Burn Notice Panel – Comic-Con 2009

The Burn Notice panel was a very popular event in Ballroom 20 on Thursday at Comic-Con.  Michael Shanks moderated.  When he was announced, I wasn’t sure my hearing would survive, but it did.

The panel had Ben Shenkman, Matt Nix, Alfredo Barrios jr., actor Jay Karns, actor Seth Petersen and Bruce Campbell.  When Bruce came out, the crowd went berserk and I finally did lose my hearing.  Twilighters have nothing on this group.

The panel had a few great videos.  One of them had Michael Westen narrating how to not miss any Comic-Con panels.  It’s simple really.  All you have to do is create a problem that delays one of the other panels to give you enough time to get over to it.  Of course Michael Westen’s methods always appeal to me, so I’m not going to describe it.  It’s mine, and several hundred others secret now.

We then got a bit of a sneak peek at scenes from this season’s final episodes this year.  I have to say, explosions in Ballroom 20 are so much better than in my living room.

Matt Nix jumped right into the fray and talked about Michael’s missing mystery father.  He humorously noted that Micheal’s father did not burn him.  That was our huge inside scoop.  He added a bit about the addition of family to the show, saying that spies don’t always have families and it was a great angle to add to the show.

Pretty much, the panel was about Bruce Campbell, even when he tried to let the other personalities have the chat time.

Someone yelled out they love Bruce.  Campbell got up, called them up to the stage and gave them money for saying it.  (I’ll presume the denomination of a $20 bill, but I wasn’t close enough to see.)

He was asked what part of Sam’s character are more like or least like Bruce himself.

Most like:  He wears those shirts all the time.
Least likely:  his wife doesn’t let him sleep with rich Miami women.

Bruce couldn’t help himself and brought up that there’s a new Evil Dead movie, and he’s going to call it Dead Notice.  People enjoyed that levity directed towards everyone’s desire to see a new Evil Dead movie.

Matt Nix added, while thinking on this new idea, There’s a reason you want to fight a zombie with a chain saw.  LOL, I can hear Michael’s voice on that one.

I’ve never actually caught on to this, but they have little Easter Egg-like nuggets through the show.  Has anyone noticed that one of Fiona’s boyfriends name is Campbell?  The different restaurants they visit are named after the writers children and other little bits.  Now we’ll have to start paying close attention.

Michael Shanks is pretty snarky & witty and as he opened up the floor to attendee questions, he noted how these “can be so interesting!”

Bruce Campbell was asked how to start being a film maker, considering his origins.  he said don’t copy anyone.  Do things that people will want to copy from you.

They’re almost done shooting this season and they’re looking for fun things to do with Michael’s brother and I swore I hear them say “or another brother.”

In case you’re wondering, the naming of Brennan’s Yogurt led to 3 hour argument about what to name it.

Someone asked about a Burn Notice movie and Matt Nix said let’s put it to the people and asked the crowd.  the crowd lit up and my ears were done.

Bruce noted that Matt Nix does not use digital explosions.  They’ve apparently blown a house off it’s foundation with their explosions.  Nice!

Someone asked if they would quit letting Sam get his butt kicked.  Bruce then asked the guy to come up, and gave out more money!

How do they come up with the Macgyverisms / voice overs:  The show has a former intelligence operative as a consultant, that and the internet.

It was asked if Bruce offered a role in Drag Me To Hell.  Bruce said, no and then proceeded to hem and haw and said that Sam will pay for that and have to put him in Spider-Man 4, 5 and 6.

Someone asked Matt nix if he has Bruce help him write the funny lines of the show.  Someone else just made $20 more bucks.

Bruce noted out loud, “How was Comic-Con Bruce?”  He answered himself: “Expensive!”

A guy dressed up as a jester ran up to the mic and Shanks said “Oh, we gotta hear this one.” But the Jester was overtaken with another instructional video from Micheal Westen on surviving Comic-Con.

This was a fun panel between Shanks, Campbell and the videos – fun and interactive panel.