Comic-Con 2016

Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles, sits down with NPR's Petra Mayer to talk everything from the explosive success of The Lunar Chronicles to the power of YA fandoms, her first Lunar Chronicles graphic novel, to what fans can expect from Heartless, this fall's most-anticipated young adult novel. Arrive early for a front row seat for a Lunar Chronicles Fan Appreciation video.

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?

Celebrate Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender with the brilliant mind of Eisner winner Gene Yang, along with guests panelists. They'll discussing story lines and tease the future in a panel full of surprises and behind-the-scenes stories.

Once the fastest growing genres in literature, YA books have grown beyond babysitting and first loves. Now that graphic novels are making award-winning shortlists, comics aimed at middle-grade and young adult readers are growing in popularity. BOOM! Studios senior editor Sierra Hahn and creators Hope Larson (Goldie Vance,Compass South), Raina Telgemeier (Smile, Drama), Cecil Castellucci (Shade, The Changing Girl, Moving Target: Princess Leia) and Brenden Fletcher (Gotham Academy) discuss the significance of these emerging categories of comics and what they mean for modern literacy.

Learn from children's book literary agents Deborah Warren (East-West Literary), Kelly Sonnack (Andrea Brown Literary), Taylor Martindale Kean (Full Circle Literary), Jill Corcoran (Jill Corcoran Literary), and Jennifer Azantian (Jennifer Azantian Literary) about writing children's books, acquiring representation, and becoming traditionally published. Moderated by picture book author Henry Herz (Mabel & the Queen of Dreams).

Diamond Select Toys president Chuck Terceira and prototype painter Jason Wires discuss upcoming action figures, statues, ships, and banks for Doctor Strange, Gotham, and more! Marketing supervisor Zach Oat moderates.

This annual panel is for any group with a goal. It presents the vital basics of group management and networking that can apply to literally any project, from hobbiest to professional. Whether your goal is a career or professional-level hobby, your projects are a full-time job and you have only part-time hours to accomplish them. Much of achieving your goals rests with everyone helping each other with the skills, training, or talents no one individual has. Topher Davila (art director, GeekdomWear), Heather Joseph-Witham, Ph.D. (Mythbusters), Amber Goelst (Wacom Enterprise/Education), Sean Glumace (Adobe education leader), Gene Turnbow (general manager, Krypton Radio), Renah Wolzinger (higher education leadership: statewide technical assistance provider), Brendan Creecy (Radio Brendo Man podcast), Ron Coleman, Ph.D (molecular geneticist), Stephen Burns (Photoshop digital artist, author, and lecturer), Chris Dickens (writer and co-creator of Vigilante Project), and Mario Martinez (co-creator, TomatoTV) provide a mix of speaking, questions, and some short interactive applications where the audience can directly apply the topics covered. Handouts will be provided that cover tips, wisdom, and dos and donts from previous panels. As a bonus to help get your creative work life further along, you'll get a one-year subscription to Adobe's Creative Cloud. They also have a second tool to give away of particular use to anyone that even touches artwork: A Wacom tablet! You must be at the panel to be eligible for either giveaway.