In addition to covering the Comic and pop culture world, San Diego Comic Fest showcases other genres like horror and science fiction. So this year they celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. There will be several panels with a space theme, from scifi writers to scientists talking about the space program in the past and present and what we should look forward to in the future of space exploration. Just like years past, SDCF brings you legends of the comic and animation industry, like Mike Royer, Floyd Norman and this year’s Guest of Honor, Sergio Aragonés. This show is small enough that you might be lucky enough to chat with one of these legends just by hanging out in the lobby.

The San Diego Comic Fest is the friendly comic convention with a casual atmosphere and an intimate scale that allows fans to mingle directly with professionals and exhibitors. It’s the place where you can indulge your love of comics, science fiction, and films, and meet an outstanding array of professional creators without high-priced tickets, crowding, or long lines.

Dates

March 7th – 10th 2019

Hours

Friday 5pm-9pm
Saturday 10am – 7pm
Sunday 10am – 5pm

San Diego Comic Fest Social Media

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | Website

Artists

Whats a con without artists, so here are some of our favorite artists. Make sure to stop by Artist Alley and pick up a few comicbooks and/or art work.

Vince Alvendia – Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

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Rodney Anderson Jr | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

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Andi Dukleth | Instagram | Twitter

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The Art of Dominic Glover | Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

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Keithan Jones | Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

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Scott Lost | Instagram | Twitter

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Emily Rocha | Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

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AComicWorld Art by Ruben Rosas | Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

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Jamie Sullivan Illustration | Instagram| Twitter

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Aricson Tarasova | Instagram

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Panels

Friday, March 8

The 50th Anniversary of Jim Steranko’s Captain America: An Arlen Schumer VisuaLecture

11:30am – 1pm | Palm B

2019 marks the 50th Anniversary of writer/artist Jim Steranko’s Captain America trilogy that many still consider the greatest Captain America story ever told, for both its story and its art. The impact of Steranko’s three issues, a tour-de-force of the firebrand’s verbal and visual storytelling skills and talents that branded him the Jimi Hendrix of Comics during Steranko’s similar meteoric rise to fame in the late-’60s, is in converse proportion to their small number. Join comic book art historian Arlen Schumer (The Silver Age of Comic Book Art) as he revisits, and revels in, Steranko’s Captain America magnum opus.

Marvelmania: The 50th Anniversary

1pm – 2pm | Palm A

50 years have passed since Marvelmania International made its debut. The iconic fan magazine featured art from some of the comic industry’s biggest icons and resonated with the fans. However, there are many stories to be told about the rise and fall of the iconic fan magazine. Join Mark Evanier, Mike Royer and Arlen Schumer for Marvelmania: The 50th Anniversary.

Spider-Man: The Animated Series 25th Anniversary with Producer/Writer John Semper

2pm – 3pm | Montgomery

In 1994, Spider-Man: The Animated Series made its debut to audiences all over the world. The show was met with critical acclaim, an Annie Award nomination, a successful toy line and is still held in high regard among fans. Spider-Man producer and head writer John Semper leads the discussion with San Diego Comic Fest Chairman Matt Dunford.

TV Animation Classics

5pm – 6pm | Montgomery

Join Buzz Dixon (Thundarr, G.I. Joe, Transformers, Tiny Toons), Tony Benedict (The Jetsons, The Flintstones), Willie Ito (Beany and Cecil, Hanna-Barbera), and John Semper (Spider-Man: The Animated Series) as they talk about the classic animated TV series you know and love. With moderator TJ Shevlin.

Ditko: An Arlen Schumer VisuaLecture

7pm – 8:30pm | Montgomery

Hall of Fame comic book artist, writer and storyteller Steve Ditko passed away in 2018, after a 7-decade career that spanned multiple genres and publishers, creating or co-creating legacy characters like Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, and so many others. Author/designer Arlen Schumer (The Silver Age of Comic Book Art) presents an overview of Ditko’s career highlights in his new VisuaLecture.

Saturday, March 9

Spotlight on Sergio Aragones

12pm – 1pm | Montgomery

Sergio Aragones is a man who needs no introduction but we’ll give him one anyway. Few would argue with calling him the world’s greatest cartoonist, he has worked at Mad Magazine for nearly 60 years, he has won just about every major industry award, he is an amazing entertainer and storyteller. Join us for the spotlight panel for our Guest of Honor, Sergio Aragones.

True Origins of the Spider-Verse

1pm – 2pm | Lunar Cafe

Recently, the film Into the Spider-Verse took the world by storm. But fans of Spider-Man: The Animated Series may recognize a few key plot points here and there. Join Spider-Man producer and head writer John Semper as he takes us back through Spider Wars the final episodes of the series and how spawned the Spider-Verse.

Remembering Batton Lash

2pm – 3pm | Lunar Cafe

Batton Lash was a cartoonist that the comic book community adored. Sadly, he left this world too early, but his legacy endures. We invite all of you to hear stories from friends and collaborators as we celebrate the life of the late, great Batton Lash. Splashing Ink On Museum Walls: Comic Art on Display

Splashing Ink On Museum Walls: Comic Art on Display

3pm – 4pm | Palm B

Comic art and comics are finally being recognized as worthy of display in galleries and museums. What are the best ways to present it to the public? How are new facilities like the Comic-Con Museum approaching their mission of education and entertainment? What does it mean for artists and the medium? Join Comic-Con Museum Director Adam Smith, author/scholar Kim Munson, and award-winning artist Mark Schultz for a wide-ranging exploration of the issues, moderated by Rob Salkowitz (Forbes, Full Bleed).

Afro Futurism

5pm – 6pm | Palm B

The profile of Afro-futurism has risen sky-high with the advent of the landmark, internationally popular Black Panther film. Afro-futurist artist Jessi Jumanji will moderate a discussion of Afro-futurism in the arts and popular culture.

20 Years of IDW Publishing

6pm – 7pm | Montgomery

For the past 20 years, IDW Publishing has been San Diego’s local comic book publisher. Things have been shaking up with Chris Ryall rising to the rank of President, Publisher and Chief Creative Officer. There are some big things in the works so hear from the IDW crew about their past, present and future.

The 60th Anniversary of the Twilight Zone: An Arlen Schumer VisuaLecture

7pm – 8:30pm | Montgomery

Sunday, March 10

Usagi Yojimbo 35th Anniversary

10am – 11am | Montgomery

35 years ago, Usagi Yojimbo debuted in the pages of Albedo Anthropomorphics. Miyamoto Usagi went on to star in his own solo series, made cameos on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and featured in video games. The Ronin Rabbit has appeared in over 200 comics and won 5 Eisner Awards and shows no signs of slowing down. Join us for a chat with Stan Sakai as we look back on the history of Usagi Yojimbo.

Working on Disney Animation in the ’50s

10am – 11am | Palm B

When first hired to work on Disney animated films in the 1950s, Jane Baer, Willie Ito, and Floyd Norman were starry eyed kids and thus saw the studio in a different light thant Disney’s famed “Nine Old Men.” They were witness to a growing trends and big changes at Disney, with Disneyland on the drawing board, live features such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea being shot, and future plans being developed that expanded the scope of the studio. Join Jane, Willie, and Floyd as they talk about those magic days at Disney.

50 Years of Neal Adams’ Batman: An Arlen Schumer VisuaLecture

12pm – 1pm | Palm B

2019 marks the 50th Anniversary of Hall-of-Fame comic book artist Neal Adams beginning his four-year-plus stretch of stunning solo Batman stories that, following the damage done to the character by the campy TV series, rebooted Batman back to his original roots as a creature of the night, transforming the “Caped Crusader” into the “Dark Knight” we have known and loved ever since. Teamed with DC Comics writer Denny O’Neil and others, Adams’ dynamic draftsmanship and visual virtuosity birthed a body of Batman stories that many consider the definitive version of the 80-year-old character. Join comic book art historian Arlen Schumer (The Silver Age of Comic Book Art) as he revisits, and rejoices in, the fabulous first year of Adams’ historic Batman run.

SpaceX: Into Orbit, Back to the Moon, and On to Mars

12pm – 1pm | Palm C

Elon Musk has said he was influenced by Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series and views space exploration as an important step in preserving and expanding the consciousness of human life, and that multiplanetary life may serve as a hedge against threats to the survival of the human species. To those ends, Musk is said to have founded SpaceX in 2002 with the long-term goal of creating a true spacefaring civilization. The impressive progress that SpaceX has made since its founding includes becoming the largest private producer of rocket engines in the world, the holder of the record for the highest thrust-to-weight ratio for a rocket engine, the first privately funded liquid-fueled vehicle to put a satellite into Earth orbit, the first commercial company to launch and berth a vehicle to the International Space Station, landing, and advancing the prospects for lower-cost reusable rockets by recovering a rocket’s first stage on 16 missions in a row where a landing and recovery were attempted. Join our panelists as they take a look at SpaceX’s and Elon Musk’s plans for space exploration, development, and colonization.

What’s Wrong With Comics and How Can We Fix It?

2pm – 3pm | Lunar Cafe

We all love comics, but there is no denying that comics have seen better days. Even as superheroes top the box office sales of comics are down and stores are closing. Join our panel of experts as we ask, “What’s wrong with comics?”

How Toys Shaped Animation

3pm – 4pm | Palm B

Toys and cartoons are a match made in heaven. But there was a when toys shaped the animation industry. Buzz Dixon and John Semper are joined by some of San Diego’s biggest toy fanatics to chat about how toys influenced.

Accidental Aliens

4pm – 5pm | Palm A

A few years ago here at San Diego Comic Fest, a group of artists crossed paths at San Diego Comic Fest and united to create Accidental Aliens. Topics include how a drawing group can inspire artists to hit deadlines on top of real 9-5 day jobs, promotion of individual talents through a group social media campaign, working together to tackle the logistics of a successful Kickstarter campaign, promoting diversity, group networking, and how a drawing group can improve your skills as a comics artist while having fun making new friends in your very own creative tribe!

The Kaiju Panel

4pm – 5pm | Palm B

There is just something about a giant monster that remains an interesting concept no matter how many times you do it. From King Kong to Godzilla, Cloverfield and Pacific Rim we love big freaky looking monsters that can smash our cities to bits. Join Hiroshi Kanatani (Toho Studios Japan artist) and Chris Mowry (Godzilla: Rulers of the Earth, Toho North American Brand Manager) and moderator Beth Accomando (KPBS pop-culture reporter) for this monster of a panel.

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