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Tiny Anthems Catalogues and Shares the Lives of Everyday People through Detailed Songs Portland, Oregon (November 23, 2020) – Tiny Anthems, a Portland based organization, today announced the official launch of its personalized song service. Founded by musician Mike Long, the organization seeks to catalogue and share the life stories of as many people as possible. Partnering with Friends of Noise, a Portland based youth arts nonprofit, 10% of all revenue from the Tiny Anthems is reinvested into the community to cultivate safe, inclusive opportunities for youth musicians to make music. A Self-described, modern-day Bard, Long started Tiny Anthems to tell people’s stories and bring levity to his community. With details provided by users, Tiny Anthems creates dense, hilarious narratives about ordinary people in their words. "It's a multi-instrumental, colorful way of sharing someone's story,” explained Long. “The songs are like a highwire act. I balance all the details, memories, and anecdotes shared then add my own embellishments and narration style." The process begins with a questionnaire, via the Tiny Anthem’s website, designed to provide details about the subject/person of the "anthem". Once the questionnaire is completed Mike Long responds with a series of clarifying follow-up questions and composes an original "anthem" that musically captures this person. To date, there are over 120 Tiny Anthems and counting. The mission of the organization is to eventually establish a coalition of artists and organizations empowering social change through art. "Commissioned for a couple’s 50-year wedding anniversary, as a gift. The song describes with humor and lightness some of their coming together story, and then each person has a verse where I call out some of the eccentricities that make living with their partner a bit challenging at times." --Mike Long, Founder, Tiny Anthems "The songs are funny, but are ultimately sincere," stated Long. “I think everyone wants to see their life story played out in a much bigger, grander stage. I jokingly say that the songs are a way to ‘live forever’, but having a piece of art that celebrates your story, like a photograph that captures a picture of you, really does do that.” At this critical time, Tiny Anthems is donating 10% of all proceeds from the original anthems into programs that teach and empower youth-of-color to make music of their own. Pricing and information on how you can be immortalized in a Tiny Anthem available on the website, www.tinyanthems.com ### About Tiny Anthems Founded in 2017, Tiny Anthems is an artist’s undertaking to have ordinary citizens be immortalized in song. Using actual biographical information from actual strangers, Tiny Anthems composes, records, and sends users dense, detailed, and fleshed-out musical odes celebrating their loved ones. With over 120 sprawling, genre-spanning “anthems” composed, Tiny Anthems has the sole goal of telling the stories of our time in song. For more information visit www.tinyanthems.com

When you think of Maine, do you think of the movies? Well, you should. The Pine Tree State has been the setting and inspiration for some of the most iconic films in cinema history. Nurtured by its mighty woods, mountains, lakes and rocky coast, its native and visiting storytellers unearth the soul of Maine in songs, novels, poems and cinema. As part of Maine's Bicentennial celebrations, "Maine in the Movies" film festival, runs statewide across 17 cities from March 5-15, 2020. The festival, presented by the Maine Film Center (MFC) along with 19 other arts and education organizations and independent cinemas, will screen 35 films set in, about and or celebrating Maine. Many of the films set in Maine are based on literary works by such famous Maine authors as Richard Russo, Elizabeth Strout, E. B. White and Stephen King. "Maine has such a long history of being a storytelling state," said Mike Perreault, Executive Director of MFC. "Sure we are known for Stephen King but we have a huge legacy of other great authors and filmmakers." After their highly successful festival, "John Ford -125 Years", celebrating legendary director, and Mainer, John Ford, Perreault and his team saw an opportunity to expand to something statewide that would benefit Maine's independent theaters. "We set the groundwork with the John Ford project because it involved building a coalition of local theaters," stated Perreault. "With 'Maine in the Movies' we were able to take that foundation a step further in a big way expanding to 17 cities." The festival opens March 5th with a 75th anniversary, 2K digital restoration screening of the Oscar winning 1945 film noir, Leave Her to Heaven, set in Maine and adapted from the novel by short-story writer and Maine-based novelist, Ben Ames Williams. The film stars Gene Tierney, Cornell Wilde, Jeanne Craine and Vincent Price and is directed by John M. Stahl. Leave Her to Heaven was 20th Century Fox's highest grossing film of the 1940s, earning over $5,000,000 at the box office. It was selected for the National Film Preservation in the Library of Congress in 2018. With an introduction by Ben Ames William's grandson, Tim Williams, the film will screen at the Waterville Opera House. Curating the festival program began with a list of movies that had a connection to Maine whether they were shot in Maine, set in Maine or based on a Maine author's work. "We flagged some titles that we felt were important to screen but we also reached out to our coalition of theaters to find out what would resonate with their local communities," explained Perrault. The result is a robust program of films in all genres with something for everyone: Family friendly films like, Andre the Seal and Charlotte's Web, classics like Carousel, How to Marry a Millionaire, Peyton Place, critically acclaimed dramas like, In the Bedroom, and for Stephen King fans, The Shawshank Redemption, Carrie and Dolores Claiborne. There's also several recent films, including 2019's The Lighthouse and Blow the Man Down. Even Aquaman will be there as the half-human/half-Atlantian king is also a Mainer! The first film shot in Maine, 1910's Jean the Match-Maker, a 13-minute short directed by Laurence Trimble, a Robbinston, Maine native, features the first animal movie star, Jean the Vitagraph dog. Trimble was a writer for New York Magazine when he was sent to cover a story at Vitagraph Studios. Bringing with him his dog Jean, Trimble wandered onto silent film star Florence Turner's set. Serendipitously, the film needed a dog. The duo, Trimble as director, Jean as star, were hired by Vitagraph and went on to make 25 silent films together. The film was thought lost until it was discovered in the New Zealand Film Archive and restored by the Library of Congress. A newly commissioned musical score from Los Angeles composer Mikel Hurwitz will accompany the film as it tours around the state as part of the festival. "What this festival does a really good job at is depicting Maine as a diverse state of imagination," said Perrault. "These films really sparked a dialogue about where we have been and where we are now." Empire Falls, the HBO 2005 miniseries adapted from Richard Russo's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, was filmed in Waterville, Maine. Russo wrote the novel while living in Waterville and teaching at Colby College. The story follows Miles Roby (Ed Harris), manager of the diner in a once-thriving, small blue-collar town that never recovered from the shut down of its shirt factory. Despite the star power that filled the streets of Waterville for the production including, Paul Newman, his wife JoAnne Woodward, Helen Hunt, Aidan Quinn, Robin Wright and Philip Seymour Hoffman, the story was a little too close for comfort. At the time, Waterville, like many other Maine towns was itself recovering from massive losses of manufacturing jobs. Between 2000-2003 Maine lost the highest percentage of manufacturing jobs in the United States(1). Waterville was once home to C.F. Hathaway Shirts the oldest shirt manufacturing company in the United States. Amongst its greatest hits--manufacturing uniforms for Union soldiers during the Civil War. In a 2005 interview for HBO, Ed Harris shared his thoughts on the story, "It's about human beings trying to do their best, it's about progress, you know, it's not about corporate, military-industrial road-building, building cheap houses, building strip malls...that kind of progress. It's about the progress of the human soul and it's rich that way."(2) In the 15 years since production wrapped in Waterville the town has undergone a stunning transformation thanks to a revitalization initiative in partnership with Colby College. You can read all about it in the Boston Globe article, "Maine city teams with Colby to revitalize a college town".(3) As part of the festival, Empire Falls will screen at The Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville on March 15th. Every festival event is unique, crafted by the individual theaters. Like the Empire Falls event, several of the films will be screened in the communities they were set in or filmed in and some screenings will include special introductions. Also at the Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville on March 12, the 2001 comedy, Wet Hot American Summer, set at a summer camp not far from Waterville. The screening will include a special event, "Wet Hot American Ice Cream Party" with swag bags filled with goodies for your Summer adventures in Maine. In Belfast on March 7, the Colonial Theatre will screen the documentary Belfast with a video introduction from filmmaker, Fred Wiseman, and The Iron Giant with an introduction by famed author and illustrator Chris Van Dusen. Honoring Women’s History Month, on March 11 the festival will screen Hedy Lamarr’s The Strange Woman at the Evening Star Cinema in Brunswick and Bette Davis’ A Stolen Life at Your Neighborhood Theatre in Freeport. When asked what he learned about his home state while working on this festival, Perrault said, "Maine is what you want it to be. It's a place where you can create your own adventure. There's no one Maine." For a complete list of all the programs and screenings for "Maine in the Movies" visit MaineMovies200 For more information about the Maine Film Center and the Maine International Film Festival, currently accepting submissions for its July 2020 festival visit, https://mainefilmcenter.org/ Sources 1 - Figures from National Association of Manufacturers 2 - Ed Harris on Having a Good Time Filming Empire Falls 3 - Downtown Waterville Revitalization Sarah Mason is Executive Producer of The HMC Network and a contributing writer for The HMC and Creative COW.

Groundhog Day 2020 marked 25 years that Josh Mankiewicz has been reporting for "Dateline NBC", "And it went by like that," remarked Mankiewicz. The Emmy-winning, unscripted, investigative series has been integral to the network’s programming since its 1992 debut. Mankiewicz joined in 1995. In its 28th season, the show covers stories ranging from mysteries to documentaries and in-depth investigations. Cases involving murders and missing people are frequent topics and have elevated Mankiewicz and his colleagues, correspondents, Keith Morrison, Andrea Canning, Dennis Murphy and Lester Holt, to super stardom. "We could find bloodier crimes. We could find more famous crimes," explained Mankiewicz. "We're not as interested in that. Dateline is about the choices people make when relationships don't work out." Throughout his distinguished career, Mankiewicz has covered a wide range of stories including Hurricane Katrina, the 1996 and 2000 presidential campaigns and the terrorist takeover of Japan's embassy in Lima, Peru and numerous aspects of airline and airport safety and security. Mankiewicz reported on state and local politics for KCAL-TV, Los Angeles, WCBS-TV New York and WJLA-TV, Washington. He served as a correspondent for Fox Broadcasting Company and ABC News where he got his start in TV news. "Carl Bernstein, who had been hired to be the Washington Bureau Chief of ABC News, got it in his head that I should be trained to be a TV reporter," recounted Mankiewicz. Mankiewicz is a member of the prestigious Mankiewicz Family his grandfather was Herman Mankiewicz, Oscar-winning screenwriter of Citizen Kane, his great uncle, Joseph, was a four time Oscar winner whose credits include, All About Eve, Cleopatra, his father, Frank Mankiewicz was Bobby Kennedy's press secretary and President of NPR, his brother Ben Mankiewicz is host of Turner Classic Movies. Mankiewicz recounts childhood memories living in Beverly HIlls when his father was an entertainment attorney in Beverly Hills in the late 50s. "Jay Silverheels who played Tonto on The Lone Ranger came over to my house once," said Mankiewicz, "He came straight from the set so he was still wearing that jacket with the fringe on it. I was transfixed thinking, Tonto who's usually on the TV set is now next to the TV set." Listen to the complete interview by Sarah Mason with Josh Mankiewicz below or download on Apple Podcasts and Soundcloud. Sarah Mason is host and producer for The HMC Network.

Michael Giacchino (pronounced “Juh-key-no”) has composed original scores for the some of the biggest feature films in recent history, including, The Incredibles, War for the Planet of the Apes, Ratatouille, Star Trek, Jurassic World, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Coco. Giacchino’s 2009 score for the Pixar hit Up earned him an Oscar®, a Golden Globe®, the BAFTA, the Broadcast Film Critics’ Choice Award and two GRAMMY® Awards. When writer/director, Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) reached out to Giacchino to score his film Jojo Rabbit, Giacchino was eager to do it. "I didn't know what the film was about but I am a huge fan of his work and how diverse and different it is," said Giacchino. When asked what direction he received Giacchino recounted Waititi saying, "Remember how you made us feel in Up? That's how I want to feel'. Set during WWII, the film is about Jojo, a lonely German boy, Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) with a vivid imagination. Jojo's need to fit in with the local Hitler youth is tested when he discovers that his single mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. Aided by his idiotic imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Waititi), Jojo must confront his blind nationalism as World War II rages on. The first thing Giacchino did after reading the script (something he rarely does but agreed when Waititi wanted to discuss in advance) was to write an 11-minute suite that showed the course of Jojo's character. "What attracted me was that whole idea of going from an incredibly narrow world view to a very wide world view. That is important because it's something we need now more than ever." The score was recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London. Giacchino, who is works frequently with large 110 piece orchestras assembled instead a small, 35 piece orchestra. "It's a small story about a small boy," explained Giacchino. "I wanted to stay true to the story. In every one of his projects, Giacchino's priority is staying true to the story. "That's my number one rule," explains Giacchino. "Don't forget what it's about. I never wanna write music that I just wanna hear. The music I write has to belong to that story." Giacchino used single instruments, harps and guitar to underscore the emotion of the story. He wrote songs with with lyricist Elyssa Samsel and even used his connection with Paul McCartney to get the rights to "I Want to Hold Your Hand" for a scene about hysteria for Hitler. The score is primarily drawn from Jojo’s emotions. The main melody is played throughout the movie in several different ways. While it begins as a march it later becomes an adagio during the battle as Jojo’s own nationalism begins to transform into something else. "I wanted to create something that began as one thing at the start of the film and ended as something completely different," said Giacchino. Jojo Rabbit is written and directed by Taika Waititi based upon the book “Caging Skies” by Christine Leunens, has been nominated for two Golden Globe® awards and was named Winner one of AFI's top 10 movies of the year. Listen to Sarah Mason and Sergio Pinheiro's interview with Michael Giacchino below or download on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

It seems trite to say Carnival Row, Amazon’s original fantasy-drama series, strikes the ultimate balance, visually and metaphorically, between light and dark, yet that is truly what elevates it from other similar fantasy series. Born from an original screenplay, “A Killing on Carnival Row,” written by Showrunner Travis Beacham, Carnival Row is a master class in world-building brought to life by stunning cinematography, production design and VFX, all perfectly choreographed like a beautiful ballet of mixed artistry. The backdrop is a fictional Victorian, steampunk post-war city where mythological beings endeavor to co-exist with humans despite overwhelming anti-Critch (the derogatory term used for non-human folk) sentiments. No veil over the obvious statement on the current anti-immigrant state of affairs in the US and UK. Bigotry is a clear theme but the series earnestly avoids stereotypical archetypes in favor of a nuanced examination of the flawed system and the origins of fear. A detective/murder-mystery but also a love story, human detective, Rycroft Philostrated played thoughtfully by Orlando Bloom (Pirates of the Caribbean) loves faerie refugee VIgnette Stonemoss, the equally powerful Cara Delevingne (Suicide Squad). Their brief but intense love affair amidst battle in the faerie homeland, Tirnanoc, ended as they do when war’s divide; with tears and a journey. Reunited in the Burgue, the fictional human city, their complicated relationship continues. Season 1 introduces us to beasts both mythical and human, constantly exploring the contrast of brutality and romance, hate and empathy. Bringing the Burgue to Life Creating the visual look of The Burgue began with Production Designer Francois Séguin's gorgeous drawings. Creating the visual look of The Burgue began with Production Designer Francois Séguin's gorgeous drawings. Roman Bathe from Carnival Row, illustration by Francois Séguin Production image, Carnival Row, Episode 2 "Aisling", Francois Séguin Victorian but not Victorian Séguin started in the theater creating some of the spectacular sets for Cirque du Soleil and other productions in his native Montreal, Canada. His film work includes the Oscar nominated Brooklyn and Oscar winning The Red Violin. “My job is to enter the world that the director imagines, find the logic and translate it in a visual way,” explained Séguin. Séguin has worked multiple times with Director Francois Girard including on The Red Violin and the upcoming film, The Song of Names. He is a member of the Director's Guild of Canada (DGC) and a five time recipient of the "Genie", Canadian Screen Award. Season 1 of Carnival Row was shot in the Czech Republic, using Prague as the skyline for The Burgue. During pre-production, Séguin spent many hours with the location manager. “It’s complicated transforming Prague into more of a Victorian London look” said Séguin. “I spent a lot of time looking at streets and buildings, trying to find areas that replicated the look the director and producers wanted.” As shooting in Prague was not practical for the production, they had to create these worlds on a soundstage outside the city. Séguin worked closely with VFX Supervisor Betsy Patterson (The Hunger Games, 300: Rise of an Empire) to determine what they could build and what would have to be CGI. The team worked in tandem to build a cohesive structure with at least a partial build for every set. A VFX concept designer detailed out the set extensions during production so that Séguin could have input before handing off to the post-production team. The end result is astonishing. The production image below demonstrates how elaborate the sets were as only the tops of the buildings and skyline were green screened to allow VFX to expand the skyline. Carnival Row, Production Image, Francois Séguin Giving the sets an authentic feel, the set design team were meticulous in detailing every prop imaginable in the different sets. "The crew was incredible," said Séguin."I would send them concept ideas and they would create these incredibly detailed shops." The attention to detail and artistry of the production and set design teams paid off as the sets themselves became characters in the story. For the shop of the faerie witch Haruspex played to creepy perfection by Alice Krige (Star Trek: First Contact, Thor: The Dark World), every prop was fully crafted including the animals inside the jars. Watching the scene becomes an immersive experience as you can almost smell the dust and formaldehyde. Production image, Carnival Row, Haruspex's menagerie. Faeries Take Flight One of the most fantastic images in the series is the faeries taking flight. “We had a lot of fun with that,” recalled Patterson. Her team worked with legendary Makeup Effects Supervisor, Nick Dudman, who is responsible for all the creature design and make up effects on all the Harry Potter films. “Nick did a beautiful job building practical things for the actors to wear,” explained Patterson. “It was perfect because it gave the actors what they needed to feel comfortable simulating the feel of another appendage but as soon as the wings needed to move for expression or to fly we would take over.” Not wanting to duplicate Tinkerbell (which became a dirty word on set), Patterson and team looked to nature for examples. They wanted the faeries to hover and fly straight up like a hummingbird or dragonfly. “We had to match the look and come up with a whole physical language for how the wings would move,” said Patterson. “If these are body parts then they have control over them and will use them for body language like we use our hands.” The result is total suspension of disbelief. The Fae, as they are nicknamed, take flight in such a beautiful, realistic way. It’s something we haven’t really seen before in screen imaginings of fairies. Patterson began her career in commercials as an editor. Intrigued by early titling and graphics applications, she taught herself Adobe After Effects and eventually more advanced VFX tools and quickly became a sought after digital artist. Now with over 30 film and television credits, Patterson is one of the leading VFX Supervisors in film and television. Patterson worked as VFX Supervisor on all 8 episodes of Carnival Row Season 1. . Keeping it Real in a CGI World What is repeated over and over again from this impressive crew of artists is their dedication to the team. “The whole thing is teamwork. I’m a cog in that teamwork. I’m only as good as everyone around me” explained Cinematographer Chris Seager. Seager, whose credits include Game of Thrones and Watchmen, was recently nominated for an "ASC Award" for his work on Carnival Row, Season 1, Episode 5, “Grieve No More”. He worked closely with the director, writers, VFX team, production designer and location managers to create a real look using CGI to enhance the script and not take away from it. “I think one of the worst things we’ve done in the film business is to tell people how CGI works” stated Seager. “It takes the magic away. Like a magician saying, this is how I take a rabbit out of a hat. Once you do that it’s not fantastic anymore. So we need to make it real so it’s believable.” Seager, who went to art school to study photography, likens Carnival Row’s contrasting themes of dark and light to a Vermeer painting, “Hard light with a softness to it.” Seager, who went to art school to study photography, likens Carnival Row’s contrasting themes of dark and light to a Vermeer painting, “Hard light with a softness to it.” A true cinematographer, Seager loves to light a set. "Working on TV is such a pleasure. You get these nice dark sets that you can light" proclaimed Seager. Pay close attention to his ASC nominated Episode 5, as it shows off his incredible skills in this arena. The lighting drives the emotion particularly in a scene in which Rycroft (Bloom) visits the orphanage where he grew up. The gray, bleak room is masterfully lit through two windows with his face revealing both dark and light sides. It’s phenomenal. Carnival Row, Season 1, Episode 5 "Grieve No More" In its first week of release Carnival Row, was the most watched show on any streaming platform. That according to streaming search engine Reelgood. Not surprisingly, Amazon quickly greenlit Season 2 currently in production. No official release date for Season 2 has been announced but Summer 2021 is a good bet. Although the series was met with mixed reviews, fantasy, detective, mystery and romance fans will all find something inspiring in Carnival Row. It is dripping with talent in every corner of the production.--the cast, led capably by Bloom and Delevingne, the gorgeous cinematography, landscapes, visual effects and production design and a timeless, compelling story. Carnival Row is from Amazon Studios and Legendary Television, with executive producers Marc Guggenheim, René Echevarria, Jon Amiel, Orlando Bloom, and Travis Beacham. Joining Bloom and Delevingne, the series also stars Simon McBurney (The Borgias) David Gyasi (Interstellar), Tamzin Merchant (Salem) and Andrew Gower (Outlander). Betsy Patterson, Photo credit Nikola Sumberova, Chris Seager photo credit Chris Helcermanas-Ben, François Séguin photo credit Jan Thijs. Uncredited photos credit Amazon and Legendary. Streaming data provided by Reelgood. Francois Séguin drawing courtesy of FrancoisSeguin.com #carnivalrow #amazon #orlandobloom #caradelevingne #fantasy #steampunk #victorian #drama #tv #streaming

JOKER marks the sixth film ASC Cinematographer Lawrence Sher has worked with director Todd Phillips. Their successful relationship began with THE HANGOVER and, as you will hear in Sarah Mason and Jake Essoe's interview with Sher, has become a critical and valued partnership for both men. In addition to JOKER, Sher and Phillips collaborated on all three of THE HANGOVER films, DUE DATE and WAR DOGS. A native of New Jersey, Sher moved to Los Angeles after graduating from Wesleyan University in 1992. Diving into movies, Sher started as a gopher on video shoots, worked as an assistant in commercials, working his way up to Director of Photography. His first release as a Cinematographer was in the 2001 indie film, KISSING JESSICA STEIN. He earned critical success with 2004's GARDEN STATE, and begin another successful partnership with Director/Actor, Zach Braff. The pair also worked on Braff's 2014 film, WISH I WAS HERE. Sher made his directorial debut with the 2017 film, FATHER FIGURES. Prior to JOKER, Sher worked on the 2019 film, GODZILLA KING OF THE MONSTERS. Photo credit (Bebeto Matthews | Bebeto Matthews / The Associated Press) Location scouting was a critical piece of the preparation process for JOKER. "That key location of where his apartment would be and those stairs are such a big part of establishing the world that you're building and the tone of the movie," explained Sher. Those stairs (pictured above), at 167th Street in the Bronx near Yankee Stadium, have become a religious pilgrimage for fans. Instagram is flooded with images of people posing in and out of costume on the stairwell. "We were actually vacillating between a lower tenement style building with a huge courtyard and three buildings in Brooklyn. We kept going back and forth between that look at the Bronx look all the way until we started," recounted Sher. "Todd made a really great decision. He was mesmerized by the idea of going up and down and that analogy to what the character was doing and the journey we take ascending and descending. Also those stairs are arduous. That idea that climbing them was part of his every day life pushed it over the edge." Although Sher's resume is steeped in comic storytelling, he knows a thing or two about mixing dark and light when it comes to character development. One of the defining features of the Phillips/Sher partnership is characters who venture down the darkside. "Our philosophy of making movies together hasn't changed. In a lot of ways making JOKER is no different then making THE HANGOVER, " said Sher. "Todd's one of those filmmakers who never chases the joke. He chases the scene, the story, the character and in those confines the joke will come. We set out to make a film as cinematic as it can be whether it's a comedy, drama or action movie. If the scene feels like an action scene, we should it like one." Phillips total trust in Sher's judgement led to one of the most infamous and hilarious scenes in movie history (think Mr. Chow jumping out of a trunk)--which he details in our full interview. We pressed Sher on the future of JOKER and how it may or may not connect to the DCU. Listen to our full interview and find out what he reveals. Listen below or download on Soundcloud and Apple Podcasts. Joker Review, Ep 362 of The Harold & Maudecast below. #joker #lawrencesher #toddphillips #dcu #dc #warnerbros #joaquinphoenix #interview #cinematographer #cinematography #ARRI #thejoker

Avengers: Endgame marks the end of a long journey for the the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) beginning with Iron Man in 2008. The launch of the MCU was a massive gamble for Marvel Studios. In order to finance the first set of films — Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, the studio risked the rights of all four films to financier Merrill Lynch as collateral. Since production begin in 2007, 23 films have grossed over $22.5 billion worldwide with 2.8 billion of that total from Avengers: Endgame alone making it the highest grossing movie of all time and the MCU the highest grossing movie franchise ever. I think it's safe to say, the risk paid off. Avengers Assemble Bringing this universe to life on screen took a team of real-life Avengers. I was lucky enough to sit down with a few of them to discuss storytelling, teamwork and the heroic efforts it took to conclude this phase of the MCU. Alan Silvestri With over 100 film credits, two Oscar nominations, two Golden Globe nods, three Grammy Awards, two Emmy awards and countless other film and music awards, Alan Silvestri has created some of the most iconic film scores in movie history. Silvestri describes his 35-year collaboration with director Robert Zemeckis like a marriage, "You go through a lot, ups and downs. You develop a shorthand and a trust and then 24 films later. It's amazing." Those 24 films include Forrest Gump, Back to the Future trilogy, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Polar Express, Castaway and the upcoming adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Witches. Silvestri's compositions span multiple film genres: From Predator to Overboard, Practical Magic to The Abyss, Tales from the Crypt to The Parent Trap, this genius can never be pigeonholed. Just look at his IMDb credits for proof. No doubt he composed one of your favorite movie scores. Silvestri's relationship with the MCU began with 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger and continued with his score for 2012's The Avengers, arguably the most memorable theme in the MCU. That theme has woven its way through every film in the universe since. In addition to the two just mentioned and, Avengers: Endgame, Silverstri also scored Avengers: Infinity War. In one of my all time greatest fangirl moments, I sat down with Alan Silvestri to discuss his work on Avengers: Endgame and managed to get a few other questions in about his impressive decades-long career. Listen above or Jeffrey Ford & Matthew Schmidt Two of the hardest working real-life Avengers in the MCU are Jeffrey Ford, ACE and Matthew Schmidt. They shared Editor credits on four of the films -- Captain America: Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame and worked together on several more MCU films. The actors and directors take the lions share of the accolades but its these guys who were literally on the front lines, manipulating the tone, pace, and comedic beats, crafting character archs, and storylines. Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame were shot at the same time often forcing the crew to bounce back and forth relentlessly between films and sequences, juggling constant script changing as they shot, "It was like an extreme sport more than filmmaking," stated Ford. Before joining the MCU with Captain America: The First Avenger, Ford worked on the opposite end of the genre spectrum cutting films like the beloved Christmas classic, The Family Stone, for which he won an ACE "Eddie" Award. Some of his other credits include One Hour Photo, Public Enemies and Crazy Heart. Schmidt joined the MCU on 2012's The Avengers, having previously worked on comic book and genre pictures including Daredevil and I, Robot. His other credits include Contact, A Perfect Murder, and 2007's Halloween (ask him to tell you his Rob Zombie stories). I sat down with both of them to discuss the massive undertaking of bringing the Tony Stark lead MCU to an end. Listen above or Sarah Mason's interviews courtesy of Creative COW for The HMC. #avengersendgame #jeffford #mattschmidt #filmeditors #alansilvestri #composer #mcu #marvelstudios #marvel

Eleanor Wirts, Owner of Just Short of Magic, Alaska sled dog tours and Yurt B&B It’s 40 below outside the Yurt on Eleanor Wirts property in Fairbanks, Alaska. Her Alaskan Huskies are raring to run. In the main house on the property guests suit up in heavy duty winter gear preparing for the ride of their life. As the dogs pull your sled through narrow corridors of giant snow covered Spruce you feel as though you’ve just entered Narnia. It’s just short of magic, which also happens to be the name of the dog mushing and Bed and Breakfast business Wirts has owned and operated in Fairbanks since 2013. In just six years Just Short of Magic has become one of the most successful dog mushing businesses in Alaska. “I had a vision, wait vision’s such a cheesy word,” remarks Wirts. “My idea was for people to come, stay in our Yurt, in the morning have a warm home cooked breakfast then go dog mushing and at night view the Aurora. When I knew what I wanted to do with this, I wanted to make it happen right then, and I did.” That determined resilience is a defining feature of Wirts. I’d call her visionary but she may accuse me of being cheesy. Wirts’ road to success is as fascinating as she is. Homegrown in New England, she spent much of her youth in Vermont. She grew up an equestrian, owning her first horse at the age of 10 and later attending the prestigious Morven Park International Equestrian Institute ((MPIEI) in Leesburg, Virginia. Wirts found her way back to Vermont temporarily to pursue a Master’s Degree in Secondary Education with an emphasis on Biology at the University of Vermont (UVM). In addition to her studies she taught high school science at Vermont Academy in Saxtons River. She also served as the school’s Equestrian coach. One day Wirts and some friends tried dog sledding. Instantly hooked by the thrill of driving a team, Wirts started assembling dogs. Soon the husky she owned was joined by 12 other dogs she had found at nearby shelters; thus, beginning her adventures in dug mushing. As Wirts' interest in dog mushing grew beyond a hobby it became clear that Alaska was the optimal place for her to be. So she packed up her dogs and got a seasonal summer gig running dog sled tours on a glacier outside Juneau. In 2003 she landed a full-time gig as a teacher at Teller, a Native Alaskan village of about 250 people on the coast of the Bering Sea. Wirts taught primarily science at a school of 75 students grades K-12. For three years Wirts lived with no running water. The conditions were excessively harsh. Food and groceries arrived only when the planes could get in which was once a month. She lived off the land fishing and skinning fox, seals, muskox to feed herself and her dogs. Despite the conditions, Wirts chose to stay year round with the indigenous residents when her colleagues would depart at the end of each semester. “It was a destructive environment, one of toughest in the state,” commented Wirts. “Some of the cultural aspects were fabulous like native dancing, having a dog team, the wildlife. I developed strong ties to native culture. But as is true with many indigenous communities, they struggle with alcoholism and suicide. When you're immersed in this kind of environment you are impacted by it.” Wirts left Teller in 2006 taking time to adjust to life outside the village. “It was like re-entry to America,” explained Wirts. “I hadn’t driven in a car at 60 mph, hadn’t shopped at a store. It was like returning to America after being in a foreign land.” Wirts took a year off to adjust to life outside Teller then entered a Master’s program in Northern Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Perhaps her time in Teller had lasting influence as she commuted to school from her residence in a Yurt, with no electricity or running water. In 2010 she completed her studies receiving her 2nd Master’s Degree and immediately after she entered a PhD program. Wirts was accepted into the PhD in Native American Studies, Resilience and Adaptation Program (RAP) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She was one of only 10 interdisciplinary students. This prestigious program had recently been awarded a multi-million dollar grant from the National Science Foundation (NFS). After five years of studying, commuting from the Yurt and caring for her dogsled team she needed a break. "I just couldn't be there anymore,” realized Wirts. “My body would go into total shut down when I would drive to the University". Wirts decided to loan out 10 of her dogs to dog mushers in the Fairbanks area so she could return to Vermont to manage an organic fruit and livestock farm. Her stay was short-lived as It was clear that her heart wasn’t on the farm or in Vermont. Wirts missed raising and training her dogs and the exhilaration she felt driving a team. With no money, no home or no dogs, she headed back to Alaska. By July 2012, Wirts had rounded up all her dogs and got a substitute teaching job in Fairbanks. A month later in August of 2012 she stumbled upon an article in an Alaska business magazine about a YMCA class for Women’s small business start-ups. The five-week class began in September and was held in Anchorage, a seven hour drive from Fairbanks. “When I think about it I had a lot of resilience,” said Wirts. “I came back kinda with my tail between my legs, no place to live. But I jumped in and said okay, here’s what we’re doing." And she did it. Not letting money, distance or time stop her, Wirts put the cost of the business class on her credit card and made the long trek back and forth every Wednesday to Anchorage. She started Just Short of Magic shortly after completing the class and set out to engage local hotels and business with a PowerPoint presentation showcasing her vision. Wirts was so passionate and clear about what she wanted to bring to Fairbanks that her energy and enthusiasm swept over the community. In a relatively short time she had one of the most successful dog mushing businesses in Fairbanks. Today Just Short of Magic is a flourishing business operating seven days a week Fall, Winter and Spring. Dogsled tours run from November through March, including a dog mushing school where guests can learn how to harness a team and hook them up to the dog sled. In the Fall Wirts runs ATV tours and in Summer you can tour her kennels and spend time with her Alaskan Huskies, some of which are Iditarod Veteran dogs. All 40 of her dogs were born and raised on the property. The dogs are loved and cared for by Eleanor and her dedicated staff. Just Short of Magic holds the prestigious Jim & Mary Binkley Award for creativity, innovation, courage and entrepreneurialism for the benefit and enjoyment of visitors to Fairbanks. When asked the secret to maintaining a 5-Star TripAdvisor rating for over 5 years Wirts said, "I'm super proud of what we've built. Guests can spend an unforgettable night in our Yurt B&B, view the aurora right outside their door, wake up and have a delicious home-cooked breakfast, play with the friendliest dogs they've ever met and experience the beauty of Alaska by dogsled." Wirts' ability to live in a remote Inuit village under some of the harshest conditions on earth, is admirable and she didn’t stop there. She had a vision of the life she wanted and she made it happen despite many challenges along the way. In an era when boundaries are being tested and young women are empowered to dream big, Eleanor Wirts is the perfect role model. There’s no other way to describe this visionary, tenacious, dedicated purveyor of life-altering experiences, than to say, Eleanor Wirts is just short of magic. For more information on how you can book a tour or stay at the B&B visit justshortofmagic.com Images and video courtesy of Eleanor Wirts and Just Short of Magic LLC. #dogsled #alaska #dogmushing #fairbanks #justshortofmagic #sleddogs #huskies #eleanorwirts #lifestyle #travel

Photo by Sarah Mason for The HMC. Marvel and HBO skipped this year's San Diego International Comic-Con leaving extra room on the sidewalk in front of the San Diego Convention Center for diehard, annual fans to congregate--something nobody has been able to do since Comic-Con's peak in 2015 at 170,000 attendees. Is this the future of Comic-Con? Will the numbers continue to decline? Hard to say. There were a number of factors this year including the absence of HBO and Marvel. Marvel did have a presence with Marvel Games and Marvel TV Series but did not have their usual Hall H movie panel giving the DCU the space to put their best hero hopes forward -- Aquaman, Wonder Woman 1984 and Shazam. The Warner Bros. Hall H panel included Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, where fans were surprised by Johnny Depp in costume crashing the panel to deliver a monologue from the movie as Grindelwald. HBO's absence and the coming end of Game of Thrones and the declining ratings of The Walking Dead also played a factor. After news leaked that Andrew Lincoln aka Rick Grimes would be leaving the show after the upcoming season 9, and then creator Robert Kirkman echoed the news at a panel, Lincoln was forced to confirm to the 7000 fans in Hall H the news that he in fact is leaving. We were in the press pit and although people were sad to hear the news, the reaction was tempered. Gone was the rock star crowds that used to welcome the cast in the height of the show's popularity, 2015. As we have said many times on the Harold and Maudecast, TV audiences are very different from comic book audiences. They never should have killed Glenn. The ratings have suffered since and continue to decline. We have now entered the stage where the cast members are leaving by their own choosing vs waiting for the dreaded call from showrunners telling them their character is being killed off. Lauren Cohan also confirmed, though not at the Hall H panel, that Maggie will no longer be with the group after season 9 but remains somewhere in the universe. Huh? We know she has a new TV show coming out apparently the producers and Cohan are keeping their options open when it comes to the fate of Maggie. Also absent this year was the number of Cosplayers out and about in the convention and around San Diego. The annual ball had spectacular cosplay but we did not see the vast numbers we are a custom to seeing. Smaller, regional shows have been gaining momentum the last few years and are taking some of the numbers away from San Diego. Our overall assessment is that SDCC peaked and now its going back to the fans. And that is fine with us. Here's our breakdown of the show! The Show Floor Photo by Sarah Mason.. This Lego figure of Thanos was Marvel's biggest presence at Comic-Con 2018. We visited the show floor on Preview Night, Wednesday July 18th. It was certainly crowded but manageable which is more than I can say for years past where you literally could not move in the aisles. I picked up this lovely Creature from the Black Lagoon enamel pin that was part of this awesome set from Yesterdays. Jake picked up this Comic-Con exclusive from Q-Fig of The Joker One of the most surprising and exciting booths on the floor was Upper Deck. Their entire booth was an art gallery with incredible pieces like this, Pulp Fiction Wall Art by artist Dave Perillo. Here's more pictures from around the showfloor. ConanCon Conan O'Brien, Andy Richter, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte, Giancarlo Esposito, Bob Odenkirk and Vince Gilligan. Photo by Sarah Mason. For the fourth year in a row, Conan O'Brien brought his show to Spreckels Theatre in downtown San Diego for ConanCON. This year's guests included the casts of Breaking Bad, THE PREDATOR, GLASS and AQUAMAN. Lucky audience members went home with one of four of the Comic-Con exclusive Conan Pop figures from Funko--We got the Rebel Pilot! We were fortunate enough to attend Night one of ConanCON featuring the cast of Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte, Giancarlo Esposito, Bob Odenkirk and show creator Vince Gilligan. ConanCon has become one of our favorite events at Comic-Con. Tickets for this years shows sold out in one hour. Conan and his incredible team pour everything into these shows, delighting Comic-Con audiences with specially catered bits, videos and surprise guests like Jamie Lee Curtis who gave Conan his Comic-Con Citizenship Test. He passed. Good bet Conan will be back next year for the fifth annual ConanCON. Start working on your connections now -- these tix are the hottest in town. Hall H Jason Momoa, Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman, AQUAMAN, Warner Bros. Panel, Hall H. Photo by Sarah Mason. Warner Bros. took full advantage of the absence of Marvel and HBO with a star packed two hour panel in Hall H featuring their upcoming slate of films. Warners brought 465 feet (as opposed to its 199 feet in 2013) of screens — each of which are 20 feet high. No other studio is allowed to use them, and Warner’s partner, AV Concepts, invaded Hall H a week early to run diagnostics and set up the screens (which took four men to open) to run their special illustrations and first-look footage. Warner and AV also schlepped down custom servers and 22 projectors with 200,000 lumia of projection that allowed for 25,000 pixel-wide images. They used Comic-Con’s sound system, but created specific panel art for each film. The Warner Bros. panel opened with Newt Scamandar (Eddie Redmayne) appearing on stage. As he shouted the spell "Lumos!" bracelets distributed to the 7000 audiences members lit up. Aisha Taylor then joined Redmayne on stage and introduced his fellow castmates from FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller (dressed as Toadette from Super Mario) and new to the cast, Callum Turner, Claudia Kim, Zoë Kravitz and hot as ever Jude Law who plays younger Dumbledore. Jude Law and the cast of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Hall H. Photo by Sarah Mason. Johnny Depp shocked fans, coming out halfway through the panel in full costume as Grindelwald to deliver a monologue from the film. It was amazing and a great moment for Potterheads like me! Johnny Depp at the Warner Bros, Fantastic Beast: Crimes of Grindelwald Panel, Hall H. Photo by Sarah Mason. Next up, THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART! Warner Bros began the panel with a video featured Wyldstyle (Chris Pratt) and Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) with Batman (Will Arnett) and Aquaman (Jason Momoa), who Batman insists is not the real Aquaman as the real one is a blonde haired nerd, Cue the old school Aquaman waving hello. Enter stars Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks with writer/producers Chris Lord and Phil Miller (THE LEGO MOVIE) who briefly talked about the film and asked some audience questions. GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS introduced a new cast of characters played by panelists, Millie Bobby Brown aka Eleven from Stranger Things, Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel), O'Shea Jackson Jr. (STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON) , Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley) and Director Michael Dougherty (KRAMPUS). The crowd was electrified viewing the first trailer which showed off Godzilla's Titan friends, Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah. SHAZAM, looks like it may deliver on its promise to lighten up the DCU. Zachary Levi (Chuck), Shazam himself, stomped out on stage, Guinness (apparently supplied by Jason Momoa) in hand. He was later joined by his counterpart, Billy Batson played by Asher Angel (Andi Mack) and new character, Billy's BFF, Freddy Freeman played by Jack Dylan Grazer (IT). The trailer looks pretty awesome. Looking forward to this one now. What would a Super Hero panel be without its Princess? Not to worry, Warner Bros did not disappoint fans. Director Patty Jenkins and stars Gal Godot and Chris Pine (who has yet to explain how Steve Trevor survived and jumped through time), took the stage to talk WONDER WOMAN 1984. Jenkins brought the Hall H crowd a gift of some rough footage (the film had only been in production for three weeks), and it looks just as kick-ass as the original. And for the big finale, AQUAMAN! Utilizing every inch of those giant screens, Jason Momoa appeared on stage through walking through a wall of water. After panel host Aisha Tyler asked him a few questions he was Joined by cast mates, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Patrick Wilson and Director James Wan. Wan gave fans something they've been waiting for for a very long time, the trailer and extended, exclusive footage from the film only for the Hall H audience (the official trailer was released that day). Other highlights from our Hall H experience include The Walking Dead panel where Andrew Lincoln who has played the shows' lead Rick Grimes since the beginning, confirmed that Season 9 will be his last. Noooo! The gracious actor lingered on stage to sign autographs after the panel concluded. VENOM, director Ruben Fleischer and stars Tom Hardy and Riz Ahmed thrilled the crowd with new footage from the film. In reply to whether there would be a Spider-Man/Venom crossover Tom Hardy said "Sure I'll have a go at Tom Holland." No confirmation as to whether that will actually happen. Writer/Director Shane Black, THE PREDATOR, who appeared in the first film, gave Hall H an extended look at the new movie and introduced cast members, Olivia Munn, Trevante Rhodes, Keegan-Michael Key, Augusto Aguilera, Sterling K. Brown, Thomas Jane, and Jake Busey--who noted that he fondly visited the set of PREDATOR 2 when his father Gary Busey was starring in it and that he is now the same age that his father was then. Here are some Highlights from Hall H. Visit our Instagram Stories for videos and more pictures. Cosplay Sean Connery from Zardoz. Photo cred IMDB. Zardoz cosplay photo by Sarah Mason. Cosplay watchers were slightly disappointed this year as there were few cosplayers on the convention floor and around downtown San Diego. Don't know what to attribute that to other than the overall, numbers down. Still we managed to spy a few gems like this absolutely spectacular Zardoz cosplay. The annual Comic-Con Masquerade was held on Saturday, July 21 to a packed audience. This year YouTube sponsored the event adding some interim entertainment from The Corps Dance Crew, a hip hop cosplay dance crew. Never fear diehard fans of old school Comic-Con Masquerade longtime Master and Mistress of Ceremonies, Phil Foglio and Kaja Foglio presided over the festivities with their usual ready-for-local cable flair! Jesting aside, this dynamic duo have earned five Hugo awards among many other literature and cartooning awards, and together have created and published Girl Genius and other successful publications through their company Studio Foglio. Here's some of our favorites from the evening as well as some of our favorite Cosplay around the convention. Beyond the Convention Floor As always, there's a whole lot going on at Comic-Con beyond the Convention floor. Downtown San Diego's Gaslamp district is transformed by the offsite Escape Houses, Virtual Reality experiences, Exhibits and Interactive Displays. The most popular were Cartman's Escape Room and the DC Experience, based on the lines that were deep and long. We had fun checking out the Mr Mercedes Immersive Experience that featured a Virtual Reality escape room and an Augmented Reality adventure game as well as props and footage from the show. We also paid a visit to our friends at Future Tech Live! Housed across the street from the convention center at the Omni San Diego, now in its third year. This is the place to go if you want to explore and preview the most cutting edge Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality and Artiifical Intelligence. In addition to hands on interaction with the latest VR/AR/MR games and experiences, Future Tech Live! hosts some of the best panels at Comic-Con including this year's Blockchain & Gaming and Diversity in Tech in Gaming. A complete list of all the outside attractions at Comic-Con 2018 can be found in our Countdown to Comic-Con 2018 post. SCA group photo at Comic-Con 2018. Photo by Sarah Mason. One huge advantage the smaller numbers provided to us this year was the opportunity to explore--something we rarely get to do with time constraints and crowd control. Strolling around the outside of the convention center we serendipitously stumbled upon a live demo from The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), in their 50th year this worldwide organization has more than 50,000 members. They are dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe. Members, dressed in clothing of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, demonstrate period battles. San Diego Convention Center Women's Restrooms during Comic-Con 2018. Photo by Sarah Mason. That's a Wrap! 2018 has been the best San Diego Comic-Con of my eight years covering the convention. This is largely due to the more manageable crowd size but also because Comic-Con itself did an amazing job organizing. For the first time members of the Press and other badge holders got their badges mailed to them in advance. I can not stress the significance of this change it literally adds a half a day on to your schedule as you no longer have to wait in a disorganized, ridiculously long line to get your badge. Additionally the process of ban scanning as you entered the convention center, introduced in 2017, was far more streamlined this year. The volunteers were better trained and thus much more informed. The flow of traffic in the convention center was kept moving by increased security and staff on the floor and the process of entering and exiting panels felt seamless--often still crowded but the upgraded processes transformed my mood from annoyed to patiently chill. We have seen the evolution of SDCC over a relatively short period of time in its almost 50 year history (2019 will be the 50th), yet witnessed significant changes that have dramatically improved the overall attendee experience. Bravo Comic-Con! You done good. Keep it up. Now please work on revolutionizing the hotel booking system and lowering the ridiculous hotel prices. One shouldn't have to spend an entire year's salary to attend Comic-Con. Smaller Cons will continue to gain traction and take numbers way from Comic-Con if hotels continue to be priced 5 times more than the regular rate and are impossible to book. We get it, you want attendees who have been going for years to feel exclusive, jumping online for the hotel lottery. But there's a fine line between exclusive and excluded. You can do better. Here's hopin. For more a visual guide to our San Diego Comic-Con 2018 experience visit our Instagram Stories. Listen to a full recap of Comic-Con 2018 on The Harold & Maudecast Episode 332, Comic-Con Diaries #comiccon #sdcc #sandiego #conventions #events #festivals #cosplay #hallh #conancon #comiccon

Photo by Sarah Mason for The HMC Network Another July and another San Diego International Comic-Con just days away! The Harold and Maudecast is getting prepped and ready and will be on site in San Diego for the entire Convention. Follow our Social Networks for our complete coverage. Here's a look at some of the events, panels and exclusives we are most excited to see. Exclusives Every year at SDCC there's a mountain of fan favorite collectibles. This year Funko and HBO have teamed up for some super cool Game of Thrones exclusives. Dorbz: Game of Thrones – Dragons 4-pack The fearsome dragons of Game of Thrones just got a whole lot cuter! Rhaegal, Drogon & Viserion, as well as the ‘Icy’ Viserion raised from the frozen depths by the Night King in Season 7, are all smiles in their exclusive 4-pack! Pop! Game of Thrones – Olenna Tyrell Glass of wine in hand and wearing her signature ornate headdress, The “Queen of Thorns” now has her very own Pop! Funko! ConanCon Conan O’Brien returns to San Diego Comic-Con 2018 for his annual ConanCon live from Spreckels Theater in Downtown San Diego, Wednesday, July 18 - Saturday, July 21st. This year's all-star lineup includes the casts of Breaking Bad, The Predator, Glass, and Aquaman. Here's the schedule: Wednesday, July 18 Taping – Airs on TV Wednesday, July 18 The Cast of Breaking Bad starring Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, AnnaGunn, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte, Giancarlo Esposito, Bob Odenkirk and show creator Vince Gilligan Thursday, July 19 Taping – Airs on TV Thursday, July 19 The Cast of The Predator starring Olivia Munn, Keegan-Michael Key, Sterling K. Brown, Thomas Jane, Trevante Rhodes, Alfie Allen, Augusto Aguilera, Jake Busey, Yvonne Strahovski and director Shane Black Airs Saturday, July 21 (likely the Saturday taping) The Cast of Glass starring Samuel L. Jackson, James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, Sarah Paulson, Anya Taylor-Joy and writer/director M. Night Shyamalan Airs Sunday, July 22 (likely the Friday taping) The Cast of Aquaman: To Be Announced. Additionally and new this year at SDCC, House Coco comedy show offsite. Each night during the week of shows, fans will have the opportunity to win exclusive Conan access in San Diego. Partnering with State Farm a few lucky con-goers will be awarded VIP tickets to attend that night’s Team Coco House comedy show and show tickets for the following day at Spreckels Theater. Details to follow on how that all works. Follow @conancon on Instagram for up to date info on tickets or visit http://teamcoco.com/ Panels & Events Photo by Jake Essoe for The HMC Network Preview Night, Wednesday July 18 New Line Cinema's Scarediego 9:30pm - Horton Grand Theater Be the first to see footage from some of the company's eagerly anticipated 2018-2019 horror films and hear from special filmmaker guests. Thursday, July 19 6th Annual Musical Anatomy of a Superhero 10am, Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront From the ominous horns of Jaws or A Quiet Place signaling fear, to the heroic Star Wars theme, music has always been an important supporting character in movies. In the world of superheroes, music sets an emotional tone more than virtually any other genre. This panel offers a behind-the-scenes look at the music of today's biggest superhero film and TV projects with unreleased film clips and never-before-heard music. Participating composers include Tyler Bates(Deadpool 2, Guardians of the Galaxy 2), Marco Beltrami (Logan, The Wolverine), Christophe Beck (Ant-Man and the Wasp), Kurt Farquhar (Black Lightning), and Blake Neely (The Flash, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow). Moderated by Ray Costa. Blade Runner; Revelations: Storytelling in VR 10:30am, Room 6bCF The team behind Blade Runner: Revelations, a new VR experience set in between Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 reveal their creative approach and behind-the-scenes process to expanding the narrative and characters in this iconic neo-noir world. Featuring Eric "Giz" Gewirtz (CCO, Seismic Games), Trevor Sands(narrative director, Seismic Games), George Collins (executive producer, Alcon Interactive), Tyler Moore (actor), Valerie Arem (actor/PCB VO producer), and Jonathan Krusell (publishing producer, AR & VR, Google), with moderator Jennie Kong (creator, The Game Makers series). 20th Century Fox: The Predator 10am, Hall H Expected to Appear: Olivia Munn, Keegan-Michael Key, Sterling K. Brown, Thomas Jane, Trevante Rhodes, Alfie Allen, Augusto Aguilera, Jake Busey, Yvonne Strahovski and director Shane Black. A Discovery of Witches 1pm, Ballroom 20 Meet the cast and creatives behind the major new TV series. Teresa Palmer (Hacksaw Ridge), Matthew Goode (Downton Abbey), Alex Kingston (Doctor Who), and Owen Teale (Game of Thrones) join Deborah Harkness (All Souls trilogy), author of the original novel, to discuss the TV adaptation. Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1:45PM-2:45PM, Room 6A Rise up! The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back with Nickelodeon’s brand-new mutation of New York’s half-shell heroes with a panel that celebrates the latest incarnation of Turtles and reinvention of the world famous franchise. Joining the discussion is the new voice cast–Omar Miller as Raph, Ben Schwartz as Leo, Josh Brener as Donnie, Brandon Mychal Smith as Mikey,Kat Graham as April O’Neil, and Eric Bauza as Splinter–along with the co-executive producers Andy Suriano and Ant Ward, and legendary voice director Rob Paulsen. The panel will feature never-before-seen clips from the upcoming series and be moderated by Keely Flaherty (BuzzFeed). Nightflyers 3PM-3:50PM, Indigo Ballroom From the mind of George R.R. Martin, this highly anticipated new SYFY series is a psychological thriller set in the year 2093 that follows a team of scientists aboard the most advanced ship ever built. Their mission takes them to the edge of space but also to the edge of insanity, as they realize true horror isn’t waiting for them out there — it’s already on their ship. Unlike anything you’ve seen before, NIGHTFLYERS combines horror and science fiction in a way that Martin himself has described as “Psycho in space.” Join the cast and creators for an exclusive look into this exciting new series. Panelists include: Jeff Buhler, Eoin Macken, Gretchen Mol, David Ajala, Jodie Turner-Smith, Gene Klein and David Bartis. Moderator to be announced. Better Call Saul 3:30PM-4:30PM, Hall H Expected to Appear: Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Giancarlo Esposito, Rhea Seehorn, Michael Mando, and Patrick Fabian, as well as Gilligan and co-creator Peter Gould. Breaking Bad 10th Anniversary Reunion 4:30PM-5:30PM, Hall H Expected to Appear: Actors Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Anna Gunn, Bob Odenkirk, Giancarlo Esposito, Betsy Brandt, Jonathan Banks, and RJ Mitte will join creator Vince Gilligan. Shooting Clerks 6:45PM-7:45PM, Room 6A Fresh off its feature on AMC TV’s Comic Book Men, the biographical comedy which dramatizes the making of Kevin Smith’s indie cult classic film Clerks is finally coming to indie cinemas around the U.S. later this year. Join Christopher Downie (writer/director), Brett Murray (producer/actor), Ryan James (producer/editor), Matthew Postlethwaite (actor), Jay Booton (actor), Stephanie Price (actress), special guests from Clerks and Comic Book Men including Marilyn Ghigliotti (associate producer), Ming Chen (actor) and more for an exclusive sneak peak, behind the scenes footage, and some very special announcements. Mr. Mercedes 8PM, Room 7AB Star-studded cast and creators of returning original “Mr. Mercedes,” based on the trilogy by Stephen King, to present a panel and be available for interviews to discuss the all-new season. Get a sneak peek into the making of the highly anticipated season two of “Mr. Mercedes” by speaking with the fan-favorite cast and creators prior to their panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday, July 19th. 21st Annual Superhero Kung Fu Extravaganza 8PM-10:30PM, Room 6A The whole world of action films is changing and we’re changing with it! This time Ric Meyers (Prof. Ric’s Action Film Autopsy) is staging an international summit of filmmakers, fighters, and fans from America and Asia to celebrate the best in movie mayhem with premieres, sneak peeks, and clips of 2018’s most mind-boggling, eye-bulging, jaw-dropping fight scenes. Already scheduled to appear are Comedy Film Nerds Graham Elwood (First Nations Comedy Experience) and Chris Mancini (Conversations from the Abyss), Eric Jacobus (God of War), Clayton Barber (Black Panther), Alvin Hsing (Luke Cage), Roger Yuan (Skyfall), and Erik Matti & Brandon Vera (BuyBust). Hey, we’re twenty-one this year. Let’s party! Expected to Appear: Erik Matti, Star Brandon Vera, Graham Elwood, Chris Mancini, Eric Jacobus, Clayton Barber, Roger Yuan. Friday, July 20 Dreamworks Voltron Legendary Defender: A Netflix Original 10:30am, Room 6BCF Rhys Darby, Bex Taylor Klaus, executive producer Joaquim Dos Santos, co-executive producer Lauren Montgomery, and story editor Josh Hamilton show a first look at the seventh season of the Netflix original series DreamWorks Voltron Legendary Defender. All attendees will receive a San Diego Comic-Con exclusive poster created by the Voltron crew. AMC's Fear the Walking Dead 11:15am, Hall H Alycia Debnam-Carey, Colman Domingo, Lennie James, Danay Garcia, Jenna Elfman, Maggie Grace, and Garret Dillahunt join executive producers and showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg, executive producers Scott M. Gimple, Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, and Dave Alpert, and special effects makeup supervisor and executive producer Greg Nicotero to discuss where the series left off in the midseason finale and what to look forward to when the show returns August 12. Panelists will also participate in a Q&A session and offer an official sneak preview of the second half of season 4. History's Vikings 11:30am, Ballroom 20 Katheryn Winnick (Lagertha), Clive Standen (Rollo), Alexander Ludwig (Bjorn), Alex Høgh Andersen (Ivar the Boneless), Georgia Hirst (Torvi), and Michael Hirst(creator/writer) will get fans excited about the upcoming midseason premiere by discussing last season's startling alliances, deaths, and unbelievable betrayals as the Vikings fight to rule the world. An exclusive mid-season 5 sneak peek will be presented. (Cast subject to change.) AMC's The Walking Dead 12:15pm, Hall H Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan join executive producer and showrunner Angela Kang and executive producers Scott M. Gimple, Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Dave Alpert, and special effects makeup supervisor and executive producer Greg Nicotero. The panelists will discuss the show's exciting new chapter and share some hints of what's to come with a sneak peek into season 9, debuting in October on AMC. DC Super Hero Girls 12:30pm, Room 6DE The DC Super Hero Girls universe continues to expand with new original graphic novels Out of the Bottle and Search for Atlantis and an all-new animated action-comedy series featuring fresh character designs and storytelling from Emmy Award-winning producer Lauren Faust (Super Best Friends Forever, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends). The world may know them as Wonder Woman, Supergirl and Batgirl, but not-so-typical teenagers Diana, Kara, and Barbara, alongside their superhero friends, have much more to deal with than just protecting the citizens of Metropolis from some of the most sinister school-aged super-villains of the DC Universe. After all, being teens is tough enough, what with school, friends, family, and the chaos that comes with managing a social life. But add superpowers and a secret identity to the mix, and things can get a lot more complicated. DC Group editor Marie Javins gives attendees a sneak peek at upcoming books, while producer Lauren Faust and other members of the creative team present a first look at this upcoming series. DC Super Hero Girls is coming soon to Cartoon Network. Resident Evil Video Games 12:45pm, Room 6BCF You have once again entered the world of survival horror. Hear from producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi and staff of the recently announced Resident Evil 2 on how CAPCOM reinvented a celebrated classic 20 years later. Get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, the Raccoon City outbreak, and a few other surprises you won't want to miss. Cosplay is encouraged. Hulu's Castle Rock 12:45pm, Ballroom 20 Escape the summer heat for a chilling world premiere screening of the first episode of J. J. Abrams and Stephen King's psychological-horror series about the hometown of some of your favorite nightmares. You've read the books, you've seen the movies, you know the characters, but you've never heard the story of Castle Rock. Following the screening, the creators and executive producers Sam Shaw and Dustin Thomason (Manhattan) and stars Sissy Spacek(Carrie), Bill Skarsgard (It), Melanie Lynskey (Togetherness), and Jane Levy(Suburgatory) will discuss the most tragic and disturbing town in America. Prepare to sleep with the lights on. Star Trek: Discovery 1:30pm, Hall H Over 50 years ago, the world was first introduced to what would quickly become a cultural phenomenon. Star Trek inspired developments in science and technology, broke social barriers, and transported viewers around the globe to new adventures and uncharted frontiers. Last fall, Star Trek: Discovery continued that tradition and followed the voyages of Starfleet aboard the U.S.S. Discovery. The cast and producers of this CBS All Access series look back on season 1 and find out where the crew is headed as it transports into its second season. Cast members scheduled to appear include Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Shazad Latif, Mary Wiseman, Anthony Rapp, Wilson Cruz, Mary Chieffo and Anson Mount alongside executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Heather Kadin. The panel will be moderated by series guest star Tig Notaro, who will appear as chief engineer Reno. Season 1 of Star Trek: Discovery is now streaming on CBS All Access. Teen Titans Go! The Movie 2:00pm - 4:00pm Horton Grand Theater Come see the film, and immediately following the screening stay for fun snacks and get your photo taken with your favorite Teen Titan character. Families welcomed. DuckTales 3:30pm, Room 6A Solve a mystery and rewrite history with the cast of Disney Channel's hit series DuckTales! Executive producer Matt Youngberg, co-producer/story editor Francisco Angones, art director Sean Jimenez, and series stars Ben Schwartz(House of Lies, Parks and Rec), Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live, We Bare Bears), Danny Pudi (Community, Powerless), Toks Olagundoye (Castle, The Neighbors), and Entertainment Weekly's Marc Snetiker discuss the mystery of the boys' missing mom, epic adventures for season 2, and new footage from never-before-seen episodes. It's a duck blur of fun, action, and secrets revealed in this can't-miss panel for fans new and old of the world's most iconic family of ducks! Amazon Shows: Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Good Omens, The Tick, Homecoming, Lore, The Expanse 3:30PM-5:30PM, Ballroom 20 Prime Video brings together six exciting creators to share insights and behind-the-scenes looks into their highly-anticipated upcoming Prime Original series. Featured panelists include: Carlton Cuse (Lost), Executive Producer of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, premiering August 31; The Tick creator Ben Edlund(Gotham); Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot) director of Homecoming; world-renowned author Neil Gaiman (American Gods), creator-writer-showrunner of Good Omens; Lore Executive Producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Walking Dead); and Naren Shankar (Almost Human) showrunner of The Expanse. Universal: Glass and Halloween 3:45pm, Hall H Filmmakers and actors from two of Universal's most-anticipated upcoming releases- Glass, from M. Night Shyamalan, and Halloween, from David Gordon Green-have a few riveting surprises in store for Comic-Con. Expected to Appear: Samuel L. Jackson, James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, Sarah Paulson, Anya Taylor-Joy and writer/director M. Night Shyamalan; Jamie Lee Curtis. Bob's Burgers 4:15pm, Indigo Ballroom, Hilton Bayfront Wear your best Belcher family costume and get in line early because fans of the Emmy Award-winning animated FOX series Bob's Burgers won't want to miss this panel. Creator and executive producer Loren Bouchard will break news about the upcoming season, and the always entertaining cast including H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal, Larry Murphy, and David Herman will have you howling with laughter with never-before-seen footage, followed by a lively Q&A panel discussion. Ray Harryhausen: The Return of the Special Effects Godfather 4:30pm, Room 26AB Filmmaker John Walsh and collections manager Connor Heaney reveal Harryhausen Foundation's plans to bring his iconic cinema creations back to life. See a rare short documentary along with a Q&A and rare images from the founder of modern special effects. Paramount: Bumblebee (5PM-6PM, Hall H). Attendees can stop by for the panel, which will feature cast members Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Jorge Lendeborg Jr. and director Travis Knight. Sony: Venom and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 6:15PM-7:15PM, Hall H Sony Pictures presents two of their most anticipated films produced in association with Marvel. First up, filmmakers and talent will show you what's in store as the lethal protector Venom finally gets his own movie.Then, the creators of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse give you an inside look at their groundbreaking animated movie. World Premiere of The Death of Superman 7pm, Ballroom 20 The Man of Steel meets his ultimate match when Doomsday comes to Earth-hell bent on destroying everything and everyone in his path, including the Justice League-in the all-new, action-packed The Death of Superman. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment, the feature-length animated film is the latest DC Universe movie to continue Warner Bros. Home Entertainment's tradition of debuts at Comic-Con International. Witness the film's world premiere, then stay for an entertaining panel featuring Jerry O'Connell (Crossing Jordan, Stand By Me) as Superman, Rebecca Romijn (X-Men, The Librarians) as Lois Lane, Jason O'Mara (The Man in the High Castle, Terra Nova) as Batman, and Christopher Gorham (Covert Affairs, Ugly Betty) as The Flash, alongside the filmmaking crew of producer/co-director Sam Liu (Gotham by Gaslight), co-director Jake Castorena (Justice League Action), screenwriter Peter J. Tomasi(Green Lantern: Emerald Knights), and executive producer James Tucker (Justice League Dark) . . . plus a few surprise panelists. The all-star cast also features Rainn Wilson (The Office) as Lex Luthor, Rosario Dawson (Sin City) as Wonder Woman, Shemar Moore (S.W.A.T.) as Cyborg, Nathan Fillion (Castle) as Green Lantern/Hal Jordan, Matt Lanter (Timeless) as Aquaman, Cress Williams (Black Lightning) as John Henry Irons, Toks Olagundoye (Castle) as Cat Grant, Nyambi Nyambi (The Good Fight) as Martian Manhunter, Rocky Carroll (NCIS) as Silas Stone, Patrick Fabian (Better Call Saul) as Hank Henshaw, Max Mittelman (Justice League Action) as Jimmy Olsen, and Charles Halford (Constantine) as Bibbo Bibbowski. The Death of Superman arrives July 24 on digital and August 7 on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and DVD. Saturday, July 21 Happy Birthday Frankenstein 10am, Room 7AB This upcoming Halloween, there will be an international celebration of the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. And with that comes a plethora of books and movies rejoicing this occasion. At this panel, listen to authors talk about the influence that Mary Shelley's writing had on their works and why people still obsess over Frankenstein. And watch as they talk about the monsters that never die in their own novels. Good luck sleeping tonight! Panelists include Merrie Destefano (Shade series), Leslie S. Klinger (The New Annotated Frankenstein), Jonathan Maberry (Glimpse, V-Wars), Kiersten White (Bright We Burn and The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein), and Carrie Sessarego of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. Warner Bros. Theatrical Panel 10:30am, Hall H Get a first look at the studio's highly anticipated future releases. Films and special panelists from the casts of Aquaman, Wonder Woman 1984, Shazam and a look at the DC lineup plus the future of the Justice League! Black Lightening Special Video Presentation and Q&A 11am, Ballroom 20 Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) made his choice: He hung up the suit and his secret identity years ago. But with crime and corruption spreading like wildfire, and those he cares about in the crosshairs of the menacing local gang The One Hundred, he must return as Black Lightning to save not only his family but also the soul of his community. Series stars and producers give an electrifying look at season 2! In addition to Williams, the supercharged series stars China Anne McClain, Nafessa Williams, Christine Adams, Marvin "Krondon" Jones III, Damon Gupton, and James Remar. Based on the characters from DC, Black Lightning is from Berlanti Productions and Akil Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti, Salim Akil, Mara Brock Akil, and Sarah Schechter. Black Lightning returns this fall to The CW on Tuesdays (9/8c). The Simpsons 12pm, Ballroom 20 The Simpsons' team looks ahead to their 30th(!) season with creator Matt Groening, executive producer Al Jean, legendary director David Silverman,actress Tress MacNeille, and moderator Johnathan Fernandez. Warning: There will be prizes! IFC's Stan Against Evil 1pm, Room 7AB John C. McGinley, Janet Varney, Nate Mooney, Deborah Baker Jr. and executive producer Dana Gould share an exclusive sneak peek of the upcoming season of IFC's horror comedy series Stan Against Evil, followed by a discussion about what lies ahead for the town of Willard's Mill in season 3. The panel, like the show, is guaranteed to be a hell-larious good time. Family Guy 1:45pm, Ballroom 20 Cast (Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Mike Henry) and executive producers (Rich Appel, Alec Sulkin, Steve Callaghan) from FOX's hit animated comedy Family Guy look back at their favorite family memories and offer a sneak peek featuring hilarity and hi-jinx from the upcoming season! Spotlight on Yoshitaka Amano 2:30pm, Room 24ABC Join Comic-Con International in honoring one of the most recognized Japanese artists of the last half-century, Yoshitaka Amano. Amano's storied career spans decades with thousands of works, including Final Fantasy, Vampire Hunter D, and Neil Gaiman's Sandman: The Dream Hunters. Amano will delight fans by live drawing some of his original characters and will participate in a brief Q&A. Moderated by Michael Gombos. RZA, Movies, Music and Martial Arts 2:45pm, Hall H The maestro, the myth, the master known as RZA (The Man with the Iron Fists) is coming from Wu-Tang Mountain for a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of all great things . . . like his new movie Cut Throat City. Don't be surprised to see some of the all-star cast (Shameik Moore, Wesley Snipes, T. I., Terrence Howard, Demetrius Shipp Jr., Denzel Whitaker, Keean Johnson, Kat Graham), as well as exclusives and sneak peeks. It's RZA's amazing world, so bring your eyes, ears, heart, and soul to come experience it! 20 Years of Magic: 20 Years Inside Harry Potter 4pm, Room 6DE Hear from the artists and editor who brought Harry Potter to life, including Jim Kay (Harry Potter illustrated editions), Kazu Kibuishi (Harry Potter 15th anniversary edition cover artist), Brian Selznick (20th anniversary edition cover artist), Arthur A. Levine (editor, Harry Potter), and David Saylor (art director, Harry Potter). Panelists will discuss their process and inspirations working on the most magical books of all time. See a special message from Mary GrandPré, the original U.S. Harry Potter illustrator. The CW, DC Presentations: Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash 3:30pm - 6:30pm, Ballroom 20 Special video presentations and Q&As of the CW's DC shows, Supergirl, The Flash and Arrow. The Orville 4pm, Indigo Ballroom From Emmy Award-winning executive producer and creator Seth MacFarlane, The Orville is back for season 2! Some of the crew members of the U.S.S. Orville,including Seth MacFarlane, Adrianne Palicki, Penny Johnson Jerald, and Scott Grimes, along with executive producers David A. Goodman, Brannon Braga, and Jon Cassar, give an exclusive look at some of the new and exciting missions in the upcoming second season. EW: Women Who Kick Ass 4pm, Hall H A discussion among fierce, fearless actresses Chloe Bennet (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Regina King (Watchmen), Camila Mendes (Riverdale), Amandla Stenberg (The Darkest Mind), and Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who), who open up about the power and privilege of playing women who redefine the rules and refuse to yield. Moderated by EW's Jessica Shaw. Netflix: Matt Groening's Disenchantment 5:30pm, Room 6A Netflix and Matt Groening give a special sneak peek at the animation legend's newest and much anticipated series, Disenchantment. Get whisked away into the crumbling medieval kingdom of Dreamland, where Matt tells the misadventures of hard-drinking young princess Bean, her feisty elf companion Elfo, and her personal demon Luci. The cast and creators will be in attendance to show you an exclusive first look and answer all of your burning questions about this much anticipated television series. The 2018 Comic-Con International Masquerade 8pm, Ballroom 20 The Ballroom 20 stage becomes a showplace for a fun competition of comics and pop culture creativity, with impressive re-created and original design costumes crafted by our talented attendees, presented before an audience of thousands. Not a dance or party, but a talent show on a stage, with trophies, cash prizes and other awards for the top entries. Doors open for audience seating at 8:00, but the line for choice seating will begin hours earlier. Tickets are required for seating and will be given out free at noon to those lined up. Any tickets that remain will be given out at the Masquerade Desk after 3:00. The Master and Mistress of Ceremonies are writers/artists Phil Foglio and Kaja Foglio, with special live entertainment from The Corps Dance Crew and the Saber Guildperformance group during the judging intermission. Overflow seating available in the Sails Pavilion, 5AB, and 6A (tickets not required for those rooms) Sunday, July 22 The Beatles Yellow Submarine Surfaces in a New Graphic Novel 10am, Room 25ABC To celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Beatles: Yellow Submarine, Titan Comics is proud to release the official graphic novel adaptation at SDCC 2018. See the Blue Meanies come to vivid life as The Hollywood Reporter's Graeme McMillanchats with writer/artist Bill Morrison (The Simpsons) about the years he's spent working on this deeply personal project. Supernatural Panel 10:30am, Hall H The series' stars and executive producers answer questions about the shocking events in last season's intense finale and reveal what's in store for the 14th season, when the show will reach the rare milestone of 300 episodes! Fans will also be treated to an exclusive video presentation featuring series highlights. Supernatural will return to The CW on Thursdays this fall in its 8/7c time period. The series is produced by Kripke Enterprises Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television. Enter the Fun Zone: New Immersive Arcades and eSports Stadiums 11am, Room 29AB Dynamic and immersive virtual reality arcades are springing up around the world, as are eSports stadiums and studios. Location-based entertainment is evolving, and these panelists are leading the way. You can learn more about these experiences at the Future Tech Live! Pavilion in the Omni Hotel. Join the first annual SDCC Hackathon too! The Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival Awards 11:05am, Marriott Grand Ballroom 3&4 Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival Awards—The films have been shown—now it’s time to award the recipients of the 2018 Comic-Con Independent Film Festival with their trophies and recognition! Comic-Con’s AdamNeese talks to this year’s trio of judges, Jessica Tseang (podcast host), Chase Masterson (actress, producer, host) and Robin Richesson (storyboard artist and illustrator) about the films and presents prizes and trophies to the winners. Riverdale Panel 11:45am, Hall H Following yet another drama-filled season and shocking season 2 finale, don't miss Riverdale when it returns to San Diego for its third appearance at Comic-Con-this time in Hall H! Catch up with Archie and the gang as they continue to dive into the secrets that loom and keep emerging from the shadows in a town that once seemed like a quiet, ordinary place. The circumstances surrounding Archie's arrest kick off the drama of season 3 as the gang tries to #FreeArchie and Hiram Lodge continues to flesh out his plans to control not only Riverdale but the ever growing SoDale. Based on the characters from Archie Comics and produced by Berlanti Productions (The Flash, Supergirl, Blindspot, Arrow, DC's Legends of Tomorrow) in association with Warner Bros. Television, this one-hour drama is a bold, subversive take on the surreality of small-town life. See a special video presentation followed by a Q&A with series starsand producers. Riverdale's season 3 returns Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW. World Premiere of Lego DC Comics Super Hereos: Aquaman: Rage of Atlantis 1:45pm, Room 6BCF Aquaman must battle foes in the air, on land, and in the depths of the Seven Seas, along with some help from The Justice League, to save the day in his latest animated adventure, LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Aquaman: Rage of Atlantis. Enjoy the first-ever live showing of the film, then prepare for laughs when the postscreening panel takes the stage. Discussing the fun of making a LEGO movie will be actors Dee Bradley Baker (American Dad!) as Aquaman, Troy Baker (The Last of Us, Batman: Arkham Knight) as Batman, Grey Griffin (DC Super Hero Girls) as Wonder Woman and Lois Lane, Cristina Milizia (Bunsen Is a Beast) as Green Lantern/Jessica Cruz, Susan Eisenberg (Justice League / Justice League Unlimited) as Mera, Eric Bauza (The Adventures of Puss in Boots) as Jimmy Olsen, and Fred Tatasciore (Batman Ninja) as the villainous Lobo. Filmmakers on the panel include Matt Peters (LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Gotham City Breakout), screenwriters Jim Krieg (Batman: Gotham By Gaslight), and Jeremy Adams (LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash), and executive producer Brandon Vietti (Young Justice). As usual, expect some additional surprise panelists, plus everyone in the audience will receive an exclusive LEGO mini-figurine of Jessica Cruz/Green Lantern! Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, DC Entertainment, and the LEGO Group, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on July 31 on Blu-rayT Combo Pack, DVD, and digital. SDCC Gets Immersive! For several years SDCC has embraced the future of technology through Virtual Reality exhibits, Augmented Reality scavenger hunts, and Immersive attractions. Continuing that tradition here are some of the oh-so-cool activations and immersive attractions coming to SDCC 2018. Future Tech Live! Future Tech Live! July 19-22, 9:30am - 7pm, Omni San Diego Hotel Future Tech Live! will be showing off the latest tech and innovations from the exploding areas of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Mediated Reality (MR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, Internet of Things (IOT), Blockchain/Cryptocurrency, Sustainable and Emerging Tech. The event covers entertainment, gaming, education, travel, design and more. Please note you do need a comic-con badge for entry. Amazon Fire TV "Fast Forward to the Future" Amazon Fire TV "Fast Forward to the Future" July 19 - July 22, 9am - 6pm (Sunday ends at 5pm), Corner of 7th and Market, San Diego Amazon, who has a history of creating memorable fan experiences at SDCC, is continuing the tradition this year with Fire TV and their “Fast Forward to the Future” activation. Not only does this mark Fire TV SDCC debut, but it will also be one of the first opportunities TV fans will have to try the all-new Fire TV Cube - a hands-free 4K Ultra HD streaming media player with Alexa, that allows you to control your TV from across the room. Taking place on the corner of 7th Ave and Market St, this activation will be in the heart of SDCC. Expect an immersive, hands-on experience as “Fast Forward to the Future” will take you on a journey through the evolution of television, showcasing how Fire TV now makes it easier than ever before to watch all of your favorite TV shows and movies, control smart home devices, use Alexa skills, listen to music, and more. You will also have a chance to escape into beloved fan-favorite shows, including HBO’s Game of Thrones, NBC’s The Good Place, and Prime Video’s Jack Ryan. You can visit “Fast Forward to the Future” and test out all of the Fire TV offerings, including the newly launched Fire TV Cube during SDCC beginning Thursday, July 19 through Sunday July 22 from 9:00AM – 6:00PM (Sunday hours end at 5:00 PM). Mr. Mercedes Immersive Experience Mr. Mercedes Immersive Experience Thursday, July 19 – Saturday, July 21, 10am - 6pm, 643 G St, San Diego, CA 92101 The “Mr. Mercedes Immersive Experience” will give fans a glimpse into the past and a peek into the future of the AT&T AUDIENCE Network original series based on the trilogy by Stephen King. Fans can be the first to play the virtual reality (VR) escape room game, “Mr. Mercedes: Lair Escape,” on the HTC Vive Pro – the next generation of VR headsets. In the “Mr. Mercedes: Finders Keepers” augmented reality (AR) adventure game, they’ll collect clues to unlock never-before-seen content and special prizes. The “Mr. Mercedes Immersive Experience” will include: Augmented Reality Adventure Game – Download the app to embark on an AR-driven investigation helping Detective Bill Hodges crack the case and claim a reward if you succeed. Virtual Reality Escape Room Game – Be fully immersed in a virtual escape room inside Brady’s lair. Escape before time runs out or you’re trapped forever! Recreating the Physical World of “Mr. Mercedes” – The show’s set designers are recreating Finders Keepers, Mercy General Hospital and Brady’s lair using actual props. Bringing Brady to Life Through Projection Mapping – 3-D light projection will creepily bring Brady to life in his hospital bed. Is he in a coma or did you just see him move? Lenticular Photo Experience – This photo op will transform the participant’s face into Brady’s along with a socially shareable GIF. Private Screening Room – Media, VIP and lucky fans will get the chance to watch a sneak peek of season 2. Fans who pre-register for the “Mr. Mercedes Immersive Experience” will receive a commemorative pin and chance to get a fast pass. Additional Activations Castle Rock Intersection of Front Street and Island Avenue, Thursday through Sunday. Tour the town of Castle Rock's bed and breakfast and explore its vast forest, with surprises around every corner. Visitors will question what's real and begin to understand why Castle Rock is called the unluckiest town on Earth as they journey through the multi-room experience. A Hulu campsite lounge will also serve as a refuge from the chaos of Comic-Con while offering a preview of the Hulu series. Cloak and Dagger Petco Park, Thursday through Sunday, starting at 10 a.m. daily. Freeform and Marvel bring "The Experience" to Petco Park with two different interactive events. Features a re-created moment between characters Tyrone and Tandy when their powers interact in which a bungee will propel fans backwards and a slow-motion recording will capture the moment. FXhibition Hilton San Diego Bayfront lawn, noon-6 p.m., Thursday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Sunday. Cable network FX sets up camp again on the lawn of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront for its annual activation featuring installations from shows including Legion, American Horror Story, Mayans MC and Archer. Includes the Legion Chamber and AHS Eccentricities Gallery, Mayans deconstructed bike zone, Archer sound boxes and more. Register in advance at FXSDCC.com. Jack Ryan Training Field Corner of First Street and Martin Luther King Promenade9 a.m.-7 p.m., Thursday-Saturday; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. Experience the world of Amazon's forthcoming drama with a VR experience at the park at the corner of First Street and Martin Luther King Promenade, across the street from the convention center. The 30-foot-tall facility uses Optitrack 4D and Oculus Rift tech to create experiences ranging from rappelling from a helicopter and zip lining. The Purge's Purge City store 215 Tony Gwynn Drive, Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. The immersive experience transports shoppers into the world of USA Network's The Purge with a tongue-in-cheek, one-stop shop for the perfect Purge Night, where "Purge City" staff will help visitors stock up on emergency candles, masks and energy drinks. Shoppers can also take part in product demos, photo ops and get a glimpse of the TV series based on the Jason Blum feature of the same name. Free. The Walking Dead's "Dead Quarters" Martin Luther King Promenade in front of the Hilton Gaslamp Hotel at Fourth Avenue and L Street. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Thursday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday. The activation returns for its second year as the immersive experience features a curated walk through settings (the Sanctuary) on both the flagship drama and spinoff Fear the Walking Dead. Plus a 22-foot zombie slide, photos with Negan's "flaming Lucille" and other activities. Lost in Space "Robot" Nerdist House at Sparks Gallery, Thursday-Sunday, 10am – 6pm Legendary Television in partnership with Nerdist will present "Robo Romance", a free-to-fans interactive photo installation with ROBOT. Located at the Nerdist House at Sparks Gallery, participants can customize the setting of their photo meet up with "Robot" including a special romantic background for enamored fans. Free Lost in Space giveaways will also be offered daily. DC UNIVERSE Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter Hotel, 401 K St, Thurs-Sunday, 9:30am-7pm (5pm Sun) DC UNIVERSE is a first-of-its-kind digital subscription service designed especially for fans, will come to life with over half a dozen immersive, interactive experiences at Comic-Con International: San-Diego. You will have the opportunity to experience the DC Universe like never before and walk through new original live-action and animated series, classic films, and TV series and a special selection of comic books for the first time, in one place. South Park Escape Room San Diego Wine Center, 200 Harbor Drive #12, Thursday-Sunday The South Park Comic-Con escape room will give fans a sneak peek into a bigger, longer branded experiential execution that soon launch in major metropolitan areas across the US. Cartman's Escape Room is making its worldwide debut at Comic-Con. Trapped! Caught in another one of Cartman's schemes, fans will now enter the most impossible to escape place ever invented. Ten South Park fans will have a limited amount of time solve a series of puzzles using what they know about South Park to free themselves… before it's too late.​ South Park Member Berries Challenge Booth #23729, San Diego Convention Center, Preview Night & Thursday-Sunday South Park’s Member Berries Challenge will transport fans into a 3D replica scene from the iconic “Member Berries” episode. While joining Randy at the Marsh family dinner table, fans will take the Member Berries Challenge – where they will be asked three South Park trivia questions as they sit in Sharon and Shelly’s seats. If the fan answers all three correctly, they will walk away clean and be rewarded with their very own limited edition Member Berry. However, if a fan answers incorrectly, Member Berry juice will spew out of Randy’s mouth on to the losing player! Ponchos and protective glasses will be available. In addition to the Member Berries Challenge, fans will also get the opportunity to jump in to other iconic scenes from the series and play other South Park themed games. Follow our social feeds for all the live action at San Diego Comic-Con international! Instagram | Facebook | Twitter #sdcc #comiccon #sandiego #conancon #events #festivals #tradeshows #conventions

Last Summer and Fall, HMC Correspondent Mike Long headed out on an epic assignment "Acoustic Cities: Music and Travel". Mike journeyed through Europe examining how the music of a city impacted its culture and people, and vice versa. As The Harold & Maudecast get set to hit the road for their series Abroadcast: UK, here's a look at Mike's stop in Edinburgh. Visit The HMC Blog: Acoustic Cities for all of Mike's city journals -- Dublin, Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Transylvania, Lisbon Edinburgh in the Rain. Photo by Mike Long. It’s hard to understand Edinburgh, musically or otherwise, without the context of its relationship to Glasgow. Over the past 20 years or so, even a cursory glance at each city’s music scene is telling. Mighty Glasgow is home to a range of influential contemporary artists including Donovan, Jesus and the Mary Chain, Mogwai and many others. Edinburgh, by contrast, is small, low-key, melancholic, and perhaps the musical underdog. And that is why I love it. The elements I must love about Edinburgh are its labyrinthine design, its rough-around-the-edges flavor, and the vague sense of history-meets-disrepair. Though many of these elements are found in a number of large European cities, Edinburgh has some extra ingredients that make it my favorite city: a constant layer of clouds, misty skylines and a slightly soggy wistfulness in the air. These are my people. Voodoo Room is a posh venue with a beautifully decorated interior and bar and a small room for concerts, art exhibits, and the like. It's tucked just a few streets off city center. Photo by Mike Long. Musically, Edinburgh feels more spiritually similar to Dublin than Glasgow. With a penchant for folk music and a heavy drawing on references to the sea, the sky, and elements of the natural world,Edinburgh channels all its rain-soaked, small-town ennui into music in the form of minor chords and songs that express longing. Even the city’s venues and bars reference an emotional and sonic pallette. Muted and reserved colors seen in the stately Voodoo Rooms, or the cavern-esque basement vibes of Sneaky Pete’s and Henry’s Cellar Bar betray an affinity for a bit of gloom, and folk-oriented Edinburgh artists such as Alex Cornish and Fuzzystar have more than a few references to the rainy landscape hidden in their lyrics. Fuzzy Star is a local band with one album out. They have a serious leaning toward the melancholy and a fondness for rock and roll--like a mix of Pacific NW style grunginess and rock, but with a sea-side, wistful attitude. They are charming in the most Scottish way possible: great banter, honest lyrics, and beautiful melodies. Photo by Mike Long. While the music community in Edinburgh may be small, its performers make everyone feel at home. The size of Edinburgh lends itself to an ease of conversation and a lack of pretension. Patrons are generally attentive, and the atmosphere never takes itself too seriously. And I would be remiss to omit the all-important detail that Edinburgh’s bands have the best stage-banter of any city we have visited. Bands like Fuzzystar told goofy, funny stories in the disarming, charming, and self-deprecating way that is unique to Scotland. Night in Old Town, Edinburgh. Photo by Mike Long. Though I’m not saying you won’t see laptops on stage, songs about robots, or tropicalia bands in Edinburgh, they won’t likely be at most of the venues you visit. But for lovers of things low-key, thoughtful, and nostalgic, Edinburgh’s musical world is hard to beat. Scenes from Edinburgh. Photos by Mike Long. #edinburgh #travel #acousticcities #scotland #uk #music

© 2017 Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola On this year's annual trip to cover Salem's Haunted Happenings for The Harold & Maudecast Halloween series, I visited one of the most thrilling exhibits I've ever experienced, It's Alive! Classic Horror and Sci-Fi Art from the Kirk Hammett Collection at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, Massachusetts. Kirk Hammett, best know as the lead guitarist for Metallica, has one of the largest and most impressive collections of classic horror and sci-fi movie posters in the world. Hammett acknowledges his poster collection as a source of inspiration for his own musical creativity. "My collection takes me to a place where I'm most comfortable and most creative," stated Hammett. "That's where the magic has happened for me all these years and it's something I've come to trust. From the moment I first encountered these characters, I could see that these guys had just as much difficulty in coping as I did. It's a very, very dark universe when we shut our eyes at night." © 2017 HMC. Photography by Sarah Mason. Hammett's obsession for collecting horror-movie posters began when he bought an original BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN half-sheet. "When the thing arrived at my house, it was an eye-opening moment because it truly turned my head around because of how cool it was – the graphics, the smell of it, the patina of age," said Hammett. "Not to mention that it was also one of my favorite horror movies of all time. I put the poster up on a huge pedestal and I just started buying all the older stuff. Now I have an amazing collection that I want to share with the world." The exhibit features 90+ pieces, posters, guitars, collectibles and sculptures from Hammett's collection. It is impeccably curated by the team at the PEM, designed as an experiential event that explores the evolution of horror and sci-fi films providing insight into the complicated relationship they have on contemporary societal fears. The exhibit is sectioned in categories that include, The Undead, Classic Tales, Other Realms, Women and Power, Horror Spoofs, Mad Science, Zombies and The Collector featuring six custom guitars and a short film with Hammett discussing his collection and its influence on his music. My own fears were tested the moment I entered the exhibit when a silent but eery clip from the classic film NOSFERATU, appeared out of the dark as I walked through. This quietly startling revelation set the tone for the entire experience as I found myself cautiously peering around corners before entering the different rooms where other monsters awaited me. © 2017 HMC. Photography by Sarah Mason It's Alive! Classic Horror and Sci-Fi Art from the Kirk Hammett Collection is on view August 12 through November 26, 2017. For more information about this exhibit and The Peabody Essex Museum visit www.pem.org At a press reception for the opening of the exhibit Hammett surprised the audience with a an original composition made in partnership with his wife Lani, "The Maiden and the Monster", a 7-minute musical odyssey, a sample of which you can hear below courtesy of PEM. Here are highlights from the exhibit in an excerpt from The Harold & Maudecast Images from It's Alive! Classic Horror & Sci-Fi Art from the Kirk Hammett Collection Gallery Photos © 2017 HMC. Photography by Sarah Mason #kirkhammett #metallica #peabodyessexmuseum #itsalive #classichorror #scifi #movieposters #pem #salem