Friday Comic-Con report: Leonidas beefcake, Frank Miller and inebriated Boba Fett

By April MacIntyre Jul 27, 2008, 0:01 GMT

07/23/2008 - Frank Miller - "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" Hollywood Premiere - Arrivals - Mann Chinese Theater - Hollywood, CA, USA © Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos

Star Wars-themed Friday is the optimal day at Comic-Con International convention, as Frank Miller, Simon Pegg, Samuel Jackson, John Barrowman and Neil Patrick Harris rubbed elbows with other stars and a galaxy of attendees whose random lines were gemstone nuggets of unintentional hilarity.

photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

Passing a well-made up joker and taking his picture, two teen boys behind me start to argue with each other that his makeup was really good, "but it sucked that his clothes were all wrong."  The joker in question was a Heath Ledger-styled joker who committed the travesty of wearing Jack Nicholson's Joker wardrobe to finish the outfit.

Joker with great makeup-bad clothes - photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

It's these little details that make this convention of, say, 100,000+ people milling about you a very tough crowd if you aren't up on the minutia of any given comic-born character. 

JC, M&C Comic reporter and Darth Maul, photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

I had people throwing things at me when I was yelling for one of many Boba Fett's milling about to take pictures with my friends Monique Marvez (San Diego Jack FM) and actor Kyle Fitzgerald.  Boba Fett was actually a storm trooper.

Kyle, Storm trooper (not Fett!) and Monique Marvez, photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

Kyle was in a properly constructed Leonidas costume replete with a very pricey authentic helmet.  They were the hit of the late afternoon, as other scantily-clad extras that were the token mesomorphs on display at the convention eyed them with a bit of envy.

Jealous mesomorphs - photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

Frank Miller was on everyone's mind as he came yesterday mid-afternoon. I nearly ran right into Production designer Richard Hudolin (Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, Doctor Who, Stargate SG-1 etc) on the way to the panel.

Kyle and John Barrowman - photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

Miller addressed about 6,500 listeners in the biggest Ballroom upstairs. 

photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

Miller was one of the creators of the graphic novel “300”; he co-directed the film “Sin City,” based on his own comic series, with Troublemaker Studios Robert Rodriguez; and then set out to work on “The Spirit” at Albuquerque Studios in New Mexico, a film comprised of mostly green-screen shots for his offiicial directing debut. 

Hellboy, photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

Lionsgate plans to release at Christmas and is already teasing the film in ads with Eva Mendes as criminal Sand Sarif. Scarlett Johansson, Jaime King and Sarah Paulson round out the vixens for Miller.

Just before the “Spirit” presentation, Universal Pictures gave all a glimpse at its reimagined classic,“Wolf Man,” that stars Benicio Del Toro and is set for release next Spring.

photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

Zack Snyder, (Miller’s “300” director) had a "Watchmen" panel earlier and gave a glimpse into "Watchman", by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.  This film is set for a March release by Warner Brothers.

Snyder told the crowd to expect some violent R-rated touches, not normal for superhero genre.

After the panels the exhibition hall awaited.  More random dialogue that was duly noted.  "The guy isn't Chewbaca, he's just Armenian," which was followed up with "this is the geekiest part of the Con (comic book and artist section of main floor) oh hey, there's your brother..."

Ball check! Leonidas gets best zinger...photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

The best line came when Leonidas was reenacting a famous "300" scene, and asked us to make sure his balls weren't accidentally showing when he was in full kick with the participant in the photo.

Leonidas Kyle and Monique - photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

IFC was representing big time once again with Luis Vasquez, who hooked me up and shared that the network was investing heavily into web series, and had five new ones to talk about.

IFC's Luis and Monsters April ©M&C

"Lunchbox will be on our site everyday at noon; it's an original series about all pop culture, music from different voices, also The Mary Van Note Show, with the San Francisco comedian who tries to bag San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom in a date, and Wilfred is about a pot-smoking talking Aussie dog, and Good Morning Internet that takes the comedy of  the Poykpac troupe and turns it out in a morning show format, " Luis shared with me.

The day was a heady mixture of Star Wars, guys I thought were Star Wars but dressed as Jesus for some reason, and loads of vampires.

HBO heavily promoted their “True Blood,” its modern-day vampire show, with Anna Paquin. The series also sponsored tonight's masquerade. 

Torchwood's John Barrowman, photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

BBC America announced the acquisition of the third season of Torchwood at the Comic-Con in San Diego.

photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

"Torchwood really represents the essence of the channel -it's sexy, action packed and a little bit subversive.  Clearly our viewers love it as much as we do," BBC Worldwide America senior vice president Richard De Croce said.

Drunken Boba Fett and JC -M&C Comic book reporter, photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

On the way out to dinner at the Tin Fish across the street, finally a real Boba Fett appeared as a lounge lizard drunk who was stumbling along the convention hall sidewalk.