Bob Gale, creator of the Back To The Future film franchise, was at the San Diego Comic Art Gallery, as part of the series, "Crossover: Where Comics And Science meet". For this series, IDW publishing teamed up with the Fleet Science Center to bring together local scientists and comic book creators to discuss the current body of scientific knowledge as it relates to themes in the comics. The panel discussion is then followed by an open forum, addressing the creative and scientific sides of comics, & audience Q&A.
The first conversation of the four-part series too place Friday, March 24th. The featured comic book series was Back To The Future, and the science discussed was around the possibility of time travel. The panel consisted of:
Bob Gale: creator of the Back to the Future movie franchise, and co-writer of the Back To The Future comic book series
John Barber: co-comic writer, with Bob Gale, on the Back To The Future comic book series
Dr. Lisa Will: associate professor for physics and astronomy at the San Diego City College and the Fleet's resident astronomer, and
Daniel Klein: graduate student in physics at UCSD
Three De Loreans were parked beside the entrance to the San Diego Comic Art Gallery, setting the stage for the lively conversation. The Gallery was packed full of Back To The Future Fans, who were treated to lots of insider information on the films from Bob Gale. Gale discussed how he got the idea for the story in the first film, stating he had been visiting his parents and came across his father's high school yearbook. Gale went to the same high school as his parents, and he started looking through the yearbook to see what his school had been like in the 1940's. In looking through, Gale saw that his father had been class president. Gale said he hated the person who was the his class president and, upon learning that his father had been one, Gale started thinking about what his dad had been like in high school, and whether or not he would have liked his dad. The rest, as they say, is history.
Some of the other questions Gale answered regarding the films were: why did he choose a De Lorean as the vehicle for time travel (it was Robert Zemeckis' idea), and the fact that the original Back To The Future screenplay was rejected over 40 times in the course of 4 years before finally being picked up.
In regard to time travel, the scientists pointed out that we are all time travelling into the future every moment of the day - as part of the natural course of time. So, the question is, can we get to the future BEFORE, or faster, than we would naturally get there over the course of normal time. From this premise, some of the science questions addressed were:
1) Can we control travel in time? For example, if we could time travel could we control whether it is into the past, or the future? Choose specific dates to move to?
2) Does physics allow travel into the past?
3) Will we ever have true hover boards?
It was truly an entertaining, and informative, evening with great audience participation. BONUS: attendees received issue 1 of the Back To The Future comic book, craft beer (2 per person) was provided by Wavelength Brewery, and there were pizza and snacks to munch on as well!
There are 3 more talks coming up. They are all for adults 21+ only. Events will be held:
Location: San Diego Comic Art Gallery, 2765 Truxtun Road, Barracks 3, Liberty Station, San Diego, CA 92106
Cost: $15 per event.
For more information, click here:http://www.rhfleet.org/events/crossover-where-comics-and-science-meet
Labels: Comics & Graphic Novels
