Breathe a sigh of relief, you have made it to Sunday.
Panels can be easier to get into because some people leave the Con early, the vibe is just a little chiller. Anyone who partied Saturday night may not be getting up early to line up for anything — and the post-Con blues are starting to creep in as everyone realizes it’s the last day! Sob!
To help you navigate the final and still probably hundreds of hours of programming, I’ve organized my recommendations by category, making it easier to find panels that match your interests.
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⭐ Starred panels are my personal — and sometimes eccentric — favorites. I have also included a broader list of panels in comics, books and education; fandom (everything from cosplay to building a droid or collecting toys); film and TV; and gaming. I have tried to include as diverse a sampling as possible, from Hall H blockbuster celebrity panels to smaller hands-on, interactive sessions.
Comic-Con is a nonprofit “dedicated to creating the general public’s awareness of and appreciation for comics and related popular art forms,” while celebrating their “historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture.” It also works hard to highlight diversity in its programming and on the exhibit floor, where attendees can search for exhibitors by BIPOC and LGBTQ+ categories.
Comics, books and education
Rob Reger
⭐Emily the Strange Panel Experience
What: Rob Reger, creator of Emily the Strange, celebrates the 25th anniversary of the first-ever published book, “Emily the Strange” (Chronicle Books).
Why: Who says I don’t like girlie things? I love Emily’s Goth, weird, anti-social attitude and Reger’s clever artwork. “Beware. Be very aware!”
When: 10-11 a.m.
Where: Room 32AB
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Manga Tutorials for Kids
10-11 a.m.
Room 11
Minicomics and the History of Tiny Books
10-11 a.m.
Omni San Diego Hotel, Omni Grand Ballroom DE, 4th Floor
⭐Race, Gender, and the Comic Book Medium
What: Women in Comics Collective International (WinC, pronounced “wink”) highlights marginalized voices, especially those of women and queer folks of color working in the comics and multimedia industry.
Why: The group received the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award. WinC is a great group, and its panels are worth checking out.
When: 10-11 a.m.
Where: Room 29CD
Spotlight on David Gerrold
10-11 a.m.
Room 28DE
Jackie Estrada
⭐The Annual Jack Kirby Tribute Panel
What: This is the annual panel about Comic-Con’s first superstar guest, the man they still call “The King of Comics,” Jack Kirby. This year’s panelists include Mike Royer (Kirby’s favorite inker), Jack’s grandkids Tracy Kirby and Jeremy Kirby, Roy Schwartz (who spearheaded the recent renaming of a New York intersection as Jack Kirby Way), with former Kirby assistant Mark Evanier moderating.
Why: Because Jack Kirby is king (the good kind).
When: 10-11:15 a.m.
Where: Room 5AB
⭐Comics Arts Conference Session #13: Capes, Curls, and Culture: Black Women in Comics
What: Bringing together Black women scholars and creatives from a range of backgrounds to explore the representation of Black women in comics.
Why: Because it’s a worthwhile discussion, especially right now.
When: 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Where: Room 26AB
What: Prism Comics hosts a discussion about the contributions of queer people of color to comic books and graphic novels and ways of creating a more inclusive queer geek community.
Why: Prism Comics hosts excellent panels, and again we’re at a time when a more inclusive community of any kind feels vital.
When: 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Where: Room 10
⭐Conspiracy Theories and Propaganda Throughout Pop Culture
What: J. D. Lombardi (producer/writer, YouTube’s “Down 2a Science”; middle-school science teacher, Glendale Unified) hosts a panel that traces propaganda used by characters throughout comics and films and demonstrates how it correlates with the current climate of misinformation. The panel includes a Q&A.
Why: Anything that tackles questions about our current climate of misinformation seems important.
When: 11 a.m. to noon
Where: Omni San Diego Hotel, Omni Grand Ballroom DE, 4th Floor
Harvey Pekar
⭐Harvey Pekar’s American Splendor at 50
What: Harvey Pekar created “American Splendor,” which debuted 50 years and it inspired a surge in memoir comics.
Why: “American Splendor” is a seminal work and deserves to be celebrated and revisited.
When: 11 a.m. to noon
Where: Room 4
⭐Katsuya Terada, Manga Legend Live Draw Session
What: Manga legend Katsuya Terada draws live and fields questions.
Why: Support panels with international artists, and this one is moderated by Eric Nakamura of “Giant Robot,” a champion of pop culture.
When: 11 a.m. to noon
Where: Room 11
The Art of Graphic Novels, for All Ages
11 a.m. to noon
Room 24ABC
⭐The Paleontology of Pokémon
What: Reysuka (the cosplaying paleontologist, Ph.D.) shares her expertise in the dinosaur science behind Pokémon.
Why: Because it sounds like a fun way to celebrate Pokémon turning 30!
When:11 a.m. to noon
Where: Neil Morgan Auditorium, San Diego Central Library
Want to Be a Toy Designer?
11 a.m. to noon
Room 3
CCI-IFF Awards Presentation
11 a.m. to noon
Grand 6, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
Art Is Super!
11 a.m. to noon
Room 29AB
Special Guests: Javier Fernández, Belén Ortega, Scott Williams, Denys Cowan, Mark Waid
Marvel
⭐Steve Ditko: His “Amazing” Career
What: This panel looks back at Steve Ditko’s 65-year career beyond Spider-Man and Doctor Strange.
Why: The stellar panel includes Bob Burden (Eisner Award winner), Michael E. Uslan (executive producer of the Batman movie franchise), Frank Miller, Mark S. Ditko (Steve Ditko’s nephew), Joanna ‘Ditko’ Opela and moderator Lenny Schwartz (writer, “Ditko: The Play”). It’s a career well worth celebrating.
When: 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Where: Room 5AB
Comics Arts Conference Session #14: Enforcing and Challenging Codes of Gender and Sexuality
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Room 26AB
35 Years of Sailor Moon: Magical Girl Fandom Appreciation
11:45 a.m. ti 12:45 p.m.
Room 6BCF
Autism in Comic Books
Noon to 1 p.m.
Grand 10 & 11, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
Dark Horse Comics: 40 Years of Comics Nerds
Noon to 1 p.m.
Room 7AB
Spotlight on Mark Waid
Noon to 1 p.m.
Room 29AB
⭐Ask an Astronaut: Q&A with NASA Astronaut (and Everest Climber) Scott Parazynski
What: Scott E. Parazynski is a physician, NASA astronaut and explorer.
Why: How often do you get to ask questions of a NASA astronaut???
When:12:15-1:15 p.m.
Where:Room 5AB
Spotlight on Jeff Smith
12:30-1:30 p.m.
Room 25ABC
Spotlight on Steven Butler
12:30-1:30 p.m.
Room 10
What: This panel argues that lost-world settings are not simply adventure conventions but contested narrative structures through which creators negotiate sovereignty, historical memory and civic authority.
Why: Stanford W. Carpenter (Comicpalooza University), Kevin Garcia (The Liberal Arts and Science Academy) and Michael Dando (St. Cloud State University) provide an ace analysis team for a fascinating topic.
When:1-2 p.m.
Where:Room 26AB
How Pokémon Captured Our Hearts for 30 Years
1-2 p.m.
Room 6BCF
Abrams Megascope
⭐Megascope: Celebrating Five Years
What: John Jennings (founder and director, Megascope), Tananarive Due (writer, “The Keeper”), A. Fox Harrell (editorial board, Megascope) and Michael Dando (editorial board, Megascope) discuss Megascope, a graphic novel line curated by Jennings dedicated to amplifying speculative and nonfiction stories by and about people of color.
Why: A panel with Jennings and Due is just a must-attend, and Megascope has published exceptional work.
When: 1-2 p.m.
Where: Room 4
⭐Tales of Saucer Country and Beyond: The High Strangeness of UFOs and UAPs in Comics
What: Moderator Barbra Dillon is joined by Saucer Country EP and publisher Chris Ryall (“Groom Lake”) and fellow Forteans Paul Cornell (“Who Killed Nessie?”), Chris Condon (“High Strangeness”), Gordon Purcell (“The X-Files”) and Denton Tipton (“The X-Files”).
Why: A fun topic with talented panelists.
When: 1-2 p.m.
Where: Room 7AB
No One Gets Out Alive: Creators Look Back at a Lifetime in Comics
1-2 p.m.
Room 32AB
⭐Little Fish: Comics, Community, Collaboration!
What: Little Fish Comic Book Studio spotlights partnerships and collaboration models for educators, librarians and nonprofit leaders, with Alonso Nuñez (Little Fish Comic Book Studio), Rene LaFargue (Kevin Workman Foundation) and Little Fish students.
Why: I’ve been following Alonso Nuñez’s Little Fish Comic Book Studio for years and appreciate its work promoting pop culture and creating opportunities for young creatives.
When: 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Where: Room 23ABC
Dr. Mark C. Glassy
What: Dr. Mark C. Glassy examines the science, real and implied, in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”; or, “The Modern Prometheus,” first published in 1818.
Why: Glassy has written multiple fascinating books about science fiction, and I had an opportunity to meet him in his home office, which is overflowing with pop culture clutter. He was also overflowing with information. This should be an enlightening panel.
When: 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Where:Room 29CD
A.I. and the Creative Industries: Where We Stand
2-3 p.m.
Room 32AB
Final Steps: Comic Book Lettering
2-3 p.m.
Room 11
From Page to Scream!: Horror Across Media
2-3 p.m.
Grand 12 & 13, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
DC
⭐A True Blue Legacy: Celebrating 85 Years of Blue Beetle
What: Comics creators Cully Hamner (co-creator of Jaime Reyes), Josh Trujillo (“Blue Beetle: Homecoming”) and Paris Cullen (writer, “Blue Beetle”) join scholar Mike Dando (“So You Think You Know Blue Beetle”) to discuss all things Blue Beetle. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Stanford Carpenter (founder, Comicpalooza University).
Why: Celebrate nearly a century of Blue Beetle as the character is poised to join Superman in James Gunn’s upcoming film “Man of Tomorrow.”
When: 2:15-3:15 p.m.
Where: Room 5AB
Ask a (Comics) Librarian
3-4 p.m.
Room 4
The Horrors Persist but So Do We: A Latine Horror Panel
3:30-4:30 p.m.
Room 23ABC
The Power of Color: The Discussion Continues
3:30-4:30 p.m.
Room 26AB
Spotlight on Maggie Thompson: Fan Experience
4-5 p.m.
Room 7AB
Film and TV
Warner Brothers
⭐The Sunday Cartoon Voices Panel
What: More Cartoon Voices!
Why: Because moderator Mark Evanier once again assembles an all-star panel that includes one of my absolute favorite voice actors — Maurice LaMarche from “Pinky and the Brain,” one of the greatest cartoons ever! I’m not biased at all.
When: 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Where: Room 6A
What: A screening of all seven of the award-winning films from 2026.
Why: A chance to see some pop culture-inspired films that you may never have the opportunity to see anywhere else. Having been a judge, I can promise there are some gems. Plus, it’s a great escape from the sensory overload of the exhibit floor and stress of waiting in line. Walk right in and be entertained!
When: Noon to 5 p.m.
Where: Grand 6, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
TMNT 1990 Movie Screenwriter Turtle Gabfest
1:15-2:15 p.m.
Room 5AB
⭐Fantasy and Horror Cinema from Latin America and Europe
What: Frank Rodríguez (actor and producer, Lylu Films), Nora Cervantes (actress and producer, Tres Ilusiones Films), Rubén Arnaiz (director, Amblost Media), Israel Lopez (CNMG Distribution), Alek García (Lylu Films), Pablo Pabloff (Amblost Media), and Lorenzo Manjarrez (Lylu Films) discuss the horror and fantasy films they have made in Spain and Mexico, how they are produced and the achievements of their films.
Why: Horror is a great way to explore and reveal culture.
When: 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Where: Room 10
Business of Cartoon Voices
3-4 p.m.
Room 7AB
Time Traveling Through Film and TV Set Decoration
3-4 p.m.
Room 32AB
Universal
⭐It Came from the Black Lagoon: Universal’s 3-D Movies of the 1950s
What: During the 1950s 3-D craze, Universal-International Pictures produced a number of 3-D movies, including “It Came from Outer Space” and “Creature from the Black Lagoon.”
Why: Get red-and-cyan 3-D glasses to watch clips while celebrating some classic Universal horror!
When: 4-5 p.m.
Where: Room 28DE
Fandom
Mixer for Science-Minded Geeks
10 a.m. to noon
Marina D, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
Tiny Droids for Love and Learning
10:30-11:30 a.m.
Room 25ABC
Comic-Con Museum: Bringing the Popular Arts to Balboa Park
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Room 25ABC
⭐⭐Starship Smackdown XXXIII: We’re Getting Too Old for This Ship Edition
What: The ultimate cosmic conflagration returns to San Diego as the USS Enterprise confronts Serenity, an Imperial Star Destroyer battles Battlestar Galactica, and Jefferson Starship wrecks this city. Panelists Ashley E. Miller (“Thor,” “X-Men: First Class”), Robert Meyer Burnett (“The Burnettwork,” “Free Enterprise”), Kay Reindl (“Millennium, Freaked”), Isaac M. Altman and Caden Miller (“The Kids Stay in the Podcast)”, Deric Hughes (“The Flash,” “Quantum Leap”) and Mark A. Altman (“Pandora,” “Deathlands,” “The Librarians”) return for another round of interstellar combat. The Smackdown panel, hailed by NPR, returns to Comic-Con for its fourth decade.
Why: I did a <a href="https://www.npr.org/2011/07/25/138682553/to-close-comic-con-one-spacecraft-to-rule-them-all” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>NPR story on Starship Smackdown back in 2011 and loved the exquisite geekiness of the panel.
When: 2:45-4:45 p.m.
Where: Room 6A
Comic-Con Talk Back
3:30-4:30 p.m.
Room 25ABC
Gaming
Beth Accomando
⭐“Who’s DMing Anyway?”: A D&D One-Shot
What: Adventurers have been summoned to MONSTER-CON ’26. Can they recover the Orb of All-Knowing before it transforms one of them into the dreaded Dungeon Master?
Why: This spotlights San Diego’s many tabletop role-playing organizations. it’s moderated by Sam Lopez (“DungeonSamster”).
When: 2-3:45 p.m.
Where: Omni San Diego Hotel, Omni Grand Ballroom ABC, 4th Floor
⭐Gaming in Latam and Emerging Technologies Shaping Your Play Experience
What: Panelists discuss video gaming in Latin America (LatAm) and how emerging technologies are transforming the way people play.
Why: Because it offers a glimpse into what’s happening in gaming across other countries.
When: 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Where: Room 29AB
Tabletop Game Design Pitch Panel
1-2:30 p.m.
Marina D, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
The end.
