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Marvel still ruled the roost in August, according to figures just released by Diamond, and DC lagged 14 points in units, but gained a little from July’s disappointing numbers in dollars. Marvel’s Wars lines — Star and Secret—continued to do well, while Batman and JLa made the top 10 for DC. They were joined by the new issue […]

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Just a few hours after Legendary Pictures’ CEO Thomas Tull announced that Mothra, King Ghidorah and Rodan will appear in the Godzilla sequel, attendees at the 40th annual Comic-Con Masquerade saw the four monsters destroy a city live on stage –

and win the competition’s Best in Show.

Cosplay plays several different roles at Comic Con, from bonding the community together to connecting individuals to creative power within the entertainment they enjoy. In fact, the intrepid Masquerade Coordinator Martin Jaquish opened the event by noting that the Masquerade helps to fulfill San Diego Comic-Con’s nonprofit mission by promoting creative enterprise among the Con’s attendees.

That spirit of creativity is ultimately what appears to have secured the victory for the four women who created the winning costumes in “Giant Monsters All Out Attack” — Lisa Truong, Lynleigh Sato, Wendy Colon, and Cindy Purchase. As should be evident in the admittedly fuzzy picture above,  the costumes were not literal recreations of the four monsters’ film design, and their mode of wreaking havoc was more akin to a chaste burlesque than wanton carnage. However, it is precisely this blend of playfulness and novelty that made their designs stand out.

There were a number of other winners and honorable mentions, both as determined by the judges and as selected by the Masquerade’s sponsors. For example, DC’s winning selection had a Scarecrow-venomed Batman fighting Ray Harryhausen skeletons, and other winners included lifesize (more or less) Game of Thrones dragons, a paean to the transformational power of fandom sung to the tune of “Be a Man,” and, of course, MODOK. Technique mixed with surprise were the core values of the night, and an extra splash of fun seemed only to help.

For those who would like to know more about the Masquerade or see video of the entries, Martin Jaquish along with John Ruff will be hosting the Comic-Con Masquerade Replay starting at 2:30pm today (Sunday) in Room 8.

We’ll be talking more about the Masquerade from various perspectives in days to come, but the jury’s still out on whether I’ll follow the recommendation of several people on line to show up next year as The Governor.

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Not everything showbiz related at Comic-Con is innately douchey. There are even some panels that sound downright FASCINATING. Like these. But get there early. Also check out my PW story on the top COMICS panels of the show.

THURSDAY
10:30am –  11:30am
Legends of TV Land Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront

Get up close and personal with icons of television! Superstar Betty White (The Golden Girls, Hot in Cleveland) and other TV celebs will answer questions about their work and making history on television. Plus, get a special sneak peek at the animated episode of TV Land’s original sitcom Hot in Cleveland, airing July 30th.

Betty WHite. The last living Golden Girl. I’d go.

1:30pm –  3:00pm
Comedy Central: Key & Peele and Introducing Moonbeam City! Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
Key & Peele stars Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, who are best known for their impressive ability for improv, celebrity impressions, and conjuring up original characters including “Obama and Luther,” “The Valet Guys,” “Mr. Garvey, the Substitute Teacher” and the players from the annual “East/West College Bowl.” Whether it’s satirizing the President, spoofing musical acts, or taking on religion, Key & Peele showcases their chemistry, camaraderie and unique point of view, born from their shared background and experiences growing up biracial in a not quite post-racial world. Join the stars of Comedy Central’s Key & Peele as they go behind the scenes, reveal details on their upcoming new season, and more! Panel to be moderated by actor and comedian, Tom Lennon. – The party continues with a FIRST EVER look at Comedy Central’s newest animated series Moonbeam City. Moonbeam City is an absurdist take on the gritty, sex-drenched crime dramas from the 1980s. The series follows undercover detective Dazzle Novak (voiced by Rob Lowe), a handsome idiot who commits more crimes than most criminals. His tyrannical chief, Pizzaz Miller (Elizabeth Banks), won’t get off his back, and hotshot rookie Rad Cunningham (Will Forte) is dying to see him fail. With the world against him, Dazzle is thrust into a living nightmare: having to do actual police work. Join series creator and executive producer, Scott Gairdner and the voice of Dazzle, Rob Lowe, as they reveal details for the first time on Comedy Central’s next big animated series! Panel to be moderated by Moonbeam City head-writer, Tommy Blacha.

Somewhere back in the Aughts there was a very brief period when the BBC showed up at Comic-COn and brought their old TV shows with them. This led to big SDCC welcomes for The Mighty Boosh and Look Around You. It was so awesome and I couldn’t wait for them to get to Garth Marenghi, Black Books, Nathan Barley, Peepshow and so on…but…they didn’t. However, Key and Peele are just as funny as the great Brits, although with a uniquely American spin, because we’re uniquely f-ed up about race. PLus, Fargo.

FRIRDAY

2:00pm –  3:00pm
1984′s Greatest Geek Movies: Big Brother Wasn’t The Only One Watching While Doves Cried Room 5AB
While Eurasia was still at war with Eastasia and Big Brother was watching you, some amazing movies slipped into cinemas and our panel of experts are going to wax on, wax off about the great geek year of 1984 as they look back at such films as The Terminator, Gremlins, Repo Man, Ghostbusters, Dune, Splash, This is Spinal Tap, Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom, Star Trek III, Buckaroo Banzai, Body Double, The Karate Kid, Red Dawn, Night of the Comet, Once Upon a Time in America, This is Spinal Tap, and, of course, the incomparable Purple Rain. Celebrating the fact that they still love the ’80s will be Ashley E. Miller (Thor, new Terminator TV series), David E. Williams (editor, GEEK magazine), Robert Meyer Burnett (Star Trek: The Next Generation Blu-rays), Marc Berandin (The Hollywood Reporter), Steve Melching (The Clone Wars, Transformers Prime), Joe Kraemer (Jack Reacher), and moderator Mark A. Altman (Free Enterprise, DOA: Dead or Alive). This panel is sure to get turned up to 11.

I’m old. And so are you.

7:00pm – 8:00pm 1
Neil Gaiman Documentary Room 4
Neil Gaiman is one of our most beloved modern storytellers, crafting amazing fantasy worlds across comics, novels, films, and music. But what is his story? This new documentary takes you along for the ride on Neil’s record-setting 2013 signing tour, and explores a life as fantastical as one of his stories. Filmmakers Patrick Meaney (Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods) and Jordan Rennert (Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts), Neil’s “Pepper Potts” Cat Mihos, and a special guest present an exclusive first look at the film.

Support my peeps Patrick and Jordan! Don’t leave them eating scraps!

SATURDAY

11:00am – 12:00pm     
Temple of Art Room 25ABC
Temple of Art is an ongoing 2-year art and photography project, a unique conversation among over 50 artists that includes original work incorporating multiple modalities and disciplines. The show currently has a book published by Baby Tattoo, bicoastal gallery openings, and a feature-length documentary. Creator Allan Amato (commercial photographer, Justified, Wilfred, Necessary Roughness ) will be curating, discussing art as a battleground between ego, alchemy, and discipline. The panel features such greats from both the comics industry and the fine art world as Dave Mckean (Mirror Mask, Sandman), Barron Storey (Sandman:Endless Nights, Marat-Sade Journals), Kent Williams (Kent Williams: Opthalm, The Fountain), Jason Shawn Alexander (Abe Sapien, Batman: End Game), David Mack (Kabuki, Daredevil), Bill Sienkiewicz (Electra Assassin, The New Mutants),Grant Morrison (Batman: Arkham Asylum, The Filth, Happy), Jim Mahfood (Clerks, Tank Girl), Stephanie Inagaki (fine artist, Miyu Decay), and Ryan Graff (designer, publisher). Moderated by Jon Schnepp. A video presentation of original works from the show and preview of the documentary will be played as well. Giveaway T-shirts, postcards, and posters.

Uh…GREATEST PANEL EVER! Jesus this should be on every list!

12:00pm – 1:00pm     
Spotlight on Bryan Lee O’Malley Room 28DE
Comic-Con special guest Bryan Lee O’Malley, creator of the bestselling Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series, discusses his newest project, Seconds, with Laura Hudson (Wired).

12:00pm – 1:00pm     
Spotlight on Drew Friedman Room 23ABC
Comic-Con special guest Drew Friedman (author/artist of Heroes of the Comics) and Gary Groth (publisher of Fantagraphics Books) discuss Friedman’s new book Heroes of the Comics, debuting at Comic-Con. Friedman and Groth will discuss many of the comics legends portrayed in the book, including some they have known personally, among them Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Will Eisner, and Harvey Kurtzman.

Choose your poison.

3:00pm – 4:00pm     
ComiXology Submit: The Future of Self-Publishing Room 23ABC
Think you have what it takes to be comics’ next indie-creator superstar? Then this panel is for you! Since its launch at SXSW in 2013, comiXology Submit has released over 1400 independent comic book series. ComiXology’s marketing & PR maven Chip Mosher and comiXology co-founder and Director of comiXology Submit John D. Roberts are joined by such breakout Submit superstars as the sensational writer and co-creator of The Bunker Joshua Fialkov, Eisner Award-winning cartoonist behind The Mire Becky Cloonan, and the artist/writer team of the Eisner Award-nominated series Watson & Holmes, Brandon M. Easton and N. Steven Harris, for a discussion on how you too can join the ranks of comiXology Submit stardom!

This isn’e showbiz but it is interesting. As Tood Allen pointed out, the DIY aspects of Comixology are one of the most attractive elements to Amazon as maker culture goes universal.

3:30pm – 4:30pm     
Inside the Making of Twin Peaks-The Entire Mystery Blu-ray Room 5AB
Go behind the scenes of the unprecedented collection of the groundbreaking cult phenomenon from David Lynch and Mark Frost, Twin Peaks-The Entire Mystery. Join actress Kimmy Robertson (“Lucy Moran”), Blu-ray producer Charles de Lauzirika, Blu-ray co-producer Brian Kursar, and restoration and remastering executive project managers David Grant and Ryan Adams. Get an advance look at not only the staggering results of the high-definition upgrade of both the series and feature film, but also an exclusive sneak peek at the Blu-ray’s massive array of bonus features, including the “holy grail” of Twin Peaks fandom, The Missing Pieces, the long-awaited deleted and extended scenes from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, directed and edited by David Lynch himself! Moderated by Robert Meyer Burnett.

I have to admit, I thought the Twin Peaks dads would be a big deals SDCC. I haven’t seen the show floor yet, but this panel seems to be it. But it is enough. Counting the minutes until I see the restored Fire Walk With Me.

2:00pm – 3:00pm     
DC Comics: New Places for Familiar Faces Room 6DE
DC Comics is proud to have Greg Capullo, David Finch, and John Romita Jr. working on the three greatest heroes of our generation: Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. For the first time ever, these three all-star creators sit down and discuss what it is like to work on the Trinity and what is in store for everyone’s favorite characters.

Not showbiz but you can bet this will be the most quoted comics panel of the weekend.

5:00pm – 6:00pm     
Disney’s Gargoyles 20-Year Anniversary Room 25ABC
“Twenty years ago, superstition and the sword ruled. It was a time of darkness. It was a world of fear. It was the age…of Gargoyles!” Help celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Disney Animation television series Gargoyles with members of the cast and crew, featuring series creator Greg Weisman, supervising producer Frank Paur, and others.

I’m old and so are you, but I’mglad people still like Gargoyles, because that was a great show.

7:00pm – 8:00pm     American Horror Story: Coven Room 6DE
Who’s the baddest witch in town? For the first time ever, the critically acclaimed miniseries visits Comic-Con with an exclusive look back at AHS: Coven followed by an all-star panel featuring AHS cast members Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Michael Chiklis, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Emma Roberts, and executive producer Tim Minear. The panel will also treat fans to some exclusive secrets from the set of the next franchise instalment, AHS: Freak Show.

I’m surprised the very popular AHS didn’t get a Ballroom 20 slot! I predict this will be a line waiting disaster and next time they will. Also Angela Bassett! Kathy Bates! Sarah Paulson! Emma Roberts!

7:00pm – 8:00pm     
Comics & Pop Music! Room 28DE
Comic books and pop music are uniquely American artforms, with many common inspirations and a large shared audience. Patrick A. Reed (Depth of Field magazine) brings together a group of artists, writers, publishers, and musicians to talk about the long, strange history of music-based comics and how these two media continue to inform and impact each other.

No deets on this, but Patrick’s panels are always star studded and insightful affairs.

SUNDAY

11:00am – 12:00pm     
Spotlight on Chuck Dixon Room 28DE
Comic-Con special guest Chuck Dixon (Batman, Punisher, Winterworld, Bad Times) will conduct his own informal Q&A about comic book writing, the creation of Bane, how to live in Florida but write about life in a world of constant winter, and what it’s like to be a lightning rod of controversy in a world of make-believe.

This should be interesting.

1:00pm – 2:00pm     
Spotlight on Michelle Nolan Room 4
Author/journalist and Comic-Con special guest Michelle Nolan (Love on the Racks) will join moderator Maggie Thompson (former editor of Comics Buyer’s Guide) and Bud Plant (45 years of Bud Plant Comic Art) for a discussion and Q&A about Michelle’s more than 50 years as a comics historian/entrepreneur.

Deep magic from before the dawn of time.

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