Cartoon Network has a lot to flaunt nowadays with its popular duo of cartoons on Monday nights. Regular Show and Adventure Time have worked wonders for them, and people have fallen head over heels for both shows ever since they first burst onto the network in 2010. Three years and four or five seasons each later, they still power on.
The network isn’t a two-trick pony, though, with a ton of other shows that are popular enough to survive for years, and some upcoming programming that they’ve got people pretty excited for. What better place to show off their goods and give people a good time than San Diego Comic-Con?
The con is this weekend and CN has a lot going on from panels, to special events at a local museum, to a scavenger hunt, and more. There’s plenty to look forward to if you’ll be at SDCC, so let’s go through what we know is happening.
PANELS
Cartoon Network has a pretty good slate of panels to keep you busy during the weekend. The sched (all descriptions for panels are from the SDCC website):
THURSDAY JULY 18
- MAD: 10:15-11:15 AM in Room 6DE: The MADness continues in San Diego as MAD once again descends on Comic-Con with their usual-but mostly unusual-brand of hijinks and hilarity. Producers Kevin Shinick and Mark Marek and other hilarious minds from the show promise a wisecracking discussion about the series inspired by the beloved and bestselling humor magazine. Producers will also share new footage featuring all the fan-favorite elements of the show, from animated parodies and crazy commercials to pretend promos and classic gags. This panel is sure to leave everyone feeling MAD.
- Annoying Orange: 12:45-1:45 PM in Room 6DE: The cast and crew of Annoying Orange offer a slam-packed, manic musical mash-up, featuring an exclusive look into the show’s unique production process, an epic episode premiere, a live musical number, a Toby Turner dance, and insight into the emerging creative bridge between Internet and traditional television entertainment. Panel includes Dane Boedigheimer (creator, Orange, Pear, Midget Apple, Marshmallow), Toby Turner (Nerville), iJustine (Passion Fruit), Tom Kenny (Coconut, Guava), Rob Paulsen (Broccoli Alien Overlord), Tom Sheppard (co-creator, director, Li’l Squishy, Old Man Banana), Gary Binkow (EP), and Conrad Montgomery (Cartoon Network creative executive).
FRIDAY JULY 19
- Regular Show: 10:00-11:00 AM in the Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront: Care to join the not so regular cast and crew for an eventful hour of over the top regular? Yeeeeeeeeuh you do! Check out exclusive content and get the inside scoop on your favorite slackers and some of their closest friends. The panel features: Regular Show creator J. G. Quintel (voice of Mordecai), William Salyers (voice of Rigby), Sam Marin (voice of Benson, Pops, and Muscle Man), Sean Szeles (supervising director), Matt Price (writer), and storyboard artists Toby Jones and Calvin Wong.
- Adventure Time: 11:00 AM-12:00 PM in the Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront: What’s algebraic and schmowzow and righteous all over? It’s Adventure Time! Holy stuff! As if chatting up the coolest kids in the cartoon kingdom wasn’t enough, get ready for your eyeballs to be fixed on some never-before-seen content and your jaw to drop at a rad surprise or two. The panel features Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward (Lumpy Space Princess), Jeremy Shada (Finn), John DiMaggio (Jake), Tom Kenny (Ice King), Olivia Olson (Marceline), Kent Osborne (head of story), and Adam Muto (supervising producer).
SATURDAY JULY 20
- Land of Ooo Encyclopedia: 2:30-3:30 PM in Room 8: This is listed as “An Aventure Time Encyclopedia Panel with The Lord of Evil and Marceline the Vampire Queen”: A conversation moderated by Kent Osborne (head of story, Adventure Time) with Martin Olson (voice actor, The Lord of Evil), and Olivia Olson (voice actor, Marceline The Vampire Queen) about their new book from Abrams, The Adventure Time Encyclopedia, including a slide show and a dramatic reading from the book. Surprises may include a terrifying appearance by Hunson Abadeer himself, a music video from the Nightosphere, and Olivia singing with special surprise guests. Audience participation is encouraged for maximum chance of survival!
- Cartoon Network: New Comedies: 3:00-4:00 PM in Room 6A: A panel that will encompass three new CN shows, Uncle Grandpa, Steven Universe, and Clarence. Be the first to see an exclusive sneak peek of Cartoon Network Studio’s all new line up of chuckle-inducing comedies! The panel features Uncle Grandpa creator Pete Browngardt, creative director Audie Harrison, and Adam Devine (Workaholics) as the voice of Pizza Steve, Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar and creative director Ian Jones-Quartey, and Clarence creator Skyler Page. All your questions are sure to be answered and your anticipation is sure to be electrified!
SUNDAY JULY 21
- LEGO: Legends of Chima: 10:00-11:00 AM in Room 24ABC: The creators of LEGO Legends of Chima team up to discuss the development of the newest blockbuster LEGO property. Hear how the TV series is developed and see how LEGO model designers bring the characters and vehicles to life in LEGO form.
- Teen Titans Go!: 11:45 AM-12:45 PM in Room 6BCF: This is a must-Go! panel for all Teen Titans fans, as Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Raven make their triumphant return to Comic-Con! Fans will be treated to a brand-new episode, as well as exclusive footage that will be screened only at Comic-Con! Following the screening, join producer Aaron Horvath (MAD) and members of the voice cast for a Q&A as they give fans a peek behind the cape at all the upcoming comedic mayhem that will be going on inside Titans Tower.
- Beware The Batman: 1:00-2:00 PM in Room 6BCF: The Dark Knight makes his return to television in this new action-packed CG animated series. A cool new take on the classic franchise, Beware the Batman incorporates Batman’s core characters with a rogues’ gallery of new villains not previously seen in animated form. With backup from ex-secret agent Alfred and lethal swordstress Katana, the Dark Knight faces the twisted machinations of Gotham City’s criminal underworld, led by the likes of Anarky, Professor Pyg, Mister Toad, and Magpie. After screening a new episode, producers Glen Murakami (Teen Titans) and Mitch Watson (Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated) and others will take attendees into the shadows of Gotham City for a lively discussion on the adventures that await Batman this season.
- Ben 10 Omniverse: 1:45-2:45 PM in Room 6DE: It’s Hero Time! Set your Omnitrix for “Awesome” with the Ben 10 Omniverse panel, highlighting the Cartoon Network hero of a million alien faces! Voice talent Yuri Lowenthal (Ben 10), Steve Blum (Vilgax), Paul Eiding (Grandpa Max), and Eric Bauza (Dr. Psychobos), Matt Youngberg (supervising producer), and Derrick Wyatt (art director) talk about the show, premiere an unseen episode, and much more.
Next up:
THE BOOTH + ADVENTURE TIME CONQUEST
The booth this year is gonna be fancy. It’ll be Adventure Time-themed, but it won’t just be a Jake or a Finn or both, or whatever– this year’s CN booth will give you the chance to check out the Ice King’s castle. From CartoonNetwork.com:
Plus, people who visit can get one of five Adventure Time buttons.
They’ll also get the chance to participate in the Adventure Time ConQuest, where participants will take their cell phones, and text specific code words to a number given to them. There will be 12 code words to text, at 12 different partner booths throughout the convention. If you get one wrong, they’ll let you know by telling you “your sausage fingers typed the wrong message” and they’ll have you back on your way (or have you try it again). Once you have ‘em all down, head to the ShiftyLook Freeplay Arcade, let them know, let them make sure you got it, and you’ll get a prize. Sounds fun, huh? Probably will be. The rules and everything are here.
REGULAR SHOW REGULAR ZONE @ THE NEW CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF SAN DIEGO
A little fun for everyone right across the street from the convention center. The New Children’s Museum of San Diego will house an experience based entirely on Regular Show that will include old 80′s arcade games, some Regular Show video games, and a buncha neon lighting, along with some massive blow-up Mordecai and Rigby balloons. The museum and the experience will be open all throughout the con, and it’ll also be pretty cheap to attend: Free. What a deal.
SPECIAL SDCC MERCH
Would it even be a con without exclusive con merchandise? CN will have a slew of stuff for sale at partner booths throughout the con (or until supplies last). Take a look (everything here is from cartoonnetwork.com):
The Entertainment Earth booth at booth 2343 will have some lunchbox sets for sale at the con. A nice tin box, a pretty rad thermos, and some coasters in each. Also at the same booth: Rainicorn puppies! Plushes of all of Jake and Lady’s kids will be on sale. I’d kill for a Jake Jr one, personally. Get ‘em while they last.
The Funko booth at #5343 will be selling these 4″ figures. Finn glows. Jake’s undead. Pick ‘em up!
Mimobot will be selling these at booths 5338 and 2913M. These Ice King flash drives are limited edition and they come full of Adventure Time icons, videos, avatars, wallpapers, and other stuff. There will only be 850 at the con, so if you want one, get one ASAP. I’m unsure of the capacity without the preloaded stuff, but it’s cool anyways.
That’s about it. CN has a lot going on this SDCC. Plenty worth attending, plenty worth buying, and some other stuff to kill some time with. If you’ll be at the con, get ready for some fun.
So while you’re there and you’re not in an Adult Swim panel or event, hit up some Cartoon Network stuff.
Have a good con, y’all.
