Comic-Con 2020: Here's the official schedule of the first-ever virtual comic convention
The ravaging pandemic may have led to the cancellation and delay of major live events across the world, and comic fans sincerely hoped the one event that would still take place would be the San Diego Comic-Con 2020. This time around, SDCC 2020 will be a virtual affair and it is the first time in 50 years that the biggest pop culture celebration switches from an in-person event to a virtual one.
The main highlights of SDCC are usually the panels where the creators, cast, and crew of popular films and TV shows drop in and make announcements. Most top studios across the world use SDCC as a platform to introduce their upcoming content.
The schedule for Day 1: July 22, Wednesday was announced, and here's a quick look at the schedule.
3-4 pm
Comics in the Classroom Ask Me Anything: Pick the Brains of Teachers, Administrators, Creators, and Publishers
Jason Walz (teacher/comic creator Last Pick, Homesick), and Lisa Wu (consultant and former teacher) and Lucy Knisley talk about bringing to life comics and integrate them into classroom learning.
GeekED: Re-storied: Re-imagining creative privilege
A panel that talks about the comic stories and how they have evolved over the years in academics.
Teaching and Learning with Comics
Susan Kirtley from Portland State University and Antero Garcia from Stanford University will headline a panel discussion on the possible and feasible activities and theory involved in teaching with comics.
The Power of Teamwork in Kids Comics
Gene Luen Yang ('Dragon Hoops') and Chad Sell ('Cardboard Kingdom') along with science comics team Jim Ottaviani & Maris Wicks opine about collaboration in children’s comics.
4-5 pm
Books for All
A session on how teachers, creators, and parents can talk about the impact comics can have on kids of different age groups.
Comics as a Conduit
A panel that glimpses comics that take on real-life and real-time issues across the globe.
GeekEd: 'Watchmen' and the Cruelty of Masks
HBO’s 'Watchmen' said the idea 'masks make one cruel'. Educators share their thoughts about the powerful impact of masks and how 'Watchmen' and other comics show people the direction towards good and bad.
License to Thrill: Graphic Novel Adaptations for Kids
A panel on graphic novel adaptations.
5-6 pm
Conspiracy Theories and Propaganda Throughout Pop Culture
A panel that outlines conspiracies and propaganda seen in comics, movies, and TV shows while also connecting them to the present-day climate of widely-acclaimed conspiracy theories.
GeekEd: College and the Nerd Mind
Mental health experts weigh in on their application of fandom and comic lessons to develop practices and pass them on to students.
New Kids Comics from Eisner Award Publishers
Writers and artists discuss upcoming comic books
Words and Pictures Working Together: Strategies for Analyzing Graphic Texts
Educators bring in some techniques to help build students' critical literacy skills with graphic texts at all grade levels.
6-7 pm
Comic-Con Celebrates 15 Years of Eisner Librarians
Librarians who served on the Eisner Awards jury discuss their experiences.
Comics on Campus: Fandom at Academia
A comprehensive look at new courses aimed to bring geek culture to campuses countrywide.
Spirit Skies: How to publish an International youth comic in the Age of Covid-19
A panel on how aspiring writers how can publish their work during the pandemic
Teaching Graphic Novels Online
A panel on how graphic novels can inspire and enrich online classroom lessons for students
Day 2, July 23, Thursday
10 am
Art and the Holocaust
A sampling of artwork and propaganda done during World War II in the U.S. and Nazi Germany, and work done by a child survivor of the Holocaust after the war.
Body talk
Discussions on diversity in comics, and how the medium can better represent marginalized groups and body types.
Building a Geek Brand: Surviving a Pandemic
Industry professionals offering advice to those seeking to build a brand during the Covid-19 Pandemic
Causeplay: In Service to Others
How cosplayers and prop builders serve their communities through their love of pop-culture.
Crunchyroll Industry Panel
Hear about all the latest and greatest anime & manga coming out of Crunchyroll straight from the source, panelists Adam Sheehan (director of events, Crunchyroll) and Lauren Stevens (events manager, Crunchyroll).
Graphix
Get Drawn In - Graphix presents the authors of several up and coming comics as they talk about their work.
Star Trek Universe Virtual Panel
The cast of ‘Star Trek: Discovery does a table read of the Season 2 finale, an extended first look at the animated comedy ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks,’ and the cast of ‘Star Trek: Picard’ gather to discuss Season 1 of the series.
X-Men Fandom Surprise Party
They thought it was just going to be a pajama party where they'd reminisce about their mutant pride, instead, these X-Men influencers, podcasters, and cosplayers experience the surprise of their lives with drop-in visits by surprise celebrity guests from the X-Men universe.
Charlize Theron: Evolution of a badass – An action hero career retrospective
Actress and producer Charlize Theron traces her action-hero journey from 'Æon Flux' to 'The Old Guard', 'Mad Max: Fury Road' and 'Atomic Blonde'. Moderator of the panel is Terri Schwartz.
11 am
Batgirls!
The legacy of Batgirl is discussed with the writers who’ve all contributed to the mythos in one way or another, whether the person behind the mask is Cassandra Cain, Barbara Gordon or Stephanie Brown.
Cartoon Network Studios: The Art of Storyboarding
Artists behind some of Cartoon Network Studios' hit series share their journeys, learnings and top tips for aspiring storyboard artists worldwide.
James Bond - 007 in Comics!
A deep dive on Ian Fleming's James Bond in comics past, present, and future.
Solar Opposites
Panel discussion from the executive producers and actors featured in the hit new Hulu animated series.
The Art of Collaboration: Duos Behind Top TV Shows
Watch film, television, video game and eSports experts talk about the process and importance of collaboration in some of your favorite projects!
Web Comics Saving the Entertainment Industry, Four Panels at a TIme
Webcomics creators discuss who will talk about how quarantine, BLM, and the rest of 2020 have affected their work, art, and life.
12 pm
All the Starfleet Ladies Then and Now
Join Una McCormack (author of Picard: The Last Best Hope), Swapna Krishna (space, tech, and pop culture journalist), author Cassandra Rose Clarke, LJ Jackson (publicity manager at Saga Press), and moderator Kendra James (editor at StarTrek.com) examine the ladies of Star Trek from its inception to the present.
Amazon Prime Video Truth Seekers
Makes of the new Prime show discuss the making of the hilarious eight-episode series about a team of part-time paranormal investigators who team up to uncover and film ghost sightings across the UK.
Cartoon Network Studios First Look
Philip Solomon, voice of Craig, and Lucia Cunningham, voice of Craig's little sister Jessica, from the Emmy-nominated series 'Craig of the Creek' host the annual Cartoon Network Studios First Look virtual panel.
Duncanville
The cast and crew discuss their favorite moments from the season and what they're excited for in the upcoming second season.
From Script to Screen: Behind-The-Scenes of Your Favorite Film & TV Shows
Entertainment creatives discuss how they bring your favorite film and television projects from script to screen.
Paperfilms' Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner
Creators Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner chat about their co-founded company PaperFilms, reinventing DC Comics' Harley Quinn for a new generation of fans, their innovative Kickstarter projects and the importance of fans supporting both corporate and independently created comic books.
1 pm
A Look Inside "Marvel's 616" on Disney+
Executive producers Sarah Amos and Jason Sterman as they discuss the making of this Disney+ original anthology series.
Amazon Prime Video: Utopia
Join writer and executive producer Gillian Flynn and the cast of the remake of the popular British television series about a group of young comic fans who discover the conspiracy in a graphic novel is real, and embark on a high-stakes adventure to save humanity from the end of the world.
His Dark Materials Virtual Panel and Q&A Session
The cast and crew of the series discuss the series, adapted from the popular novels by Philip Pullman.
How Every Epic Fantasy Can Be . . . Epically Different
Panelists discuss literary fantasy, which provides a multiverse of fictional prisms, imagined against mythic elements, world folklore, and reimaginings of actual history.
The Women Behind Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet
Collaboration Across Gaming & Television to Create A Successful Crossover - The women behind ‘Mythic Quest’ share how they came together and leveraged their particular expertise in the gaming and television worlds to create and tell an authentic story.
2 pm
Amazon Prime Video: Upload
The cast and crew of the hit Amazon series discuss the show, and tease what to expect for Season 2.
Draw Along With Dark Horse
Join Dark Horse artists they discuss breaking into comics, visual storytelling, and the process of illustrating comics.
Horizon Zero Dawn Comes To Comics
The hit video game continues its story in the comics. Join the creators as they discuss the upcoming series!
IDW: G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes with Rob Liefeld
Veteran comic book creator Rob Liefeld shares a first look at his take on the classic G.I. Joe character.
Music for Animation
Find out what it takes to create the sonic worlds of your favorite animated shows with a collection of the industry’s best.
Shaenon Garrity in Conversation with Andrew Farago
Writer Shaenon Garrity discusses her 20-year career in creating webcomics, scripting graphic novels, editing manga, and writing the occasional sci-fi short story.
SYFY:The Roast of Todd McFarlane
Join a panel of industry greats as they commend Todd on his contributions to the industry, while simultaneously poking fun at the man who essentially "raised hell" to get where he is today.
3 pm
HBO Max and Cartoon Network Studios: Close Enough
JG Quintel, creator of the Emmy Award-winning Regular Show discusses his new show HBO Max series Close Enough with a panel and table read.
The Boys Season 2
The cast and crew gather to answer questions and discuss the show and tease what fans can expect from the highly anticipated Season 2.
The Science of Back to the Future
Join the Fleet Science Center and IDW for a closer look at the Back to the Future comic series and for an exciting reveal of a mind-blowing crossover: ‘Back to the Future meets Transformers!’
4 pm
Bugs Bunny's 80th Anniversary Extravaganza
Take a trip through eight decades of laughs and carrots when Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) presents an all-encompassing look at one of the world's most beloved and recognizable stars.
MARVEL HQ
This is the destination for all young Marvel fans (and their families)! Check out everything Marvel HQ has to offer about your favorite Super Heroes!
The Blacklist Draws on Animation to Complete Season 7 Amid Covid
The producers of ‘Blacklist’ discuss how they stepped up to the challenge of completing the season with partial animation after production was shut down due to the pandemic.
5 pm
The Science of Star Trek: Three Generations of Advice
Every titled science advisor for the Trek TV series since 1991 (season five of Star Trek: The Next Generation) joins "Dr. Trek" Larry Nemecek (Portal 47) to examine that legacy today.
Van Helsing Season 4 - Comic-Con@Home Panel Discussion
This panel will answer some fan questions, find out where Vanessa Van Helsing is and take a closer look at her epic meeting with The Dark One in Metamorphosis.
Image Comics Spotlight
Get the exclusive scoop on an exciting new project by a best-selling powerhouse creative team returning to Image for an all-new series.
6 pm
Dispatches from Middle-earth: What's new for Tolkien fans
A discussion on the new book from Garth referencing real-world places that inspired Tolkien's Middle-earth.
The League of Extraordinary Scientists and Engineers: More Science in Your Fiction
A panel of scientists discuss how comics and science fiction push scientists and engineers to rocket past what we know is possible at any given moment and into an otherwise unimaginable future.
Day 3, July 24, Friday
10 am
HBO Max: The Cartoon Network Studios Collection
Creators Myke Chilian, Stephen P. Neary, and Julia Pott, along with other cast members reveal exclusive content and provide drawing lessons of the characters.
11 am
Adventure Time: Distant Lands
BMO (Cartoon Network Studios/HBO Max) EP, Adam Muto, and voice cast Glory Curda, Olivia Olson, and Niki Yang discuss and offer a sneak peek of the second special in the series, Obsidian.
Vikings: A Look Back With The Lothbroks
Showrunner Michael Hirst and cast Travis Fimmel, Katheryn Winnick, Alex Ludwig, Clive Standen, and Jordan Patrick Smith are part of the panel that also features an exclusive look from the second half of the sixth and final season. The session is moderated by Kate Hahn
12 pm
Collider: Don’t Look Deeper Panel (Quibi)
Panelists: Don Cheadle, Emily Mortimer, Helena Howard, director Catherine Hardwicke, and co-creator Jeffrey Lieber discuss sci-fi thriller. Moderator: Perri Nemiroff
Infinity Train (Cartoon Network Studios/HBO Max)
Creator Owen Dennis, supervising director Madeline Queripel and writers Alex Horeb, Lindsay Katai, and Justin Michael come together to talk about the series and reveal a sneak peek of Book Three.
Fear The Walking Dead (AMC)
Cast Lennie James, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Colman Domingo, Danay Garcia, Karen David, Jenna Elfman, and Rubén Blades along with TWDU chief content officer Scott M. Gimple and executive producers Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg outline and talk about Season 6. Moderated by Chris Hardwick.
1 pm
Adult Swim: 'YOLO: Crystal Fantasy'
Panelists: Creator Michael Cusack, writer-actor Tod Manojlovic, and co-star Sarah Bishop. Moderator: Zach White.
AMC's 'The Walking Dead'
Panelists: Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, Josh McDermitt, Ross Marquand and Paola Lazaro along with TWDU chief content officer Scott M. Gimple, showrunner/executive producer Angela Kang and executive producer Greg Nicotero. Moderator: Chris Hardwick
2 pm
Adult Swim: '12oz Mouse'
Panelists: Creator Matt Maiellaro, voice actors Mary Spender, Ned Hastings and Paul Painter, editor John Brestan and producer-animator Nicholas Ingkatanuwat. Moderator: Max Simonet.
AMC's 'The Walking Dead: World Beyond'
Panelists: Aliyah Royale, Alexa Mansour, Hal Cumpston, Nicholas Cantu, Nico Tortorella, Julia Ormond and Joe Holt along with Scott M. Gimple and showrunner/executive producer Matt Negrete discuss new series. Moderator: Chris Hardwick
3 pm
HBO Max Adult Animation Featuring 'Robot Chicken', 'Final Space' and 'Primal/Samurai Jack'
Panelists: Seth Green, Matthew Senreich, Genndy Tartakovsky, Carl Jones, Henry Bonsu, and Olan Rogers.
Peacock Original Series: 'The Capture'
Panelists: Executive producers Ben Chanan and Rosie Alison and stars Holliday Grainger, Callum Turner, Ron Perlman, Laura Haddock and Famke Janssen. 'Helstrom'
Panelists: Paul Zbyszewski, Tom Austen, Sydney Lemmon, Elizabeth Marvel, Robert Wisdom, Ariana Guerra, June Carryl, and Alain Uy.
Moderator: Laura Prudom (Executive TV Editor, IGN).
4 pm
'Bob’s Burgers'
Panelists: Loren Bouchard, H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal, Eugene Mirman, Dan Mintz, and Larry Murphy. 'Crossing Swords'
Panelists: John Harvatine IV, Tom Root, Adam Ray, Tara Strong, Seth Green, Alanna Ubach, Adam Pally, and Yvette Nicole Brown.
Moderator: Film Critic Scott Mantz.
5 pm
FX Networks' 'Archer'
Panelists: Aisha Tyler, Chris Parnell, Judy Greer, Amber Nash, Lucky Yates, and executive producer Casey Willis.A Zoom With Joss Whedon: Panelist: Joss Whedon.
Unboxing Pandora: Season Two On The CW This Fall
Panelists: Cast members Priscilla Quintana, Oliver Dench, and Ben Radcliffe along with executive producers Mark A. Altman, Steve Kriozere and Thomas P. Vitale. Moderator: Scott Mantz
6 pm
TZGZ’s Adult Animated Originals (Syfy)
Panelists: Creators and voices of 'Wild Life', 'Hell Den', 'Magical Girl Friendship Squad', and 'Devil May Care' give exclusive sneak peeks at the new originals on the network’s late-night adult animation block. Moderator: Baron Vaughn
Day 4, July 25, Saturday
10 am
Cosmos: Possible Worlds (National Geographic/Fox)
Panelists: Creator/executive producer/director/writer Ann Druyan, host Neil deGrasse Tyson, executive producer/director/writer Brannon Braga, executive producer Jason Clark, and visual effects supervisor Jeffrey A. Okun. Introduction by: Seth MacFarlane. Includes exclusive new footage.
11 am
'The Simpsons' (20th Century Fox Television/Fox)
Panelists: Al Jean, Matt Selman, David Silverman, Carolyn Omine, and Mike B. Anderson.Moderator: Yeardley Smith
12 pm
'Bless The Harts'
Panelists: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Ike Barinholtz, Jillian Bell, and Fortune Feimster along with executive producers Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Andy Bobrow.Disney+'s
'Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe'
Panelists: Dan Povenmire, Jeff “Swampy” Marsh, director Bob Bowen and castmembers Ashley Tisdale, Vincent Martella, Maulik Pancholy and Dee Bradley Baker.
1 pm
'American Dad!'
Panelists: Brent Woods, Rachael MacFarlane, Wendy Schaal, Scott Grimes, Dee Bradley Baker, Nic Wegener, and Joe Chandler.
Disney+'s 'The Right Stuff'
Panelists: Mark Lafferty, Jennifer Davisson, Patrick J. Adams, Jake McDorman, Colin O’Donoghue, Michael Trotter, Aaron Staton, Micah Stock, James Lafferty, Nora Zehetner, Shannon Lucio, Eloise Mumford, Eric Ladin, and Patrick Fischler. Moderator: Dr. Mae Jemison.
2 pm
'Family Guy'
Panelists: Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Mila Kunis, Seth Green, Rich Appel, Alec Sulkin, and Kara Vallow.
4 pm
HBO's 'Lovecraft Country'
Panelists: Cast members Jurnee Smollett, Jonathan Majors, Michael Kenneth Williams, Aunjanue Ellis, Wunmi Mosaku, Abbey Lee and Courtney B. Vance.Moderator: Sarah Rodman.
'Stumptown'
Panelists: Cobie Smulders, Jake Johnson. and Michael Ealy joined by executive producers Jason Richman, David Bernad, Ruben Fleischer and graphic novel author Greg Rucka.
5 pm
FX Networks' 'What We Do In The Shadows'
Panelists: Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Kayvan Novak, Mark Proksch, and Harvey Guillén. Moderator: Haley Joel Osment.
Day 5, July 26, Sunday
10 am
First TMNT Film 30th Anniversary
Panelists: Producer Kim Dawson, writer Bobby Herbeck, and moderated by The Old Turtle Den’s creator Chris Castaneda. Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie.
Over30Cosplay: Virtual Costuming and Cosplay Advice and Support for the Mature Cosplayer
This panel and the ever-growing team encourage cosplayers to enter the costuming community ready to contribute to the popular art-form and culture called cosplay.
Hoops (20th Century Fox Television/Netflix)
Panelists: Voice cast Jake Johnson, Rob Riggle, Ron Funches, Natasha Leggero, Cleo King and A.D. Miles and creator/executive producer Ben Hoffman join for Q&A and first look at footage. Moderator: Max Greenfield
Motherland: Fort Salem (Freeform)
Panelists: Creator Eliot Laurence and actors Taylor Hickson, Ashley Nicole Williams, Jessica Sutton, Demetria McKinney, Amalia Holm, and Lyne Renee. The creator and cast discuss the epic first season and a look forward to season two, which expands the rich world we’ve come to know. Moderator: TVGuide.com’s Lindsay MacDonald.
11 am
NeXt (20th Century Fox Television/Fox)
Panelists: Creator/executive producer Manny Coto and cast John Slattery, Fernanda Andrade, Michael Mosley, Jason Butler Harner and Eve Harlow. Moderator: Esther Zuckerman
Jack Kirby 101: An Introduction
Comic-Con legend Mark Evanier (onetime Jack Kirby assistant, and author of 'Jack Kirby: King of Comics') and The Jack Kirby Collector's John Morrow (TwoMorrows Publishing) join The Jack Kirby Museum's Tom Kraft and Rand Hoppe for a discussion that will provide an introduction to Jack Kirby, the man, his work, and his influence on comics, comic conventions, and the culture at large.
12 pm
Comic-Con Film School
This is a nuts and bolts class on how to make a movie for very little money using available video hardware and software. Whether you're shooting your first Fortnite fan film or that story about the leather-clad girl who hunts vampires, this course will take you from script to final product so that you too can enter your own movie into the CCI: IFF.
Women On The Dark Side
Not all female artists/creators are about unicorns and glittery vampires and silly pseudo-bondage. Some women create truly dark and challenging art and content, with just a touch of humor and whimsy.
HBO Max and Cartoon Network Studios: Summer Camp Island, Fungies, Tig N Seek, Esme & Roy
Panelists: TBA
The 100
Panelists: TBA
1 pm
The Stars and Executive Producer of The Goldbergs (ABC)
Panelists: Cast members Wendi McLendon-Covey, George Segal, Sean Giambrone, Hayley Orrantia, Troy Gentile and Sam Lerner will be joined by executive producer Doug Robinson. Moderator: Gerrad Hall
Looney Tunes Cartoons (Warner Bros Animation/HBO Max)
Panelists: Executive producer Pete Browngardt, supervising producer Alex Kirwan and art director Aaron Spurgeon will be joined by voice cast members Eric Bauza, Bob Bergen, Jeff Bergman and Candi Milo and premiere a new cartoon.
2 pm
A Conversation With Nathan Fillion (Disney TV/ABC)
Showrunner Alexi Hawley talks with Fillion about his career in film and television. Special appearances: Joss Whedon, Alan Tudyk, Gina Torres, Mekia Cox, Molly Quinn, Seamus Dever and Jon Huertas.
Comic-Con @ Home is all set to take place on July 22-26.