Where are my NYCC-bound nerds at? On this New York City Comic Con edition of the Round-Up, we’re diving into the recently announced panel programming for this year’s New York Comic Con coming to East Coast geeks from October 3-6th at the Jacob J. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. We are sharing some of our top picks for panels to check out that engage in, and also celebrate, discussions around representation, inclusion, and diversity in fandom.
Let’s take a look at what’s on offer for Thursday and Friday first, shall we?
Thursday
BOOM! Studios: Creating Community Through Graphic Novels
10:30-11:15am | NYPL 476 5th Ave – Salomon Room
Graphic Novels are now being created for every audience, offering unique opportunities for authors to share their diverse experiences and help readers discover more about the world outside their window. Join special guests Gaby Dunn (Bury The Lede), Cecil Castellucci (Girl on Film), Bryan Edward Hill (Joss Whedon’s Angel), Simon Spurrier (Coda), Sina Grace (Ghosted in LA) and James Tynion IV (Something is Killing The Children) for a thought-provoking discussion about creating community through the power of graphic novels. Moderated by Sierra Hahn (Executive Editor, BOOM! Studios).
Source: BOOM! Studios
Graphic Orientalism: Deconstructing Asian Identity in Comics
10:30-11:15am | NYPL 476 5th Ave – Celeste Auditorium
Representation matters, but is all representation good? In this panel, we’ll hone in on the representation of Asian characters in comics, from superheroes like Shang-Chi to regular kids like Priyanka Das. We’ll also look at graphic novel memoirs that reveal true life experiences of Asian comics creators. Join this panel of librarians/educators as we discuss the importance of Asian representation and how we can support it in our libraries and classrooms. A reading list will be provided.
Source: Marvel
#OwnVoices: Why Diversity Matters
11:30-12:15pm | NYPL 476 5th Ave – Room 78
#OwnVoices is a Twitter hashtag (created by Corinne Duyvis) used to highlight diverse stories written by diverse authors. But how do we support #OwnVoices without pigeonholing comic creators? In this panel, librarians and educators will discuss the impact of #OwnVoices on the comics community and discuss various ways we can support and amplify marginalized voices in our libraries, classrooms, and communities. A reading list will be provided.
It’s Not Easy Being Teen: Young Adult Heroes of Color in Comics and Graphic Novels
11:30-12:15pm | NYPL 476 5th Ave – Celeste Auditorium
This panel celebrates YA comic book and graphic novel creators of color whose books capture the zany, gritty, and fastasmagorically complex worlds of teenagers. Join us for a conversation about the earthly and otherworldly adventures that stretch our imaginations and teach us about the power we each possess to change our world. Presented by The Black Comics Collective.
Source: Facebook
The Library is Open: Building Inclusive Comics Libraries in the Classroom
11:30-12:15pm | NYPL 476 5th Ave – Trustees Room
Looking to build an amazing and inclusive comics library? We’ve got you covered! Join an experienced group of educators and help generate an ideal comics library list for your classroom, school, home, and beyond. Special attention will be given to language accessibility, diverse representation of all kinds, different audiences, and a range of creators. This panel will be an interactive discussion and participants will leave with an annotated comics wishlist and resources for further exploration.
Invisible Latinx Vol 2!
12:15-1:15pm | Room 1B03 – Javits Center
Latinx representation is growing in mainstream media with the popularity Into the Spider-Verse, Vida, Marvel’s Runaways, and comic book characters like America Chavez and Miles Morales. In the past couple of years television, comics, and film have begun expanding their number of Latinx characters. However, there is no one way to be Latinx. Yet, Latinx rep tends to fall into well worn tropes with many Latinx people feeling misrepresented, under represented, or left out completely. In our previous panel we kicked things off by exploring what we saw in Latinx Representation across all media. This year we will discuss what we have seen happen in the past year. What’s new? What’s the same? What we wish never happened. And what and what we hope to see in the future for Latinx representation.
Source: Marvel
Truth is a Superpower!
1:30-2:15pm | NYPL 476 5th Ave – Room 78
In this age of increasing hate and division, we need a new type of superhero. Books have the power to lift the spirits of people who might feel isolated and afraid, but they can also serve to create compassion in people who may have turned their backs on others out of ignorance. By sharing their own truth in the form of graphic novel memoirs, creative people have the power to make a difference in the world. When writers and artists are from marginalized groups in our society, their task is even more heroic and vitally important. Join Liz Frances, the publisher of the new press Street Noise Books, in conversation with this group of modern superheroes, graphic memoir authors: Bishakh Som, Maria Sweeney, Marguerite Dabaie, and Sharon Lee De La Cruz.
Gangsters, Lovers, Heroes, Warriors, & Gods: Jack Kirby’s Women
1:30-2:30pm | Room 1A02 – Javits Center
With the Eternals and New Gods movies in development, Jack Kirby is about to get red hot again. Kirby didn’t just co create much of Marvel, he developed a wide cast of women characters that have stood the test of time. What makes Kirby’s women characters like Big Barda, Jean Grey and even historical figures like Ma Barker so lasting? We’ll be looking at what works, what’s flawed and why it’s worth it. With moderator Elana Lavin (Graphic Policy,) Erica Henderson (Squirrel Girl), Heidi MacDonald (The Beat), Jay Justice and Cecil Castellucci (Harley Quinn: Broken Glass) and Meg Downey (Game Spot)!
Source: Jack Kirby Museum
Body Positivity and Intro into Cosplay Fitness
2:45-3:45pm | Cosplay Central Stage – River Pavilion, 4th Floor Javits Center
My Panel is a collection of 6 unique individuals all with different, races, gender, sexual orientation, diet preferences, and age. We plan to discuss how to cope with your body image how we have used our own experiences to deal with body image and a beginning look into how to start a healthy lifestyle for those looking to make a healthy change.
Putting It All Out There: SFF and Mental Health
2:45-3:45pm | Room 1A18 – Javits Center
Is mental health treated well in SFF lit? From 1984 to The Magicians, does SFF handle mental illness and treatment in a fair way? Is its portrayal biased? Are there examples of mental health in SFF where use of medication and therapy are encouraged/helpful vs harmful? Shaun Hamill (A Cosmology of Monsters), Lauren Shippen (The Infinite Noise), and Stephen Graham Jones (The Only Good Indians), put it all out there in their discussion of their works in conversation with Princess Weekes (Assistant Editor, The Mary Sue).
Entertainment is LGBTQ
3:00-4:00pm | Room 1A21 – Javits Center
BOOM! Studios and GLAAD present an in-depth roundtable discussion about LGBTQ representation in pop culture and the path forward to a brighter, more inclusive future, with special guests from all corners of the entertainment world including Gaby Dunn (Bad With Money, Bury The Lede), Sina Grace (Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers, Ghosted in LA), Royal Dunlap (b.b. free), James Tynion IV (Justice League, Something is Killing The Children), Vita Ayala (Live Wire), Megan Townsend (Director of Entertainment Research & Analysis, GLAAD) and more. Moderated by Mathew Rodriguez (Associate Editor, The Body).
The New Comics Creator: How Diversity is Leading to More Opportunities for All Creators
4:45-5:45pm | Room 1C03 – Javits Center
The face of comics isn’t just changing, it’s expanding. There isn’t just one face of comics anymore, it’s now a diverse line up of different shapes, colors, creeds, etc. Join Comics Experience’s founder Andy Schmidt to learn how the diversification of comics creators and comics content go hand in hand, and the advantages to comics as a whole. Learn what kind of background and training/education these new comics creators come from, and you’ll see why comics are changing and why it’s a good thing!
Cons, Cosplay, and Consent
5:15-6:15pm | Cosplay Central Stage – River Pavilion, 4th Floor Javits Center
Hugging? Flirting? Complimenting? Photography? In the era of the “Me, Too” movement, people are more aware of appropriate boundaries. This panel is designed to empower participants to lean towards creating a positive culture of consent and accountability. It’s important to have a candid, open dialogue. In this panel, we’ll explore what type of contact is and is not okay. We’ll have fun, clever, participatory, games to show how best to describe consent with a large group. Just because someone is in cosplay, it doesn’t give anyone license to violate their boundaries and online harassment can inflict legitimate harm with difficult consequences. Although the subject matter is very serious, we intend approach it with respect and with levity at appropriate times. We would rate this panel PG-13.
Source: Comics Beat
New York TimesOUT Presents LGBTQ+ in Comics
6:30-7:30pm | Room 1A18 – Javits Center
Join moderator Jude Bersdorfer as she speaks with panelists – Jen Bartel (Blackbird), Andrew Shayde (Monsters Among Us), Vita Ayala (Xena: Warrior Princess), Sina Grace (Iceman) and Mariko Tamaki (Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me) – about their careers, their current projects, and LGBTQ+ representation in the Comic Book Industry.
Source: Out
Wonder Women- Female CEOs Who Are Owned and Operated Publishers
6:30-7:30pm | Room 1B03 – Javits Center
One day a female comic publisher will be standard-until then, we have Wonder Women! All panelists are female-owned and operated comic publishers. These ladies lead by example: Sandy King Carpenter (Storm King Comics), Paula Garces ( The World of Aluna), & Tina Fine (OffGirl).
Hip-Hop And Comics: Cultures Combining
7:45-8:45pm | Room 1A18 – Javits Center
Hip-Hop and comics share influences and inspirations and have regularly intersected over the last five decades: rappers and graffiti artists utilize cartoon imagery; producers assemble new universes with sound; comics and animation incorporate Hip-Hop’s music and visual vocabulary; both forms reconfigure existing elements to create vital new works; and passionate fandoms have formed around their characters and personalities. Here, Patrick A. Reed (Depth Of Field) brings together visual and musical innovators to discuss how these artistic cultures mix and intertwine.
Friday
Not Your Mom’s Rom-Com: Modern Love in YA
11:00-12:00pm | Room 1A02 – Javits Center
Nothing satisfies quite like a great romantic comedy and these authors know just how to bring fresh new takes to tried and true recipes. Whether it’s by adding diverse POVs to the mix or deconstructing and re-examining tropes through a modern lens, the com and the rom are expertly whipped up into decadent reads guaranteed to charm and delight even the most love-hardened cynic. Find out why these authors return to this genre time and again and get ready to meet-cute your next favorite read.
Prop Shop Talk with the Women of SheProp!
12:15-1:15pm | Cosplay Central Stage – River Pavilion, 4th Floor Javits Center
Can you walk that prop AND talk that shop but sometimes feel like an outsider in many of the online maker forums? We do too! Join members of SheProp!, the costume and prop-making forum for women and LGBTQIA+ creators, as we answer all of your cosplay and prop-making questions! SheProp! has quickly become a vital presence within the cosplay community, providing a safe space for creators of all skill levels to receive support, encouragement and empowerment! Moderated by SheProp! founder Beverly Downen of Downen Creative Studios.
Source: Facebook
When it’s More Than Teen Angst: Trauma in Speculative YA Fiction
12:15-1:15pm | Room 1A02 – Javits Center
Slaying monsters and overthrowing corrupt governments can take its toll on a kid. Six YA authors discuss how teen characters cope with the trauma that comes with the territory of surviving in a speculative world.
YOU WILL BE FOUND: Broadway’s Dear Evan Hansen
12:30-1:30pm | Room 1A10 – Javits Center
The Tony & Grammy Award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen has been called “a cultural phenomenon” by the Los Angeles Times and been declared “one of the most remarkable shows in musical theater history” by the Washington Post. Now in its third year on Broadway, this deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical is also playing across North America and in London. Join current Broadway cast members (including Andrew Barth Feldman, who plays Evan Hansen) and creative team members from the groundbreaking hit show as they discuss responsibly bringing the mental health conversation to Broadway, being one of the first musicals to authentically tackle the complicated world of social media, and balancing the show’s challenging themes with its humor.
Source: Dear Evan Hansen
The Creative Community, Disability, and Chronic Illness. Representation, and Strategies for Living, Working, and Thriving
1:30-2:30pm | Room 1B03 – Javits Center
Disabilities, both visible and invisible, can make working in the deadline-intensive, yet creatively rewarding fields of comics/gaming/geek culture especially challenging. Managing energy, coping with pain, depression or other mental health issues, and the added cost of being self employed (no employer benefits) are all candidly discussed in this panel which features professional creators who all have disabilities or chronic health concerns. They will not only share their challenges, but their strategies for success, while being open and honest about their work and their lives, and the way they are perceived by clients. Brandon Kazen-Maddox will provide ASL translation services.
Women in Fandom and Industry Meetup
2:00-2:45pm | Room 1C03 – Javits Center
Welcome to the Women in Fandom Meetup, a welcoming space for anyone who identifies as a woman to chill and connect. Come with your friends, show off your cosplay, and network with professionals about working in the creative industries of comics, book publishing, and online media. Share the love using #NYCCMeetups #NYCC
Afropunks & Blerds: The Black Nerd Renaissance Part 3
2:45-3:45pm | Room 1B03 – Javits Center
We’re back for the third year and we’ve got our freak flags waving higher than ever. Join us for a lively conversation about representation and inclusivity in pop culture.
Source: Afropunk
Black Heroes Matter
4:00-5:00pm | Room 1A02 – Javits Center
The Black Heroes Matter Panel is an open dialogue centered on portrayals of Black heroism in contemporary pop culture. Focus is placed on the cultural renaissance we find ourselves in the midst of; highlighted by the unprecedented success of Black Panther, and the mass appeal of Get Out, and Us.
Rebuilding and Reinventing the Modern Girl Through Stories
5:15-6:15pm | Room 1A02 – Javits Center
We’re in a post Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel world, well into a time where we all know that girls and women can kick ass and be strong protagonists. That girls can grow up to be President or walk on the moon, or be a Queen or a Superhero. But there are a lot of old stereotypes that still persist. How do we reinvent the new girl order to build new characters for the enlightened girl? How do we pay tribute to the heroines of the past while still looking toward the future? What’s the difference between writing established heroines and creating your own? What do creators and fans want out of a powerful female protagonist? And how can we best support these characters both new and old to usher in a whole new era of great girlhood stories? Join a diverse group of creators as they discuss the challenges of building modern heroines in a variety of mediums for the modern girl.
Saga Press Presents: Indigenous Voices in SFF/H
5:15-6:15pm | Room 1A18 – Javits Center
The new wave of speculative fiction gives voices to the historically silenced. Finally, that trend passes onto the voices of indigenous and native people in the United States. Join authors Rebecca Roanhorse, Stephen Graham Jones, and more to discuss the emerging voices of native people in sci-fi, fantasy, and horror literature.
Source: Barnes and Noble
¡Sí se puede! Native American & Latinx Representation in Comics
8:00-9:00pm | Room 1A21 – Javits Center
Black, brown and native history is becoming more prominent in the comic book industry. Finally, readers are able see themselves in pictures and words in ways that have never been done before. Latinx comics creators Henry Barajas & J. Gonzo (La Voz De M.A.Y.O. Tata Rambo) discuss how self-publishing comics is the best way to reclaim one’s voice and culture.
“Crazy” Talk: Mental Health, Pop Culture, and the Future
9:00-10:00pm | Room 1A02 – Javits Center
Does mental health represent the next wave of diversity in comics, or is that just “crazy” talk? Alex Segura (Co-President, Archie Comics), Jim Higgins (freelance writer, editor, consultant), and creative talent (FINAL CONFIRMATION PENDING) join forensic psychiatrists Vasilis K. Pozios, M.D., and Praveen Kambam, M.D., (Broadcast Thought) to discuss the state of mental health media representation and how a mental health/pop culture partnership can be a “win-win” for both the entertainment industry and people with mental illnesses. Moderated by attorney Jeff Trexler (The Comics Journal, The Beat).
Which panel are you most excited about seeing at #NYCC? Did we miss anything you think we absolutely need to share? Post in the comments!
