Once again this year, attendees will be able to enjoy a major Star Wars presence at the convention, especially on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Several Star Wars long-time licensees will welcome visitors to their booths, including Dark Horse, Del Rey and Random House, Dorling Kindersley, Decipher, and Don Post. On Friday, the Dark Horse, Del Rey and Random House booths will feature author and artist signings, and special give-aways of Star Wars merchandise and souvenirs. Dark Horse is planning give-aways every half hour, with a major prize raffle at the end of the day. In its playing area, Decipher will be holding several tournaments in multiple formats for both of its Star Wars card games, with prizes awarded to the winners -- including seats at Decipher's 1999 Star Wars CCG World Championships.
While Friday will be the official Star Wars Day, as has been the case for the past five years, Star Wars activities are planned for the whole weekend, and include the following:
Friday, 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.: Star Wars author and artist panel
Professionals involved in the ever-growing sphere of Star Wars publications will answer questions and discuss what's ahead in the galaxy of Star Wars comics, novels and non-fiction for the year to come.
Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to noon : The Making of Episode I
Lucasfilm's Steve Sansweet will host this behind-the-scenes video presentation of Episode I, from the creation of costumes to the development of Jedi fighting scenes, with a special look at the making of special effects sequences.
Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to noon : Star Wars: The First 22 Years
This video presentation is a nostalgic and mostly humorous look at how Star Wars has become part of the popular culture. This is a specially-edited program that includes highlights such as the 1978 animated introduction of Boba Fett, a Warwick Davis professional "home movie" made in 1983 and called Return of the Ewok, dancing stormtroopers, lounge-lizard singers and much more.
Lucasfilm and Star Wars licensees invite you to join us in San Diego to share the fun and the excitement in celebrating the Star Wars saga with fellow enthusiasts, and also to enjoy everything else that the convention has to offer. Please note that all times for panels and presentations are tentative, and subject to change. Attendees will need to double-check the information upon entering the convention. For more information, visit the official Comic-Con International web site.
