If you're a writer or artist attending the Comic Creator Connection, this is your chance to practice giving your pitch before the event and get some invaluable help from a professional writer and speaker coach. So what is a pitch? A pitch is simply a way to present yourself or your project to others. It is usually a brief speech designed to persuade your listener into supporting what you're doing or what you've made. Most creators have no trouble coming up with great ideas for new comics, but they often struggle to speak clearly and concisely about those ideas to other people. Giving a good pitch is a vital skill in bringing your project to life. Fortunately, it's also a skill you can learn and improve with practice-and Pitch Review is a great place to do that. Pitch reviews will be conducted by Douglas Neff, a professional speechwriter, speaker coach, and host of the Comic Creator Connection. This is not a panel. Instead, these are three- to five-minute individual coaching sessions for as many people as is possible to accommodate in the scheduled time. Spaces are allotted on a first-come, first-served basis, and observers are welcome.
Do you want to build a career in the "nerdy" industry you love, but you're not sure where to begin? This all-star panel of professional "Nerds for a Living" will share insights into a variety of careers within comics, literature, podcasting, animation, film, and more. Learn how these panelists got their start, and get advice on what it takes to create a path to the career you want. Travis McElroy (The Adventure Zone; My Brother, My Brother and Me), Susan Eisenberg (voice of Wonder Woman in Justice League and Justice League: Unlimited), Tomi Adeyemi (author of Children of Blood and Bone), Ben Blacker (Vertigo's Hex Wives; co-creator of The Thrilling Adventure Hour), Jaimie Cordero (CEO and Glitter Jedi of Espionage Cosmetics), Jazzlyn Stone (COO of Bombsheller), and others will engage in this fun discussion moderated by Wendy Buske (Fictitious; Nerd for a Living) that'll leave you ready to conquer your post-SDCC goals.
Get all the information you need to build your own fully functional droid character from the Star Wars universe. Moderator Victor Franco and panelists Mike Senna, Michael McMaster, William Miyamoto, Chris Romines, and Thomas Roeoesli share their knowledge and expertise to help your build a success.
Sunday July 22, 2018 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Room 11
UPDATED: Wed, Jul 11, 04:57PM Ever wonder how pros go about creating new comic stories? 26-year veteran Disney comics creators Patrick and Shelly Block will create an actual short Donald Duck story with audience participation in this creative workshop. Learn firsthand how the Blocks come up with story ideas, plot out their tales, create a good story climax, and lay out a story idea so that it comes to life. This popular workshop is guaranteed to bring a chuckle or two, as terrible things are bound to happen when Donald Duck and his nephews are involved! All ages are invited. Come and join the fun! **This is not associated with The Walt Disney Company**
The Winner Twins, Brittany and Brianna, multiple award-winning and national bestselling science fiction authors known for their popular Strand series, explain how to create your own novel step by step, from building your universe to overcoming writer's block to the different paths to publishing. The twins, who are on staff at UCLA, have taught their unique creative writing method to hundreds of thousands of convention attendees, teachers, and students across the country. They will be joined by Todd McCaffrey (New York Times bestselling author, Dragonriders of Pern) and Steven Sears (writer and producer, Xena: Warrior Princess, The A-Team,Father Dowling Mysteries, Swamp Thing). This panel will be in loving memory of Richard Hatch, a friend, teacher, and inspiration to all.
Tony Chavarria (Museum of Indian Arts & Culture) examines Krazy Kat's fictional Coconino County as a presentation of how the indigenous peoples of the Southwest view their ancestral homelands. Jay Olinger (Portland Community College) places Fletcher Hanks' Fantomah as the first superheroine while also considering her mission within a modern context, proving that looking back at comics history can indeed help us move forward. Phillip Vaughan (University of Dundee) looks at the creation and ongoing production of Saltire, a Scottish superhero steeped in the mythology and folklore of Caledonian history, who served as a symbol for political feelings during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.
Sunday July 22, 2018 10:30am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 26AB
Many SFF authors writing today grew up playing Dungeons & Dragons. The game is experiencing a resurgence today. Hear some of today's most popular authors of science fiction and fantasy talk about how the classic game of the imagination inspired their own writing. Dungeon master Naomi Novik (Spinning Silver) guides authors Lila Bowen/Delilah Dawson (Treason of Hawks,Kill the Farm Boy), Kevin Hearne (Kill the Farm Boy), Matt Forbeck (Dungeons & Dragons: An Endless Quest series), R. A. Salvatore (Timeless,Child of a Mad God), Raymond E. Feist (King of Ashes), and Kyle Newman (Dungeons and Dragons Art and Arcana).
Sunday July 22, 2018 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 28DE
It's Sunday Funday! Bring your kids along as some of the best young adult/kids' artists DC has to offer are here to share with you their drawing tips and tools for the trade. Fan favorites Art Balatazar and Franco (DC Super-Friends), Agnes Garbowska (DC Super Hero Girls), Monica Kubina (DC Super Hero Girls), and Tom Richmond (MAD) are your tutors for today's class.
Sunday July 22, 2018 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 11
A spirited family discussion to determine which stories/characters/toys/activities are for girls and which are for boys. Ethicist and sociologist Dr. Melissa James will stimulate conversation as Rachel Todd (8, dinosaur expert) and Alexander Todd (5, unicorn expert) speak from the heart, balanced by experienced debate moderator Laura Todd (mom). Bring your questions and experiences to share.
UPDATED: Tue, Jul 10, 05:24PM Teachers, administrators, and higher education professionals are increasingly called upon to respond to a variety of mental health concerns across the education landscape. This panel of educators and mental health experts including Dr. Andrea Letamendi (UCLA, The Arkham Sessions podcast), Dr. Brent Crandal (Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego), Alfred Day (UC Berkeley), Sherard Robbins (University of Arizona), and Kirk White (UCLA) share how they have applied their passion for fandom and the lessons they have learned from superheroes to develop new best practices for promoting mental health and resilience in schools and on campuses. Moderated by Alfred Day (UC Berkeley).
UPDATED: Mon, Jul 09, 01:06PM You love comics, but are you fan enough to #MakeComics? comiXologists Matt Kolowski and Kiersten Wing host comics artists Mike Norton (Revival), Elsa Charretier (Superfreaks,Star Wars Adventures), Margaux Saltel (Superfreaks), Alti Firmansyah (Star-Lord and Kitty Pryde), Kristian Donaldson (The Massive,DMZ), and Megan Kearney (The Secret Loves of Geek Girls) in a discussion about the triumphs, sorrows, tricks, and craft of illustrating comics. What's the hardest thing to draw? What inspires their work? Who are the artists they admire most? Get the inside scoop from the pros about how to #MakeComics.
Sunday July 22, 2018 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 24ABC
Three teams of artists go head to head in the biggest Monster Battle Time of the season! This year they have Natalie "Nuclear" Nourigat,Yehudi "Maniacal" Mercado, and Rashad "Raring to Go" Doucet to design your monsters and battle for ultimate artistic glory! Free comics to all attendees! Speakers: Robin Herrera, Natalie Nourigat, Yehudi Mercado, and Rashad Doucet.
Sunday July 22, 2018 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT
Room 23ABC
Comic books have been pointing out injustice and bringing social issues to light since their outset. Over the years, this has ebbed and flowed, and currently, there is a merry war between both sides of the coin of too much and not enough. The comic industry is booming along with films and television series about superheroes. These panelists will share their thoughts on this topic and how current commentary on social justice and diversity have affected this industry. Moderator Heather Newman (founder and CEO of Creative Maven) is joined by Mela Lee (voice actor, Fallout, Final Fantasy) and Erica Lindbeck (actress, ThunderCats Roar).
Ayanni C. H. Cooper (University of Florida) addresses discrepancies between the anime and manga versions of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind by focusing on the manga of Nausicaä and positioning the text as climate fiction, using Miyazaki's "ecophilosophy" and his Shinto-esque leanings as a lens. Golnar Nabizadeh (University of Dundee) looks at Henry Yoshitaka Kiyama's 1927 comic The Four Immigrants Manga: A Japanese Experience in San Francisco, which demonstrates the power of comics to capture and convey the complexity of migrant memories as it portrays the (mis)adventures of four Japanese Issei in San Francisco. Shirin E. Edwin (New York University Shanghai) argues that Al-Mutawa's The 99, hailed in North America and Europe as a timely response to the stereotypes of Islam, inspired in the Arab world responses ranging from fatwas to accusations of commercialism; it has in fact provincialized and not globalized Islam.
Sunday July 22, 2018 12:00pm - 1:30pm PDT
Room 26AB
An all-star panel of Franco (Itty Bitty Hell Boy, Tiny Titans), Art Baltazar (Itty Bitty Hell Boy, Tiny Titans), Jeremy Whitley (Princeless, Wasp), and M. Alice LeGrow (Toyettica, Bizenghast) reveal how they make comics for kids great. Everyone will leave with a great kids' comic.
Making a graphic novel is a lot of work. But keeping a series going poses its own creative challenges. Bestselling comics creators discuss the trials and tribulations of creating a series. Panelists include Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm (Babymouse series, Sunny series), Raina Telgemeier (Smile,The Babysitters Club), and Molly Ostertag (The Witch Boy). Moderated by Dr. Rose Brock (Sam Houston State University).
Learn what it takes to present a proper pitch to a client or company. In this panel, you will learn about presentation, body language, elevator pitches, standing out, interview skills, and how to make an opportunity when there isn't one. Back by popular demand, this is the perfect panel for those who are looking to make a name for themselves or trying to get their ideas in front of their company of choice.
The panel reflects on the mechanics and outcomes of an international, transmedia narrative-led teaching and research comics-making collaboration between graduate students at the University of Dundee and undergraduates from Penn State. Student Gigi DeFleurentin (Pennsylvania State University, Ablington College) will report on her experience with the project and introduce a video of the trip. Faculty Emily Steinberg (Pennsylvania State University, Ablington College), Damon Herd (University of Dundee), and Christopher Murray (University of Dundee) discuss their hope of taking their collaborative effort to a third location in the future, furthering their mission to facilitate students with vastly different life experiences in the creation of a shared narrative, knitting together the next generation of graphic storytellers in an ever more tightly knit world.
Sunday July 22, 2018 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT
Room 26AB
Panelists will do a live drawing guided by suggestions from kids in the audience. See comic art created in realtime, and learn about drawing for comics. Artists will include Matt Loux (The Time Museum), Chad Sell (The Cardboard Kingdom), Nilah Magruder (How to Find a Fox), and Douglas Holgate (The Last Kids on Earth).
Sunday July 22, 2018 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT
Room 23ABC
Cartoon Art Museum educators Nina L. Taylor Kester (Cartoon Camp/ Peanuts colorist), Melissa Pagluica (Above the Clouds), and Matt Harding (Not Forgotten /Hyperdrive!) conduct a beginner workshop for the whole family. Fans young and old looking to get started in drawing cartoons and creating characters can follow along in this interactive program. Learn how to use basic shapes to create characters, including some of your favorites. Then learn how to add unique details to make them your own! To help you follow along, drawing materials are provided by Sakura of America.
Comic-Con offers students of popular culture an amazing venue to study how culture is marketed to and practiced by its fans. Jordan Bennet (Radford University), Margaret Clarke (Lynchburg College), Anthony Dannar (Auburn University), Carlos Flores (Arizona State University), Abbie Keane (Hollins University), Matthew Lunga (Radford University), Amari Page (University of Southern California), Abigail Tenshaw (Radford University), and Alison Woody (Hollins University) 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 2018. Matthew J. Smith (Radford University) moderates.
Sunday July 22, 2018 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
Room 26AB
Panelists include Edmund Cronin and comic creators, story tellers, and doctors, each with a unique story to share. Mental health issues are not something that should be ignored by a caring society. Social stigma and general misunderstanding keep us from connecting with people who are different. Comics have been and are being used to bring attention to mental health issues in thoughtful and provocative ways. Come hear the discussion about how comics play a role in reversing the stigma of mental illness and explore ways to understand and connect with love ones.
Ron Lemen (illustrator, storyboard, sequential artist, concept artist, educator) lectures and demonstrates methods and techniques for drawing motion in your 2D art. This lesson will include Photoshop tricks vs. drawing tricks, motion for environments and props, figure motion, lens distortions, color vs. lines, and more.
Justin Goby Fields (executive creative director of Ironklad Studios) is joined by world-renowned creature designers Neville Page (SYFY's Face Off,Star Trek), Raf Grassetti (principal artist at Sony), Krystal Sae Eua (The Avengers, Looper), and Dominic Qwek (Blizzard, Bonfire Studios) to talk about their craft, with Melissa Howland (We Are Movie Geeks, Geek Girl Social Club) moderating.
Sunday July 22, 2018 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Room 32AB
For artists and writers who get "stuck!" Veteran writer/editor Barbara Randall Kesel (Shadowzone/My Little Pony) slings rapid-fire tips, tricks, and strategies for vanquishing those blocked brain cells and deadline demons! Part information, part motivation, all entertaining!
Sunday July 22, 2018 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Room 28DE
Dr. Zhivago's panel will show how 3D cartoons are transformed from sketches and used in artificial intelligence media programs. Students participating in Dr. Zhivago's Digital Media Arts Program are from Arroyo Vista Charter Middle School (Chula Vista), showcasing their designs from sketch to final 3D rendering. Q&A moderated by Marissa Zhivago. A short cartooning workshop with Dr. Zhivago follows the presentation.
This panel covers the vital but basic concepts that can apply to anything in creative or geek culture, from professional goals to hobbyist projects. The panelists are Sean Glumace (Adobe education leader, comic book letterer), Heather Joseph-Witham, Ph.D. (professor at Otis College of Art and Design), Ron Coleman, Ph.D. (molecular geneticist and comic book writer), Dr. Renah Wolzinger (state director for retail, hospitality and tourism, California community colleges), Topher Davila (art director,Geekdom Wear), James Frye (managing editor, The Con Guy), and Mario Martinez (co-creator, Tomato TV). As the information has stacked up over the years, every person who attends will get a postcard of some of the collected tips, wisdom, and potential pitfalls talked about on past panels. Also, one lucky panel attendee will win a 12-month subscription to the Adobe Creative Cloud-a $599 value, courtesy of Adobe education leader Sean Glumace.
Sunday July 22, 2018 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
Room 24ABC
Being a good artist and facile with technology are two of the skills animation companies seek in employees. But there's a third component rarely discussed: how well you can draw in the style of their particular studio. In this workshop, Disney master teacher Mark McDonnell will demonstrate how to adapt your style and eye to different studios-including Disney, DreamWorks, and Warner Bros.-to increase your chances of getting hired. Introduced by Fast Company'sSusan Karlin.
