It's the time o' year when I have to finish up all the work I need to do before I can go to Comic-Con while also prepping for my panels at Comic-Con. So don't expect a lot of content on this page in the following week.

My schedule seems to have settled down. If you want to take a look at what I think is the final version of it, click on the banner below. I am on or moderating sixteen panels, down from a high of nineteen last year. I have no idea what I'll do with all that free time…

This morning, I awoke to an e-mail from someone I don't know. This person has a new comic book coming out and wanted to know if there was any way to schedule a panel to promote it at Comic-Con. The answer to that is not "no." It's more like "You're about three months late!"

I stand behind my weather forecast for San Diego: A high of 78° during the day, a low of 70° at night. There are few jobs in this world easier than predicting the weather in San Diego.

Changing the subject: Correspondents are telling me all sorts of different things about the status of the newsstand on Cahuega Boulevard just south of Hollywood Boulevard: It's open. It's closed for good. It did close but it reopened. It's open in a diminished capacity. I may just have to go by there someday and check it out for myself. Here's a better short video showing how it figured into that Buster Keaton film. (Thank you, all who sent it.)

I'm a fan of Cantor Azi Schwartz and the shows he puts on at the Park Avenue Synagogue. Any time I arise to a day of writing for television, I want my iPhone to wake me up with this video…

So here's what John Grady wants to know…

I just watched the old Merrie Melodies, Backwoods Bunny (1959). Lots of Mel Blanc, of course but also lots of Daws Butler, who was not credited. Were they friends?

"Friends" might be too strong a word. Something like "colleagues" might be more proper. They worked together often, respected each other's talents and competed often for the same jobs. In '59, Daws was getting a lot of attention because he was on Ruff 'n' Reddy, Huckleberry Hound and Quick Draw McGraw, plus he was heard on some of the Jay Ward cartoons. The new Hanna-Barbera shows were getting plenty of media attention and Daws was mentioned and interviewed a lot. So the public was learning that there was someone else in the world besides Mel Blanc who could speak for animated cartoon characters.

Maybe "friendly rivals" is the term we need here. Mel was, in a nice way, pretty protective of his reputation and, of course, he also had an on-camera presence on Jack Benny's shows, a lot of talk shows and occasional other appearances. Daws usually turned down offers to act on-camera. So they kind of nicely co-existed and always spoke well of each other. The one time I had a long conversation with Mel, he referred to Daws as "my only rival."

But I doubt they ever went to dinner together or went camping together or anything like that. Daws was one of the nicest, most wonderful human beings it has ever been my privilege to know and he was wholly non-competitive, often recommending other actors for jobs. I didn't know Mel as well but the only complaints I ever heard about him from other actors were about his deal with Warner Brothers that prevented others from receiving screen credit when they co-starred. And I don't think that was a big deal for most of them. Voiceover actors do a lot of non-credited work.

Daws didn't like not getting credit but he also kind of liked the anonymity of being a "star" who didn't get recognized in public. Mel got a lot of fame due to a series of commercials he did for the American Express card. Here's one…

Daws was offered the same deal but he declined it. He wasn't as into self-promotion as Mel…and that's probably part of the reason they got along well.

My man Fred Kaplan explains why Pete Hegseth's new plan to test and boost the testosterone level of all members of the armed forces over the age of 30 is f'n crazy.  A brief excerpt…

For all his "High-T" bluster (Colin Jost's portrayal of him on Saturday Night Live is just barely parody), Hegseth doesn't seem to have much understanding of testosterone. First, according to a Harvard Medical School study, blood levels of testosterone can "vary dramatically over time and even during the course of a day"; thus a single test showing abnormal levels (too high or too low) "may actually be unrelated to this hormone." Besides, the study notes, there's no clear notion of what a "normal" level is.

Just more of the "you don't have to know what you're doing to make medical decisions for others" philosophy of the Trump Administration.

That's an old photo of World Book & News, a partially-outdoor newsstand on Cahuenga Boulevard just south of Hollywood Boulevard.  Someone sent me this photo and I realized two things.  One was that I spent an awful lot of time and money at that place when I was between the ages of…oh, let's say fifteen and twenty-five.  And I also realized I haven't spent one moment or one cent there since.  I believe (I could be wrong about this) that it's still there but somewhat diminished.  Somebody who's been there lately, please lemme know.

It was an amazing place when I was in my teens because they carried everything — everything!  You could even get relatively-current newspapers from all over the continent.  If any newsstand anywhere carried it, World News had it.  And they were open twenty-four hours.  In fact, I remember thinking that the way it was designed, there was no way to close it up and go home — no doors to lock or anything.

I have two special memories of the place.  They had (of course) a rack with every currently-published comic book and I bought a lot of them there.  But you kinda had to get there within a few hours of the comic going on sale if you cared about condition — which, being a collector, I certainly did.  Browsers pawed through them constantly, which wilted the pages quickly.  Also, the comic book rack was open to the elements.  If it rained or even drizzled, the comics didn't get directly wet but the H2O got close enough to make the comics a bit limp and undesirable. They just didn't fare well in such an open-air environment.

And one time, someone set fire to them. I have no idea who who or how or why but one day when I went there, all the comic books were barbecued or seriously-singed with one exception. In the midst of all those charred funnybooks, one comic title had somehow escaped incineration and, so help me, it was Tomb of Dracula.

The other memory is more personal. In June of 1969, about a week after I graduated from High School, I decided it was time to get serious about launching my long-planned and hoped-for attempt to become a professional writer.

I had more-or-less ruled out comic books. I had actually come close to selling some scripts to editors at DC Comics and Charlton. I got to the point where three editors — Mort Weisinger, Jack Miller and Dick Giordano — had said of something I'd submitted, some version of "I'm going to buy this" and then they were suddenly no longer editor of the comic in question so they didn't. In a way, that felt worse than if they'd sent my submission back with a big "THIS STINKS!" written across it.

I decided I didn't like the idea of submitting to strangers three thousand miles away. I figured that there had to be magazines in Los Angeles to which I might sell something.  I liked the idea of being able to go in and talk to the editor in person about what he or she needed or why something I submitted didn't make the cut. The comic book industry, after all, was based wholly on the East Coast — all but Charlton in New York.

Except that wasn't true. I thought that but it wasn't true and I knew it wasn't true. Gold Key Comics had an office in Los Angeles from which half their line emanated…and I knew that. In fact, that office was within walking distance of Hollywood Boulevard and Cahuenga. In 1971, I began working for them and the head editor there — a lovely man named Chase Craig — encouraged me to write as much as I could for him and bought almost all of it.

So why didn't I think to submit something to them in 1969? It's one of those things in life that you — or I — look back on later and think, "Why the hell did I do (or not do) that?" And you can't even explain it to yourself, much less explain it to someone else. I have a long list of these.

So in June of '69, I went looking for some magazines based in L.A. that I might be able to write for and my search took me to — where else? — World Book & News at Hollywood and Cahuenga. I paged through various magazines there that contained material I might be able to write and I found a couple. One of them was Laugh-In magazine, based on the then-current hit TV show. The magazine was kind of an awkward cross between one of the "fan" magazines (which the same publisher also published) and a MAD imitation.

And of course — the way things go in my life of constant coincidences — they were not only based in L.A., they were also within walking distance of Hollywood and Cahuenga. A week later, I took them six submissions and the editor there — who happened to be in dire need of material — bought three of them.  And, again in keeping with the way my life plays out, a few weeks later, that editor was fired and the magazine was discontinued.  But I was still, at least technically, a professional writer.

So that is why I will never forget that newsstand even if I never again stop at it. That is, if it's even still there. Somebody please write and tell me that it is.

One other interesting thing about the photo…

Scroll back up and take another look at it. You see that alley on the far right?  Well, below is a brief hunk of a wonderful Buster Keaton film called Cops shot in and around the streets of Hollywood in 1922.  About a minute and a half into it, you'll see Buster and a whole mess of policemen running out of an alley.  Same alley.

We're prepping for Comic-Con…and I'm seeing an awful lot of messages online from people who can't seem to grasp the concept that not only is the convention sold out but it's been sold out for many months. A few folks seem to be purchasing very expensive badges through ticket resale/scalper sites and those people may be in for a shock when they try to use those badges to gain admission.

If you're heading in that direction and wondering what to pack, this may be of some value to you…

Due to this strange inability of mine to appear on two panels in two different rooms at the same time, we've had to make some adjustments to my schedule. The official convention programming guide — which you can access here — still has me on some panels that I won't be on and doesn't have me on some panels that I will be on. My list is updated and available here.

Hope to see some of you in the audiences.

I just spent a very nice hour watching this video which is basically just David Hyde Pierce walking us through his Broadway career. I've never seen him on stage and I've never seen most of these shows with anyone and yet I still found it fascinating. As I've learned, there are wonderful performers who do what they do without any real understanding of what they're doing or why. There are also actors who understand every single thing they do and why they do it. D.H.P. is in the latter category and I enjoyed hearing what he had to say…

One week from tonight is Preview Night at the 2026 gathering of Comic-Con International. I hope no one's getting in line yet to get into Hall H but someone probably is.

Among the many things that fascinates me about the event is how so many people come to it with different goals and expectations — and if those are realistic and they plan right and make some effort, they get what they seek. I'm seeing folks online who think it's only about being in Hall H as much as possible…or snagging certain "exclusive" collectibles that will be offered. Others seem focused on attending as many parties as they can or seeing each and every cosplayer. There are many other single-minded goals that have never, in all the cons I've attended, interested me.

Which is fine, of course. I just like the "something for everyone" aspect of the whole thing.

My schedule of what I'm doing has changed a bit since I first posted it and may change a bit more in the coming days. Last year, I hosted or was on nineteen panels. This year, I'll be taking it easier with 16-18, which is fine.

Everyone asks me why I do this and the answer's pretty simple: I like doing it. I like being at the convention but I don't want to —

• Wander around the exhibit hall for 4.5 days. Even before my current knee problems, I couldn't physically do that.
• Sit behind a table. I don't want to sell stuff and I get really bored signing my name over and over and over for more than an hour or so.
• Not be at the convention.  It's too much fun to be around that energy and to see so many people I like or would enjoy meeting.

If I didn't host or sit on all those panels, I'd be attending panels the whole time.  And if I host them, then I can make them be about what interests me, plus I have a guaranteed seat.  And I feel like I'm making a contribution.  That's really all there is to it.  I couldn't live at that pace all the time but for 4.5 days a year, it's fun.  And I'll keep going until I can't go any longer.  And besides, I have an unblemished attendance record to maintain.

Fred Kaplan, whose observations I trust on matters of war, explains where we are with Iran — and the phrase "without a paddle" comes to mind.  An excerpt…

President Trump's decision to resume and escalate the war in Iran makes even less sense than his decision four and a half months ago to start the war in the first place. More jarring still, Trump announced on Monday that he would also take control of the Strait of Hormuz and charge a 20 percent toll to all ships passing through — which, besides defying credulity, blows to bits the tiny shred of moral claim that he had held against Iran's government.

Anyone who thinks "we" (the U.S.) have a coherent strategy for this war has to be horrified at how quickly our Dear Leader changes courses every day. It's getting harder for them to deny that the only thing wrong with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — better known as the J.C.P.O.A. — was that it had Obama's name on it.

This is the entirety of a Tonight Show that Johnny Carson did back on December 6, 1973.  The show was 90 minutes back then and the whole feel and pace of it was, as you'll see if you watch even a little of it, much more leisurely than the hour-long talk shows of today..  It was even different from the hour-long ones Johnny did after it was trimmed in September of 1980.

The guests announced at the beginning are Sammy Davis, Diane Keaton, columnist Erma Bombeck and a brand-new comedian, Freddie Prinze.  Diane Keaton talks with Johnny and does a song.  Then Sammy Davis does a song, talks with Johnny, then does another song.  In an episode after the show went to an hour, there would have been only one song.  There also would probably not have been a number from the band.  Late in this show, Johnny introduces one instead of bringing out Erma Bombeck who wound up being bumped.  I would love to know how and why that decision was made.  The hour shows almost never stopped to let Doc and the boys play for a few minutes.

This episode is historic because of Freddie Prinze's five minutes of standup.  A lot of books and articles will tell you it was his TV debut but he'd actually appeared earlier that year on Jack Paar Tonite.  That was Mr. Paar's short-lived attempt on ABC to return to late night television.  In fact, it's said that it was his appearance with Paar that called him to the attention of Carson's talent bookers.

That may not be so because I've also heard that NBC had already taken an interest in Prinze before he first appeared with Johnny.  He was already destined to be in a new sitcom for the following season.  In that version of the story, his appearance with Carson was arranged to begin the process of making him a star.  A couple years later when I was a writer for Welcome Back, Kotter, it was for the same company that did Chico and the Man and that's where I heard the allegedly "real" story.

Prinze's appearance on this episode was one of the most-cited examples of how important a good spot on Johnny's show was to the career of a new stand-up.  If he — they were almost all guys — got on The Tonight Show and scored, he had a career.  If he bombed or couldn't get on the show at all,  he might as well forget about comedy and apply for a job stocking the shelves at a Walmart.

The biggest success was if, after his set, Johnny had him come over and join the panel instead of taking a bow and disappearing behind the curtain.  At The Store, I heard comics say that Freddie was the first young stand-up to be so honored after his first appearance and that he was surprised,  Watching that moment in this show, it seems pretty obvious to me that Freddie knew that when he finished his set, he was supposed to walk over and join the panel.

I later saw other comics finish their routines, then look hopefully to see if they'd be waved over.  Prinze didn't wait for a signal.  It was all pre-arranged.

At the Comedy Store and a few other local clubs then, I saw a lot of great comedians before they hit big — Leno, Letterman, Seinfeld, etc. Freddie Prinze was one who never impressed me much and I had one run-in with him and it was not pleasant.  I'll tell that story here one of these days.  Here's the episode and maybe you'll like him more than I did…

Hey. you remember the game show, Win Ben Stein's Money?  Here's an episode from a long time ago which is notable because the three players were all correspondents for The Daily Show back then and one of them was Stephen Colbert.  This is probably where he and Jimmy Kimmel first met…

Fred Kaplan looks into the career of the recently-deceased Lindsey Graham and wonders how he changed from opposing almost everything Donald Trump was for to becoming one of Trump's most loyal sycophants. Here's an excerpt…

In the early days of the 2016 presidential campaign, Graham denounced Trump as a "race-baiting, xenophobic religious bigot" and said, "You know how you make America great again? Tell Donald Trump to go to hell." He later said that he voted for third-party candidate Evan McMullin rather than cast a ballot for Trump or Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. But his tune changed after Trump unexpectedly won. Before and after, during Trump's first and second terms, Graham stood by Trump constantly, defending his views even when they differed from his own.

Fred doesn't go into the reason a lot of people have voiced on the 'net: Blackmail. Obviously, I have no idea if there's any truth to that and you don't, either. But I can certainly buy the premise that a lot of Republicans accepted that Trump was going to rule their party whether they liked it or not and they had a simple choice: Kiss his ass or kiss your career goodbye.

I have a special e-mail address to which most advertising goes and right now, it's filled with messages from Olive Garden, telling me not to miss out on the return of their "Never-Ending Pasta Pass." Apparently, only 10,000 of these are about to go on sale and they don't want me to miss the opportunity to snag one. This makes me wonder: If they're so sure these are going to sell out quickly, why do they care if I get one? They're going to sell all 10,000 of 'em whether I get one or not.

Also, how is it that something called the "Never-Ending Pasta Pass" expires in thirteen weeks? It's good from August 24 until November 22. If this week, a magic genie granted you a never-ending life, wouldn't you expect it not to have, like the Kennedy presidency, a November 22nd expiration date?

According to the ad, if I were to score one of these cards, I could walk into any Olive Garden during those thirteen weeks and get all the soup, salad and pasta that I craved. Oh…and the breadsticks! Don't forget about the breadsticks! But then I looked at the fine print and it says in part…

Present pass to server at time of ordering. Named Passholder may redeem for unlimited Never Ending Pasta Bowl® (NEPB) meals 8/24/26 – 11/22/26. Each "NEPB meal" consists of pasta, sauce and a single topping serving from the promotional NEPB menu. All other entrees excluded.

Hmm…nothing in there about soup, salad or breadsticks but I guess they're an undefined part of the "meal" that's not specified in writing, as is the fact that the "bowl" you get might also include a couple of salad bowls, soup bowls and pasta bowls.

The pass costs a hundred bucks and without one, the N.E.P.B. sells for $14.99. So the pass would be a bargain if I wanted to go into Olive Garden 7+ times in 13 weeks and not have the Chicken Parm or the Calabrian Steak & Shrimp Bucatini or even a plate of pasta with two toppings. And I'd have to eat it there — no "to go" option, no delivery.

I think I'll pass on the pass. I sometimes like Olive Garden but there are three or four Italian restaurants closer to me which I like better…and my food allergies won't let me eat their salad or any of their soups. If I didn't have those allergies and I lived or worked across the street from an Olive Garden, I might go for it.

• THURSDAY •

Thursday, July 23 – 10 AM to 11 AM in Room 9
ANIMATION HISTORY WITH JERRY AND MARK
This panel features two guys who know a lot about cartoons answering questions from the audience about cartoons. Jerry Beck is one of the foremost experts on animation history, and he even teaches classes about it. Mark Evanier has seen a lot of cartoons, written a lot of cartoons, and worked in the industry for 50 years. Bring your questions, and they'll give you answers, maybe even the right ones.

Thursday, July 23 – 11AM to NOON in Room 9
TALES FROM MY SPINNER RACK LIVE
In 1975, after five incredibly creative — and frustrating — years at DC, writer-artist Jack Kirby returned to Marvel. Over the next few years, he would create titles such as The Eternals and Devil Dinosaur, while also working on Captain America and Black Panther, two characters he co-created. This is the beginning of the final years of the King of Comics' 50+ year career, which also saw him work in animation in Hollywood and introduce brand-new characters for companies like Pacific Comics and Topps. Moderator Gary Sassaman (former director of programming and publications for Comic-Con) talks to Kirby experts Mark Evanier (author, Kirby: King of Comics) and John Morrow (editor-publisher, Jack Kirby Collector) about the final years of the King, including details on Morrow's new book, Marvelmation: Jack Kirby's Final Act in Comics & Animation. Free Tales from My Spinner Rack! bookmark and set of collector's cards to the first 100 attendees.

Thursday, July 23 – NOON to 1 PM in Room 9
GREAT CARTOONISTS AND COMEDIANS WE HAVE KNOWN
Film expert Leonard Maltin and writer Mark Evanier have thousands of years of showbiz between them and have met, and sometimes even worked with, some of the cleverest, funniest men and women. They share their experiences with people like Groucho Marx, Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett, Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, and as many others as they can squeeze into the time they have.

Thursday, July 23 – 1 PM to 2 PM in Room 9
GOOD GRIEF!  THE ENDURING LEGACY OF PEANUTS
An all-star panel of Peanuts experts, historians, and editors celebrates Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the enduring legacy of Charles M. Schulz's beloved comic strip. Mark Evanier (The Essential Peanuts), Chip Kidd (Only What's Necessary: Charles M. Schulz and the Art of Peanuts), and Charles Kochman (editor-in-chief of Abrams ComicArts) explore the past, present, and future of Peanuts, from classic comics and publishing projects to the characters' lasting impact on popular culture, with video and images from the archives. Moderated by Alexis E. Fajardo (editorial director at the Charles M. Schulz Studio). Plus, be among the first to hear a special Peanuts announcement.

• FRIDAY •

Friday, July 24 – 11:00 AM to NOON at Booth 1216
me SIGNING STUFF
I'll be at the booth from Abrams ComicArts signing my recent book, The Essential Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz: The Greatest Comic Strip of All Tiime.

Friday, July 24 – 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM in Room 10
THE GROO PANEL
It's 75 percent of the crew that brings you the bumbling adventures of Groo the Wanderer, talking about what they do and why they do it. Stan Sakai talks about how he lettered this comic, and he may talk a little about the one-man show that is Usagi Yojimbo. Carrie Strachan discusses how she colors this comic. Mark Evanier explains whatever the heck he does on this comic to warrant his not being paid. And they may have to phone Groo creator Sergio Aragonés to clue Mark in.

Friday, July 24 – 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM in Room 10
FOCUS ON JENNY BLAKE ISABELLA
This year's in-person recipient of the Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing used to be known as Tony Isabella, famous for Black Lightning and many, many comics for Marvel (like The Champions, Tigra, Luke Cage, It, the Living Colossus, and more) and other publishers. These days, she's Jenny Blake, who tonight will be presented with an award she so richly deserves. For this hour, she will be interviewed about her life and times by her longtime friend, Mark Evanier (administrator of the Bill Finger Award).

Friday, July 24 – 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM in Room 10
TWO MARKS EXPLAIN EVERYTHING
If you want to know anything about comic books — how they're made, who did what, why your favorite comic was canceled, anything — this is the panel for you. If longtime comic book writers Mark Waid and Mark Evanier don't know it, there's a good chance no one does. Questions are welcome. And be prepared to learn the secrets behind the comics.

Friday, July 24 – 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM in Room 10
WALT KELLY AND POGO
Cartoonist Walt Kelly gave the world many great cartoons and characters, but the most enduring and beloved are the inhabitants of the Okefenokee Swamp — Pogo Possum, Albert the Alligator, Churchy LaFemme, and all the rest. Fantagraphics Books is now reprinting Pogo in its entirety, and Kelly's work will be discussed on this panel by Maggie Thompson, writer Paul Dini, cartoonist Jeff Smith (Bone), Kelly archivist Jane Plunkett, and moderator Mark Evanier.

• SATURDAY •

Saturday, July 25 – 11:45 AM to 12:45 PM in Room 6BCF
QUICK DRAW!
It's the fastest, funniest panel in the whole convention. Once again, your Quick Draw quizmaster Mark Evanier pits three super-speedy cartoonists against one another with dueling Sharpies as they create great cartoon art right before your very eyes. Competing this year are, as usual, Scott Shaw! (Sonic the Hedgehog), Tom Richmond (MAD magazine), and editorial cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz, plus a couple of highly surprising surprises.

Saturday, July 25 – 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM in Room 6BCF
CARTOON VOICES SATURDAY
Each year, moderator Mark Evanier gathers 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 Eric Bauza (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck), Shelby Young (LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, Princess Leia), Michael Scott Action (The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse), Jon Allen (Rick and Morty, Heroes of Goo Jit Zu), Stephanie Southerland (Veggie Tales), and  Sean Giambrone (The Loud House, Solar Opposites), and maybe other members of the vocal majority.

Saturday, July 25 – 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM in Room 6DE
SPOTLIGHT ON FRANK MILLER
Comic-Con special guest and legendary cartoonist Frank Miller, one of the most important comic book creators of the last half-century, returns to San Diego to discuss his new masterclass memoir, Push the Wall, and share a lifetime of creative wisdom and knowledge with fans. Attendees get a glimpse of Miller's life story, including how he went from a 19-year-old Vermonter freshly arrived in 1970s New York to becoming an innovative comic book artist and writer who reimagined Daredevil and Wolverine, rescued and reimagined Batman, and created original characters. Mark Evanier, interviewer.

• SUNDAY •

Sunday, July 26 – 10:00 AM to 11:15 AM in Room 5AB
THE ANNUAL JACK KIRBY TRIBUTE PANEL
This is the annual panel about Comic-Con's first superstar guest, the man they still call "The King of 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 Mike Royer (Kirby's favorite inker), Jack's grandkids Tracy Kirby and Jeremy Kirby, Roy Schwartz (who spearheaded the recent renaming of a New York intersection as Jack Kirby Way), attorney Paul S. Levine, and maybe a few others. Naturally, it's moderated by former Kirby assistant Mark Evanier.

Sunday, July 26 – 11:45 AM to 1:15 PM in Room 6A
THE SUNDAY CARTOON VOICES PANEL
With the smash-hit success of yesterday's Cartoon Voices I panel, there's no choice but to do another one, with different but equally talented actors from the world of animation voice work. Once again, moderator Mark Evanier has assembled an all-star dais that will include Fred Tatasciore (The Hulk, The Thing, Devil Dinosaur), Kaitlyn Robrock (Minnie Mouse, Star Wars Rebels), Roxana Ortega (The Casagrandes, The Loud House), Kimoy Lee (Rooster Fighter), Rob Paulsen (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), and Maurice LaMarche (Pinky and the Brain).

Sunday, July 26 – 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM in Room 7AB
COVER STORY: THE ART OF THE COVER
What does it take to make a great cover for a comic book? Let's ask three of the top artists…all folks who've created some of the best.  Nicole Goux (This Place Kills Me), Steven Butler (Sonic the Hedgehog), Dan Jurgens (The Death of Superman), and maybe someone else talk shop. Moderated by Mark Evanier.

Sunday, July 26 – 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM in Room 7AB
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 give you expensive, not-the-best advice on how to go about it. But here's absolutely free advice from folks who work actively in the field. Cartoon voice actors Debi Derryberry (Jimmy Neutron) and Gregg Berger (Transformers), talent agent Melissa Berger Brennan (CESD Talent), and moderator Mark Evanier (The Garfield Show) discuss the field.

And I just might turn up as a Surprise Guest discussing the history of fandom on…

Sunday, July 26 – 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM in Room 7AB
SPOTLIGHT ON MAGGIE THOMPSON: FAN EXPERIENCE
Pop culture has produced creative fans, and long-time fan Maggie Thompson is joined by three of them. Daughter Valerie Thompson, grandson Devon Jaruk, and friend Arthur Kyle, son of science fiction author and historian David Kyle, share memories and resources about fan activity.

---

The time, place and/or personnel for all panels could change and more panels may be added to this list.  I suggest arriving early for the panels in the bigger rooms — the ones whose numbers start with a "6" — as they usually have the greatest instances of overflow. Apart from the one signing listed above, I will only be signing items after each panel, time permitting, and only for people who sat through the panel. I don't charge for a reasonable number of items. The entire Programming Schedule can be accessed at this link.

• SATURDAY •

Saturday, July 25 – 11:45 AM to 12:45 PM in Room 6BCF
QUICK DRAW!
It's the fastest, funniest panel in the whole convention. Once again, your Quick Draw quizmaster Mark Evanier pits three super-speedy cartoonists against one another with dueling Sharpies as they create great cartoon art right before your very eyes. Competing this year are, as usual, Scott Shaw! (Sonic the Hedgehog), Tom Richmond (MAD magazine), and editorial cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz, plus a couple of highly surprising surprises.

Saturday, July 25 – 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM in Room 6BCF
CARTOON VOICES SATURDAY
Each year, moderator Mark Evanier gathers 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 Eric Bauza (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck), Shelby Young (LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, Princess Leia), Michael Scott Action (The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse), Jon Allen (Rick and Morty, Heroes of Goo Jit Zu), Stephanie Southerland (Veggie Tales), and  Sean Giambrone (The Loud House, Solar Opposites), and maybe other members of the vocal majority.

Saturday, July 25 – 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM in Room 6DE
SPOTLIGHT ON FRANK MILLER
Comic-Con special guest and legendary cartoonist Frank Miller, one of the most important comic book creators of the last half-century, returns to San Diego to discuss his new masterclass memoir, Push the Wall, and share a lifetime of creative wisdom and knowledge with fans. Attendees get a glimpse of Miller's life story, including how he went from a 19-year-old Vermonter freshly arrived in 1970s New York to becoming an innovative comic book artist and writer who reimagined Daredevil and Wolverine, rescued and reimagined Batman, and created original characters. Mark Evanier, interviewer.