Instead of taking place in San Diego, this year's Comic-Con International is all digital. And now, Comic-Con@Home will allow fans from around the world a chance to "attend" panels in a way that they never could have before. Comic-Con@Home is a chance for fans to experience the convention's panels without leaving the comfort -- or safety -- of their homes. While this year won't have the in-person costume contests or movie trailer debuts in Hall H, but fans who would never have been able to attend in person are now able to officially share in some of the experience.
As always, the convention's programming slate features loads of events and activities, including more than 350 panels spread out across the Con's five-day schedule. All of the panels will be available through the Comic-Con YouTube channel. For those interested in the "comics" of Comic-Con, here are some of the most noteworthy panels worth tuning into.
Comics in the Classroom: Ask Me Anything (Wednesday, July 22, at 3:00 PM PT)
This year's Comics in the Classroom panel will see Eric Kallenborn (fine arts department chair, Oak Lawn Community High School) and Michael Gianfrancesco (North Providence High School) pose the questions they collected via social media about using comic books as teaching tools. This panel will also see some experts on the subject, including Ronell Whitaker (English department chair, Community High School District 218), Lucy Knisley (comic creator Stepping Stones, Relish, French Milk), Jason Walz (teacher/comic creator Last Pick, Homesick), and Lisa Wu (consultant and former teacher) offer their insights and experiences about using comics to inform rather than to entertain. It's a great opportunity to learn how to cultivate the next generation of deep thinkers and comic fans.
Comics on Campus: Fandom at Academia (Wednesday, July 22, 6:00 PM PT)
Keeping the focus on education, the Comics on Campus: Fandom panel promises to discuss the growing presence of comic books and comic book fans on college and university campuses. The panel draws its participants from the comics industry and some of the United States' most prestigious higher learning institutions: Paul Levitz (Columbia University, Pace University), Frank Cammuso (Syracuse University), Rob Salkowitz (University of Washington), Karen Green (Columbia University), and Darlynne Overbaugh (Ithaca College), with moderation from Ed Catto (Ithaca College). Comic book studies is a growing academic field, complete with academic publishers focusing on scholarly work, and its own scholarly journal.
Terry Moore Is Still Drawing Comics (Thursday, July 23, 1:00 PM PT)
One of the champions of creator-owned comics, writer/artist Terry Moore is the visionary behind the seminal independent series Strangers in Paradise and its recent follow-up, Strangers In Paradise XXV. For this spotlight panel, Moore will beam in from his studio to discuss his work and answer questions about that iconic series and his other titles, including Echo, Rachel Rising, Motor Girl and Five Years.
DC@Home Day One (Friday, July 24, 10:00 AM PT)
DC's first panel will be jam-packed with creators discussing the ongoing events of the comic book DC Universe as well as its future. With a huge roster of talent scheduled to appear, this panel is a can't miss event for DC fans. In alphabetical order, Vita Ayala, Morgan Beem, Brian Michael Bendis, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Grace Ellis, Mitch Gerads, Clayton Henry, Mikel Janin, Tom King, Jim Lee, Ryan Sook, Maggie Stiefvater, Mariko Tamaki, Tom Taylor, Ram V and Brittney Williams are all scheduled to make appearances.
Marvel Comics: Next Big Thing (Friday, July 24, 11:00 AM PT)
Marvel's main panel is also scheduled to feature a massive roster of today's top comic book creators discussing the biggest stories in the Marvel Universe. Guests scheduled to appear include Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski, who will appear alongside Tom Brevoort, Al Ewing and Dan Slott as they discuss Empyre; Jordan White, Tini Howard, and Gerry Duggan explain X of Swords; Spider-Man masterminds Nick Lowe, Nick Spencer and Mark Bagley will go over their plans to re-introduce the Green Goblin; and Nick Lowe talks about Werewolf by Night with Taboo of the black Eyed Peas and Ben Jackendoff.
Decoding the Kirby/Lee Dynamic (Friday, July 24, 11:00 AM PT)
For more old school Marvel fans, the Decoding the Kirby/Lee Dynamic Panel will examine the historic, at times testy relationship between two of comic books' most important creators, Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. Lee biographers Danny Fingeroth and Abraham Riesman join Kirby experts/writers Fred Van Lente and Crystal Skillman on a panel moderated by Forbes magazine's Rob Salkowitz. Lee and Kirby were at the spark of Marvel's Silver Age of Comics, and their influence is felt across the media landscape today. Despite a tense working relationship, these two creative icons shaped the modern Marvel Universe and showed what superheroes could be in the modern age.
The Wonderful, Horrible World of E.C. Comics (Friday, July 24, 6:00 PM PT)
In their spotlight on E.C. Comics, comics historians Grant Geissman, Danny Fingeroth, Arie Kaplan, and Dr. Travis Langley discuss the Crypt-Keeper, MAD Magazine, Max and William M. Gaines and likely Seduction of the Innocent, as they unpack the lasting influence of E.C. Comics, the infamous '50s comics publisher at the center of a national debate about comics. E.C. Comics were an important part of the foundation of comic books as we understand them, and the legacy of these bone-chilling and heart-pounding stories. stories live on today.
The Guide: Overstreet's 50th Anniversary (Saturday July 25, 10:00 AM PT)
Before the Internet made knowing the value of Uncanny X-Men #266 a quick search away, there was The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. Arguably no publication other than comic books themselves has had a bigger impact on the hobby than this annual comics price guide. And now, Steve Geppi, Buddy Saunders, Maggie Thompson, Steve Borock, and Mark Huesman celebrate 50 years of the book that has become the standard of comic book collecting.
Diversity and Comics: Why Inclusion and Visibility Matter (Saturday, July 25, 12:00 PM PT)
For the annual Diversity and Comics panel, panelists John Jennings, Frederick Aldama, Christina Steenz Stewart, Chelsea ‘Ché' Grayson, David Walker and Stanford Carpenter discuss the power of having varied creators, characters, and voices represented in comic books, especially at a moment in history when America is confronting the racial inequalities of the past and present. This panel will look at why diversity in comic books makes for better stories, as well as better bottom lines for publishers.
What's New In Small Press Comics (Saturday July 25, 5:00 PM PT)
Finally, representatives from some of today's most prominent small press publishers gather to discuss the future of their corner of the comic book world. Joshua Starnes, James Haick, Christina Harrington, Josh Werner, and Manny Castellanos preview upcoming releases from publishers like Red 5 Comics, Scout Comics and Entertainment, Inc., Source Point Press, and Mad Cave Studios.