There’s a superhero fight brewing with dueling Comic-Con parties on Saturday. Syfy’s annual mega-bash has a new partner, corporate sibling E!, which is stepping in to the shoes filled by former partner Entertainment Weekly. E! will give the bash awards-season treatment, going “Live From the Red Carpet” with a dual stream on E! Online and Syfy.com
Meanwhile, EW will throw its 5th Annual bash with new partner Batman: Arkham City.
Here are the hotspots in San Diego this weekend.
Hospitality Suites:
A-List Communications and Nintendo’s Arts and Cinema Center
Location: A 6,000 ft.retail venue direct across from the convention center going day and night.
The Skinny: A gifting, hospitality and media hub in the thick of it all. Nintendo is offering 3D gaming without glasses at the “Nintendo 3DS Gaming Experience.” As “The Legend of Zelda” turns 25, those who grew up playing the gold cartridge can give testimonials in a special video booth. If you can’t find the location, look for the paparazzi scrum outside. The WireImage Portrait Studio is inside so expect to see casts coming and going, getting planned photos taken inside, and impromptu ones outside.
Wired Café
Location: Rooftop of the Omni Hotel, Daytime
The Skinny: Charge the devices you have and ogle the ones you don’t. Cocktails, food, and all the other festival necessities for VIPs looking for an oasis.
Friday Night:
Camp Playboy party with “Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star”
Location: 5th Avenue (between J Street and Island Avenue)
The Skinny: Sony Pictures channels the vibe of ‘80’s summer films to create a playground based on its upcoming comedy. Expect counselors to be imported from a certain mansion in Holmby Hills. Along with Kru Vodka, organizers have imported Jordan Rothstein — the man who put the Maxim Superbowl parties on the map — and DJ Vice to pump up the fun-factor for Friday’s most festive event.
Maxim, FX, and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Comic-Con Party
Location: Hotel Solamar Rooftop
The Skinny: Guests will grab drinks from Paddy’s Pub, ripped right from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” get inked at a “Sons of Anarchy” tattoo parlor, and munch on tail-gate themed food. Celeb wise, expect to see names from “Archer,” “The League” (including Comic-Con favorites Paul Scheer and Nick Kroll), and “Wilfred” (Elijah Wood), in addition to the aforementioned shows.
Saturday Night:
Syfy and E!
Location: Hotel Solamar
The Skinny: Jorge Garcia, Nestor Carbonnell, and Michael Emerson (all from “Lost”) return to Comic-Con for various new projects, Seth MacFarlane, Joel McHale, Ian Somerhalder, Steven Soderbergh, Bryan Cranston, Quentin Tarantino, several entire NBC casts, and even E! throwback Aisha Tyler among more than 100 boldface names expected at the mega bash.
Entertainment Weekly’s 5th Annual Celebration of All Things Pop Culture with Barman:Arkham City
Location: Float, atop the Hard Rock Hotel
The Skinny: On Saturday night , Kellan Lutz, Chevy Chase, Malin Akerman, Ryan Kwanten, Minka Kelly, Danny DeVito and many more are expected to grace the rooftop. Look out for the Limoncello shots.
The 2nd Annual NBC Digital Network Comic-Con Party
Location: 207 at the Hard Rock Hotel
The Skinny: A good place to start with a happy-hour soiree, before heading upstairs to EW bash or to corporate cousin E!’s Party. Expect the Hard Rock to be true to its name, and a long line downstairs, with multiple events in this venue.
