To be expected, San Diego Comic Con 2014 will probably be the probably be the biggest entertainment gathering of the year, and possibly the biggest Comic Con of all time. Which means, of course, that there are thousands of potential victims, er, fans of Showtime’s literary horror mash-up Penny Dreadful, which will debut at the annual event for the first time.
With the somewhat erratic Season 1 finale still on everyone’s minds, Penny Dreadful is taking over the first day of SDCC with a Q&A panel set up from 6:00-7:00 p,m. on Thursday, July 24. Series creator John Logan (Skyfall), who also wrote the screenplays and executive produced, will be joined by stars Josh Hartnett, Reeve Carney and Harry Treadaway for the panel, which will be moderated by Archer actress and Whose Line is it Anyway? host Aisha Tyler. Considering how large this ensemble cast is, it’s mildly disappointing that only three of the actors will be present. And no Billie Piper? No Eva Green? Who do I have to possess to get Green involved?
In any case, I’m sure Tyler will get some juicy stories out of the three on stage. On the show, Hartnett plays Ethan Chandler, an American sharpshooter whose true identity was finally brought out in the finale, while Treadaway’s Victor Frankenstein is at a crossroads with his monster Caliban, whose wish for a bride grows larger every day. Carney’s Dorian Gray has remained the series’ biggest enigma, with little about his character coming to light, beyond being vaguely immortal and fond of sex. I doubt they’ll get too far into Season 2 spoilers, since it probably hasn’t even been written yet, but we’ll probably get a little insight into where the show may be going.
Regardless of what happens at the panel, Penny Dreadful fans will have a chance to pick up some sweet show merchandise at SDCC. Not only are the Con lanyards branded with Showtime and Penny Dreadful, but they’re also selling Titan Books’ tie-in versions of the classic horror source material – Dracula, Frankenstein and A Picture of Dorian Gray, all of which contain original black and white illustrations by Martin Stiff, Louie de Martinis and Ian Bass.
The Entertainment Earth booth will also be selling deluxe packs of tarot cards inspired by the ones that Green’s Vanessa Ives uses in the show. If you’re not into prophecies, though, you can pick up character figurines for both Ethan and Vanessa. You can either have them making kissy faces at each other, or make them sleep around with the other figurines in your house, just like on the show!
Will you guys be checking out the Penny Dreadful panel at SDCC this year? Let us know in the comments, and tell us who you’re dressing up as.
