San Diego Comic-Con International 2016 Guests, Dates, Tickets And ...

It's almost time for Comic-Con International again, when the eyes and feet of geeks the world over will be turned towards the annual event for the latest news from their favourite films, television shows and comics.

Whether you're lucky enough to be heading down yourselves or just planning to sit at the internet waiting for the reports and announcements to come flooding in, here's everything you need to know about San Diego Comic-Con 2016.

San Diego Comic-Con: Sunday's biggest news

Comic-Con 2016 news: Sunday's biggest exclusives, reveals and trailers

San Diego Comic-Con: Saturday's biggest news

Comic-Con 2016 news: Saturday's 10 biggest exclusives, reveals and trailers

San Diego Comic-Con: Friday's biggest news

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San Diego Comic-Con: Thursday's biggest news

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San Diego Comic-Con dates: A very long weekend

The proceedings kick off on the night of Wednesday July 20 for Preview Night, which runs from 6-9pm PST (2am - 5am GMT).

Then things get into full swing on Thursday July 21, taking over the San Diego Convention Center until Sunday July 24.

How to get San Diego Comic-Con tickets

We're sorry to say you're fresh out of luck if you don't have a ticket yet. Comic-Con ticket sales are notoriously hectic, and this year they were gone in record time – just under an hour on February 20. And hotel rooms have pretty much gone the same way too.

However, all is not entirely lost if you're staying in the area but without a ticket, because like bees to some spectacularly juicy flowers, Comic-Con attracts its share of unofficial events to San Diego each year. Celebrity nerd Conan O'Brien is returning for more shows in the city; Gam3rcon 2016 will also be taking place (with tickets still available); there's the free Star Trek: 50 Artists, 50 Years exhibition; the Suicide Squad Belle Reve Penitentiary experience at the Hard Rock Hotel; Entertainment Weekly's Con-X event and much more besides.

The annual zombie walk will also return in 2016, a fan event which sees hundreds of fans get zombied-up and lurch about the streets of San Diego which takes place on the evening on Saturday 23 July.

And there's always the opportunity to watch the crowds of cosplayers flooding the streets and play the 'Who are you dressed as?' game from a convenient perch.

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San Diego Comic-Con guests and panels: Film and TV

We've got the official schedule for Comic-Con 2016 and here are the highlights.

Kicking off on Wednesday, July 20, there will be exclusive screenings of new US TV pilots: Riverdale, Powerless, People of Earth, Frequency and Time After Time - plus a new episode of Teen Titans Go!

On Thursday, July 21, there will be panels for Snowden, The Strain, Teen Wolf, Marvel's next big TV show Luke Cage, Mr Robot and Comedy Central's Drunk History.

Things are really getting busy on Friday, July 22, with events for The Walking Dead (with the promise of a season 7 trailer), Fear the Walking Dead, a conversation with Joss Whedon courtesy of Dark Horse Comics, South Park, Preacher, The Big Bang Theory, iZombie, Scream Queens, Orphan Black, Archer, Neil Gaiman's American Gods and the world premiere of Batman: The Killing Joke.

On Saturday, July 23, come the big ones: Marvel Studios' panel - featuring Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 and Doctor Strange - and Warner Bros' panel - featuring Wonder Woman, LEGO Batman, Kong: Skull Island, King Arthur and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

There's also the Aliens: 30th Anniversary celebration - with appearances from James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver - Once Upon a Time, The Simpsons, The Vampire Diaries, Supergirl, The Flash and Arrow, as well as Entertainment Weekly's Women Who Kick Ass with Morena Baccarin (Gotham), Melissa Benoist (Supergirl), Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones), Lucy Lawless (Ash vs Evil Dead), Tatian Maslany (Orphan Black), Connie Nielsen (Wonder Woman) and Ming-Na Wen (Marvel's Agents of SHIELD).

Things will wrap up on Sunday, July 24, with Sherlock, Supernatural, Prison Break, 24: Legacy, Pokémon GO and an interactive Buffy: Once More with Feeling musical.

Beyond that, Wonder Woman is celebrating her 75th anniversary at the event, so keep an eye out for her Invisible Jet. And despite anything in the schedule, Ben Affleck has said that he'll be there to represent Justice League.

93-year-old comics legend Stan Lee will of course be there for his 87th consecutive Comic-Con. Check out the official website for a comprehensive list of writers, artists, YouTubers and so on.

And of course the comics industry's annual Eisner Awards will be announced, as ever, on the Friday evening.

Who won't be at San Diego Comic-Con

Despite the planned premiere of Mark Hamill's Pop Culture Quest, not to mention him reprising his long-standing role as the voice of the Joker in The Killing Joke, Mark Hamill won't be showing up at Comic-Con this year.

Nor will 20th Century Fox have any movies to push in San Diego.

And Outlander fans will have to look elsewhere for their fix of time-travelling period shenanigans.

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Hugh ArmitageHugh Armitage is Movies Editor at Digital Spy.