Comic-Con 2016

Emily the Strange creator Rob Reger and illustrator Buzz Parker and special guest Strangers to get the insider scoop on final chapter of the all-ages Dark Horse comic book series Emily and the Strangers, including sneak peeks of new artwork and story lines from the final volume. Rob and Buzz will unveil new Emily the Strange works of art, a collaboration where Emily meets the Atomic Dog and gets Funkadelicized, and the latest on the long process of developing an animated feature film and TV show. Rob and Buzz will discuss their creative process of collaborating together for over 13 years. And as always, audience participation will be encouraged with plenty of rewards for being strange. Oh yeah, bring your Q's for some A's. Be there! or get lost!

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.

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!

David Rosing (NASA JPL Mars Sample Return system engineer), Shonte J. Tucker (JPL thermal engineer), Michael R. Johnson (JPL mechanisms engineer), and Todd J. Barber (JPL Senior Cassini propulsion engineer) discuss how humans go boldly where there's no one around to fix it. Hear stories from the trenches of the heartbreaks, close calls, and adventures of real-life solar system exploration.

Learn about the rich and entertaining history of video games and why you keep going back to playing games that are 20 and 30 years old. A brief overview of the milestones in video game history will be presented: the rise of Atari in the late '70s, the Video Game Crash of 1983, the dominance of Nintendo in the '80s, and so on. Following will be a discussion about the current retro video game boom, seen in the popularity of video game collecting, "retro-style" indie games, and YouTube shows and conventions covering retro video games. Panelists include Pat Contri (author of Ultimate Nintendo: Guide to the NES Library, Pat the NES Punk), James Rolfe (Angry Video Game Nerd, Cinemassacre), Ian Ferguson (Completely Unnecessary Podcast), Andre Meadows (Black Nerd Comedy), and Dan Eardley (Pixel Dan toy reviews).

Nolan T. Jones (Roll20 co-founder) and Steve Koontz (Roll20 programmer) discuss how popular pen-and-paper games have migrated online, as well as offer tips for virtual tabletop gaming.