Comic-Con 2016

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).

Superstar creator and comic book legend Grant Morrison (18 Days, Avatarex) and leading Indian superhero creator and Graphic India co-founder Sharad Devarajan (Chakra The Invincible, Shadow Tiger) engage in a one-on-one session about globalization, east meets west, the new diversity and culture in comics, and the birth of Indian superheroes. Graphic India will also unveil new exciting projects coming out soon.

It's the second coming! Their first book,God Is Disappointed in You, was an irreverent yet faithful adaptation of the Bible that got everyone talking. Now, Mark Russell (Prez, The Flintstones) and Shannon Wheeler (The New Yorker, Too Much Coffee Man) are back with a follow-up book, Apocrypha Now, about the stories that didn't make it into the Bible. Some of these stories were forgotten, some were suppressed, others were just too freaking weird for the Bible (and that's saying something). Join these two holy heathens for a funny and fascinating tour of what the Bible didn't tell you.

Do you have what it takes to be the next pop culture startup success? Pitch your best 90-second business plan and you might spark the interest you need from investors, media, and fans to take your idea to the next level. Or come to watch aspiring entrepreneurs learn from the best. Judges Ted Adams (founder/CEO, IDW Entertainment), Suzy Ryoo (venture partner/VP technology, Atom Factory), David Steinberger (co-founder, comiXology), and Maureen Fan (founder/CEO, Baobab Studios VR) will offer feedback, coaching, and special prizes. Rob Salkowitz (Forbes) moderates.

Once a staple of the Golden Age, romance comics have faded into the background in recent years, but now they're making a comeback and tackling a wider variety of love stories than ever before! Carrie Sessarego (Smart Bitches, Trashy Books), Janelle Asselin (Rosy Press publisher), Sarah Kuhn (Heroine Complex, Fresh Romance), Thom Zahler (Love and Capes, Long Distance), and Cecil Castellucci (Shade the Changing Girl, The Plain Janes) discuss both classic and new romance comics, some of comics' most enduring love stories, and the challenges and joys unique to creating romantic stories in comics!

Great graphics can elevate a video game from fun to an artform, but how do artists develop a world setting and characters that will create a powerful connection with the players? Join artists Long Vo (Street Fighter HD Remix), Arnold Tsang (Blizzard Overwatch), and others to learn about the artistry behind video game design.

In the U.S., young people (ages 16-24 years) are significantly affected by Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STI). Storytelling through comic books has been shown to be a useful method for HIV/STI education and prevention. The increasing popularity of comics-related media and advances in computerized graphics have created new ways of using comics to reach youth with HIV/STI information. Come and learn how scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Leigh Willis (behavioral scientist), Rachel Kachur (health scientist), Ted Castellanos (public health advisor), John Brooks (senior medical adviser), and from Terminus Media Mark Stancil (CEO). Artists Joe Phillips and Lexington Wolfcraft worked to create an HIV/STI focused motion comic that improves knowledge about, and reduces stigma around, HIV and STI, and encourages healthy behaviors by young people. Attendees will learn how audience feedback, behavioral research, and cutting-edge production methods were used to create the storyline and the look, sound, and feel of this motion comic. The first episode of the series will be debuted. Panelists will also provide information on how the public can access the full motion comic series and future plans for the series.

David Petersen's fan-favorite Mouse Guard series has been around for more than a decade, and publisher Archaia, an imprint of BOOM! Studios, is proud to be a part of its legacy! But what's next? Petersen and BOOM! assistant editor Cameron Chittock offer a behind-the-scenes look at the award-winning comics and games, including the recently released Mouse Guard: Art of Bricks, a peek at the forthcoming Mouse Guard Coloring Book, and more! Plus, comedian Hal Lublin (The Thrilling Adventure Hour) will be on hand for a live reading performance of a Mouse Guard short story!

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).

Members of The Antidote Trust (TAT), America's #1 independent comic book cooperative, have been hard at work on new projects! Now they, and a few guests, want to share their secrets to indie 4-color success. Moderator Charlotte (Fullerton) McDuffie (writer, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Ben 10: Alien Force/Ultimate Alien/Omnivers and chairperson, WGA Animation Writers Caucus) leads the discussion with Geoff Gerber (president, Lion Forge Comics), Hannibal Tabu (writer, Artifacts/Soulfire: Sourcebook #1/Waso/Project: Wildfire), Nilah Magruder (writer/artist, M.F.K., winner 2015 Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity), Eric Dean Seaton (creator, Legend of the Mantamaji trilogy; director, Legend of the Mantamaji: Live Action Short), Russell Nohelty (writer/creator, Ichabod Jones: Monster Hunter and Katrina Hates the Dead, publisher, Wannabe Press), and TAT co-founder Robert Roach (creator, Menthu, The Roach; storyboard artist, Insomnia; winner inaugural Glyph Award).

So, you've been writing. Maybe it's a novel, or a short story, or assorted musings on vampires. You're getting ready to self-publish on Amazon, but you're not sure how to take that last step. Before you hit "upload," come to this panel! Sean Rourke (author of The Pendragon Armada) will go over 11 crucial secrets to prevent your masterpiece from getting lost in the digital sea!