Chef Duff Goldman (Food Network's Ace of Cakes, Cake Masters) is the leading man in establishing nerd-themed desserts long before it became popular. Now, the world accepts superhero cakes as the norm. Join Chef Duff and moderator Jessica Tseang (Fangirl Foods, Girl on Geek) on answering: Where does Chef Duff see the future of fandom and foodies? Will the fad ever die out? Or will this be a genre that sticks around for quite some time?
UPDATED: Wed, Jul 13, 09:19AM Moderated Heidi Tandy (FictionAlley) is joined by journalist Elizabeth Minkel (New Statesman, Fansplaining), educator Dr. Ebony Elizabeth Thomas (Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania), event organizers Adrienne Alwag-Aipia (Los Angeles' Dumbledore's Army) and Alexa DiGennero (Leviosacon) and creative fans Stephanie Pressman (Harry Potter Improv), Rachael Vaughn (Snapecast), Justin Zagri (Severus Snape & the Marauders), Elizabeth Barcelos (U.S. Quidditch), and Elayna Darcy (MuggleNet) to discuss the magic of new canon, including Harry Potter & the Cursed Child (no spoilers, they will "Keep the Secrets"), Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them, and the excitement and creativity in Harry Potter fandom.
Sunday July 24, 2016 10:15am - 11:15am PDT
Room 6A
The members of Haran'galaar (San Diego chapter) and Manda'galaar (Los Angeles chapter) discuss the process of building Mandalorian armor, the application process, what happens after you're approved, and why exactly they troop.
Doll creators, owners and enthusiasts discuss the world of ball-jointed resin dolls from companies such as Volks, Fairyland, Luts, Iplehouse, and many others. Panelists will share the artistic process behind the creation and customization of ball-jointed dolls, as well as information about the expanding BJD collector community. You'll have the opportunity to learn the basics about BJDs and pick up tips on customizing, maintaining, and photographing these beautiful dolls. Share the beauty of your own unique doll, or just see the many dolls on display. From tiny to towering, it's a great opportunity to experience the different types of dolls in the world of BJDs. Make new friends, both real and resin!
Sunday July 24, 2016 12:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Room 32AB
Calling all big damn heroes! Come join fellow Firefly fans as the California Browncoats share news of the 'verse, artist Zac Pensol (project director, ToyVault) gives an insider's view into designing Firefly board games, and whatever fruity oaty goodness can be squeezed in. The red button's been pressed, calling you to find us!
The creators of the popular Disney Kingdoms imprint by Marvel discuss what makes this collaborative relationship of theme park storytelling in comic books so much fun. Expect anecdotes on the development of previous titles as well as a glimpse at what is next to come.
Why do people identify with Batman but not Iron Man? Or Kylo Ren but not Han Solo? Or Avengers but not Justice League? These decisions inform everything from movies, spinoff ideas, fan loyalty, sales, and toy production. Results from a multiyear research study examining over 650 pop culture characters conducted by Keith W. Beard, Psy.D. (professor, department of psychology, Marshall University), April Fugett, Ph.D. (professor, department of psychology, Marshall University), Britani Black, Elijah Wise, Josh Carter, and Jacob Mills (doctoral students, Marshall University) demonstrate how personality and psychological factors inform character preference and brand allegiance, particularly in a market where new releases may influence character recognition and popularity. These results and additional information will be discussed.
UPDATED: Mon, Jul 11, 03:33PM Who will duke it out for the highly-coveted Smackdown title this year? Can the Starship Enterprise defeat an Imperial Star Destroyer? Will the Millennium Falcon be assimilated by the Borg Cube? Will the Nostromo be taken over by Rathars? The panel of sage spaceshipologists trying to outwit, outplay, and outphaser include Bobak Ferdowsi ("Mohawk Guy" and actual spaceship builder), Kay Reindl (Scream, Millennium), Christian Gossett (The Red Star and notorious cookie monster), Ashley E. Miller (X-Men: First Class, Thor), Steve Melching (Star Wars Rebels, The Clone Wars), Robert Meyer Burnett (ST: TNG Blu-ray, Free Enterprise), Jose Molina (Firefly, Agent Carter), Scott Mantz (Access Hollywood), and the Gene Rayburn of the stars, moderator Mark A. Altman (The Fifty-Year Mission, The Librarians). End your weekend with the geekiest and most beloved panel of all-time in this or any other dimension, known or unknown.
Comic-Con offers students of popular culture an amazing venue to study how culture is marketed to and practiced by its fans. Robin Holloway (Wake Forest University), Thaddeus Kimm (Wittenberg University), Alexandra Jenkins (Texas A&M University-Texarkana), Jodie McKaughan (Radford University), Joan Miller (University of Southern California, Annenberg), Morgan Mitchell (Wittenberg University), Glen Stamp (Ball State University), Alix Watson (Ball State University), and Stephanie Webb (University of Denver) present initial findings from a week-long ethnographic field study of the intersection of fan practice at the nexus of cultural marketing and fan culture that is Comic-Con 2016. Matthew J. Smith (Wittenberg University) moderates.
Sunday July 24, 2016 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
Room 26AB
From movies to television to comics to YouTube, beloved characters have emerged whose lives and loves place them outside traditional notions of straight and gay. What does this burgeoning representation mean for the bi, pan, fluid, queer (bi+) community? Are the lives of bi people and the discrimination they face represented in popular science fiction, fantasy, and superhero genres? What's life like for bisexual creators in popular media? Join Prism Comics, the BiNet USA BiStories Project, and moderator Faith Cheltenham (BiNet USA) for a lively discussion of these and other issues with panelists R. J. Aguiar (YouTube's "TheNotAdam," NotAdamAndSteve), Tara Madison Avery (Gooch, Anything That Loves), Marissa Lee (Racebending), Steve Orlando (Midnighter, Batman & Robin Eternal), Bob Schreck (Legendary Comics), and Sarah Strumpf (Bisexual Books).
Sunday July 24, 2016 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Room 28DE
Lenny Schas (CEO PinPics), Christian Hoff (actor), Holland Hayes (actor), Chris Henning (artist), Terri Trainor (lead programmer), and Sandi Bois (avatar characters) explore the current and exciting future of the next-generation online world of pin trading and collecting.
The 21st anniversary trivia showdown matches Len Wein's (creator, Wolverine,Swamp Thing) Purple Prose team against the fan Black Ink Irregulars, who include Derek McCaw (Fanboy Planet podcast) and Peter S. Svensson (comics journalist). Questions written by Tom Galloway (Suicide Squid) will focus on characters and events having a n5th or n0th anniversary, such as the Batman TV show, Captain America, Aquaman, Fantastic Four, Black Panther, and many more. Trash talk will focus on being funny!
Sunday July 24, 2016 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Room 26AB
David L. Drake (Drake & McTrowell), Andrew Fogel (League of Steam), Bob Mogg (The Iron Tailor), and Rocky Olivares (Meowkernaut, comics) discuss how Steampunk's visual aesthetic has progressed, diversified, and matured over the last decade, including the influences and methods for achieving this progressive style and the specific tools, techniques, and materials used in recent projects. Moderated by Katherine L Morse (Drake & McTrowell).
Sunday July 24, 2016 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
Room 28DE
The world today would have been unthinkable 15 years ago. A world where a superhero can be found on every screen, big or small. A world where larger-than-life stories are given the respect they deserve in both live action and animation. But what about on the stage? This panel will focus on the writers, directors, and producers who have brought superheroes to the theater. Productions ranging from indie to Broadway will be explored, as these artists talk about the challenges they faced in making a live audience believe a man could fly.