Fanboy Comics at SDCC 2011: Thursday

Fanboy Comics Managing Editor Barbra Dillon takes on SDCC!

Hello from Comic-Con! Thursday at SDCC has already delivered an exciting assortment of movie and TV news, awesomely-geeky swag, and previews of the summer’s hottest films.

The FBC Crew already snagged a number of posters for The Hunger Games, Lionsgate’s upcoming, four-movie saga based on the bestseling books by Suzanne Collins. (Let’s just say that we have a bit of an obsession for the books, and we are eagerly awaiting – with a bit of trepidation – the first film due in theatres in March of 2012.) In addition, the Lionsgate booth will be giving out official Mockingjay pins tomorrow! (Fingers crossed!) Stay tuned to the Fanboy Comics website, as yours truly will be donning a Katniss costume to represent the Districts, and we will have lots of photos to share!

In other news, the FBC Crew learned that Warner Bros. has pushed back its release date for Zack Snyder’s Superman film, Man of Steel. The film, which was tentatively scheduled for a December 2012 release, will now be released on June 13, 2013. We will be sure to keep you updated with any other movie news.

Lastly, and most important of all, we had the opportunity to attend the most sought-after panel of Comic-Con 2011, HBO’s Game of Thrones! After waiting in line for three “well worth it” hours, the buzz in the room amongst the throngs of Game of Thrones fans was palpable. Moderated by George R. R. Martin, author of the bestselling fantasy book series, A Song of Ice and Fire, and co-executive producer and writer on the TV series, the panel was absolutely AMAZING! A number of cast and crew members made appearances on the panel, including Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Ser Jaime Lannister, Lena Headey as Queen Cersei Lannister, Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Kit Harington as Jon Snow, and Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo, and showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.

The panel began with an immense applause for creator George R. R. Martin, followed by a video recap of Season 1. Martin welcomed each cast member one by one, each receiving a raucous amount of well-deserved cheers. Through Martin’s moderation and questions for the cast members, we learned that Emilia Clarke won the role of Daenerys directly out of drama school. In addition, Lena Headey commented on the differences between her “good” character on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and her “evil” role on Game of Thrones. “People just come up to me and say, ‘I just hate you on Game of Thrones,'” said Headey, who seemed unnerved by the negative attention. Jason Momoa, also promoting his upcoming film, Conan the Barbarian, may have had the most quotable moment of the panel when asked who would win in a fight: Drogo or Conan. “Well, George, between you and me, Drogo would kick Conan’s ass!” Peter Dinklage, now Emmy-nominated for his role as Tyrion Lannister, seemed greatly humbled by Martin, who admitted that Dinklage’s character is his favorite from the books.

The DVD of Game of Thrones Season 1 is still in the works. Unfortunately, there will be a limited amount of deleted scenes on the DVDs, as most of the footage was used in the show. Benioff and Weiss assured the audience, though, that the DVDs will offer lots of great special features, including Jason Momoa’s audition footage (which, apparently, shows the actor doing a bit of dancing).

The wonderful thing about the panel was their genuine excitement for the TV show, as well as for the source material. You could sense the deep respect that each cast and crew member felt for George R. R. Martin and the fantasy universe that he created. The fans also had their chance to show their admiration and respect. When asked why Martin always kills off the fans’ favorite characters, “I want [the reader] afraid to turn the page, not knowing who is going to live and who is going to do.”

Overall, the FBC Crew was floored to be have the opportunity to attend the Game of Thrones panel and cannot wait for Season Two. In the meantime, be sure to read the book series!!!

Stay tuned for more info!

Yours geekly,
Barbra J. Dillon
Managing Editor, Co-Founder, & Director of Jedi Recruitment

Barbra Dillon is the Managing Editor of Fanboy Comics, an independent comic book publishing company based in Los Angeles, Calif. She has produced numerous short films including Something Animal and Batman of Suburbia, and served as Legal Advisor for the film Walken on Sunshine. For more interviews, blogs, and reviews by Barbra and the FBC staff, check out the Fanboy Comics website at FanboyComics.net or sign up for the e-newsletter, The Fanboy Scoop, by emailing subscribe@fanboycomics.net.