redemption. The film is rated PG-13 for action violence. The voice cast is led by Adam Baldwin (Serenity, Chuck) as Superman, Anne Heche (Men in Trees) as Lois Lane, and James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as Lex Luthor. DC Comics’ Gregory Novek will moderate the post-premiere panel that includes executive producer/director/writer Bruce Timm (Justice League Unlimited, Batman: The Animated Series), directors Brandon Vietti (Legion of Super Heroes) and Lauren MontgomeryLegion of Super Heroes), writer Duane Capizzi (The Batman), and, quite possibly, members of the voice cast. And stay ’til the end—there might just be a glimpse of future DC Universe films. Ballroom 20

Friday

10:30-11:30 The Art of Adapting Comics to the Screen—As the cinematic renaissance of comic book–based films continues, here's your chance to learn what it takes to adapt these dream projects to the screen. Moderator Jeff Goldsmith (senior editor, Creative Screenwriting magazine) hosts a panel featuring Stan Lee (Fantastic Four), Don PayneFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer), Mark Fergus (co-writer, Iron Man), Kevin Feige (president of production, Marvel Studios), and Mark Verheiden (Teen Titans). Room 6A

12:15-1:15 Stargate SG-1: The Movie—It’s been barely a month since television’s longest-running sci-fi series aired its final episode, yet the SG-1 team is already embarking on a perilous new mission—to recover the Ark of Truth with the hopes that the power locked inside the ancient artifact will loosen the grip of the Ori army on our galaxy. Never-before-seen footage from the new direct-to-video movie (from Fox Home Entertainment) will be followed by a Q&A session. Participants include SG-1 stars Ben Browder (as Cameron Mitchell), Amanda Tapping (as Samantha Carter), Michael Shanks (as Daniel Jackson), Christopher JudgeRobert Cooper. Ballroom 20

1:15-2:15 Stargate Atlantis—The Stargate legacy continues to burn bright on SCI FI with the fourth original season of Atlantis. Amanda Tapping, one of the most beloved stars in the Stargate universe, travels to the Pegasus galaxy to join the Atlantis cast by reprising her role as television’s favorite astrophysicist, Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter. Taking the torch from SG-1 as television’s most thrilling adventure series, Atlantis promises to up the ante this season by introducing a powerful new race, welcoming new cast members, and mourning the loss of some beloved friends. On hand in addition to Tapping will be David Hewlett (Dr. Rodney McKay), Joe Mallozzi (executive producer/writer), Nora O’Brien (VP, original programming, SCI FI), Charlie Cohen (senior executive VP, MGM Studios), and Robert Cooper, executive producer/writer. Moderated by Gary Jones (Chief Master Sergeant Walter Harriman, Stargate SG-1). Ballroom 20

3:15-4:45 Warner Bros. Home Video: 300 and Blade Runner Final Cut—First up, 300Frank Miller, director Zack Snyder, stars including Lena Headey and David Wenham, producers Mark Canton and Gianni Nunnari, and other special guests are on hand to discuss the groundbreaking film and its highly anticipated July 31 DVD release. Be the first to see a clip not included in the theatrical release! Then it’s the 25th Anniversary Blade Runner "Final Cut.” Director Ridley Scott (Alien, Gladiator, Hannibal) has created a new, definitive version of this landmark film, with scenes and special effects that have never been shown before. Catch this first preview of the new version by the legendary director of the final, authoritative. and best presentation of one of the most acclaimed science fiction films of the 20th century. This presentation will feature unseen clips from the new cut as well as a look behind the scenes that will be featured on the upcoming DVD box set. The panel includes Ridley Scott, Sean Young, Joanna Cassidy, Joe Turkel, James Hong, Syd Mead (designer/futurist), Mark Stetson (FX), and DVD producer Charles de Lauzirika. Hall H

4:45-5:45 Eureka—A small town with even bigger big secrets this season, Eureka is a community of geniuses assembled by the government to conduct top-secret research. What they've unwittingly created is a place where anything imaginable can happen . . . and does. Eureka started off with a bang and remained a must-see dramedy on SCI FI. The season 1 series premiere holds the distinction of being the highest-rated series telecast in SCI FI Channel history. See what all the buzz is about and get a sneak peak at the season ahead! Panelists include Colin Ferguson (Jack Carter), Salli Richardson (Allison Blake), Ed Quinn (Nathan Stark), Joe Morton (Henry Deacon), Jaime Paglia (co-creator and executive producer), and Tony Optican (VP, original programming, SCI FI). Room 6CDEF

6:00-7:00 Babylon 5: The Lost Tales—Created by J. Michael Straczynski in 1993, Babylon 5 became an sf cult fan favorite and a top rated show. Now in 2007, you are being taken to 2271 A.D. for Babylon 5: The Lost Tales, a made-for-video movie. See footage from the movie, with a panel to follow. Panelists include writer/director/executive producer J. Michael StraczynskiBruce Boxleitner (President John Sheridan), Tracy Scoggins (Captain Elizabeth Lochley), and Peter Woodward (Galen) as well as executive producer Douglas Netter and producer Samm Barnes. Room 6CDEF

7:15-9:00 Doctor Strange World Premiere Screening and Panel—Lionsgate and Marvel Studios present the world premiere of the newest Marvel Animated Feature, Doctor Strange, with a film screening and Q&A panel featuring Marvel’s senior VP of creative development animation Craig Kyle, plus members of the cast and production team. (co-writer, (as Teal’c) and executive producer/director creator and members from the original cast, including Room 6CDEF

Peek at the schedule for the Comic Con

A sneek peek of the Comic Con is available at their web site. I will add (below) a few item I plan on going to below (from what they show on the site).

A Peek at Thursday, July 26.

1:30-3:30 Paramount Pictures—Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies present a bold new vision for the future of adventure. Join us for a one-of-a-kind presentation put together just for the fans at Comic-Con as we look at such highly-anticipated films as Beowulf, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Stardust, Hot Rod, Iron Man, and the next installments of Indiana Jones and Star Trek, plus a few surprises. Appearing in person: JJ Abrams, Robert Downey Jr., Jon Favreau, Neil Gaiman, Roger Avary and SNL's Andy Samberg. Hall H

Heath: Should be some good info.

2:15-3:15 BBC America: Torchwood—Writer Russell T. Davies (Doctor Who) has created a spectacular spin-off TV series from Doctor Who with Torchwood, about a rogue team of investigators who use scavenged alien technology to solve present day crime—both alien and human. Catch an extended clip of the new series and a panel discussion with actors John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness); Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper); series writer Chris Chibnall; and executive producer Julie Gardner. TV Guide’s West Coast Bureau Chief Craig Tomashoff moderates. Room 6A

Heath: Love Doctor Who. Seen Season 1 to 2 and the 3rd season is out on the Sci-Fi Channel curently. Seen most of the Torchwood shows and would be good to see the show stars and writer.

6:00-7:00 100 Manga Magazines in 60 Minutes—In Japan, manga is published in massive weekly, biweekly and monthly manga magazines, which fit every imaginable category: shojo to shonen, science fiction to horror, moe to yaoi, children's to adult. Join Jason Thompson (Manga: The Complete Guide) on a visual tour of the manga world, its industry secrets and future trends! Room 4

Heath: Should be some good info.

8:30-10:30 World Premiere! Superman Doomsday—Superman is dead? Or is he? All will be revealed at Comic-Con’s world premiere of DC Comics, Warner Bros. Home Video, and Warner Bros. Animation’s Superman Doomsday. It’s the highly anticipated first DC Universe made-for-DVD release presented by Warner Premiere and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Inspired by the best-selling graphic novel of all time, Superman Doomsday is the epic tale of heroism and tragedy, sacrifice and redemption. The film is rated PG-13 for action violence. The film stars Adam Baldwin (Serenity, Chuck) as Superman, Anne Heche (Men in Trees) as Lois Lane, and James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as Lex Luthor. DC Comics’ Gregory Novek will moderate the post-premiere panel of executive producer/director/writer Bruce Timm (Justice League Unlimited, Batman: The Animated Series); directors Brandon Vietti (Legion of Super Heroes) and Lauren Montgomery (Legion of Super Heroes); writer Duane Capizzi (The Batman) and, quite possibly, members of the voice cast. And stay ‘til the end—there might just be a glimpse of future DC Universe films. Ballroom 20

Heath: Watch the DVD before it is released. Looks to be good.

A Peek at Friday, July 27.

1:15-2:15 Stargate Atlantis—The Stargate legacy continues to burn bright on SCI FI with the fourth original season of Atlantis. Amanda Tapping, one of the most beloved stars in the Stargate universe, travels to the Pegasus galaxy to join the Atlantis cast by reprising her role as television’s favorite astrophysicist, Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter. Taking the torch from SG-1 as television’s most thrilling adventure series, Atlantis promises to up the ante this season by introducing a powerful new race, welcoming new cast members and mourning the loss of some beloved friends. Featuring panelists Amanda Tapping, (Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter); David Hewlett (Dr. Rodney McKay); Joe Mallozzi, executive producer/writer; Nora O’Brien, VP, original programming, SCI FI; Charlie Cohen, senior executive VP, MGM Studios; and Robert Cooper, executive producer/writer. Moderated by Gary Jones (Chief Master Sergeant Walter Harriman, Stargate SG-1). Ballroom 20

Heath: One of my favorite current Sci-Fi shows.

6:00-7:00 Babylon 5: The Lost Tales—Created by J. Michael Straczynski in 1993, Babylon 5 became an sf cult fan favorite and a top rated show. Now in 2007, you are being taken to 2271 A.D. for Babylon 5: The Lost Tales, a made-for-video movie. See footage from the movie with a panel to follow. Panelists include writer/director/executive producer J. Michael Straczynski, and members from the original cast including Bruce Boxleitner (President John Sheridan), Tracy Scoggins (Captain Elizabeth Lochley) and Peter Woodward (Galen) as well as executive producer Douglas Netter and producer Samm Barnes. Room 6CDEF

Heath: One of my favorite finished Sci-Fi shows.

7:15-9:00 Doctor Strange World Premiere Screening and Panel—Lionsgate and Marvel Studios present the world premiere of the newest Marvel Animated Feature, Doctor Strange with a film screening and Q&A panel featuring Marvel’s senior VP of creative development animation, Craig Kyle, plus members of the cast and production team. Room 6CDEF

Heath: Watch the DVD before it is released. Looks to be good.

A Peek at Saturday, July 28.

10:45-12:00 The Simpsons–Having just aired its 400th episode, The Simpsons has now released its first feature film. Join members of the team responsible for both and find out how they did it, including Matt Groening (creator and executive producer); Al Jean, executive producer/head writer); David Mirkin (former executive producer); Matt Selman (executive producer); Michael Price (co-executive producer); David Silverman (director of The Simpsons Movie); Matt Warburton (supervising producer); Don Payne (consulting producer); and Yeardley Smith (voice of Lisa Simpson). Moderated by Bill Morrison. Hall H

Heath: Should be some good info.

12:45-2:00 Heroes: Exclusive Volume II Clip and Q&A—Heroes chronicles the lives of ordinary people who discover they possess extraordinary abilities. Be the first to see an exclusive clip from Volume II and learn more about the DVD, Heroes 360 and more. Moderated by co-executive producer/comic book writer Jeph Loeb, participate in a Q&A session with creator Tim Kring; comic book artist Tim Sale (Batman: The Long Halloween); and the entire cast—Jack Coleman (H.R.G.); Noah Gray-Cabey (Micah Sanders); Greg Grunberg (Matt Parkman); Ali Larter (Niki Sanders); James Kyson Lee (Ando); Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura); Hayden Panettiere (Claire Bennet); Adrian Pasdar (Nathan Petrelli); Zachary Quinto (Sylar); Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder Suresh); Dania Ramirez (Maya); Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli); and more. Ballroom 20

Heath: One of my current TV shows.

4:45-5:45 Dark Horse Presents: Joss Whedon—With the hugely successful release of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 for Dark Horse Comics, Joss Whedon (Fray, Astonishing X-Men) talks about picking up where the TV series left off, his other projects as well as future plans and possibly even a few surprises. A sneak peek from the upcoming Serenity—Collector's Edition DVD will be shown. Ballroom 20

Heath: Should be some good info.

A Peek at Sunday, July 29

1:30-3:00 Cover Story: Art of the Cover— They lied. You really can tell a book by its cover, and Mark Evanier is going to talk to some of the best cover artists in the comics biz about it. Join Mark along with fellow Comic-Con special guests Adam Hughes (Catwoman, Wonder Woman); Joseph Michael Linsner (Dawn); Joe Jusko (Tomb Raider, Marvel Masterpieces); Rowena (renowned fantasy cover illustrator); Matt Wagner (Grendel, Batman); J. H. Williams (Promethea), and others as they tell their own cover stories. Room 1AB

Heath: Should be some good info.

My new DVR.

Some differences I have noticed with my new DVR built in to my cable box from my old TiVo.

• Search function is about the same.
• The TiVo will store 30 min of live TV and will erase the time from the end, keeping a full 30 min. With the DVR on normal cable, it will keep 15 min. After 15 min it will erase the 15 min and start over again.
• With the TiVo, you can set a search for a name and if it found it a show description, it would record the show automatically.
• The guide on the TiVo would have about 2 - 3 weeks available. The DVR has about 1 week (so far, looks it may still be downloading).
• With the DVR, no phone jack is required. The guide come from the cable.
• With the DVR, when you delete a show, it is gone. With a software update a while back, the TiVo would place the deleted show in a trash folder and when needed delete the show.
• With the DVR it does show the percent of space you have left. (Something I like.)
  

I like my TiVo system, but it bit the dust and stop working (see prev post) and I did not want to spend any more money than I needed for a replacement. The unit I got from my cable company is about $12.00 per month (and no equipment to purchase) and the TiVo had a monthly cost for the guide of about $15.00 per month (and the equipment has to be purchased).

TiVo makes a good system and is included Direct TV systems (I think), which I do not have. I did not want to fork out any more money than a I had. At this point I am saving money.

My TiVo is dead.

This last Tuursday I came home, did a few thing on the computer. I sat down and turned on the tv, it had a black screen. I tried the TiVo remote, nothing happened. So I reset the unit (I unpluged it). It came back with "Welcome. Powering up...".

I gave it some time it did not change. I reset it again and went to bed. I got up and went to work. I checked on it again when I got home. The same screen. It was dead. There was no warning sign for this problem. With what I had save on the TiVo unit were only a few odds and end I was saving for later, which I will try to catch up on later.
Any fix would cost money. So I check up on some info on the Comcast web site on their DVRs. It was not much more than the cost of the TiVo monthly cost and there is no cost for the equipment. It also saved some space, down from 2 unit to 1 combo unit. One thing I will miss is the TiVo remote. It had a great layout.