The San Diego Comic-Con Malaga Multiverse: A Guide to Not Getting Lost

The grand circus of San Diego Comic-Con Málaga is now underway. Just four days before its official opening, the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Málaga is transforming to host the mega-event starting next Thursday. Around 100,000 people are expected to visit during the four days of the convention in this city of comics, series, cinema, video games, and animation, delighting fans and geeks of all stripes. Although reserved seats are sold out for most presentations and panels, the organization has left some seating capacity open for each event—including the opening and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s star appearance—available on a first-come, first-served basis. To organize this multiverse of comic-con activities, here is a review of the essential proposals and major guests:

Video game enthusiasts will get a taste at the comic-con with Gonzo Suárez, essential creator of the 'Commandos' saga, and Isabel Tallos, from 'Warhammer 40,000: Warpforge', who will reveal the secrets that make a title engaging, addictive, and successful. A conversation with two creators who have made a mark in the gaming industry and will analyze how the way of playing and imagining worlds has evolved.

The Andalusian audiovisual industry table brings together professionals from major franchises, such as the locals Kico Aráez, who has worked on the locations for 'Game of Thrones', 'The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon', 'Warrior Nun', 'Wonder Woman', and 'Venom 3', and María Cabello, producer of the service for 'Kaos', 'Uncharted', and 'Spider Man: Far from Home'; along with Goya winner Yousaf Bokhari ('The Crown' and 'Hanna') and producer Laura Oliva ('Lucky Luke' and 'Mortadelo and Filemón'). They will discuss how to choose locations, coordinate with art and VFX, and other anecdotes and keys to the shootings that make Andalusia a fantasy destination.

Fans of the extended universe of 'Star Wars' are thrilled with the presence of Ashley Eckstein, the voice of Ahsoka Tano in 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars', 'Star Wars: Rebels', and 'Star Wars: The Jedi Chronicles', who will be in Málaga accompanied by Carla Torres Danés, the Spanish voice of the character in the three series. Both will talk about their experience bringing the Jedi to life in their latest project, 'Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy: Pieces of the Past', which has just arrived on Disney+.

Although activities at the comic-con will start in the morning, Thursday afternoon will bring the grand opening of the event, which promises surprises. One of them has already been revealed with its presenters, two international actors of Spanish origin: Madrid's Dafne Keen, the heir of Wolverine and star of 'Logan', and Canarian Taz Skylar, one of the main characters in Netflix's adaptation of the manga 'One Piece'. The event will be held in Hall M, the main space of the convention with a capacity for 3,000 people.

Actor Brian Austin Green, idol and heartthrob from the legendary series 'Beverly Hills, 90210', will be present at the comic-con with the premiere of the teaser for 'Abominable', the new film by Iván Mulero. This 'monster movie' revolves around an unknown creature appearing in the Pyrenees causing strange disappearances. After the screening, both will discuss the film, and Green will review notable moments from his career in film and television.

John Gaeta, Oscar winner for 'The Matrix', redefined visual effects and immersive storytelling with his work on this popular saga starring Keanu Reeves. In this talk, he will share his vision on the present and future of VFX applied to the screen, and how creativity and technology transform both cinema and video games.

At San Diego Comic-Con Málaga, there are curious cases such as talks and panels that have generated such anticipation that ticket reservations are sold out despite not having announced any speakers. Such is the case with the 'Spider-Man Multiverse' panel, which underscores the power of the spider-man. This meeting is held in Hall M, the main space of the event, so significant guests are expected. The organization has left seats open that will be filled on the same day on a first-come, first-served basis.

One of the premieres of this first edition is the exclusive meeting with the team from the movie 'Tron: Ares', the third installment of this saga based on the Disney classic from the 80s starring Jeff Bridges. This time, Jared Leto ('Suicide Squad') dons the helmet and mounts the futuristic bike in a plot that tells the story of Ares, a sophisticated program sent from the digital world to the real world on a mission that represents humanity's first contact with beings born from artificial intelligence.

To close the day, the Malaga cartoonist and Deputy Vice Chancellor of Culture at the University of Málaga, Pepo Pérez, will take the stage in a masterclass where he will reveal the inner workings of 'The Neighbor', the comic created with screenwriter Santiago García that reinvents the superhero myth from everyday life. A perspective full of humor and reflection that has been adapted to the screen by Netflix.

The turn of one of the most influential publishers in the world, Marvel, enhanced by adaptations in film and series, will come on Saturday with the star presence of C.B. Cebulski, the chief editor of the comic book company, who will talk about the secret of a universe whose legacy continues to grow. Artists and illustrators Elena Casagrande, Peach Momoko, Carmen Carnero, Pepe Larraz, Sara Pichelli, and Luciano Vecchio will accompany the 'boss' in this panel where they will discover the challenges and ways to reinvent iconic characters.

Marvel has embraced manga artist Peach Momoko to revise its 'super characters' from the aesthetics and culture of Japan. In this masterclass, the renowned Japanese artist will share her creative process live, as well as narrate the innovative 'tuning' she subjects the classics of one of the most powerful companies in the comic world.

Among the offerings for all audiences, Nickelodeon presents exclusively the first two episodes of season 2 of the series 'Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles', which will premiere on the channel in November. After the screening, Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo will have a meet-and-greet with fans who want to greet them and take a photo with them.

Saturday will be the time for the North American network AMC with its major franchises for this season. On one hand, 'The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon', the third season of this popular fiction that comes to the comic-con with its zombies and its two major stars, Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride, joined by the Spaniards Óscar Jaenada and Eduardo Noriega, as the plot unfolds in our country. On the other, 'Talamasca: The Secret Order', the new series based on the vampiric universe of Anne Rice's bestsellers, will also be presented, defended by its protagonist, Nicholas Denton ('Glitch').

The closing day will begin with one of the most awaited moments of San Diego Comic-Con Málaga with the presence of the godfather and star guest of this inaugural edition: Arnold Schwarzenegger. The title of his talk refers to one of his great movies, 'Total Recall', and that will be the main theme of this meeting with the Austrian-born star whose total challenge was to become an icon of North American culture despite his European origins. There will be free seats for those who could not reserve, although demand will be high.

The first edition of the comic-con could not pass without honoring the most legendary of Spanish authors, Francisco Ibáñez, creator of 'Mortadelo and Filemón' and so many comic book characters. The masterclass in his memory will be chaired by his own daughter, Núria Ibáñez, and journalist Jordi Canyissà, who will offer an immersive talk to delve into the universe of the bespectacled cartoonist with augmented reality glasses.

The first special guest announced by SDCCM was the legendary artist and editor of DC, Jim Lee, who will also have a say in the final day of this inaugural edition of the convention in Málaga. The head of the publishing house for Superman and Batman, a key figure in modern comics, will offer an exclusive live drawing session, bringing iconic characters to life while answering audience questions.

The person responsible for closing the event in grand style will be one of the Spanish directors who has made a name for himself in Hollywood, JA Bayona, who has worked with Spielberg on 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' and was a key figure in the series 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' (Amazon Prime Video). From these productions or from the success of 'The Society of Snow', the filmmaker, who is now directing a very personal project, the documentary 'Who Dreamed Who', in which he reconstructs the story of his father, Juan Antonio García, who emigrated to Catalonia in search of a future as a form of exile after the Civil War.