The story behind the dosa: Venu Jarugula's perfect pancake for his father
STACY SQUIRES/STUFF
Venu Jarugula, a mechanical engineer turned chef, who works seven days a week at Dosa Kitchen.
In a village in southern India, an impoverished rice and cotton grower eagerly awaits an online video call from his only child in faraway Christchurch. When the daily call comes, the almost-blind farmer can just make out the shape of his son's face, thanks to eye surgery funded by a Canterbury food stall.
The son is Venu Jarugula, a mechanical engineer turned cook who works 15 hours a day, seven days a week, on his tiny, flourishing Dosa Kitchen business inside the Riverside Market culinary hub that opened recently in central Christchurch.
Every dosa – a version of the crisp, oversized, savoury pancake his mother regularly makes back home – is created with exquisite care and the knowledge that business success for him may deliver better sight for his father.
"If there is a chance, I would like to replace his eyes, that's my dream," Jarugula says.
READ MORE:* Dosa Kitchen events* Eight of the last off-the-beaten-track places* Riverside Market may be the spark Christchurch needs
So the 28-year-old immigrant begins each day soaking then grinding rice and lentils that are left to naturally ferment for up to 10 hours. This mix forms the basis of a batter that must be exactly the right consistency to swirl onto the hotplate.
"I have to concentrate, to get the right heat, to only go one way to spread the batter, check the air bubbles. I want each and every dosa to be done right. It must be thin and crisp, nice and golden brown colour, with that tang."
If you're seeking a symbol of reinvention, excitement and hope in this rejuvenating city, Jarugula is as good as any. Having arrived in Christchurch in 2015 with his non-transferable engineering degree, he had no friends and no contacts beyond the name of the business school where he had enrolled, not even basic spoken English. But he'd heard rebuild jobs were plentiful and was determined to repay his student loan and create prosperity for himself and his parents.
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"There's no doubt tourism is a rockstar contributor to the local economy, that it's essential to sustain the city's ongoing recovery," says ChristchurchNZ destination development manager Anton Wilkes.
Dosa, he decided, was the key. After months of experimentation and online research, having quizzed his mother and restaurateurs in India, he developed a recipe of his own and started selling at markets around the area. Fans returned every week and he continued to fall for his adopted city.
"I can't leave Christchurch, even to go to another place in New Zealand. I find it beautiful, a really peaceful place. The botanic gardens, you can see the mountains from the city, it's just really cool."
When Riverside Market developers approached him, he leaped at the idea of joining about 70 independent makers and bakers, brewers, growers and other food vendors inside the purpose-built Oxford Tce premises. Within weeks of its October 5 opening date, hopeful projections of 10,000 visitors a day were obliterated by head counts of up to 25,000 on busy weekend days.
"We are much more busy than we thought, it's crazy. We always sold out."
Someday, he may open a larger restaurant to provide employment for other immigrants like himself and Sri Lankan-born wife Thili, who is a recently graduated accountant.
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Venu Jarugula, with his wife Thili Jarugula.
For now, he is content to stay put.
"This is one of the best decisions I ever took in my life, to be at this market. There is really good support, it's really friendly people, it's a wonderful community. And we need this kind of place in Christchurch."
The dosa-maker is right. The Oxford St market is the latest in a rapidly evolving clutch of dining and shopping precincts that are collectively bringing crowds back to a central city previously gutted by earthquakes and tragedy, demolition and a lengthy construction period. Food vendors like Jarugula not only motivate locals to venture back downtown, they're also providing visitors with tasty reasons to venture into the city.
This year, tourism income surpassed pre-quake levels for the first time; domestic and international visitors spent $2.5 billion in Christchurch in the year ending September 2019.
"There's no doubt tourism is a rockstar contributor to the local economy, that it's essential to sustain the city's ongoing recovery," ChristchurchNZ destination development manager Anton Wilkes says. "Last summer, people started returning downtown in decent numbers. Now, it's next level."
Restaurateur Lisa Levy agrees the downtown area is far more vibrant and less fragmented than when she and husband Simon established their respected eatery Inati in 2017.
ALDEN WILLIAMS/STUFF
Oxford Terrace, outside Riverside Market, is freshly paved. The city feels revitalised.
Levy, who heads the region's restaurant association, says more tourists are staying in Christchurch longer because there is more for them to do.
"It's good for all our businesses, to see the city come alive again. I love being a part of it. What modern day city gets a chance to reinvent itself?"
Perception is still a problem though. According to Wilkes, plenty of potential tourists continue to picture rubble rather than reality.
"Local people understand we have a new city, with new spaces and new energy," he says. "But people from outside Canterbury often don't understand how far we've come, that there's a real sense of excitement here."
It is certainly fascinating to roam freshly paved streets that are wide and flat and friendly to both pedestrians and cyclists, to discover what's developing in and around the gleaming glass or repurposed brick and timber buildings.
On the top floor of the public library, which opened in October 2018, a French tourist sits at a bank of sewing machines, making a cover for the mattress she and her boyfriend will stow in the van they are kitting out for travel. The couple wound up in Christchurch by default – flights from Asia were cheap – but she likes it far more than she expected.
Art is everywhere; murals on roller doors down back alleys, poetry painted on fence posts, sculpture to clamber over. The buskers are back, too, offering entertainment and an informal barometer suggesting crowds have now reached critical mass. Some clever planners have thought to scatter public drinking fountains in useful places while the children of Christchurch designed the nation's biggest and arguably best playground alongside the Avon River.
Then there is the food. Sometimes it seems the city might be drawing its strength from baked goods, given the profusion of earthy sourdough loaves, buttery (or vegan) pastries, and the rows of glossy French tarts in cinnamon-scented premises. And they all opened their doors less than four months ago or only six weeks ago or just a fortnight earlier.
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Venu Jarugula sends his earnings from Dosa Kitchen home to his father, who has been able to have eye surgery thanks to the popular eatery.
On the other hand, perhaps it is coffee fuelling the growth; roastery after roastery makes extravagant promises about beans that are raw and natural, air roasted or single origin. One café offers a caffeine hit, with a thriving vegetable garden out front and toilets hidden behind a secret door; just walk towards the bookcase and it automatically slides sideways to reveal essential customer amenities.
Across the road, diners can perch in communal dining spaces and select dishes from eight diverse owner-operated eateries under one roof. Or head next door to a shuffle board and fondue set time warp where the restaurateur greets his guests with "welcome back to the 1970s".
It isn't only the culinary scene that is blossoming downtown, either.
Inside The Welder health and wellness complex, 23-year-old Rosa Flanagan is running a plant-based cook school and catering business with younger sister Margo. Rosa has a human nutrition degree and Margo does the marketing but, two weeks after moving into their own premises, both young entrepreneurs are preparing oversized platters of salad for a birthday party. Their workshops are booked weeks in advance and they are waiting on second and third print runs of their Two Raw Sisters cookbook which recently sold out – 5000 copies – in a month. The sisters are enthusiastic about the urban neighbourhood their business inhabits, too, with its new restaurants and bars, the yoga studio upstairs and dance studio nearby. AirBnB tourists are starting to wander in from the apartment complex down the street.
"Christchurch has this golden opportunity to start up new things that have never been done before," the older Flanagan says. "We've got space to create things, this health and wellbeing centre has never been done in New Zealand. Here we have a cool hangout place, cool restaurants, cool people and it's such a tight-knit community."
Fellow tenant Elsie McCulloch is part of this community. She and her mother Rhiannon, both trained pastry chefs, are the creative forces behind The Great Pastry Shop. Their small kiosk – designed by McCulloch's mum, wired by her electrician brother, staffed part-time by her schoolgirl sister – specialises in luscious European pastries.
The baker says she and her business neighbours are collectively determined to succeed.
"I feel like you can feel the passion behind everyone, we're so committed. Everything is kind of popping up and the central city's coming back to life. Now, suddenly it's happening."
Dosa maker Venu Jarugula, meanwhile, continues to fall for the garden city that has got its groove back.
"I can't leave Christchurch, even to go to another place in New Zealand," he says.
"I find it beautiful, a really peaceful place. The botanic gardens, you can see the mountains from the city, it's just really cool."
* Sue Hoffart is a freelance journalist. She writes for Tourism Industry Aotearoa, telling the untold stories behind New Zealand's best ventures.
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Christchurch's Riverside Market is the city's latest culinary hub.
STAY
Aside from its five-star service and foodie credentials, guests can feel good about staying at the recently-opened Sudima Christchurch City thanks to its behind-the-scenes environmental and social initiatives. And there is no charge for all the extras; the a la carte breakfast, yoga classes, use of bicycles (park the car and leave it there) and treats like locally-made She chocolate. Little wonder the hotel group picked up New Zealand's top tourism award in November. It is also easy to see why locals are utilising the adjacent Moss Spa and dining the Vices & Virtues restaurant.
TRY
Put yourself in the hands of the professionals and take a kai safari tour with Amiki Tours. Cate and Riwai Grace have done their homework in terms of both food and local history - they are great storytellers who know where to find the city's culinary gems.
Sign up for a cooking class with Two Raw Sisters.
Or Riverside Kitchen in Riverside Market that also offers market and other food tours, demonstrations and guest chefs from Indonesia, Italy and India amongst others. There is a dining space for private functions, as well as lessons for younger children and teenagers preparing to leave home.
TASTE
Plan to visit and revisit Riverside Market over several mealtimes to properly celebrate Canterbury food and the city's ethnic diversity courtesy. Aside from dosa, find authentic Indonesian tempeh and meat barbecued Argentinian-style. Prepare to queue for popular Greek souvlaki. Buy Turkish delight from its Turkish maker. Roam the stands at Riverside Collective, a gathering of boutique producers making everything from layered cakes and vegan cheese to cashew brittle, edible petals, hemp hearts and curry paste.
Buy fresh coconuts, watercress and quail eggs. Tuck into a sandwich shaped like a whale. Visit the fishmonger for smoked salmon sausages and fresh banana prawns. Take home pasta and olives. Look up and ogle the reclaimed bricks, a ceiling made from rimu floorboards, timber piles from Lyttelton's wharf and the clock rescued from the old Moorhouse Ave train station.
Find gourmet teas, wholefoods, organic juices, a wine bar, New Zealand crafts and plenty more at The Welder. Also home to The Great Pastry Shop for classic Paris Brest pastries and a deliciously reinvented pastie made with mature cheddar, leek, onion, rosemary, potato and smoked garlic.
Tucked into an alleyway, Bohemian Bakery Café does beautiful bread, vegan pain au chocolate and properly buttery pastries.
High Street was edgy and appealing pre-quakes. That's happening here again courtesy of the likes of Utopia Ice City Get your vegan coconut tayberry and kaffir lime leaf cone here. Made from scratch in Sumner.
C-one Espresso is an old favourite, re-established. Coffee and food aside, visit for the impressive urban garden and historic building, the pneumatic tube slider delivery and the superb bookcase bathroom entry.
Take your pick inside Little High Eatery but Caribe Latin Kitchen does a mean burrito served in chipped enamel bowls amidst multi-hued tiles, skulls and religious icons.
If you've missed the 70's, down a fluffy duck cocktail at Retropolitan.
Visit Inati for inventive, modern culinary wizardry and excellent service from people who care deeply about food. Take a high perch at the brass-topped bar and watch the chefs make a broccoli stem sexy with the help of smoked ricotta and almonds. Make sure you talk to your neighbours because that's part of the inati – sharing – philosophy.
On Saturday mornings, find fresh produce and some of the city's favourite food vendors at the picturesque and well-attended Christchurch Farmers Market.
Sunday Star Times
Comic-Con 2018 Preview Night & Thursday Schedule Announced
With a little over a week left until SDCC kicks off, Comic-Con International has unveiled the first part of their full Comic-Con 2018 schedule, featuring the events for Preview Night and the full Thursday schedule. We have gone through the entire schedule and pulled out the prevalent movie, TV, home video and streaming events below. It all kicks off with Preview Night on Wednesday, July 18, where fans can get an early look at the world premiere of Manifest along with New Line's spooky Scarediego event. Take a look at the preview night and Thursday schedule for Comic-Con below.
Wednesday, July 18 - Preview Night
Manifest World Premiere and Special Sneak Peek Screenings: Comic-Con and Warner Bros. Television proudly continue their annual Preview Night tradition with the exclusive world premiere screening of new series Manifest as well as sneak peeks at fan favorites The 100 and Gotham. Plus, brand-new episodes of Freedom Fighters: The Ray. Wednesday July 18, 2018 6:00pm - 10:00pm. Ballroom 20
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New Line Cinema's "Scarediego": Be the first to see footage from some of the company's eagerly anticipated 2018-2019 horror films and hear from special filmmaker guests. Wednesday July 18, 2018 9:30pm - 10:30pm. Horton Grand Theatre
Thursday, July 19
6th Annual Musical Anatomy of a Superhero: From the ominous horns of Jaws or A Quiet Place signaling fear, to the heroic Star Wars theme, music has always been an important supporting character in movies. In the world of superheroes, music sets an emotional tone more than virtually any other genre. This panel offers a behind-the-scenes look at the music of today's biggest superhero film and TV projects with unreleased film clips and never-before-heard music. Participating composers include Tyler Bates (Deadpool 2, Guardians of the Galaxy 2), Marco Beltrami (Logan, The Wolverine), Christophe Beck (Ant-Man and the Wasp), Kurt Farquhar (Black Lightning), and Blake Neely (The Flash, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow). Moderated by Ray Costa of Costa Communications. Thursday July 19, 2018. 10:00am - 10:50am.
DC Collectibles: Limited-edition statues, action figures, prop replicas, busts, vinyl . . . DC Collectibles has them all-and more. The DC Collectibles crew, including executive creative director Jim Fletcher and Academy Award-winning special makeup effects artist Rick Baker and several special guests discuss how they come up with so many great ideas, and what's coming up from the maker of awesome collectibles! Thursday July 19, 2018. 10:00am - 11:00am. Room 9.
20th Century Fox: The Predator: The hunt returns as director, Shane Black (Iron Man 3, The New Guys), along with cast members, Olivia Munn, Sterling K. Brown, Keegan-Michael Key, Trevante Rhodes, Jake Busey, Yvonne Strahovski, Thomas Jane and Augusto Aguiliera, bring their all-star firepower to an explosive panel on Fox's upcoming bigger n' badder take on the iconic franchise. Thursday July 19, 2018. 10:30am - 11:30am. Hall H
Hasbro Transformers: Be the first to hear about new Transformers toys and products that have yet to hit store shelves straight from the design and marketing teams at Hasbro. There is a lot of buzz for Bumblebee: The Movie hitting theaters in December. Roll in to get a glimpse at the Transformers products inspired by the film, including new figures in the Generations Studio Series collection. Then, get your cyber-goggles ready for a look at the first reveals from the highly anticipated upcoming Generations War for Cybertron trilogy line. Set sights on Cyberverse, the exciting new animated show is full of new characters and familiar stories. Fly in to sneak a peek at the series and several of the new toys not yet revealed. Many new Transformers initiatives from some trusted partners will be shared, as well as the induction of the 2018 Transformers Hall of Fame members. Thursday July 19, 2018. 11:00am - 12:00pm. Room 29AB
Sounds of Mayhem: Music and Audio in Action Films, TV, and Video Games: Featuring creatives behind Deadpool 2, Cobra Kai, Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia, DC Super Hero Girls, Prince of Persia, Mummy VR, Halo, God of War, and Legend of Zelda. Experts in the sound field, including composers, sound mixers, and sound editors, talk about setting tone and controlling the soundscape down to the pow of the last karate chop. Whether slaying trolls, chasing the undead, or beating the bad guys, sound is an essential part of telling stories in films, TV shows, and video games. Panelists include Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson (Cobra Kai), Tim Davies (Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia), Michael Gatt (DC Super Hero Girls, Braid), Mark Stoeckinger (Deadpool 2), Penka Kouneva (Prince of Persia, Mummy VR). Moderated by Chris Villain (content creator) and Bryon Burton (journalist for The Hollywood Reporter). Thursday July 19, 2018. 11:00am - 12:00pm. Room 25ABC.
Charmed Exclusive Screening and Panel: The iconic Charmed is back just in time to celebrate its 20th anniversary. This reboot of the original series centers on three sisters in a college town who, after the tragic loss of their mother, discover they are powerful witches. Between vanquishing supernatural demons, tearing down the patriarchy, and maintaining familial bonds, a witch's work is never done. Please join series stars Melonie Diaz, Sarah Jeffery, Madeleine Mantock, and Rupert Evans along with producers Jennie Snyder Urman, Jessica O'Toole, and Amy Rardin for an exclusive sneak peek at the first episode of the CW series followed by a panel discussion. Thursday July 19, 2018. 11:15am - 12:15pm. Ballroom 20.
You're Wrong, Leonard Maltin!: Discussing movies on social media has become a blood sport instead of a forum for debate. Leonard Maltin and his daughter Jessie, who host the "Maltin on Movies" podcast for the Nerdist network, are willing to take on all comers who have a gripe over one of Leonard's reviews. Marquis of Queensbury rules will be enforced, but anyone who wants to have a lively discussion is welcome to spar (verbally) with America's best-known film critic. Thursday July 19, 2018. 11:30am - 12:30pm. Room 24ABC.
Celebrate the 10-Year Anniversary of Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Executive producer Dave Filoni and panelists look back on 10 years of the Emmy Award-winning series that expanded the Star Wars universe and introduced countless fan-favorite characters to a galaxy far, far away. Thursday July 19, 2018. 11:45am - 12:45pm. Room 6BCF
Doctor Who: BBC America's Official Panel: BBC America's Doctor Who panel introduces the 13th Doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker (Broadchurch). Marking a new era for the legendary Time Lord, Whittaker will be joined on the panel by two of her co-stars, Tosin Cole, and Mandip Gill, who play Ryan and Yasmin, as well as award-winning series showrunner Chris Chibnall (Broadchurch) and executive producer Matt Strevens (An Adventure in Space and Time). With this year's highly anticipated season packed full of action, adventure, humor, and emotion, this will be the cast's first-ever panel appearance ahead of Doctor Who premiering this fall on BBC America. Thursday July 19, 2018. 11:45am - 12:45pm. Hall H.
Tell Me a Story: Step into the world of Tell Me a Story, the latest project from the mind of Kevin Williamson. In this reimagining of the world's most beloved fairy tales, see "The Three Little Pigs," "Little Red Riding Hood," and "Hansel and Gretel" come to life as dark and twisted psychological thrillers interweaving with each other against the backdrop of modern-day New York City. Featuring executive producer Kevin Williamson as well as series stars Paul Wesley and James Wolk, for an exclusive sneak peek of the CBS All Access series followed by a panel discussion. Moderated by the editor-in-chief of Entertainment Weekly, Henry Goldblatt. Thursday July 19, 2018. 12:15pm - 12:45pm. Ballroom 20.
2001: A Space Odyssey 50th Anniversary Panel: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) and the Arthur C. Clarke Society take a look back across a half-century (and the distant universe) to celebrate one of the most iconic films in history. Panelists will examine Stanley Kubrick's science fiction masterpiece. Kubrick's Academy Award-winning achievement is a compelling drama of man vs. machine, a stunning meld of music and motion. For the first time since its original release, new 70mm prints were struck from pristine printing elements made from the original camera negative. A longtime admirer of the late American auteur, Christopher Nolan worked closely with the team at Warner Bros. Pictures throughout the mastering process. Building on the work done for the new 70mm prints, the 4K UHD with HDR presentation was mastered from the 65mm original camera negative. 2001: A Space Odyssey will be available on 4K UHD from WBHE on October 30. Thursday July 19, 2018. 12:30pm - 1:30pm. Room 6A.
The Toys That Made Us: If you love toys and toy history, you'll want to join Brian Volk-Weiss (show creator/director) and the TTTMU team Robin Henry (executive producer), Ben Frost (writer/editor), and Rich Mayerik (producer, toy collector) for the same brand of fun and informative toy-talk you've come to love from the hit Netflix series. Discussion will include a Q&A on what brought The Toys That Made Us to life, what the future holds, and maybe even a surprise or two along the way. Thursday July 19, 2018. 1:00pm - 2:00pm.
Roddenberry Presents: Roddenberry Entertainment, the name that brought you Star Trek, takes on genre entertainment in the current landscape and provides updates on many of their current projects. Film and television producers Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry and Trevor Roth reveal rarely seen Deep Space Nine treasures from the Roddenberry Archives in celebration of the series' 25th anniversary and present a special screening of the company's original film project, Instant, soon to be released to worldwide audiences. The panel will be joined by podcast hosts John Champion and Ken Ray, who will speak to the growing Roddenberry Podcast Network. Moderated by Clare Kramer (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Thursday July 19, 2018. 1:30pm - 2:30pm. Room 24ABC.
TMNT Reboot: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rise up! The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back in Nickelodeon's brand-new mutation of New York's half-shell heroes. Featuring Omar Miller (Ballers) as Raph, Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation) as Leo, Josh Brener (Silicon Valley) as Donnie, Brandon Smith (You're the Worst) as Mikey, Kat Graham (The Vampire Diaries) as April, and Eric Bauza (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012) as Splinter. Joining the cast are co-executive producers Andy Suriano and Ant Ward and legendary voice director Rob Paulsen. Panel highlights to include never-before-seen clips from the upcoming series. Moderated by Buzzfeed's Keely Flaherty. Thursday July 19, 2018. 1:45pm - 2:45pm. Room 6A.
So Say We All: 40 Years of Battlestar Galactica: Film and TV critic Scott "Movie" Mantz talks with authors Mark A. Altman (The Fifty-Year Mission) and Edward Gross (Slayers & Vampires) about their new oral history, So Say We All (Tor Books), an exhaustive look at the classic 1978 original series, Ronald D. Moore and David Eick's beloved 2004 re-imagining, and even the much maligned Galactica 1980. Find out the untold secrets and incredible true stories of these classic shows in this celebration of four decades of Battlestar Galactica. Win a chance to be the first to get a copy of the new 700+ page hardcover book autographed by the authors. Thursday July 19, 2018. 2:00pm - 3:00pm. Room 5AB.
Bobcat Goldthwait's Misfits and Monsters: Crawl inside the twisted mind of writer-director Bobcat Goldthwait in this panel discussion and exclusive sneak peek at the genre-hopping truTV anthology series. Joined by moderator Eugene Mirman and panelists Jake Hurwitz, Amir Blumenfeld, and Tara Lynne Barr, the acclaimed comedian breaks down the inspirations behind his series' imaginative, satirical tales and the familiar film tropes that inspired them. Thursday July 19, 2018. 2:15pm - 3:15pm. Ballroom 20.
Dragon Ball Super: English voice actors for Goku and Vegeta, Sean Schemmel and Christopher Sabat, talk all things Dragon Ball -and reveal never-before-seen material for the new movie. Don't miss some special surprise appearances, too. Thursday July 19, 2018. 2:15pm - 3:15pm. Hall H.
Nightflyers: From the mind of George R. R. Martin, this new SYFY series is a psychological thriller set in the year 2093 that follows a team of scientists aboard the most advanced ship ever built. Their mission takes them to the edge of space but also to the edge of insanity, as they realize true horror isn't waiting for them out there-it's already on their ship. Unlike anything you've seen before, Nightflyers combines horror and science fiction in a way that Martin himself has described as " Psycho in space." The cast and creators hold an exclusive look into this exciting new series. Thursday July 19, 2018. 3:00pm - 3:50pm. Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront.
Marvel Animation: Marvel Rising: Marvel Rising brings together the next generation of Marvel superheroes for the next generation of Marvel fans. Be among the first to get a sneak peek at this group of powered teens and their adventures that are full of heart, action, comedy, and powerful messages for every kind of Marvel fan. The show's Quake Chloe Bennet (Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Squirrel Girl Milana Vayntrub (This Is Us, Silicon Valley), Ms. Marvel Kathreen Khavari (Big Little Lies, Marvel's Avengers Assemble), Patriot Kamil McFadden (K.C. Undercover, Grown Ups 2), Cort Lane (SVP, Animation and Family Entertainment), Marsha Griffin (VP, Animation Current Series and Development), and Sana Amanat (VP, Content and Character Development) present an action-packed panel that showcases the first look of the animated shorts, special announcements, and so much more. Moderated by Lorraine Cink. Thursday July 19, 2018. 3:15pm - 4:15pm. Room 6DE.
AMC's Better Call Saul: Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Patrick Fabian, Michael Mando, and Giancarlo Esposito join executive producers and showrunners Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould to discuss the series upcoming fourth season. New and familiar faces return as Jimmy McGill continues his evolution into the Saul Goodman persona that fans met on Breaking Bad. The panelists hold a Q&A session and an official preview of season 4, returning August 6 on AMC. Thursday July 19, 2018. 3:30pm - 4:30pm. Hall H.
Van Helsing: The World Is a Vampire: Now entering its action-packed third season, SYFY's Van Helsing continues the story of Vanessa Van Helsing and her band of heroes as they fight to reclaim the world after vampires took over during "The Rising." Stars Kelly Overton, Jonathan Scarfe, Missy Peregrym, Aleks Paunovic, Rukiya Bernard, Vincent Gale, and Trezzo Mahoro, along with showrunner Neil LaBute and executive producers Mike Frislev and Chad Oakes, premiere exclusive footage from the upcoming third season and dish out tidbits from behind the scenes. Moderated by Bevin from Den of Geek. Thursday July 19, 2018. 4:00pm - 4:50pm. Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront.
We Wrote Your Childhood: If you're a millennial, chances are these panelists wrote the cartoons you watched as a kid. Paul Germain (Rugrats, Recess), Craig Bartlett (Hey Arnold!), Sue Rose (Pepper Ann, Angela Anaconda), Holly Huckins (Recess, Angela Anaconda), Peter Gaffney (Rugrats, Ah! Real Monsters!), Rachel Lipman (Rugrats, Hey Arnold!), Matt Negrete (Pepper Ann), and Joe Ansolabehere (Hey Arnold!, Rece ss) talk about these iconic '90s cartoons. Q&A to follow. Thursday July 19, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm. Room 7AB.
Magnum P.I. Exclusive Screening Panel: Thomas Magnum is back on the case! Magnum P.I. is a modern take on the classic series starring Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum, a decorated former Navy SEAL who, upon returning home from Afghanistan, repurposes his military skills to become a private investigator. A charming rogue, an American hero, and a die-hard Detroit Tigers fan, Magnum has Juliet Higgins and her Dobermans to keep him in line, as well as his trusted buddies and fellow POW survivors T. C. and Rick when he needs back-up on a job. With keys to a vintage Ferrari in one hand, aviator sunglasses in the other, and an Old Düsseldorf longneck chilling in the fridge. Series stars Jay Hernandez, Perdita Weeks, Stephen Hill, and Zachary Knighton and executive producers Peter Lenkov and Eric Guggenheim present an exclusive sneak peek at the premiere episode of the CBS series, followed by a panel discussion. Thursday July 19, 2018. 4:15pm - 5:30pm. Room 6A
Breaking Bad 10th Anniversary Celebration: In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the premiere of Breaking Bad, AMC and Sony Pictures Television have reunited the original cast to take a look back at the best moments from this groundbreaking television series and reminisce about TV's most famous anti-hero, Walter White. Cast members Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, R. J. Mitte, Bob Odenkirk, and Giancarlo Esposito, along with executive producer and showrunner Vince Gilligan, look back at their favorite moments from the series and discuss the legacy the show and characters have left behind. Thursday July 19, 2018. 4:30pm - 5:30pm. Hall H.
Marvel Studios: The First 10 Years, Visual Development: The Marvel Studios Visual Development team comes to San Diego to share never-before-seen concept art and their favorite designs from the past 10 years. Thursday July 19, 2018. 5:00pm - 6:00pm. Room 25ABC.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: The Final Curtain Call: As the critically acclaimed CW series enters its final season, come celebrate and take a trip down memory lane with co-creators Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna as they look back on some of the series most memorable moments. The panel will be moderated by series guest star Michael McMillian and will include a special performance and never-before-seen footage. Thursday July 19, 2018. 5:45pm - 6:30pm. Room 6A.
Assassination Nation Panel with Cast and the Russo Brothers: As if high school wasn't difficult enough already, imagine if every phone in your town was hacked, the contents shared for all to see, and you and your three best friends were framed as the hackers. Welcome to the explosive world of texting, terror, and teen-angst that is Assassination Nation. Already dubbed "the most aggressive high school movie in film history," Assassination Nation is being brought to the big screen by the Russo Brothers (Avengers: Infinity War, Captain America: Civil War), who will be joined by director Sam Levinson and the film's stars Bill Skarsgård (It), Suki Waterhouse (Insurgent), Hari Nef, and Abra for an exclusive look at what is sure to be one of the most controversial and cathartic films of the year. Thursday July 19, 2018. 5:45pm - 6:45pm. Hall H.
Netflix: Marvel's Iron Fist: Be among the first to get the exclusive inside scoop on what's in store for season 2 of Marvel's Iron Fist, as Danny Rand and Colleen Wing set off on a new adventure as the protectors of lower NYC. Featuring executive producer and Marvel's head of television Jeph Loeb and surprise panelists. Thursday July 19, 2018. 6:00pm - 7:00pm. Ballroom 20
NBC's Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Thursday July 19, 2018. 7:00pm - 8:00pm. Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront.
Stephen King's Mr. Mercedes: Season 2: Jack Bender (EP/director, Game of Thrones, Lost), Harry Treadaway (Penny Dreadful), Jharrel Jerome (Moonlight), Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire), Holland Taylor (The L Word, Legally Blonde), Justine Lupe (Snowfall), and Breeda Wool (UnReal) give a first look at the new season of the AT&T AUDIENCE original series Mr. Mercedes. A year after his thwarted attempt to perpetrate a mass murder, Brady Hartsfield remains in a vegetative state, and retired Detective Bill Hodges has opened Finders Keepers. When unexplainable occurrences begin, Hodges has a feeling that Brady is somehow responsible. Thursday July 19, 2018. 8:00pm - 9:00pm. Room 7AB.
Get Your Nerd On: Desire, Passion And The Scientific Bookstore
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Ada's Technical Books in Seattle, where everyday's a party if you love differential calculus. Courtesy of Ada's hide caption
toggle caption Courtesy of Ada's 
Ada's Technical Books in Seattle, where everyday's a party if you love differential calculus.
Courtesy of Ada's
It never seemed to be in the same place twice. After stumbling on to it by accident during my undergrad days, I seemed to lose its location time and time again. But it was easy to lose, just a door on 19th Street (or was it 17th?) between 5th and 6th Avenue. The door led to a cramped hallway and locked stairwells. Then came an ancient, cranky elevator that took you up to the 3rd floor (or was it the 4th?) and spilled out onto an empty, poorly lit hallway. It always felt creepy, like I was there for a drug deal. But in a way that is exactly why I, or anyone else, was there.
We all came to get our fix. We came to get some science books. And not just any kind of science book, mind you. We wanted the hardcore stuff and for that you needed a technical bookstore. Technical bookstores are the domain of the ultra-geek. They are places of such rapturous beauty, such all-encompassing delight that, today, I must to sing a pean to their glory.
I hope, perhaps, you will know what I mean. While I write specifically of the scientific bookstore, the same joy can be found in a cookbook store for the epicurean, the record store for the audiophile (vinyl!), the craftbook store for the knitting junkie and the comic bookstore for the hardcore fan. The word of the day is passion and it can be found in any place that stokes your inner fire.
You weren't going to find Cosmos, A Brief History of Time or The Elegant Universe on the shelves of my hidden Manhattan technical bookstore. Its cramped aisles held the kinds of volumes nobody reads unless they are a serious junky. Titles like Non-linear Differential Equations for Population Biology stood next to Vector and Tensor Analysis for Relativity which propped up Matrix Methods for Quantum Physics.
I was just beginning my training in math and physics when I found the store. As I ran my hand across the pages of those books they seemed to contain magic spells — the equations and the diagrams were a secret language I longed to read. The entire store seemed like a kind of forbidden library full of expensive, elusive and impossible knowledge (most books were over a hundred bucks, even back then). It was thrilling. Remarkably, it still is. As I learned to read those incantations, my sojourns to amongst the shelves in my favorite technical bookstores became even more intoxicating.
The pleasure of the technical/scientific bookstore is a rare and elusive thing. It's like spending your life in a foreign country, only to find a store full of books written in a native tongue that you never knew about. To find a new store can be the highlight of a trip. Over the years my friends and I have exchanged stories and the addresses of our favorite bookstore finds around the world.
There is Powell's Technical Books in Portland, Reiter's Books in D.C. and, back in the day, there was Stacey's in San Francisco. Every one of these places is (or was) magic if you are a nerd of a particular passion. The time spent camped out on the floor with an out of print version of Zel'dovich & Raizer's The Physics of Shock Waves was time spent freed from the weary concerns of the day to day. There was liberation on those bookshelves and that is where the technical bookstore has everything in common with all the other kinds of geekdom, nerdisms and obsession which can and should unite us all.
The brutal truth is we just find ourselves in this life and, worse, we find it full of sorrow and hardship. Taken on its own, that fact might crush us. But along with the love of others we can also find enthusiasm. We can find passion. That passion might be for science. It might be for 1920s Blues recordings, great detective novels or mastering the subtle art of woodworking. In all its diverse forms we can take the bounty of the world around us and make something of it for ourselves. We can throw our time and attention into some small corner of the Universe's infinite mansions. Once there, and with help of others who share our passion, we can enter the palace of the dorks and, without guile or shame or irony, we can become little kids again, delighting in the world and delighting in delight!
Last spring my son and daughter, both budding dorks themselves, introduced me to Ada's technical bookstore in Seattle. In an Amazon.com era, when the technical bookstore seems like an anachronism, here was the idea reborn. A comfortable, hipper version of the concept, mixing comics, sci-fi and computer-language manuals. Together we spent an hour in the store drooling over all the titles we wanted. When we finally left the store it was with a bag full of books and the anticipation of hours of delight ahead of us.
You can keep up with more of what Adam Frank is thinking on Facebook and on Twitter: @AdamFrank4
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