We've seen the job title, but what does it mean? There are lots of answers. Join veteran editors BarbaraRandallKesel, SarahGaydos, ShannonEricDenton, and others for some of the many answers!
The Disney-ABC Creative Talent Development programs have launched the careers of many writers who have worked on some of your favorite shows, such as ABC's Forever, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Once Upon a Time. What makes these individuals perfect for the program and right for the room? Disney-ABC's Creative Talent Development team, current program participants, and alumni offer an engaging conversation about standing out, fitting in, and putting your best pitch forward.
Friday April 3, 2015 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Room 300DE
UPDATED: Fri, Mar 20, 04:48PM With the seemingly weekly advancements in technology, it has never been easier as a creator to get your works in front of an audience, and hopefully in a profitable way. But the rise of crowdfunding, digital publishing, and print-on-demand services means there are more potential pitfalls than ever to navigate your way through. And while it's true that with great (technological) power comes greater reward, it also gives rise to even greater risk, with thieves gaining an ever-expanding bag of tools to use in fleecing the unwary. Bottom line: You need somebody's help (and not just a little help from your friends). Luckily, Ms. Walters and Mr. Murdock aren't the only lawyers available to the superhero set, as WonderCon Anaheim welcomes back noted IP attorney MichaelLovitz, author of The Trademark and Copyright Book comic book, to discuss the truths and myths of protecting your intellectual capital. Attendees are invited to come together and join Lovitz in an interactive discussion about basic rights provided under U.S. copyright and trademark laws. Starting with the basics on the ownership and protection of ideas, the panel will also provide a brief overview of copyright and trademark rights, including for works of authorship, characters, and names, as well as the registration process for each, a brief discussion on why written agreements are good, and not all lawyers are bad. Along the way, there will be plenty to learn about the protections, and pitfalls, of the U.S. intellectual property 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.]
Can you be a star in 30 seconds? The biz won't give you much more than that. Elite Hollywood consultants will advise you on how to seize the spotlight with your optimal story, strategy, and style, along with live critiques of personal logline pitches from Disney ABC Talent Development folk! Wide Lantern's KenChoy and TV writer KayrethWilliams (producer's assistant, Community) host this panel with story consultant Jen Grisanti (instructor, NBC's Writers on the Verge), LeeJessup (career coach for screenwriters), script consultant DaraMarks (Inside Story: The Power of the Transformational Arc), and writer/producer Nelson Soler (Ravenwood).
Friday April 3, 2015 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
Room 300DE
Got a new comic, a new web series, a new novel, a new TV show or a movie? That's great, but pretty meaningless if you and your friends are the only ones who know about it. How do you get the word out? Facebook and a webpage like everyone else? What can you do to cut through the clutter and get your stuff actually seen, actually talked about, actually out there so people can see it, read it, watch it, and buy it? Experts who have been getting projects seen dating back to Star Wars, including MollyCelaschi (Malena Public Relations), JoeLeFavi (Quixotic Transmedia), CraigMiller (Star Wars, The Dark Crystal), and AmyRatcliffe (Nerdist, StarWars.com) will give you their thoughts and advice on how you can do it for your project.
Mark Evanier has been writing cartoons since they were actually drawn on paper. He has worked on many shows including, The Garfield Show, Garfield & Friends, Dungeons & Dragons, Mother Goose and Grimm, Scooby Doo, Thundarr the Barbarian, Richie Rich, Yogi Bear, Superman: The Animated Series, The Wuzzles, CBS Storybook, ABC Weekend Special, Plastic Man, and many more! If you've ever wanted to write for animation, Mark is the guy to tell you how to do it, and maybe even how to sell it.
Friday April 3, 2015 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
Room 300DE
Richard Hatch (Battlestar Galactica's Tom Zarek/Capt Apollo, Axanar, CowBoys and Engines) shares the secrets, art, and craft of succeeding in today's entertainment industry and taking your acting, auditioning, writing, and performing skills to the highest level imaginable. Q&A, improvisation, and scene work included.
WonderCon Anaheim will once again host the Comic Creator Connection, an event that puts writers and artists together to see whether they can find their creative counterparts. Here's how it works: in two 2-hour sessions - on Friday, April 3, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM and Sunday, April 5, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM - writers and artists can sit down and meet each other in a neutral environment. (Please note: This isn't an ordinary WonderCon Anahiem program. Preliminary sign-ups for the CCC took place online before WonderCon Anaheim. Since we are registering creators in advance they will get priority seating. Any seats that are still open once the event starts will be given on a first come first serve basis. To check and see if space is still available, visit Room 206B on the second level about 30 minutes prior to the start of each session.) Complete details are available on the Comic Creator Connection page on our website.
Friday April 3, 2015 7:00pm - 9:00pm 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 (Comic Book Resources), Alan Kistler (Comic Mix, Comic Book Resources), Glenn Hauman (Comic Mix), Francis Sky (First Comics News, Massacre Twins), Josh Waldrop (M1W Entertainment), 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 comics project.
Saturday April 4, 2015 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Room 209
Adam Greenfield (Making Comics Worldwide Gutter Talk) leads a panel that discusses the early stages of building a story for your comic. Panelists include Jason Brubaker (Sithrah, reMIND), Rachel Beck (Storyforge Productions), and Ted Washington (Puna Press).
Saturday April 4, 2015 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Room 211
Which side of the convention table do you want to be on: fan or professional? And what's keeping you from getting there? If you're having trouble starting or finishing your creative projects, you need to attend this fun and informative workshop, designed specifically for the WonderCon Anaheim crowd. Douglas Neff ( Epic Win! The Geek's Guide to the Journey from Fan to Creator)will give you simple and proven techniques for setting, working on, and achieving your goals. Whether you want to write your first novel, draw your own comic, or shoot your independent film, this is the how-to panel you don't want to miss. You'll walk away from this workshop with the energy and tools you need in order to bring your dream to life.
Saturday April 4, 2015 10:30am - 11:30am PDT
Room 213
Learn the down and dirty low-budget tricks on how to create your own stop-motion animation models and super fast and easy stop-motion sets and props. Find out where to get supplies, how to assemble the equipment you need, and what software to use to edit and composite your project. Featuring Larry Loc, animation educator and author of Stop Mo on a Shoe String, Animation on a Shoestring, and The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath stop-motion comic book series.
Saturday April 4, 2015 10:30am - 11:30am PDT
Room 208
Erika Rothberg (Loyola Marymount University) argues that "Prisoner on the Hell Planet: A Case History" in Maus helps bridge the gap between Artie and Vladek by exposing their shared trauma and survivor's guilt and requires the reader to witness and actively interpret trauma. Christine Zabala (Texas State University) analyzes the way genre and medium enable artists such as Oscar Wilde, Shaun Tan, and Neil Gaiman to use fairy tales and comic books to present controversial views on homosexuality, immigration, and AIDS without being rejected by the societies to which they react. Deanna Rodriguez (Texas State University) compares the attributes of Captain America in his first appearances and the conflicts he faces in Ed Brubaker's run to show how a WWII icon resonates with a post-911 culture and how the anxieties facing society today mirror those of post-war America.
Saturday April 4, 2015 10:30am - 12:00pm PDT
Room 210
Given the acclaim that Jill Lepore's The Secret History of Wonder Woman is receiving, the attention given to the new female Thor, a controversial Spider-Woman cover, and the burgeoning of the "Carol Corps" movement, the "super heroine" is back in the spotlight of academia and popular culture. Susan Kirtley (Portland State University), Nhora Lucía Serrano (Harvard University), and Andréa Gilroy (University of Oregon) present a roundtable exploration of representations and archetypes of the super heroine from early incarnations like Wonder Woman to the newest version of Batwoman (and beyond), in order to debate the kinship between reader expectation, popular culture, feminism, and cultural theory.
Saturday April 4, 2015 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Room 210
This panel goes into what it takes to perfect your cosplay by having great makeup. Topics include beauty makeup, appliance application, special FX makeup, sculpting, molding, casting, and wig styling. A talented panel of professional makeup artists-Dawnielle Banks (makeupbysiryn.com), Chrissy Lynn (nerdy-girlz.com), Ashley Troub (Ghost Hunters), Keaghlan Ashley (Face Off), and Alana Rose Schiro (Face Off), who have honed their craft in the makeup, film, television, and cosplay photography worlds-will answer your questions about makeup to match your costuming and cosplay. Turn your great cosplay into an amazing one with awesome makeup! Moderated by Mac Beauvais (official model for Victoria and Otto).
Writer's block?Artistic anemia? Get unstuck! Former DC, Dark Horse, and CrossGen writer/editor Barbara Randall Kesel (MLP:FIM FF) outlines strategies and tips for artists and writers facing a blank page with no ideas for what to write, draw, or how to get started.
Saturday April 4, 2015 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Room 209
Need tips on how to market your comic? Have questions about building relationships in the comics industry? Then this is the panel for you! Sit in on this mind-blowing roundtable discussion, revealing all the secrets of doing marketing and PR for comics, whether you're self-publishing or creating for a publisher. Join comiXology marketing and PR duo ChipMosher and Ivan Salazar, along with some of the comic industry's brightest marketing minds including Dirk Wood (IDW VP of marketing), Mel Caylo (BOOM! Studios marketing manager), and Jamal Igle (Molly Danger), for a wide-ranging discussion you won't want to miss!
Saturday April 4, 2015 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT
Room 208
VFX wizards behind the new film Cosplay Dreams 3D, renowned cosplay photographers and Photoshop artists, and special guest cosplayers show you how, using Adobe Photoshop and After Effects, you can add realistic laser beams, fireballs, glowing magical elements and sci-fi backgrounds that will bring your cosplay photography and videos to the next level.
Shelli and Braden lead an interactive workshop on making comics and share some highlights from their three-year tenure on the award-winning Adventure Time comic book series. The artists will answer questions about their careers and guide you through some fun drawing exercises. Bring a pencil, a pen, or just your curiosity!
Saturday April 4, 2015 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Room 207
Literary agent Holly Root (Waxman Leavell Literary Agency) teams up with film agent Brandy Rivers (ICM Partners) to take your questions and discuss the wild world of manuscript querying, the role of agents in the publication and film rights process, and more! No pitches, please.
Saturday April 4, 2015 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT
Room 208
Just getting into reading comics but not sure where to start? Some of the industry's top professionals impart their vast comics knowledge and personally recommend series just right for you! Join comiXology's marketing maven Chip Mosher, along with a panel of comics' best and brightest, including Sam Humphries (Black Vortex, Sacrifice) and Chris Rosa (BOOM! Studios assistant editor), as they become your guides through the awesome world of comics!
Saturday April 4, 2015 2:00pm - 3:00pm PDT
Room 207
A panel of costume designers, producers of the new film Cosplay Dreams 3D, professional cosplayers, and Hollywood creatives reveal to cosplayers what skills are in demand in today's film and TV industry. Learn how professional cosplayers are using their skills to forge a variety of career opportunities in the entertainment industry and how they are leveraging cosplay skills to meet industry contacts. Gain the knowledge that could elevate your hobby into a career!
Miranda Downey (event producer and partnership coordinator at SparkFun Electronics)will guide you through a beginner's way to integrate electronics into your cosplay and projects without soldering or wires. In this free workshop you'll hand-sew a working LED light circuit to take with you.
Saturday April 4, 2015 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Room 210
Although the First Amendment upholds freedom of speech as a basic right, censorship is rampant in the United States. CBLDF executive director Charles Brownstein and editorial director Betsy Gomez present an overview of the censorship crises that the CBLDF is facing, including attacks on summer reading, and the outbreak of bans on young adult books in libraries and schools across the country. Learn how comics and books are being challenged, and what you can do to fight back!
Saturday April 4, 2015 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Room 209
Benson Shum (Big Hero 6, Frozen),Trent Correy (Big Hero 6, Frozen) Hyun Min Lee (Big Hero 6, Feast),and Eric Goldberg (Aladdin, Winnie the Pooh) walk kids and adults through some of the key principles of animation. Bring your love of art and drawing. Supplies will be provided.
Saturday April 4, 2015 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
Room 210
Emilio Soltero, Ph.D. (John Buscema: A Life in Sketches; Draw the Line) presents a primer on drawing the figure for popular media, including drawing for comics and character design. The focus will be on anatomy and figure drawing. There will be time to draw as well. Professionals and beginners are welcome. Bring your drawing supplies to draw models/cosplayers during this interactive presentation. Come ready to take notes and to draw.
Saturday April 4, 2015 6:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Room 210
From "psychopathic" villains to asylums for the "criminally insane," mental health issues permeate television, film, and comics. But just how realistic are these depictions? What impact do these presentations have on audiences? Psychologist Andrea Letamendi (The Arkham Sessions) and writers Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Lost; The Middleman), Brenden Fletcher (Batgirl, Black Canary), Jody Houser (IDW's Orphan Black; Avengers: No More Bullying), Mairghread Scott (Windblade, Swords of Sorrow), and Zack Stentz (ACME, X-Men: First Class) discuss the importance of accuracy, inclusion, and the promotion of more psychologically dynamic characters in fiction. Moderated by Brian Ward (Shout! Factory).
Saturday April 4, 2015 6:30pm - 7:30pm PDT
Room 208
UPDATED: Tue, Mar 31, 12:33PM Convert kryptonite into your own personal strength with Pop Culture Anti-Bullying Coalition's powerful panel! The Flash and Law & Order star Jesse L. Martin and United Nations Association join this powerful panel, back by popular demand. Discussion includes geek, cyber, LGBT, and racial bullying, becoming a hero IRL, and analyzing how media and entertainment affect people's attitudes toward bullying and aggression. Learn strategies to end bullying from celebs and experts including Anthony Breznican (senior writer, Entertainment Weekly; author, Brutal Youth), Deric Hughes (supervising producer, Beauty and the Beast), Dr. Andrea Letamendi (The Arkham Sessions), Jenna Busch (founder, Legion of Leia), and Coalition founder Chase Masterson (The Flash, Star Trek: DS9).
Sunday April 5, 2015 10:30am - 11:30am PDT
Room 208
Have you ever said, "I want to write a book" or "what about writing a song?" Is it possible to do both? Aspiring writers will want to take part in this hands-on opportunity to ask questions and learn about what it takes to write a book and be a published author or write a song. Author, songwriter, touring music artist, and philanthropist James Morris (SkyBound, Surface), with an introduction by Maryelizabeth Hart (Mysterious Galaxy co-owner and reviewer for Publishers Weekly), will talk about his journey, experiences, and motivation and share valuable tips and organizational skills to help get you writing and see you through the process. He will also be discussing how he got from his idea to "the end" of a trilogy, his music, and how fiction and music writing influence and inspire each other. This workshop is perfect for all ages of writers and aspiring writers.
Sunday April 5, 2015 10:30am - 11:30am PDT
Room 210
WonderCon Anaheim will once again host the Comic Creator Connection, an event that puts writers and artists together to see whether they can find their creative counterparts. Here's how it works: in two 2-hour sessions - on Friday, April 3, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM and Sunday, April 5, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM - writers and artists can sit down and meet each other in a neutral environment. (Please note: This isn't an ordinary WonderCon Anahiem program. Preliminary sign-ups for the CCC took place online before WonderCon Anaheim. Since we are registering creators in advance they will get priority seating. Any seats that are still open once the event starts will be given on a first come first serve basis. To check and see if space is still available, visit Room 206B on the second level about 30 minutes prior to the start of each session.) Complete details are available on the Comic Creator Connection page on our website.
Sunday April 5, 2015 11:00am - 1:00pm PDT
Room 206B
Comics are more than just great entertainment; they are an incredible tool for learning! Babymouse and Squish co-creator Jennifer L. Holm and CBLDF editorial director Betsy Gomez present a lively workshop demonstrating how comics can be used to teach important lessons about the real world and unlock the creative potential of students in the classroom. Learn how comics empower students to feel, access, and comprehend historical and cultural events, more fully understand diverse figures in history and fiction, and even grasp concepts in science and math. Then, see suggested sample templates for having kids create their own comics as a means of teaching them how to defuse personal issues and master alternate means of communication. There will be lesson and reading suggestion handouts and time for a Q&A.
Sunday April 5, 2015 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Room 211
It's been about a year since WonderCon Anaheim special guest Tom King (Grayson, Omega Men, Teen Titans, A Once Crowded Sky) was hired for his first mainstream writing gig with DC Comics. Please join Mr. King as he presents a rookie's perspective on the modern comic book industry. Topics will include breaking into comics, practical writing tips, working with artists and editors, constructing pitches, and, of course, the cool absurdity of being a comics superfan (and former CIA counter-terrorism officer) working full time making funny books.
Sunday April 5, 2015 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT
Room 208
How is the study of sequential art explaining the mechanisms that make comics work? Do readers of American comics and Japanese manga use their brains differently? Do comic books naturally create a sense of community among readers in ways text-only books cannot? Do Jack Kirby's machines engage readers in ways they never knew? Neil Cohn (University of California, San Diego), Mathieu Li-Goyette (Université de Montréal), and T. Keith Edmunds (Brandon University) look into the brain, across the real world, and throughout many fictional worlds to examine how comics work for the creators they come from and the readers who consume them.
Sunday April 5, 2015 12:30pm - 2:00pm PDT
Room 210
UPDATED: Thu, Apr 02, 09:24AM With Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel finally set to hit the big screen, female superheroes are on everyone's mind. What do creators and fans want out of a powerful female protagonist? How do we pay tribute to the heroines of the past while still looking toward the future? What's the difference between writing established heroines and creating your own, and how can we best position and support these characters to usher in a whole new era of totally badass superheroines? A dynamic group of writers, editors, and expert commentators discuss the challenges of building modern heroines in a variety of mediums. With Cecil Castellucci (Stone in the Sky), Sarah Kuhn (Heroine Complex), Andrea Letamendi (psychologist, Arkham Sessions ), Jose Molina (Agent Carter), and Babs Tarr (Batgirl). Moderated by Amy Ratcliffe (StarWars.com).
We've come a long way from watching Bugs Bunny running around in a dress and planting a kiss on Elmer Fudd. Join Prism Comics for a panel discussing works of animation that tackle same gender attraction and gender identity exploration, such as The Legend of Korra, Bob's Burgers, Archer, Paranorman, and others. Moderated by P. Kristen Enos (Web of Lives, Prism Comics board member), the panelists include Diane Anderson-Minshall (The Advocate, Queerly Beloved), Lyn Jensen (lynjensen.blogspot.com; Manga, Music, and Politics), Matt Kane (GLAAD), Emily Quinn (Adventure Time, Faking It), and Bradley C. Rader (Bob's Burgers, Todd McFarlane's Spawn).
Hey, Kids! It's time to get happy, have fun, and be funny! Kristian Andrew Sather (Cartoon Design Revealed) returns to WonderCon Anaheim with his popular cartooning workshop. Kristian will demonstrate the techniques used in drawing fun cartoon characters. Learn how to draw your own funny cartoon characters using basic geometric shapes and more.
Knowing the basics of group dynamics, forming, and then working with a group without mortally wounding each other is the difference between success or failure of your projects, and possibly friendships too. No matter which industry (comics, illustration, TV/movies/webseries, webcomics, design, animation, costuming/cosplay, blogging), "breaking in" has never been a more apt term than in today's media. It's a full-time job and you only have part-time hours to accomplish it. This panel covers a wide array of organizational subjects, with a diverse panel who can speak to a variety of topics specific to your projects: Topher Davila (art director GeekdomWear.com), Sean Glumace (Adobe education leader), Heather Joseph-Witham, Ph.D. (Mythbusters and various TV), Ron Coleman,Ph.D. (molecular geneticist), Jonelle Davila (creative director, TheGeekGirlProject.com), Gene Turnbow (general manager, KryptonRadio.com), Mario Martinez (co-creator, TomatoTV), and Brendon Creecy (podcaster). They'll provide a mix of speaking, Q&A, and short interactive applications that directly apply the topics covered. Also, because it is tax season, Jun Watanabe (Enrolled Agent) will share some must-know tax tips relevant to personal projects and business. As an added bonus to help get your creative work life, the panel will give away a one-year subscription to Adobe's Creative Cloud.
The Winner Twins, multiple award-winning and national bestselling sci-fi authors, script writers, and producers, teach you how to create your own novel step by step, from building your universe, to overcoming writer's block, to the different paths to publishing. The twins have written four science fiction novels and have taught their unique award-winning creative writing method to hundreds of thousands of convention attendees, teachers, and students across the country. The Winner Twins, along with Steven-Elliot Altman (bestselling author of Deprivers, game writer of 9Dragons and Pearl's Peril) and Richard Hatch (Captain Apollo/Tom Zarek of Battlestar Galactica, author of the bestselling Battlestar Galactica book series), will teach you how to craft your story idea into a marketable novel, television series, or film property.