SDCC ’09: The Animation Panels (Thursday and Friday)

Here is the first of Cartoon Brew’s guides to the 2009 San Diego Comic Con. These are only my recommended animation panels for Thursday July 23rd and Friday July 24th. This listing does not include all the animation panels, nor any comic book and movie panels, nor most of Mark Evanier’s panels (which I highly recommend), nor events in the dealers room (which I will post later), or any of the parties.

I’ll be back with the animation events scheduled for Saturday and Sunday later this week. Click these links for a complete line up of Comic Con events: All Thursday panels • All Friday panels • Just Animation Panels

THURSDAY

10:15-11:15 Astro Boy The all-new CG-animated feature film based on the classic manga with director David Bowers, producer Maryanne Grager, and stars Freddie Highmore (Astro Boy) and Kristen Bell (Cora) and exclusive footage. Room 6BCF

11:00-12:30 Disney: 3D Panel Key filmmakers, select cast members and previously unseen footage from its upcoming slate, including Disney’s A Christmas Carol, Alice In Wonderland and Tron. Special guests include Robert Zemeckis, Tim Burton, Sean Bailey, Steve Lisberger, and moderator Patton Oswalt. Hall H

12:00-1:00 Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes Disney Animation producer Don Hahn, famed Disney animator Glen Keane, creator of Aladdin’s Genie Eric Goldberg, director/teacher/animator Tom Sito, and sculptor Ruben Procopio for a discussion of the life and influence of Disney mentor, trainer, and artist Walt Stanchfield. Room 32AB

2:00-3:00 Sony Pictures Animation: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Appearing in person: Anna Faris, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, Bobb’e J. Thompson, and directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord. Room 6BCF

3:00-4:00 Bill Plympton: King of Indie Animation Plympton presents Horn Dog, the fourth smash installment in his famed, Oscar-nominated “Dog” series. Bill will screen some of his new animated shorts, including Mexican Standoff and Santa: The Fascist Years and present some early scenes from his work-in-progress feature film Hanky Panky. Bill will also be available for Q&A after the screening, and all attendees will get a free Bill Plympton drawing. Room 5AB

4:15-5:15 Cartoon Network: Chowder! Flapjack! Adventure Time!– This panel celebrates three best things about Cartoon Network. Panelists include C. H. Greenblatt (Crowder creator), Tara Strong (voice of Truffles), Thurop Van Orman (creator/voice of Flapjack), Steve Little (writer, voice of fan favorite Dr. Barber) and Adventure Time creator Pendelton Ward. “Algebraic!” Room 6A

5:45-6:45 John Kricfalusi Comic-Con special guest John K. will talk about his career in animation and what’s coming next. Room 6BCF

8:00-9:30 Green Lantern: First Flight World Premiere. Screening. Produced by Bruce Timm, directed by Lauren Montgomery and scripted by Alan Burnett. Ballroom 20

FRIDAY

10:00-11:00 Batman: The Brave and the Bold Screening and Q&A with Diedrich Bader (voice of Batman), John DiMaggio (Aquaman), and executive producer Sam Register, producer James Tucker, producer and story editor Michael Jelenic and voice director Andrea Romano Room 6DE

10:30-11:30 Coraline panel Henry Selick and Neil Gaiman discuss the making of the animated film. They will be joined by lead animator and LAIKA CEO/president Travis Knight, producer Bill Mechanic, character fabrication supervisor Georgina Hayns and voice actor Keith David. Room 6A

12:45-2:15 The Disney Animation Panel This is the BIG one… Previously unseen footage from its upcoming animated slate, including the Toy Story & Toy Story 2 Double Feature, Beauty And The Beast, Toy Story 3, Prep & Landing, The Princess and the Frog and Ponyo with Lee Unkrich, Kirk Wise, Ron Clements, John Musker and… Hayao Miyazaki. John Lasseter hosts the panel, with Patton Oswalt moderating. Hall H

2:30-3:30 State of the Animation Industry ASIFA-Hollywood’s annual overview of trends in the animation industry. Moderated by Tom Sito. Panelists include Raul Garcia (The Missing Lynx), Frank Gladestone (producer, Starz Media, Dreamworks), Jun Falkenstein (The Tigger Movie, Mulan II), Kevin Koch (Battle for Terra, Madgascar), and Danny Young (Land of the Lost). Room 10

2:30-3:30 9 – Focus Features presents an exclusive look inside director Shane Acker’s animated fantasy epic “9” with Shane Acker, Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov, and actors Elijah Wood and Jennifer Connelly LIVE for this panel presentation in Hall H

3:30-4:30 Stan Freberg and his lovely wife, Hunter… introduced by Mark Evanier. Room 6A

5:45-7:15 DC Universe Animated panel with Bruce Timm, Andrea Romano, Lauren Montgomery, Alan Burnett, Christopher Meloni, Juliet Landau, Michael Goguen, Sam Liu, Stan Berkowitz and Kevin Conroy (voice of Batman). Room 6BCF

9:00-10:00 Worst Cartoons Ever! Yours truly, Jerry Beck (Cartoon Brew), returns with an all new program of some of the worst cartoons ever made. Room 6BCF

To be continued…