My Con Sked

comic-con2014panels

Thursday, July 24 – 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM in Room 4
SPOTLIGHT ON BILL FINGER

I am on (but am not hosting) this panel to celebrate and discuss the unbilled co-creator of Batman. Also on the dais will be Bill's granddaughter, ATHENA FINGER as well as MICHAEL USLAN, LEE "Catwoman" MERIWETHER, MARK TYLER NOBLEMAN, JENS ROBINSON, DR. TRAVIS LANGLEY and TOM ANDRAE.

Thursday, July 24 – 1 PM to 2 PM in Room 5AB
BATMAN IN THE SEVENTIES

In celebration of Batman's 75th birthday, panelists look back at a crucial decade in the life of the Caped Crusader. It was a time of change as new writers and artists brought forth new interpretations of this classic character. On hand to discuss it are many of the those who were there: NEAL ADAMS, DENNY O'NEIL, MICHAEL USLAN, LEN WEIN, and ANTHONY TOLLIN, along with moderator MARK EVANIER.

Thursday, July 24 – 2 PM to 3 PM in Room 9
JULES FEIFFER GOES NOIR

Oscar-Pulitzer-Eisner Hall of Fame winner JULES FEIFFER turns to the noir genre with his new graphic novel, Kill My Mother. Come hear a conversation with this comics pioneer who started with Will Eisner, went on to become one of the world's most-read comic strip creators, and eventually conquered the Broadway stage and Hollywood. Now, preview his return to his first love with a daring new work that stretches his talent yet again. Questioning by comics historians MARK EVANIER and PAUL LEVITZ, as well as audience members.

Thursday, July 24 – 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM in Room 8
THE SERGIO AND MARK SHOW

Usually, this is the panel where SERGIO ARAGONÉS and MARK EVANIER make empty promises of more Groo the Wanderer to come. This time though, there actually is new Groo with the release of the long-awaited Groo Vs. Conan miniseries from Dark Horse, to be followed closely by a new series of new Groo stories and a new series of old Groo stories and you'll hear all about it at the panel with Sergio and Mark and STAN SAKAI and the world's hardest-working colorist, TOM LUTH.

Friday, July 25 – 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM in Room 8
A CELEBRATION OF WALT KELLY'S 101st BIRTHDAY

Last year, we had such a good time celebrating the 100th birthday of the creator of one of comics' great newspaper strips that we've decided to keep the party going. Kelly's magnum opus, Pogo, is now receiving its first ever complete reprinting in an Eisner-winning series from Fantagraphics Books. Let's remember him with DAVID SILVERMAN (The Simpsons), JEFF SMITH (Bone), comic historian MAGGIE THOMPSON (Comics Buyer's Guide), film critic LEONARD MALTIN, CAROLYN KELLY (co-editor of the Complete Pogo series and Walt's daughter), and moderator MARK EVANIER (Groo the Wanderer).

Saturday, July 26 – 11:45 AM to 1 PM in Room 6BCF
QUICK DRAW!

It's still the fastest, funniest panel in the whole convention! Once again, your Quick Draw Quizmaster MARK EVANIER pits three super-speedy cartoonists against one another as they go mano a mano and Sharpie to Sharpie to create great cartoon art right before your very eyes. Competing this year are (as usual) SERGIO ARAGONÉS (MAD magazine, Groo the Wanderer) and SCOTT SHAW! (The Simpsons) and they're joined by Disney Legend FLOYD NORMAN, plus a couple of surprising surprises!

Saturday, July 26 – 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM in Room 6BCF
CARTOON VOICES I

Each year, moderator MARK EVANIER gathers together a bevy of the most talented cartoon voice actors working today and invites them to explain and demonstrate their artistry! This year's lineup includes JIM CUMMINGS (Winnie the Pooh, The Penguins of Madagascar), JOSH KEATON (The Spectacular Spider-Man, Green Lantern), SHERRY LYNN (Wall-E, Ice Age), ARIF S. KINCHEN (MAD TV, Grand Theft Auto), DAVID SOBOLOV (Transformers Prime, Avengers Assemble) and COLLEEN O'SHAUGNESSY (Toy Story 3, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes).

Saturday, July 26 – 4 PM to 5 PM in Room 28DE
ABRAMS COMIC ART PREVIEWS

I am on (but not hosting) this panel to spotlight great new books about comic art coming from one of the world's great publishers of volumes about art, Harry N. Abrams Books. Or at least, I'll be on the first part of this panel before I have to run and host…

Saturday, July 26 – 4:30 PM to 6 PM in Room 5AB
THAT 70'S PANEL

It was a time of change in comics with a new generation intermingling with the old and taking command. Hear what it was like from STEVE LEIALOHA (Howard the Duck, Spider-Woman), LEN WEIN (Swamp Thing, The New X-Men), WALT SIMONSON (Manhunter, Batman), LOUISE SIMONSON (Creepy, Eerie), ANTHONY TOLLIN (Batman, Superman), and more, plus moderator MARK EVANIER (Groo the Wanderer, Blackhawk).

Sunday, July 27 – 10 AM to 11:15 AM in Room 5AB
THE ANNUAL JACK KIRBY TRIBUTE PANEL

Each year, we set aside time to talk about Comic-Con's first superstar guest and the man they call The King of the Comics, Jack Kirby. Jack left us in 1994 but his influence on comics, film, and this convention has never been greater. Discussing the man and his work this year are LEN WEIN, SCOTT SHAW!, CHARLES KOCHMAN (editorial director, Harry N. Abrams Books) and Kirby family attorney PAUL S. LEVINE, plus members of Jack's family. And of course, it's moderated by MARK EVANIER.

Sunday, July 27 – 11:30 AM to 12:45 PM in Room 6A
CARTOON VOICES II

Yesterday's Cartoon Voices panel will have been such a hit that today we'll have to do another one with different but equally talented actors from the world of animation voicing. Once again, moderator MARK EVANIER has assembled an all-star dais that will include GREGG BERGER (The Garfield Show, Transformers), VANESSA MARSHALL (The Spectacular Spider-Man, Young Justice), FRED TATASCIORE (The Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness), DEBRA WILSON (MAD TV, Family Guy), ROBIN ATKINS DOWNES (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Thundercats), and maybe someone else.

Sunday, July 27 – 2 PM to 3 PM in Room 25ABC
COVER STORY: THE ART OF THE COVER

What does it take to make a great cover for a comic book? Let's ask five top artists…all folks who've created some of the best. Come hear the "shop talk" of MARK BROOKS (Amazing Spider-Man, The New X-Men), AMANDA CONNER (Power Girl, Harley Quinn), JAE LEE (Before Watchmen, Batman/Superman), STAN SAKAI (Usagi Yojimbo, 47 Ronin), and FIONA STAPLES (Saga, Trick 'r Treat). Moderated by MARK EVANIER.

Sunday, July 27 – 3 PM to 4:30 PM in Room 25ABC
THE BUSINESS OF CARTOON VOICES

Interested in a career doing voices for animation and video games? There are plenty of people around who'll take your money and tell you how to go about it…but here's 90 minutes of absolutely free advice from folks who work in the field. Come hear cartoon voice actor BILL FARMER, talent agent SANDIE SCHNARR (AVO Talent) and others, along with your moderator, voice director MARK EVANIER (The Garfield Show).

As always, participants and times and everything is subject to change. I suggest that if you want to get into the Cartoon Voices panels or Quick Draw!, you get there well before their start times. Tuesday would not be a bad idea.