When it comes to Comic-Con, The Walking Dead has been the staple of staples. It actually felt strange receiving my badge and not seeing the show’s artwork on it. It’s just another reminder that TWD will be entering it’s final season this Fall. So, AMC is going all out at SDCC this year to make sure that fans can say goodbye properly.
I’ll get to the panels in a moment, but first I want to talk about the massive The Walking Dead Fan Celebration that will be happening on Friday, July 22nd at 7:30pm. Fans will enter the Hilton Gaslamp Hotel to relive and celebrate the last eleven seasons of the show. There will be set pieces, props and more spanning the event that will cover the entire history of the show. There will also be a chance to score an exclusive TWD enamel pin and one of four custom designed t-shirts. There will also be a walker make-up station, the Commonwealth’s “Taste of Tradition” ice cream flavors (with themed beverages and food) and a Commonwealth-inspired lottery for additional giveaways. Ticket info for the event will be coming soon.
As far as the panels, The Walking Dead might be the highlight, but there are a lot of other exciting things coming to Comic-Con from AMC as well. Take a look:
- Tales of the Walking Dead panel on Friday, July 22 at 12:30 PM PT, Hall H The panel will introduce fans to this new episodic anthology consisting of six original one-hour standalone episodes focused on both new and established characters within the walker apocalypse. The stakes are high in each story, pushing new, indelible characters with relentless, life-threatening choices and situations as we get to see the apocalypse through different eyes, discovering more worlds, mythos, and mysteries of the Walking Dead.
Moderated by Chris Hardwick (Talking Dead), the panel will feature Chief Content Officer of The Walking Dead Universe, Scott M. Gimple, Showrunner and Executive Producer Channing Powell, Director and Executive Producer Michael Satrazemis, and cast members Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Samantha Morton (The Walking Dead, Harlots), and Danny Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick) with additional cast pending. - The Walking Dead Season 11C panel on Friday, July 22 at 1:30 PM PT, Hall H Chris Hardwick moderates the final panel for the hit series ahead of its last eight episodes this fall. This must-watch panel will feature Gimple, Showrunner and Executive Producer Angela Kang, Executive Producer, Director and Special Effects Makeup Supervisor Greg Nicotero and cast members Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Christian Serratos, Ross Marquand, Khary Payton, Seth Gilliam, Josh McDermitt, Michael James Shaw, Cailey Fleming and Lauren Ridloff as they answer fan questions, share behind-the-scenes stories about filming the final season, and reveal the highly anticipated trailer for season 11.
In the upcoming final episodes of The Walking Dead, threats lurk around every corner, dead and alive, as each group continues to get caught in uncontrollable situations. The looming pressure is cresting towards a day of reckoning for all. Will the sum of their individual journeys cumulate into one, or divide them forever? - Queer for Fear panel on Friday, July 22 at 4:45PM PT, Room 6A
Join a discussion for the upcoming Shudder Original four-part documentary series about the history of Queer people in the thriller/horror genre, featuring Executive Producers Bryan Fuller and Steak House, interviewee and filmmaker Kimberly Peirce and interviewee and podcaster Renée “Nay” Bever.
From its literary origins with authors Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, and Oscar Wilde to the pansy craze of the 1920s that inspired Universal Monsters and Hitchcock, through the “lavender scare” alien invasion films of the mid-20th century, and the AIDS-obsessed bloodletting of 80s vampire films, Queer for Fear explores the role the LGBTQ+ community played in front of and behind the camera. Through this rainbow lens, we will re-examine genre stories not as violent, murderous narratives but as tales of survival that resonate thematically with queer audiences everywhere. - Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire panel on Saturday, July 23 at 2PM PT, Ballroom 20
The highly anticipated first series in AMC Networks’ Anne Rice collection makes its Comic-Con panel debut with Executive Producer Mark Johnson, Creator, Writer and Showrunner Rolin Jones, cast members Sam Reid, Jacob Anderson, Bailey Bass and Eric Bogosian and Production Designer Mara LePere Schloop discussing this new iteration of Anne Rice’s revolutionary and bestselling novel, stepping into the role of these iconic characters, bringing the world of early 1900s New Orleans to life and debuting a first official series trailer.
Interview’s first season consists of 7 episodes and is an emotionally charged, character-driven series that follows Louis de Pointe du Lac (Anderson), Lestat de Lioncourt (Reid) and Claudia (Bass)’s epic story of love, blood, and the perils of immortality.
Don’t forget, I’ll be at SDCC trying to cover anything and everything that I can. With this great slate, AMC will definitely be in my plans. Keep checking back for more.
Photo Credit: Jace Downs/AMC