Official Press Release

‘Grease’ Cast Sing-A-Long, ‘Buffyfest’ Q&A, Panels Featuring ‘Batman’ ‘The Guild’ Actors, Tricia Helfer Highlight Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con Programming

‘Secrets of Pro Wrestling,’ Wizard Spotlights, ‘Wizard School,’ Voice Actors, Musical Intermissions and Costume Contests Also On Tap For April 29 – May 1 at Anaheim Convention Center

NEW YORK and ANAHEIM, Calif., April 14, 2011 – Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con today announced its diverse programming schedule, featuring unique celebrity Q&A’s, music, screenings, artist schools and more for the event, set for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 29 – May 1 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Some of the highlights include:
–A Grease cast Sing-A-Long, featuring original movie director Randal Kleiser, cast members Jamie Donnell (Jan), Annette Cardona (Cha Cha) and Jeff Conaway (Kenickie)
–Popular “Batman” panel with Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar and Lee Meriwether, helping commemorate the 45th anniversary of the start of the iconic television program
–Rare Q&A session with Tricia Helfer, discussing her roles in “Battlestar Galactica,” “Burn Notice” and other appearances
–Special screening of Disney’s “Messenger from Hell,” the first episode of the important new Stan Lee/Neal Adams motion comic “They Spoke Out: American Voices of Protest Against the Holocaust”
–“Buffyfest” Q&A with Nicholas Brendon and twin brother Kelly Donovan
–Wizard Art School and Q&A’s featuring leading artists like Michael Golden, Bill Sienkiewicz, Mike Grell, Greg Horn and others
–Music and entertainment intermissions by “Jedi Elvis,” the L.A. Dance Co., and “The Force Experience”
–Stars of “The Guild,” Amy Okuda, Vincent Caso and Robin Thorsen talk about the popular Web series
–The popular adult costume contest and fun kids costume contest with great prizes

Unless noted, Anaheim Comic Con programming will take place in Room A and Room B at the Anaheim Convention Center, and is included with admission to the event.  Seating for panels is strictly limited and available on a first come first serve basis and each room will be cleared between panels.

The full schedule is below:

Friday

6:00-6:45PM
Exposed: Secrets Of Professional Wrestling
Ted DiBiase and Virgil give fans the low down on what’s real and what’s not in the world of professional wrestling. (Room B)

7:00-7:45PM
Behind The Scenes With Dan Fogler
Actor Dan Fogler (Take Me Home Tonight; Kung Fu Panda; Mars Needs Moms) sits down dish on everything from the on-set shenanigans, to what it’s like behind the scenes of a Hollywood set. (Room B)

8:00-8:45PM
Way Of The Nerd (Room A)
Join Way of the Nerd author Ken Goldstein as he talks about the book and how it teaches people how to reach extraordinary goals, with an emphasis on making a living as an artist in video games, comic books and toys (Room A)

9:00-10:00PM
“SNAKE And Mongoose” Preview Screening (Room A)

Saturday

10:45-11:00AM
L.A. Dance Co. Intermission
Come watch this L.A. dance troupe heat up the dance floor. (Room A)

11:00AM-7:00PM
Neko Press Comics Presents: Live Art Demo With Billy Martinez
Witness a masterpiece in the making from start to finish with a cutting-edge painting exhibition. Join Billy Martinez (Wildflower; The Deepest Dark) as he pulls back the curtain on his creative process, transporting you directly into his art studio with a musically-infused live art demo. (Booth 571)

11:00-11:45AM
Claudia Christian Q&A
“Babylon 5” beauty Claudia Christian shares the secrets to her multi-faceted success, and previews a sneak peek of her new Showtime series “Look.” (Room A)

Voice Acting Panel W/ Matthew Wolf, Neil Kaplan, And Charles Fleischer
Join some of the voices behind some of your favorite characters for this interactive panel. (Room B)

11:45-12:00PM
L.A. Dance Co. Intermission
Come watch this L.A. dance troupe heat up the dance floor. (Room A)

12:00-12:45AM
Grease Cast Sing-A-Long
“Oh Those Summer Nights!” Join the director of the film, Randal Kleiser, along with cast members Jamie Donnelly (Jan), Annette Cardona (Cha Cha) and Jeff Conaway (Kenickie), as select musical scenes are screened and the cast leads the audience in a true sing-a-long. Now is your chance to not only sing-a-long fellow GREASE fans, but alongside cast members from the film. Be part of the magic, don’t be shy! Cast Q&A to follow. (Room A)

Wizard Writing School: DJ Kirkbride, Jim Kreuger And Nathan Edmondson Q&A
Don’t miss this panel with award-winning writers DJ Kirkbride (PopGun), Nathan Edmondson (PopGun; Who is Jake Ellis?) and Jim Kreuger (Earth X) as they give their tips on writing for comics. (Room B)

12:45-1:00PM
L.A. Dance Co. Intermission
Come watch this L.A. dance troupe heat up the dance floor. (Room A)

1:00-1:45PM
Power Rangers Q&A
Join the colorful cast of characters from the popular series and its spin-offs as they discuss life before and after “The Power Rangers.”  (Room A)

Harry Hamlin And Lisa Rinna Q&A
Celebrity husband and wife Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna dish on how they conquered everything from TV and movies to Broadway, and share their secrets to maintaining a successful marriage and family under the bright lights of Hollywood. (Room B)

1:45-2:00PM
L.A. Dance Co. Intermission
Come watch this LA dance troupe heat up the dance floor. (Room A)

2:00-2:20PM
“The Force Experience” Saber Show W/ The Saber Guild (Wizard Arena)

2:00-2:45PM
Buffyfest Q&A With Nicholas Brendon And Kelly Donovan
“Buffy The Vampire Slayer” star Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris) sits down with his on and off-screen twin brother Kelly Donovan to take fan questions about life during and after the pop culture phenomenon. (Room A)

Breaking Into Comics With Phil Jimenez And Alé Garza (ROOM B)
Fan favorites Phil Jimenez (Wonder Woman; Astonishing X-Men) and Alé Garza (Superman/Batman) team up to give out their tips on refining your art, pitching to publishers, and any other sound advice they can think of about working in comics.

2:45-3:00PM
Jedi Elvis Intermission
Eric Cajiuat is…“Jedi Elvis”- an Elvis tribute artist who specializes in Elvis songs with Star Wars-themed parody lyrics. Catch him and his band The Rebel Alliance as they perform “Death Star Rock,” “Viva Mos Eisley,” “In The Desert” and more.  (Room A)

3:00-3:45PM
Sound Of Musical Interlude With Ethan Van Sciver
The halls are alive with the sound of…“music.” Ethan Van Sciver (Flash: Rebirth) invites you to spend the hour trapped in a small room discussing cannibalism, Wolverine, deviancy and all manner of filth and disease through the art of song. Not since Liberace has anyone tickled the ivories with such aplomb. Well, Richard Marx was good… but Ethan is good too! Come and see!  (Room A)

Smallville Q&A W/ Alaina Huffman And John Schneider
“Smallville” stars Alaina Huffman (Black Canary / Dinah Lance) and John Schneider (Jonathan Kent) answer fan questions about the popular TV series, and discuss their newest TV conquests.  (Room B)

3:45-4:00PM
Jedi Elvis Intermission
Eric Cajiuat is…“Jedi Elvis”- an Elvis tribute artist who specializes in Elvis songs with Star Wars-themed parody lyrics. Catch him and his band The Rebel Alliance as he performs “Death Star Rock,” “Viva Mos Eisley,” “In The Desert” and more.  (Room A)

4:00-4:45PM
Batman And Robin Q&A W/ Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar And Lee Meriwether
The ’60s Dynamic Duo reteams with their former first ladies for the 45th anniversary of the original hit show. Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind Q&A, where Batman and Robin drop their masks and talk about their lady co-stars, the villains they faced and the wild nights after the show! (Room A)

Storytelling With Michael Golden
No matter if you’re a writer, artist or a reader of comics, come for this sit-down with one of the most renowned storytellers in the business, Michael Golden, as he tells you a few tricks of the trade that will help you no matter what type of story you tell or enjoy, in whatever medium. It’s a rare opportunity to talk with the co-creator of X-Men Rogue, and groundbreaking penciler on such projects as Bucky O’Hare, The ’Nam, Micronauts, G.I. Joe, and much more.  (Room B)

4:45-5:00PM
Jedi Elvis Intermission
Eric Cajiuat is…“Jedi Elvis”- an Elvis tribute artist who specializes in Elvis songs with Star Wars-themed parody lyrics. Catch him and his band The Rebel Alliance as he performs “Death Star Rock,” “Viva Mos Eisley,” “In The Desert” and more.  (Room A)

5:00-5:45PM
Tricia Helfer Q&A (Room A)
Tricia Helfer – also known as humanoid Cylon ‘Number Six’ on the critically acclaimed sci-fi series “Battlestar Galactica”- is making a rare appearance at the Anaheim Comic Con, so don’t miss your chance to chat with this multi-talented actress and model!

Wizard Writing School: Screenwriting W/ Adam Glass, Mike Benson And Zeb Wells
When they aren’t screenwriting for hit TV shows, Mike Benson (“Entourage”), writer/producer Adam Glass (“Supernatural”), and Zeb Wells (“Robot Chicken”) are writing your favorite comics. Get your questions together for this all-star panel, as they dish on making it in the industry. (Room B)

6:00-6:45PM
Kids Costume Contest
Bring kids 10 and under for this special event with great prizes just for families and the youngsters. (Room A)

6:45-8:30PM
Costume Contest
Get your best costume together and come on down to Wizard World’s Anaheim Comic Con costume contest for huge prizes and some of the craziest outfits you’ll see this weekend.  (Room A)

7:00-9:00PM
Matt Cohen’s Smodcastle
Join Matt Cohen and a special celebrity guest host as they ponder and pontificate the finer points of existence… and generally offend a whole bunch of people. The show records live in front of an audience every Wednesday at The SmodCastle in Hollywood, and is brought to you by the SmodCast Network and Golden Apple Comics. It can be heard for free each Saturday at Smodcast.com and iTunes. For mature audiences only. (Room B)

Sunday

11:00AM-5:00PM
Neko Press Comics Presents: Live Art Demo With Billy Martinez
Witness a masterpiece in the making from start to finish with a cutting-edge painting exhibition. Join Billy Martinez (Wildflower; The Deepest Dark) as he pulls back the curtain on his creative process, transporting you directly into his art studio with a musically-infused live art demo. (Booth 571)

11:00-11:45AM
Special Presentation: Stan Lee, Neal Adams And Disney Take On The Holocaust
Comic book legends Stan Lee and Neal Adams have teamed up with Disney Educational Productions and Holocaust historian Dr. Rafael Medoff to create “They Spoke Out: American Voices of Protest Against the Holocaust,” a series of motion comics that are changing the way the Holocaust is taught in the United States.  On Sunday, May 1, we will commemorate international Holocaust Remembrance Day with Dr. Medoff presenting the first episode of this remarkable new series, narrated by Lee and illustrated by Adams. “Messenger from Hell” tells the amazing story of a Polish courier who smuggled himself into a Nazi death camp, and then made his way to the U.S. to alert Americans about the genocide. (Room A)

The Guild Q&A
“The Guild” stars Amy Okuda, Vincent Caso and Robin Thorsen sit down to talk about the popular web series, and dish about all of the behind-the-scenes drama that you never saw on-screen.

12:00-12:15PM
“THE Force Experience” Saber Show W/ The Saber Guild (WIZARD Arena)

12:00-12:45PM

Video Game Music Composition With Kevin Sherwood
(Room A)

Mike Grell Q&A
The “X-Men” and “Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace” star engages fans in this one-of-a-kind Q&A, where he discusses his extensive film biography and his evolution to genre icon. (Room B)

1:00-1:45PM
Digital Art School W/ Greg Horn
Superstar Marvel and DC artist Greg Horn (Blackest Night covers) leads a discussion on digital art and
takes you through his creative process. (Room A)

Con Costuming With The Rebel Legion
The Rebel Legion costuming group shares their tips, skills and ideas on how to build and improve your comic con costumes. Whether you’re a Jedi, Rebel Pilot, Trooper, or Princess, they will share their knowledge on how to make sure your costume is the best. (Room B)

2:00-2:45PM
Ray Park Q&A
The “X-Men” and “Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace” star engages fans in this one-of-a-kind Q&A, where he discusses his extensive film biography and his evolution to genre icon. (Room A)

Wizard Art School With Bill Sienkiewicz
Join Eisner Award winning artist Bill Sienkiewicz (Batman: The Widening Gyre covers), as he gives an insiders’ look at his art processes, and gives advice on his personal do’s and don’ts of the trade to new creators interested in sequential storytelling. (Room B)

3:00-3:30PM
Split Decision Improv Group

Anaheim Comic Con is the fourth stop on Wizard World’s 2011 North American tour, which to date has 13 events scheduled.  Hours are Friday, April 29, 5-9 p.m., Saturday, April 30, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and Sunday, May 1, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m..  Tickets are available in advance online at www.wizardworld.com/anaheim.html at a savings over tickets purchased at the door.  Advance adult single-day tickets are $25 ($30 on site); three-day weekend tickets are $45 ($50 on site), and tickets are free for children age 10 and under when accompanied by a paid adult (limit two children per adult).  VIP packages with special entry and exclusive items are also available.

About Wizard World:
Wizard World is a producer of pop culture and multimedia conventions across North America that markets movies, TV shows, video games, technology, toys, social networking/gaming platforms, comic books and graphic novels. It has the rights to the names, marks, domains, customer lists and production rights for a portfolio of pop culture and multimedia conventions.

For the most recent event information please visit www.wizardworld.com and become an Anaheim Comic Con Fan on Facebook.