Are you an aspiring comic book writer or artist? Then we've got the panel for you! Join BOOM! Studios editor-in-chief Matt Gagnon and other comic book professionals as they give you practical advice on how to make your comic book dreams come true.
Friday March 29, 2013 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Room 203
For attendees (writers or artists) of the Comic Creator Connection... Before you give your pitch to twenty strangers, use this opportunity to practice your presentation and get some free coaching from a pro. Sit one-on-one with Douglas Neff (host of the Comic Creator Connection and From Fan to Creator: Goal-Setting for Creative Types) for a personalized crash course in pitching your work. Note that all reviews will occur on a first-come, first-served basis and will only be accommodated as time allows.
Friday March 29, 2013 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Room 206B
Small press publishers: What makes the difference between an item that will get news coverage, previews, and interviews and what doesn't? A lot of publishers have no idea what to submit to the press, how to submit it, and why they are being overlooked for coverage. Comics journalist Rik Offenberger (First Comics News, Archie Comics) moderates this panel on just what it takes to get coverage, with the comic journalists themselves telling you what they are looking for in your submission. Panelists include (in alphabetical order) Albert Ching (Newsarama), Alan Kistler (Comic Mix, CBR), Blair Marnell (CraveOnline), Glenn Hauman (Comic Mix), Heidi MacDonald (The Beat), Josh Waldrop (M1W Entertainment), Kiel Phegley (CBR), and Tanya Tate (First Comics News). Find out what it takes to self-promote and make a significant impact on your ability to sell your comic project.
Friday March 29, 2013 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Room 213
Do you want to know what it takes to build your own Star Wars droid? Southern California R2 builders Chris Romines, Michael McMaster, and William Miyamoto, builder Godfather Mike Senna, and builder/moderator Victor Franco discuss how their robots were built and how they work. Topics include materials, blueprints, building techniques, tools, and the electronics used to bring R2 to life. Special guest Don Post is scheduled to join the group for part of the panel discussion. Hear Don talk about his involvement in producing the licensed replica R2-D2, along with other props and costume pieces.
Friday March 29, 2013 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
Room 213
Javier Hernandez (Los Comex) presents his popular comic book workshop for kids. Participants will create a one-page comic, using an interactive storytelling exercise where everyone can join in the creation of the story. You don't have to be a great artist to make comics, just have a desire to tell stories with words and pictures! Paper and pencils will be provided.
Friday March 29, 2013 5:00pm - 6:00pm PDT
Room 210BCD
Francis Mao (Capcom senior director, creative services) leads a panel of insiders from a variety of game companies and industry outlets to share with you how they got to “play video games for a living,” and the wide assortment of career paths that are available. You don't have to be a programming whiz or a stellar digital artist to have a fun career in the video game industry. Hear about job opportunities available in areas such as marketing, public relations, retail, design, publishing, editorial, and more! There will be a Q&A session plus an opportunity to speak and network one-on-one with the panelists after the session.
Friday March 29, 2013 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
Room 300DE
Need tips on how to market your comic? Have questions about doing PR? This is the panel for you! Some of the best and brightest in comics today present a roundtable discussion, revealing all the secrets of doing marketing and PR for your comics. ComiXology marketing and PR maven Chip Mosher is joined by Dark Horse's director of PR Jeremy Atkins, IDW Publishing's VP of marketing Dirk Wood, and Archaia's marketing manager Mel Caylo for a wide-ranging discussion you will not want to miss!
Friday March 29, 2013 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
Room 203
Kyle Kurpinski and Terry Johnson (How to Defeat Your Own Clone: And Other Tips for Surviving the Biotech Revolution) discuss the scientific breakthroughs that inspire science fiction and the ways that science is depicted in popular media, books, movies, and more. After a brief presentation, these bioengineers will be available to answer your questions in a Q&A session.
Friday March 29, 2013 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
Room 213
Which side of the convention table do you want to be on, professional or fan? And what's keeping you from getting there? If you've been inspired to create something but you're having trouble bringing it into reality, you need to attend this fun and informative goal-setting workshop, designed specifically for the WonderCon Anaheim crowd and back for its seventh year in a row. Douglas Neff (the "Tony Robbins of Geeks") will give you simple and proven tips for achieving what's most important to you. Whether you want to write your own screenplay, draw your first comic, or shoot your independent film, you'll walk away from this workshop with new ideas and useful tools to help you reach your dream.
Saturday March 30, 2013 10:30am - 11:30am PDT
Room 203
Join Leah Cevoli (Robot Chicken), Miracle Laurie (Dollhouse), Adrianne Curry (Adrianne Curry's SuperFans), Helenna Santos Levy (founder, MsInTheBiz.com), Amber Krzys (founder, BodyHeart.com), and Lynn Chen (founder, www.theActorsDiet.com) as these outspoken actresses, models, writers, and entrepreneurs will share openly their own journey with body image, eating disorders, and the road to recovery and self-love. The panel will discuss healthy lifestyles and acceptance for women of all shapes and sizes in the entertainment industry, while inspiring others to get out there and live their best life. Moderated by Leah Cevoli.
Saturday March 30, 2013 2:00pm - 3:00pm PDT
Room 210A
It's no surprise that if your job is to be creative, that's going to be your focus, but losing sight of important business issues has been the downfall of more than one artist in the past. Luckily, the popular Comic Book Law School® will help by supplying the "ABCs" of legal protections for creators, and maybe help you discover how to make protecting yourself an every-day part of the creative process. Join noted IP attorney Michael Lovitz, author of The Trademark and Copyright Book comic book, as he sets down a solid foundation on intellectual property for attendees of this informative seminar. Starting with the basics on the ownership and protection of ideas, an understanding of copyright and trademark rights, including for works of authorship, characters, and names, this seminar will help guide you from conception through publication and beyond. Attendees are invited to participate in an interactive discussion about basic rights provided under U.S. copyright and trademark laws, as well as the registration process for each (and time permitting, how recent court decisions and changes in the law could affect those rights). Along the way, there will be plenty to learn about the protections, and pitfalls, of the U.S. trademark and copyright systems. Please Note: The Comic Book Law School seminars are designed to provide relevant information and practice tips to practicing attorneys, as well as practical tips to creators and other professionals who may wish to attend. However, the seminar is presented for information and entertainment purposes only, and the information presented and opinions expressed at the seminars do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. [This program is approved for one (1) credit of California MCLE.]
Saturday March 30, 2013 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Room 210BCD
Join literary agents Holly Root (Waxman-Leavell Literary Agency) and Michael Bourret (Dystel & Goderich Literary Management) for a Q&A session about the wild world of manuscript querying, the role of agents in the publication process, and more! No pitches, please.
Saturday March 30, 2013 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Room 213
Hey kids! Kristian Andrew Sather(Jetsons, kristiansather.blogspot.com) returns to WonderCon Anaheim with his popular cartooning workshop. Kristian will demonstrate the techniques used in drawing funny cartoon characters. You will learn how to draw your own funny cartoon characters using basic geometric shapes and more. Join Kristian for this unique & exciting session!
Saturday March 30, 2013 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
Room 210BCD
For artists and writers who get "stuck," veteran writer/editor Barbara Randall Kesel (TMNT: April, Meridian, Hawk & Dove) brings proven tips, tricks, and strategies for vanquishing those blocked brain cells and deadline demons! Part information, part motivation, all entertaining!
Saturday March 30, 2013 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
Room 210A
DC Comics colorist Alex Sinclair will show you how he uses textures to enhance his work on comic book panels, pages, and covers. He will share tips on how to use the Adobe Photoshop brush tool to its full potential and to help you create different textures. Alex will do various demos and answer questions about his techniques.
Saturday March 30, 2013 6:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Room 210BCD
Trouble finding a book publisher? How about a literary agent? Do you really need your own publicist? Is getting into print different when your book's topic is particularly geeky? Hear how these bookworms got their works into print, how they made money at it, and how you might, too: S. G. Browne (Breathers: A Zombie's Lament), Katrina Hill (Action Movie Freak), Alan Kistler (Doctor Who: A History), Alex Langley (The Geek Handbook), and Dr. Travis Langley (Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight). Moderated by Jenna Busch (Fanhattan).
Saturday March 30, 2013 6:30pm - 7:30pm PDT
Room 208
Every aspiring writer wants to know one thing: "How do I break into the business?" If you are an unpublished writer with dreams of making it in the transmedia marketplace and you don't know how or where to begin, this is the panel for you. Hollywood screenwriters and graphic novel producers Brandon M. Easton (ThunderCats [2011], Transformers: Rescue Bots), Geoffrey Thorne (TNT's Leverage, Ben 10), and Jonathan Callan (Ben 10, Generator Rex) plus actor/writer Anthony Montgomery (Star Trek: Enterprise, VH1's Single Ladies, Miles Away) share insider information, publishing secrets, and the professional realities on how to develop your ideas into a viable comics proposal. Topics include how to hire artists and build a strong contract, how to seek out a publisher, and how to navigate the tough new world of intellectual property management in the digital frontier.
Saturday March 30, 2013 7:00pm - 8:00pm PDT
Room 203
UPDATED: Mon, Mar 25, 09:54AM Using comics as an educational tool is fun and practical. All-star panelists Frank Beddor (The Looking Glass Wars and Hatter M series), Tom Carr (Talking to Yourself in the Dark, host of Residual Hauntings Revived), Dave Elliot (Weirding Willows), and Mimi Cruz (Night Flight Comics, Salt Lake City) discuss how educators, librarians, retailers, creators, and publishers work together to put comics into the classroom as an innovative tool to promote reading and literacy. This multimedia presentation with personal remarks and a Q&A session highlight ways to use the graphic medium as a learning tool. The 70-page resource book The Secret Origin of Good Readers is available for free download at www.night-flight.com/secretorigin/index.html courtesy of XMission.com.
Sunday March 31, 2013 11:30am - 1:00pm PDT
Room 203
Interested in writing cartoons? Or just curious how it's done? Mark Evanier has written hundreds of scripts for such programs as The Garfield Show, Garfield and Friends, Dungeons 'n' Dragons, Scooby Doo, Richie Rich, ABC Weekend Special, CBS Storybreak,Thundarr the Barbarian, and more. He'll tell you how it all happens and answer any questions you may have.
Sunday March 31, 2013 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT
Room 300DE
UPDATED: Tue, Mar 26, 04:09PM Learn the secrets to using part-time collaboration to achieve full-time results! No matter which industry (comics, illustration, movies, design, animation, costuming/cosplay), “breaking in” has never been more apt a term than in today's media, and it is a full-time job, especially if you have only part-time hours to accomplish it. Hear Topher Davila (art director, GeekdomWear.com and co-creator/co-producer, We're Always Like This), Sean Glumace (digital arts instructor at Golden West College and Wordpress expert), Kevin Flessing (co-writer, We're Always Like This), Mario Martinez (co-creator, TomatoTV.net), Renah Wolzinger (department chair, Digital Media, Digital Arts and Design, Golden West College), Aleister Gilgrim (Creative Director, ICS Mobile), Heather Joseph-Witham Ph.D. (Mythbusters and various TV shows) and Ron Coleman (molecular geneticist and writer) talk about how they successfully juggle time between the creative and business sides while being involved in goal-oriented groups. They'll discuss the process, pitfalls, and potential of part-time collaboration from their experiences in illustration, writing, design, animation, and live-action filming, from a variety of levels of experience in administration and sizes of organizations. Content will be a mix of speaking, questions, and short interactive applications in which the audience can directly apply the topics covered. Whether you're a hobbyist or looking to go pro, if you struggle with deadlines, need help finding collaborators, want to know how to work with a team without mortally wounding each other, or simply want to know how to get your foot in the door, this panel is for you.
Sunday March 31, 2013 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Room 208
The hero (protagonist) and the villain (antagonist) are the two most important characters in stories. They have opposing goals and are bound through conflict. Young adult author Cecil Castellucci (Year of the Beasts) will teach you how to develop compelling heroes and villains for your own fantastic stories in this workshop for teens.
Sunday March 31, 2013 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Room 210BCD
From personal collections, working with museums and art galleries and even a little bit of hoarding, George Clayton Johnson, Barry Short, John Ellis, Eric Hoffman, Michael Hamersky, Alan Williams, and Dave Arshawsky are all fans and collectors of most things related to science fiction and comics. Collecting is a major industry these days; just watch the cable shows dedicated to it! Join moderator Greg Koudoulian to discuss how we can make sure that our histories and legacies are preserved for future generations, in both museums and art galleries and your own home!
Sunday March 31, 2013 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Room 213
America's youngest multiple award-winning authors, the Winner Twins, will teach you how to create your own novel step by step. The twins, now in high school, are national bestselling authors who have written four science fiction novels. Drawing from their own experience, they will discuss the process, from creating your idea to getting it published. They have taught their unique creative writing method to hundreds of thousands of teachers and students across the country.
Sunday March 31, 2013 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
Room 203
