Toon Zone Talkback - SDCC2008: "Ben 10 Alien Force" and "The Secret Saturdays" Panel Report

[Mugen]

This is the talkback thread for SDCC2008: "Ben 10 Alien Force" and "The Secret Saturdays" Panel Report (http://news.toonzone.net/article.php?ID=25201).

Well Mickialla, here's the thread for you. =)

We got some good info on Alien Force. Now we know that the "Alien X" episode will air August 31st. Plus, it looks like we're getting a Season 3. And no filler episodes.

Did they mention at the panel when The Secret Saturdays will premiere?

[RonDrakenfan17]

Wait three seasons already for Ben 10 Alien Force? Sweet. Also can't wait for the new episode :D

Edit;

Great to know that will learn more on Kevin and what happened in the Null Voide this season. Still can't belive there already done with season two, just wow those writers are fast and no fillers either woot. Also a Time traveling alien? Sweet, can't wait to see Ben use that one.

[Jacob T. Paschal]

I'm wondering if Alien X will be promoted as a season finalé of sorts...

[Mugen]

I'm wondering if Alien X will be promoted as a season finalé of sorts...

Wouldn't surprise me. Once the episode airs, 13 episodes would have aired.

[Light Lucario]

That's some good news on Alien Force. I'm glad that they're planning on covering Kevin and what happened in the Null Voide, as well as something about his powers. Doing a possible storyline for Gwen's powers also seems really cool. Alien X does sound like a possible season finale and the details they gave us about it sounds pretty good for one too. Dang, they're already working on season three. That's fast. I'm also glad that they're having all of the episodes being connected to a certain point. Those are definitely good things that we can expect from the series.

[Mad Mod 49]

Yes sir, Season 2 sounds to be much better than Season 1, which IMO has been pretty inconsistant, particularly the second half of it.

I really hope they make good on that Kevin part. It still bugs the hell out of me how drastically he changed, both physically and mentally.

And storylines coming out of Gwen's powers? I really hope that means we get to see Hex and/or Charmcaster again. :evil:

[warnerbroman]

"Gwen is now an energy being may reveal some interesting story possibilities."

who did not see that coming

[peterg14]

I had a feeling Alien Force was setting up something. It would be pretty boring if we had a bunch of straight answers in the first season, now everything will play a small part in the possibly epic series finale (whenever that happens :sweat:). I just hope we can get some more personality out of the characters. I don't want them to turn back into their dweeb/spaz/stupid name-calling selves, just something more interesting.

[Mickialla]

.
Well Mickialla, here's the thread for you. =)


Thank ya kindly ;).

Great news about Alien X. I'm glad there'll be no more filler episodes and that every episode will be a part of a larger story arc, kinda like what JLU did. I think Season 2 will be even more fun than the first. But in reality I was really hoping for some sort of clip during the Secret Saturdays sneak peek. Ah well, I guess I'll have to wait 'till next month.

[Polychrome]

A few corrections for the discussion:

Someone mentioned Alien X having time travel powers. This was not actually said. He can *stop* time, but his other abilities we know nothing of.

The "No filler" was not mentioned in relation to future eps, but in the context of those that have already aired. Each episode so far has a part in the bigger story.

Some more tidbits:

1. Apparent "Non-Canon" and "Non-arc" episodes still contain information about the bigger picture. What does that mean? Beats me, but...

2. It was also kinda, sorta hinted that Max may still be alive.

3. Yuri Lowenthal was wearing Ben's jacket at the panel.

4. There was a life-size Ben statue at the CN booth. He's about my height. (5 feet, 5 inches.) I'm surprised Kevin doesn't call him "Shorty". Among this were life-size Flapjack and Chowder statues. Life-size Clone Wars statues (and a girl dressed as that female Jedi who looked exactly like the cartoon character) were at the Lucasfilm booth.

5. Greg Cipes's voice really sounds like that.

6. There is also a backstory to the Omnitrix's removal, however, like with Kevin's escape from the Null Void, they haven't made an ep on it...yet.

7. The part about the characters not knowing the whole truth? This was in relation to a question about Gwen's powers "and other contreversies".

Context is king. Overall, it looks as if the crew has taken more into account than the audience has given them credit for so far. Let the speculation begin.

[Mickialla]

Wait a second, the report says that Jay Stephens, the creator of Secret Saturdays, was at the panel and talked about the show. But Jay Stephens said on his blog that he wouldn't be able to make it to Comic-con because he was checking into a mental hospital:

http://monsterama.blogspot.com/2008/07/hand-that-signs.html

I think that whoever wrote this report might have gotten some wrong info.

[Master Toon]

The whole Gwen being an energy being doesn't excite me much. It won't really change much, as seen by Ben and Gwen's grandmother, she'll be stronger and can still make her appearance seem human. Alien X however has me excited though.

Wait a second, the report says that Jay Stephens, the creator of Secret Saturdays, was at the panel and talked about the show. But Jay Stephens said on his blog that he wouldn't be able to make it to Comic-con because he was checking into a mental hospital:

http://monsterama.blogspot.com/2008/07/hand-that-signs.html

I think that whoever wrote this report might have gotten some wrong info.

According to that blog post Jay said he'll be there.

[Mickialla]

The whole Gwen being an energy being doesn't excite me much. It won't really change much, as seen by Ben and Gwen's grandmother, she'll be stronger and can still make her appearance seem human. Alien X however has me excited though.



According to that blog post Jay said he'll be there.

No it doesn't. Read the part above the picture where it says update in caps. :shrug:

[Mr. Ralph]

i wonder if he's just visiting someone or if he's actually being checked in...

[Mickialla]

i wonder if he's just visiting someone or if he's actually being checked in...

Who knows, but Stephens said himself he wouldn't be attending Comic-con, so I think that report needs to be fixed.

[Harley]

I was totally asleep at the wheel on that one. Eyes blurred attending so many panels. I added a correction at the end of the article. Apologies and thanks for catching it.

[Mickialla]

I was totally asleep at the wheel on that one. Eyes blurred attending so many panels. I added a correction at the end of the article. Apologies and thanks for catching it.

No prob. ;)

[RonDrakenfan17]

A few corrections for the discussion:

Someone mentioned Alien X having time travel powers. This was not actually said. He can *stop* time, but his other abilities we know nothing of.

The "No filler" was not mentioned in relation to future eps, but in the context of those that have already aired. Each episode so far has a part in the bigger story.

Some more tidbits:

1. Apparent "Non-Canon" and "Non-arc" episodes still contain information about the bigger picture. What does that mean? Beats me, but...

2. It was also kinda, sorta hinted that Max may still be alive.

3. Yuri Lowenthal was wearing Ben's jacket at the panel.

4. There was a life-size Ben statue at the CN booth. He's about my height. (5 feet, 5 inches.) I'm surprised Kevin doesn't call him "Shorty". Among this were life-size Flapjack and Chowder statues. Life-size Clone Wars statues (and a girl dressed as that female Jedi who looked exactly like the cartoon character) were at the Lucasfilm booth.

5. Greg Cipes's voice really sounds like that.

6. There is also a backstory to the Omnitrix's removal, however, like with Kevin's escape from the Null Void, they haven't made an ep on it...yet.

7. The part about the characters not knowing the whole truth? This was in relation to a question about Gwen's powers "and other contreversies".

Context is king. Overall, it looks as if the crew has taken more into account than the audience has given them credit for so far. Let the speculation begin.

Ok so Alien X may do more powers than just stopping time hmm intresting. I can understand why Ben would be afraid to use this alien. So number 7 that's what they were talking about eh? Oh well. Glad to know that they'll reveal why Ben took off his watch in the first place. My speculation is that it has some thing to do with the Alien X, maybe it was just too powerful and nearly destroyed the world so after that Ben was to afraid to use the watch??
I'm hoping they'll explaine how they took it off too. This will hopefully give character development for Ben than. LOL At Yuri wearing Ben's jacket. I want one :D

[Chykin]

Yuri wearing Ben's jacket. I want one :D
As Do I.:)

[NewcomerDC]

As Do I.:)
Where can we get a Ben 10 jacket?

[Bakasama]

1. Apparent "Non-Canon" and "Non-arc" episodes still contain information about the bigger picture. What does that mean? Beats me, but...

They're obviously talking about Chekhovs Guns (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ChekhovsGun) they put in those episodes. The thing is that have to carefully for those clues.

[Polychrome]

They're obviously talking about Chekhovs Guns (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ChekhovsGun) they put in those episodes. The thing is that have to carefully for those clues.

Um, by that, I meant I don't know what the clues mean in the long run. I'm more than aware of the concept of foreshadowing. (Had to argue away hordes of "Harmony" shippers back in my HP fandom days.)

Where can we get a Ben 10 jacket?

Play a lead role at cartoon network?

[Chykin]

They're obviously talking about Chekhovs Guns (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ChekhovsGun) they put in those episodes. The thing is that have to carefully for those clues.
I remember seeing things like that in series like Strange Days At Blake Holsey High. They make for very interesting plotlines.:shrug:

[RonDrakenfan17]

Where can we get a Ben 10 jacket?

HA That's what I'd like to know. I'm curious how the actor got one. I mean do they really just give one out to the actors only becuase they do the voice? They should do a contest of some sort and let the fans win one that would be cool :)

[Light Lucario]

Where can we get a Ben 10 jacket?

I would like to know that myself. While I would like it in blue since that's my favorite color, wearing a cool green Ben 10 jacket for the heck of it would be really fun too. I hope that it does become available at some point.

[Chykin]

Maybe somewhere along the line we'll see the jackets sold on some fansite.

[NewcomerDC]

You know, after reading the list of what's to come for "Alien Force", I predict that Big Chill might be putting the chills up and down the spine as he might be another rogue alien derived from the leftover DNA of Ghostfreak. It's just a guess though.

Once the episode of Kevin and the Null Void premieres, does anyone think he will get back his old powers of transforming into the Omnitrix villains and will be cursed to be the mutated Kevin 11 again?

[MasterofRoku]

You know, after reading the list of what's to come for "Alien Force", I predict that Big Chill might be putting the chills up and down the spine as he might be another rogue alien derived from the leftover DNA of Ghostfreak. It's just a guess though.

Once the episode of Kevin and the Null Void premieres, does anyone think he will get back his old powers of transforming into the Omnitrix villains and will be cursed to be the mutated Kevin 11 again?
I wouldn't count on it,really.
I don't think he wants to risk being a monster again, it took him five years for the omnitrix aliens pwoers to go away. I don't think he wants to go through that again.

[NewcomerDC]

I wouldn't count on it,really.
I don't think he wants to risk being a monster again, it took him five years for the omnitrix aliens pwoers to go away. I don't think he wants to go through that again.
So with Kevin's new abilities and with prediction that he will not get back his alien powers of the original series, how will "Alien Force" shape the future of "Ben 10,000" if the creators do want to return to that timeline?

[strawberryjuice]

So with Kevin's new abilities and with prediction that he will not get back his alien powers of the original series, how will "Alien Force" shape the future of "Ben 10,000" if the creators do want to return to that timeline?
Thats what I'm wondering. Isin't Ben 10,000 still in debate if that episode with whats his face and devlin canon?

I have no idea with alien force anymore. The timeline linked with ben10 and alien force is so screwed up...

[warnerbroman]

Thats what I'm wondering. Isin't Ben 10,000 still in debate if that episode with whats his face and devlin canon?... you mean Ken Tennyson?

[strawberryjuice]

you mean Ken Tennyson?
yeah thats it XD
when I see devlin I think yu-gi-oh... it's easy to remember.

[Light Lucario]

So with Kevin's new abilities and with prediction that he will not get back his alien powers of the original series, how will "Alien Force" shape the future of "Ben 10,000" if the creators do want to return to that timeline?

That's a good question. I just thought that the episodes dealing with the future, Ben 10,000 and the awesome episode Ken 10, were non-canon. Just like Gwen 10, I thought that the writers were having "What if..." kind of episodes. I think that I read that somewhere or I thought that the creators confirmed that. Besides that, I also thought that since Ben and Gwen changed the past back in Ben 10,000, that their futures were changed as well.

[peterg14]

I thought that Ben 10,000 was canon, as in Ben and Gwen go into the future. But the thing is that they go into a future where they were never visited by their future selves. But since the Ben in Gwen that went in the future did get visited by their future selves, Ben will be wary not to be a jerk and all sorts of other events may have been change so that the future that Ben and Gwen visited in Ben 10,000 probably will not happen.

Ah, my head...

[Polychrome]

The problem with Ben 10k, etc. is that the futures in question are still "possible", but as explained at Comic Con, things probably won't turn out exactly that way. Still, it doesn't mean *nothing* will happen that way. (Confused yet?) Heck, I always figured part of the point of "Ken 10" was that the future was already changing. We've gone from super-serious Ben to almost-Tim-Allenish Ben.

At comic-con, this was answered in response to "If Max is alive in the future, how can he be dead now?" There was a big "But" at the end of the response, where they teased that they weren't done with him yet.

I think it's safe to say that they want to keep the future as open as possible, as they've said in numerous interviews. Probably because all these comic book heroes in the past got written into corners and they had to go through crazy "reset" stories to get 'em out. Heck, for all the yap about "Goodbye and Good Riddance" being "non-canon", have you noticed that nothing in Alien Force contradicts it? It's almost as if that and "Race Against Time" are purposely interchangeable. (I've even seen the occasional fanfic mix 'em together.)

Just to clarify on the possible "backstory" episodes. They haven't been made yet because the crew hasn't decided whether they *WILL* make them yet. (Though they did ask if the audience wanted them, to which applause was given.) So maybe we will learn about Kevin's escape and the Omnitrix's removal, or maybe we won't. Or maybe we'll learn about these situations indirectly through another story. I can tell you one thing, they most likely won't be there next season.

[Jacob T. Paschal]

Actually, it also hit me that Ben 10,000 and Ken 10 are never mentioned to be in the same timeline. For all we know Ben 10,000's events don't have to happen to Ben again because he did it in the past. The future is in the past, people! Ken 10 could be the future that Ben has.


EDIT: Looks like I was right. CN's been airing these small promos to hype Alien X.

[AgentSpectre]

I really can't stand this place, but I figured I'd shed some light on just a couple things...

That's a good question. I just thought that the episodes dealing with the future, Ben 10,000 and the awesome episode Ken 10, were non-canon. Just like Gwen 10, I thought that the writers were having "What if..." kind of episodes. I think that I read that somewhere or I thought that the creators confirmed that. Besides that, I also thought that since Ben and Gwen changed the past back in Ben 10,000, that their futures were changed as well.

Back in April producers Sam Register and Tramm Wigzell confirmed (in my presence, on tape no less) that while the episode "Ben 10,000" is canon... the Ben 10K FUTURE is NON CANON. This directly means Ken 10. Seriously... anyone who thinks that nonsensical garbage is canon needs to have their head checked...:confused:

To those asking about the Ben 10 jackets... some were produced as in-house studio promos. I got one back in April for being probably the biggest fan there is ( other than little kids of course, lol). Yuri's jacket was NOT one of these... it was custom made, and it felt a lot nicer ( though not better made) than mine...more vinyl-ish windbreaker than the ones the studio had made. He or someone he knows made it themselves (using some of the promotional patches - he had the Omnitrix one on the back), I was having too much fun with him and my older buddies (Dee and Cipes) to get the exact details. ha.
And yes... this makes Yuri one of the biggest nerds you would ever meet. He's cool like that.