Selected Events featured at the 2026 San Diego Comic Con
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The San Diego Comic Con opens today, July 22, and runs through Sunday, July 26. It is of course a major celebration of comic book creators, role-playing games, and information on new and upcoming Hollywood films and TV.
Here we highlight some of the other panels and events more in our baliwick.
Animation History with Jerry and Mark
Thursday July 23, 2026 10:00am – 11:00am PDT Room 9
This panel features two guys who know a lot about cartoons answering questions from the audience about cartoons. Jerry Beck is one of the foremost experts on animation history, and he even teaches classes about it. Mark Evanier has seen a lot of cartoons, written a lot of cartoons, and worked in the industry for 50 years. Bring your questions, and they’ll give you answers, maybe even the right ones.
Bud Plant: Fifty Years at the Center of Comics History
Thursday July 23, 2026 11:00am – 12:00pm PDT Room 4
Alex Grand (Understanding Superhero Comic Books) interviews Bud Plant (2026 Will Eisner Comic Awards Hall of Fame inductee; founder, Bud Plant Art Books) about his career, from the earliest comic book conventions and the birth of the direct market to independent comics such as Cerebus, Star Reach, and Elfquest. The discussion also covers Bud’s iconic catalogs, his lifelong passion for collecting comics and original art, and the sales of Comics & Comix in 1988 and Bud Plant Art Books in 2026.
Comics: Where Do We Draw the Line?
Thursday July 23, 2026 11:00am – 12:00pm PDT Omni San Diego Hotel, Omni Grand Ballroom DE, 4th Floor
What defines a comic? Disagreements are widespread and often controversial. Some feel the definition should be limited to “illustrated narratives on printed pages,” but where is the fun in that? Could comics also include The New Yorker covers and kid lit? Or medieval tapestries and Tarot cards? And what about the realms of graphic design, or even fine art? Three highly opinionated speakers who enjoy thinking outside the panel borders—Jim Thompson (founder, A People’s History of Comics), Michael Dooley (comics history professor, ArtCenter College of Design), and Rob Salkowitz (faculty member, University of Washington communication leadership graduate program)—mix it up onstage in a lively discussion, with Alonso Nuñez (executive director, Little Fish Comic Book Studio) serving as moderator and referee.
Good Grief! The Enduring Legacy of Peanuts, Snoopy, and Charles M. Schulz
Thursday July 23, 2026 1:00pm – 2:00pm PDT Room 9
An all-star panel of Peanuts experts, historians, and editors celebrates Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the enduring legacy of Charles M. Schulz’s beloved comic strip. Mark Evanier (The Essential Peanuts), Chip Kidd (Only What’s Necessary: Charles M. Schulz and the Art of Peanuts), and Charles Kochman (editor-in-chief of Abrams ComicArts) explore the past, present, and future of Peanuts, from classic comics and publishing projects to the characters’ lasting impact on popular culture, with video and images from the archives. Moderated by Alexis E. Fajardo (editorial director at the Charles M. Schulz Studio). Plus, be among the first to hear a special Peanuts announcement.
Finding the Funny in Six Panels or Less
Thursday July 23, 2026 1:30pm – 2:30pm PDT Room 24ABC
Is there anything better than a six-panel page? What about it lends itself so well to setting up a joke and landing a punchline? The funniest people in comics, Peter Bagge (Hate), Nathan Gelgud (No Concessions!), Mimi Pond (Do Admit: The Mitford Sisters and Me), Marc Torices (Cornelius), and Julia Wertz (Bury Me Already (It’s Nice Down Here)), talk with Heidi Macdonald about finding the funny everywhere they can.
The National Cartoonists Society Turns 80!
Thursday July 23, 2026 4:00pm – 5:00pm PDT Room 32AB
Karen Evans (Luann), Bill Morrison (Bongo Comics, Futurama), Tom Richmond (MAD magazine), Jeff Keane (The Family Circus), Steve McGarry (Biographic, Kidtown), current board member Lex Fajardo (Kid Beowulf), and Reuben Award winner Greg Evans (Luann) look back at 80 years of the National Cartoonists Society, how it started, what’s going on today, and what to look forward to in the future.
Thursday July 23, 2026 7:00pm – 8:00pm PDT Room 5AB
Making its 21st annual appearance at Comic-Con, esteemed animation historian Jerry Beck (CartoonResearch.com, MeTV Toons) and ASIFA-Hollywood once again present a selection of the most terribly written, ugliest drawn, and unintentionally funniest animated films ever made. Cartoons include con favorites Mighty Mr. Titan (the physical-fitness superhero in a form-fitting costume, a little too tight for comfort) and Chris Welkin (the worst sci-fi comic strip adaptation ever). All real. All horrifying. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
Fleischer Cartoons: Greatest Hits Vol. 1
Thursday July 23, 2026 7:00pm – 8:00pm PDT Room 28DE
Learn about the history and influence of the Fleischer Studios cartoons with Max Fleischer’s granddaughter, Jane Fleischer Reid who will showcase the new Blu-ray alongside producer Mauricio Alvarado. Betty Boop, Popeye, Superman, Koko the Clown, and more will be highlighted.
Trina Robbins: Comics Activist
Thursday July 23, 2026 7:30pm – 8:30pm PDT Room 10
Liz Schiller (Friends of Lulu), Sydney Heifler (comics historian), Eisner Hall of Fame inductee Lee Marrs (Wimmen’s Comix), Sister Vina Sinfurrs (Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence), and Barbara Randall Kesel (writer/editor) discuss benefit comics anthologies produced by Trina Robbins and her lifelong advocacy for equal rights for women and LGBTQ+ people. Moderated by Kim A. Munson (Conversations with Trina Robbins).
Friday July 24, 2026 12:30pm – 1:30pm PDT Room 10
It’s 75 percent of the crew that brings you the bumbling adventures of Groo the Wanderer, talking about what they do and why they do it. Stan Sakai talks about how he lettered this comic, and he may talk a little about the one-man show that is Usagi Yojimbo.Carrie Strachan discusses how she colors this comic. Mark Evanier explains whatever the heck he does on this comic to warrant his not being paid. And they may have to phone Groo creator Sergio Aragonés to clue Mark in
25 Years of Pearls Before Swine: Stephan Pastis and Bill Amend
Friday July 24, 2026 1:30pm – 2:30pm PDT Room 29CD
Stephan Pastis (Pearls Before Swine) sits down with fellow cartoonist Bill Amend (FoxTrot) to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his popular comic strip, Pearls Before Swine. The panel features a one-on-one interview and Q&A session.
Friday July 24, 2026 3:00pm – 4:00pm PDT Room 4
DC’s “new magazine of weird humor” went Plop! 50 years ago, but fans have never forgotten those Wolverton covers, the Sergio Aragones cartoons, the art of giants like Wrightson, Wood, Toth, and Ditko, and the genius of Joe Orlando. Plop! contributing writer/artist Lee Marrs (cartoonist, animator; 2026 Eisner Hall of Fame), Plop! editor Paul Levitz (former DC president), superfan Charles Kochman (editorial director, Abrams ComicArts), and moderator Jim Thompson (co-chair, Eisner Hall of Fame judges) share memories of Plop! and its creators.
What Now?! Comics Censorship in Schools and Libraries
Friday July 24, 2026 3:00pm – 4:00pm PDT Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Library
Comic books are under attack in schools and libraries across the country. This panel covers the latest threats, what is being done, what to know, and ways to help protect the freedom to read comics. Featuring Jeff Trexler (interim director, CBLDF), Gamal Hennessy (comic book attorney), Moni Barrette (comics librarian), and Mary Ellen Stout (lecturer, SDSU), with a surprise guest creator.
Friday July 24, 2026 3:30pm – 4:30pm PDT Room 10
Cartoonist Walt Kelly gave the world many great cartoons and characters, but the most enduring and beloved are the inhabitants of the Okefenokee Swamp—Pogo Possum, Albert the Alligator, Churchy LaFemme, and all the rest. Fantagraphics Books is now reprinting Pogo in its entirety, and Kelly’s work will be discussed on this panel by Maggie Thompson, writer Paul Dini, cartoonist Jeff Smith (Bone), Kelly archivist Jane Plunkett, and moderator Mark Evanier.
That’s, Like, Seriously Funny!
Friday July 24, 2026 4:00pm – 5:00pm PDT Room 28DE
Can the serious be turned into the seriously funny? Moderator Sina Grace jokes with Comic-Con special guests Huda Fahmy, Howard Mackie, Stephan Pastis, and Mimi Pond, along with Tom Toro, about the highs and lows of creating funny books.
Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards
Friday July 24, 2026 8:00pm – 11:00pm PDT Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
It’s the 38th annual Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards, the “Oscars” of the comics industry. Celebrity presenters will give out awards for 2025 works in 32 categories, from Best Continuing Series and Best Graphic Album–New to Best Writer and Best Publication for Kids. The ceremony is open to anyone with a four-day or Friday badge. A list of this year’s nominees can be found on the Comic-Con website, and many of these creators will be in attendance. Hosted by actor/voice actor Phil LaMarr (Futurama, Samurai Jack, Justice League) and film/TV writer, director, and actor Thomas Lennon (Reno 911, Night at the Museum, Balls of Fury).
Saturday July 25, 2026 1:00pm – 2:00pm PDT Room 11
Iconic director David Lynch is best known for his films and Twin Peaks, but he was also an accomplished artist, including in the comic arts. Comics creator Matt Haley (unpublished Twin Peaks season 3 graphic novel), author and former Los Angeles Reader editor Dan Barton, author and professor Michael Dooley, and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s Jeff Trexler discuss Lynch’s comics and cartoons, connections to comics in Lynch’s films, and Lynch’s influence on comics, manga, anime, and fandom. From The Angriest Dog in the World and the animated web series Dumbland to the quest for justice in a creative multiverse, the panel examines what can be learned from Lynch’s dreams.
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