As schools struggle to ensure that students are not left behind in the learning process and to extend curriculum to challenge more advanced students, educators must adapt their classrooms to the developing needs of their students. Join in for a talk about visual literacy and the advantages of using sequential art to help connect with students and convey difficult concepts with ease.
How do fictional feminist narratives inform and inspire? The future is female, as reflected in the Women's March, a new Wonder Woman feature film, and a slew of bestselling authors writing empowering stories of women in charge. Maryelizabeth Yturralde (Mysterious Galaxy) leads the conversation with Kiersten White (Now I Rise), Nnedi Okorafor (Akata Witch, Akata Warrior), Sarah Tarkoff (Sinless), Laurie Forest (The Black Witch), Gregory Scott Katsoulis (All Rights Reserved), and Dana Fredsti (The Spawn of Lilith).
Friday July 21, 2017 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 25ABC
While the category has enjoyed tremendous popularity in recent years, kids' graphic novels are not a recent phenomenon. What classic titles or series should librarians have on their shelves to provide historical context and a complete survey of the medium? This will be an illimunating discussion moderated by Dawn Rutherford (branch manager, Brier Library), with panelists Jenny McCluskey (collection development librarian for Ingram Library Services LLC), Alea Perez (chair of YALSA's Great Graphic Novels for Teens Committee), Carla Riemer, and Mark Siegel (editorial director, First Second).
Jim Sullos (president, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.), Cathy Wilbanks (vice president of operations, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.), Alexander Simmons (creator/writer, BlackJack), and James Kuhoric (American Mythology Productions) discuss Edgar Rice Burroughs's famous literary heroes as well as forthcoming comics, novels, role-playing games, and more based on Tarzan of the Apes, John Carter of Mars, Pellucidar, and Poloda, Beyond the Farthest Star. Moderated by Scott Tracy Griffin, author of Tarzan on Film (Titan Books, 2016) and director of special projects for Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.
Friday July 21, 2017 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 29AB
Get ready, rebels! Bestselling, fan-favorite authors Christian Blauvelt (Star Wars Made Easy), Cullen Bunn (Star Wars: Darth Maul), Christie Golden (Battlefront II: Inferno Squad), Claudia Gray (Leia: Princess of Alderaan), Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Star Wars Jedi Academy: The Force Oversleeps), Cavan Scott (Star Wars Adventures), Beth Revis (Star Wars:Rebel Rising), and Landry Walker (Star Wars Adventures) discuss their latest stories set in a galaxy far, far away. Also featured will be exclusive sneak peeks at upcoming stories, surprise guests, and giveaways exclusive to SDCC. Moderated by Lucasfilm's Michael Siglain.
Friday July 21, 2017 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Room 7AB
Locke & Key artist/co-creator Gabriel Rodríguez is launching his first-ever fully creator-owned, written, and drawn series, Sword of Ages, this fall. Hear all about the new series, future Locke & Key plans in print and TV, Gabriel's decade-plus at IDW, and a special announcement or two. All that and a free Sword of Ages preview comic for all in attendance! Moderated by IDW CCO Chris Ryall.
Friday July 21, 2017 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Room 23ABC
UPDATED: Fri, Jul 14, 05:31PM The authors behind some of your favorite middle-grade graphic fiction discuss creating stories with strong, positive female characters and the importance of overcoming the lingering perception that comics are only for boys. Featuring Nidhi Chanani (Pashmina), Victoria Jamieson (Roller Girl, Great Pet Caper series), Jenni Holm (Babymouse series), Molly Ostertag (The Witch Boy), and Raina Telgemeier (Ghosts). Moderated by Brigid Alverson (writer and reviewer, Good Comics for Kids).
UPDATED: Fri, Jul 14, 05:33PM Combining text and image can make difficult or abstract subject matter more appealing, winning over even the most reluctant reader. Learn how nonfiction graphic novels and graphic memoirs can be used to supplement lessons in STEM and history and bring awareness to underheard and marginalized perspectives in the classroom. Panelists include Mairghread Scott (Science Comics: Robots), Thi Bui (The Best We Could Do), Nathan Hale (One Trick Pony), Tillie Walden (Spinning), and Alison Wilgus (Science Comics: Flying Machines). Moderated by Heidi MacDonald (Publishers Weekly, ComicsBeat.com).
The often talked about but rarely understood art of world building is unraveled in this panel. World building requires different skills than scripting and illustration; the world itself becomes a character and needs to be mapped out in ways that create clear structure and flexibility. Comics, prose, and video game writer Andy Schmidt (Comics Experience, Marvel) and comics artist and designer Reilly Brown (Marvel, Dark Horse) offer a presentation of a world built just for this panel and all the behind-the-scenes info they can pack into an hour.
UPDATED: Mon, Jul 17, 06:44PM Get answers to all of your questions about publishing and Hollywood in this frank and forthcoming panel with literary agent Holly Root (Root Literary agency), publicist Kristin Dwyer (Leo PR), editor Adam Wilson (Simon & Schuster, Gallery/Gallery 13), literary agent Jane Putch (Eyebait Management), Sean Berard (Agency for the Performing Arts), and moderator Nathan Bransford (author of How to Write a Novel). They will take your questions and discuss the wild world of publishing and screenwriting. No pitches, please.
Friday July 21, 2017 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Room 24ABC
Meet children's book and graphic novel superstars as they discuss how they create the heroes, characters, and books that kids love from Goosebumps to Jedi Academy. Featuring Jarrett Krosoczka (Star WarsJedi Academy), Lucas Turnbloom and Greg Grunberg (Dream Jumper), R. L. Stine (Goosebumps), Jennifer Holm and Matt Holm (Swing it, Sunny), and Molly Ostertag (The Witch Boy).
Friday July 21, 2017 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
Room 23ABC
Talk with publishers about how graphic novels are doing at your library and what they should know based on the feedback from your community. With Robin Herrera (editor, Oni Press), Gina Gagliano (marketing and publicity manager, First Second), and Mallory Loehr (SVP/publisher, Random House Books for Young Readers), moderated by Alea Perez (chair of YALSA's Great Graphic Novels for Teens Committee).
C. B. Lee (Not Your Sidekick and Not Your Villain), Danika Stone (All the Feels and Internet Famous), and Holly West (Swoon Reads and Feiwel & Friends editor) share their love of fandom, pop culture, and comics in a lit-focused Q&A on writing, publishing, and most important, the fans!
Friday July 21, 2017 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
Room 24ABC
What makes a great monster or just plain psycho-antagonist? Creators divulge how they come up with fantastic villains and which characters can claim the best villain award. Why do some win our hearts while others creep us out? Genese Davis (The Holder's Dominion), Brian Pinkerton (Abducted), Susan Spann (Betrayal at IGA), and Eric Kieron Davis (Star Citizen) will share their perspectives and creative processes, including what key ingredients they focus on when creating vicious characters.
Anne Sowards (executive editor, Ace/Roc), Rebecca Brewer (associate editor, Ace/Roc), and Erin Berger (Penguin Young Readers Group) give you the dish on forthcoming books from their authors and licensed properties, such as William Gibson, Marie Lu, Stephen Donaldson, Renee Ahdieh, Patricia Briggs, Stephane Perkins, Ilona Andrews, Traci Chee, Brendan Reichs, Rachel Caine, and many more. You can expect giveaways like finished books or advanced reading copies.
Friday July 21, 2017 7:00pm - 8:00pm PDT
Room 23ABC
Award-winning science fiction authors, a scientist/futurist, screenwriters, and actors talk about alien civilizations and how to design alien species, ships, and societies for use in storytelling. Featuring Gail Carriger (The Parasol Protectorate series, The Custard Protocol series), David Decio (Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2), Rebekah R. Ganiere (Fairelle series, president of Fantasy Futuristic and Paranormal RWA chapter), Mark O’Bannon (The Dream Crystal, Pirates of the Imperium), Jimmy Diggs (Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: DS9), David Brin (The Uplift War, Kiln People), and Charles Holloway (Alien Worlds, The End). Moderated by James Ganiere (chief editor, Fallen Angel Press; CEO, Rio Vista Universal).
While many writers and artists incorporate their favorite pop culture characters, stories, and universes into their work, some have made the leap from ardent fan to published creator. Come hear the stories of authors and artists who have taken their fan obsessions and turned them into books that further inspire and entertain fans worldwide. Find out how their popular works came to be, what it’s like creating with pop culture icons, and how these works have opened new opportunities for them. Moderator April Whitney (Chronicle Books) talks with Jeffrey Brown (Darth Vader and Son,Star Wars:Jedi Academy), Tim Leong (Star Wars Super Graphic), Scott Koblish (Deadpool, The Many Deaths of Scott Koblish), Jenny Parks (Star Trek Cats), and Brandon Bird (Brandon Bird’s Astonishing World of Art).
Friday July 21, 2017 7:30pm - 8:30pm PDT
Room 24ABC
Orty Ortwein of the Ray Bradbury Museum, Inc. will talk about Bradbury’s career in comics. Learn about the legendary writer’s life-long love of comics, from his boyhood in Waukegan, IL, to his adaptations in EC Comics, to his hand in starting the very first San Diego Comic-Con. Even die-hard fans of Bradbury will find out many little-known facts about the author.
Friday July 21, 2017 7:30pm - 8:30pm PDT
Room 26AB
With the ability to build massive interactive video game worlds and the rise of virtual reality technology, creators now have the ability to tell complex and immersive stories that can span hundreds or even thousands of hours. This group of panelists will discuss how creators can turn a story concept into a boundless world inhabited by countless threads of drama and adventure. Moderator Neo Edmund (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the Red Riding Alpha Huntress series) is joined by Andrew Robinson (senior writer at Blizzard Entertainment, Overwatch), James Waugh (VP development, LucasFilm), Micky Neilson (New York Times bestselling author, World of Warcraft: Ashbringer,The Howling), and Jonathan Callan (writer, Justice League Action; senior writer, Survios).
Co-creator Sandy King Carpenter (They Live, Vampires), writer James Ninness (John Carpenter’s Tales for a Halloween Night, Dust), and letterer Janice Chiang (Conan the Barbarian, Transfomers) talk about the origin of the newest title from award-winning comic publisher Storm King Comics. Storm King is the first place to see new comic worlds from the mind of John Carpenter.
Friday July 21, 2017 8:00pm - 9:00pm PDT
Room 28DE
Hollywood experts will reveal their “what not to do” lists for writers and those interested in an entertainment career. Panelists include, Silvia Olivas (co-executive producer, Elena of Avalor), Deric A. Hughes (co-executive producer, MTV's Scream,The Flash), Carole Kirschner (director of WGA Showrunner Training Program), Rob Greenlea (director, The Flash, Supergirl), Kristi Shuton (manager, Disney ABC creative talent development and inclusion), and others. Exclusive “don’t” lists for network writing fellowship/program applicants will also be shared as well as advice on how you can advance diversity and social change with your scripts. Moderated by Ken Choy (Wide Lantern).
Friday July 21, 2017 8:00pm - 9:00pm PDT
Room 32AB
Creator Dave Kellett (Drive, Sheldon) leads the first SDCC behind-the-scenes look at the fan-favorite sci-fi series. And since Drive was nominated for Best Long-Form Comic by the National Cartoonists Society, you’ll be getting sneak peeks of what’s ahead in that long-form story as well as hearing about the new hardcover premiering this weekend at SDCC. Moderated by past CCI “Best Documentary” director Fred Schroeder (Stripped).
