Theme: if you don't have one, you don't have a story! Theme is probably the most misunderstood aspect of storytelling. Everyone “thinks” they know what it is, but almost no one understands how to thread it into a story. Maxwell Alexander Drake breaks down this strange and complex topic into easy-to-understand elements you can use in your own stories immediately. Drake is an award-winning science fiction/fantasy author, graphic novelist, and playwright. He is best known for his fantasy series The Genesis of Oblivion Saga. Drake teaches creative writing at writers' conferences and fan conventions around the country.
Thursday July 18, 2019 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Room 2
Digital pioneer Brian Haberlin will show you all the time-saving tricks in his art quiver! Super quick flatting, super quick coloring, and that is just the tip of the mountain of information you will get at this panel. A must for anyone interested in coloring comics! Brian Haberlin is an American comic book artist, writer, editor, animator, sculptor, educator, and producer best known as the co-creator of the Witchblade franchise and for his digital art innovations. He currently runs Digitalarttutorials.com, where he produces art tutorials, teaches at Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and is partner in Anomaly Productions, producing graphic novels, comics, and augmented reality apps.
Thursday July 18, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 2
National bestselling author-editor Bryan Thomas Schmidt (The Martian, The X-Files, Predator) leads a practical how-to workshop to get you started and geared up to create with a solid structure for your story. All participants get a free e-book of Bryan's bestselling How to Write a Novel: The Fundamentals of Fiction.
Thursday July 18, 2019 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Room 2
This is a live demonstration of how Stanley Artgerm Lau creates characters with universal appeal. Born and bred in Hong Kong, the multifaceted Stanley wears different hats as an illustrator, designer, concept artist, creative director, and co-founder of Imaginary Friends Studios, a world-acclaimed digital art studio that produces high-quality artworks for the likes of Capcom, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and other giants in the entertainment and gaming industry. Presently, Stanley and his IFS partners are running a full-time diploma course in Digital Design and Illustration for aspiring artists worldwide, in collaboration with 3dsense Media School Singapore.
Do you know how comic books are colored? Learn about the creative art of comic book coloring as Hi-Fi's Brian Miller (Justice League, The Flash) and Kristy Miller (Femme Magnifique, Birds of Prey) demonstrate the step-by-step transformation of a comic book page from black and white to full color. Learn professional techniques for flatting, rendering, color holds, and special effects, along with top digital coloring tips. Q&A session.
Thursday July 18, 2019 2:00pm - 3:00pm PDT
Room 11
Speaking in both Spanish and English, Carlos D'Anda will demonstrate his techniques in inking, pencilling, coloring, and layout. Carlos is an American comic book artist who has worked on Marvel's Star Wars comic. He is most famous for his work on Deathblow, Outsiders, and Batman: Arkham City. Recently, he has worked on DC Universe Online.
UPDATED: Thu, Jul 11, 10:13PM Comic Pro Boot Camp (CPBC) is made up of four industry professionals with the heart and mind to teach fans and potential future comic book artists how to polish their comic book pages and prepare them for professional presentation. Panelists will discuss the mission of the group and how they play a role in future talents. They will also do live art demonstrations from major talents like Kim Jung Gi, Stanley Lau (Artgerm), Whilce Portacio, and Ryan Benjamin.
Scott Hampton takes the audience through the process of bringing artist P. Craig Russell's pages of American Gods to life on the comics page. Scott will also do a painting demo using traditional tools (pen, ink, acrylic paint). His work on Silverheels from Pacific Comics in 1983 is regarded as the first continuing painted comic. His credits include Batman,Sandman,Black Widow,Hellraiser, and Star Trek, as well as Magic: The Gathering cards. Also on the panel will be Jennifer Lange, who has worked as a colorist for Dark Horse's adaptation of American Gods.
Karl Kopinski will demonstrate the use of both traditional and digital media for creative illustrations. Karl is a British illustrator, who has worked with a large variety of clients, including Peter Jackson, Sir Paul Smith, Hasbro, Ubisoft, Abound Creative, Sixmorevodka, Wizards of the Coast, and Games Workshop.
Ever wonder how a really good books suck a reader in and hold their attention page after page? It might not be the characters, nor even the plot. It could be the way the author writes that separates this story from the pack. During this class, you will gain insights on how to put your story together in a compelling way that will have your readers turning page after page to see what happens next. Presented by Maxwell Alexander Drake, an award-winning science fiction/fantasy author, graphic novelist, and playwright. He is best known for his fantasy series, The Genesis of Oblivion Saga. Drake teaches creative writing at writers' conferences and fan conventions around the country.
Award-winning creator Brian Haberlin covers how to use such modern storytelling methods as web shorts, podcasts, augmented reality, and virtual reality. Brian is an American comic book artist, writer, editor, animator, sculptor, educator, and producer best known as the co-creator of the Witchblade franchise and for his digital art innovations. He currently runs Digitalarttutorials.com, where he produces art tutorials, teaches at Minneapolis College of Art and Design and is partner in Anomaly Productions, producing graphic novels, comics, and augmented reality apps.
Ryan Benjamin explores character and world development that place cultural interactions at the forefront with subtleties that nod at the players. This is the launch of a new creative technologists group. The purpose is to build an international community that inspires, sustains, and nurtures enthusiasts and professionals at all levels to actively create and share their narratives across mediums. Travis Williams began his career in entertainment in 1990 as one of the co-creators of the World of Darkness roleplaying games from White Wolf. These properties (Vampire, Werewolf, Mage) went on to become comics, TV shows, video games, and novels. He is currently the vice president of Digital Gaming at Lightstorm Entertainment.
You will realize that you do not need any fancy equipment to draw your heart out after seeing Kim Jung Gi' s outrageous live drawing! You will get a chance to see an empty canvas transform into a completed scene with human anatomy and perspective in just 90 minutes. Kim Jung Gi is an established artist from South Korea who has the ability to visualize drawing before making his marks. With mental pictures, he can draw without photographic reference. He has published numerous sketchbooks and worked on the TLT, Tiger the Long Tail webtoon.
DC Entertainment publisher-chief creative officer Jim Lee (Superman Unchained, Justice League, Batman, Suicide Squad) talks about his 25+ years in the comics industry and sketches your favorite characters live on the big screen in this engaging panel. This is a great opportunity to watch the creative process first-hand and learn the tips of the trade that bring DC Entertainment's characters to life..
Artist Humberto Ramos will use both Spanish and English to teach drawing techniques. Ramos is a Mexican comic book artist best known for his work on American comic books such as Impulse, Runaways, The Spectacular Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man, and his creator-owned series Crimson, Out There, Revelations, and Fairy Quest. He co-founded the imprint Cliffhanger, housed by Jim Lee's Image Comics division Wildstorm, to publish creator-owned comic books outside the mainstream superhero genre.
Being a good artist and facile with technology are two skills animation companies want. But there's a third component rarely discussed—how well you can draw in the manner of each studio. Understanding and mastering these styles will increase your chances of getting hired. In this session, Disney master teacher Mark McDonnell will demonstrate the style quirks of Cartoon Network, Disney, DreamWorks, Laika, and Warner Bros., this time with particular attention to how types of characters—heroes, villains, and sidekicks—change across studios. Moderated by Fast Company's Susan Karlin.
Designing steampunk characters with Joe Benitez, artist and creator of the Steampunk comic Lady Mechanika. Joe will be sketching live, showing what to do (and not to do) to create cool Steampunk characters, taking requests from the audience, and designing Steampunk versions of popular characters. Joe is the co-creator and penciller of Weapon Zero, published by Top Cow Productions. Other titles he has worked on include The Darkness, The Magdalena, as well as work for DC Comics.
Members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) discuss writing careers, tips and tricks, and the one big secret that got them published. Learn how SFWA supports SF and fantasy writers and how it can help you with your creative career. Panelists include Jeffe Kennedy (The Orchid Throne), Marie Andreas (The Diamond Sphinx), Greg van Eekhout (Voyage of the Dogs), Greg Bear (Take Back the Sky; Comic-Con special guest), Jonathan Brazee (Fire Ant), and Kyle Aisteach (Little Dystopias).
Watercolors can be a magical medium for any artform, including comics. Watch beginner to advanced technique demonstrations meant specifically for comics led by educator Nina L. Taylor Kester (museum program coordinator). Plus, watch as Alina Chau (Marshmallow & Jordan) and Ben Seto (Skullbunnies) share their mastery of this classic medium to create wondrous works of comic art. Lucky attendees will win some of the art created or go home with an art kit to start their own watercolor adventure. Materials provided by Sakura of America, General Pencil, and Blick Art Supplies.
If used correctly, POV is a wonderful and powerful tool that is the backbone of your story. Maxwell Alexander Drake will help break this piece of the writing puzzle down into something you can use to enhance your writing. Drake is an award-winning science fiction/fantasy author, graphic novelist, and playwright. He is best known for his fantasy series, The Genesis of Oblivion Saga. Drake teaches creative writing at writers' conferences and fan conventions around the country.
Saturday July 20, 2019 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Room 2
Randall Munroe, creator of xkcd, discusses his new book How To, a guide to using science to turn everyday problems into much bigger, more exciting problems. Learn how to cross a river by boiling it, get tips on how to make skiing much more dangerous using liquid oxygen, and hear about his experience asking famous experts the most ridiculous questions he could think of.
Saturday July 20, 2019 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Room 4
Learn how to take your idea and make a comic book, using Brian Haberlin' s new Image comic Sonata as a test case. He'll cover idea to script, panel layout, art style, distribution, printing, and much more. Brian is an American comic book artist, writer, editor, animator, sculptor, educator, and producer best known as the co-creator of the Witchblade franchise and for his digital art innovations.
Saturday July 20, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 2
UPDATED: Mon, Jul 08, 08:17PM Blind and visually impaired people love comics, gaming, TV, movies, and all the sorts of science fiction/fantasy/horror artforms just as much as their sighted counterparts. How do they enjoy such things with little or no eyesight? Totally blind martial artist, competitive surfer, and unashamed geek Joshua Loya and actor/audio book narrator/writer Scott Brick will share available options for nonvisual entertainment. Panelists include Joshua Loya (champion surfer, martial artist, public speaker, and professional adventurer), Charles Constant (actor; studied with renown acting teacher Ted Liss in Chicago, and is currently participating in a two-year Meisner Technique program at the prestigious Baron-Brown Studios), Christina Stevens (audio description writer under Anna Capezzera at Deluxe; Christina has written for a significant number of titles, including Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, Stranger Things, and Aquaman), and Scott Brick (American actor, writer, and award-winning narrator of over 850 audiobooks by bestselling authors, including Michael Crichton, Frank Herbert, and Isaac Asimov).
Saturday July 20, 2019 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Room 2
Ron Lemen (Lemenaid website, LAAFA, CGMA, GNOMON SVFX) discusses and demonstrates easy-to-use methods for developing backgrounds for illustrations, from simple to complex scenery. Topics include line of action, symbolism, camera effects vs. graphic design effects, using 3D, and more.
The iPad has transformed the way you read comics, but did you know you can create comic art on the iPad too? Watch comic book artwork come to life as Hi-Fi's Brian Miller (Star Wars, Archer) and Kristy Miller (Femme Magnifique) demonstrate step by step how to pencil, ink, and color comics on the iPad. Learn the basic tools and techniques and see which apps work best and how you, too, can transform your iPad into a portable art studio. Q&A session to follow.
NEW: Thu, Jul 11, 04:36PM Are you a freelance artist, writer, cosplay professional or have your own side hustle? Are you making money living your passion? Do you want to learn how to reduce your taxes and keep more money on your pocket? Neil Narvaez (CFP®, president of Nerdy Finance) will teach you ways to optimize your tax situation and pay as little tax as possible, while setting yourself up for a profitable and successful future doing what you love to do. Get real-world tax and financial advice for your nerdy and geeky endeavors! Learn what you can and can’t deduct for your business, if the new Trump Tax Law helps or hurts freelancers, what the best business structure is for your business, whether you need to set up an LLC and more! There will be plenty of time for Q&A, so bring your specific questions and be ready to take notes.
Master storyteller and voiceover artist Scott Brick puts volunteers from the audience through their paces to see if they (and you) have what it takes to join the competitive world of voiceover. Scott is an American actor, writer, and award-winning narrator of over 850 audiobooks by bestselling authors, including Michael Crichton, Frank Herbert, and Isaac Asimov. Joining him will be Townsend Coleman (voice-actor; best known for his work in animation, commercials, and network TV promos including the voice of Michelangelo on the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon) and Rachel Kimsey (American actress and voice actress; voice of Wonder Woman on all of DC's animated adventures).
If you want to learn how to draw, you are living in the best time ever to master the craft. Stan Prokopenko and Marshall Vandruff will talk about all the resources you can use to better your skills, including art schools, ateliers, mentorships, books, artificial intelligence, and more. Stan attended the Watts Atelier for many years and later became an instructor there; he has taught drawing and painting classes on numerous topics such as portrait, figure, quick sketch, and plein air. Marshall has worked as an artist and educator in Southern California for 35 years. His clients include MAD magazine, Hanna Barbera, Dark Horse Comics, Blizzard Entertainment, Rockstar Games, Disney Studios, Insomniac Games, Warner Brothers Entertainment, ImagineFX Magazine, AutoDesk, The Gnomon Workshop, and over 40 advertising agencies.
Michael C. Grumley, bestselling author of the Breakthrough series, teams up with renowned audiobook narrator Scott Brick to share secrets of successfully self-publishing your novel and getting it to the marketplace. From choosing a lucrative topic to avoiding common missteps, Grumley and Brick offer invaluable insight in this attendee-interactive panel. Moderated by Gina Smith, production manager at Scott Brick Productions.
Publishers, artists, writers, convention producers, distributors, historians, fans, and exhibitors are a big part of comics. A new wave of comic historians is growing and getting younger! With their energy and ideas, they're changing the comics industry for the better! Steve Geppi, CEO Diamond Comics, 2018, donated Geppi Entertainment Museum to the Library of Congress and is publisher of the Comic Book Price Guide. Greg Koudoulian, early SDCC film program contributor produced the first comic convention in LA and is the recipient of the Shel Dorf Comics Archives. Elliot S! Maggin, DC Comics Superman writer of 1970s–80s, is also author of the Last Son of Krypton and Miracle Monday. Alonso Nunez, CEO and founder of Little Fish Comic Book Studio, is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts. Mike Royer, one of Comic-Con's very first guests, was Jack Kirby's longest sidekick and prolific inker. Terry Stroud, dealer at all San Diego Comic-Cons, is a comics historian and former convention producer. Bill Morrison was MAD magazine's executive editor 2017–2019 and National Cartoonist Society President 2016–2019. Josh Geppi is the founder of Sapphire Studio, special advisor for Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, and president of Diamond International Galleries. Matt Dunford is president of Little Fish Comic Book Studio and chairman of San Diego Comic Fest.
The second-most-common question JMS gets at SDCC each year is "How do I become a writer?" (The first-most-common question is, "Can you please just leave?" but we'll discuss that another time.) This popular workshop is an opportunity for aspiring writers to get the best advice available on achieving success, direct from the horse's mouth (or the other end). Freewheeling and frank, the workshop requires participation, so bring your very best questions about techniques, marketing, and other matters relevant to breaking in as a writer in comics, film, and TV. Your second-best questions should be directed, randomly, at Marv Wolfman.
Ever wonder how pros go about creating new comic stories? Twenty-six-year veteran Disney comic 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 one, come all, and join Bryan “Kaiser” Tillman at the 10th anniversary of Proper Pitching and Promoting Yourself. You will learn about presentation, body language, elevator pitches, standing out, interview skills, and how to make an opportunity when there isn't one. Bryan is the owner and CEO of the Kaiser Studio Productions, a production studio for comics, toys, animation, and games. Some of the clients have included Marvel, DC, Image, Valiant, UpperDeck, Cryptozoic, Rittenhouse, Toys ‘R' Us, Focal Press, FX, LucasFilms, Netflix Miramax, and Tandem Productions.
Moderated by Lorran Garrison, the panel will talk about how comics, cosplay, video gaming, and other forms of pop culture foster mental health wellness of teens and young adults. More specifically, the panel will dive deep into the impact of comics and pop culture within the LGBTQIA community. Bullying and suicide ideation are two of the many issues the LGBTQIA community combats, and panelists will give advice and resources about coping with unsupportive families, finding/creating community, and ways family members can show up for their queer loved one. Lorran Garrison is a school psychologist student (San Diego, CA) with an early childhood development background. She has also been trained in parent education with Resources for Infant Educarers. Other panelists: Anthony E. Zuiker is the creator of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and co-founder and publisher of Zuiker Press. Tara Madison Avery is a publisher, cartoonist, and illustrator of Stacked Deck Press, specializing in LGBTQAIU interests. Dr. Janina Scarlet is a licensed clinical psychologist and founder/developer of Superhero Therapy, recipient of Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award from the United Nations. Justine Mastin is a licensed marriage and family therapist and founder of Blue Box Counseling, which specializes in LGBTQIA interests and co-host of Starship Therapise podcast. Lara Taylor Kester is a licensed marriage and family therapist, co-creator of the Geek Therapy Library, and podcast co-host for Geek Therapy Radio.
Panelists with a variety of backgrounds will share their stories of working on comics, films, television series, and games with a look at social justice and diversity, giving their thoughts on this topic and how current commentary on social justice and diversity have affected the comic book industry. Seeing ourselves in our superheroes shows us how we can be the best versions of ourselves in our own lives, and panelists will discuss if and how they see that reflection and how we can ignite more conversations about these topics in the minds of all who work and create in our industry. Moderated by Heather Newman (co-founder/CEO Creative Maven; host of Mavend Do It Better podcast), the panel features voice artists Mela Lee (Fallout, Fate/Stay Night), Jason Lewis (Superman in Justice League Action), James Mathis III (T'Challa in Marvel's Avengers: Black Panther's Quest), and Kellen Goff (Funtime Freddy and Fredbear from Five Nights at Freddy's).
Ron Lemen (Lemenaid website, LAAFA, CGMA, GNOMON SVFX) discusses and demonstrates techniques for improving your painting performance, such as optimizing your work space, painting vs. procedural development, building better brushes, and color management.
Staring down a deadline? Running in fear from a blank page? Veteran writer/editor Barbara Randall Kesel (Shadowzone, Hawk & Dove) delivers a solution or three at hummingbird speed! For writers and artists, new or seasoned. Motivation or entertainment-you decide!
Sunday July 21, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Room 28DE
Let's play comics! Participate in three family-friendly comic art minigames that you can play at home, led by the by educator Nina L. Taylor Kester (Cartoon Art Museum) and artists Steenz (co-creator of Archival Quality /cartoonist/editor), Michael Son (Tapas, editor-in-chief), Thien Pham (Sumo, Level Up), and more. Open your eyes to a whole world of creative visual storytelling games like Creature Creator, Exquisite Corpse, Dungeons & Dragons and Mangaka/Creator. Supplies provided by Sakura of America, General Pencil, and Blick Art Supplies.