Every year at Comic-Con International in San Diego, faithful fans of the comic book comedy legend Sergio Aragones and comic historian and writer Mark Evanier gather to see the two longtime friends and partners engage in a freewheeling back and forth about, well, whatever might be on their minds. Over the past few years, the legendary creator of Usagi Yojimbo Stan Sakai has joined Evanier and Aragones, making this annual event even more special. This year, the trio of superstars led a brisk and light conversation on current comic trends, provided some historical anecdotes and gave a preview of their upcoming work.

Evanier welcomed the crowd and delivered some faux bad news. "Welcome to the last Sergio and Mark show," Evanier said to sad groans from the audience. "Next year, it will become the Mark, Sergio and Stan Show!" Sakai had a good laugh and the crowd joined in welcoming Sakai to the proceedings. "Stan is on the panel as a guest most years," Evanier continued, "and more people come to see him than us!"

"This year is a bit different; this year, we are in the midst of an actual 'Groo' miniseries," Evanier said, referring to Dark Horse Comics' "Groo: Friends and Foes". Evanier promised that after "Friends and Foes" wraps, there will be a new "Groo" miniseries in 2016.

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That wasn't the only "Groo" news sprung on the crowd. Aragones announced that a "Groo and Tarzan" series will follow in the footsteps of last year's "Groo vs. Conan". The crowd erupted at the prospect of Groo crossing over with another classic literary adventure character.

Following the "Groo" news, Evanier revealed that "very shortly, Dark Horse will be producing a hardcover addition of Sergio's 'Actions Speak Louder Than Words.'"

"I did these two miniseries," Aragones explained. "The first was called 'Louder Than Words' because I thought it was clever and then it was successful -- so I did a sequel and I called it 'Action Speaks.' For the collection, we reverse it and finally get it in the right order. "

Following Aragones' news, Sakai gave his fans an update on his work. "'Usagi Yojimbo' is back on schedule again. I took a few years hiatus. I have a new hardcover edition coming up, the fourth volume, which reprints three of the Dark Horse volumes. Dark Horse will also do an oversized gallery edition of my work with my coffee stains and cross outs."

But the comics aren't the only thing going on with everyone's favorite samurai rabbit. "The 'Usagi' play opened in Europe," Sakai proudly announced. "And it will be coming to the states next year, in Portland, Oregon."

The conversation then turned to the collaboration between Aragones and his long time "Groo" co-writer Evanier. "We have a fight about every five years," Evanier said. "Our last one, which lasted about five minutes, was over one joke in an issue of 'Friends and Foes.' It was over when Groo became a giant in one issue."

Aragones laughed and said, "Yeah, I had to give up because Mark's solution was better!" What was the fight about, you ask? Aragones explained: "Groo became a giant and he does what Groo does -- he eats! He eats many things as a giant and I drew a panel where he eats a cow. Mark said, 'You can't have him just eat a live cow!' I was like, 'So what, it's food.' Groo is a caveman, a moron, this is something he would do."

"I couldn't have Groo eat a live cow!" Evanier complained.

"Okay," Aragones continued. "What's wrong with a caveman, a moron eating a live cow -- Superman flies for Christ's sake! But Mark has a better idea -- instead of the cow he eats a giant salad. That's funny!"

Stan, Mark and Sergio talked about what a pleasure it is to work with friends which brought them to the loss of a member of the "Groo" creative family, the original "Groo" colorist Gordon Kent who recently passed from cancer.

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As a tribute to Kent, Evanier told the crowd the story of Groo's creation. "It started with a comic called 'Destroyer Duck.' Sergio had been drawing 'Groo' for a couple of years but he was unnamed. We had this friend named Steve Gerber. Steve had a lawsuit against the Marvel Comics people. He was being personally bankrupted. The judge actually fined Marvel for driving up his bills." But Gerber had friends, Evanier said. "We put together a comic. Jack Kirby worked on it, Alfredo Alcala worked on it. Dan Spiegel, Marty Pasko, Scott Shaw -- and Sergio said let's put 'Groo' in it. No one was getting paid for this book, so I asked my friend Gordon Kent -- he was working for [animation company] Ruby-Spears -- and he colored the first 'Groo.' Orange is my favorite color, so Kent made Groo's jerkin orange."

After the history of Groo, Evanier told the crowd the history of Kent's inspirational battle with cancer. "A few years ago, Gordon came down with a very rare form of cancer -- so rare doctor didn't know how to treat it. He rallied for awhile, he got better, he got worse, and a few months ago we lost one hell of a guy. We had a very nice memorial service for him. We couldn't let this panel go by without a mention of Gordon Kent."

Before going on to fan questions, Evanier reported that there is no movement on a "Groo" TV show or film. "A lot of the people want to invest," Aragones explained. "It is hard for them to make a movie of something that has so much humor."

"Yeah," Evanier agreed. "They say 'Groo' will cost twenty million and I have a solution. Just give us ten million, we split it and you save ten million. Everyone wins." Aragones explained that he wants to have some creative control over a final project and many studios are reluctant to hand over the last word. With that, the panel turned to fan questions.

"What happened to 'Sergio Aragones' Funnies'?" one fan asked.

"'Sergio Aragones' Funnies,'" the artist explained, "was a short lived series with Bongo. Matt Groening wanted an imprint where avant garde sort of guys would do something different than the 'Simpsons.' They asked me if I would participate and I was delighted because I could do whatever I want. I did a book for DC called 'Solo,' and I love that format. But nobody else signed onto the project so they canceled the project. So I went to Dark Horse and they love it, so I plan to do another edition with them."

After a fan asked for a title of the new "Groo" series, Aragones said that there is no title yet but he promised that it would put "Groo into a situation he had never been in before." Aragones also promised that the series will not feature any anachronisms. "Everything will be in the right time and place," he assured the audience.

The final fan question asked the panel if they ever have trouble with outside editors trying to change their work. "We have no editors," said Sakai. "My contract says that whatever I say, they publish. My editors' only job is for timing -- to send things for colorists to meet deadlines; for content, never."

To end the panel, Evanier paid tribute to Stan Sakai's late wife Sharon, who passed away this past year. "Boy, talk about a person you couldn't find a single negative thing to say about -- that was Sharon." And with a nod to those we lost and an eye towards next year's Mark, Sergio and Stan Show, the three greats bade the crowd farewell.