 Who’s the hardest-working man in show business? It might be Al Jean. If you watch an episode of “The Simpsons,” Jean’s name is the first that pops up in the credits at the end. Cartoonist Matt Groening created the family from a blank piece of paper and producer James L. Brooks shaped much of the spirit and tone once they hit the screen, but Jean is the day-to-day engine that keeps the franchise going.
On Sunday, I saw “The Simpsons Movie” for the second time, and I couldn’t help but smile when I saw Jean’s name flash on the screen. As a writer and producer for the film and the show-runner for the series, Jean had a year of seven-day workweeks and days at the office that stretched well into the night. I got to talk at length with Jean (as well as with Brooks, Groening and fellow “Simpsons” stalwart Richard Sakai) for a Calendar Weekend cover story that ran on the eve of the film’s release, and he looked weary but plainly excited about the movie. “I am really looking forward to the response; I want to see what the public and the critics say. I know we are very happy with the movie.” (Sakai, an especially wry character, had a different response when I asked him his thoughts on the movie: "It just won't die. I keep thinking we're done. But it just ... won't ... die."
I haven’t talked to Jean since the movie opened July 27 to stellar reviews and a robust $74 million at the box office (it's total has reached $128 million in the U.S. as I write this, $236 million worldwide), but I hope he’s enjoying the success -- and some time off.
“The hours and the schedule are difficult, absolutely, but that’s what it takes to do a film and TV show at the same time,” he said during the interview. I pointed to his wedding ring and asked, “How’s that going?” He laughed. “My wife is very understanding. Very, very understanding. Can you put that in the story? Please? And can you put in that I love her very much?” That didn’t make it in the story, Al. Sorry. But I'm hoping this blog item counts for something.
Jean's name popped up in The Times on Monday in a fun story by my colleague Jerry Crowe on all the sports stars who have passed through Springfield, while Lorenza Munoz (who was my partner covering the crime beat in Orange County a decade ago) wrote up an insightful piece on the global resonance of “The Simpsons” for our business section.
-- Geoff Boucher
We missed out on seeing any of the films in the Comic-Con International Film Festival, but here are the winners:
- Action/adventure: "Razor Sharp"
- Animation: "Fission"
- Comics-oriented: "Rocketboy"
- Documentary: "Moebius Redux: A Life in Pictures"
- Horror/suspense: "Eli"
- Humor/parody: "Zombie Love"
- Science fiction/fantasy: "Man vs. Woman"
- Judges’ Choice Award: "Moebius Redux: A Life in Pictures"
With Jean "Moebius" Giraud's "Moebius Redux" being the big winner, here's a tease (actually just the intro) to the Heavy Metal magazine co-founder's winning film. Maybe we can get more later.
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Here are a few of our personal highlights, low points and some of the projects we saw at Comic-Con that we look forward to catching in the future.
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Marvel Studios held their first film presentation in Hall H tonight with a first (for me) at the 2007 Comic-Con: a standing ovation, for "Iron Man."
IRON MAN  Marvel exec Kevin Feige, producers Gale Anne Hurd and Avi Arad, director Jon Favreau, with actors (from left to right above) Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey Jr. took the stage. All of the actors were Comic-Con first-timers and their camaraderie was palpable as they joked and whispered with each other throughout the presentation. Exclusive footage was about to be shown and, as Favreau told the crowd, "This is about comic-book fans."
The crowd LOVED the footage, and the panelists were seeing the images for the first time as well. They all looked stunned and happy, with Downey Jr. asking, "Couldn't there have been more of me?"
Some of the Q&A:
 Paltrow was asked about her role as Pepper: "I love the dynamic between Pepper and Tony.... I was incredibly honored."
Terrence Howard was asked how it felt being in a movie like this (comic-book adaptation): "What do you mean ... a movie with a budget?"
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 What's a Ping-Pong martial-arts romantic wire-fu comedy cast to do without its villain played by Christopher Walken?
Just ask "Balls of Fury" star Dan Fogler and writer-director Ben Garant, who spent much of their Comic-Con panel on Saturday doing Walken impersonations. (The lithe actor is currently promoting "Hairspray" and was apparently unable to attend the Con.)
Garant told the crowd that Walken pretended it was his birthday three times during production. He'd stop by Ralphs on his way to the set and pick up a birthday cake. Then he would sit alone in the makeup trailer, looking forlorn, until some unsuspecting crew member walked in. And then he'd spring his trap.
"Is it your birthday?!" a crew member would ask.
"Oh, no. It's nothing," Walken would reply. "It's not that big a deal." Inevitably, Garant said, someone fell for it every time. The production ended up have three birthday parties for Walken.
Although he may love birthdays, Walken apparently doesn't know from interwebs or e-mail.
"Yeah, he doesn't know the @ symbol," Garant said. "He looked at it for so long and then said, 'What is that? Is this a letter or a number?' We [said], 'It's like 'at' but one letter shorter.'"
-- Sheigh Crabtree
Photo: Walken in "Balls of Fury" / Rogue Pictures
Mark Johnson, producer of "The Chronicles of Narnia" series, made what sounded like an impossible promise during a Comic-Con panel devoted to the sequel "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian."
"Every May, starting this May 2008," Disney will release new "Narnia" films based on the C.S. Lewis fantasy novels, Johnson said. The "Narnia" production company plans to start shooting "Voyage of the Dawn Treader," the third film in the seven-book series, in late January or February with an anticipated release date of May 2009.
Director Andrew Adamson does not plan to return for more films after "Voyage."
The next three books follow the adventures of Prince Caspian. Ben Barnes, the actor who plays the young royal, was introduced for the first time publicly via satellite: He and Adamson are in Prague where the production is 106 days into shooting with 30 to 40 to go.
-- Sheigh Crabtree
Photo: from left, Barnes and Adamson, via satellite from Prague
Seth Rogen spoke publicly for the first time about "Green Hornet" at Comic-Con on Saturday.
Rogen was in San Diego with his "Superbad" co-writer Evan Goldberg, director Greg Mottola, producer Judd Apatow and cast members Michael Cera, Jonah Hill and Christopher Mintz-Plasse.
Apatow introduced two clips from the film, which played like bonkers with the crowd, then he opened the floor up to questions from fans.
The majority of those questions were from teen girls who asked some variation of "Michael Cera, will you marry me?" or "Michael, can I have your children?" There were also the mandatory "Do you know if 'Arrested Development' is ever coming back?"
But one bold fan asked Rogen about his involvement with Columbia Pictures and Original Films' upcoming superhero remake.
"What's all this about 'Green Hornet'? And how did you get involved?" the fan asked.
"Well, I'm a writer and I gotta work," Rogen said.
He later added: "It's something that Evan [Goldberg] and I are big fans of.... We wrote 'Pineapple Express' together ... and we thought, 'What if we make an even bigger action movie? And what if I wear a mask? Evan really wanted me to wear a mask because he is so sick of seeing my face."
-- Sheigh Crabtree
Photo: from top left, Rogen and Goldberg; bottom, Cera
One of the highlights of the Warner Bros. presentation was the panel and teaser for "Get Smart."
Steve Carell, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Masi Oka, Nate Torrence and Ken Davitian joined director Pete Segal onstage. Carell and the Rock got most of the face time on the panel, so afterward I sat down for a quick talk with the director.
Why "Get Smart"?
"There have been a lot of TV adaptations over the last decade. Some are terrible, and some are very good. And I think you have to remember that 'The Fugitive' and 'Mission: Impossible' came from TV shows," says Segal. "I think the difference in success and failure is in how close you stay to the source material."
When casting the film, Segal said he wanted to get actors that were at equal comedic and dramatic skill levels. "Suddenly you're energizing each scene with guys who can not only deliver what's on the page, but bring something else to the role." He also mentioned that Anne Hathaway in her role as Agent 99 was the most surprising actor of those cast and that her gung-ho attitude in her action-packed role will blow away audiences. "Her enthusiasm comes across on the screen."
Favorite episode from the original show: "Loved the pilot." Segal mentioned that it was one of the two episodes that Mel Brooks (who created the show with Buck Henry) actually wrote and that it deftly explained and defined Maxwell Smart.
Favorite scene from the new movie: When Smart and Agent 99 are on a plane, rehearsing their undercover personas. Segal says that you find out that with his weight problem and her recent plastic surgery, they each had troubled pasts, and "It's there that they find common ground."
Favorite Line: By Smart -- "You've underestimated the element of supri ... "
Favorite Gadget: Old would be the shoe phone, and from the new film would be "a Swiss army knife that has a crossbow that shoots a harpoon," and many other things!
It looks fun and action-packed.
-- Jevon Phillips
Greg Rucka's graphic novel "Whiteout" has become a Warner Bros. motion picture starring Kate Beckinsale, produced by Joel Silver, and directed by Dominic Sena. All three were present with the comics' author for the film's WB panel, though Beckinsale arrived after the trailer had been shown twice and the assemblage had answered many questions.
Saying that she had been stuck behind a train, Beckinsale made up for her tardiness with crowd-pleasing remarks. In her short stint on stage, Beckinsale touched on topics that included the clothing differences between her Antartica-bound character in "Whiteout" and that of her vampire character from "Underworld," her husband's seeming desire to put her in dangerous action movies, and her brush with possibly becoming Wonder Woman (which hasn't happened).
-- Jevon Phillips
Not a single call was dropped during Warner Bros.' "One Missed Call" presentation.
During a slightly awkward mini-panel, Ed Burns and Shannyn Sossamon showed a clip from their new movie, "One Missed Call," an English-language adaptation of the Japanese film.
Sossamon seemed unnerved by the crowd. Burns tried to keep it light, but the audience didn't seem familiar with the film and didn't have many questions about it. At the end of the session, Sossamon announced that she and Burns were giving away iPhones to audience members who asked them questions. Needless to say, they finished on a high note.
-- Sheigh Crabtree
We're at the Warner Bros. panel in Hall H this morning.
We just watched a ridiculous trailer for "Get Smart." Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) looks like a cross
between Eva Green and Kate Beckinsale in the film, and it looks like she's doing some sick stunt work too.
At one point in the clip we just saw, she says: "I don't want work with Max; he has no experience." Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) deadpans: "Well, that is a kick in the ... !" (You get the idea.)
The trailer closed to thunderous applause that was topped only by the fan insanity that followed when Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson (who plays Agent 23) and Carell appeared onstage.
Asked to compare the new film to the 1960s TV series, director Peter Segal said: "We're just that other car in the garage beside the classic Corvette."
Carell joked that Segal never wore pants or underwear on the set. Apparently, the tone of "Get Smart" is "Bourne Supremacy: The Comedy."
And Segal confirmed that the characters of Hymie the Robot and Agent 13 will be appearing in cameos.
-- Sheigh Crabtree
Photo: Sheigh Crabtree LAT
"Superman: Doomsday" was the nighttime centerpiece for Thursday's program, and it delivered. Fans of knockdown, drag-out super battles will love the animated video -- the Man of Steel's fight with Doomsday has lots of vicious hits, which pulled groans and gasps from the crowd. Lex Luthor's evil (James Marsters' attitude) was on display and also registered with the crowd. In a specific scene, Lex figures out a cure for muscular dystrophy but withholds it to make a profit later, saying, "Oh well. Jerry's kids will have to wait."
Animation master Bruce Timm was on hand with a panel that did not include voice talent Marsters or Superman himself, Adam Baldwin. Both stars sent along video greetings, with "Buffy's" Spike eliciting the biggest cheers.
Afterward, a bit of the animated "New Frontier," a movie featuring the Justice League, was shown -- though it was clearly in the first stages. Casting was announced previously, but the crowd still cheered as Kyle MacLachlan (Superman), Jeremy Sisto (Batman), Lucy Lawless (Wonder Woman), David Boreanaz (Green Lantern) and Neil Patrick Harris (The Flash) were introduced. Lots of cheers all around.
An audience member asked why the Justice League was not involved in "Superman: Doomsday," and Timm, after explaining his reasoning, said that he'd done enough Justice League stuff and, frankly, wanted to explore something else.
"Sorry, don't follow me out to my car."
-- Jevon Phillips
The archeologist with a whip and a penchant for getting into trouble with Nazis is back, and Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, Ray Winstone, Shia LeBeouf and Karen Allen made sure to address the Comic-Con crowd that has long supported the franchise (via "live" satellite feed).
Spielberg told the crowd that he had been making a lot of personal movies over the last 18 years (since the release of "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"), but that he was extremely happy to actually be on the 25th day of shooting. He also said that he was making the movie for fans.
Harrison Ford was excited to be in Indiana's "old, dirty clothes" again, and he called the film "dynamite." Ray Winstone, also receiving hype for "Beowulf," and Shia LaBeouf seemed just happy to be there. Spielberg made a special presentation, bringing out her chair, to introduce Karen Allen. There was no footage presented, but anticipation was high, and the reception was spirited.
-- Jevon Phillips
The big surprise of the day?
Leonard Nimoy strolled out on-stage to thunderous applause during the Paramount Pictures panel on
the new "Star Trek" film. The film, to be directed and produced by J.J. Abrams,
follows the iconic crew members of the USS Enterprise during their early years in Starfleet. Abrams (who admitted to the crowd that he grew up more of a " 'Star Wars' kid than a 'Star Trek' kid") introduced the "young" Spock for the film: Zachary Quinto of "Heroes." The crowd clearly approved.
Then Abrams playfully told the audience he had another casting revelation: "We have more than one Spock." Then he brought out Nimoy (whom the filmmaker repeatedly referred to with a deferential "Mr. Nimoy").
Apparently the film will have a framing device with the older Spock. Nimoy told the crowd the movie has a "fantastic" script and a "great director." He added: "People keep asking me why I'm doing this movie. The answer is, well, it was logical."
Photo: Sheigh Crabtree LAT
--Geoff Boucher
The graphic novel “The New Frontier” is a flat-out masterpiece. If you haven’t checked out the epic by Darwyn Cooke that re-imagines and reframes the Silver Age characters of DC Comics, it's part “The Right Stuff” and part “Watchmen,” and all of it is done in Cooke’s sublime retro-style art.
Cooke was wandering around the DC booth today, giddy about the upcoming animated adaptation of "The New Frontier" for DC's fledgling straight-to-DVD line of original movies. There will be a surprise teaser for the movie Friday at the premiere of “Superman: Doomsday.”
As it stands, “The Final Frontier” has some compelling moments and sharp social commentary about the 1950s; in one scene, Superman, the conservative patriot, is shocked to find Wonder Woman in a Korean village celebrating with the local women who just killed the soldiers that raped and abused them. Cooke said there was a lot of “spirited debate” among the movie team about excising that scene and other edgy sequences.
“Going in, the only thing I was worried about was whether the movie would keep all the spectacle and heroics but lose the themes that comment on the issues of the 1950s. I told them that if they didn’t want that they shouldn’t have bought the property. This is what it’s all about.”
And how did the struggle go? “That scene is in,” a grinning Cooke said.
-- Geoff Boucher
Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman ... those are the names you think of when you hear “DC Comics.”
But the publisher had quietly established itself as the most successful pipeline of non-tights comics properties for Hollywood with “Road to Perdition,” “History of Violence,” “Constantine” and “V for Vendetta.” Next up are adaptations of the Losers, which began decades ago as the story of a scrappy, hard-luck quartet of military outcasts in World War II, and Jonah Hex, the disfigured loner of the Old West who rents out six-shooter services.
I also heard today that “The War That Time Forgot” has been optioned, which brings up the prospect of Nazis and dinosaurs together on screen.
I caught up with Paul Levitz, publisher and president of DC Comics, and he said that while “superheroes are our specialty, a big part of who we are ... we have been able to have more success with the non-superhero projects than any other couple of publishers put together.” Levitz said it's just luck. “We started our Vertigo line of books specifically to diversify our portfolio.”
Wow, he sounds like a businessman.
I remember when Levitz was best known for writing the scripts for “The Legion of Super-Heroes” back in the 1970s. I told Levitz that he was one of my first favorite writers. “Yes, those were great years. I’m glad you liked them.”
-- Geoff Boucher
It's "Hot Rod" time.
First up are SNL alum Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and director Akiva Schaffer.
A clip shows Andy Samberg having a nasty fit with a crow bar on a reclining Ian McShane's head. Samberg storms off to his "quiet place," a misty green forest grotto. He throws himself into a tree trunk. The music starts playing. Samberg slowly starts dancing himself into a frenzy, then pratfalls again and again eventually rolling down a really big, stone-studded hill. The Comic-Con crowd loves it.
First fan question: "Are you going to make more, erm, 'Surprise in a box?"
Samberg cracks: "We can say *ick in a box. We all got 'em. And some of you ladies too..."
"In closing, Footloose, Flashdance, Hot Rod," Jeff Walker, the panel moderator jokes.
Samberg says, "Yeah, there's a lot of Kevin Bacon in there. And let's face it, alot of you are here because of Kevin Bacon."
....and.... scene!
--Sheigh Crabtree
 One of the hottest attractions on the Comic-Con show floor tonight is the BMW Motorrad K1200R customized for Milla Jovovich in "Resident Evil: Extinction."
Among other things, it's got a skeletal backbone down the center of the fuel tank suggesting It's Alive!
So we were psyched to find out that earlier today our very own Chris Lee got the sweet and low down on it from Screen Gems.
Check out Lee's item here.
-- Sheigh Crabtree
I saw 20 minutes of "Beowulf" in digital 3-D on the Paramount lot last week. Check out the L.A. Times' First Look at the movie.
-- Sheigh Crabtree
It's nice to have friends in high places, and in Hollywood, that means having a few clued-in sources at the lab. We asked a buddy to keep an eye out for any "Dark Knight" traffic after a rumor about the first trailer being attached to "The Simpsons Movie."
Today we got a firsthand eyewitness account. Instead of a full-blown trailer, "Dark Knight" was given a special teaser treatment of the Warner Bros. logo. The announcement piece relays "Dark Knight's" release date, followed by a glitzy WB shield.
Sadly, we hear there is no new footage from the film. It's just a short logo teaser and it's booked onto "The Simpsons Movie" in limited markets. Our source couldn't tell us whether one of "The Dark Knight" teasers is en route to the Warner Bros. panel at Comic-Con at 10:30 on Friday. But like every other rabid "Bat" fan at the Con, we'll keep our bat signals tuned.
-- Sheigh Crabtree
The word is that DC Comics has a deal in place to bring Jonah Hex, everyone’s favorite disfigured Old West bounty hunter, to the big screen. That’s great news for anyone (like me) who grew up loving this rattlesnake of a character. Hex was cynical, cantankerous and just plain ugly. He was the scarred outlaw Josey Wales of the spinner rack.
Hex was created back in 1972 (if you’re shopping at Comic-Con this weekend, it was “All-Star Western” No. 10) by writer John Albano, who had a gift for terse and tense dialogue, and artist Tony DeZuniga, who came up with a great “melted look” for the side of Hex’s face. That was due to a nasty injury from a hot tomahawk -- the clumsy branding was Hex’s punishment from the Apache tribe that raised him. It was Hex’s rummy father who had sold him to that tribe as a child slave. Later, the disfigured Jonah did a stint in the Confederate army and got pretty adept at killing.
The 19th century character has logged a lot of miles in the DC universe (in the 1980s he was even dropped into a post-apocalyptic future as a sort of comics riff on themes from “Mad Max” and Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower”). But a movie would be a whole new level, of course.
Whom would you cast as the rangy killer? Clint Eastwood certainly would have been the prime choice a few decades ago. Michael Madsen has a certain whiff of menace about him that might work, but if they kept him a blond, then square-jawed Viggo Mortensen (who was adept at playing the comics-to-film killer in “History of Violence”) might be the best choice. If they want to save money on makeup, there’s also Nick Nolte -- he’s looking pretty Hexed in the photos here.
-- Geoff Boucher
The new DreamWorks comedy " The Heartbreak Kid" has been deemed too hot for Comic-Con!
Event organizers cracked the whip on the new Farrelly brothers and Ben Stiller movie about a newlywed married to the perfect woman, determining that the DreamWorks comedy would be too racy for Con attendees. The decision was handed down to the studio early Monday, according to a DreamWorks spokesperson.
DreamWorks had submitted a "very funny, saucy" clip, likened to a scene from the Farrelly's 1998 film "There's Something About Mary."
"The Heartbreak Kid" clip was scheduled to unspool during the Paramount / DreamWorks panel on Thursday in Hall H from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. But Comic-Con organizers, beseiged by complaints from attendees last year after Fox's full-frontal "Borat" presentation, put the kibosh on the clip.
The studio was told by event organizers that "The Heartbreak Kid" clip, which contains a comedic sex scene, must be modified or pulled altogether from the afternoon presentation. As of late Monday, a DreamWorks spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times that it was unlikely the studio would be able to alter the clip to satisfy officials in time for Thursday's panel. (...continued after the jump...)
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 More exclusive "Green Hornet" news for you:
We broke the news yesterday that "Knocked Up" star Seth Rogen has been tapped by Sony to write and probably star in "Green Hornet." Rogen actually pitched the remake to Sony, who liked his comedic take. Execs in Culver City hope Rogen can reinvent the recently dark and moody superhero adaptations, according to sources.
Today we hear that Rogen's first choice to play Kato, Green Hornet's masked and martial arts-enabled sidekick, is none other than "Kung Fu Hustle" director and star Stephen Chow (pictured). Now that's a comedic take! Whether or not Chow's dance card is clear is another issue.
-- Sheigh Crabtree
Photo: Miramax Films
Sideshow Collectibles, one of the largest exhibitors at Comic-Con, has sent in exclusive news and sneak  peeks at figurines and collectibles debuting in San Diego next week.
The Thousand Oaks-based company plans to unveil 70 new collectibles on the floor in its "museum style" booth.
It has also struck a new licensing deal with Lucasfilm to produce collectibles from all four "Indiana Jones" films.
Anyone crazy enough can now stick a life-size bust of Indy right in the middle of the living room.
Meanwhile, Don Vito Corleone will be calling a meeting of the families down at Comic-Con -- all 16 pounds and 20 inches of him. They should hand those things out at the Oscars.
Some figurines are of Sideshow's own design, while others the company distributes for friendly vendors. In the latter case, it's showing Electric Tiki's animated-style Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the first 'toon version of Buffy to be released. Long live the Buffy! As you can see, this rendition is very, er ... perky.
Sideshow is also unveiling a line of wee little Hobbits, the new World of Warcraft line, not to mention a much-buzzed-about 12-inch figure for Lucas and "Star Wars." Code name: Storm Trooper on a Speeder bike.
For now, we'll just have to wistfully imagine what it looks like as we polish up our menacing white plastic armor and helmet for the masquerade. I want to see someone ride a life-size version of a Speeder into the convention center.
Photos: Ginny Guzman/Sideshow
-- Sheigh Crabtree
What superhero screenwriter will you not see at Comic-Con this year? That would be John August, who is toiling on the first draft of "Shazam!" the New Line Cinema film that is expected to bring Captain Marvel to the screen in one of the next few summers. "I've never been to Comic-Con. I'm sure I will be going down the road. I hear it's pretty intense, pretty massive," he said.
Massive and intense is exactly right, and the fans take their beloved heroes pretty seriously, as August is already learning. He’s familiar to genre fans for his work with director Tim Burton ("Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "Corpse Bride" and "Big Fish"), but the Colorado native was never a comic book guy ("I was," he says, "a Dungeons & Dragons kid.")
And some Captain Marvel fans are unhappy with him already, thanks to his blog comments about the classic 1940s comics that introduced the hero: "What you quickly realize is that old-time comic books were awkwardly written, crudely drawn, and bewilderingly inconsistent with their rules." Some fans of the venerable hero are also alarmed by the choice of director: Peter Segal, who brought the world "The Longest Yard," "50 First Dates" and "Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult."
I caught up with August for lunch the other day, and though he was mum on details, he revealed a lot about his hopes for a project that New Line expects to make a franchise. He's looking for a movie that will be funny and lighthearted but respectful of the classic elements of the comics: A boy named Billy Batson meets a wizard and is told that when he utters the word "Shazam!" a bolt of magic lighting will transform him into an adult hero in a cool red suit. The movie will be set in modern day, not the World War II era that some fans hoped for.
The classic costume -- red and yellow with a white cape that is loosely tied around his neck -- will be honored. There will be a super-powered villain too, and though August wouldn't say who, he did smirk a bit when I praised Black Adam as the wonderful counterpoint to the sunny Captain Marvel.
"No comment," August said.
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 Talk about a meta media moment.
Bart Simpson is getting the designer toy treatment. Dozens of Bart figurines custom-painted by noted artists will make their U.S. debut at the Toy2R booth in San Diego next week.
The artsy toy project must amuse "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening. Die-hard fans will recall "The Simpsons" episode in which Milhouse grills Comic Book Guy about the abundance of Bart Simpson masks in the shop.
Milhouse: Why do you have masks of Bart?
Comic Book Guy: One came free with every box of Bart Simpson action figures.
Milhouse: Why does Bart have his own action figures?
Comic Book Guy: They were a marketing tie-in with the comic book.
Milhouse: Why does Bart have a comic book?
Comic Book Guy: Your questions have become more redundant and annoying than the last three "Highlander" movies.
No surprise then that the big-screen launch of "The Simpsons" on July 27 should come with none other than Bart Simpson action figures. Of the many marketing tie-ins for the movie, the life-size promos known as Kwik-E-Marts may loom largest. But with their 'round-the-block lines and product sellouts, it's not that vexing to skip a Squishee. It's harder to resist the appeal of indie illustrators and artists -- even Groening himself -- transforming blank Bart Qees into personalized baby blue Barts or silver Bartbots.
Those not trekking to Comic-Con can take heart. The Bart Qees are scheduled to land in our neck of the woods at Meltdown Comics in Hollywood on Aug. 1.
Update: More "Simpsons" product headed our way. Certainly, if Colbert and Willie Nelson deserve Ben & Jerry flavors, then naturally, the Simpsons do too. Ben & Jerry's Homer homage is called Duff & D'oh-Nuts. That's right, beer- and doughnut-flavored ice cream. For a short time the furry ice cream fellas are renaming their Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough as Chocolate Chip Cookie D'Oh!
-- Sheigh Crabtree
 Jigsaw is dead but "Saw" fans are still eager to pick up the pieces. On Thursday at 3:45 p.m., in Hall H, the Lionsgate preview panel will include actor Tobin Bell, who has become one of horror's most famous faces as the serial killer Jigsaw in the "Saw" films, as well as Darren Lynn Bousman, who directed the second and third "Saw" films and is preparing the fourth bloody installment for release at theaters in October.
"There will be a nice surprise on Thursday for the fans. We have something we're going to be showing; it's pretty cool," Bousman told us Wednesday afternoon. He was hustling from his post-production labors on "Saw IV" (shooting wrapped in late May) to preproduction work on "Repo! The Genetic Opera," which is the rock musical project he will be diving into next. "It's super-busy and very exciting."
Jigsaw and his apprentice Amanda (in photo) died at the end of "Saw III," so there's plenty of conjecture about the nature of the fourth film (flashback? ghosts? copycat killer? hoax death?) as well as two new characters, FBI Agents Perez (Athena Karkanis) and Strahm (Scott Patterson). What can Bousman tell us about all that? "That would be absolutely nothing. You'll find out like everyone else on Oct. 24." (Editor's note: This may be the premiere date, but the film opens wide in the U.S. on Oct. 26)
The "Saw" films are now the most successful horror franchise ever, and Bousman believes the reason is the complexity and emotional resonance of tales and the depth of characters. "I think a lot of the films in horror right now are aimed at really young people, and while I can enjoy a wall-to-wall gory horror film as much the next fan, it can become monotonous and repetitious."
Bousman is amped to be at Comic-Con and not just to hype his movie. "I'm the biggest horror geek and comic book freak. I've been going for years; I used to go to Con with my dad."
Bousman, who inherited a sweet collection of original EC Comics from the 1950s, even shared a truly horrific story with us about comics. He had a collection worth thousands of dollars in the trunk of his car last year -- he was driving to have them appraised -- when he got rammed in the rear by an uninsured driver in North Hollywood. "It was the saddest day of my life. They were all bent up and ruined, and now they're basically worthless."
-- Geoff Boucher Photo: Steve Wilkie / Lionsgate
 Twentieth Century Fox pulled some of its high-profile projects out of Comic-Con on Wednesday, a week shy of the massive movie fan convention in San Diego.
The studio previously announced plans to promote its movies with a star- and filmmaker-studded panel next Friday in the main hall.
The movies included "Jumper," directed by Doug Liman and starring Hayden Christensen; directors Colin and Greg Strause's update to the popular "Aliens vs. Predator" franchise; the Vin Diesel action film "Babylon A.D."; and "Hitman," starring Timothy Olyphant, based on the wildly popular video game of the same name.
Photo: James Dittiger / Twentieth Century Fox
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Here's the lowdown on getting a look at the DVD version of the cinematic virtuoso that is the film "300" on the jumbotron in Petco Park.
WHAT: An exclusive VIP event celebrating the DVD release of "300," the cutting-edge, heart-p ounding, visual masterpiece from Warner Home Video. Based on the stylized graphic novel from icon Frank Miller ("Sin City"), "300" is an epic action-adventure about the 300 Spartan warriors led by the heroic King Leonidas who challenged Xerxes and his massive Persian army at the ancient Battle of Thermopylae. Facing insurmountable odds, they fought to the death to defend their honor and freedom, inspiring all of Greece to unite against the enemy.
WHEN: Friday, July 27th. Press Check in: 6:30 pm. Doors open: 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Petco Park. Palm Court Plaza Entrance on Tony Gwynn Drive/K Street, San Diego, CA.
WHO: Creator Frank Miller and Director Zack Snyder along with filmmakers and cast members from "300."
Exclusively for fans attending Comic-Con, the film will be introduced by Snyder, Frank Miller and cast members from "300."
Tickets for the screening are free and will be available to the first 10,000 visitors to the Dark Horse Comics booth or the Warner Bros. booth. Doors to the screening open at 7:15PM.
 Sorry, race fans, but it appears that Warner Bros. may be emitting a negligble amount of C02 to promote "Speed Racer" at Comic-Con.
Participants are still TBD, but fans hoping to get up close and personal with a cranky Chim Chim the monkey -- not to mention the lovely Trixie (Christina Ricci) in a pneumatic race suit -- may have to settle for a reel of cast interviews, a couple of storyboards and some footage from the start of production press conference, according to a studio publicist.
Update: Speed Racer was pulled from the Warner Bros. presentation altogether because materials aren't ready, according to the studio. The film's producer Joel Silver will be on-hand throughout the event.
Sure, the Wachowski siblings, crew, cast and animal actors are busy shooting at Babelsberg Studios in Germany, but what about the fans' needs? Then again, post-Live Earth blitzkrieg, and the many scoldings re: gratuitous air travel, I suppose the correct answer when it comes to "Speed Racer's" Comic-Con presentation is: Score one for the planet.
Now about those animal actors...
* Last month, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals contacted the production regarding reports that a chimpanzee actor playing Chim Chim had bitten a human actor. The animal rights group asked that the producers replace the animal/s with animatronics, a la Pamela Anderson. But the production made like -- wait for it -- Amy Winehouse and said: No, no, no.
-- Sheigh Crabtree
If you've seen "Transformers," and who hasn't, then you may have also been struck by an unnamed, handheld camera trailer where the action was 'more than meets the eye.' See it here!
The J.J. Abrams creation "Cloverfield" (which is not the real title according to Paramount) is generating buzz all over the internet and in preview audiences across the country. "What was THAT?" is the usual reaction, followed by "Was that movie called 'Bad Robot?'" and "Was that the head of the Statue of Liberty?"
Lots of questions and not many answers -- just the way the "Alias" and "Lost" creator wants it apparently. Fueled by a vague "Blair Witch Project"-style trailer and enough viral marketing to give your computer the flu, "Cloverfield" is building momentum for a January launch. Add to that the popularity of http://www.ethanhaaswasright.com/, a weirdly apocalyptic site displaying nothing but a freaky hexagonal ball, the words 'Ethan Haas was right,' a moused-over translation in an undecipherable language, and another mouse-over goody that launches an email to van@ethanhaaswasright.com.
Whatever it is, it definitely has people talking . You can bet that this will be a hot topic at Comic-Con, and with Abrams slated to appear (for "Star Trek"), there could be more revelations in San Diego.
-- Jevon Phillips
What do Pixar short film directors and Clive Owen have in common? They all believe the eyes are the most important part of an actor's performance. Okay, it was a stretch. But they do both have panels planned for the same day at Comic-Con 2007.
First up are Pixar short men Ralph Eggelston ("For the Birds"), Andrew Jimenez (co-director of "One Man Bad") and Gary Rydstrom, the legendary Skywalker sound designer turned Pixar director of the short film "Lifted." The gents plan to screen some clips followed by a Q&A about the studio's short program on Friday, July 27 at 10:30-11:30. Room 6CDEF
 Later that afternoon, New Line Cinema is promoting "Shoot 'Em Up," an action thriller starring Clive Owen. The funny thing about this movie is that it sounds a helluvalot like where Owen's last film, "Children of Men," left off. The story is described as "a man named Mr. Smith (Owen) delivers a woman's baby during a shootout, and is then called upon to protect the newborn from the army of gunmen." Okaaay. Is the new mother named Kee and is there a boat called Tomorrow on the way to take them to the Human Project? We shall see when "Shoot 'Em Up's" director Michael Davis describes the plot points and shows footage from the new film before it opens Sept. 7. New Line is also using the time to sneak peek "The Golden Compass," from from 2:15-3:00 in Hall H.
-- Sheigh Crabtree
Paramount/DreamWorks has set their preliminary lineup for 2007's edition of Comic-Con.
Starting on Wednesday, July 25, they will have a 9 p.m. screening of 3D footage from the the film 'Beowulf' at the AMC Horton Plaza, complete with screenwiriters Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery in attendance. A party will follow at Stingeree (454 6th Ave.) at 10 p.m..
Talent is not yet set, but other titles that Paramount/DreamWorks plans on bringing to Comic-Con during their 1:30 pm – 3:30 p.m. Thursday presentation (Room 6H) include:
Hot Rod, Stardust, The Heartbreak Kid, Beowulf, Sweeney Todd, Untitled JJ Abrams project, Spiderwick Chronicles, Iron Man, Indiana Jones 4, and Star Trek.
-- Sheigh Crabtree
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Our Bloggers
Sheigh Crabtree usually speeds past San Diego on her way to Tijuauna in search of clay monkeys. She will be covering Hollywood's looming shadow at the event, and seeking female-friendly graphic novels.
Jevon Phillips will be writing about booths, panels and the fan aspects of the show. Luckily, he will not be entering the Masquerade as Afro Samurai.