The 50th San Diego Comic-Con is next week, and if you want to plan your schedule for this year’s con, you’ve come to the right place. Here are all the Trek-related and Trek-adjacent panels happening during the big bash. (Please note, times are subject to change!)
Official CBS Events
“Enter The Star Trek Universe” Panel. Hall H, Saturday, July 20, 11:30 AM -1:00 PM – CBS All Access invites you to join the cast and producers of its hit series Star Trek: Discovery and be the first to hear about two new upcoming additions to the Star Trek universe: the highly anticipated new series Star Trek: Picard, starring Sir Patrick Stewart, and the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks.
Star Trek: Discovery cast scheduled to appear includes Sonequa Martin-Green alongside executive producers Alex Kurtzman, Michelle Paradise and Heather Kadin, with series guest star Tig Notaro (Chief Engineer Reno) moderating the conversation.
Star Trek: Lower Decks will feature co-creator and executive producer Mike McMahan and surprise guests sharing an exclusive first look at the upcoming animated series.
Star Trek: Picard cast members will come together for the series’ first Comic-Con. The panel will feature Sir Patrick Stewart, Alison Pill, Michelle Hurd, Evan Evagora, Isa Briones, Santiago Cabrera, and Harry Treadaway, alongside executive producers Alex Kurtzman, Michael Chabon, Akiva Goldsman and Heather Kadin.
CBS Star Trek events around SDCC
As CBS as done in the past, there will be other Trek events at and around Comic-Con including a new gallery display.
“Jean-Luc Picard: The First Duty” Exhibit – In celebration of Patrick Stewart’s return to his iconic “Star Trek: The Next Generation” role, “Jean-Luc Picard: The First Duty” is a special exhibition showcasing original props, costumes and other artifacts tracing Picard’s life and Starfleet career. Items on display include his cherished Ressikan flute, the legendary Picard family album, his Starfleet uniforms, models of ships Picard captained, and all that remains of the “Borg Queen.” The gallery also features exclusive first looks at costumes and other items featured in the upcoming CBS All Access series Star Trek: Picard. Visitors will have the first chance to purchase exclusive Star Trek: Picard merchandise and opportunities for exclusive giveaways.
The gallery is located at Michael J Wolf Fine Arts, 363 Fifth Ave., San Diego, Calif. 92101 and will be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday of Comic-Con from 11:00 AM until 9:00 PM and on Sunday from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM.
Star Trek Universe Booth: U.S.S. Discovery Transporter Experience And Trek Talent Meet-And-Greets –Booth #4237. Thursday, July 18 through Sunday, July 21, fans are invited to step aboard the U.S.S. Discovery and travel to strange and distant lands through an immersive transporter experience. Fans will also have the opportunity to meet some of their favorite Star Trek talent in person with meet-and-greets in the booth (Booth #4237) on Saturday, July 20. Comic-Con badges are required for entry.
Star Trek Universe Exclusive Pins – A number of exclusive, limited-quantity Star Trek pins will be available to fans during Comic-Con. All week long, a Starfleet Headquarters visitor badge will be available for those who visit and complete the Star Trek transporter experience on the show floor. On Saturday afternoon and Sunday, a limited quantity of pins featuring the debut of two characters from the upcoming CBS All Access animated show Star Trek: Lower Decks will also be available from the Star Trek booth. At the “Jean-Luc Picard: The First Duty” museum experience at Michael J. Wolf Fine Arts, fans can get an exclusive replica pin of the Picard family crest as seen in Star Trek: Picard.
Starfleet Command visitor pin and the Picard family crest pin
All Star Trek-related panels
| Thursday, July 18th | ||
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| 10:00 – 11:00am | 25ABC | Composer Panel: Discovery composer Jeff Russo plus other sci-fi composers |
| 11:00 – 12:00pm | 28DE | Star Trek – Year Five Writers Room: Step into the writers’ room of the critically acclaimed Star Trek: Year Five comic series. Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Jody Houser, Brandon Easton, and Jim McCann discuss their collaboration on the first issues of the series and the wild places the Enterprise will go on its way back home. |
| 12:00 – 1:00pm | Room 9 | IDW Publishing: The Next 20 years: The past is prologue! IDW’s 20th-anniversary celebrations lead here—setting the course for the next 20 years of comics and more. IDW editor-in-chief John Barber leads a lively panel looking behind the scenes at what’s coming next and how they’re getting there, featuring New York Times bestselling author Delilah Dawson, Surfside Girls’ Kim Dwinell, and more favorites—plus top-secret panelists talking mind-blowing new projects. All this and a no-holds-barred Q&A! |
| 12:30 – 1:30pm | 24ABC | How Science Fiction Shapes Our Reality: Many of the technological achievements in recent decades were ideas prophetically described in science fiction literature long before they became a reality. From voice recognition commands to smart watches, our world is beginning to look like the sci-fi shows that have long intrigued us. What do some of America’s smartest people think will be next? American Mensa, the high IQ society, hosts a panel of writers, academics, and sci-fi fans in a discussion on what the future may hold. Moderated by LaRae Bakerink, chair of American Mensa, with panelists Doug Ecks, Esq. (attorney, writer, and Mensa member), Nevin Millan(writer, actor, and Mensa member), Dr. John Putman (professor and Star Trek expert), Dr. Jenny Rankin(professor, writer, and Mensa member), and Ian Randal Strock (writer, publisher, and Mensa member). |
| 1:30 – 2:30pm | 24ABC | Roddenberry Presents: The name behind Star Trek invites you to join in an exploration of Gene Roddenberry’s creation as well as the science fiction category he helped to father. From television to podcasts to virtual reality, you’ll hear more about some of Roddenberry Entertainment’s newest projects as well as some exciting updates on others. The Roddenberry team, and perhaps a special panelist or two, will shift into warp and set their phasers to “fun.” |
| 3:00 – 4:00pm | 5AB | Inglourious Treksperts: Celebrating 40 Years of Star Trek: The Motion Picture: The co-hosts of the only podcast for Star Trek fans with a life, Inglorious Treksperts, Mark A. Altman (The 50 Year Mission, Free Enterprise) and Daren Dochterman (Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Director’s Edition) take the center seat to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Star Trek: The Motion Picture with a special live podcast presentation devoted to the movie that started it all as they are joined by panelists Ashley E. Miller(Thor, X-Men: First Class), Robert Meyer Burnett (Free Enterprise, ST: TNG Special Edition), and Bill Hunt(The Digital Bits). Relive the overlooked and underappreciated genius of the original Star Trek movie that first began the human adventure. Transmit now! |
| 5:45 – 6:45pm | 6DE | The Science of Star Trek: To boldly go where no one has gone before . . . but science may have. If you believe that elsewhere in our galaxy, familiar worlds from Star Trek and sci-fi exist, this is the panel for you. Panelists Dr. Morgan Cable(NASA planetary scientist), Tiffany Kataria (NASA exoplanet scientist), Erika Lippoldt (writer and producer for Star Trek: Discovery and Trek spinoff series with Michelle Yeoh), Phil Plait (SYFY’s The Bad Astronomerand Bill Nye Saves the World), and Andre Bormanis (science consultant for Star Trek, The Orville, and Cosmos) discuss the real science behind sci-fi’s most beloved universes. |
| Friday, July 19th | ||
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| 3:30 – 5:15pm | Hall H | The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Panel: Although not directly Star Trek related, Jason Isaacs (Capt. Lorca) will be on the panel, and Shazad Latif (Voq/Tyler) is a cast member. |
| 7:00 – 8:00pm | 32AB | What We Left Behind Panel: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine showrunner Ira Steven Behr, filmmaker David Zappone, and select DS9 cast members (including Andrew Robinson, Aron Eisenberg, and Penny Johnson Jerald) present an in-depth journey into What We Left Behind, the critically acclaimed documentary feature about Star Trek’s dark and often overlooked “middle-child” series. Moderated by Brian Ward (Shout! Factory), the panel will also feature footage not included in the film’s theatrical release. |
| 8:30 – 9:30pm | 5AB | Klingon Lifestyles: Boldly going into its 26th year at SDCC, IKV Stranglehold presents a lighthearted foray into the Star Trek Universe from the perspective of everyone’s favorite alien race, Klingons! Fleet Admiral K’Han Den faces his greatest foe, diplomacy, while on a mission to a Starfleet vessel unveiling. Meanwhile, a secret alliance is formed between two of the most mischievous forces in the quadrant. Join fellow costumed Trek fans after the show to celebrate #StarTrekFriday with a group photo and receive a collectible button. All alien races welcomed. |
| Saturday, July 20th | ||
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| 11:30 – 1:00pm | Hall H | Enter the Star Trek Universe Panel: The big one! Over 50 years ago, the world was first introduced to what would quickly become a cultural phenomenon for the ages. Star Trek broke barriers then and continues to do so now, inspiring people of all generations and walks of life with its celebration of cultural diversity, scientific exploration, and the pursuit of uncharted frontiers. Today, the Star Trek universe continues to thrive, exploring all-new missions for Starfleet. CBS All Access invites you to join the cast and producers of its hit series Star Trek: Discovery and be the first to hear about two new upcoming additions to the Star Trek universe: the highly anticipated new series Star Trek: Picard starring Sir Patrick Stewart, and the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks. Star Trek: Discovery cast scheduled to appear include Sonequa Martin-Green alongside executive producers Alex Kurtzman, Michelle Paradise, and Heather Kadin, with series guest star Tig Notaro, who plays Chief Engineer Reno, moderating the conversation. Star Trek: Lower Decks will feature co-creator and executive producer Mike McMahan and surprise guests sharing an exclusive first look at the upcoming animated series. Star Trek: Picard cast members will come together for the series’ first Comic-Con. The panel will feature, Sir Patrick Stewart, Alison Pill, Michelle Hurd, Evan Evagora, Isa Briones, Santiago Cabrera, and Harry Treadaway, alongside executive producers Alex Kurtzman, Michael Chabon, Akiva Goldsman, and Heather Kadin. |
| 1:00 – 2:00pm | 25ABC | George Takei: They Called Us Enemy: In his brand-new graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy, the beloved actor, author, and activist George Takei revisits his haunting childhood in American internment camps, as one of 120,000 Japanese Americans imprisoned by the U.S. government during World War II. Experience the forces that shaped an American icon-and America itself-in this gripping tale of courage, country, loyalty, and love. You’ll hear firsthand from George, as well as his co-authors Justin Eisinger and Steven Scott and artist Harmony Becker, about this dark chapter of our nation’s history, its impact on Takei’s astonishing life, and its urgent relevance for today’s world. |
| 2:30 – 3:15pm | BR20 | The Orville Panel: From Emmy Award-winning executive producer and creator Seth MacFarlane, The Orville is back for season 3 and stopping in San Diego! See the full crew of the U.S.S. Orville: Seth MacFarlane, Adrianne Palicki, Penny Johnson Jerald, Scott Grimes, Peter Macon, Jessica Szohr, J Lee, Mark Jackson, and Chad L. Coleman, along with executive producers David A. Goodman, Jon Cassar, and Brannon Braga. Get an exclusive look back to some never-before-seen moments of season 2 and an exclusive look forward to the new and exciting missions in the upcoming third season! |
| 3:30 – 4:30pm | 26AB | Design for TV and Film: Neville Page will be sharing techniques used to create creatures, characters, and props from films like Avatar, Star Trek Discovery, and SHAZAM!, to name a few. You will walk away with a better understanding to his design process as well as his use of unique tools used in creating his designs. Some good info will be shared on high-end cosplay techniques as well. |
| 4:00 – 5:00pm | San Diego Central Library (330 Park Blvd) | Star Trek Podcasters Audience Sound-Off: Is Utopian Trek Passe? Their Star Trek listeners answered the question “Is Utopian Trek passé?” and now their live audience can, too: Larry “Dr. Trek” Nemecek (Portal47, The Con of Wrath) hosts fellow SoCal podcasters John Champion (Mission Log: A Roddenberry Podcast, The Trek Files), Ken Ray (Mission Log: A Roddenberry Podcast, Mac OS Ken), Alison “Kenna” Pitt (Daily Star Trek News), Christine Rideout (TrekMovie website, Shuttle Pod), and Aaron Harvey (Saturday Morning Trek, TAS Official Guide) look at all beloved prior Trek as well as Discovery, Picard, Trek animation, and fandom today. |
| Sunday, July 21st | ||
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| 12:00 – 1:00pm | 29AB | Star Trek Eyewitness: An hour with 1964 Pilot Director Robert Butler: With Captain Pike, Number One, and Vina back in the spotlight, “Dr. Trek” Larry Nemecek presents a rare public Trekland Live with Emmy Award–winning director Robert Butler, the last of the key creatives from 1964’s original Star Trek pilot “The Cage.” Hear firsthand about that seminal moment in Star Trek and the choices made in pop culture history 55 years later-and his thoughts on its 2019 reincarnation. |
| 2:45 – 4:45pm | 6A | Starship Smackdown: The ultimate way to say sayonara to SDCC 50 will be with this legendary panel in which these experts determine who will win the highly coveted Smackdown title. Can the Starship Enterprise defeat an Imperial Star Destroyer? Will the Battlestar Galactica be assimilated by a Borg Cube? Will the Nostromo be taken over by Rathars? And will the Jefferson Starship disappear forever after Thanos snaps his fingers? Only if you’re lucky. This panel of sage spaceshipologists includes Ashley E. Miller (Red Sonja, Thor), Steven Melching (Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Resistance), Kay Reindl (Freakish, Millennium), Robert Meyer Burnett (Free Enterprise, Agent Cody Banks), Daren Dochterman (Westworld, Master and Commander), Jeff Bond (The World of The Orville, The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen), Shawna Benson (The 100, Green Arrow), and your jocular host, the Mr. Rourke of the stars, Mark A. Altman (Pandora, The Librarians). 12 ships enter. One starship survives. Accept no substitute, this is the one, the only San Diego Comic-Con Starship Smackdown-and there can be only one. |
Stay tuned for more TrekMovie’s SDCC coverage, during the convention next week.
But will there be a Trek-themed buffet??
Yes, Midnight’s Edge will be first in the queue to eat Crow, and then tuck into the Humble Pie.
That Doom guy will be right behind him
Let’s not forget Nerdidiotic!
Or Dave Cullen!
Or the fake redhead.
And Ketwolski will be there to serve them, telling them all “I told you so!”
And they will be the first to mess up the bathrooms.
I can’t believe the original pilot director Robert Butler is still alive.
If I were going to be at the con, that’s the panel I’d be most determined to attend.
He’s 91 now! Three years ago he was my first “Portal 47” Annual Open House guest — but I;m so looking forward to having on stage live and sharing him with as many fans as possible.
I was wondering if you could ask him if the producers ever asked him to come back to direct for the series itself and if he rejected this offer or whether he wasn’t asked at all. It would have been interesting to see how he would have approached the “different” version of Star Trek that was the series itself.
Come on man, there are WWII vets still around.
Hey, I know that, I was just not aware that Mr Butler was still alive, so this was my reason of surprise, otherwise I know people do reach old age.
I saw Mr. Takei give a speech last month at the American Library Association annual convention. He spoke about “They Called Us Enemy”. It was a very interesting story which he decided to tell because not many Americans, even those of Japanese ancestry are aware that it happened here in America.
(The audience reaction when he took the stage was so great, he joked that he thought he was at a Star Trek convention.)
Like the US, arrests, internment and confiscation of all property and businesses owned by Canadian citizens of Japanese descent who were living on the west coast of Canada took place during WWII. No judgement (no need to bring up politics) but it is good to see Mr. Takei is teaching people today what happened so that we can examine and learn from what happened not too far in the past.
I have a good friend whose father and Grandparents were both interned, BTW. I’ve heard different takes on what went down from both of them as well as a few others who were directly involved or indirectly but either way, not exactly our finest hour.
The 50th Comic Con AND the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11. What a great week ahead.
LOL. A media convention can’t be compared to Apollo 11. That’s like comparing Spam to Steak.
Uh, I wasn’t comparing them. Just a good week to be a space nerd. But you jump to whatever conclusions you like.
Science fiction and science fact. Trek is so awesome and so were the heady days of Apollo. Both helped one escape the very troubling times of the late 1960s.
Any chance of a rundown of where to find any new Trek themed gear? I recall a similar post last year, gave purpose to my floor wanderings.
The Starship thing sounded interesting until they suggested that Jefferson Starship would be an option. Obviously they are going for comedy instead of a real capabilities comparison of sf starships. Damn shame!
The Picard family crest first appeared on the cover of Picard’s family album in Star Trek Generations, I don’t recall if it was visible on screen, but you can see it if you look up images of the prop.
It’s a cool bit of trek info, but does anyone want a Picard family crest pin? Serious question, as It just strikes me as an odd choice to try and sell it to Star Trek fans.
Well these ones are free* if you attend their transporter booth thing.
*if you’re at comic-con
* That is Tuskin38, if one attends the Comic-Con in San Diego …
There are many Comic-Cons across North America now, and while all of them get good representation by Trek actors, CBS and Kurtzman seem to save the news and special collectibles for the Southern California and New York ones.
Yes, those are major cities, but I’d like to suggest that TPTB consider diversifying their outreach plan to better align with the show’s values and their multi-niches strategic marketing approach.
Given they’re producing much of the Trek content in Toronto and Europe is a big market, I’d like their marketing and PR folks to really think globally and out of the box …which sticking to big events in Southern California, New York and Las Vegas is certainly not.
NB. 25 years ago in the Berman era, TPTB viewed Boston and Seattle as good places to get the word out – both having solid geek/tech populations. It seems as though the marketing is reaching less far than it once did.
No,just ONE Comic-Con. The hyphen is TM’ed,no one else can use it,apparently. So all the other cons across the US are just Comic Cons.
Or Comiccons (in Canada) it seems.
But whatever, while I know that there are key events where the various franchises compete to create buzz in American media, streaming goes beyond geography …
So. I’m not sure this jives with the idea of a ‘global brand strategy’
There are entire marketing textbooks written on how US brand marketers fail when they have to expand multinationals beyond the lower 48.
But to be convinced, all I have to do is look at the dead shopping malls and plazas where Target stores opened and failed so recently in our Canadian city.
I really want Star Trek to be successful, so I worry when TPTB don’t push themselves out of their comfort zone to interact with fans in Canada, Europe and Asia.
It will be great to finally get the low-down on ‘Picard’, and Lower Decks. Maybe even some tidbits on the state of the Federation in ‘Discovery’. As for ST:Picard, I hope they don’t try and mesh the prime, and JJ universes together. I don’t believe a word of Midnight’s Edges’s reporting. That being said, it appears as though a significant percentage of their “rumors” tend to be factual. That doesn’t negate the mountain of lies they continue to regurgitate. I just hope we get a genuine evolution of ST:TNG, and a look-see on how the Federation is faring at the dawn of the 25th century.
There’s nothing to ‘mash’ together. In the Prime timeline the Hobus supernova happened, and Romulus was destroyed. That’s it. That’s the impetus for everything after Nemesis. STO has, Picard will be, all affected by that event.
Stephanie Niznik r i p.
The 40th Anniversary ST:TMP podcast sounds really interesting. 40 years on, TMP (especially the director’s edition) is stil my favorite Star Trek movie by a wide margin. Would be nice if they had some news on a BluRay release of the special edition (wishful thinking, I know).