CCEL Spotlights Comics for Teachers and Librarians
Started in 2015 and renamed in 2017 as the Comic-Con Conference for Educators and Librarians, the CCEL brings together publishers, educators, librarians, creators, and many others to teach how comics, education, and libraries can come together to support learning and personal growth.
The CCEL kicked off Comic-Con Wednesday and yesterday with a wide range of programs and ends with a bang on Sunday, where secondary education takes center stage. CCEL programming covers topics ranging from how to use tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons to help students adjust to campus life to easing academic stress with comics, and many other topics from the library itself, publishers, and educators. This year’s highlights include the following:
- In Comic Making for Kids and Teachers, Craig Knitt (creative arts specialist at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Bay and Lakes Region) and Michael Norton Dando (professor of communication arts at St. Cloud State University) explore the comic-making process. In this hands-on workshop, young creators will learn to express their unique voices through storytelling and illustration, while educators will discover practical ways to inspire students in the classroom (Today, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm).
- If you’re still around on Sunday, higher education also engages with comics and popular culture in GeekEd: Mr. Stark, I Don’t Feel So Good (Sunday, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm), where attendees will learn from moderator Dr. Alfred Day (UC Berkeley), with Alison Cares (University of Central Florida), Emilie Mitchell (UC Berkeley), Jaylen Christie (University of Central Florida), and Sabrina Van Zuiden (UC Berkeley), about how narratives in popular culture deal with trauma, and how these narratives can be a tool for educators to reach vulnerable students as they pursue their education.
A full schedule of exciting panels can be found on the website/app as well as the San Diego Public Library’s homepage.
All CCEL programs are held in the Shirley Special Events Suite, located on the 9th floor of the San Diego Central Library, 330 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101. The programs are open to the general public, with no Comic-Con badge required to attend. However, seating is limited, so attendance is first come, first served. Comic-Con is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation and is proud to support educators and librarians with the CCEL.
Autographs
P.O.W.E.R. Drawings
Think you missed your shot? In true superhero spirit, the P.O.W.E.R. (Previously Offered Wristbands: Extra Redemption) Drawing gives attendees one last shot at scoring an Exclusive Signing Portal wristband!
Did you miss out on an Exclusive Signing (ES) that was in the Comic-Con 2025 Exclusives Portal? Sixty (60) minutes before the start of an ES Portal signing, a special drawing may be held in the Autograph Area for any unclaimed wristbands, if available. This is your chance to swoop in and claim a spot that was previously awarded but not redeemed.
The Autograph Area online schedule will list the P.O.W.E.R. Drawing lineup time and location, as well as the drawing time for each ES Portal signing. If there are no unclaimed wristbands, there will be no drawing. The drawing will follow the Autograph Area Line Drawing procedure, so be sure you’re familiar with how it works (see page 74 of the Events Quick Guide).
Like any good origin story, this might be your unexpected opportunity to become a part of something epic. Good luck.
Potential P.O.W.E.R. drawings and times for today are as follows:
- Special SDCC Autograph Signing with Felicia Day (10 am drawing)
- Todd McFarlane Exclusive Comic-Con Signing Session (10:30 am drawing)
- The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (10:30 am drawing)
- Spooktacular Signing: Meet the Ghouls Behind the Design (11 am drawing)
- DC All In Talent Signing (11 am drawing)
- Adam Cesare, author (Clown in a Cornfield) Exclusive Signing (11:30 am drawing)
- Outlander and Outlander: Blood of my Blood Autograph Signing with Cast and Creators (12 pm drawing )
- Bryan Lee O’Malley – Scott Pilgrim, Lost at Sea, Seconds, and Snotgirl (12 pm drawing)
- Phineas and Ferb Photo Moment and Meet andGreet (12:15 pm drawing)
- Jim Lee and Jeph Loeb Signing (2 pm drawing)
- Alien: Earth Signing (2 pm drawing)
- Primitive War Talent Signing – Ryan Kwanten, Jeremy Piven, Tricia Helfer, Nick Weschler, and director Luke Sprake (2:30 pm drawing)
- Tom King, Bilquis Evely, and Matheus Lopes Signing (3 pm drawing)
- Forging Eternia: Masters of the Universe Design Panel (3:15 pm drawing)
- Solar Opposites Signing (3:30 pm drawing)
- King of the Hill Signing (4:45 pm drawing)
Toucan Tip Friday
Forget Something?
Take a look at the Downtown San Diego Essential Services on p. 6 of the Events Quick Guide for a listing of grocery stores, drug stores, copies, etc.
Note: The address for Blick under Art Supplies is incorrect. They moved to 3633 Midway Dr, San Diego, CA 92110 (no longer walking distance but at least, they have lots of parking now).
Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards Tonight
The 37th annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards ceremony will be held tonight at 8:00 pm in the Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel. Attendance at the event is free to all Comic-Con members. Be sure to bring your convention badge to be admitted—and your I.D. if you wish to purchase alcoholic beverages. Considered the “Oscars” of the comic book industry, the Eisner Awards will be given out in 32 categories for works published in 2024. Hosting the ceremony this year are voice actor Phil LaMarr (Futurama, Samurai Jack, Justice League) and comics artist/writer/editor Bill Morrison (The Simpsons, Futurama) with presenters including Hollywood celebrities as well as comics and animation legends. For complete details, see the website/app.
Comic-Con Merchandise
This year, there are four ways to pick up those must-have Comic-Con items:
- Comic-Con Merch Store:
- Comic-Con Merch Shop (online): Our Comic-Con Merch Shop also has a wide selection of all the newest Comic-Con– and Comic-Con Museum–branded products available at https://www.comic-con.shop/.
- Comic-Con Museum Shop: Merch hunters can stop by the Comic-Con Museum to find unique items for sale that you won’t find in our Merch Store or the online Merch Shop. The Museum is in the Federal Building in the Palisades area of Balboa Park, at 2131 Pan American Plaza.
- Hudson News (at San Diego Airport): A limited number of selected items are available at Hudson News at the airport, so attendees flying home will have an extra chance to snag Comic-Con merch for friends and family.
Grids
Corrections
In the Events Quick Guide Programming Grid, page 55, the times for the Collider Ladies Night with Perri Nemiroff panel are incorrect as printed. The correct time is 5:45 pm – 6:45 pm in Room 6BCF.
The address printed on page 6 of the Events Quick Guide for Blick under Art Supplies is incorrect. They moved to 3633 Midway Dr, San Diego, CA 92110 (no longer walking distance but at least they have lots of parking now).
Comic-Con Gallery
Matilda Lutz signs autographs as the new Red Sonja film.
A view from the top of the Abbott Wheel…
I got all my swag… Now it’s clobberin’ time!
The incomparable, always engaging Jim Lee.
One mug to rule them all.
Are we sure we wanna let this guy in?
Wicked Piccolo.
An aspiring artist anxiously awaits review…
Live long and Comic-Con
Cat jousting – What will they come up with next?
(Doctor) Who are you? We gotta get these guys out to the Comic-Con Museum.
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All content is the property of Comic-Con® International © 2025.
Photographer credits are indicated below. All photos are © 2025 SDCC.
Comic-Con Today
Editor-in-Chief – Chris Sturhann
Editor/Photographers: Justin Hurt Christopher Machado
Editor/Writer – Carly Neun