The Comic-Con Conference for Educators and Librarians is coming to SDCC. Comic-Con International and the San Diego Public Library are collaborating to host a free five-day conference for educators and librarians. The conference will take place at the San Diego Central Library during Comic-Con from July 19-23 and will explore the role of comics in promoting education and literacy for all ages.

Attendees will learn creative and exciting ways to incorporate comics and other popular arts into their work. The conference will feature presentations and panel discussions, and it hopes to engage the community and promote comics as a medium for learning.

Space is limited, so registration is strongly encouraged.

Comic-Con Conference for Educators and Librarians Panel Info and Schedule

Wednesday, July 19th, 2023 Panel Info

• Teaching With Comics Workshops | 4 – 6 p.m.  A hands-on workshop showing how to enhance student comprehension through the introduction of comic books in the classroom. Motivate students with comics that resonate with their individual identities and interests.  Presenters: Peter Carlson (Green Dot Public Schools), Susan Kirtley (Portland State University), and Antero Garcia (Stanford University)

Thursday, July 20 |Library Panels| Panel Details

• 10:00 a.m. | Libraries and the Challenges They Face in 2023

Betsy Gomez (Office of Intellectual Freedom), Moni Barrette (president, GNCRT; co-founder, Creators Assemble!), Mychal Threets (supervising librarian, Solano County Library), Xaime Aceves Equihua (associate therapist) and Jack Phoenix (collection development manager, Cuyahoga Falls Library; author, Maximizing the Impact of Comics in Your Library)

• 11:00 a.m. | Horror at the Library: Junji Ito

Junji Ito (Creator, Uzumaki, Black Paradox)

• 12:00 p.m. | fREADom Fighters on the Front Lines: Advocating Against Book Bans

Amanda Lorge (Librarian, San Diego Public Library, primary source literacy instructor), Joel Bakker (Librarian, San Diego Public Library, Educators Unite! chair), and Helen Schalk (Librarian, San Diego Public Library)

• 1:00 p.m. | Bridging the Digital Gap Between Comics Publishers and Libraries

Barbra Dillon (editor-in-chief, Fanbase Press), Matthew Noe (librarian, Harvard Medical School), Tina Lerno (comics librarian), Moni Barrette (director of collection development & publisher relations, Library Pass), Dr. Theresa Rojas (founding director, The Latinx Comic Arts Expo) and Dr. Katlin Marisol Sweeney-Romero (assistant professor, World Cinema and Digital Media Studies)

• 2:00 p.m. | Connecting with Your Community Through Comics

Betsy Gomez (ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom), Christina Taylor (youth services consultant at Texas State Library and Archives Commission) and Jana Tropper (director of literacy, Reading with Pictures; speech-language pathologist, Animal Rescue Friends)

• 3:00 p.m. | A Crash Course in Media Literacy

Samuel C. Spitale (How to Win the War on Truth: An Illustrated Guide to How Mistruths Are Sold, Why They Stick, and How to Reclaim Reality)

• 4:00 p.m. | Teaching with Comics: Family Edition

Tim Smyth (Teaching with Comics) and Joan Smyth (eighth-grade language arts educator) with their children Charlotte age 17, Liam age 15 and Teagan age 13

• 5:00 p.m. | Comics Pedagogy: Teaching Outside the Panel

Friday, July 21 |Publisher Panels| Panel Details

• 10:00 a.m. | Familiar Faces

Mike Maihack (Spider-Man: Animals Assemble! (A Mighty Marvel Team-Up), Comic-Con Special Guest Raina Telgemeier (Smile), Gene Luen Yang (The Books of Clash Volume 1: Legendary Legends of Legendarious Achievery) and Dr. Lesley S. J. Farmer (professor of library media, CSULB teacher librarian program coordinator)

• 11:00 a.m. | Fantastic Adventures

Nichole Santangelo (TE(A)M teacher), Franco Aureliani (Fae and the Moon), Odunze Oguguo, a.k.a. Whyt Manga (Apple Black), Lucas Turnbloom (Steve L. McEvil and the Second Wind), Gabriel Valentin (Digital Lizards of Doom) and F. C. Yee (Chronicles of the Avatar) and Lisa Harrison (middle-school teacher)

• 12:00 p.m. | Growing and Becoming

Tina Lerno (digital content librarian and comics specialist, Los Angeles Public Library), Deb JJ Lee (In Limbo), Jose Pimienta (Twin Cities), Dan Santat (A First Time for Everything), and Victoria Ying (Hungry Ghost)

• 1:00 p.m. |Filling the Shelves

Gina Bottini (program specialist, Secondary Professional Development Center), Yukiko Chavez (library media technician, Vista Unified School District), Rich Johnson (VP of sales and business development, Diamond Books), Art Baltazar (YAHGZ: The Craynobi Tales), Kazu Kibuishi (Amulet), Jana Tropper (Animal Rescue Friends) and Dr. Lesley S. J. Farmer (professor of library media, California State University Long Beach Teacher Librarian Program Coordinator)

• 2:00 p.m. | Interactive and In-Person

Mac Barnett (The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza), Jonathan Case (Little Monarchs), Nidhi Chanani (Shark Princess #2: Shark Party), Mark Fearing (Welcome to Feral), and Dan Santat (A First Time for Everything) offer some possibilities, guided by Moni Barrette (president, Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table, American Library Association)

• 3:00 p.m. | All Together Now: Find Your Voice!

Christina Taylor (youth services consultant, Texas State Library and Archives Commission), Samuel Sattin (Buzzing), Sarah Sax (Picture Day), and Comic-Con Special Guest Steenz (Lost and Found—Heart of the City book 2) and others.

• 4:00 p.m. | Unstoppable Forces

Matthew Noe (lead collection and knowledge management librarian, Harvard Medical School), Rina Ayuyang (The Man in the McIntosh Suit), Kate Glasheen (Constellations), Matt Tavares (Hoops) and Jasmine Walls (Brooms)

• 5:00 p.m. | Centers and Certificates: Comics Go to College

Elizabeth Pollard (professor of History; co-director of the Center for Comics Studies), Pamela Jackson (comic arts curator; co-director of the Center for Comics Studies, San Diego State University), Susan Kirtley (professor of English, Portland State University), Travis Langley (professor of psychology, Henderson State University) and Kate Kelp-Stebbins (professor of English, University of Oregon)

Saturday, July 22 |Educator Panels| Panel Details

• 10:00 a.m. | Comics, Cultures, and Classrooms

Chanti Burnette (Ánimo South Los Angeles High School), Timothy Ojetunde (WestEd) and Peter Carlson (Green Dot Public Schools), moderated by Angie Amador (Green Dot Public Schools)

• 11:00 a.m. | Comics Studies at Michigan State University

Ryan Claytor (professor, coordinator of the MSU Comics minor)

• 12:00 p.m. | Kapow, Woosh, Zap! Engaging Students with Comics in the Classroom

Jaime Chavez (intervention counselor, San Diego Unified), Mick Rabin (resource counselor, Youth Advocacy Department, San Diego Unified), Ella “Dizzy” Rogosin (teacher, Sweetwater Union High School District), Ed Lim (teacher, Bonita Vista High School) and Lorran Garrison (school psychologist), with moderator Jewyl Alderson (San Diego County Office of Education)

• 1:00 p.m. | Comics on Campus: Academia vs. Fandom (Battle or a Collab?)

Dr. Chris Wildrick (professor, Syracuse University), Dr. Christina Knopf (Professor, State University of New York Cortland) and Dr. Billy Obenauer (Professor, University of Maine) and Bailey Day (MBA Graduate), with moderator Ed Catto (professor, Ithaca College)

• 2:00 p.m. | Science in Middle-Grade Sci-Fi

Greg Van Eekhout (Voyage of the Dogs), Cecil Castellucci (Flash Facts contributor, Supergirl), Lisa Will (resident astronomer, Fleet Science Center) and Ronald Coleman (Ph.D. in regenerative medicine), with moderator Andrea Decker (scientist engagement manager, Fleet Science Center)

• 3:00 p.m. | Engineering Superhero Technology

Presenter: Chris Garcia (STEAM professor and middle school administrator)

• 4:00 p.m. | Comics Change the World: Comics Activism Then to Now

Pamela Jackson (history professor and co-director of the Center for Comics Studies, San Diego State University), Elizabeth Pollard (popular culture librarian and co-director of the Center for Comics Studies, San Diego State University) and Betsy Gomez (American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom)

• 5:00 p.m. | Afghan Youth Art and Poetry Exchange

Find out how a group of San Diego students created Flowers for the Future to help Afghan girls continue their education and turned it into an international all-volunteer student-to-student learning platform.

Sunday, July 23 |GeekED| Panel Details

• 10:00 a.m. | Admissions Departments Emitting Geek Vibes: College Course Focused on Pop Culture

Professors Dr. Chris Wildrick (Syracuse University), Dr. Christina Knopf (State University of New York Cortland), Rob Salkowitz (University of Oregon), Dr. Billy Obenauer (University of Maine), and Bailey Day (MBA graduate), with moderator Ed Catto (professor, Ithaca College)

• 11:00 a.m. | What Would Aunt May Do? Supporting Heroes: Bystander Intervention on College Campuses

Alfred Day (University of California Berkeley), Emilie Mitchell (University of California Berkeley), JonJon Junpradub (College of the Siskiyous), Dr. Alison Cares (University of Central Florida), Dr. Matthew Atherton (California State University San Marcos) and Dr. Zachary Hays (California State University Bakersfield)

• 12:00 p.m. | GeekEd: The Marvels

Dr. Sunny Lee (University of California Berkeley), Dr. Emily Sandoval (University of Southern California), Alex Belisario (University of California Santa Cruz), Geralyn Williams (Pace Center), Dr. Martha Enciso (California State University Fullerton) and Dr. Marcelle Hayashida (University of California Irvine)

• 1:00 p.m. | GeekEd: Caring for the Nerd Mind

Dr. David Surratt (University of Oklahoma), Jada Anderson (University of Maryland), Christine Catipon (Stanford University), Edgar Palmer (University of Southern California), and Greedley F. Harris (University of Southern California)

• 2:00 p.m. | GeekEd: Lessons from the Snap

Presenters: Brian MacDonald (University of California Los Angeles), Alfred Day (University of California Berkeley), Peter Limthongviratn (University Southern California), La’Tonya Rease Miles (Higher Ed Consulting), Aysa Cook (Occidental College) and Greedley F. Harris (University of Southern California)

Register The Comic-Con Conference for Educators and Librarians

The Conference is free to attend, but space is limited, and registration is strongly encouraged for each day.