Hey, everyone. “Moriarty” here.

Can’t believe it’s that time of year again. Already, our on-the-ground team of Quint, Capone and Mr. Beaks have started to file reports from San Diego, and they seem to just be warming up. I've been listening in on some of their preparations, and it's amazing the stuff they've got lined up. I'm jealous of each and every one of them at least a half-dozen times already.

I’m only going to be at the convention for one day this year, but it’s going to be a fairly busy one.

This Friday, July 25, from 12:30 – 1:15, I’ll be in Room 6A, moderating the SPACED panel to celebrate the release of the amazing new American DVDs for the series. Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Jessica Hynes nee Stevenson will be there with me to talk about... well... everything! The idea of being able to introduce these three to a Comic Con audience is just outrageous to me. I’ve been a fan of this show since the first time my manager slipped me a pair of VHS cassettes with a piece of Scotch tape on each that had “SPACED” written in red marker. The shows were dubbed from bad dubs that were NTSC-from-PAL conversions. And even so, I watched all seven hours back to back to back. Love at first sight. And now that so many of you have had that same experience and new audiences here are going to finally have that chance with this DVD release, it’s a perfect time for them to be here. They’ll also being hosting a screening of three episodes of the show that night at 10:15 in the same room, and I believe I will be back for that.

I’m not going to be at many of the Hall H presentations, but I’m going to do my best to get down there from 2:00 to 2:30 for the Rick Baker WOLF MAN presentation. After what Harry’s told me... man, I can’t wait.

From 3:00 to 3:45, I’m in room 26AB, where I’m moderating a panel on Indie Genre Films. It’s a pretty kickass line-up, I must say, with The Dowdle Brothers (THE POUGHKEEPSIE TAPES and QUARANTINE), Steven Schneider (producer of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY and one of the most in-touch guys for indie genre fare from around the world I’ve ever met), Jacob Gentry and Dave Bruckner of THE SIGNAL, Eric Zala and Chris Strompolus of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK: THE ADAPTATION, Adam Wingard of POP SKULL, and finally Chad Feehan and Tom Hammock, who worked on ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE.

I’m neck deep in financing and casting and budgeting and a dozen other “ings” for BAT OUT OF HELL right now, so I’ve got a million questions for these guys, and if you’re contemplating making that genre film you’ve got kicking around in your head, these are the people you should be talking to. They’re the guys doing it at a realistic micro-budget level right now and making films that people are reacting to, films that resonate. When you don’t have the cash to spend, you’ve got to rely on something else, and each of these filmmakers is going to be there to speak about what it is that they brought to the table when putting their films together. Should be cool.

Finally, if you’re not at Comic Con, but you want an update on what’s going on, check in with me on G4’s ATTACK OF THE SHOW that afternoon where I’ll be talking about WATCHMEN and whatever else is going on at around 4:50 PST.

I know there are all sorts of options for other things going on in San Diego on Friday, including parties and screenings and the like, but for now, this is all I’m sure about, and I hope to see some of you at the panels or at the SPACED screening that night. Feel free to say hello. That’s why we’re down there... to see the same stuff you’re interested in, and to get the rare chance to see you guys face-to-face.

Drew McWeeny, Los Angeles