Comic-Con 2014

Which side of the convention table do you want to be on: fan or creator? And what's keeping you from getting there? What's holding you back? If you're having trouble starting or finishing your creative projects, then you need to attend this fun and informative workshop, designed specifically for the Comic-Con crowd. Douglas Neff (Epic Win! The Geek's Guide to the Journey from Fan to Creator) will give you simple and proven techniques for setting, working on, and achieving your goals. 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 the energy and tools you need to bring your dream to life.

Superhero comic books are often dismissed or derided as "power fantasies" or "escapism," but is that always a negative? Incongruous as it may seem for Dean Trippe's Something Terrible to deal with childhood trauma, sexual abuse, and Batman, Trippe has used his comic to deal with his own past, which has then helped other people with difficult backgrounds. Tommy Cash (The Comic Arts Council) and Dean Trippe (Something Terrible) examine misconceptions regarding victims of sexual abuse and the potential value in identifying with superheroes as a coping mechanism.

ADDED: Wed, Jul 23, 06:49AM
Want to work in a fandom-related industry you're passionate about, but not sure where to start? These professional "Nerds for a Living" will discuss careers within gaming, film, comics, illustration and more. Lee Joyner (director of admissions, Cinema Makeup School), Tom Kurzanski (art director, TeeFury), Claire Hummel (production designer, HBO; concept artist, BioShock Infinite), Karen Hallion (artist and illustrator), Brad Herman (lead product designer, DreamWorks Animation), and Pat Loika (Loikamania Podcast) will share their career-building experiences. Topics include training, online resources, networking, and tactics to use (and avoid) for breaking into your dream industry. Moderated by Wendy Buske (marketing director, Nerd For A Living). This panel will conclude with an audience Q&A.

Graphic novels are often associated with violence and aggression. They can, however, be used to help kids gain a greater understanding of the often violent world around them, and they can often be used to defuse anger. Finally, they can be used to teach history, social studies, and social organization. This panel of educators, authors, and artists will show you how. They'll discuss the intertwining history of comics, violence, and censorship and provide teachers with classroom tools to integrate incredible graphic novels within language arts, social studies and science, effectively meeting Common Core State Standards while addressing ever-present resistance to the graphic text artform. Panelists include Meryl Jaffe, Betsy Gomez, Matt Holm, and Jennifer L. Holm.

How sexist are superhero comic books? How fairly do comic book creators depict females and femininity, and how do we view the creators who attempt to introduce feminist values? Rebecca Sader (University of Texas at Dallas) looks at how well Birds of Prey fares in light of methodology like the Bechdel test. Matthew J. Brown (University of Texas at Dallas) delves into the psychology and (unorthodox) feminist values of psychologist William Moulton Marston, the creator of Wonder Woman and a pioneer in the invention of the lie detector. Annamarie O'Brien (Bowling Green State University) looks at mommy issues in Jack Kirby's Fourth World saga, from idealized Mother Box to the monstrous depiction of mothering gone awry via the villainous Granny Goodness.

Sheyne Fleischer (assistant editor, The Bachelor, Hells Kitchen), Tess Fowler (writer/illustrator Game of Thrones Exclusive Animation, The Rascals), Alicia Minette (prop fabrication: Sushi Girl, Man at Arms), and Aubriana Zurilgen (creature creation: Steve Wang's Creature Workshop, MasterFX), will explore the nontraditional roles of women in the comic and entertainment industries. Female editors, illustrators, prop fabricators, and creature creators will relate their success stories and how to follow your dreams in the industry, while exploring gender roles in the creative professions. Moderated by Glenn Freund (League of S.T.E.A.M.).

The iPad has transformed the way you read comics, but did you know you can create comic art on it too? See a comic book character come to life as Hi-Fi's Brian Miller (Wolverine: An Origin Story) and Kristy Miller (The Wick and Kelty Adventures) demonstrate how to pencil, ink, and paint comics on the iPad. Learn the basic tools and techniques, including which apps work best and how you too can transform your iPad into a portable art studio. Q&A session.

Reading With Pictures provides you with the latest research and proven practical strategies for using comics and graphic novels in your classroom or library. Josh Elder (founder of Reading With Pictures) moderates a panel of experts that includes Dr. Katie Monnin (associate professor of literacy, University of North Florida), Jeff Barbanell (co-founder, Scholastic Innovations), Andrea Shockling (Comics Therapy), David Cutler (founder, SpinEdu), Andrea Colvin (VP of content, Andrews McMeel Publishing), and Tracy Edmunds (curriculum director, Reading With Pictures).

UPDATED: Thu, Jul 24, 12:40PM
We couldn't imagine our favorite comic book, TV show, novel or film without our beloved superheroines. However, the journey for them has not been easy. Whether it's cultural barriers or societal sexism, super women have had to fight more than just crime in order to survive. Creators Genese Davis (The Holder's Dominion, MMORPG.com, The Gamer in You), Adrianne Curry (America's Next Top Model), voice actor Susan Eisenberg (Justice League, Jackie Chan Adventures, Injustice, Skyrim), (Michele R. Wells (Disney Publishing Worldwide, DK Publishing, Penguin), and Adam Simon (Man Down, Synapse) discuss the challenges and obstacles to creating relevant female protagonists in today's male-dominated industries.

Popular media can be a powerful teaching tool that is easily accessible and engaging. Elementary educators share their experiences using popular media in the classroom. Summer Keller (Davis Magnet School, Newport-Mesa USD) will discuss the benefits of using media to design integrated lessons, develop student writing, and explore scientific concepts used in stories. Danielle Lopez (Davis Magnet School, Newport-Mesa USD) will discuss ways to geek out your classroom management and environment. Christy Flores (Davis Magnet School, Newport-Mesa USD) will share her observations from a principal's perspective.

Hot on the heals of his free, 39,000-person, online course on comics, William Kuskin (professor, University of Colorado Boulder, editor, Graphia: The Graphic Novel and Literary Criticism) will discuss the transformative power of comics in education. Join him for a reading of Spider-Man, MJ Watson, Molten Man, making comics, and the imagination. You will leave motivated to think BIG thoughts!

In Hollywood, everybody "knows" that scientists are typically treated as supervillains or antisocial nerds. But more and more, scientist characters are playing the hero. A panel-moderated by IEEE Spectrum senior editor Stephen Cass (Coming Soon Enough) and featuring Kevin Grazier (Defiance), Andrea Letamendi, Ph.D. (Under the Mask), Jessica Cail, Ph.D. (The Hunted), Phil Plait (The Bad Astronomer), writers and producers Nicole Perlman (Guardians of the Galaxy), and the team of Zack Stenz and Ashley E. Miller (Fringe)-will debate whether or not scientists have truly escaped the stereotypes.

Do you dream about quitting your day job to pursue your passion of being an artist, writer, or professional in the industry? Are you already in the business and need help with figuring out how to budget between paid contracts, or need to determine the best way to raise and save cash for future projects? Perhaps you just want to be a Financial Superhero for yourself and your family, and invest in your future! Karen Martin (Junior Achievement and WheelerFrost Wealth Managers) and Sean Nisil (Sigdestad Financial) will present an entertaining and educational panel on superhero financial planning for artists, writers, industry professionals, and all others interested. The discussion will follow with a Q&A of industry panel guests who will talk about financial challenges and successes in their fields.

In his book Seduction of the Innocent, published 60 years ago, psychiatrist Fredric Wertham claimed that comic books were a leading cause of juvenile delinquency. Forever cast as a villain in the eyes of comic fandom, Wertham is, at worst, represented as an enemy of free speech and, at best, a misguided moral crusader. But is either characterization correct? Was Wertham right, wrong, or both? Do his mid-century hypotheses about media violence have any relevance today? And why are we still talking about him? Author Bradford W. Wright (Comic Book Nation) will offer an historical perspective of Wertham. Library and information science professor Carol Tilley (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) will explore and critique Dr. Wertham's research methodology, while psychiatrists Vasilis K. Pozios, M.D. and Praveen R. Kambam, M.D. (Broadcast Thought) will discuss Wertham' s views on juvenile delinquency within the context of current media violence research. Professor Robert A. Emmons, Jr., director of the forthcoming documentary film Diagram for Delinquents, will share his insights in his effort to create a more complete picture of Wertham. Emmons will also discuss the zeitgeist of America during the crusade against comics as one of the first media backlashes in American history. Attorney Jeff Trexler (The Beat, The Comics Journal) moderates.

April Fugett, Ph.D. (associate professor, Department of Psychology, Marshall University), Keith W. Beard, Psy.D. (professor, Department of Psychology, Marshall University), Elijah Wise, Britani Black, and Josh Carter (doctoral student, Marshall University) discuss how personality informs our choices of the characters we identify with and follow. Specific traits and characters will be reviewed in the context of research, movie ideas, game alignment, and sales.