Comic-Con founder Shel Dorf used two 35mm film cameras and a medium-format film camera to shoot pictures at Comic-Con in its early years. Greg Koudoulian has digitized over 900 of Shel's photos. Shel was a photojournalist at the Detroit Free Press from 1953 to 1968 and created the Detroit Triple Fan Fair before moving to San Diego. David Glanzer and Greg will discover old pals from decades ago during this photo slide show presentation and discussion.
Friday March 28, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Room 211
Spiritual themes continue to be an essential element in comic books, television, and movies, ranging from the Netflix series Arcane to the Disney+ series Agatha All Along. This panel examines how these themes have influenced the entertainment industry and the culture at large. Panelists are B. Dave Walters (actor), Scott Marcano (Diablo Publishing), Casey Robin (Disney), Matthew Agosto (pastor), and Ralph Miley (New Creation Comics), moderated by Kyle Keene.
Friday March 28, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm PDT
Room 211
Rand Hoppe (founder and director) and Tracy Kirby (Jack Kirby’s granddaughter) discuss the museum’s efforts, events, and impact. See videos of Kirby and scans of rare original art and pencil art photocopies. The museum’s new edition of the color Sky Masters Sunday strips and future Kirby Museum Press offerings will be shown as well.
Friday March 28, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Room 211
Traverse three global icons with Comic-Con Museum: Learn about the U.S. premiere of Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder: Where Science Meets Fiction! Be the first to hear about other exciting exhibitions opening this spring from Rita Vandergaw (executive director, Comic-Con Museum) and Eddie Ibrahim (senior director of programming, WonderCon and Comic-Con International).
Friday March 28, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
Room 211
New York Times bestselling and Eisner Award–nominated writer Sam Maggs (Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars) discusses writing across mediums, genres, and IPs in this fandom-forward one-on-one interview with Dani Carr (Critical Role: The Chronicles of Exandria)
Sam Maggs is a New York Times bestselling author of books, comics, and video games. Her novels include Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars and The Unstoppable Wasp: Built on Hope. She’s written for games like Call of Duty: Vanguard, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, and Marvel’s Spider-Man... Read More →
Friday March 28, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm PDT
Room 211
For almost 60 years, Star Trek has boldly gone where no fandom has gone before . . . and shows no signs of slowing down. However, with so much Trek and such little time, it can be overwhelming to figure out how to enter the fandom. A panel of sci-fi and Star Trek pros compare and contrast various series from TV, film, streaming, comics, and novels and give the ultimate top ten essentials for any new Trekkie. Hosted by Tony Kim (Hero Within), with panelists Yezenia Hernandez,Giraffe,Aaron Hendricks, and WonderCon special guest Nicholas Meyer (Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell). Engage!
Nicholas Meyer’s Sherlock Holmes novel The Seven-Per-Cent Solution was a New York Times bestseller for 40 weeks and won the British Gold Dagger award for crime fiction. His screenplay for the film was nominated for an Academy Award. Six other Sherlock Holmes novels followed. Meyer... Read More →
Friday March 28, 2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Room 211
The EC Fan-Addict Club celebrates 30 years of Horror from the Crypt of Fear and 20 years of The EC Fan-Addict Fanzine. Hosts Thommy Burns (Man and Superman and Other Stories by Harvey Kurtzman, EC Covers Artist’s Edition) and Josh Burns (co-founding admin, EC Fan-Addict Club on Facebook) join EC fanzine publishers Grant Geissman (The History of EC Comics, Tales of Terror! The EC Compendium) and Bill Leach (Horror from the Crypt of Fear) in a celebration of EC fandom moderated by Mike Catron (editor, EC Artist’s Library series from Fantagraphics).
Friday March 28, 2025 7:00pm - 8:00pm PDT
Room 211
Hosted by Tim Drake (Demonetize, Bundy Manor, Funny or Die), award-winning filmmaker, writer, author, and Second City alumnus. Tim's jokes/tweets have been featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel LIVE. Tim will be joined by co-host Alex Watson (Demonetize, Bundy Manor, Star Wars Fan Film). They will be talking film, TV, and comedy.
Friday March 28, 2025 8:00pm - 9:00pm PDT
Room 211
Head out into the black with this shiny crew of panelists as they reminisce about the early days of Browncoat fandom. Learn how a shared love of Firefly's misfit crew evolved into Universal Studios’ fueling Serenity's second chance to fly—this time on the big screen. Celebrate the OB, the heroes of B3, and the formation of long-running social events for good, including "Can't Stop the Serenity" screenings and the Browncoat Ball. This salute to the fandom seeks to answer "What makes Browncoats so mighty?"
Friday March 28, 2025 9:00pm - 10:00pm PDT
Room 211
When it comes to building narratives, the best and most enduring stories are the ones that feel plausible. The more believable the story is, the more we can invest in its fantastical parts. But what happens when fictional stories become reality or when narratives have scarily similar story beats to what we’re experiencing socially, politically, or culturally? The hosts of Tangential Giants Podcast (Kareem Anderson, Patrick Kellenberger, and Ken Rolow) are joined by Arge O'Neal (film/TV editor), Magical Girl Marina (fandom, cosplay content creator), Kimberly Pace-Nieva (standup comic; actor, Open to It), and Ray-Anthony Height (creator/founder, SKYE-TIGER Studio) to talk about recent news stories and their pop culture counterparts, reasons why pop culture can be prophetic at times, and the nature of connecting fiction to reality.
Saturday March 29, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Room 211
Representation matters but comes with complications. Moderator Britton Payne (VP of business and legal affairs, Nickelodeon/Paramount) details the sometimes-troubling history of autistic characters in comic books with panelists Bex Burgess (YA graphic novel Speak Up!) and Eleanor Payne (3rd Grade Inclusion Advocate). They’ll explore how comics as a medium can foster a modern understanding of autism among its readership. Bex will also discuss their experiences as an autistic comic book creator and of creating comic books that feature an autistic main character navigating her way through high school.
Saturday March 29, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 211
For artists and writers who get “stuck”! Veteran writer/editor Barbara Randall Kesel (Hawk & Dove, Marvels Snapshots: Avengers) slings rapid-fire tips, tricks, and strategies for vanquishing those blocked brain cells and deadline demons! Part information, part motivation, all entertaining!
Saturday March 29, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Room 211
A century and a half ago, a man was born who changed the face of popular culture, writing some of the most iconic and bestselling books of the 20th century and spawning a multimedia franchise that has endured to this day: Edgar Rice Burroughs, creator of Tarzan of the Apes and John Carter of Mars! The team at Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.—James Sullos (president), Cathy Wilbanks (vice president of operations), and Christopher Paul Carey (vice president of publishing)—discuss this monumental milestone as well as announce the next wave of forthcoming Burroughs projects. Wolf Larson—writer, producer, former Tarzan TV star, and now head of ERB Entertainment—will also be on hand to discuss the company’s new entertainment division, including an ERB Universe animated TV series in development and other prospects for both the big and small screens.
Saturday March 29, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Room 211
Fans from TheOneRing.net Josh Rubinstein (former host of TORn Book Club), Kristi Fojtik (founder of Tolkien Forever), Clifford Broadway (host of TORn Tuesday), Cathy Udovch (senior features programmer at the Newport Beach Film Festival), and Nicole Roberts (TORn outreach coordinator) discuss all the new LOTR movies, TV shows, games, and books from Middle-earth. Is it all connected? Where are Tolkien stories headed after the recent releases of The War of the Rohirrim and season 2 of The Rings of Power? Hear all the news and rumors lighting up the community. Moderated by Justin Sewell (producer of TORn Tuesday).
Saturday March 29, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm PDT
Room 211
More and more, diverse cultural voices of people of color are being heard in comics today. Prism Comics, moderator Viktor Kerney (StrangeLore, We Belong), and panelists Amy Chu (Carmilla: The First Vampire,Red Sonja), Ajuan Mance (Gender Studies), William O. Tyler (Queerbait), and others discuss the contributions of queer people of color to comics and creating a more inclusive and powerful queer geek community.
Saturday March 29, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Room 211
Moderated by animation activist and educator Sam Goff, panelists examine the progress made in 2024 and the opportunities ahead in authentically representing marginalized identities on screen Searit Huluf (Pixar Spark Short: Self), David DePasquale (Invincible Fight Girl, Golden Axe), Ren Bernal (Rey Mysterio, The Harley Quinn Show), Bryan K. Turner (Justice League, Rise of the TMNT), and Rodrigo Nogueira (Blue Sky Development Deal) share their insights on creating impactful and inclusive animation content.
Saturday March 29, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
Room 211
Do titles like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Sword Art Online, or Mashle: Magic and Muscles make your otaku heart skip a beat? Then, you don’t want to miss this panel, which brings you the latest news on all your favorite Aniplex shows.
Saturday March 29, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm PDT
Room 211
Eric Moss (co-founder and COO, Zoop), Kris Longo (CEO and publisher, Panick Entertainment), and Shannon Eric Denton (founder, Monster Forge Productions) discuss everything you want to know about crowdfunding comics, including the growth of crowdfunding, how it’s helping fill the void in today’s comic market, tips, experiences, stories, and more. Moderated by Jordan Plosky (co-founder and CEO, Zoop).
Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Room 211
For centuries, people shared stories to explain the world and our place in it. But in a public sphere that’s increasingly online, storytellers are no longer tribal elders or Hollywood screenwriters. They’re marketers, political strategists, and troll farms weaving stories designed to misinform, mislead, and manipulate. So what can consumers do about it? Using humorous comic art from his graphic novel, author Samuel C. Spitale (How to Win the War on Truth) will provide a crash course in media literacy to help concerned citizens become more savvy media consumers.
Saturday March 29, 2025 7:00pm - 8:00pm PDT
Room 211
Franco Te (co-creator, Tee No Evil), Paolo Encarnacion (artist, PaoWorks), Chris Kawagiwa (ADG 800 senior artist, creator of Sunless Circus comics), Ralph Miranda (ADG 800 senior artist, co-creator of Oh, Bubba Lu!), and a panel of industry vets share tips on spotting red flags in messaging and contracts. They’ll also reveal the scams they’ve encountered (and some they've fallen for) to help creatives guard themselves and ensure getting treated and paid fairly.
Saturday March 29, 2025 8:00pm - 9:00pm PDT
Room 211
Yvonne Hunt welcomes Darrell Utley (actor, Days of Our Lives), Awet Moges (artist, Pantheon), Larry Andersen (creative, TheSwelmetGuy), and T. L. Forsberg (songwriter, Of This I’m Sure) to discuss the current state of deaf representation in popular culture. Moderated by Brandon Carmedy.
Sunday March 30, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Room 211
How effective has the Christian church been in reaching out to the pop culture community? Where has the Christian church fallen short, and how can it improve? Fans, pastors, and church leaders discuss tested strategies to reach the pop culture community with the love of God. Featuring pastor Alexander James (author), Joe Queen (Geeky Guys/Gals 4 God), Karyn Keene (educator), Bryan Hero (Spirit Knight), Pastor Christopher Stewart (Jesus House), and moderator Kyle Keene.
Sunday March 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 211
Authors and writers Janina Scarlet (Dark Agents,SuperheroTherapy), Megan Haskell (Aether Bound,Forged in Shadow), and John W. Wells III (The Kalib Andrews Chronicles) share words of wisdom and tales from the trenches to help you put pen to paper and fingers to keys to start writing that novel that's been simmering in your head. Moderated by independent comic artist and illustrator (and soon-to-be first-time author) Vince Alvendia (Dark Agents,Horrorgasm).
Sunday March 30, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Room 211
How can comics and culture fight back against homophobia and transphobia? Can poking fun at political figures influence their opinions? Can satire in comics change the way people think about the queer community? Prism Comics, moderator Tara Madison Avery (Prism Comics, Stacked Deck Press), and panelists Liam Coballes (The Out Side, Yu Yu Hakusho), Nicole Maines (Bad Dream, Secret Six, Supergirl), Knave Murdok (TransCat, We're Still Here), Megan Praz (One More Year, Contested Strip), Sonya Saturday (The Greatest Thing You've Ever Seen in Your Life, J.K. Rowling and the Ungrateful Fans), William O. Tyler (We Belong, Anxious Ax), and Shing Yin Khor (The Legend of Auntie Po, American Dream? A Journey on Route 66) discuss these and other topics of social activism in comics.
Sunday March 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Room 211
Japanese Queer media (Yaoi, BL, Yuri, and GL) has grown in popularity with an incredibly devoted fandom. What are the earliest depictions of Japanese queer media? How has it evolved? Panelists discuss this subgenre and how it is being challenged today.
Sunday March 30, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm PDT
Room 211
Professional collector and Smithsonian Advisory Board member Doug Dreier (founder of DCDcollects) brings his decades of experience creating and overseeing some of the largest private collections. Curator Trevor Hocking and artist Lee Kohse (Lucasfilm, Kindergoth, Image Comics) share their experiences collecting. What to collect? How to start your collection on a budget? How to avoid market disruptions and when to collect? What makes something collectible? Bring your best questions about collecting and art.
Sunday March 30, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Room 211
Gretchen Schreiber (Ellie Haycock Is Totally Normal), Emery Lee (Meet Cute Diary), Elle Jauffret (Threads of Deception), Dennis K Crosby (Kassidy Simmons series), and Dr. Billy San Juan (Supernatural Psychology) explore how distinctive backgrounds and unusual experiences become storytelling strengths, enhancing character depth and creating authentic fiction that resonates with readers.
Sunday March 30, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
Room 211
