San Diego Comic-Con International begins on Wednesday, July 21st, and here are a few things that the folks on this board ought to dig: Thursday, 07/22: 12:00-1:00 GAMERA, THE INVINCIBLE!— Author August Ragone (Chronicle Books' Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters) presents a visual tribute to Godzilla's No. 1 rival, the original Mutant Flying Turtle himself: Gamera! This program celebrates the first official DVD release of the original 1960s–1970s film series from Shout! Factory, with commentary on how Gamera was created and how the films were made, as well as rare, behind-the-scenes photographs and clips. Find out if Gamera is really full of turtle meat in the Q&A and win copies of Shout!'s latest release Gamera vs. Barugon — all in one colossal presentation guaranteed to knock you right out of your shell! Room 32AB 8:15-9:15 THE SUSHI TYPHOON: THE BEST IN JAPANESE GENRE MOVIES— Horror, sci-fi, action, and splatter comedy films from Japan have become the most popular new genre in fandom. From the creators of Tokyo Gore Police, The Machine Girl, Suicide Club, Ichi the Killer, Battlefield Baseball, Meatball Machine, and many others comes The Sushi Typhoon, an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord of Japanese genre moviemaking about to hit U.S. shores in partnership with Funimation Entertainment! Director Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police), actor Masanori Mimoto (The Ultimate Versus), actress Mika Hijii (Ninja), and producer Yoshinori Chiba (Yatterman) are on hand for a special launch presentation introducing American audiences to the new label, featuring guest Q&A's, trailers for Alien vs. Ninja and Mutant Girls Squad (both screening on Friday night at SDCC), and an exclusive preview of Nishimura's upcoming zombie epic Helldriver, including an exciting first look at footage from the film! Room 5AB 8:15-11:15 Superhero Kung Fu Extravaganza— Author, scripter, comic book writer, editor, and professor Ric Meyers (Inside Kung-Fu) brings you the best in freaky, funny, fantastic film fighting for the 12th year running. As in the past, you'll laugh, gasp, and cheer, and you can also expect some surprise guest stars, rare freebies, and maybe even a world premiere sneak peek or two! Room 6BCF I will also be signing copies of my book, EIJI TSUBURAYA: MASTER OF MONSTERS on Friday from 2:00pm-3:00pm at the Chronicle Books booth #1506 & 1508.
