Bjo (legendary art show and costume contest organizer) and John (Equicon chair, long time SF fan) discuss their 1967 Save Star Trek campaign, their viewpoints on Star Trek today, and how cosplay grew from early costume activities. Moderated by Maggie Thompson (Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award winner and Comic-Con blogger).
Frank Mastromauro (publisher), Peter Steigerwald (co-owner), Vince Hernandez (vp/editor-in-chief), Mark Roslan (vp/director of design and production), Siya Oum (Lola XOXO), J.T. Krul (Aspen Universe: Revelations), Joshua Hale Fialkov (Aspen Universe: Revelations), Paolo Pantalena (Jirni), and Aspen creators will discuss upcoming titles and reveal projects for 2016 and beyond. The Aspen team will partake in a Q&A session with fans. All panel attendees will receive a gift courtesy of Aspen Comics.
J. M. Lee (author), Sierra Hahn (Archaia/BOOM! Studios), Rob Valois (Penguin Young Readers), and others will discuss the extremely creative and imaginative original young adult novels and graphic novels, delving into the magical world of Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal in a Q&A session moderated by Halle Stanford (The Jim Henson Company). Fans will also be treated to a screening of the winning "Dark Crystal Fan Film" submission.
More than any other industry, comics provide a unique opportunity for fans to become professionals and to work on the very things they loved as fans. Dinesh Shamdasani (Valiant), J. C. Vaughn (The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide), Melissa Bowersox (Geppi's Entertainment Museum), Michael Polis (Captain Action), and Dan Braun (Creepy, Eerie) discuss and explore their "legacy" professional adventures on their fanboy and fangirl passions! Moderated by Ed Catto (Captain Action).
UPDATED: Mon, Jul 11, 09:07AM Uncle three (best-selling author, original story and writer of Time Raiders), Huang Shan (cosplay icon from China) and Liu Peiyao (vice president of Le Vision Pictures) will discuss how the “ACGN” phenomenon is driving Chinese pop culture and how Chinese industry leaders create entertainment to inspire the super fan lifestyle and how Chinese comic content to “Go Global”. Moderated by Joe Wong (Chinese American comedian).
Author Mike Barrier (Funnybooks: The Improbable Glories of the Best American Comic Books)will talk about the challenges and rewards of pursuing an interest in comic books that bypasses superheroes in favor of artists like Carl Barks, Walt Kelly, and John Stanley. Randy Duncan (author of The Power of Comics: History, Form and Culture) will moderate, with PowerPoint visuals.
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).
UPDATED: Mon, Jul 18, 01:38PM Every hero has an origin story, the defining moment where they thrust themselves to greatness. So do the comics industry's best and brightest! Comics luminaries and tastemakers David Steinberger (comiXology CEO and co-founder), Bobbie Chase (DC VP talent development), Denis Kitchen (cartoonist/publisher/agent, The Best of Comix Book), Derf Backderf (cartoonist, Trashed, My Friend Dahmer), and Ed Luce (cartoonist, Wuvable Oaf) offer a look at the extraordinary events that transformed them from comics fan to comic industry heroes!
Karen Hallion (artist/illustrator), Tom Hodges (comic artist and illustrator), "Artist Abe" Lopez (artist/illustrator), John "Captain Ribman" Sprengelmeyer (award-winning illustrator/syndicated cartoonist), Austin "RebelArt" Frankel (artist/illustrator), and Craig "Wotto" Watkins (artist/designer) share their experiences as pioneers in the pop culture apparel world and provide practical advice on building your brand, along with a live drawing of a fan-suggested shirt design. Q&A moderated by Tom Kurzanski (art director for TeeFury).
Neville Howard (writer, Sugar and Space), Cristian Roux (creator, Falling Star), W. Chew Chan and Christopher Sequeira (artist/writer, The Exoneration of Doctor Fu Manchu), and Darren Koziol (publisher, Dark Oz comics) explore the renaissance of independent Australian creators using comics as a medium to tell unique and interesting stories. The panel will provide an overview of their projects and host a Q&A moderated by Alana Marshall (editor, Melbourne Comics).
Filmmakers Michael Fiore (producer and 2nd unit director, Sony Screen Gems' Keep Watching) and Erik Sharkey (director, Drew: The Man Behind the Poster)will show clips from their original feature-length documentary, announce upcoming release dates, and reunite animation's "troublemaker" Floyd Norman (legendary Disney animator and story artist) with many animators and producers he worked with over his storied 61-year career. Panelists will include notables featured in the documentary, including Don Hahn (producer, Maleficent), Gary Trousdale (co-director, Disney's animated Beauty and the Beast), Leonard Maltin (film critic and historian), Ken Mitchroney (writer, director, and story artist), Tom Sito (animator and professor of animation, USC), and Leo Sullivan (animator, producer, and publisher). The documentary also features interviews with Whoopi Goldberg (actress), Sergio Aragonés (cartoonist), Richard Sherman (Disney music composer), Scott Shaw! (cartoonist), and Ralph Guggenheim (former Pixar VP of animation). The documentary is supported with a wonderful jazz music score by Ryan Shore (composer, Disney's Penn Zero, WB's Scooby-Doo!, and The Oscars) and original animation by up-and-coming artist and animator Nirali Somaia. The filmmakers will moderate a Q&A session and give away exclusive SDCC miniposters designed for the documentary by legendary illustrator Drew Struzan.
