A wide array of luminaries from the worlds of sports and entertainment are featured in the documentary, offering their perspective on Lee and his impact on their lives, careers and belief systems. Among those featured are Los Angeles Lakers superstar and five time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, the Boxing Writers Association of America’s “Fighter of the Decade” in the 2000s Manny Pacquiao, Academy Award nominated actor Mickey Rourke, Emmy Award winning actor Ed O’Neill, actress and MMA fighter Gina Carano, multiplatinum recording artist Taboo (Black Eyed Peas), UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, and UFC President Dana White, who calls Lee the “Father of Mixed Martial Arts.” Other interviews featured in the film include celebrated writer and director Reginald Hudlin, professional skateboarder Paul Rodriguez, boxer Ray ‘Boom Boom’ Mancini, MMA fighters Cung Le and Stephan Bonnar.

In addition to the roster of celebrities, the people that knew Lee best, his daughter Shannon Lee and wife Linda Lee Cadwell, as well as a host of his friends and associates including legendary martial artists Dan Inosanto, Bob Wall and Gene LeBell, offer rare insights into his private life. Their perspectives, in combination with rarely seen archival footage, classic photos, and cutting edge visuals and graphics, help I Am Bruce Lee go more deeply into the story of this legendary master than ever before.

I Am Bruce Lee is currently in its theatrical run.

Preview

Spike TV is available in 99.8 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com.
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via Spike TV Press Release

In addition to bringing these leading guests and talent to C2E2, Marvel has also provided original artwork by Olivier Coipel for this year’s official C2E2 poster which will feature The Avengers and X-Men in battle at Buckingham Fountain, a Chicago landmark in the center of Grant Park. This April, The Avengers and the X-Men go to war in a landmark 12-issue pop culture publishing event, Avengers VS X-Men, which will bring together the world’s greatest super heroes  including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, Magneto and more.  To learn more about Avengers VS X-Men go to www.marvel.com/avx.  The specially created poster will figure prominently in C2E2’s advertising and promotion and will be featured at the convention as well as in Chicago area retailers and other areas throughout Chicago leading up to the show.  Marvel will have a massive booth presence at C2E2 where it will occupy 2500 square feet in a central location on the convention floor where fans will be able to meet top Marvel talent as well as learn about the latest Marvel products, promotions and recent news.  Once again, ReedPOP will also entertain 12 fans at a dinner which will include selected executives and creators from the Marvel team.  This year the exclusive dinner will take place at the award-winning Chicago restaurant Girl & the Goat.  Further details about the dinner will be announced soon and will be posted on the C2E2 website.

“Marvel always brings tremendous energy and excitement to our show and this year is certainly no exception,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for ReedPOP and Show Manager for C2E2.  “The Marvel presence is felt on so many levels, not just at their booth and with all the talented guests they bring, but also through the poster, the dinner that ReedPOP is hosting, the panels and all the other Marvel activity which involves thousands of our fans and which is so fully integrated with our show.  We are grateful to Marvel for their energy and commitment to C2E2 and we look forward to making this a great show!”

For further information about guests and activities at C2E2 as well as purchasing tickets, please visit www.C2E2.com.

JOE QUESADA
Joe Quesada wears many creative hats, as both an acclaimed writer-artist and the Chief Creative Officer of Marvel Entertainment – the world’s largest and most dynamic comics publisher. In this role, Joe is steward of such legendary characters as Spider-Man, X-Men, Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor.

His tenure as Editor-in-Chief recently drew to a close after 10 successful years – the longest term since Stan Lee himself. Under Quesada’s guidance, Marvel underwent a creative boom and became home to the comic industry’s greatest talents, which continues to hold true today. He brings this same vision to his role in the whole of Marvel Entertainment across the worlds of publishing, film, and television.
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AXEL ALONSO
A 17-year comics industry veteran, Axel Alonso got his start at DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint, where he edited such seminal series such as Preacher, Hellblazer and 100 Bullets, before leaping to Marvel Comics in 2001.   Since that time, he has overseen many of the publisher’s biggest franchises – including Spider-Man, Hulk and the X-Men – and edited some of its most talked-about series – including Truth,Rawhide Kid and X-Statix.  In 2011 Axel was promoted to Editor In Chief, a tenure during which he has overseen major events such as the Death of Ultimate Spider-Man and the chart-topping Fear Itself.  Besides comics, Alonso’s passions include basketball, hip-hop, 8-year-old shooting guard Tito “Mr. T” Alonso, Asian food and preparing for the inevitable Zombie Apocalypse.
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JASON AARON
Jason Aaron is an Eisner and Harvey Award nominated comic book writer whose work includes the critically acclaimed crime series Scalped for Vertigo and stints on Black Panther, Ghost Rider and Wolverine: Weapon X for Marvel. Current and upcoming projects includeWolverine, Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine, PunisherMAX , X-Men Schism and Wolverine & the X-Men, all for Marvel. He was born in Alabama but currently resides in Kansas City.
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RICK REMENDER
Rick Remender is the writer/creator of comics such as Fear Agent, The End League, Strange Girl, Black Heart Billy, Last Days of American Crime, Sea of Red, Sorrow, Night Mary, XXXombies and Doll and Creature. He is also the writer of Marvel’s Uncanny X-Force, Secret Avengers, and Venom.

Outside of comics he has served as lead writer on EA/EPIC/PCF’s Bulletstorm game and was a writer on the Electronic Arts hit game Dead Space . Prior to this, Remender served as an animator on films such as The Iron Giant, Anastasia, Titan A.E., and Rocky and Bullwinkle.

During his time wrist grinding as an artist Rick penciled books such as The Last Christmas, Bruce Campbell’s Man with the Screaming Brain and numerous issues of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles while also inking books such as The Avengers and The Terminator . He has provided album covers and art for bands such as NOFX, 3 Inches of Blood, Lagwagon and No Use for a Name. He also taught storyboarding, animation and comic art at San Francisco’s Academy of Art University for many years. He and his tea-sipping wife, Danni, currently reside in California with their two kids, and a monster known only as Lester Magoo.
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DAN SLOTT
Dan is someone who isn’t comfortable typing up his own bio and/or talking about himself in the third person. That said, I hear he is extremely modest and would never mention the multiple times he swam the English Channel, piloted clandestine moon missions, or wrestled nuclear-powered mastodons. He is a riddle wrapped in an enigma… and then dipped in a tangy chipotle sauce. You might know him from his work as a writer on Amazing Spider-Man, Mighty Avengers, Avengers: The Initiative, She-Hulk, Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, Batman Adventures, Looney Tunes, or Ren & Stimpy.  Or if comics ain’t your bag, he’s the guy who wrote the Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions game for XBox 360, PS3, and PC. Don’t worry about bringing too many comics for him to sign. He’ll sign all of ‘em. Because, well, it’s really no trouble, he has a monosyllabic name, and, seriously, it’s the least he can do– when you bought all that stuff, you paid his rent.
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ABOUT REEDPOP
ReedPOP is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions which is exclusively devoted to organizing events, launching and acquiring new shows, and partnering with premium brands in the pop culture arena.  ReedPOP is dedicated to producing celebrations of popular culture throughout the world that transcend ordinary events by providing unique access and dynamic personal experiences for consumers and fans. The ReedPOP portfolio includes: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) East & West, Star Wars Celebration VI, Fantasy Football Fest, and UFC Fan Expo.  The staff at ReedPOP is a fan based group of professionals producing shows for other fans, thus making them uniquely qualified to service those with whom they share a common passion.  ReedPOP is focused on bringing its expertise and knowledge to world communities in North America, South America, Asia and Europe.
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via Marvel Press Release

The first 5,000 attendees of Image Expo will receive a free copy of THE WALKING DEAD #94 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, and Cliff Rathburn with an exclusive cover picturing Michonne, katana at her side, atop an intertwined mass of zombies.

An exclusive GLORY #23 featuring a new cover by Ross Campbell and the slogan “FIGHT CENSORSHIP” will benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and will be available only at the CBLDF booth.

Other exclusive covers are THE DARKNESS #100, featuring a sketch cover by Marc Silvestri; ARTIFACTS #14 with art by Stjepan Sejic and a blank back cover for attendees’ favorite artists to sketch on, THIEF OF THIEVES #1 with art by Shawn Martinbrough, and CHEW #24 with art by Rob Guillory.

The Image Expo convention-exclusive variant covers will be available in limited quantities. For more information about Image Expo, visit www.imagecomicexpo.com.

ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

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ABOUT IMAGE EXPO
Image Expo is a three-day comic book convention commemorating Image Comics’ 20th Anniversary and celebrating creator-owned comics, being held on February 24, 25, and 26, 2012 at the Oakland Convention Center. Image partners Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino, will be the guests of honor, appearing for signings, panels, and special events. Other special guests include Image founders Rob Liefeld, and Whilce Portacio, plus the creators of today’s best creator-owned comics, including Ed Brubaker and Brian K. Vaughan.

via Image Comics Press Release

A Benefit Party in Oakland, CA. Celebrating Comics, Music & Free Speech

Experience Creativity with comics’ greatest creators at the Image Expo Welcome Party sponsored by Image Comics and iFanboy to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund! The party is free for CBLDF members and kicks off at 8 PM on February 24, 2012 at The Uptown in Oakland, California. This party jump starts a weekend of celebrating independent comics and free speech at the Image Expo, taking place at the Oakland Convention Center. Proceeds from the Image Expo Welcome Party will benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, who will have a gift bag for members and donors!

“The way Downtown Oakland has transformed itself over the last couple years is really inspiring, and I have a lot of admiration for all the people who made that happen,” said Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson. “Being able to involve Image in an event that takes place within such a vibrant community feels really good.”

Many of the superstar creators appearing at the Image Expo will be in attendance for the Image Expo Party, including: Robert Kirkman, Brian K. Vaughan, Joe Casey, Jonathan Hickman, Erik Larsen, Jim McCann, Blair Butler, Rob Guillory, Fiona Staples, Tim Seeley, Sina Grace, and Joe Keatinge.

CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein said, “The Bay Area is an incredible creative place, and we’re thrilled to be working with Image and iFanboy to make this killer celebration of art and music that thanks our members for supporting our important work! I can’t wait to meet everyone who comes out!”

The party will also which will feature a musical performance by The Philistines, as well as music from DJs Dollar Bin and Wall Piece and some special celebrity guest DJs.

“We’re super excited to be teaming up with Image Comics and the CBLDF for this event,” said iFanboy co-founder Ron Richards. “There’s nothing better than celebrating comics and rocking out on the eve of a great convention like Image Expo!”

Full event details:
The Image Expo Welcome Party
WHEN: February 24, 2012 – Doors open at 8 PM
WHERE: The Uptown – 1928 Telegraph Avenue  Oakland, CA 94612
FREE FOR CBLDF MEMBERS
SUGGESTED DONATION: $10/all others
Proceeds will benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

via Image Expo

Visit https://secure2.comic-con.org/memberid/ and login to your Member ID account.  At the bottom of the “Member ID Change Menu” you will see a Volunteer button next to “Volunteer for Comic-Con 2012″. Click this button and complete your application. You do not have to enter your contact information as we already have that information on file from your Member ID account.

When volunteer registration closes, the Volunteer Department staff will go through the applications and prioritize first by returning volunteers, then by new volunteer applicants (starting with earliest date/time stamp). Confirmations will be sent to those who are accepted into the program within 10 business days. “Not Accepted” notices will also be sent within 10 business days.

Comic-Con International is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular art forms, primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture.

• * Comic-Con will no longer be offering a discount for 4-day badge purchases. We hope that this change will encourage people to purchase only the days they will actually be attending, leaving additional badges for others who want to attend Comic-Con.

• **Children 12 and under with a paying adult are free. Juniors 13-17 pay junior prices. Seniors 60 years or older pay the Military/Senior reduced price. Active Military with ID can pay the Military/Senior price. This deal does not extend to dependents.

Because we hope to improve the efficiency and speed of the EPIC online registration system, we are requiring that anyone who wishes to purchase, apply, or register for Comic-Con badge must sign-up for their own personalized “Comic-Con Member ID“.

A Comic-Con Member ID is free and available to all adult and junior (ages 13 to 17) attendees with a valid and unique e-mail address. Children may not register for a Comic-Con Member ID.

By requiring a unique e-mail address for each Member ID, our hope is to increase the speed of the online registration process and prevent duplicate registrations that allow scalpers to purchase multiple tickets and sell them at inflated prices. Our intent is that the Comic-Con Member ID system will allow more fans to purchase tickets for this highly popular event.

For more information and to sign-up for a Comic-Con Member ID, please visit: http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_reg_memberid.php

I want to attend Comic-Con 2012, but I did not buy a badge onsite at Comic-Con 2011 or I have never attended before. What should I do?

To purchase a badge for Comic-Con, you must first sign-up for a Comic-Con Member ID. For more information on the Comic-Con Member ID requirements and Terms & Conditions, please visit http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_reg_memberid.php

Anyone who wishes to purchase, apply, or register for a Comic-Con badge must have a Member ID, including juniors (age 13 – 17). Children do not need a Member ID.

Once you have registered for a Member ID and confirmed your e-mail, you will be added to our special “E-List” to receive announcements regarding registration and online badge sales. Please do not “opt-out” of e-mail correspondence if you wish to be notified when online registration opens. Anyone with a Comic-Con Member ID will receive first notice (via e-mail) when open online registration opens in 2012.

If you plan to purchase a badge for anyone other than yourself, you must have his or her Member ID when online registration opens. You will not be able to purchase them a badge without their unique Comic-Con Member ID. One badge per Member ID.

Open online registration will be the only time you can purchase a badge for Comic-Con, and it usually sells out quickly. Please check the Comic-Con website at www.comic-con.org frequently for updates, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter at http://twitter.com/comic_con for important Member ID registration and online sales announcements.

via Comic-Con

A limited number of hotel rooms will be made available in the Mission Valley area and they will also offer special incentives for those who book early.

PLEASE NOTE: These rooms will not be eligible for the Hotel Room/Badge program we have had in past years should we decide to have that program again.

You must pay for the room in advance and there are no refunds or exchanges. This special Early Bird Hotel Sale is only available BEFORE general housing opens and remember, all rooms are prepaid and are not eligible for any refunds.

The courtesy shuttle will be available at these hotels beginning Wednesday, July 11, 2012 at 3:00pm and will operate until 10:00pm Wednesday night. The shuttle starts back up on Thursday, July 12, 2012 at 7:00am and will begin 24-hour service until Sunday, July 15, 2012 at 7:00pm helping fans enjoy every hour of Comic-Con and the night time fun.

To sign up for the Comic-Con Early Bird Hotel Sale, click here.

Here is the list of Mission Valley Early Bird Hotels.

Booking policies:

• Each room reservation requires full prepayment at the time of booking.
• Reservations are not eligible for any refund.
• Comic-Con Early Bird Hotel Sale rates expire on April 9, 2012.
• Name changes and adding nights to your stay will be accepted up to April 9, 2012.
• Reduction in room nights will not be eligible for refunds.
• Please note, any reservation made during the Comic-Con Early Bird Sale will not be eligible for membership packages should they become available at a future date.

To sign up for the Comic-Con Early Bird Hotel Sale, click here.

For a map of the hotels, click here.

via CCI

Star Trek: The Next Generation® crew and the Doctor face off against the Borg and the Cybermen

In conjunction with BBC Worldwide Consumer Products and CBS Consumer Products, IDW Publishing will make history when two of the greatest science-fiction properties of all time come together in a comic book for the first time. The world’s most popular time traveler teams up with the U.S.S. Enterprise crew in STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION/DOCTOR WHO: ASSIMILATION2, taking fans on an adventure where no man has gone before.

“By joining these two sci-fi powerhouses, fans will be taken on the ultimate adventure through time and space,” said Liz Kalodner, executive vice president and general manager of CBS Consumer Products.

Launching in May, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION/DOCTOR WHO: ASSIMILATION2 will feature fan-favorite villains the Borg and the Cybermen as they create an unholy alliance resulting in potential disaster for all humanity. Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise find themselves joining forces with the Doctor and his companions, with the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance.

“We are excited about this new adventure for the Doctor and the fact that he will be travelling with Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his iconic crew. This is a perfect partnership for not only Doctor Who’s incredible fans, but also for the brand. We have just celebrated our most successful year yet. Doctor Who’s latest season delivered record ratings for BBC AMERICA and it was most downloaded full TV seasons of 2011 in the U.S. on the iTunes Store,” says Soumya Sriraman, executive vice president Home Entertainment and Licensing.

This eight-issue series will be written by Scott and David Tipton, the authors of critically acclaimed Star Trek: Infestation, with a helping hand from longtime Doctor Who writer Tony Lee, and will feature fully painted artwork by J.K. Woodward (Fallen Angel).

Fans are encouraged to ask their retailers about the rare wraparound photo cover. Plus, artist Joe Corroney (Star Trek Ongoing) will provide a variant cover featuring the Doctor and friends aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise.

Doctor Who and Star Trek are two hugely successful franchises that began as television series, and have expanded into a number of other media, including comic books, which continue to captivate fans all over the world. Nearly five decades and 1,500 episodes in the making, this is the moment that both Trekkers and Whovians have waited for all their lives!

STAR TREK TNG/DOCTOR WHO: ASSIMILATION2 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores in May 2012.

Visit IDWPublishing.com to sign up for updates and learn more about the company and its top-selling books.

Connect with Doctor Who on Facebook, Tumblr, and BBC AMERICA’s Twitter.

® & © 2012 CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc.

BBC, DOCTOR WHO (word marks, logos and devices), TARDIS and CYBERMAN are trade marks of the British Broadcasting Corporation and are used under license.
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About IDW Publishing
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; HBO’s True Blood; the BBC’s DOCTOR WHO; Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Toho’s Godzilla; Wizards of the Coasts Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons; and the Eisner-Award winning Locke & Key series, created by best-selling author Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints, and Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio.
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IDW’s critically- and fan-acclaimed series are continually moving into new mediums. Currently, Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Disney are creating a feature film based on World War Robot, while Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes and Sony are bringing Zombies vs. Robots to film.
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About BBC Worldwide Americas
BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). BBC Worldwide Americas brings together all of BBC Worldwide’s businesses in North and South America. The company exists to maximize the value of the BBC’s assets for the benefit of the UK license payer, and invests in public service programming in return for rights. The company has seven core businesses: Channels, Sales and Distribution, Content and Production, Consumer Products, Digital Media, Magazines, and recently formed Brands, Consumers & New Ventures.  Under these businesses fall two key brands in the U.S. – digital cable channel BBC America and a bi-coastal production arm responsible for the smash hit Dancing with the Stars for ABC.
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About CBS Consumer Products
CBS Consumer Products manages worldwide licensing and merchandising for a diverse slate of television brands and series from CBS, CBS Television Studios and CBS Television Distribution, as well as from the company’s extensive library of titles, Showtime and CBS Films.  Additionally, the group oversees online sales of programming merchandise.  For more information, visit www.cbsconsumerproducts.com

via IDW Press Release

w00tstock will be returning for its third consecutive year to Comic-Con! It will be taking place on Thursday, July 12th. This geeky variety show is hosted by comedians Paul and Storm, Mythbusters co-host Adam Savage, and everyone’s favorite Evil Wil Wheaton from the Big Bang Theory. There will be other entertainers that will be announced before Comic-Con. The event will be held at the historic Balboa Theatre, which is next to Horton Plaza. Tickets are going on sale February 17th at 10am PT so I’d pick one up if you want to have a geeky, fun night! See you there!

w00tstock 4.0

A Night of Geeks & Music
with ADAM SAVAGE,
WIL WHEATON and
PAUL & STORM

July 12, 2012

Variety Show for the Internet Set.

For decades, geeks were ostracized, picked on, laughed at and punished by the sun’s harmful UV rays. But there is only so long that a people can be kept down before they rise up against their oppressors; and, indeed, the dawn of the 21st century has seen the ascendancy of geeks and geek culture.

We now celebrate that rise to power–and let’s face it, nerds pretty much run everything now–with w00tstock 4.0, a special event for geeks of every stripe.

Television host/special-effects artist Adam Savage (MythBusters), actor/author/blogger Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Stand By Me) and music-comedy duo Paul and Storm (The Internet, Da Vinci’s Notebook) present a high-energy night of music acts, readings, comedy, demonstrations, short films, special guests, and other clever widgets born from and dedicated to the enthusiasms, obsessions, trials and joys of geek pride.

This is the dawning of the Age of Geekdom–and its voices will ring true at w00tstock 4.0

RUN TIME
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CHILDREN
While all ages are welcome at this event (everyone must have their own ticket), please be aware the this show may contain some Mature Language and Content.
Please use discretion when bringing young children.

CAMERAS
Personal cameras will be allowed at this event.
No commercial recording, archiving or tripods allowed.  Please respect other patrons by not blocking aisles or patron views.

Pricing (includes $2.50 Facility Fee)

$37.50 Reserved Seating

Information & Charge by Phone: (619) 570-1100
Monday through Friday, 10 AM – 6 PM. MC/VISA/AMX/DSC (per ticket convenience charge will apply).

Window Sales:
Monday through Friday, 10 AM – 6 PM. Cash/MC/VISA/AMX/DSC

TDD/TTY:
(619) 615-4177, Monday through Friday, 10 AM – 6 PM.

Location
868 Fourth Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101 (map/directions)

All sales subject to additional per ticket/order convenience charges.

Online: Ticketmaster.com