Prism Comics is glad to be back at San Diego Comic-Con – Wednesday, July 19th through Sunday, July 23rd at the San Diego Convention Center!  We’re at Booth 2144 in Hall C and will be hosting dozens of signings by terrific creators. The Prism Creator Signing Schedule is below. We’re presenting four diverse panels, and we’ve produced our annual Prism Comics LGBTQ+ Guide to Comic-Con – compiled and written by Andy Mangels; designed by Ted Abenheim.

Get your digital copy of the Prism Guide to Comic-Con here:

We’re pleased to see that diversity and representation are everywhere at Comic-Con, and we’re looking forward to seeing all the fans, creators, cosplayers and Comic-Con staff that make up our Comic-Con family.

PRISM COMICS COMIC-CON 2023 PANELS

Transgender and Nonbinary Stories in Comics: Past, Present, and Future
Thursday, 7/20/23, 4:00PM – 5:00PM, Room 9

In recent years, transgender and nonbinary comics readers have been fortunate enough to find stories that reflect their own experience. However, all over the country comics by trans creators are being banned by culturally conservative authorities, and harsh legal measures threaten the rights and well-being of trans and nonbinary Americans themselves. Now more than ever the trans community needs its comics creators to share their perspectives and offer glimpses into their shared history and challenging future. How can comics address transgender history? How can autobio comics reach not just trans readers but sympathetic allies? How can trans and nonbinary creators thrive despite the threats of book banners and hostile culture warriors? Join Prism Comics and moderator Tara Madison Avery (We’re Still Here, The Transgender Heroes Coloring Book) and panelists Sonya Saturday (The Greatest Thing You’ve Ever Seen in Your Life, J.K. Rowling and the Ungrateful Fans), Maddie Jacobus (The Out Side, Bummer Corp), A.C. Esguerra (Eighty Days), Kristen Enos (Berserker, Active Voice), Rebecca Kaplan (The Beat, Prism Comics Board Member), and Gaia WXYZ (We Belong) for a lively discussion of these and other questions!

Queer Horror
Friday, 7/21/23, 3:00PM – 4:00PM, Room 4

As a genre, horror has always attempted to bring us to the threshold of our fears and use a dark lens of the fantastic to force us to come face-to-face with issues the mainstream may otherwise dare not address head on. For those in the LGBTQIA+ community, this sense of otherness within the genre is not only terrifying and titillating, it’s quite often also relatable. The queer community has had a long history with the horror genre, from the lesbian vampires of Gothic literature to modern fare like Hellraiser and The Boulet Brothers Dragula. Does a queer horror genre exist, and if so what makes it different from mainstream horror?  Furthermore, how does the current political climate alter the lens through which we celebrate and connect to the macabre? Join Prism Comics and moderator/filmmaker Michael Varrati (There’s a Zombie Outside, The Midnight Mass Podcast) and an array of panelists including Viktor Kerney (StrangeLore, the upcoming Black queer anthology We Belong), Andy Mangels (A Nightmare on Elm Street/Child’s Play Comics, the upcoming Castle of Horror: Queer Dread anthology), Adam Sass (Award-Winning Author: Surrender Your Sons, Your Lonely Nights are Over) and Juan Valencia (Poking Holes, Plagued by Visions).

Out in Comics: Year 36
Saturday, 7/22/23, 6:00PM – 8:00PM, Room 4

The comic world’s longest-running panel is back for its 36th record breaking year. The comic book world has become a celebrated part of the pop culture world. LGBTQ comics and graphic novels for all ages are being produced and acclaimed in incredible numbers, and queer characters are finally starting to show up in genre movies and TV shows. And yet, in our politicized and polarized world, LGBTQ comics and graphic novels and LGBTQ characters in popular media are facing more censure and opposition than in previous years. This means that telling stories of queer characters of diverse backgrounds and identities is more important than ever before. Join Prism Comics, moderator Andy Mangels [he/him] (the Founder of the “Out In Comics” panel; bestselling author of Wonder Woman ‘77 Meets The Bionic Woman, Star Trek and Star Wars books and comics) and special guest panelists as they discuss what being “Out In Comics” means now and in the future. Panelists include:

Lena Atanassova [she/her] (editor for Tokypop’s Love x Love imprint and other manga)
Darcie Little Badger [she/her] (award-winning writer – Elatsoe, A Snake Falls To Earth)
Nicole Maines [she/her] (writer – DC Pride)
Jimmy Sherfy [he/himI] (San Diego’s Cosplay King AND Princess)
Tim Sheridan [he/him] (comics writer – Alan Scott: The Green Lantern, Masters of the Universe, Superman: Man of Tomorrow, Flashpoint Beyond)
William O. Tyler [he/him] (artist and cinephile – Siren.o, Anxious Ax, The Goth Queen Needs A Mate)

The Rise of LGBTQ Comics And Animation For Young Audiences
Sunday, 7/23/23, 10:30AM – 11:30AM, Room 10

We are in exciting times for comic and animated LGBTQ-inclusive stories for young audiences. These groundbreaking successes have made unique creative opportunities for LGBTQ storytellers. We are bringing animation and publishing storytellers together to discuss their projects and answer the questions: How do they approach LGBTQ content and characters for kids & teens? How do new LGBTQ creators find their voice and get their start? What are the new and upcoming projects to watch for? Join Prism Comics, moderator Cort Lane (My Little Pony: Make Your Mark, No Straight Lines: The Rise Of Queer Comics) and talented panelists Tilly Bridges (Monster High, Begin Transmission: The Trans Allegories of The Matrix), Sam Maggs (Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars, Tell No Tales: Pirates of the Southern Seas), Brandon T. Snider (Lazarus Planet, Marvel Storybook Collection), Michael Vogel (Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic), and Brittney Williams (Craig of the Creek, Marvel and DC Pride compilations) as they look at the world of LGBTQ storytelling for the young fans of today and creators of tomorrow.

PRISM COMICS CREATOR SIGNING SCHEDULE
BOOTH 2144 IN HALL C

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19
Wednesday Talent Schedule:
6 – 7 pm – Jeff Krell
7 – 8 pm – Max Spragovsky

THURSDAY, JULY 20
Thursday Talent Schedule:
10 – 11 am – Tilly Bridges
12 – 1 pm – Jeff Krell
1 – 2 pm – Sonya Saturday
2 – 3 pm – A.C. Esguerra
3 – 4 pm – Brandon T. Snider, David Reddish
4 – 5 pm – Jake O’Kelly
4 – 5 pm – Prism Panel – Transgender and Nonbinary Stories in Comics: Past, Present, and Future – Room 9
5 – 6 pm – Ameen Beydoun
6 – 7 pm – Tara Madison Avery

FRIDAY, JULY 21
Friday Talent Schedule:
10 – 11 am – Jeff Krell, Jake O’Kelly
11 am – 12 pm – Tim Sheridan
12 – 1 pm – Cort Lane, Vincent Roth (Surge of Power)
1 – 2 pm – P. Craig Russell, Brandon T. Snider
2 – 3 pm – Jack Foster, Sonya Saturday
3 – 4 pm – A.C. Esguerra, David Reddish
3 – 4 pm – Prism Panel – Queer Horror – Room 4
4 – 5 pm – Max Spragovsky
5 – 6 pm – Ameen Beydoun, Adam Sass
6 – 7 pm – Tara Madison Avery

SATURDAY, JULY 22
Saturday Talent Schedule:
10 – 11 am – Tilly Bridges, Jake O’Kelly
11 am – 12 pm – Jeff Krell, Brandon T. Snider
12 – 1 pm – David Reddish
1 – 2 pm – A.C. Esguerra, Josh Trujillo
2 – 3 pm – Jack Foster, Max Spragovsky
3 – 4 pm – P. Craig Russell, Tim Sheridan
4 – 5 pm – Tara Madison Avery, Vincent Roth (Surge of Power)
5 – 6 pm – Ameen Beydoun
6 – 8 pm – Prism Panel – Out in Comics: Year 36 – Room 4

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SUNDAY, JULY 23
Sunday Talent Schedule:
9 – 10 am – Max Spragovsky
10 – 11 am – Jeff Krell, Jake O’Kelly
10:30 – 11:30 am – Prism Panel – The Rise of LGBTQ Comics And Animation For Young Audiences – Room 10
12 – 1 pm – Cort Lane, David Reddish
1 – 2 pm – Vincent Roth, Surge of Power
2 – 3 pm – Tara Madison Avery, A.C. Esguerra
3 – 4 pm – Ameen Beydoun
4 – 5 pm – Josh Trujillo