UPDATED: Tue, Jul 16, 04:12PM Coming together for the very first time in public: Barry Ira Geller, producer of Roger Zelazny's Lord of Light, and Mark Newbauer, producer of George R. R. Martin's novella The Skin Game. Zelazny's Lord of Light won the 1968 Hugo and became the foundation of stories of people becoming real gods and their dramatic consequences. Martin has long stated that Game of Thrones was inspired by Lord of Light, readying now for TV production. Newbauer and Geller discuss how they are merging their energies to create plans for both TV/film production of Lord of Light and The Skin Game. Both literary properties have spawned their own competition in the marketplace over the years, yet both are the acknowledged pinnacles in their genres of fantasy and horror. Joining them for the discussion will be Mike Royer, famed Marvel and Disney inker. Jack Kirby's favorite inker and inker of the Lord of Light series of drawings which the CIA used to get people out of Iran in 1979.
Thursday July 18, 2019 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Room 23ABC
UPDATED: Thu, Jul 11, 06:46PM Many of the technological achievements in recent decades were ideas prophetically described in science fiction literature long before they became a reality. From voice recognition commands to smart watches, our world is beginning to look like the sci-fi shows that have long intrigued us. What do some of America's smartest people think will be next? American Mensa, the high IQ society, hosts a panel of writers, academics, and sci-fi fans in a discussion on what the future may hold. Moderated by LaRae Bakerink, chair of American Mensa, with panelists Doug Ecks, Esq. (attorney, writer, and Mensa member), Nevin Millan (writer, actor, and Mensa member), Dr. John Putman (professor and Star Trek expert), Dr. Jenny Rankin (professor, writer, and Mensa member), and Ian Randal Strock (writer, publisher, and Mensa member).
Thursday July 18, 2019 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT
Room 24ABC
UPDATED: Tue, Jul 16, 12:29AM Comic-Con: the final frontier. This is the panel of Roddenberry Entertainment. Its 50-minute mission: to explore strange new worlds. (Cue Music). To seek out a roundtable discussion exploring the importance and relevancy of science fiction in today's society. To boldly go where no panel has gone before! (OK, may be a few.) Fundamental topics will include: science fiction's role in propelling society forward, what is logically possible in the future, and how the genre can, and should, inspire entire generations. This panel will shift into warp and set their phasers to “fun.” (That’s right, they went there.) Panelists include Star Trek producer Trevor Roth, and Mission Log producers and hosts John Champion and Ken Ray, Trek File’s host, Larry Nemecek, Shabam! producer Josh Kurz, author and feminist pop culture expert Jennifer Stuller and Comic Book Men’s Ming Chen. Moderated by Clare Kramer.
Thursday July 18, 2019 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT
Room 24ABC
UPDATED: Mon, Jul 15, 04:50PM You're invited to a frelling awesome panel where creators and actors discuss their favorite moments from The Jim Henson Company's award-winning hit sci-fi series, now available on Amazon Prime. Featuring stars from the show including Ben Browder (Farscape, Stargate SG-1) as John Crichton, and Gigi Edgley (Farscape, Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge) as Chiana. Hear about this fall's Hollywood costume party and what the future holds for Farscape from Brian Henson (executive producer, director; chairman of The Jim Henson Company) and creator Rockne S. O'Bannon (Farscape, Defiance). Moderated by James Ganiere (CEO, Rio Vista Universal).
Thursday July 18, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Room 7AB
UPDATED: Tue, Jul 09, 12:13AM To boldly go where no one has gone before . . . but science may have. If you believe that elsewhere in our galaxy, familiar worlds from Star Trek and sci-fi exist, this is the panel for you. Panelists Dr. Morgan Cable (NASA planetary scientist), Tiffany Kataria (NASA exoplanet scientist), Erika Lippoldt (writer and producer for Star Trek: Discovery and Trek spinoff series with Michelle Yeoh), Phil Plait (SYFY's The Bad Astronomer and Bill Nye Saves the World), and Andre Bormanis (science consultant for Star Trek, The Orville, and Cosmos) discuss the real science behind sci-fi's most beloved universes.
Thursday July 18, 2019 5:45pm - 6:45pm PDT
Room 6DE
UPDATED: Wed, Jul 17, 06:32PM Cutting-edge VFX have reached a level where anything that can be imagined can be taken from script to screen. Crafty Apes work on fan-favorites including Star Trek: Discovery, The Orville, and many more. Now fans will have the chance to go behind the screen with the team who will dive into the ways in which visual effects shots were crucial to the storytelling process. Moderator: Zoe Hewitt (reporter, Variety, and other media outlets). Panelists: Jason Zimmerman (Star Trek: Discovery, VFX supervisor, CBS), Ante Dekovic (Star Trek: Discovery, VFX supervisor, CBS), Robin Graham (Star Trek: Discovery, Crafty Apes VFX supervisor, CBS), Josh LaCross (The Orville, Crafty Apes VFX supervisor, FOX TV), Leslie Chung (Star Trek: Discovery, Crafty Apes VFX supervisor/producer, CBS), and Brooke Noska (The Orville, VFX supervisor, FOX TV).
Thursday July 18, 2019 6:30pm - 7:30pm PDT
Room 24ABC
UPDATED: Fri, Jul 12, 08:28PM Studios, networks, and streaming services are outbidding each other to bring your favorite comics and sci-fi properties to film and television, but not all are equally great. What's the secret to a successful adaptation that preserves the essence of the original while taking advantage of the new medium? Comics and media writer Rob Salkowitz (Forbes) will ask this panel of producers, showrunners, and creators, including Jason Brown (The Expanse), Sean Daniel (Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark), Jonathan Maberry (V-Wars), Craig Rosenberg (The Boys, Preacher), Robert Venditti (The Surrogates), and publisher-turned-producer Dinesh Shamdasani (Bloodshot) for the tricks of the trade.
Thursday July 18, 2019 7:00pm - 8:00pm PDT
Room 29AB
UPDATED: Fri, Jul 12, 04:39PM Science fiction legend Marc Scott Zicree (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Twilight Zone Companion), VFX genius Mitch Suskin (Star Trek Discovery), and a sci-fi superstar cast will premiere the spectacular complete first episode of Space Command: Redemption, the epic adventure series that spans 150 years of galactic history! Awesome cast panelists include star Doug Jones (Shape of Water, Discovery), Mira Furlan (Babylon 5, Lost), Mike Harney (Orange Is the New Black), Christina Moses (Containment), James Hong (Big Trouble in Little China), Faran Tahir (Star Trek, Iron Man), and worldwide talent search winners Ethan McDowell (Doom Patrol), Bryan McClure (Atlanta), Justin Sorvillo (Dark/Web), and Sara Maraffino (The Mentalist). Also featuring illustrator Thehani Farr (World of Warcraft), and Howard Benjamin (CBS News), with costumes by Mike Philpot (Superman) and music by David Raiklen (Star Trek).
UPDATED: Mon, Jul 08, 08:30PM There is more science fiction and fantasy on TV and in the movies than ever before, and while these genres may seem like opportunities for a writer's imagination to run wild, in fact their stories benefit from rules and parameters. These guidelines help ground a writer's fancies and create a recognizable world for the characters. But coming up with the rules of magic and science fiction is more difficult than it seems. These professionals, who have created detailed, grounded worlds, tell how they did it: Deric Hughes (Arrow, The Flash, Warehouse 13), Jose Molina (Magic: The Gathering, The Tick), Julie Benson and Shawna Benson (Wu Assassins, The 100), Sarah Kuhn (Heroine Complex), Gennifer Hutchison (Better Call Saul, The Strain), Chris Dingess (Doom Patrol, Being Human, Manifest Destiny comic), Kieron Gillen (The Wicked & The Divine, Die), Adam Rogers (Wired magazine). Moderated by TV and comics writer Ben Blacker (DC's Hex Wives, The Thrilling Adventure Hour).
Friday July 19, 2019 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
Room 25ABC
UPDATED: Thu, Jul 18, 05:40AM Based on the bestselling fantasy book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, HBO's Emmy- and Golden Globe Award–winning series Game of Thrones concluded its eight-season run on May 19, with the finale setting records for HBO for both a single telecast and premiere night viewing. The drama series was executive produced and written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Cast panelists include (in alphabetical order) Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm, John Bradley as Samwell Tarly, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister, Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth, Conleth Hill as Varys, Maisie Williams as Arya Stark, and Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark. Miguel Sapochnik, who won an Emmy for directing “Battle of the Bastards” in season 6 and who also directed several other landmark episodes of the series, also joins.
UPDATED: Tue, Jul 16, 05:07AM STARZ original series The Rook tells the story of Myfanwy Thomas, a woman who wakes up in the rain beside London's Millennium Bridge with no memory of who she is and no way to explain the circle of latex-gloved dead bodies splayed around her. When Myfanwy discovers she is a high-ranking official in the Checquy, Britain's last truly secret service for people with paranormal abilities, she will have to navigate the dangerous and complex world of the agency to uncover who wiped her memory'
UPDATED: Thu, Jul 11, 04:56PM Star Trek: Deep Space Nine showrunner Ira Steven Behr, filmmaker David Zappone, and select DS9 cast members (including Andrew Robinson, Aron Eisenberg,Penny Johnson Jerald, Cirroc Lofton, and Chase Masterson) present an in-depth journey into What We Left Behind, the critically acclaimed documentary feature about Star Trek's dark and often overlooked “middle-child” series. Moderated by Brian Ward (Shout! Factory), the panel will also feature footage not included in the film's theatrical release.
Friday July 19, 2019 7:00pm - 8:00pm PDT
Room 32AB
UPDATED: Fri, Jul 19, 06:26PM The Sunday Night Watch has ended, and Game of Throne fans around the world are in mourning. Jessica Tseang (founder, Positive Pop Culture/Persisted Media Group) discusses with panelists from the cast, television critics, and authors, on how to fill the void from the legacy George R. R. Martin left behind and take a look back on all eight seasons. Panelists include Joseph Gatt (actor Game of Thrones-Styr, Magnar of Thenn), K.L. Bone (international bestselling fantasy author; Creative Writing PhD, Queen’s University Belfast), Alana Jordan (Afterbuzz-Game of Thrones rewatch), Markeia McCarty (host for The Nerdist, DC Daily), and more.
UPDATED: Tue, Jul 09, 04:37PM The Clone Wars represents some of the best Star Wars stories ever told. A panel of judges and attorneys report for duty to determine the duty to follow lawful orders vs. unlawful orders; child safety of younglings; secret marriages; clone rights; and the trial of Ashoka Tano. Panelists include Circuit Judge John B. Owens (9th Circuit Court of Appeals), Judge Carol Najera, Bethany Bengfort (US Courts), Stephen Tollafield (professor, Hastings School of Law), and Steve Chu (assistant U.S. attorney). Moderated by Joshua Gilliland (The Legal Geeks).
UPDATED: Fri, Jul 19, 06:27AM It's a great big universe, filled with an amazing assortment of challenges and perils for characters to face and extraordinary encounters to discover. Boldly go forth with authors Maura Milan (Ignite the Stars and Eclipse the Skies), Mark Siegel (5 Worlds Book 3: The Red Maze), Tochi Onyebuchi (War Girls, Riot Baby),and Ashley Poston (Soul of Stars,The Princess and the Fangirl), in conversation with Maryelizabeth Yturralde of Mysterious Galaxy.
Saturday July 20, 2019 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Room 7AB
UPDATED: Fri, Jul 19, 10:11PM From creator Michael Schur comes the critically acclaimed and unique comedy series about what makes a good person. Hear from the stars Ted Danson, Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, D'Arcy Carden, Jameela Jamil, and Manny Jacinto and executive producers Michael Schur and Drew Goddard for a forking great conversation.
UPDATED: Wed, Jul 10, 04:34PM HBO's Emmy-winning series Westworld returns for its third season in 2020. Creators, executive producers, and directors Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy and cast members Thandie Newton, Aaron Paul, Tessa Thompson, Evan Rachel Wood, and Jeffrey Wright, will present an early look at the forthcoming third season of the drama series, a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the birth of a new form of life on Earth. Moderated by futurist Amy Webb.
UPDATED: Thu, Jul 11, 04:38PM Saddle up, Earpers! SYFY's hit series and the 2018 People's Choice Award Winner for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show is back. Just because a mind-blowing season finale put an end to Bulshar and the Earp curse doesn't mean Wynonna's done kicking demon-ass or putting up one hell of a fight to rescue Waverly from the Garden of Eden. Celebrate the award-winning series based on the IDW Publishing comic book by joining cast members Melanie Scrofano, Katherine Barrell, Chantel Riley, Greg Lawson, and Michael Eklund, alongside executive producer Emily Andras and comic book creator, Beau Smith, as they tease the upcoming 4th season and look back at the show’s most hell-raising moments. Moderated by Den of Geek’s Kayti Burt.
UPDATED: Sun, Jul 07, 05:24PM Actor and writer Thomas Lennon presents a rollicking career retrospective and discussion of his new novel, the instant New York Times bestseller Ronan Boyle and the Bridge of Riddles. Best known for playing Lieutenant Jim Dangle on Reno 911! and as the co-author of the Night at the Museum film series, Lennon was a member of the influential sketch comedy group The State and has appeared in 38 feature films, including 17 Again and I Love You, Man, and numerous television shows. Lennon delved into his Irish ancestry to write Ronan Boyle and the Bridge of Riddles, a high-adventure fantasy tale set in a magical world of law-breaking leprechauns that the New York Post called, "the next Harry Potter."
UPDATED: Sat, Jul 20, 05:01PM Black representation has gained integral attention within the geek culture. However, Black Queer characters and stories continue to be limited or absent from the discussion. Prism Comics and moderator Viktor Kerney (StrangeLore, co-host of the MEGASHEEN podcast) and panelists Clarkisha Kent (Entertainment Weekly), Eric Cooper (Knight Seeker, CEO of Black Label ComiCon), Valerie Complex (Writer, Film Critic), and William O. Tyler (Ratboy, Theater of Terror: Revenge of the Queers; Cinephilia) discuss a myriad of topics from portrayals of Black Queer people across media platforms to Black Queer contributions to the sci-fi, fantasy, comics genre.
Saturday July 20, 2019 6:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Room 29AB
UPDATED: Tue, Jul 09, 01:29AM Last year (2018) saw the conclusion of Elfquest: Final Quest and the wrap-up of a decades-long storyline and hero's journey. Ever since, readers have been wondering if that marked the end of Elfquest itself. The answer, of course, is no! Something new is coming from Team Elfquest and Dark Horse Comics, and it will be announced at Comic-Con. The creators, writers, and artists, Wendy Pini, Richard Pini, and Sonny Strait, will reveal plans for the Wolfriders for 2019 and beyond, and field any and all questions you may have.
Saturday July 20, 2019 6:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Room 23ABC
UPDATED: Wed, Jul 10, 05:46PM Movies make time travel look easy. All it takes is a flux capacitor or some Stark Industries ingenuity and you should be able to safely zip back a few decades, right? The Fleet Science Center brings together Christopher Markus (writer and co-producer, Avengers: Endgame), Elizabeth Simmons PhD (physicist and Executive Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at UC San Diego), Eric Michelsen PhD (physicist and Lecturer at UC San Diego), Kim Griest PhD (physicist and Professor Emeritus at UC San Diego) and Clifford Johnson PhD (Professor of Physics at USC) to talk about how time travel and the quantum realm could be more accurately portrayed in fiction, and how close we really are to making it a reality. The big question is: What would you do with your time machine?
Saturday July 20, 2019 6:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Room 25ABC
UPDATED: Fri, Jul 12, 10:10PM TheOneRing.net (TORn) staffers Clifford "Quickbeam" Broadway (host of TORn Tuesday), Josh "Elessar" Long (host of Collecting the Precious), Jon "Tookish" Ben-Asher (former associate editor for TORn), Hannah "Took" Greenwood (co-host of TORn Tuesday, associate staff at WETA Workshop), Kellie Rice (author K. M. Rice and Happy Hobbit), and Josh "Sarumann" Rubinstein (former host of TORn Bookclub) celebrate 20 years of talking Tolkien and all things Middle-earth. They will be discussing all the current known news and maybe a rumor or two, reminiscing about some of their biggest stories and events in the past, and laying out a schedule of some of their 20th anniversary events. The Tolkien movie has already hit theaters, but the Amazon Lord of the Rings (LOTR) series is full-steam ahead in preproduction and this panel's got some tantalizing news on that front. Bring your favorite stories about a TORn event or story they posted to discuss-they really want to focus on the community that TheOneRing.net has created these past 20 years. Costumes are welcome and encouraged. Cathy "Garfeimao" Udovch (special events coordinator) moderates.
Saturday July 20, 2019 6:45pm - 7:45pm PDT
Room 6DE
UPDATED: Fri, Jul 12, 04:40PM In the second Adventure Zone graphic novel (adapted from the McElroy family's wildly popular D&D podcast), readers rejoin hero-adjacent sort-of-comrades-in-arms Taako, Magnus, and Merle on a wild careen through a D&D railroad murder mystery. This installment has a little of everything: a genius child detective, an axe-wielding professional wrestler, a surly wizard, cursed magical artifacts, and a pair of meat monsters. (You know, the usual things you find on a train.) Hear from co-creators of The Adventure Zone, Clint McElroy and Travis McElroy, as well as co-adapter and illustrator for the graphic novel, Carey Pietsch, to learn more about the Murder on the Rockport Limited. Moderated by Satine Phoenix (Sirens Show, Gilding Light).
Sunday July 21, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 7AB
UPDATED: Thu, Jul 11, 10:30PM Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Stranger Things, Firefly . . . it's a great time for those who love mystical, magical worlds. Bestselling and award-winning YA authors geek out over their favorite fandoms, discuss what's next now that Endgame and Game of Thrones are over, and chat about how a love of all things fandom translates into the world of YA lit! Panelists: Tricia Levenseller, author (Daughter of the Pirate King, Warrior of the Wild), Mary E. Pearson, author (The Kiss of Deception, Dance of Thieves), A. G. Howard, author (Roseblood, Stain), Mary Weber, author (To Best the Boys, The Evaporation of Sofi Snow), C. B. Lee, author (Not Your Sidekick, Seven Tears at High Tide).
Sunday July 21, 2019 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT
Room 23ABC