Comic-Con 2016

Could Lightsabers ever be a reality? How would Starkiller Base work in the real world? Which droid would NASA select for a real mission? Fon Davis (production designer, Star Wars Movies), Kim Steadman (NASA engineer, Mars Science Lab), Kieran Dickson (editor, Outerplaces), Travis Langley (editor, Star Wars Psychology), Steve Huff (fight choreographer), and moderator Jenna Busch (Legion of Leia) break down the science behind a galaxy far far away, field your burning questions and give away a prize or two.

Get the latest info on all the new books and comics set in a galaxy far, far away! Authors, artists, and editors from Del Rey, Disney-Lucasfilm Press, Marvel, and others discuss their upcoming stories and the future of Star Wars publishing. Moderated by Lucasfilm's Michael Siglain.

Members of the Hasbro team discuss the popular Hasbro Star Wars line. Attendees will get an in-depth look at Hasbro's latest action figure offerings. Word on the Holonet is there may also be a few surprises, including a special product reveal.

Join eFX, Gentle Giant Studios, Kotobukiya, and Sideshow Collectibles for product development insights and exclusive previews of the latest in Star Wars collectibles. Anita Castellar is a self-professed Star Wars fangirl who manages licensing for hardlines categories at Lucasfilm, such as toys, collectibles, consumer electronics, automotive, and more.

Black Dog: The Dreams of Paul Nash is a new graphic novel published by Dark Horse and Les Humanoids in October and is a commission from the Imperial War Museum, the 14-18NOW Foundation and the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in the UK. It's one of 26 original artworks (and the only comics project) commissioned in every medium to commemorate the anniversary of the First World War. Paul Nash was a war artist and modernist who transformed his experience at Ypres into iconic landscape paintings, turning trees into bones and muddy battlefields into flesh. This book is part biography, part war memoir, and part exploration of the transformative nature of the trauma of war told as a series of dreams. The book was premiered in Jendal and Amiens with a live, hour-long performance work of original music, projects, and dramatic scenes; performed by Dave McKean (piano/voice), internationally renowned soloist Matthew Sharp (cello/voice), and Clare Haythornthwaite (violin/voice).

Comics literature has become the voice and visuals for our changing generation, and Dark Horse Originals has it all-from underwater mystery in Jonathan Case's Dear Creature to the surrealist return of Dave McKean inThe Dreams of Paul Nash. Dave McKean (Cages), Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá (Two Brothers), Peter Hogan (Resident Alien), Cullen Bunn (Harrow County), and Jonathan Case (Dear Creature) discuss pushing the boundaries of what comics can accomplish in literature.

UPDATED: Fri, Jul 15, 10:21AM
Long before the rescuing of Mark Watney became a cultural phenom, Mars and martians had captured the imagination of comic book and science fiction authors. For almost a century and a half, fictional visits to the red planet have been made by humans like John Carter and superhumans like Superman, Dr. Manhattan, and Dr. McNinja. Some, like the Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz) even call the fourth planet home. In this panel, Marshall Smith (Deputy Director, Cross-Program Systems Integration, ESD at NASA), Joseph Cassady (executive director, Space at Aerojet Rocketdyne), Grant Anderson (president & CEO at Paragon Space Development Corporation), William D. Pratt (Program Manager, Lockheed Martin's Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP)), Patrick O'Neill (Marketing & Communications Manager at Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS)), Matthew Duggan (Space Systems Manager, Boeing Company), Rebekah Sosland Siegfriedt (Systems Engineer, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory), and moderator Steve Broback (cofounder, Dent the Future) discuss the latest developments in the commercial and government partnership driving the 2035 mission to Mars.

UPDATED: Mon, Jul 11, 03:30PM
Explore 50 years on the final frontier as the writers and creators of some of Star Trek's greatest moments look back at what it takes to write for sci-fi's first franchise and offer some unsolicited advice on how to insure that Star Trek continues to live long and prosper for the next 50 years. Boldly go inside the writers' room with legendary showrunner Ronald D. Moore (TNG, Deep Space Nine, Battlestar Galactica, Outlander), Naren Shankar (The Next Generation, The Expanse, CSI), Fred Dekker (Enterprise, The Monster Squad, Predator), Michael Sussman (Voyager, Enterprise, Perception), and Robert Hewitt Wolfe (Deep Space Nine, Elementary). Moderated by Mark A. Altman (The Fifty-Year Mission: The First 25 Years, The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years)

UPDATED: Fri, Jul 08, 10:41AM
Love The Witch?The Invitation? The Babadook? It Follows? You're Next? Experts including horror streaming service Shudder's curator Sam Zimmerman, Sundance Film Festival's Adam Montgomery, XYZ Films' Mette Marie Katz and Spectrevision's Elijah Wood and more as they discuss the indie horror movies that everyone will be talking about next. Featuring chats with these daring filmmakers and a sneak peek at their frightening work. From festival darlings to hugely anticipated films that just wrapped production, this is the place to come to find out what to keep an eye out for in the coming year. Not for the faint of heart! Filmmakers on the panel include producer Eric B. Fleischman (Carnage Park) and writer/director Sophia Takal (Always Shine). Moderated by Clarke Wolfe (Collider/Nerdist).

UPDATED: Tue, Jul 12, 10:38AM
Join paranormal superstars Nick Groff, Katrina Weidman, Adam Berry, Amy Bruni, John Zaffis and more as ghost-hunting's elite unite for one night only, presented by Destination America. Throughout their combined career they have more than 10,000 horrifying haunts under their belts, from the Exorcist house, to the Stanley Hotel and many more hotspots. These paranormal powerhouses will regale you with tales of their darkest, creepiest, and most life-altering paranormal experiences. Also, they will discuss how the work of Lorraine Warren and the original paranormal Holy Grail of "The Conjuring" led them to where they are today. Additionally, they will make themselves available for all-access questions from fans, unveil never-before-seen footage, and reveal exclusive news to the Comic-Con audience about the longest-ever paranormal investigation they are about to embark upon. Moderated by Jessica Chobot (Nerdist News). Enter to win the chance to join a ghost hunt for one of Destination America's hit shows and other prizes at this can't miss event.

The San Diego Star Wars Society has prepared a challenging, fun-filled trivia game for fans of the galaxy far, far away. The first game round is for kids ages 5-11, followed by three adult game rounds (ages 12 and up). Test your knowledge of the Star Wars universe, and win valuable prizes. The trivia panel hosts are Brendan Prout, Linda Crispien, Leia Hornedo, Carlos Munoz, David Gutierrez and Shawn Mullen.