Creators in the industry about the progression of Asian representation and where it stands today. Christopher Sean (actor, Days of Our Lives, Ultraman Rising), Tony Moy (artist, 4Forty2nd Lost Battalion), Anjali Bhimani (actor/author, Overwatch, Ms. Marvel), and Mog Park (artist, storyboard, Game of Thrones) will discuss what inspired them growing up and what they hope to see going forward. Moderated by Justin Otero (cosplayer).
Friday March 28, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
Often spoken of in the same breath as directors Orson Welles and Sam Fuller, Will Eisner was influenced by, and an influence on, the dark, moody cinema genre known as Film Noir. From the innovative storytelling in the pages of TheSpirit as he stalked the shadows of Central City to the dramatic storytelling found in the recently revived John Law, and even to the dramatic flavor of graphic novels like To the Heart of the Storm, Eisner infused his stories with intense visual and thematic mood. Discussing Eisner’s walk on the dark side are Charles Hatfield (CSU Northridge), Scott Dunbier (Act 4 Publishing), and Jim Thompson (Duke University). Danny Fingeroth (Jack Ruby: The Many Faces of Oswald’s Assassin) moderates.
Danny Fingeroth is a cultural historian and commentator. His books include Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us About Ourselves and Our Society and Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero. His 2019 biography of Stan Lee, A Marvelous... Read More →
Friday March 28, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
Did you ever want to write cartoons? Or just want to know how it’s done? Well, here’s a panel for you! Some folks who’ve written some of your favorite shows will fill you in on what they do, how they do it, and how they got to do it—plus they’ll answer your questions about the art of creating scripts for animation. Brynne Chandler (Disney’s Gargoyles), Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series), and John Semper (Spider-Man: The Animated Series) are hosted by moderator Mark Evanier (The Garfield Show).
Mark Evanier attended his first San Diego Comic-Con in 1970 and has been to every one of these annual events ever since. He was then an assistant to the great Jack Kirby, whom he wrote about in his book Kirby, King of Comics. Mark has also written for live-action TV shows, animated... Read More →
Friday March 28, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera were the kings of TV animation for decades, especially on Saturday mornings. Their studio produced countless childhood favorites, including The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Scooby Doo, Yogi Bear, Space Ghost, Top Cat, Quick Draw McGraw, Jonny Quest, The Smurfs, Superfriends, and dozens of others. Come hear all about what went on in the hallowed halls of Hanna-Barbera from writers Mark Evanier and John Semper (who worked at that studio) and animation historians Jerry Beck and Greg Ehrbar.
Mark Evanier attended his first San Diego Comic-Con in 1970 and has been to every one of these annual events ever since. He was then an assistant to the great Jack Kirby, whom he wrote about in his book Kirby, King of Comics. Mark has also written for live-action TV shows, animated... Read More →
Friday March 28, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
Set decorators, assemble! Being the set decorator on a Marvel film or TV show is a career highlight. Set decorators from Loki (Claudia Bonfe), Miss Marvel (Karuna Karmarkar), Agent Carter (Ellen Totleben), and others share the joys and the unique struggles of creating sets for some of the comic book world’s biggest screen adaptations.
Friday March 28, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
Queer horror as a film genre has exploded in the last five years, but LGBTQ horror content has been part of the cinema landscape since the very beginning. Prism Comics and moderator Sean Abley (Fangoria contributor, Socket writer/director, creator/co-editor of Queer Horror: A Film Guide) hosts book contributors Calpernia Addams (Transamerican Love Story, Peabody Award–winning author), Michael Varrati (Midnight Mass podcast with Peaches Christ, There’s a Zombie Outside), and Molly Henery (The Blogging Banshee, Uterus Horror for Certified Forgotten); film director and author Sam Irvin (Elvira’s Haunted Hills, Captain Samouflage and the Frankensam Scam!); and cover artist and filmmaker Brendan Haley (The Jessica Cabin,Fangoria Chainsaw Awards).
Friday March 28, 2025 6:30pm - 7:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
John Wells III (The Kalib Andrews Chronicles), LaDarrion Williams (Blood at the Root), Paul S. Levine (attorney, executor of Jack Kirby’s Estate, advocate for diversity in comics), Amanda Bolden-Weaver (The Witchkind Series, In the House of Transcendence, No One's Gonna Take Her Soul Away), Mary Ting (ISAN, Crown of Wings and Thorns, Descendant Prophecies), Leon Langford (StarLion), and Alexandra Walker (Spider-Verse Unlimited, Don't Tell The Children) discuss diversity in fantasy and what diverse authors owe their own cultures when writing diverse characters. Q&A session moderated by Tiffie Starchild (content creator).
Friday March 28, 2025 7:30pm - 8:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
Welcome all to an almost annual tradition at WonderCon: The Nintendo Quizbowl! Do you have what it takes to be a master? Everyone wants to show their skills. Make your way to the top of the hill! Join Kiet Pham, Ryan Lu, and Adam Shere to compete for an opportunity to win prizes. No fish were harmed in the making of this panel.
Friday March 28, 2025 8:30pm - 9:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
Mark Waid (JLU, Kingdom Come, Daredevil) is here for a rapid-fire, no-boundaries Q&A, answering audience questions about himself, his career, and comics in general! Will he get through 50 questions in 50 minutes? Come prepared to join in and find out!
Mark Waid is a multiple New York Times bestselling author whose work has appeared in countless languages across the globe. Over the course of his four decades in the comic book industry, Waid has developed characters and written stories for Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, The Avengers... Read More →
Saturday March 29, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am PDT
Room 213AB
BAD IDEA impresarios Dinesh Shamdasani, Peter Stern, Benjamin Simpson, and Siena Fallon give an exclusive look at BAD IDEA's biggest slate yet! Witness new art from Planet Death, Ordained, Survive, Cul-De-Sac, Habitat, Hero Trade, and much more. Plus, surprise panelists and a convention exclusive giveaway!
Saturday March 29, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
The pioneers of creator-owned comics work whole-cloth, not only to construct characters and plots, but to develop sprawling worlds and ecosystems with a scope that defies expectation. The creators on this panel represent this era’s biggest mythmakers, traversing media to establish new frontiers of fiction. Chuck Austen (Defiant), Joe Henderson (The Big Burn), and Scott Hoffman (Warm Fusion) deconstruct the art of summoning new universes from their imaginations. Moderated by Sami DeMonster.
Saturday March 29, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
In a nearly 50-year journey, Denys Cowan, has carved out one of the most unique and varied resumes in the history of comics, ranging from comic book creator, animation producer/director, wrestling manager, and even whiskey pitchman. Michael Stradford, author of the upcoming career retrospective book, Graphic Samurai: The Art of Denys Cowan has a conversation with the man himself about his past, present, and future!
A co-founder of Milestone Media, which sold over 10 million copies of groundbreaking comic books, Denys Cowan has numerous credits to his name, including Black Racer, Deathstroke, Black Lightning & Hong Kong Phooey, Batman: Lovers & Madmen, Blind Justice, Black Panther: Flags of Our... Read More →
Saturday March 29, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
In 1939, MLJ Comics, the company later rebranded as Archie Comics, published Blue Ribbon Comics, entering the world of superheroes with Bob Phantom. They would go on to create a pantheon of superheroes, including the first patriotic superhero, The Shield, as well as fan favorites like The Comet, Hangman, The Fly, Lancelot Strong, and many more. These heroes have appeared in both Archie Comics and DC Comics. Their stories have been reprinted in England, France, Germany, and Brazil. They have crossed over to radio, film, and the pulps. Presented here is the 86-year history of the greatest superheroes of the Archie Universe. Moderated by Rik Offenberger (The MLJ Companion), with Tim Chizmar (Fangoria, co-chair of the Horror Writers Association), and Ray MacKay (Big Bang Comics, EYRIE magazine).
Saturday March 29, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
Jessica Fong (Poison Ivy) is an artist known for her surreal cover art in DC's GLAAD (2023) Award–winning Poison Ivy series. Join Jessica for this Q&A and presentation session.
Jessica Fong is a Bay Area–based illustrator known for her stunning cover art in DC Comics' GLAAD Award–winning Poison Ivy series. Her artwork blends surrealism with nature, often featuring dark yet beautiful imagery. Fong's work captures the "terribly sublime," a theme that is... Read More →
Saturday March 29, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
Writer, actor, comedian, and comic book creator Brian Posehn chats about his career with artist Darick Robertson (The Boys, Transmetropolitan). Brian has been busy with his new books Grommets, Rifters, and Scotch McTiernan Versus the Forces of Evil—not to mention his D&D podcast Nerd Poker, and his many other adventures, including Star Wars: The Mandalorian, The Big Bang Theory, and lots of comedy.
Brian Posehn is a writer/actor/stand-up comic. His credits include Disney+’s The Mandalorian, Netflix’s Lady Dynamite, and FX’s You’re the Worst, along with recurring roles on The Big Bang Theory and New Girl. He was one of the stars of Comedy Central's The Sarah Silverman... Read More →
Darick Robertson is an American comic book artist, writer, creator, and executive producer with a decades-long career in the industry. His notable works include co-creating with Warren Ellis the award-winning Transmetropolitan and co-creating with Garth Ennis the comic that inspired... Read More →
Saturday March 29, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
Step into the "weird west," a genre that blends the raw history of the Old West with supernatural oddities and fantastical forces. A panel of experts from literature and gaming delve into what makes characters like Wynonna Earp, Jonah Hex, Roland the Gunslinger, and countless others so captivating to fans. Jennifer Brody (A Sacrifice of Blood & Stars,Disney Chills), Deborah Smith Daughetee (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,Kolchak the Night Stalker: Touch of Silk), Ross Fisher-Davis (Doomtown: Reloaded and Vampire: the Masquerade) and Eric J. Guignard (A Graveside Gallery,That Which Grows Wild), along with moderator K. C. Grifant (The Monster Gunslinger series and Women of the Weird West) share how to successfully create weird west worlds to explore the myths of American history, as well as their top recommendations for must-read books, films, and games.
Saturday March 29, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
Mayanna Berrin (writer and TTRPG performer), Cai Kagawa (costumer and TTRPG performer), Darby Pak (TTRPG performer), and Johnny Stanton (creator of SINK RPG) chat about the transformative power of TTRPGs as a medium for self-discovery and identity exploration. They'll share experiences using character creation and storytelling as a means of exploring gender and sexual identity, and more. Moderated by Jes Wade (tabletop charity content producer).
Saturday March 29, 2025 6:30pm - 7:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
Are you a writer or have you ever wanted to become one? Have you been struggling with imposter syndrome? Have you started and abandoned your creative projects? This panel of writers teaches how to create psychologically rich characters to help you boost your writing and make it stand out. Learn how to break free from your imposter syndrome and attend to your creative passions. Panelists include Dr. Janina Scarlet (Superhero Therapy; Through Bullets and Thunderstorms), Jonathan Maberry (V-Wars; Joe Ledger series), Deric Hughes (Arrow; Quantum Leap), Sarah Faxon (The Blue Dragon Society: Origins), Travis Langley (Batman and Psychology), and Dennis Crosby (Death’s Legacy). Dustin McGinnis (Creative Community Podcast) moderates.
Saturday March 29, 2025 7:30pm - 8:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
With increasing rates of autism, there is an increasing demand for autistic characters in pop culture from both executives and audiences. But for the creatives in the middle, especially the neurotypical ones, it can feel like a daunting challenge. Whether it’s a YA fantasy graphic novel, a family sitcom, a high-octane hospital drama, a postapocalyptic zombie comic, or whatever—authentic autistic characters belong there, too. Moderator Britton Payne (vice president of business and legal affairs at Nickelodeon/Paramount) leads a discussion with autistic actor Kayla Cromer (The Good Doctor, Monster High), writer/producer Niya Wright (Ada Twist, Scientist) and non-speaking author/advocate Alfonso Camacho (Preparing for School: Alfie’s AAC Journey). This panel of both autistic and neurotypical television and comic book creators will speak wioth Britton about how they successfully added autistic characters to serial fiction, and how you can too!
Sunday March 30, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am PDT
Room 213AB
What are the impactful graphic novels/comic issues that shaped your love for graphic literature? Choose your three favorites and join a panel of comics creators, comics professionals, and academics for an interactive discussion of the works that influenced their personal and professional lives, as well as picks from the audience. Alex Antone (editorial director, Skybound Entertainment/Image Comics), Dr. Matthew Atherton (associate professor of social sciences, CSUSM), David M. Booher (Killer Queens,Canto), and Barbra Dillon (president and co-founder, Fanbase Press) identify the key moments that shaped our love for a medium. Moderated by Allison Carr (academic transitions librarian, CSUSM).
Sunday March 30, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
Andres Useche (writer/director, We Don’t Give Up, Marching into the Light), Rob Edwards (writer, Captain America: Brave New World, The Princess and the Frog), Nicole Maines (actor, Yellowjackets,Supergirl), Miranda Kwok (showrunner/producer, The Cleaning Lady,The 100), Jorge R. Gutierrez (director/animator, The Book of Life, Maya and the Three), Aaron Butler (editor, Euphoria, The Idol), Drew Leung (concept artist, LOTR: The Rings of Power, Black Panther Wakanda Forever), and Stephanie Paciullo (agent, CAA) reveal the secrets of their craft, how you can make your way into the industry, and how the arts can make a difference by giving voice to underrepresented folks in the search for greater justice, empathy, and equality. Moderated by Stephanie Pfingsten (CEO/publicist, Lumos PR).
Sunday March 30, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
In the 1980s, the Peanuts animation team created the Charlie Brown Career Education Program, a filmstrip series where Snoopy and pals (including a new Latina character) learned about preparing for the world of work. Professional Peanuts nerd Nat Gertler not only leads you through this forgotten slice of Peanuts but shows you some of the film strips, including one live reading with Sofi Guiterrez (from the Transpose Theatricals of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown) and audience participation.
Sunday March 30, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
In recent years, comics and pop culture exhibitions have grown in popularity, with new venues opening to showcase these creative fields, prominent institutions recognizing the vitality and importance of these oft-overlooked mediums, and blockbuster touring exhibitions traversing the world. Moderator Patrick A. Reed brings together a group of curators, creators, fans, and scholars to discuss how the field continues to evolve and address how the popular arts are celebrated and elevated through increased prominence in galleries and museums.
Sunday March 30, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
Representatives from WonderCon/Comic-Con International will be present to listen to attendees' feedback about the event. What did we do right? What could be improved? We want to hear from you!
Sunday March 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Room 213AB
