Thursday, July 25:
10:00am: The Creator's Symposium. Annual panel spotlighting work by marginalized creators, with tips on how to break through. Room 23ABCD
10:30am: How to Get News Coverage. Indie creators and journalists, including yours truly, share tips on getting press for comics projects. Room 10
10:30am and throughout the Con: Comic Book Law School. Long-running ABA-certified program track discusses key legal issues for creators. Room 11
11:00am: So, You Want to Start a Podcast. Nuts and bolts for aspiring audio storytellers. San Diego Central Library.
11:00am: The Craft of Comics. Veteran creators share tips on taking a comic from idea to reality. Room 5AB.
11:30am: Paul Levitz and the Business Secrets. I grill longtime DC President/Publisher Paul Levitz on the highs and lows of his business career. Room 10.
11:30am: Marketing Movies and Writing Cartoons. Hollywood veteran Craig Miller shares stories about his career marketing genre films. Room 7AB.
1:00pm: Comics IP Q&A: The first of several CBLDF-sponsored panels on emerging legal issues and threats. Me again, sorry. Room 11.
1:00pm: Tabletop Actual Plays: Exploring the Success of Digital RPG Streams. Inside the fast-growing trend on social media and how they are affecting the tabletop industry. Room 32AB.
1:30pm: Comics Serving Communities Through Education. Diverse group of creators and experts on social benefits of comics, likely of interest to educators and librarians. Room 10.
2:00pm: From comiXology to DSTLRY and Beyond: Chip Mosher and David Steinberger. Always worth hearing from two of the best business minds in the industry. Room 29AB.
3:30pm: PW Book Buzz. Editors from top indie graphic novel publishers discuss upcoming releases and getting share in a competitive market. Room 24ABC.
4:00pm: Spotlight on Mike Friedrich. A chance to hear from one of the key figures in the rise of independent publishing, the direct market and creator ownership, interviewed by Paul Levitz. Room 4.
4:00pm: The License Made Me Do It. Creators share stories of working on licensed properties and how it affects storytelling. Room 7AB.
4:30pm: The Beat at 20: Creators on the Past and Future of Comics. Heidi MacDonald in conversation with Raina Telgemeier, Scott McCloud and Scott Snyder. 'Nuff said. Room 24ABC.
5:00pm: Manga Publishing Industry Roundtable. Top manga publishers discuss market trends and opportunities, 'splained by Deb Aoki. Room 29AB.
5:00pm: Your Origin Story: Starting and Growing a Pop Culture Business. Business-focused discussion on the practicalities of startups, from finance to strategy. Room 9.
5:00pm: I'm in the Nerd Business. Popular creators discuss how to turn creativity into a personal brand and sustainable business. Marriott Rooms 10-11.
Friday, July 26:
11:15am: Hollywood and Comics Collide. Creators and producers discuss the opportunities and pitfalls of working with media adaptations. Room 6DE.
1:00pm: Comics Catalog: A History of Comics in Libraries. Must-see panel for librarians on the ins-and-outs of getting graphic novels on the shelves. San Diego Public Library.
1:00pm: Defending Comics Today with the CBLDF. Regrettably necessary panel on strategies for maintaining access to comics and graphic novels in the face of censorship. Room 11.
3:00pm: Developing Future Talent for Careers in Entertainment. Rare HR-focused panel looks at new pathways into creative professions. San Diego Public Library.
4:00pm: Finance for Creatives. Like it says: taxes, bookkeeping and all the bean counting details. Marriott Marquis Rooms 12-13.
6:00pm: Crowdfund Projects Like a Pro. Tips on getting your project up, funded, produced and out the door. Room 9.
8:00pm: The Will Eisner Industry Awards. Come root for your favorites, and if you make it through the ceremony, celebrate at the industry’s best insider afterparty.
Saturday, July 27:
10:00am: Comic Creator Connection All-Stars. Long running networking event for industry pros and aspiring creators. Room 29AB.
11:30am: Adapting Popular Franchises to Animation. Useful tips from producers and industry insiders. Room 5AB.
11:30am: Digital Comics and the Fandom Multiverse: 10 Years of WEBTOON U.S. Top Webtoon execs and creators talk about the platform’s trajectory and future, moderated by moi. Room 24AB.
11:30am: Making the Grade: Structuring Your Education for a Job in the Industry. Advice for aspiring creative professionals on the skills and training needed to break in. Room 29CD.
Noon: Contracts, Creators and Protecting Legal Rights. Creators talk about how to read the fine print and not get screwed. Room 11.
12:30pm: Generative AI and Comics: Threats and Possible Solutions. Academics at the Comics Arts Conference discuss the most important technology issue facing the creative economy. Room 26AB.
1:00pm: Hands On: Developing the Skills and Finding the Right Jobs in Pop Culture. Academics discuss how to prepare students for creative jobs today and tomorrow. Me again. I know, right? San Diego Public Library.
1:30pm: Mad Cave's Industry Shaking Comics Secret Revealed. I mean, it's industry shaking. Don't you want to hear it? Room 29ABC.
2:00pm. The Comic Creators Guide to Hollywood. Tough town, that Hollywood. Industry insiders discuss winning strategies for navigating the biz. Room 28DE.
3:00pm: Tales from the Toy Industry: Navigating the World of Licensed IP. How to work with toy manufacturers and turn your IP into the world’s playthings. Marriot Marquis Rooms 12/13.
4:00pm: AI in Entertainment: The Threat to Performers, Writers and Artists. Voice actors talk about the issues of being replaced by robots. Omni Grand Ballroom.
4:00pm: Modern Fanatic: Crowdfandom – the Future of Pop Culture in the Hands of Fans. Key Kickstarter and Zoop execs share the spotlight on producing and promoting original projects.
5:00pm: Traditional vs. Self Publishing Today. Great lineup of industry experts discuss the ins-and-outs of different publishing models. Marriot Marquis Rooms 10/11.
Sunday, July 28:
10:30am: What Are Comic Book Editors Looking For? Top editors discuss their craft, with tips for professionals and aspiring creators. Room 29CD.
11:00am: Face-to-Face Sales 101: Convention Strategies. How to sell more stuff at Cons. On Sunday morning. File under "now they tell me!" Marriott Marquis Rooms 12/13.
3:30pm: Comic-Con Talk Back. Annual public sighting of the great and mighty organizers of SDCC, answering questions and complaints from attendees. Room 25AB.
Invaluable research assistance for this column provided by Cola Wang, one of several superstars from my University of Washington Visual Narrative and Transmedia class who will be at SDCC. If you see any of them, hire them on the spot; you won't be sorry!
Safe travels everyone. I look forward to seeing you at, or in between, my ridiculous schedule of panels.
The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.
Rob Salkowitz is the author of Comic-Con and the Business of Pop Culture and a two-time Eisner-Award nominee.