THU | July 23

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM, Room 29CD — When Worlds Collide: Using Comics to Resolve Conflict

• Tara Madison Avery (Stacked Deck Press), Giovanni N. Dortch (LUNA: Unleashed), Dr. Elizabeth 방실 Han (psychologist), Stefanie Solomon Bautista (special projects manager, Los Angeles Schools), and Dr. Brittani Oliver Sillas Navarro (psychologist) discuss how comics can be used to teach conflict resolution, empathy, communication, and social-emotional learning. Panelists will share practical examples and strategies for using visual storytelling to help students explore challenging situations, build perspective-taking skills, and strengthen problem solving. Moderated by Lorran Garrison (school psychologist).

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Room 9 — Transgender and Nonbinary Creators Stay Relevant and Proud

• Trans and nonbinary people have faced political setbacks as hard-won rights are challenged across the country. However, trans creators are still speaking up, sharing their experiences, and making a difference in the fight for equality. How can trans and nonbinary artists use their work to support the community? How can trans stories reach broader audiences? What can trans and nonbinary creators bring that popular culture desperately needs? Presented by Prism Comics. Moderated by Tara Madison Avery (We're Still Here, Stacked Deck Press), with panelists Sonya Saturday (The Greatest Thing You've Ever Seen in Your Life, J.K. Rowling and the Ungrateful Fans), Simon Jane Robrock (Blue Hare Comix, MADE U LOOK), Margeaux Pepoy (The Adventures of Simone & Ajax, Betty & Veronica), Mac Maclean (Opting Out, Death Saves, 3rd Edition), Jenny Blake Isabella (Black Lightning, Ghost Rider), Yas Modares Ghasiri (They Said They Said, Their Story: The In-Between), and Liam Coballes (Shifter, The Out Side).

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Room 3 — Build Your Own World and Intellectual Property

• John Jennings (Eisner Award winner), Quinn McGowan (Eisner nominee), Mark Nazal (Emmy Award winner), Tara Madison Avery (Ignatz Award winner), and Britton Payne (entertainment attorney) discuss creating original comics and turning them into lasting intellectual property. Practical strategies for worldbuilding, publishing, marketing, protecting your work, and growing your audience while building a comics career on your own terms will be covered. Whether just starting out or expanding an existing project, attendees will leave with tools to create, launch, and sustain their own comics IP. Moderated by Lorran Garrison (school psychologist, Little Brainstorm).

FRI | July 24

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM, San Diego Library — Kapow, Woosh, Zap! Engaging Students with Comics in the Classroom

• Hear from a panel of super teachers including Mick Rabin (resource counselor, Youth Advocacy Dept., San Diego Unified), Ella "Dizzy" Rogosin (teacher, Sweetwater UHSD), Mike Cruz (elementary teacher, Temecula Valley USD), Lorran Garrison (school psychologist), and Scott Nielsen (mild/moderate special education teacher, Grossmont UHSD), moderated by Jewyl Alderson (San Diego County Office of Education). Hear how incorporating comics into the curriculum increases engagement and access for all students while developing a love for learning (and secretly powering up literacy skills), and how the Comic-Con Educator Book Club brings together teachers from across the region in pursuit of great reads, community, and strategies for the classroom. You, too, can become a super teacher!

SAT | July 25

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Room 11 — Build the World: Live Ideation Workshop

• Kino Scialabba (award-winning art director and concept designer — Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3), Mark Nazal (filmmaker and Emmy Award-winning VFX supervisor), Jesse Jam Miranda (stuntman — Collateral, Deadliest Warrior), Nicole Caliro (international award-winning writer), and Mark Jabourian (VFX generalist) lead a live ideation workshop where attendees pitch story ideas, develop concepts, and shape visuals in real time across comics, film, and animation. Special guest Chris Browne (filmmaker, VFX supervisor) reveals his new animated short, Territorial, produced in association with Sony's Content Technology Strategy Committee.

8:00 PM – 9:00 PM, Grand 12 & 13, Marriot Marquis San Diego Marina — AAPI Representation in Comics and Media

• A candid discussion with creators on what inspired them growing up and their experiences breaking into the industry. Rich Ting (actor, Tulsa King, Warrior), Peggy Chung (director/author, Gadget-Bot Productions, Kaidro Chronicle), Helen Shang (television writer, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), Nogi San (artist, Marvel/DC/BOOM!), and Mark Nazal (visual effects supervisor, Gotham, Lucifer) discuss the work behind the characters and stories seen across comics and media. Moderated by Justin Otero.

• SUN | July 26

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM, Grand 12 & 13, Marriot Marquis San Diego Marina — Building Careers at the Intersection of Games, Tech, and Storytelling

• Andrew Auseon (writer and narrative designer, Bethesda Games), Dr. iAsia J. Brown, Ph.D. (EdD-Founder, TechPicasso, guest lecturer USC), Mark A.J. Nazal (Emmy Award–Winning creative, filmmaker, VFX Exec./Supe. publisher), Marianne Parker (costume designer, owner Costume Doodles), Maria Ramos (head of developer Media Studios, Google), Erica D Schwartz (Emmy Award–Winning creative, assistant designer/key costumer) share insights and advice on pursuing careers at the intersection of games, technology, and storytelling. Hosted by Heather Cook (speaker and community builder, Microsoft).

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Room 24ABC — In My Y2K Era: Anime Fandom Before Streaming and Social Media

• Veteran conventioneers Ashley Brown (cosplayer), Lily Gruenke (cosplayer), Lynleigh Sato (Her Universe), Caitlin Beards (Her Universe), and Kie Shimokawa (Kaigai Idol) discuss what conventions and cosplay were like at the turn of the century. Moderated by Erica V. Espejo (The Fangirl Diaries).