SATURDAY PANELS
| Panel Name | Panel Description | Panel Time | Panel Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Con Orchestra: A Celebration of Pop-Culture Music! | Sit back and relax as The Con Orchestra plays music from your favorite games, animation, anime, movies, TV, and more! Learn how music tells stories and how to listen like a professional! Every show has a surprise line-up so don't miss our debut performance! | 11:00 AM | Main Stage (104 AB) |
| A Conversation with Andy Field on Five Nights at Freddy’s | Join Andy Field as he discusses what it's like working ion Five Nights at Freddy's and all of his various projects. Bring your questions for an audience Q&A. | 1:00 PM | Main Stage (104 AB) |
| Gotta Catch ‘Em All: A Pokemon Q&A with Eric Stuart, Dan Green and Christopher Collet | Join Eric Stuart, Dan Green, and Christopher Collet as they discuss what it's like working on Pokemon and in the anime industry. Bring your questions for an audience Q&A. | 2:00 PM | Main Stage (104 AB) |
| Vote for Pedro: A Q&A with Diedrich Bader and Efren Ramirez | Join Diedrich Bader and Efren Ramirez as they discuss what it's like working on Napoleon Dynamite and all of their various projects. Bring your questions for an audience Q&A. | 3:00 PM | Main Stage (104 AB) |
| A Phineas and Ferb Q&A with Vincent Martella and David Errigo | Join Vincent Martella and David Errigo as they discuss what it's like working on Phineas and Ferb and all of their various projects. Bring your questions for an audience Q&A. | 4:00 PM | Main Stage (104 AB) |
| The Official Saturday Costume Contest | Characters come to life in our Saturday costume contest! Watch as cosplayers of all skill levels present their costumes across our main stage. Who will be crowned the champion? Only way to find out is to be there! | 6:30 PM | Main Stage (104 AB) |
| Go Together: How to Build an Arts Community and Start Publishing | Join local arts collective I&DLB as they share the sordid tale of how a motley crew of indie and underground comic book artists joined forces. They challenged each other's styles, rallied during a pandemic, grew into a worldwide community online, and launched multiple successful kickstarter campaigns! Now they call legendary local watering hole Alex's their home base and they meet monthly to draw and plot their next scheme. Join us for this panel where you can pick their brains to learn how you too can grow your arts community and fund your projects. | 10:30 AM | Panel 1 (101 B) |
| Cerebro Broadcast: Creators on the State of the X-Men Universe | From the latest comic book arcs to animated revivals and cinematic updates, mutantkind is entering a bold new era. Join leading X-Men podcasters, cosplayers, and digital creators for a fast-paced deep dive into the current state of the franchise. The panel will break down recent lore developments, discuss what it takes to produce engaging fan content in today’s media landscape, and open the floor for theories and audience Q&A on where the X-Men universe is heading next. | 11:30 AM | Panel 1 (101 B) |
| Spotlight on Skye-Tiger: Fly High, Be Fierce! | Join the creative powerhouse behind Studio Skye-Tiger—the "teaching hospital" of indie comics—for an exclusive headliner spotlight on identity, representation, and the power of inclusive storytelling. Featuring studio founder Ray-Anthony Height (Midnight Tiger, X-Men Blue), breakout writer Jamal Anansi (Ebony & The Hall of Dragons), animator and creator Marcus D. Newsome (Lightning Strike), slice-of-life storyteller Shayla Height (What The #$%& Mama!), and teen prodigy Nex Vierling (The Power Company), the team pulls back the curtain on how they built their signature narrative voice and actively established an environment where diverse creators can thrive. | 12:30 PM | Panel 1 (101 B) |
| Fit Your Cosplay in the Bag | "Practical Tips for Traveling with Large Builds" Join HuskyHubbyCosplay as we share what we’ve learned traveling up the coast and across the country with some of our biggest builds, including Alphonse, Heimdall, and Gang Orca. We will walk through our favorite packing strategies for flights, road trips, and public transit so you can keep your cosplay safe, organized, and con-ready. Whether your build is bulky, armored, or just plain awkward to transport, we will break down how to pack smart and travel with confidence. | 1:30 PM | Panel 1 (101 B) |
| The "Great Debate" | Two people. Two random picks. One debate! Participants pull a topic, character, fandom, or wild matchup from a bucket and must defend their pick against their opponent’s—whether they agree with it or not. Quick thinking, ridiculous arguments, and passionate fandom debates collide as the audience decides who made the better case! | 2:30 PM | Panel 1 (101 B) |
| Drool Rules: Why Our Hunger for Zombie Stories Will Never Die | Zombies have eaten spleens across every corner of pop culture, from Night of the Living Dead to The Walking Dead, and the unflinching brutality of Marvel Zombies. This panel invites audience members along for the ride as we chomp into the evolution of the undead across genres, covering movies, books, TV, and comic books. From ambling corpses to sprinters, we will unpack how these stories address the breakdown of society. | 3:30 PM | Panel 1 (101 B) |
| Unmasking Cultura: Latino Legends in Cosplay | A conversation on community, identity, and creative resistance hosted by 5 seasoned creatives. | 4:30 PM | Panel 1 (101 B) |
| How to Build Your Own R2-D2 | The R2 Builders Club presents the essential tools, tips, tricks and time needed to build your own, full-size astromech; whether R2-D2, R5-D4 or any of the others seen across the star wars galaxy. We also build Mice, Scrubbers and all the non-protocol droids from Star Wars. | 5:30 PM | Panel 1 (101 B) |
| Behind the Mic: The Ins and Outs of Audiobooks | If you are a creator, there are many ways to make your audiobook come to life. And if you are a listener, you know what makes an audiobook work (or not). This panel discusses the ins and outs of audiobook production: the craft, the cost, the tech, distribution, royalties, and the readings themselves. | 6:30 PM | Panel 1 (101 B) |
| Alcohol in Anime: Cultural Symbolism, Social Identity, and Narrative Function (18+) | Anime reflects the cultural and religious relationship of alcohol consumption. From religious ceremonies involving sake to modern workplace drinking gatherings, alcohol often serves as a way to build trust and strengthen connections. Explore this fascinating relationship between tradition and entertainment by examining how anime portrays drinking as a symbol of friendship, celebration, maturity, conflict, and personal reflection. | 7:30 PM | Panel 1 (101 B) |
| Weirdest, Wildest, Worst Superhero Movies You’ve Never Seen (18+) | Hosts of the Have You Seen This? podcast joke about the oddest superhero movies they’ve ever seen! Come marvel (no pun intended) at highlights from flicks like THE PHANTOM, FAUST: LOVE OF THE DAMNED, CAPTAIN AMERICA starring Reb Brown, Warren Beatty’s DICK TRACY, MAX KNIGHT: ULTRA SPY and more! Plus, hear strange stories and trivia behind each of the films! | 8:30 PM | Panel 1 (101 B) |
| GeekFest: Women of SciFi and Horror Panel | Join us for our most popular panel! Many times this panel is standing room only! Panelists: Devanny Pinn Janeshia Adams-Ginyard Jackie Dallas Rachel Bryant #NEW# Samantha Bailey #NEW# Paula Lindberg Moderator: Simeon Jessica Rosas Learn from the best on how to break in and work as an actor/producer, director or crew member in the Indie Horror and SciFi industry. | 11:00 AM | Panel 2 (102 AB) |
| Geek FilmFest Horror Shorts | Check out some amazing horror shorts! Watch and Vote on your favorite films. Screening Program: Fortune Blindsided You're Not Safe Devil's Den The Last Draft White Meat Appetizer | 12:00 PM | Panel 2 (102 AB) |
| GeekFilmFest Fan Films | Check out some amazing Fan Films shorts! Watch and Vote on your favorite films. Screening Program: Reprise Batavia - a Star Trek fan production / "Where We Left Off" Ghostbusters: Half-Life | 1:00 PM | Panel 2 (102 AB) |
| Geek FilmFest Action/Adventure Shorts | Check out some amazing Action/Adventure shorts! Watch and Vote on your favorite films. Screening Program: World Class Superpower God Hunter Powerless 12 Sided Die, Season 2 Episode 7 | 2:00 PM | Panel 2 (102 AB) |
| Geek FilmFest Animation Shorts | Check out some amazing Animated shorts! Watch and Vote on your favorite films. Screening Program: Living in the World Maladaptive Dreamer The Gun The Adventures of Captain Atom: Chapter 7 The Vale: Origins | 3:00 PM | Panel 2 (102 AB) |
| GeekFest Filmmaker’s Panel | Talk with some of today's best up and coming genre filmmakers that screened earlier today! Moderated by TBA Panelists: The Vale Origins- Abigail Hing Wen The Last Draft- Nicholas Guilak 12 Sided Die- Curtis Fortier White Meat: Appetizer- David Dylan Thomas | 4:00 PM | Panel 2 (102 AB) |
| GeekFest Presents: Isla Monstro | ISLA MONSTRO (96 mins, Adult Animated Sci-Fi/Horror Comedy Feature Film) [Unrated, but very R] When middle-aged loser Duke, who has screwed up every hair-brained scheme he's ever come up with, accidentally falls off a cruise ship and wakes up on a mysteriously abandoned top secret government island, he discovers that it's overrun with mutants and monsters from a failed 1980s DARPA "super soldier" project to stop the 2nd Cold War. He soon comes up with the incredible idea of turning the island into a world-class getaway resort, utilizing the creatures as its staff, much to the dismay of the United States government. Starring James Schrader (DR. SQUATCH SOAP) Juliana Harkavy (ARROW, WALKING DEAD) John DiMaggio (FUTURAMA, ADVENTURE TIME) Harry Lennix (MAN OF STEEL/DCU, MATRIX SERIES) Harland Williams (HALF BAKED, DUMB & DUMBER) James Marsters (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, DRAGONBALL EVOLUTION) Spencer Grammer (RICK AND MORTY, SOLAR OPPOSITES) Barry Bostwick (THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, SPIN CITY) Christopher Sabat (DRAGONBALL Z, MY HERO ACADEMIA) Maurice LaMarche (PINKY AND THE BRAIN, REAL GHOSTBUSTERS) Gigi Edgley (FARSCAPE) Will Friedle (BATMAN BEYOND, BOY MEETS WORLD) Dana Snyder (AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE, SQUIDBILLIES) Dia Frampton (THE VOICE, MEG & DIA) Andre Gower (MONSTER SQUAD) Kristina Klebe (HALLOWEEN, HELLBOY) J LaRose (RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES, INSIDIOUS, SAW 3-4) LeeAnna Vamp (GHOSTED) | 5:00 PM | Panel 2 (102 AB) |
| The Science of Space Settlements: Could We Actually Live There? | Whether it's the rotating colonies of Gundam, the massive habitats of Babylon 5, the luxury station in Elysium, the Ringworld-inspired Halo installations, or the settlements of The Expanse, science fiction is filled with incredible places to call home. But would any of them actually work? Join engineers and science communicators as they separate Hollywood from reality and reveal what living in space would really be like. | 7:30 PM | Panel 2 (102 AB) |
| Hentai Voiceover (18+) | Show off your voice acting skills in this 18+ adult-only panel. | 8:30 PM | Panel 2 (102 AB) |
| In My Y2K Era: Anime Fandom in the Toonami Era | Setting up your VCR's timer, catching Sailor Moon after school, and attending your first anime convention in an era before streaming and social media, fandom scholar and author, Erica V. Espejo takes us back to the turn of the millennium as anime was going from a niche fandom to mainstream. | 10:30 AM | Panel 3 (103 AB) |
| Legal and Business Aspects of Comic Book and Graphic Novel Publishing | Learn about what creators and publishers of comic books and graphic novels need to know to successfully publish their work. | 11:30 AM | Panel 3 (103 AB) |
| Story Breakers | Writing TV/Film vs Comics, a how to panel comparing and contrasting strengths, structure and strategies for building stories for print and visual media | 12:30 PM | Panel 3 (103 AB) |
| Drawing the Galaxy with Tom Hodges | Join acclaimed comic artist Tom Hodges for a behind-the-scenes look at his career illustrating some of pop culture's biggest franchises, including Star Wars, The Simpsons, Transformers, HALO, and The Lord of the Rings. Tom will share stories from his years working in comics and entertainment, discuss his creative process from concept to finished art, and offer insights into character design, storytelling, and breaking into the industry. | 1:30 PM | Panel 3 (103 AB) |
| Making Movie Magic with STEM | Learn how filmmakers combine Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics to make movie magic real! This panel features three professional special effects artists and prop makers who will share a behind the scenes look at how some of Hollywood's biggest effects were made. Panelists: Davis DeWitt - Practical Effects Designer, Matt Haslam - Model Maker and Prop Builder, Freddy Schramm - Special Effects Fabricator and Prop Builder | 2:30 PM | Panel 3 (103 AB) |
| Lady Comic Book History | Father-Daughter team Mark Sams and Alexandrea Callaghan discuss the evolution of women in comics and the women and comic book media that shaped the current wave of feminism. | 3:30 PM | Panel 3 (103 AB) |
| Writing Comics 101: From Idea to Page | Ever wanted to tell your own comic story but didn’t know where to start? This beginner-friendly panel breaks down the essentials of comic writing: crafting compelling characters, snappy dialogue, understanding pacing, panel flow, and visual storytelling. Whether you’re dreaming up superheroes, slice-of-life stories, or epic sci-fi adventures, you’ll learn practical tips to turn your ideas into scripts artists can bring to life. Perfect for aspiring writers and curious creators alike--no experience required! | 4:30 PM | Panel 3 (103 AB) |
| No Filler, All Killer: Crafting Memorable Short Stories | As HWA members who attend many cons we can say with authority, many convention goers are creatives at heart. In Tips for Writing Short Stories, our panelists explore the craft of drafting compelling stories. From building memorable characters to structuring narratives to deliver maximum impact with minimum words, our members share how best to hook readers and create endings that will last well beyond the last page. Perfect for aspiring writers, comic book creators, and storytellers of all types, this panel will offer inspiration and insights that will help take the audiences’ writing to the next level. | 5:30 PM | Panel 3 (103 AB) |
| Building a World Record Comics Collection | The current Guinness World Record holder for largest comic book collection will discuss building his collection, the steps it took to get verified by Guinness, and provide tips on how to have fun reading and collecting comics. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2023/8/owner-of-worlds-largest-comic-collection-extends-record-and-has-read-all-138-000-757146 GIVEAWAY: There will be free comics (doubles from Bob's collection) for the 1st 100 attendees. There will also be raffle tickets for everyone attending and a drawing for a few older comics. | 6:30 PM | Panel 3 (103 AB) |
| Redefining the Cosplay Mold | This panel is all about helping cosplayers who don’t fit the standard size chart feel confident and empowered. Whether you are 5'3 with a larger build or 6'3 and wearing sizes from 3X to 5X, we will share our personal journey and the techniques we use to design, build, and adapt cosplays for our bodies. From choosing the right materials to modifying patterns and making comfort a priority, we will walk through how we create characters we love while proving that cosplay truly is for every size and shape. | 7:30 PM | Panel 3 (103 AB) |
| Ghostly Tales From Beyond - TAPS West Coast | If shadows make your pulse jump and ghost stories linger in your mind long after the lights go out, this panel is your invitation to confront those fears head‑on. The TAPS West Coast team is opening their most disturbing case files — the ones that rattled even their veteran investigators. Step inside the real accounts behind their most unnerving encounters: unexplained voices, impossible movements, and moments that left hardened researchers questioning what they thought they knew. Attendees will experience never‑before‑seen evidence, hear firsthand stories of chilling activity, and examine the actual equipment used to capture it. When the lights come up, a live Q&A awaits anyone bold enough to ask what truly lurks in the dark. | 8:30 PM | Panel 3 (103 AB) |
SUNDAY PANELS
| Panel Name | Panel Description | Panel Time | Panel Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Conversation with Damien Haas | Join Damien Haas as he discusses working his career and various projects. Bring your questions for a live audience Q&A. | 11:30 AM | Main Stage (104 AB) |
| It's Morphin Time!: A Power Rangers Q&A with Walter Jones and Karan Ashley | Join Karan Ashley and Walter Jones as they discuss working on Power Rangers and their other projects. Bring your questions for a live audience Q&A. | 12:30 PM | Main Stage (104 AB) |
| Good News Everyone!: A Futurama Q&A with Billy West and Phil LaMarr | Join Billy West and Phil LaMarr as they discuss working on Futurama and their other projects. Bring your questions for a live audience Q&A. | 1:30 PM | Main Stage (104 AB) |
| The Shellabration Q&A | Join in for a Shellanbration Q&A about the Ninja Turtles Movie! Bring your questions for a live audience Q&A. | 2:30 PM | Main Stage (104 AB) |
| The Official Sunday Costume Contest | Characters come to life in our Sunday costume contest! Watch as cosplayers of all skill levels present their costumes across our main stage. Who will be crowned the champion? Only way to find out is to be there! | 3:30 PM | Main Stage (104 AB) |
| Mars: A Red Past, Present, and Future | Mars has been known since ancient times, and descriptions of it ranging from gods traveling in the sky to a civilization living through a catastrophic drought have peppered human history. Once space exploration began in the 1960’s, Mars became the desert world we know it as today. Fiction, too, changed, to reflect the new discoveries of our most advanced probes. We’ll look over the progression of science and storytelling in the history of our neighboring red planet, Mars. Presenter: Jared Head, Griffith Observatory & Columbia Memorial Space Center | 10:30 AM | Panel 1 (101 B) |
| A Cosplayer's Shopping Guide to the LA Fashion District | Southern California cosplayers have access to one of the best places to shop for fabric and other accessories - downtown Los Angeles' legendary fashion district. However, this may seem like an overwhelming task for first time shoppers. Join veteran cosplayers as they help you figure out how to get the most of the LA Fashion District! | 11:30 AM | Panel 1 (101 B) |
| Comics Inspire the Moon: Artemis and Apollo from Those Who Built Them | Explore how comics have inspired missions to the moon including the recent Artemis II mission last Spring. Join Ben Dickow of LA's Columbia Memorial Space Center museum, a propulsion engineer from L3 Harris who works on the NASA Artemis missions, and Jerry Blackburn, retired engineer who worked on the Apollo moon missions, as they discuss the current and past missions and how sci-fi and comic books inspired their real-life journeys to space. They will be joined by Ray Hedgpeth and members of LA's Captured Aural Phantasy Theater as they dramatically read excerpts of the comics being discussed. Panelists: Ben Dickow, Gerald Blackburn | 12:30 PM | Panel 1 (101 B) |
| Behind the Armor: Inside the Star Wars Costume Clubs | What does it take to become a Stormtrooper, Jedi, or Mandalorian? Go behind the armor with members of the Southern California Garrison (501st Legion), Sunrider Base (Rebel Legion), and the Mandalorian Mercs Costume Club as they share how screen-accurate costumes are built, the craftsmanship behind them, and how these fan groups use their passion for Star Wars to volunteer, support charities, inspire fans, and build lasting friendships. Whether you’re curious about joining a club or simply love Star Wars, discover a community that helps bring a galaxy far, far away to life. | 1:30 PM | Panel 1 (101 B) |
| Star Trek to Stargazing: Pop Culture & Astronomy Outreach | From Star Trek to blockbuster films, books, and viral moments, pop culture has shaped how we imagine the cosmos and inspired many astronomy communicators to look up and share what they find. In this panel, leaders in astronomy outreach at Griffith Observatory, Sky-Watcher USA, and more share the media moments that inspired them and explore how pop culture can spark curiosity, connection, and a deeper interest in the universe. Panelists: Jared Head, Griffith Observatory & Columbia Memorial Space Center | 2:30 PM | Panel 1 (101 B) |
| Cultural Sensitivity in TTRPGs | Being respectful and cognizant of cultures and sexualities while writing and playing TTRPGs. BIPOC and LGBTQIA inclusive. | 3:30 PM | Panel 1 (101 B) |
| Sound in Space (Sci-Fi Meets the Real Deal!) | This live, multimedia space lecture bridges the gap between the historic blockbusters of science-fiction and actual, real-world (off-world) sounds of space; from Hollywood film sets, to Space Shuttles, Starships, actual recordings from the surface of Mars... and everything in between. Hosted by Jason Achillles / LA-based musician, producer and NASA/JPL contractor, with an updated presentation of this series originally hosted to standing-room only at the 2019 Long Beach Comic-Con. | 11:00 AM | Panel 2 (102 AB) |
| Geek Film Fest - More Fan Films | Check out some amazing Fan Films shorts! Watch and Vote on your favorite films. Screening Program: You Shall Not Pass! Kill 'em Kindly | A Fallout Fan Film Alien: Lost Transmission Fan Film | 12:00 PM | Panel 2 (102 AB) |
| GeekFilmFest - More Horror Films | Check out some amazing horror shorts! Watch and Vote on your favorite films. Screening Program: Magnet Brain Penelope Project N-Terro Boyfriendland | 1:00 PM | Panel 2 (102 AB) |
| Geek FilmFest - SciFi Shorts | Check out some amazing SciFi shorts! Watch and Vote on your favorite films. Screening Program: Deathahedron The One-Minute Problem Come Out, Wherever You Are | 2:00 PM | Panel 2 (102 AB) |
| Geek FilmFest Panel | Talk with some of today's best up and coming genre filmmakers that screened earlier today! Moderated by Janeshia Adams-Ginyard Panelists: Project N-Terro- Monique Efta | 3:00 PM | Panel 2 (102 AB) |
| The Webcomics Advocates present: The Webcomics Gathering | Join the Webcomics Advocates for a gathering of webcomics creators and fans. This is your chance to learn from an expert panel about creating webcomics, network with other artists, and maybe even pitch your webcomic idea in front of a room full of potential new readers! | 10:30 AM | Panel 3 (103 AB) |
| Studio Skye-Tiger: It's Time to Make That Comic You've Been Talking About! | Stop waiting for the perfect moment and stop making excuses! Join the veteran creators behind Studio Skye-Tiger—the premier "teaching hospital" of indie comics for a practical, no-nonsense masterclass on bringing your dream comic to life. Featuring studio founder Ray-Anthony Height, writer Jamal Anansi, creator/animator Marcus D. Newsome, slice-of-life storyteller Shayla Height, and rising star Nex Vierling, this interactive panel breaks down the exact workflow needed to move from a blank page to a finished script and layout. Comics are rarely built alone, so the team will pull back the curtain on the art of collaboration. Discover how to scout reliable creative partners, structure fair indie contracts, manage shared workloads, and pitch your ideas effectively. Whether you are an isolated writer looking for an artist, or an illustrator seeking a storyteller, this panel will give you the blueprint to find your tribe, build your team, and finally finish your book. | 11:30 AM | Panel 3 (103 AB) |
| Other Worlds | Writing for pre-established I.P. and recognizable brands, pitching and developing licensed comics, books and audio, how to play nice and build in other people's sandboxes | 12:30 PM | Panel 3 (103 AB) |
| Time of Death TBD: The Near Death and Resurrection of Horror Comic Books | Horror has always lived in the shadows of comic book history. Horror has long pushed boundaries in comic books, shocking readers and redefining what the medium can do. From EC comics to modern day Hill House comics, creators have reinvented fear on the page for new generations. Perfect for fans, historians, and comic book creators, this panel will offer a fascinating look at how comic book horror has evolved despite experiencing cancel culture before cancel culture was a thing. | 1:30 PM | Panel 3 (103 AB) |
| The Challenges and Triumphs Of Writing YA Books | Join a panel of writers and creators as they share insights on building authentic characters, telling meaningful stories, and reaching a young adult audience through the comics medium. | 2:30 PM | Panel 3 (103 AB) |
| IDOL 101: The Complete J-Pop Idol Timeline | Are you a fan of music from groups like Morning Musume, AKB48, BiS, Cho Tokimeki Sendenbu, iLiFE or FRUITS ZIPPER and want to learn more about the world of J-Pop Idols? Join A-to-J Connections as we travel through history and take a look at The J-Pop Idol Timeline from its earliest days in the late 70s, the Idol Boom of the 80s, and all the way to today! All sorts of groups and genres will be covered, and even the most hardcore J-Pop veteran is sure to learn something new! The Idol fandom has never been bigger, and you can see where it all began right here in this panel! From the curious newcomer to the seasoned fan, there will be something for everyone! | 3:30 PM | Panel 3 (103 AB) |
