The Comic Creator Connection (CCC) is Comic-Con's premier networking event that brings together writers and artists who are searching for their creative counterparts. This "All-Star" panel spotlights some of the latest teams coming out of the CCC and their newest creations. Hosts Douglas Neff and Corey Rothermel (authors of Epic Win! The Geek's Guide to the Journey from Fan to Creator) will focus the discussion on how each team built a successful creative partnership, from their first handshake to their first draft to their first sale. This year's panelists include Dylan Davison, Jasper Korneitchouk, andRenatus Tao (Jack the Hunted), Alberto Veloso and Michelle Pengson (Virtues & Vices), Alberto Veloso and Victor "Mikey" Torres (Visions), and Jeff Rider and Michael Dorman (Major Holmes & Captain Watson). If you want to know how to create comics with another person, don't miss out on this collection of practical advice and hard-earned wisdom from the industry's newest published comic book creators!
Friday July 22, 2016 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Room 23ABC
The Big Bang Theory writers return to San Diego to take you inside the biggest moments of season 9, and behind the scenes of TVs #1 comedy! From the wedding to the baby news to Shamy's big night, find out what goes into making the hit series each week and how the writers keep things fresh after more than 200 episodes. The show's executive producers and writers take you inside the writers' room for a lively discussion and special video presentation. From Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television, The Big Bang Theory returns for season 10 this fall airing Mondays at 8/7c on CBS. The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Ninth Season will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 13.
Friday July 22, 2016 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Ballroom 20
Kate Beaton (Step Aside Pops: A Hark! A Vagrant Collection), Emily Carroll (Through the Woods), and Lisa Hanawalt (Hot Dog Taste Test) are three of the most critically acclaimed cartoonists working today. All three are masters of the short form, imbuing great narrative depth into a few panels or a few pages of comics. Beaton, Carroll, Hanawalt and Abraham Riesman (associate editor of Vulture) will discuss how keeping things short can make for great stories.
Friday July 22, 2016 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Room 28DE
A lovely discussion of writing romance for teen fiction with a panel of experts including Alexandra Bracken (The Darkest Minds series, The Passenger series), Andrea Cremer (The Nightshade trilogy,Conjurer's Riddle), Kate Elliott (Court of Fives), Kami Garcia (The Beautiful Creatures series, The Lovely Reckless), Amy Tintera (Ruined), and Brenna Yovanoff (Places No One Knows). Moderated by Mary E. Pearson (The Jenna Fox Chronicles, The Remnant Chronicles).
Friday July 22, 2016 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Room 32AB
UPDATED: Wed, Jul 20, 08:30AM The biggest event of the year, Civil War II, is underway and the Marvel Universe is reeling from the shocking events! Learn more about what’s to come with Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso, Director of Content & Character Development Sana Amanat, Marvel Talent Scout Rickey Purdin, as well as Sanford Greene (Power Man and Iron Fist), Marc Guggenheim (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Matthew Rosenberg (Civil War II: Kingpin), David Walker (Power Man and Iron Fist), and G. Willow Wilson (Ms. Marvel)!
Friday July 22, 2016 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Room 6DE
Moderator Alex Segura (crime novelist and Archie writer) conducts a freewheeling discussion with acclaimed comic book writer, playwright, and screenwriter Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, spotlighting his time at Archie Comics, including the creation of the hit Afterlife with Archie and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina comics and writing other beloved comic book properties like the Fantastic Four; his prolific television (Glee, Supergirl), theatrical (American Psycho, Spider-Man on Broadway), and movie (Carrie and Town that Dreaded Sundown remake) work; and the upcoming Riverdale TV series from the CW.
Friday July 22, 2016 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Room 29AB
People have been telling stories for thousands of years, and during that time all the tools you need to create compelling, well-thought-out stories have been created. In this class, award-winning author Maxwell Alexander Drake introduces you to many of these tools in a way that will stoke your creativity, keeping you motivated, and organized as you move through the creation of your own story. This is part two of this class.
UPDATED: Wed, Jul 13, 03:34PM Moderator Spiro Skentzos (Grimm) is joined by some of today's biggest TV writer/producers/executives, including Beth Schwartz (Arrow), Terry Matalas (12 Monkeys), Jose Molina (Agent Carter), Karen Horne (NBC) and Jeffrey Bell (Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) discuss navigating the TV spec terrain, including beginner's mistakes, what they look for in a writer, and what it takes for you to write a killer spec that will stand above the crowd. There will be a huge Q&A component, so bring your questions.
#1 New York Times Bestseller Ben Hatke (Mighty Jack) talks with renowned fantasy author Patrick Rothfuss (The Name of the Wind) about the creative lifestyle, how are books created, and what does creativity mean outside the writing and drawing process?
UPDATED: Thu, Jul 14, 09:23AM Sven Larsen (VP of marketing, Papercutz), Betsy Gomez (editorial director, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund), and Lizette Serrano (director of library and educational marketing, Scholastic) explain how librarians can build programming to foster a love of graphic novels in their communities in a Q&A session moderated by Dawn Rutherford (teen services coordinator, Sno-Isle Libraries).
UPDATED: Tue, Jul 19, 06:44PM From life as a trashman to life as a Michael Jackson impersonator -- there's no topic graphic novels can't cover. But how do creators shape their ideas into narratives that thrill and chill? Derf Backderf, Keith Knight, Sydney Padua and Ron Wimberly talk about their craft with PR's senior news editor Calvin Reid and an all-star line-up.
Friday July 22, 2016 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 28DE
Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (writers of Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain America: Winter Soldier) discuss the joys and challenges of adapting the beloved comic tale into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Backstory Magazine publisher Jeff Goldsmith (host of The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith podcast). Bring your questions!
New York Times bestselling author Patrick Rothfuss tells stories, answers audience questions, and discusses strange things with his interviewer, Hank Green. Be prepared for tangents, inappropriate humor, and impromptu singing.
This panel has traveled from Australia to Ireland, and now it's coming to San Diego Comic-Con! Part Q&A, part stand-up comedy, part serious discussion, the only way to know what will be said is to show up and ask questions. For this one-hour period, Seanan McGuire will answer anything you care to ask her (although, as a warning, the answers will rarely be as simple as might be expected). There may be prizes for particularly good questions, depending on how much room she has in her suitcase.
Friday July 22, 2016 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
Room 24ABC
Authors in the horror and thriller genres are more than just talented writers. They have to be masters of psychology, understanding what makes us most terrified and portraying worlds and scenarios that strike at the very core of our deepest and darkest fears. Del Howison of Dark Delicacies probes the twisted minds of Paul Tremblay (Disappearance at Devil's Rock), Amy Lukavics (Daughters unto Devils), Paula Treick Deboard (The Drowning Girls), Tosca Lee (Progeny), Thomas Olde Heuvelt (HEX), and Jonathan Maberry (Rot & Ruin) as they discuss the best ways to scare you.
Friday July 22, 2016 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Room 29AB
Joss Whedon has rewarded fans the world over with some of the most compelling characters and plot lines in the history of comics, television, and movies. Here's your chance to find out what he has in store next and get exclusive insight into Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Serenity, and much, much more!
UPDATED: Thu, Jul 21, 06:17PM Join Industrial Light & Magic senior visual effects art director Christian Alzmann (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Hulk), writing duo Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War), and comic writer Christopher James Priest (Black Panther, Batman) to discuss the ultimate question: Who are the greater heroes – those who were born with powers, or those who have none? Panelists will participate in a Q&A session moderated by Christian Blauvelt (deputy culture editor, BBC.com).
Friday July 22, 2016 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
Room 24ABC
Science fiction has ever been the muse of real-world advances, but now ideas can be achieved almost as soon as they are thought up. So how do writers, out-dream the dream makers? How do writers handle the truth of real science and the fiction that is needed for writing their stories? Is it a crisis for the writer's imagination? Or does it serve to inspire? Join Madeline Ashby (Company Town), Cecil Castellucci (Tin Star), Emily Lakdawalla (The Planetary Society), Javier Grillo-Marxuach (The 100), Sherri L Smith (Orleans), and Greg Van Eekhout (The Boy at the End of the World) in a roundtable discussion as they take this subject on.
Friday July 22, 2016 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
Room 26AB
Man of Action legends Joe Casey (Sex, Officer Downe), Joe Kelly (I Kill Giants, Deadpool), Duncan Rouleau (The Great Unknown, The Nightmarist), and Steven T. Seagle (It's a bird . . ., Camp Midnight) bring their world-renowned workshop on universe building to Comic-Con. They will talk through some of their creative processes for their monster hits, including Ben 10 and Big Hero 6 for Marvel, which became Disney's Academy Award-winning film, and teach the ins and outs of creating compelling intellectual property from the ground up, with hands-on exercises. Attendees will need to bring something to write on, something to write with, and big batch of brain power, as the Man of Action crew and the audience will, over the course of the panel, build a new story universe!
Friday July 22, 2016 5:00pm - 6:00pm PDT
Room 23ABC
Storytelling is entering a new golden age in the computer gaming industry. This panel of insiders share their experiences in creating some of the best-reviewed narrative-driven titles in gaming history. Neal Hallford (Betrayal at Krondor: Remastered), Chris Avellone (Divinity: Original Sin II), Anne Toole (Horizon Zero Dawn), John Zuur Platten (Ingress), Geoffrey Thorne (The Librarians), Jean Leggett (Betwixt), and Blair Leggett (StoryStylus) promise an entertaining and informative hour. Moderated by Jana Hallford (Swords & Circuitry: A Designer's Guide to Computer Role-Playing Games).
Sense8 fans! This is the only SDCC panel where one of the creator/writer/producers of the Netflix series will be appearing to answer your questions. For everyone else: each year, Straczynski (writer for Thor, Superman Earth One, World War Z and other projects) brings announcements to SDCC, and this year is no exception, but the announcements this time are especially big. Be there for news that's going to blow up the Internet.
Max Allan Collins (Mike Hammer), co-founder of the IAMTW, hosts this year's Scribe Awards for excellence in tie-in writing, including honoring this year's Grandmaster Award "Faust" winner, Timothy Zahn (Star Wars). Panelists Michael A. Black (Executioner), Adam Christopher (Elementary), Matt Forbeck (Halo), Glenn Hauman (Star Trek), Nancy Holder (Crimson Peak), R. L. King (Shadowrun), Jonathan Maberry (Wolfman), Andy Mangels (X-Files), Cavan Scott (Pathfinder), and Marv Wolfman (Batman) engage in a freewheeling look at one of the most popular and yet underappreciated branches of the writing trade.
Friday July 22, 2016 6:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Room 28DE
This panel addresses what new writers need to do once they have material ready to go out to the masses. The shifting 21st-century digital frontier means the age-old methods of building a career have been rendered irrelevant, and this group of Hollywood screenwriters and graphic novel creators share insider information, publishing secrets, and the professional realities on how to develop your ideas into a viable property and market yourself accordingly. Moderated by 2015 Disney/ABC Writing Program winner and 2014 Eisner Award nominee Brandon Easton (Marvel's Agent Carter, IDW's M.A.S.K.), the panel includes TV producern Geoffrey Thorne (Leverage, The Librarians), writer Erika Alexander (Concrete Park,Living Single), artist/writer Tony Puryear (Concrete Park, the Schwarzenegger film Eraser), and writer Brandon Thomas (Skybound's Horizon, Miranda Mercury).
Friday July 22, 2016 6:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Room 32AB
Faith is the breakout superhero of the year. This stereotype-demolishing character from Valiant Entertainment has won critical acclaim, fan enthusiasm, and now, her own monthly series. But what makes her tick? Faith writer Jody Houser (Orphan Black, Mother Panic) takes a deep dive into this soaring hero's past, present, and future. Moderated by Vulture's Abraham Riesman (associate editor).
Friday July 22, 2016 6:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Room 29AB
UCLA Extension instructors Dallas King (director and genre-filmmaker, U.Z.L.A.), Peter Gend (VFX producer, The Simpsons Movie), Quinton Peeples (feature film and television writer/producer, Netflix/Marvel’s Iron Fist, Hulu’s 11-22-63), Brooks Wachtel (animation series writer, X-Men, Spider-Man), Robert Bryant (video game producer & author, Slay the Dragon: Writing Great Video Games), and moderator Kim Adelman (indie filmmaker, Just Friends) discuss how they transitioned from a practical day job to a professional career in the creative fields of writing, filmmaking, and gaming. Explore best practices for making the transition to your own dream job and get answers to your questions during a Q&A.
French YA graphic novel creator Mathieu Reynès(Alter Ego, Harmony) and American novelist Matthew J. Kirby (Last Descendants: Assassin's Creed Series) discuss and compare their work, experiences, and readership as seen from the two sides of the Atlantic. Moderated by Brigid Alverson (Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal).
Anne Sowards (Ace/Roc), Jessica Wade (Ace/Roc), and Christina Colangelo (Penguin Young Readers Group) give you the dish on forthcoming books from exciting authors and licensed properties, such as Jim Butcher, Ransom Riggs, Patricia Briggs, Ilona Andrews, Anthony Ryan, Sabaa Tahir, Marie Lu, Anne Bishop, Taherah Mafi, and many others. You can expect giveaways like finished books or advanced reading copies!
Friday July 22, 2016 7:00pm - 8:00pm PDT
Room 23ABC
NEW: Mon, Jul 11, 09:55AM Are you a writer with a great idea for a comic book series, but you can’t draw? Or maybe you’re an artist looking to illustrate an incredible story, but you can’t write. Perhaps you’re both looking for someone to collaborate with so you can jumpstart your careers in the comic book industry. At San Diego Comic-Con 2016’s Comic Creator Connection, you just might find each other! San Diego Comic-Con is proud to once again host the Comic Creator Connection, a fast-paced networking event that puts writers and artists together to help them meet new creative partners. Here’s how it works: in two 2-hour sessions—on Friday, July 22, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM and Sunday, July 24, from 12:00 to 2:00 PM—writers and artists will sit down across from each other at a table. (And by artists, we mean pencillers, inkers, colorists, etc. All are welcome!) Then, in 5-minute sessions, you will talk one-on-one with each other about your ideas and skills. At the end of each 5-minute period, you will get up and move on to the next person. If you’re interested in furthering the conversation, you’ll exchange contact information. Think of it as speed-dating, but for writers and artists! Sign ups are taken in advance for this event, but space may still be available on site.
Len Wein (co-creator of Swamp Thing and Wolverine) moderates a panel that will discuss the many ways one might create a universe, whether in comics, novels, gaming, television, film and virtual reality. Panelists include James Lopez (creator, Hullabaloo, an animated Steampunk series),Mark Murphy (co-creator, Neil deGrasse Tyson Presents: Space Odyssey), Peter S. Beagle (author, The Last Unicorn),and representatives from cutting-edge VR companies, including HTC Vive and Samsung GearVR.
Having trouble revving up your creativity engine? Creating worlds and characters can be a daunting idea. However, with the right tools and inspiration, the wonderful world of art, writing, and creativity becomes your oasis. Genese Davis (The Holder's Dominion), Rob Prior (HeavyMetal), Eric Kieron Davis (Star Citizen), and Jonathan Maberry (Rot and Ruin) divulge their experience creating worlds, telling rich stories, and seeing how gender and genre sometimes conflict or combine in interesting ways.
You're a comics writer, or you want to be. You're motivated and driven. Great. You're just like a thousand other would-be comics writers. So how do you stand above the rest? John Barber (Ultimate Spider-Man, Transformers) has written for several major publishers and edited for both Marvel and IDW. Between him and Andy Schmidt (X-Men, Guardians of the Galaxy), founder of Comics Experience, they've seen thousands of pitches and worked with dozens of editors. Together, they've created a top 10 list of things that the strongest writers do to stand above the crowd. They will give you all 10 in this jaw-dropping panel.
Friday July 22, 2016 8:00pm - 9:00pm PDT
Room 30CDE
Award-winning bestselling authors and actors discuss romance in science fiction, fantasy and horror. Crush, heart throb, or love at first site? Attraction, compatibility, offspring, love, society, (extremely) long-distance relationships, close quarters, customs, rituals, religions, marriage, and more! Featuring Rebekah R. Ganiere (Fairelle Series, president of Fantasy Futuristic & Paranormal RWA Chapter), Juliet Landau (actress, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel), Gigi Edgley (actress, Farscape, Star Trek Continues), Mark O'Bannon (author, The Dream Crystal, Imperium), and Katrina Law (actress, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow). Moderated by James Ganiere (chief editor, Fallen Angel Press, CEO-Rio Vista Universal).