Comic-Con 2016

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.

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.

Evil Dead fans rejoice. The Ash vs Deadites adventures you want are being published by Space Goat. This visual presentation and lively discussion with Space Goat staff Dave Olbrich, Tom Mason, and Jacob Bascle will feature exclusive sneak peeks into the future ofEvil Dead 2 comics. Also meet the team behind award-winning Monster Elementary Nicholas Doan and Gwendolyn Dreyer, Space Goat's newest all-ages graphic novel. Surprise guests! All things Space Goat Publishing, prepared just for you! Certified groovy!

Renowned Emmy Award-winning composers and songwriters Michael McCuistion (Justice League Unlimited), Lolita Ritmanis (Spectacular Spider-Man), and Kristopher Carter (Batman Beyond) and producer and lyricist James Tucker (Batman: The Brave and the Bold) show how they write the music and songs to some of DC and Marvel's finest properties, including the making ofBatman the Brave and the Bold: The Music Meister, starring Neil Patrick Harris, and working alongside Mark Hamill onBatman: The Killing Joke. Be prepared to sing along, and hear a surprise guest or two lend their vocal talents live. Moderated by Anne Cecere of BMI and Chandler Poling of White Bear PR. A Q&A will follow the panel with fun giveaways for the participants.

The eyes of the pop culture world are on the transgender community as more and more comics, television shows, and movies feature trans characters, trans creators, and their stories. How do trans characters affect narratives in popular genres? How can trans creators, artists, and actors best make their mark on popular arts? What are the next steps for trans representation from comic books to Hollywood? Join Prism Comics and moderator Tara Madison Avery (Gooch, Stacked Deck Press) for a lively discussion of these and other topics with panelists Julie Rei Goldstein (Time Traveling Bong), Mikki del Monico (Alto), Shadi Petosky (Danger & Eggs), Bishakh Som (The Other Side: A Queer Paranormal Romance Anthology), Kylie Wu (Trans Girl Next Door), and Billy White Acre (composer, musician).

Terry Moore (creator, Rachel Rising, Echo, Strangers in Paradise) discusses the conclusion of his latest hit series, Rachel Rising, and what he has planned for the rest of 2016 and beyond. Don't miss this first glimpse of what is up next for this Eisner Award-winning indie creator! As always, Terry's Q&A is not to be missed!

Distribution, press, and conventions can be intimidating ventures for cartoonists with unconventional stories and art; how do you find your market and rise above the rest to be noticed by publishers, reviewers, and booksellers? Jacq Cohen, Anna Pederson (Fantagraphics), David Hyde (SuperFan Promotions), Simon Hanselmann (Megahex), and others shed light on the process of putting yourself out there and getting noticed.

What do the pros think of the animation scene today? Is hand-drawn and VFX gone for good? What will be the impact of VR? How do I get a job? This panel will explore how animators fit into current business models of animation studios and the ever-changing landscape of motion pictures, television, and new media. Moderator Tom Sito engages in a lively discussion with Bill Plympton (Hitler's Folly, Cheatin'), Careen Ingel (The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show), Peter Ramsey (Tank Girl, Rise of the Guardians), Ken Duncan (Tarzan, Coca-Cola Man and Dog), and Camille Kanengiser (Freeform VR Labs, Elementerra).

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.

Horror films, TV shows, books and comics have always attempted to bring us to the threshold of our fears and force us to come face to face with the "otherness" that exists outside of the mainstream. For those in the LGBTQ community, this sense of otherness within the genre is not only terrifying, titillating, and transgressive, it's quite often also relatable. The LGBTQ community has had a long history with the horror genre, from James Whales' Frankenstein to the oft-cited "gayest movie of all time," A Nightmare on Elm Street 2. Has the current surge of LGBTQ acceptance and civil rights influenced the horror genre? Does a gay horror genre exist, and if so what makes it different from mainstream horror? Or has queer horror finally stepped out of the darkness and into the light? Prism Comics and moderator/screenwriter Michael Varrati (Tales of Poe, Flesh for the Inferno) and horror genre professionals Jaclyn Chessen (Shock Attack), Alan Rowe Kelly (Tales of Poe, The Blood Shed), Chris Landon (Disturbia, Paranormal Activity franchise), Aja Romano (web culture reporter, Vox/fandom expert), and Darren Stein (Jawbreaker, GBF) discuss the history of this popular field from a queer perspective.

Why do you love to hate your favorite bad guys, such as the antihero, Disney villains, or characters like Deadpool or the Joker? A research study conducted by April Fugett, Ph.D. (professor, department of psychology, Marshall University), Keith W. Beard, Psy.D. (professor, department of psychology, Marshall University), Elijah Wise, Britani Black, and Jacob Mills (doctoral students, Marshall University) examined the psychological theory of personality traits called the Dark Triad (machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy). Research suggests that people with these personality traits are more likely to engage in self-promotion and be aggressive in their interactions with others on social media. In contrast, other personality theories focus on people being agreeable and open to new experiences. Personality traits for both approaches and over 650 pop culture characters were studied. Results indicate existing relationships between personality characteristics and favorite villains. This information could be used to better promote and best engage people with these traits in media and other venues.

35 years ago saw the release of Heavy Metal, a film unlike any other that had come before: a psychedelic animated journey through the pages of the publication that defined a generation of comics fans and science fiction readers! Now we pay tribute to this legendary film with an exclusive live reading from the original script led by Metalocalypse co-creator Jon Schnepp and surprise guests, exclusive news on the new Heavy Metal film, and more! Join Schnepp along with co-CEO Jeff Krelitz and publicist Jeremy Atkins for a fitting tribute to the most metal animated film ever!