Comic-Con 2016

You love comics, but are you fan enough to make comics? The comiXologist podcast crew Tia Vasiliou and Matt Kolowski they discuss the triumphs, sorrows, tricks, and craft of illustrating comics with an amazing lineup of talented artists and cartoonists, including Derf Backderf (cartoonist, Trashed, My Friend Dahmer), Megan Levens (Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 10), Denis Kitchen (cartoonist/publisher/agent, The Best of Comix Book), Cara McGee (Over the Garden Wall), and Shannon Wheeler (The New Yorker, Too Much Coffee Man). What's the hardest thing to draw? What inspires their work? Who are the artists they admire most? How can artists also write in comics?

Six artists team up to draw monsters described by audience members in the most extreme battle of 2016! Featuring the talents of Sarah Graley (Rick and Morty: Lil' Poopy Superstar, Our Super Adventure), D. J. Kirkland (Black Mage), and Zach Lehner (Junior Braves of the Apocalypse). Free comics for all attendees.

Add some "color" to your Comic-Con! Coloring books are all the rage right now, but why? The talented creators of some of the best new adult coloring and activity books discuss the popularity of the form, their pop culture influences, and how to color in and outside the lines. Panelists include Camilla d'Errico (Pop Manga Coloring Book), Brandon Bird (Brandon Bird's Astonishing World of Art), Jamie Loftus (Adult Coloring Book of Adulthood), and Kenny Keil (Stay at Home Scarface, MAD Magazine). Moderated by Amanda Meadows (The Devastator). Everyone who attends gets free coloring pages!

Sixty years ago, EC Comics threw in the towel, shuttering everything but MAD magazine when the Picto-Fiction titles failed to reach an audience. Although defeated by the Comics Code and the moral panic of the 1950s, EC left an indelible mark on the comics medium that's still felt to this day. Artists will create pieces in tribute to the EC tradition before your eyes. These great creators will share their perspectives on censorship and make once-in-a-lifetime art to benefit the Fund's important work defending the right to read comics. Get a chance to watch live art being created, learn about censorship, and bid to win the pieces made during the panel! All proceeds benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

Ron Lemen (illustrator, concept artist, educator) demonstrates and lectures methods and techniques for designing and rendering strong likenesses and convincing features. He will also discuss grouping, simplification, notans and more.

What does it take to make a great cover for a comic book? Ask four of the top artists, all folks who've created some of the best. Come hear the "shop talk" of Jonathan Case (Batman '66, The New Deal), Howard Chaykin (American Flagg, Black Kiss), Babs Tarr (Batgirl, Sailor Moon), Paul Gulacy (Sabre, Master of Kung Fu), and Scott Shaw! (Captain Carrot, The Simpsons). Moderated by Mark Evanier.

A panel of professional cartoonists and graphic novelists draw superheroes based on suggestions from the audience. They will walk the kids through how they approach character design and basic drawing technique. They will also talk about superhero powers and abilities and a little about the history of comics as well. Then they'll help kids draw their own characters with the provided worksheets.

Renee Jablow (Grammy-nominated paper engineer and author) returns to Comic-Con to lead a workshop making paper toys. Participants will make paper toys of popular licensed character featured in a recently published books by Studio Fun International (previously Reader's Digest Children's Publishing).