“Comic-Con International: San Diego began in 1970 when a group of comics, movie, and science fiction fans — including the late Shel Dorf, Ken Krueger, and Richard Alf — banded together to put on the first comic book convention in southern California. Comic-Con started as a one-day ‘minicon,’ called San Diego’s Golden State Comic-Minicon, on March 21, 1970 at the U.S. Grant Hotel in downtown San Diego.”  (Comic-Con Int’l)

COMICS AT COMIC-CON

Comic-Con International, San Diego Comic-Con, Comic-Con, or whatever you and your friends call this iconic event, will mark a major milestone this year, celebrating 50 years! If you’re not familiar with the Con of all Cons, then you should know that there are tons of programming available for fans of all ages. For comic book fans, there are tons of comic publishers, artists, and other creators available on the floor to see all of their amazing works. Attendees can find a full list of Exhibitors here or even download the Exhibit Hall map to help guide you through each and every day.

In addition to seeing comic books up close and personal, attendees with a four-day or Friday pass will be able to attend the 2019 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards Ceremony. These awards are monumental in the world of comics, and its importance is best described by Craig Miller via Fanbase Press.

“…the Eisner Awards are arguably the most important, most lauded awards in the comics industry, bringing acclaim and attention to some of the best creators and publications in comics and graphic novels.  Not just the winners, either.  There’s enough prestige in the Eisner Awards that this is an award for which it truly is an honor to be nominated.”

CREATOR EXPERIENCES

What’s exciting for creators are the opportunities to network and build relationships with others in your prospective fields, specifically relating to comics and gaming. The Comic Creator Connection is essentially speed-dating for writers and artists to spend five minutes sharing ideas, experiences, and if you might be interested to follow-up in the future about projects. After the time runs out, creators get up and move to the next station with another writer or artist to chat with.

The Comic Creator Connection is scheduled for Thursday and Friday of San Diego Comic-Con from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the Santa Rosa Room at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina. If you’re interested in attending this event, although space is limited, you can email programs (at) comic-con (dot) org to sign up. Special note: “All participants in the Comic-Con Comic Creator Connection must have purchased a badge for the day on which they would like to participate.” For more information on this event, go to Comic-Con’s website.

Next, if you’re looking to get into the field of gaming, then you might want to check out the Gaming Creator Connection. This event provides game developers, experienced or not, to “receive valuable advice, insights, and mentoring from seasoned veterans of the game industry representing diverse professional backgrounds.” There are three categories to choose from for those interested in attending: Art/Design, Narrative, and Business.

Similar to the Comic Creator Connection, this event will allow participants to spend 15 to 20 minutes speaking with a mentor and then have the opportunity to move to another table in the same field of interest. Special note: “While we will likely have professionals with background in other areas beyond these three (e.g., programming, localization, etc.), we can’t guarantee their availability.” The Gaming Creator Connection will take place on Saturday from 1 PM to 3 PM in the Santa Rosa Room. If you’re interested in participating, email programs (at) comic-con (dot) org with specific details you can find on the event’s page.

What if you didn’t get a pass to San Diego Comic-Con this year? Well, apparently, the organizers behind Comic-Con have you covered. The Comic-Con International 2019 Art Show is available to those 18 years of age and older.

“The Comic-Con Art Show is open to the public … you do not need a badge to view or purchase artwork.” This is an amazing opportunity for art fans to discover various paintings, drawings, sculptures, or even jewelry. The Art Show is held Thursday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. If you’re interested in attending or hope to exhibit your artwork in the future, go to the Comic-Con Art Show webpage for more information.

OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD EVENTS

If you’re a geeky parent or your kids love Star Trek, then get ready for what should be a jam-packed house in Hall H on Saturday, July 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. This star-studded event will include “the cast and producers of Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Star Trek: Picard…for a first-ever Star Trek Universe back-to-back panel block.”

Sir Patrick Stewart will be in attendance, and yes, that will be an unbelievable opportunity for all Captain Picard fans, but that’s not all. There will be a special exhibit during Comic-Con called “The First Duty” which will display an assortment of props from Star Trek: The Next Generation, while also giving “exclusive first looks at costumes and other items featured in the upcoming series, Star Trek: Picard.” This exhibit will be at Michael J. Wolf Fine Arts and open Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on this or other special Star Trek events at this year’s Comic-Con, check out their website for more details.

Calling all Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fans! Marvel is bringing the cast and executive producers to Hall H on Thursday, July 18 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Explore Marvel’s website for other panels they’ll be presenting at San Diego Comic-Con 50.

BREAKING MOLDS AT COMIC-CON

Entertainment Weekly has Hall H on Saturday, July 20, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. for “Women Who Kick Ass.” Shohreh Aghdashloo, Freema Agyeman, Betty Gilpin, Ruby Rose, and Cobie Smulders will “open up about the power and privilege of playing women that redefine the rules and refuse to yield.” For parents hoping to share the importance of seeing women as equals in all fields, including the entertainment world, this panel seems like a great chance to hear from these actresses’ experiences.

Parents and their kids might want to head to the Marriot Marquis Grand 10 & 11 for “Raising Fankids: Teaching Young Geeks to be Self-Confident and Successful.” This event hosts teachers and students who will discuss “techniques and experiences that help kids grow up nerdy without the negative connotation.” This panel will be on Thursday from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Continuing to highlight women at Comic-Con International, head to “The Most Dangerous Women at Comic-Con: The Next Frontier.” This panel will go over “recent breakthroughs and look toward the future for women’s representation in the nerdy frontier.” This event will be in the Marriot Marquis Grand 12 & 13 on Thursday from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

COMIC-CON AT THE SAN DIEGO LIBRARY

The San Diego Library is hosting multiple events on each day of Comic-Con International that are FREE, which center around library, publisher, educator, or “geek-ed” panels. Thursday during Comic-Con week will see “Book Fights!” where librarians will debate various topics ranging from “Lord of the Rings vs. Game of Thrones” or “Marvel vs. DC.” This interactive panel will have the “audience decide who made the best argument for their picks.” This event is scheduled at the San Diego Central Library in the Shiley Special Events Suite from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Friday during Comic-Con International at the San Diego Library starts with a presentation on making comics acceptable to a wider audience. “Graphic Novels ARE Books: Changing Parent and Educator Opinions on Graphic Novels” takes a look at the comic book world and how “to make graphic novels as mainstream as prose novels.” This panel is from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Saturday also has a variety of panels and one of them includes “Conservation + Comics: Enhancing the Understanding of Science Through Art.” As seen in my own child’s school, STEM has become STEAM, which like this event incorporates “how art is an incredible tool to tell the story of science.” This event will include a demonstration and encourages audience participation, and runs from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

The final day of San Diego Comic-Con (on Sunday) includes a topic we should always try to be aware of for ourselves and our geeky kids. “GeekEd: Caring for the Nerd Mind” brings together a group of panelists, including mental health experts, to discuss a variety of topics that affect mental health and “new best practices for promoting mental health in schools and on campuses.” This event is being held from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Are you attending San Diego Comic-Con 2019? What are you most looking forward to seeing? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below, and don’t forget to keep tabs with us over on Facebook and Twitter for more coverage of this year’s Comic-Con!

Until next time, happy parenting and happy geeking.