WonderCon 2025: Full Schedule

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1:00pm PDT

Small Print Comics 101

Friday March 28, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

Room 210

TBA.

Friday March 28, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Room 210

1: Programs

2:00pm PDT

Comics Arts Conference Session #1: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility . . . and Trauma

Friday March 28, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm PDT

Room 210

“With great power comes great responsibility," according to Spider-Man comics. However, it also comes with great trauma as well. Spider-Man faces a great deal of trauma that he must overcome, both in and out of his mask. This panel considers how Spider-Man handles his trauma and builds his resiliency. Using the classic Amazing Spider-Man story "Spider-Man No More!," Daniel J. Kim (PopMythology.com) will discuss how Peter Parker's dilemma in the story reflects the tendency of neoliberal ideology to place the burden of endless resilience onto individual heroes, many of whom are already overburdened with the trauma of surviving in an individualist society. Alex Langley (Spider-Man Psychology: Untangling Webs) will discuss issues of resilience and trauma in The Amazing Spider-Man #33, "If This Be My Destiny," and Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #310. Shelly Clevenger (Sam Houston State University) will discuss how Peter Parker dealt with the death of his beloved Gwen Stacy and how trauma played a role in his ability to cope with that loss. Panelists will identify the unique ways in which trauma and resiliency are linked in these comics.

Friday March 28, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm PDT
Room 210

1: Programs

3:30pm PDT

Comics Arts Conference Session #2: Comics Under Fire: Navigating Censorship and Resistance in Education

Friday March 28, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

Room 210

During the 2023–2024 school year, book bans in U.S. schools surged significantly, and a notable portion of these bans targeted graphic novels and comics. As censorship movements continue to escalate, comics educators face increasing challenges in integrating graphic narratives into curricula. From book bannings targeting beloved comics to navigating administrations and departments skeptical of their academic value, the landscape for teaching comics is fraught with obstacles. Peter Carlson (Green Dot Public Schools), Susan Kirtley (Portland State University), and Antero Garcia (Stanford University) hold a discussion reflecting on these pressing issues and exploring strategies for resilience and advocacy in K–12 and post-secondary contexts. They’ll examine the evolving role of comics in education, highlight successes despite adversity, and brainstorm actionable solutions to ensure comics continue to inspire critical thinking and engagement for learners of all ages.

Friday March 28, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Room 210

1: Programs

4:30pm PDT

Comics Arts Conference Session #3: After 50 Years, Why Do Spidey Super Stories Comics Still Matter to Autistic Kids and Everybody Else?

Friday March 28, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT

Room 210

In the fall of 1974, the prestigious Children’s Television Workshop teamed up with Marvel Comics to publish the Electric Company Spidey Super Stories comic books. The simple, fun, diverse, and relatively nonviolent stories were designed to help 6- to 10-year-olds learn to read, and they have aged surprisingly well. Panel moderator Britton Payne (Nickelodeon), artist and editor John Jennings (MEGASCOPE, Marvel Super Stories), and speech and language therapist Hannah Bogen Novak discuss the origin of the venture, the structure of the stories, the “far-out” concepts (including the first black Spider-Woman, Spider-Man vs. Jaws, and the infamous Thanos-Copter), and the modern developmental value of the 57-issue run and its impact on modern comics for kids.

Friday March 28, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
Room 210

1: Programs

5:30pm PDT

From Concept to Reality: A Creative's Journey into Unreal Engine and Blender 3D

Friday March 28, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT

Room 210

Stephen Burns (3D artist, author), Nikolai Svakhin (Adobe 3D engineer), and Eric Huelsman (Studio Arts Los Angeles) demonstrate the possibilities of using Blender 3D to design and create concepts that aid in telling great stories. Get a comprehensive exploration of Unreal Engine and Blender, two powerhouse tools renowned for their ability to turn concepts into interactive and visually stunning realities. Participants will be guided through the entire creative process, from conceptualizing ideas to mastering the intricacies of Blender's 3D modeling, texturing, and animation, followed by the seamless integration and interactivity provided by Unreal Engine.

Friday March 28, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
Room 210

1: Programs, Art and Illustration, Education, Seminars & Workshops

6:30pm PDT

Comic Book Law School®: An Intellectual Property Primer for Creators and Businesses

Friday March 28, 2025 6:30pm - 7:30pm PDT

Room 210

Copyright and trademark are a cornerstone of protection for creators and businesses (whether in comics or otherwise) of their creative works and product branding. With the demand for content continuing to soar, and with more ways to both create and also fund your works than ever, creators will find themselves with myriad opportunities and options for getting their creative works in front of an audience. But beware: with every advancement comes the need for caution, as potential pitfalls abound. More than ever, knowledge of your rights will play a vital role in reaching success in this constantly shifting landscape. Fortunately for you, Jennifer Walters, Foggy Nelson, and Wolff and Byrd aren’t the only lawyers available to the superhero set, as WonderCon once again brings back noted IP attorney Michael Lovitz (author of The Trademark and Copyright Book comic book), joined by USD School of Law Professor Monica Sullivan to discuss the basics of intellectual property rights that every creator (and business owner) should know. They’ll address issues such as the ownership and protection of ideas, what exactly copyrights and trademarks are, how to acquire copyrights and trademark rights, and the application of those rights to works of authorship, characters, and names. (Please Note: The Comic Book Law School® seminars are designed to provide relevant information and practice tips to practicing attorneys, as well as practical tips to creators and other professionals who may wish to attend. However, the seminar is presented for information and entertainment purposes only, and the information presented and opinions expressed at the seminars do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such.) [This program is approved for one (1) credit of California MCLE.]

Friday March 28, 2025 6:30pm - 7:30pm PDT
Room 210

1: Programs, Animation, Art and Illustration, Books, Cartooning and Comic Strips, Comics, Education, Fandom, Games, Movies, Seminars & Workshops, Television, Video Games, Web, Writers & Writing

7:30pm PDT

Concept to Creation: A Writers Forum

Friday March 28, 2025 7:30pm - 8:30pm PDT

Room 210

Are you passionate about writing, creating, and storytelling? Do you have a book, script, or idea in need of some TLC? Join creative professionals in an engaging, audience-led discussion designed for independent authors, creators, and artists like you! April Wahlin (author, Pandora Syndrome; reality show winner, Search for the Next Elvira) is joined by Chris Gore (creator, Film Threat, Attack of the Doc), Laurine Price (producer and writer, Phoenix), Jessica Maison (author and comics publisher, Wicked Tree Press; Plastic Girl Trilogy, Mary Shelley’s School for Monsters), Aristotle Dreher (content creator and performer, Aristotle Full Throttle, The Stoning Rolls), Dr. Travis Langley (writer, Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight, The Handmaid's Tale Psychology: Seeing Off Red), Alex Langley (writer, Spider-Man Psychology, The Geek Handbook series), and Cosmoe Tayson (producer, The Cosmoe Show; host, Delulu Canoe Podcast).

Friday March 28, 2025 7:30pm - 8:30pm PDT
Room 210

1: Programs, Action/Adventure, Books, Comics, Education, Games, Writers & Writing, Horror and Suspense, Humor & Satire, Movies, Mysteries & Crime Dramas, Podcasts, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Seminars & Workshops, Superheroes, Technology - Science - STEM, Television, W

8:30pm PDT

How to Use Hypnotic Language for Dynamic Storytelling

Friday March 28, 2025 8:30pm - 9:30pm PDT

Room 210

Being able to tell engaging stories is an art form. But what if you had specific techniques to capture an audience’s attention? Learn how to hypnotize your audience as certified hypnotherapist Grant Offenberger (Grant Me Peace: Hypnotherapy, Talk Is Jericho) moderates this panel of storytellers who will share their techniques for engaging an audience’s attention. Featuring Maria Kanellis (WWE, Playboy), Jon Allen (Rick and Morty, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure), Tim Chizmar (Comedy Central, FilmThreat Best Indie Horror Film 2024 winner), and Murray Sawchuck (Pawn Stars, Masters of Illusion on CW).

Friday March 28, 2025 8:30pm - 9:30pm PDT
Room 210

1: Programs