Ever wonder how really good books suck a reader in and hold their attention page after page? It's not the characters, nor the plot of the book. It is the way in which the author writes that separates their story from the pack. Award-winning author Maxwell Alexander Drake helps you gain insight into how to put your story together in a compelling way that will have your readers turning page after page to see what happens next.
Thursday July 18, 2013 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Room 2
Which side of the convention table do you want to be on: professional or fan? And what's keeping you from getting there? If you're having trouble bringing your creative ideas into reality, you need to attend this fun and informative workshop, designed specifically for the Comic-Con crowd and back for its seventh straight year. Douglas Neff, the "Tony Robbins of Geeks," will give you simple and proven techniques for bringing your most important goals to life. Whether you want to write your first novel, draw your own comic, or shoot your independent film, you'll walk away from this workshop with practical tools for helping you reach your dream.
Thursday July 18, 2013 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Room 23ABC
Comic-Con Film School is back for another four-day, nuts and bolts course on how to make a movie for very little money using available video technology and desktop postproduction software. Whether you're shooting your first vampire film or that story about the leather-clad girl who hunts dimensional refugees, this course will take you from script to final product so that you too can enter your own movie into the CCI-IFF. This first class covers the specifics of preproduction on the cheap, including screenwriting, casting, scheduling, location scouting, crewing-up, and getting equipment for nothing. Panelists include Valerie Perez (producer/star, Paula Peril series), Jack Conway (writer/producer, Fear News), Vera Vanguard (producer, The Building of Good and Evil), Nick Murphy (writer/director, Pizza and Bullets), and Sean Rourke (writer, Ballistica).
Authors discuss the inclusion of romantic elements in their action-packed novels. Protagonists must battle the forces of evil while trying to keep the world (and often their lovers) safe from destruction. Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy leads a discussion with Comic-Con special guest Christine Feehan (The Dark Series), Claudia Gray (Spellcaster), Aprilynne Pike (Earthbound), Lauren Kate (The Fallen Novels), Kendare Blake (Antigoddess), and Magnus Flyte (City of Dark Magic).
Thursday July 18, 2013 10:30am - 11:30am PDT
Room 24ABC
Ideas, characters, plots, designs, stories, paintings, photos, titles, names, logos, brands-it's enough to drive one crazy if you don't know your copyright from your trademark from your trade secret. But never fear-help is only a 90-minute program away. Noted IP attorney Michael Lovitz, author of The Trademark and Copyright Book comic book, is back for his 20th anniversary of enlightening creators at Comic-Con. His series of programs are designed to provide you with a basic legal foundation in intellectual property and related areas, including securing and enforcing your rights, contracts and licensing, fair use, social media, and much more. This first installment focuses on the basics-that is, understanding your intellectual property rights and how to protect them, focusing on protection and ownership of ideas, inventions, works of authorship, characters, brands and names, from conception through publication and beyond. Attendees are invited to participate in an interactive discussion about basic rights provided under U.S. copyright and trademark laws, including their intersection with new media, as well as new decisions and changes in the law and how they could affect those rights. Along the way, there will be plenty to learn about the protections available, as well as the numerous potential pitfalls, under the U.S. trademark and copyright systems. Please note: The Comic Book Law Schoolseminars are designed to provide relevant information and practice tips to practicing attorneys, as well as practical tips to creators and other professionals who may wish to attend. [This program is approved for 1.5 credits of California MCLE.].
Thursday July 18, 2013 10:30am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 30CDE
With so many terms and styles, diving into the mechanics of the craft of writing can be scary. And point of view (POV) can be one of the toughest to tackle. Yet, if used correctly, POV is a wonderful and powerful tool that is the backbone of your story. Award-winning author Maxwell Alexander Drake helps break this piece of the writing puzzle down into something you can use to enhance your writing style.
Thursday July 18, 2013 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 2
Successful novelists, screenwriters, and actors each bring a different perspective to a discussion of how to write science fiction and fantasy. Raymond Feist (The Riftwar Saga, The Serpentwar Saga, Conclave of Shadows), David Gerrold (Star Trek, The War Against the Chtorr, Star Wolf), Marc Scott Zicree (Space Command, Babylon 5, Sliders, The Twilight Zone Companion), Trevor Crafts (Lantern City, Smokewood), Matthew James Daley (Lantern City, Lantern City: Rise), Jimmy Diggs (The Crypto-Historians, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager), Matt King (The World of Steam), and Bruce Boxleitner (TRON, Babylon 5, Lantern City). Moderated by Mark O'Bannon (The Dream Crystal, The Dark Mirrors of Heaven, Aia the Barbarian).
Thursday July 18, 2013 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 32AB
Corsets, werewolves, airships, robots, women in pants! Steampunk is all this and more. While the Victorian era was marked by constraint, adding a sci-fi twist has allowed women creators to reimagine this world and loosen those cultural corset strings. They are exploring how liberating, sexy, and adventurous the age of steam can be. Robin Blackburn (The League of S.T.E.A.M.), Anina Bennett (Boilerplate: History's Mechanical Marvel), Kaja Foglio (Girl Genius), Jaymee Goh (Silver Goggles), Claire Hummel (Bioshock: Infinite), and moderator Dina Kampmeyer (LadySteam) discuss literature, fashion, romance, adventure, multiculturalism, and more.
Thursday July 18, 2013 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 5AB
New York Times bestselling author Max Brooks joins Avatar publisher William Christensen to give the scoop on new projects and creators joining the industry's most groundbreaking, risk-taking publisher! Want insight into the hottest titles from such industry luminaries as Garth Ennis, Alan Moore, and Max Brooks? Can't get enough Crossed: Badlands, Uber, or Extinction Parade? Want to hear breaking news on upcoming projects? Find out what new terrors and triumphs this rogue publisher will unleash in the months ahead, and get your questions answered by the publisher!
Thursday July 18, 2013 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT
Room 4
Join a discussion of Comic-Con special guest Dan Parent's 26-year career at Archie Comics. Moderator ChrisThompson (Orbital Comics) and colleague RikOffenberger (Archie Comics) will take part in a lively discussion concerning what it's like writing and drawing America's favorite teenage line of comics. Topics will include developments Dan has spearheaded in moving Archie comics forward, such as redesigning and revamping Betty and Veronica, creating new and diverse storylines like "Archie Loves Valerie," and the creation of Archie's first gay character, Kevin Keller.
Thursday July 18, 2013 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT
Room 8
Jermaine Turner (director, current series, Disney TV Animation), Ted Biaselli (VP programming, The Hub Network), Jill Sanford (VP, Nickelodeon Animation Development), Derek Hoffman (VP, Donner Co.), Ivan Brandon (writer/publisher, Offset Comics), Charlie Chu (editor, Oni Press), Lindsay Rostal (game producer, The Odd Gentlemen), Jennie Kong (PR strategist), and moderator Dan Evans III (freelance writer, Stoopid Monkey), will take an idea from conception through production for various media. This process will include creating a pitch document, obtaining agents, and getting a pitch meeting. The panelists will explain, through hypothetical example and humorous stories, the process that new creators should adapt to make their way through the creative battleground of the entertainment industry. Knowing that each project is unique, there will be a Q&A to allow the audience to really hone in on the solutions to obstacles they may encounter. Also on hand will be Brendan McFeely (IP lawyer, Kane Kessler) to give creators insight on protecting their ideas as they navigate Hollywood!
Thursday July 18, 2013 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Room 5AB
Tree roots as neural networks, the lunacy of Luna, the creation of wolves, the cooking of compost and glimpses of Sandman -- all this and more in an interview panel with artist/writer/musician/director/Mac worrier Dave McKean.
Thursday July 18, 2013 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT
Room 4
Writing instructors Rich Shivener (Northern Kentucky University), John Silvestro (Miami University), and Alex Jenkin (Miami University) discuss how they incorporate Batman, Scott McCloud, Will Eisner, and select indie comics into freshman-level college courses with diverse audiences, even those who are not fans of comics, considering both comics and academic writing as different methods to express arguments, narratives, and ideas. They reveal how students can use academic writing to analyze, realize, and understand comics and use comics to think about the limitations of academic writing and what it can and cannot show.
Thursday July 18, 2013 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Room 26AB
The Antidote Trust teams up with comics/TV animation creative force Brandon Easton for 2 hours of in-depth discussions. Preceding "The Writer's Journey: Breaking into Hollywood and Comic Scriptwriting" panel, this first hour concentrates on independent comic creation-what you'll need to know for a chance at success. Here's (not too much of) a spoiler alert: you'll need to tell a good story and doing so in a fresh way. Panelists are BuyIndieComics.com and DWAP Productions creator Dale Wilson;Todd Harris, story illustrator with well over a decade of experience in film, TV, video games and print and co-founder of Genre19 (Prodigal for Ape Entertainment, Journeymen for Dark Horse); Dani Dixon, entrepreneur/creator of Tumble Creek Press; Larry Welch, former senior art editor at Malibu Comics and currently freelance comic book inker for Marvel and Black Inc! Imprints; Andre Owens, Force Galaxia creator and founder of Hiro Unlimited entertainment enterprise; and TV and film story illustrator, comics creator, and winner of the inaugural "Glyph" Rising Star Award Robert Roach. DeWayne Copeland, co-creator and producer of the indie superhero web-series CV Nation, moderates.
In celebration of Superman's 75th Birthday, we look back at the Man of Steel in comics' Bronze Age. In 1970, veteran editor Julius Schwartz assumed command of the primal hero and charted a course for a new generation. On hand to discuss it are many of the writers who worked with Julie in keeping Superman flying high: Gerry Conway, Martin Pasko, Marv Wolfman, Elliot S! Maggin, and moderator Mark Evanier.
Thursday July 18, 2013 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Room 5AB
The fruitful collaboration between Steven T. Seagle and Teddy Kristiansen began in 1996 with House of Secrets, blossomed with 2004's It's a Bird, for which Kristiansen won an Eisner Award, and continued to grow with the experimental The Red Diary/The Read Diary, for which Kristiansen is again up for an Eisner. Seagle and Kristiansen will talk about their long relationship as collaborators and what it takes to be a successful creative team-even when an ocean and a language may separate you.
Thursday July 18, 2013 2:00pm - 3:00pm PDT
Room 23ABC
As we move from the Insight to Indies panel, we'll address the question every aspiring writer wants answered: "How do I break into the business?" If you are an unpublished writer with dreams of making it in the transmedia marketplace and you don't know how or where to begin, this is the panel for you. Hollywood screenwriters and graphic novel producers Brandon M. Easton (ThunderCats (2011), Transformers: Rescue Bots), GeoffreyThorne (TNT's Leverage, Ben 10), Jonathan Callan (Ben 10, Generator Rex), veteran screenwriter Tony Puryear (the Schwarzenegger film Eraser), and actress/writer Erika Alexander (Maxine Shaw from Living Single and Concrete Park graphic novel from Dark Horse) share insider information, publishing secrets, and the professional realities on how to develop your ideas into a viable comics proposal. Topics include how to hire artists and build a strong contract, how to seek out a publisher, and how to navigate the tough new world of intellectual property management in the digital frontier.
Chris Metzen (Blizzard Entertainment SVP story and franchise development) and a team of esteemed guests reveal never-before-seen licensed products and plans for 2013/2014. Talk to the designers, writers, and artists themselves as they dig into toys, novels, comics, statues, and more. Panel and extended game Q&A session moderated by Kat Hunter (host of Blizzcon coverage on DIRECTV).
Thursday July 18, 2013 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Room 6BCF
Same guys, same panel, same stupid barbarian. The folks who've brought you Groo the Wanderer (and vow to do so again soon) will tell you what's up with that and what's up with all their other silly projects. Featuring the world's most honored cartoonist, SergioAragonés, and his faithful sidekick MarkEvanier, plus the creator of UsagiYojimbo,StanSakai, and the world's hardest-working colorist, Tom Luth.
Earlier this year, Lenorecreator Roman Dirge was almost killed in a Sunset Boulevard hit-and-run that left him lying in hospital with a shattered leg. After months of painful physical therapy, Roman is back-better, stronger, but not necessarily faster-and here to discuss his long road to recovery, his return to the drawing board with Lenore issue #8, and his fourth Titan Lenore collection: Purple Nurples (which will be debuting at the show). One-on-one interview followed by Q&A.
Thursday July 18, 2013 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Room 28DE
Summit Entertainment presents a special sneak peek at the highly anticipated film adaptation of the beloved, award-winning novel Enders Game. This is a must-see for fans, who will be shown all-new, exclusive footage and treated to a Q&A with stars Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, and Abigail Breslin, along with producer Roberto Orci (Star Trek Into Darkness) and director Gavin Hood (X-Men Origins: Wolverine). The panel will also feature the first footage ever seen of the futuristic thriller based on the #1 New York Times best-selling novel, Divergent. Cast and filmmakers will complete a Q&A sharing details of the project's transition from book to film. Panelists will include novelist Veronica Roth, director Neil Burger, and cast members Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Miles Teller, Maggie Q, Ansel Elgort, Mekhi Phifer, Ben Lamb, Ben Lloyd-Hughes and Christian Madsen.
So you want to make comics? This program is your first step toward actually doing it! Top comic book creators Brandon Siefert (Witch Doctor) and Bobby Curnow (IDW editor, Night of 1,000 Wolves) discuss the ins and outs of the comic industry-specifically, what it takes to break into comics and how it's done! This is the panel that no writer or artist dare miss. Bonus: In addition to breaking in, learn how to stay in the comics business! Moderated by Comics Experience's Andy Schmidt (Marvel and IDW editor, writer).
Thursday July 18, 2013 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
Room 30CDE
The gory, gruesome, and paranoia-inducing elements in these novels will take readers on a jet-fueled ride to the dark side. These writers spare no expense to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up with stories that will surprise you at every turn. Their protagonists solve crimes, kick ass, and don't let anyone-or anything-stand in their way. Thrill to the discussion with James Rollins (Eye of God), Duane Swierczynski (Point and Shoot), Stephen Blackmoore (Dead Things), Charlie Huston (Skinner), Jeffrey J. Mariotte (Season of the Wolf), and Roger Hobbs (Ghostman), led by David Mariotte of Mysterious Galaxy.
Thursday July 18, 2013 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
Room 25ABC
Special guest JeffSmith discusses a slew of upcoming projects, including the highly anticipated hardcover Rasl in full color, the Bone Artist's Edition from IDW, Best American Comics 2013 (edited by Smith), and the upcoming new digital comic Tuki: Save the Humans. Presentation and Q&A to follow.
Trouble finding a book publisher? How about a literary agent? Do you really need your own publicist? Is getting into print different when your book's topic is particularly geeky? Hear how these bookworms got their works into print, how they made money at it, and how you might, too: S. G. Browne (Breathers: A Zombie's Lament), Bonnie Burton (The Star Wars Craft Book), Katrina Hill (Action Movie Freak), Alan Kistler (Doctor Who: A History), Alex Langley (The Geek Handbook), and Dr. Travis Langley (Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight). Moderated by Jenna Busch (Fanhattan).
Thursday July 18, 2013 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
Room 26AB
This award-winning creator on such notable works as Promethea, Batwoman, and the upcoming Sandman with Neil Gaiman talks about why he loves comics, moderated by John Bultena (Lecturer Merritt Writing Program, UC Merced). Visual presentation, discussion, and Q&A session.
If you're a writer or artist attending the Comic Creator Connection, this is your chance to practice giving your pitch before the big event and to get some free coaching from a pro. Pitch Reviews will be conducted by Douglas Neff, an experienced presentation coach and professional public speaker who hosts the Comic Creator Connection and From Fan to Creator: Goal-Setting for Creative Types. This is not a panel. Instead, these are 3- to 5-minute individual coaching sessions for as many people as can be accommodated in the scheduled time. Please note that showing up is not a guarantee that you'll get a review session. Spaces are allotted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Thursday July 18, 2013 5:00pm - 6:00pm PDT
Room 29A
John Barrowman (Arrow, Torchwood, Doctor Who, Sing Your Face Off) discusses his past, present, and future projects, including playing the Dark Archer and Captain Jack Harkness. John's sister and co-author, Carole Barrowman (Hollow Earth, Bone Quill), will join him in the final segment to discuss their collaborations.
In the last year, Thrillbent.com has been a leading innovator in digital comics. Mark Waid (Daredevil, Superman: Birthright, Insufferable),James Tynion IV (Batman, The Eighth Seal), John Rogers (Leverage, Dungeons and Dragons, Arcanum), Nicholas Rucka (Kitchen Death Match), Christina Blanch and Troy Peteri (The Damnation of Charlie Wormwood), and Lori Matsumoto (Thrillbent general manager) join other Thrillbent talent for an in-depth tutorial on how to write, draw, and color for the Thrillbent format in an hour-long "how-to" with Q&A.
Siike Donnelly and Matt Hawkins - along with guest panelists Olivia Peterson, Jon Schnepp, and Joshua Levy - give you a look into the process of running and promoting a Kickstarter campaign. Learn how to reach your audience directly and put your dream project into the hands of many. Discover the ups, downs, and rewards of believing in your work.
Actresses, stuntwomen, creative cosplayers, outspoken bloggers, gamers, and comic book creators...which women are movers and shakers on the convention scene? Is the con a place where fangirls feel forced to fit fantastic expectations, or is it a place where they can unleash who they really are? Are women in fandom subjected to more judgment than their male counterparts? Do women in fandom have to maintain dual identities in ways the fanboys don't? To discuss whether fandom really is different for women, Action Flick Chick Katrina Hill (Fanhattan, CraveOnline) has assembled a team of women dangerous in their own right: Chaka Cumberbatch (Princess Mentality Cosplay), Ashley Eckstein (HerUniverse), Erin Gray (Buck Rogers, Heroes for Hire), Dr. Andrea Letamendi (UnderTheMaskOnline.com), Jessica Merizan (BioWare), Morgan Romine (Frag Dolls), and America Young (Stan Lee's World of Heroes).
Thursday July 18, 2013 6:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Room 7AB
For five years at Comic-Con, Ain't It Cool News's Mark L. Miller has led a panel full of comics most frightening creators in a lively discussion on what it takes to incite horror and suspense in graphic storytelling. Join a star studded panel of writers, artists, and other spooky characters to find out what makes them scared, how they scare others, and what to do and not to do in horror comic books.
Thursday July 18, 2013 7:00pm - 8:00pm PDT
Room 5AB
Get the inside word on Simon and Schuster’s upcoming books and the chance to win exclusive prizes! Lucille Rettino (vice president, director of marketing), Carolyn Swerdloff (marketing manager), Chrissy Noh (associate marketing director), Mara Anastas (vice president, deputy publisher), and Anna McKean (publicity manager) will give you the scoop on upcoming books from exciting authors, including Scott Westerfeld, Cassandra Clare, Orson Scott Card, Tony DiTerlizzi, and Brandon Mull. Hear what is going on with S&S’s hot properties and get a chance to win exclusive giveaways. All attendees will receive a limited edition T-shirt for the upcoming The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones movie.
Max Brooks (Zombie Survival Guide, World War Z), Matt Mogk (Zombie Research Society), Steven Schlozman (The Zombie Autopsies), Scott Kenemore (Zen of Zombie, Zombie Ohio), Aaron Sagers (Journalist and TV host), Bradley Voytek (neuroscientist), and Jonathan James (DailyDead.com) discuss why zombies are so popular today. Join this expert panel for a Q&A session covering everything from the origin of the modern zombie to the deep-rooted fears it represents.
Thursday July 18, 2013 7:00pm - 8:00pm PDT
Room 7AB
What builds The Guild? How do people from so many different backgrounds, sometimes operating on shoestring budgets, bring their own shows to life on YouTube and other websites? Geeks and Gamers Anonymous creators Katrina Hill and Alex Langley assemble geeky webseries creators and performers from Shelf Life (Tara Platt, Stephanie Thorpe), Husbands (Jane Espenson, Brad Bell), Super Knocked Up (Jeff Burns, Jourdan Gibson), and creator of The Legend of Neil (Sandeep Parikh) to discuss the creative process from conception through casting, crowdsourcing, production, and promotion of original online content.
Thursday July 18, 2013 7:30pm - 8:30pm PDT
Room 24ABC