For the fourth year in a row, Phineas and Ferb are hitting the San Diego Comic-Con, which has expanded over the past four decades to encompass not just comics everything geeky, from TV to movies to anime, and offering something for everyone. Although some studios have had second thoughts about offering their wares at the nation's most famous convention after the less-than-stellar reaction at the box office of some of last year's most-hyped Comic-Con fare such as Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, that doesn't seem to be the case for Disney, as they're promoting Phineas and Ferb- and, of course, Across the Second Dimension- with their annual panel (moderated by Matt Blum of Wired's GeekDad blog) and other events. If you happen to be in the area, passes for Comic-Con have been sold out for quite a while, but Comic-Con is offering a combination hotel and Comic-Con pass offer on their official website. (UPDATE Hotel/badge combos have sold out.) Official press release follows
The following is a press release from Disney-ABC Television Group presented here unedited for the purposes of news reporting. The following is courtesy of Disney-ABC Television Group, not me, and all errors, if any, are theirs alone.
DISNEY’S “PHINEAS AND FERB” CELEBRATE SUMMER AT COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL 2011 AS “PERRY THE PLATY-BUS ON TOUR” ROLLS ONTO SHOW FLOOR
NBA All-Star Dwight Howard, “Dancing with the Stars” Finalist Chelsea Kane and “The Middle’s” Atticus Shaffer Highlight a Roster of Disney Channel and Disney XD Panels
Featured Panels to Include “Phineas and Ferb,” “Fish Hooks,” “Kick Buttowski – Suburban Daredevil” and Upcoming Animated Series “Tron: Uprising,” “Motor City” and “Gravity Falls”
“Phineas and Ferb” leads the charge for Disney Channel at Comic-Con International, as “Perry the Platy-bus On Tour” arrives on the show floor in celebration of the Emmy Award-winning series. After making its debut in Times Square on July 11, the Platy-bus will ride into San Diego Comic-Con JULY 21-24. This incredible, 4000-pound customized Airstream trailer comes complete with bill, tail and googly eyes inspired by Phineas and Ferb’s teal-colored pet platypus, Perry. The event marks a banner year ahead for the franchise, which is set for the fall debut of the Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), “Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension.” The Platy-bus officially opens for a three-hour preview night on Wednesday, July 20.
Fans who visit the “Phineas and Ferb-Disney Channel/DisneyXD” booth will be able to play the upcoming video game inspired by the DCOM on the Wii or Nintendo DS family of handheld systems, the Unity3D online game, which will also be available on www.DisneyChannel.com/2D, “The Movie Game: The Dimension of Doooom!” and sing Perry-oke. In addition, Disney will offer premium giveaways and a collection of four Comic-Con exclusive “Phineas and Ferb” figurines and one mystery figure from Jakks Pacific for purchase.
The “Phineas and Ferb-Disney Channel/Disney XD” spectacular showcase spans 25×60 feet and will be located immediately opposite the main entrance on the convention floor.
The “Phineas and Ferb” panel is joined at Comic-Con by Disney Channel and Disney XD panels showcasing current hit animated series “Kick Buttowski – Suburban Daredevil” and “Fish Hooks,” and will feature an exclusive sneak peek at the upcoming animated slate for 2012 — “Tron: Uprising,” “Motor City” and “Gravity Falls.”
Disney Channel Panels at Comic-Con International 2011:
- FRIDAY, JULY 22: “Phineas and Ferb” – Creators and executive producers Dan Povenmire and Swampy Marsh join cast members Vincent Martella (“Phineas”), Ashley Tisdale (“Candace”), Dee Bradley Baker (“Perry”) and Olivia Olson (“Vanessa”).
- SATURDAY, JULY 23: “Kick Buttowski – Suburban Daredevil” – NBA star Dwight Howard makes a special guest appearance along with creator/executive producer Sandro Corsaro and cast. Additionally, fans will get a sneak peek of Disney XD’s future animated series, “Tron: Uprising” and “Motorcity.”
- SUNDAY, JULY 24: “Fish Hooks” – Creator/executive producer Noah Z. Jones, executive producer Maxwell Atoms, director Bill Reiss and cast including “Dancing with the Stars” finalist Chelsea Kane (“Bea”), Atticus Shaffer (“Albert Glass”) and Justin Roiland (“Oscar”). Fans will also get a sneak peek of Disney Channel’s upcoming animated series “Gravity Falls.”
Autograph sessions with the cast and crew from “Phineas and Ferb” will occur throughout the weekend, and signings for “Kick Buttowski-Suburban Daredevil” and “Fish Hooks” will take place at the “Phineas and Ferb-Disney Channel/DisneyXD” booth preceding each of the respective panels.
A special sneak preview of the Disney Channel Original Movie sponsored by Time Warner Cable, “Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension,” will take place Saturday, July 23, with a Q&A with Dan Povenmire and Swampy Marsh following the screening. Additional details will be available soon.
In this animated Disney Channel Original Movie adventure based on the Emmy Award-winning comedy series “Phineas and Ferb,” stepbrothers Phineas and Ferb go on their biggest journey yet, into another dimension! When the boys finally discover that their beloved pet platypus Perry is in fact a secret agent who battles the forces of evil daily, they join him on a grand adventure that blasts them to another dimension, where a truly evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz has taken over an alternate Tri-state Area. When they uncover his ploy to travel back to their dimension to take over their Tri-state Area, the gang, as well as their alter-egos, must band together to stop him.
The teleplay was written by creators/executive producers Emmy Award-winner Dan Povenmire, Jeff “Swampy” Marsh and Jon Colton Barry. Povenmire and Robert Hughes direct. The voice cast features actor Vincent Martella (“Everybody Hates Chris”) as Phineas Flynn, Thomas Brodie-Sangster (“Nanny McPhee”) as Ferb Fletcher, Ashley Tisdale (“Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure”) as Candace Flynn, Mitchel Musso (“Pair of Kings”) as Jeremy, Caroline Rhea (“Sabrina, the Teenage Witch”) as mom Linda Flynn-Fletcher, Richard O’Brien (“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”) as dad Lawrence Fletcher, Dee Bradley Baker (“American Dad”) as Perry the Platypus, Alyson Stoner (“Camp Rock,” “Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam” ) as Isabella, Jeff “Swampy” Marsh as Major Monogram and Dan Povenmire as the nefarious Dr. Doofenshmirtz. Doris Roberts (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) guest stars as Mrs. Thompson, Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s senile neighbor. “Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension” is a production of Disney Television Animation. It carries a TV-G parental guideline.
2011 to date, “Phineas and Ferb” is TV’s No. 1 animated series in Prime among Kids 6-11 (1.3 million/5.4 rating) and Tweens 9-14 (1.0 million/4.2 rating), reaching more than 110 million unduplicated Total Viewers across the U.S. in the first quarter. In addition, the series has been TV’s No. 1 animated series each year since its launch in 2008 among Tweens 9-14. (Source: NTI, US ratings, most current, 12/27/10-6/19/11, trackage data with minimum 6 telecasts. Reach: 12/27/10-6/19/11, minimum 6 minutes.)
Disney Channel is a 24-hour kid-driven, family inclusive television network that taps into the world of kids and families through original series and movies. It is currently available on basic cable in over 99 million U.S. homes and to millions of other viewers on Disney Channels around the world. Disney XD is a basic cable channel and multi-platform brand for Kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor. In the U.S., Disney XD is seen on a 24-hour, advertiser supported network that reaches over 77 million households via its basic cable affiliates. Disney XD channels are in the UK, France, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Greece, Turkey, Latin America and Japan. Disney Channel and Disney XD are part of the Disney/ABC Television Group.