10:30-11:30 From Fan to Creator: Goal-Setting for Creative Types— Which side of the convention table do you want to be on, artist or fan? If it’s artist, what’s keeping you from getting there? If you have an idea in your head that you’ve had trouble bringing into reality, you might benefit from this practical goal-setting workshop. Teacher and leadership trainer Douglas Neff will show you techniques for setting and achieving your most important goals. Whether you want to write your own screenplay, draw your first comic, or shoot your independent film, you’re sure to get something useful from this informative workshop. Room 30CDE
Categories:  Fandom | Seminars & Workshops

12:00-1:00 Andrew Pepoy’s Professional Networking Seminar— Get set for a weekend of pressing the flesh and selling yourself with this popular Comic-Con seminar! Being talented just isn’t enough—getting work and continuing to work in the comic book and comic strip publishing worlds often means knowing the right people as well. Inker and writer/artist Andrew Pepoy (Jack of Fables, Katy Keene) brings back his popular seminar to help teach you how to get out there and use Comic-Con to its fullest networking potential. Take advantage of this early time slot to put some of Andrew’s good advice to work over the next few days! Read Andrew Pepoy's advice on the Portfolio Review process. Room 10
Categories:  Seminars & Workshops

12:30-2:00 Drawing Style and Storytelling— In a classroom-style workshop, Darwyn Cooke (The Spirit), Cameron Stewart (The Other Side), Carla Speed McNeil (Finder), and Colleen Coover (Banana Sunday)—and maybe another special guest—discuss design, look-and-feel, and how they develop the visual style of specific projects. Moderated by Douglas Wolk (Reading Comics). Room 30CDE
Categories:  Comic Books | Comic-Con Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances | Seminars & Workshops

2:00-3:30 Resin Casting and Silicone Moldmaking— Jeff Broz has presented five previous Comic-Con seminars about plastics and casting. Sam Girgis has loved spaceship design since the Apollo missions. Whether you want to produce a garage kit model or reproduce a missing part for your vintage toy collection, this year's seminar will cover material choices and advances into more complex silicone mold design and casting techniques that should offer secrets to the novice and the working Joes in the trenches for short run 3D duplication, and for garage kits or industrial design. The panelists will also discuss the newest 3D printers and ways to build your virtual models. Look for their website at jdbgrphx.com or Matrix Enterprises. Room 30CDE
Categories:  Action Figures, Toys and Collectibles | Art and Illustration | Seminars & Workshops

3:30-5:00 Animation on a Shoe String— Learn the down-and-dirty tricks on how to create your own animation studio on a low budget, from the author of Animation on a Shoe String. Find out how to assemble the equipment you will need, how to build or buy equipment, and what software to use to edit and composite your project. Featuring Larry Loc, animation educator and executive board member of ASIFA-Hollywood. Room 30CDE
Categories:  Animation | Seminars & Workshops

5:00-6:00 PC Gamer and Maximum PC: How to Play a Better Game— Chuck Osborn, Senior Executive Editor of PC Gamer, Norman Chan, Contributing Editor of PC Gamer, Grantley Day, Vice President of Product Development for K2, and Peter Cesario, Producer of Sword of the New World for K2, will host a discussion and Q&A session about online and offline role playing games. Topics will include strategy tips, performance-enhancing recommendations, and hardware upgrades using K2's Sword of the New World as a demonstration tool. Room 30AB
Categories:  Gaming | Seminars & Workshops

5:00-6:00 Masquerade 101— Thinking about taking your costume creations onto the stage? Looking for ideas on how to enhance your presentations? Curious what goes on behind the scenes for contestants, judges, and technical crew? Masquerade director Martin Jaquish hosts Nicole Miyamoto (award-winning fan costumer with 20 years’ experience) and Masquerade assistant John Ruff as they offer an overview of on-stage costume competitions and present tips for getting the most out of your costuming experience. Room 30CDE
Categories:  Costuming | Fandom | Seminars & Workshops

6:00-7:30 FTW!: Breaking into the Video Game Industry— Chris Charla of Foundation 9 Entertainment and industry friends Gary Whitta (Death, Jr.), Mark Vitello (Sony), Bob Stevenson (Planet Moon), Christian Svensson (Capcom), Jon Middleton (Mad Catz), and Frank O'Connor (Bungie) talk about how to weasel...er, work your way into the world of video games! Room 30AB
Categories:  Gaming | Seminars & Workshops

10:30-11:30 DC Talent Search Orientation— Learn what DC Comics looks for in artists and find out how to improve your chances at becoming a working professional. Remember, diversity is the key with DC: DC Universe, Vertigo, WildStorm, Mad Magazine, Minx, and more! This informative orientation session will explain how DC’s Talent Search works. If you want to have your work reviewed, attendance at this orientation session is mandatory, keep in mind that not all attendees are guaranteed a review. Room 4
Categories:  Comic Books | Seminars & Workshops

10:30-12:00 Comic Book Law School® 101: Let's Start at the Beginning— A very good place to start learning how to protect your intellectual property rights, that is. Learn the basics of copyright and trademark law in this popular interactive lecture series brought to you by noted attorney Michael Lovitz, author of the The Trademark and Copyright Book comic book (soon to be an expanded graphic novel). This first workshop will cover the basics of protection and ownership of ideas, characters, and their names from the point of creation forward. Attendees will participate in an interactive discussion about basic rights provided under U.S. copyright and trademark laws, then have the opportunity to work together in developing a game plan to protect a new comic book series proposal in preparation of shopping the proposal to publishers. Plus, discussions about recent legal decisions affecting the field of popular culture and how these issues play an important role in your creative and business plans. And along the way, there will be plenty to learn about the protections, and pitfalls, of the U.S. trademark and copyright systems. Room 30CDE
Categories:  Comic Books | Comics Law School | Seminars & Workshops

12:00-1:30 Impact University: How to Write and Draw Comics and Graphic Novels— Some of the biggest names in comics will teach you what it takes to make it in comics and graphic novels. This year’s star-studded faculty panel includes Peter David (She-Hulk, X-Factor), Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game, Wyrms), David Petersen (Mouse Guard), Tom Nguyen (Batman, Justice League Elite) and Comics Buyer's Guide senior editor Maggie Thompson. Find out the best way to submit your work, learn the dos and don'ts of the business, and participate in a Q&A session. Room 30CDE
Categories:  Comic Books | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Seminars & Workshops

1:30-2:30 The Comic Art Prof Show: How to Create Successful Comics Page Layouts— Young comics artists focus on learning to draw. Great comic artists master the page. Good page design brings clarity, rhythm, accent, and life to your comics. Starting with the basics, such as balloons placement and panel shapes, and stepping up to more advanced layout concepts, such as pacing and style, The Comic Art Prof (aka Christian Hill, professor of illustration and sequential art at Cal State Fullerton) will show you the processes professionals use in mainstream and alternative comics, manga, and Eurocomics to lay out impeccable and unforgettable pages. Room 30CDE
Categories:  Anime & Manga | Art and Illustration | Comic Books | Seminars & Workshops | Webcomics

2:30-4:00 Painting Dynamic Portraits: Demonstration from Life with Jeff Watts— Nationally renowned portrait painter and fine artist Jeff Watts demonstrates how to create an oil portrait painting from a model. Jeff will discuss technique, methods, and procedures as he goes along. This is a great panel for those wanting to further their skills and those who want to know more about where to obtain the strong fundamentals essential to becoming a working professional artist. Room 30CDE
Categories:  Art and Illustration | Seminars & Workshops

3:30-4:30 Business of Web Comics— Scott Kurtz (PvP) and Robert Khoo (Penny Arcade) will create a brand-new webcomic, live on stage and show how the creative and business aspects of the property work (and don't work) in parallel. Q&A session to follow afterward! Room 8
Categories:  Comic Books | Comic-Con Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances | Seminars & Workshops | Webcomics

4:30-6:00 So You Want to Be a Comic Book Retailer— You do, don't you? You have that dream of opening a great comic book specialty store, right? Then this is the one panel at this year's Comic-Con you can't afford to miss! This is also the only retailer-specific panel open to the general public at Comic-Con! The panel is moderated by ComicsPRO President Joe Field from Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff (Concord CA) and includes retailers Joe Ferrara from Atlantis Fantasyworld (Santa Cruz CA), Nancy Trempe from Comics Unlimited (Westminster CA), and Derrick Taylor from Comic Oasis (Las Vegas NV). Also featured is Dave Hawksworth from Diamond Comic Distributors, who has probably seen more comic book stores than anyone alive! An essential part of ComicsPRO's mission is to grow the number of professional stores in the Direct Market, and the response to this panel over the last few years has been a good start. This is your chance to hear the "Comic Retailer Origin Stories" of the panelists and to ask the questions that will help you get your career in comics' retailing off the ground. Successful futures in comic book retailing start here! If you're already a retailer, click here for our complete track of programming for retailers only! Room 2
Categories:  Action Figures, Toys and Collectibles | Comic Books | Retailer Programming | Seminars & Workshops

4:30-5:30 Center for Cartoon Studies: How to Dramatically Improve Your Comics— Whether you are applying for a job at Marvel, are seeking a Xeric Grant to self- publish, submitting work to Drawn and Quarterly, or applying to the Center for Cartoon Studies, Tom Devlin and James Sturm from The Center for Cartoon Studies will give you ten simple ways to drastically, dramatically, and definitively improve your comics. They will offer one-on-one portfolio reviews for the final 30 minutes. Don't miss this rare opportunity! Room 24A
Categories:  Comic Books | Seminars & Workshops

5:00-6:00 PC Gamer and Maximum PC: How to Play a Better Game, Part 2— Chuck Osborn (senior executive editor of PC Gamer), Norman Chan (contributing editor of PC Gamer), and a representative from game publisher Midway host a discussion and Q&A session about first-person shooters. Topics will include basic strategy, performance-enhancing tips, and genre-specific hardware upgrade recommendations, using Midway’s Unreal Tournament 3 as a demonstration tool. Room 30AB
Categories:  Gaming | Seminars & Workshops

5:00-6:00 Pitching an Animated Show— How do you get your cartoon on the air? Selling an animated series isn’t as easy as it seems. The process is as creative as it is frustrating—and equal parts unpredictable. The major networks get thousands of pitches every year, so is there a secret recipe to getting your idea on the top of the pile? Maybe, and these are the people to tell you: executives responsible for shepherding new shows at the major studios, including Eric Coleman, VP animation, development & production at Nickelodeon; Heather Kenyon, senior director of development original animation for Cartoon Network; Jill Stewart, manager, original series, Disney Channel Animation, as well as creators Jorge R. Gutierrez (Nickelodeon’s El Tigre) and Gabe Swarr (Big Pants Mouse), both industry veterans currently in development on several projects. This will be an hour chock-full of wisdom, woes, and even a few “you-saw-it-here-first” surprises, moderated by animation writer/creator Jon M. Gibson, also in development. Room 30CDE
Categories:  Animation | Seminars & Workshops | Television

6:00-7:00 Confessions of a Game Designer— Have you ever played a game and thought, “I could make a better game than this!” Now’s your chance to find out if you can. Join veteran designer Alex Jimenez (Enigma: Rising Tide, Battletanxs, Darkstalkers) as he answers all your questions and takes you behind the scenes of the video game industry. Learn who decides what games are made and how, and most important, what you need to know to get in Find out where the industry is, where it’s going, and how you can be a part of it. Whether your interests are in art, programming or design, if you love games or blame them for the fall of civilization, here’s your chance to see if you’ve got what it takes to make it in the biz! Room 30AB
Categories:  Gaming | Seminars & Workshops

6:00-7:00 Building Entertainment Intellectual Properties— Mat Broome has assembled a roundtable of top working professionals responsible for producing comics, books, music, and games, all too talk about how intellectual properties are built. X-Men, WildC.A.T.S, and EverQuest are only a few of the intellectual properties that these panelists have had a vital role in producing. They include Mat Broome (17 years’ experience as an artist/illustrator, entertainment and brand manager, and business owner), Mike Smith (lead audio on Everquest 2 and Untold Legends), Ben Herrera (artist for Malibu Comics and Rockstar Games), and Clint Worley (multiple titles for Sony on PC, PS2 and PSP platforms). Room 30CDE
Categories:  Comic Books | Gaming | Seminars & Workshops

6:30-7:30 The Chiodo Bros: Stop-Motion Animation in the Computer Age— Many thought that computer animation would replace stop-motion animation. Instead, it has revitalized this ancient form of filmmaking. The Chiodo Bros. look at the surprising changes that computer technology has brought to stop motion. Room 5AB
Categories:  Animation | Movies | Seminars & Workshops

10:30-11:30 DC Talent Search Orientation— Learn what DC Comics looks for in artists and find out how to improve your chances at becoming a working professional. Remember, diversity is the key with DC: DC Universe, Vertigo, WildStorm, Mad Magazine, Minx, and more! This informative orientation session will explain how DC's Talent Search works. If you want to have your work reviewed, attendance at this orientation session is mandatory, keep in mind that not all attendees are guaranteed a review. Room 4
Categories:  Comic Books | Seminars & Workshops

10:30-12:00 Comic Book Law School 102— Learn the basics of copyright and trademark law in this popular interactive lecture series brought to you by noted attorney Michael Lovitz, author of the acclaimed The Trademark and Copyright Book comic book (soon to be expanded into a graphic novel). This second workshop will cover some of the more complicated issues facing creators who are looking to actually market their creations and ideas, including transfers and licensing of rights, marketing, merchandising and distribution, and what to do when Hollywood comes knocking. This interactive seminar gives attendees the opportunity to participate in the discussions as we cover various means for profiting from your creations and (time permitting) to participate in a mock contract negotiation! With in-depth discussions about the options and opportunities for profit, as well as the problems and pitfalls that go hand in hand with each decision, you can't afford to miss this seminar. Room 30CDE
Categories:  Art and Illustration | Comic Books | Comics Law School | Seminars & Workshops | Webcomics

12:00-1:30 Wolfman and Kesel Writing Comics— Marv Wolfman and Barbara Kesel conduct a comics writing workshop, discussing how to create characters, story, and theme. If you've ever wanted to become a comics writer, this is for you. Room 30CDE
Categories:  Comic Books | Seminars & Workshops

12:30-1:30 The Comicbook Artists Guild: An Open Call for Members Nationwide— Trying to break into the comics industry? Need an outlet for telling interesting stories with words and pictures? Keith Murphey, the founder of the Comicbook Artists Guild (otherwise known as CAG), along with a panel of members representing the East and West coasts, invites all aspiring creators to take part in an enlightening discussion of how CAG can unite talent together for projects of their choosing and how talented people like you can benefit from membership! Never been published? Need to find your own “voice”? Want to start a CAG chapter in your own hometown? Come find out how! Room 24A
Categories:  Comic Books | Seminars & Workshops

2:30-4:00 Dynamic Drawing Workshop— Renowned art teachers Jeff Watts and Erik M. Gist demonstrate the Watts Atelier Method of Drawing. They will share the skills that have allowed them to excel as professional artists. Watch as they demonstrate their fantastic skills and explain the essentials of working from the live model and its importance to every working artist. Jeff founded Watts Atelier of the Arts some 15 years ago in hopes of preserving the tradition of master artists of the past. Join Jeff and Erik as they share their thoughts on what it takes to train and perform at peak professional levels. Room 30CDE
Categories:  Art and Illustration | Seminars & Workshops

4:00-5:00 Polyfoam Workshop— Dennis Quon, creator of Polymorphism Art, and panel members Joshua Quon and Rozzie Quon demonstrate the process of creating polyfoam art. The panel’s focus will be on making a transparent body for a jellyfish and using other media incorporated into this project. The workshop includes a Q&A session. Room 30CDE
Categories:  Art and Illustration | Seminars & Workshops

5:00-6:00 PC Gamer and Maximum PC: How to Play a Better Game, Part 3— Will Smith, Editor-in-Chief of Maximum PC, Chuck Osborn, Senior Executive Editor of PC Gamer, Norman Chan, Contributing Editor of PC Gamer, and Mario Kroll, Director of Marketing for CDV, will host a discussion and Q&A session about real-time strategy games. Topics will include basic strategy, performance-enhancing tips, and genre- specific hardware upgrade recommendations, using CDV's and The History Channel's Great Battles of Rome as a demonstration tool. Room 30AB
Categories:  Gaming | Seminars & Workshops

5:00-6:00 The Shiflett Bros. and Friends Sculpting Panel— Industry sculptors Brandon and Jarrod Shiflett (Bowen Designs, Dynamic Forces, Toy Biz) are joined on stage by sculpting friends and heroes in this free-for-all discussion about the craft, process, and industry of comic book and fantasy sculpting. Room 30CDE
Categories:  Action Figures, Toys and Collectibles | Art and Illustration | Comic Books | Seminars & Workshops

6:00-7:00 Drawing the Line: The Untold Story of the Animation Unions from Bosko to Bart Simpson— Noted animation director and artist Tom Sito (Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Lion King), discusses the secrets behind the animation labor movement, from his new book, Drawing the Line. Room 4
Categories:  Animation | Seminars & Workshops

6:00-7:00 The Pitching Hour— Jermaine Turner (director, original series, Disney/ABC Cable Networks Group), Jill Stewart (manager, original series, Disney Channel Animation), Dan Evans (network exec, Digimon), Jeremy Love (VP, Gettosake Entertainment), Laurenn McCubbin (producer, Showtime's Rent Girl), and Jonas Agin (senior VP, Tom Lynch Company) will take an idea from conception through production. This process will include creating a pitch document, obtaining agents, and getting a pitch meeting. The panelists will explain, through hypothetical example and humorous stories, the process that new creator should adapt to make their way into the Hollywood creative battleground. Knowing that each project is unique, there will be a Q&A to allow the audience to really hone in on the solutions to obstacles they may encounter. Also on hand will be IP lawyer Brendan McFeely to give creators insight on protecting their ideas as they navigate Hollywood! Room 5AB
Categories:  Movies | Seminars & Workshops | Television

6:00-7:00 Create Your Own Comics and Manga— Learn how to create comics and manga on your computer. Manga Studio, the leading Manga and comic art software, provides all the essential tools you need to create professional, ready-to-publish pages from start to finish! Manga Studio offers an intuitive interface and delivers the best suite of ready-to-use screen tones, content, and special manga and comic effects for hobbyists, experienced artists, and professionals. Featuring Steve Yatson (VP of marketing, e frontier America Inc.) and Lincy Chan (manga artist, TOKYOPOP). Room 30AB
Categories:  Anime & Manga | Fandom | Seminars & Workshops

6:00-7:00 The Hero Initiative: I'm Supposed to Retire on This?!— When you're a professional in comics, you are in charge of your own destiny, including paying your taxes and funding your retirement. But how are you supposed to save any money when Uncle Sam takes it all? And if you do have any money left over, where do you put it—IRAs, SEPs, savings accounts or bank CDs, what's the difference? Harlan Wenig (independent financial advisor) and Joe Davidson (registered tax preparer) explore the financial aspects of being a comic book professional. Room 30CDE
Categories:  Animation | Art and Illustration | Comic Books | Seminars & Workshops

6:30-7:30 The Animation Production Process— What goes into bringing an animated script to screen? Producers Stephanie Graziano (X-Men: The Animated Series), Tad Stones (Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms), and Greg Weisman (Spectacular Spider- Man) take you behind the scenes and into the trenches. Moderated by Shannon Muir (Invader Zim), author of Gardner's Guide to Writing and Producing Animation from GGC, and currently project management coordinator at Animation World Network. Room 3
Categories:  Animation | Movies | Seminars & Workshops | Television

10:30-11:30 Kid’s Drawing Day Workshop: Basic Skills— To be a good cartoonist you must know the basic skills of cartooning. Whether you're drawing animals or people, facial expressions or body action, knowing these basic skills is a must. This session is designed to illustrate and assist young artists in applying these basic skills into their cartoon drawings. Gil McCue is a cartoon art teacher, NCS member, and author-illustrator of the book Cartooning—The Basic Skills, now available online. Room 30CDE
Categories:  Art and Illustration | Kids | Seminars & Workshops

11:30-12:30 Graphic Novels in Libraries— Get practical advice about graphic novels and anime in libraries! Programming, collection development, review resources, bibliographies, and more will be discussed by Jill Patterson (La Habra Branch Library), Merideth Jenson-Benjamin (Glendale Public Library), Kearsten LaBrozzi (Glendale Public Library), and Hillary W. Chang (McCully-Moiliili Public Library). Room 3
Categories:  Anime & Manga | Cartooning and Comic Strips | Comic Books | Seminars & Workshops

11:30-12:30 Kids’ Day Drawing Workshop: Kids’ Cartoon Studio— Watch as six fantastic kid-friendly cartoonists draw their hearts out, right in front of you! Scott Morse (Magic Pickle), George O’Connor (Journey into Mohawk Country), David Nakayama (Marvel Adventures Hulk), Amy Kim Ganter (Sorcerers and Secretaries), Ted Naifeh (Courtney Crumrin), and Nick Bertozzi (Houdini: The Handcuff King) will be showcasing a diversity of styles from manga to superheroes and everything in between. They’ll talk about their backgrounsd and then hit the drawing boards. Moderated by Janna Morishima, Diamond Kids Group. Room 30CDE
Categories:  Art and Illustration | Kids | Seminars & Workshops

12:30-1:30 Kids’ Day Drawing Workshop: You Can Draw Star Wars— Pack your pencil and come to class! The author and artists of You Can Draw Star Wars will show you how it’s done during Kids’ Day at Comic-Con. Bonnie Burton, author of You Can Draw Star Wars, is a prolific writer, particularly on all things Star Wars. As an online content developer at Lucasfilm, she has written a multitude of step-by-step drawing tutorials. Her first book, Never Threaten to Eat Your Co-Workers: Best of Blogs, is out now. Artist Tom Hodges has become a Star Wars fan favorite. Named one of wizarduniverse.com’s Top 5 to Watch in 2006, his work appears on the popular starwars.com Hyperspace webstrip series. Illustrator Matt Busch’s work can be seen regularly on official Star Wars projects, and his hilarious “How To Draw Star Wars” webisodes are quickly becoming fan favorites. Room 30CDE
Categories:  Art and Illustration | Kids | Seminars & Workshops

1:30-2:30 Kids’ Day Drawing Workshop: Kids Can Draw Cartoons— Kristian Sather (Jetsons) uses simple shapes to show kids how to create their own cartoon characters. All kids are welcome in this fun and interactive workshop! Room 30CDE
Categories:  Art and Illustration | Cartooning and Comic Strips | Kids | Seminars & Workshops

2:30-3:30 Kids’ Day Drawing Workshop: Basic Anatomy— Neko Press Art Studio's Billy Martinez, instructor and comic book artist with experience in the industry for over 14 years, will be teaching an introduction to dynamic anatomy. This class will teach basic anatomy and how to structure characters in action. Billy's approach to this class is comfortable for beginners as well as informative for more advanced artists. Room 30CDE
Categories:  Art and Illustration | Cartooning and Comic Strips | Comic Books | Kids | Seminars & Workshops

3:30-4:30 PC Gamer and Maximum PC: How to Play a Better Game, Part 4— Will Smith, Editor-in-Chief of Maximum PC, Chuck Osborn, Senior Executive Editor of PC Gamer, and Mario Kroll, Director of Marketing for CDV, will host a discussion and Q&A session about arcade/action games. Topics will include basic strategy, performance-enhancing tips, and genre-specific hardware upgrade recommendations, using CDV's Attack on Pearl Harbor as a demonstration tool. Room 30AB
Categories:  Gaming | Seminars & Workshops