Here at OOM we’re so excited about San Diego Comic Con! The convention takes place from Thursday, July 21 to Sunday, July 24, and features comics and all aspects of the popular arts, including hands-on workshops, film screenings, panels, autographing sessions and more. Many Scholastic authors and illustrators will be at this year’s show. Check out the schedule below to add them to your SDCC plans!
Thursday, July 21:
Panel: We Need Diverse Comics
- Panel time: 3:00pm-4:00pm
- Location: Convention Center, Room 9
- Scholastic Author: Raina Telgemeier (Ghosts)
- Description of Panel: Nidhi Chanani (Pashmina), Ben Hatke (Mighty Jack), Nilah Magruder (M.F.K.), Raina Telgemeier (Ghosts), and Ron Wimberly (Prince of Cats) discuss the current state of diversity in the comics industry; what’s changed over the past decade, and what changes still need to happen.
Panel: Make Your Own Story
- Panel time: 3:30pm-4:30pm
- Location: Convention Center, Room 24ABC
- Scholastic Author: Jenni L. Holm (Sunny Side Up)
- Description: Make Your Own Story—Kids! Join authors Jeffrey Brown (Lucy and Andy Neanderthal), John Patrick Green (Hippopotamister), Eddie Pittman (Red’s Planet), and Judd Winick (Hilo) in an interactive storytelling hour -- where you tell the story, and these authors draw it. Bring your most creative storytelling hats!
Friday, July 22:
Author Autographing Session
- Ru Xu (NewsPrints) /Raina Telgemeier(Ghosts) signing
- Signing time: 11am-12:00pm
- Autographing Area 21
Panel: CBC Programming: Events and Community Relationships for Comics and Librarians
- Panel Time: 11:00am-12:00pm
- Location: Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Public Library
- Scholastic Participants: Lizette Serrano
- Description: How can librarians work together with their communities to share the love of comics? With events like Children’s Book Week, Free Comic Book Day, Banned Book Week, and librarian-run programs, book clubs, and mini-conventions, you can spread the love of comics to your patrons. Publishers talk about their experience working with libraries on these programs and more.
Panel: You Can be the Next Scholastic Graphix Artist
- Panel time: 12:30pm-1:30pm
- Location: Convention Center, Room: 24ABC
- Scholastic Authors/Editors: Jeff Smith (BONE), Raina Telgemeier (Ghosts), Ru Xu (Newsprints), David Saylor, Cassandra Pelham, and Adam Rau
- Moderator: Brigid Alverson, Good Comics for Kids
- Description: Find out how to get published by Scholastic, the #1 graphic novel publisher for children! What does it take to be published by Scholastic’s Graphix imprint? Join Graphix editors David Saylor, Cassandra Pelham, and Adam Rau alongside authors Jeff Smith, Raina Telgemeier, and Ru Xu to find out how. And stay tuned for a special announcement!
Panel: CBC Programming: Kids Comics in 2026—What Publishers Project for the Future
- Panel time: 1:00pm-2:00pm
- Location: Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Public Library
- Scholastic Author: Ed Masessa (Wandmaker)
- Moderator: Candice Mack (senior librarian, LA Public Library)
Panel: CBC Programming: How Comics Get Created
- Panel time: 2:00pm-3:00pm
- Location: Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Public Library
- Scholastic Author: Ru Xu (NewsPrints)
- Moderator: Jack Baur, Berkeley Public Library
- Description: How do comics get made? If you have a library comics club or any aspiring young creators, it’s useful to have an understanding of the comics creative process to help them on your way! In this program, authors explain their process, demystifying comics creation for librarians. Other authors featured on panel: Nathan Hale, Stuart Moore, Gene Luen Yang.
Panel: Behind the Curtain: Creating Heroes in all Formats
- Panel Time: 4:00pm-5:00pm
- Location: Convention Center, Room: 25ABC
- Scholastic Authors: Kate Beaton (King Baby), Greg Grunberg (Dream Jumper), Dustin Nguyen (DC Comics Secret Hero Society), Raina Telgemeier (Ghosts), Lucas Turnbloom(Dream Jumper), Mike Wu (The Oodlethunks)
- Description: From secret hero societies to mystery-solving kids, graphic novels prove a picture’s worth a thousand words. Join artists Kate Beaton, Raina Telgemeier, Dustin Nyugen, Derek Fridolfs, Mike Wu, Greg Grunberg and Lucas Turnbloom as they discuss the creation of their new work.
Author Autographing Session
- Signing time: 5:30pm-6:30pm
- Location: Autographing Area 20
- Scholastic Authors: Kate Beaton (King Baby), Greg Grunberg (Dream Jumper), Dustin Nguyen (DC Comics Secret Hero Society), Raina Telgemeier (Ghosts), Lucas Turnbloom(Dream Jumper), Mike Wu (The Oodlethunks)
Saturday, July 23:
Panel: Spotlight on Kate Beaton
- Panel time: 10:30am-11:30am
- Location: Room 5AB
- Scholastic Author: Kate Beaton (King Baby)
- Description: Kate Beaton is the cartoonist behind 2015's New York Times bestseller Step Aside, Pops, as well as the wildly popular website Hark! A Vagrant. Beaton has taken the world by storm with her incisive, carefully researched, and often hilarious takes on history, literature, and pop culture. Hillary Chute (editor of Outside the Box: Interviews with Contemporary Cartoonists and Disaster Drawn: Visual Witness, Comics and Documentary Form) will lead a conversation with Beaton.
Author Autographing Session
- Signing time: 11:45am-12:45 pm
- Location: Autograhing Area 21
- Scholastic Authors: Kate Beaton(King Baby)
Author Autographing Session
- Signing time: 1:00pm-2:00pm
- Location: Autographing Area 21
- Scholastic Authors: Raina Telegemeier(Ghosts)
Author Autographing Session
- Signing time: 2:00pm-3:00pm
- Location: Kernel Booth #135
- Scholastic Authors: Matthew J. Kirby(An Assassin’s Creed Series: Last Descendants)
Sunday, July 24:
- Panel: Calling All Kids—The Great Draw-Off!
- Panel time: 10:00am-11:00am
- Location: Convention Center, Room 20CDE
- Scholastic Authors: Jenni Holm (Sunny Side Up), Lucas Turnbloom (Dream Jumper)
- Description: A panel of bestselling kids' comics creators engage in a live draw-off with audience participation. Perfect for kids of all ages! Featuring comic greats Jeffrey Brown (Jedi Academy), Nathan Hale (Hazardous Tales), Dana Simpson (Phoebe and Her Unicorn),Lucas Turnbloom (Dream Jumpers), and Judd Winnick (Hilo). This interactive experience will by moderated by sibling duo Jennifer and Matthew Holm(Babymouse, Sunny Side Up), with color commentary and sound effects by Tom Racine(Tall Tale Radio podcast).
Panel: Knock,Knock. Bestselling Kid's Book Authors Bring the Funny!
- Panel time: 11:00am-12:00pm
- Location: Convention Center, Room 25ABC
- Authors: Greg Grunberg (Dream Jumper), Lucas Turnbloom, (Dream Jumper)
- Description: Knock knock jokes. Fart noises. The word “butt.” Hilarious books for kids succeed at making everyone laugh, including grownups who haven’t quite grown up. Join bestselling children’s book authors Nathan Hale (Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series), Dan Santat (Are We There Yet?), Ed Masessa (Wandmaker), Greg Grunberg and Lucas Turnbloom (Dream Jumper), and Brandon T. Snider (Peter Powers and His Not-So-Super Powers), as they discuss their personal formulas for creating funny books…and getting paid for it! Leave the milk at home, as there are no guarantees it won't come shooting out of your nose while watching this panel.
Panel: Creating Diverse Worlds and Cultures (Tag: #WNDB)
- Location: Convention Center, Room 28DE
- Panel Time: 12:00pm-1:00pm
- Scholastic Authors: Michael Spradlin (The Enemy Above), Ru Xu (NewsPrints)
- Description: A lot of science fiction fantasy takes place in worlds inspired by Western and European cultures. How can writers break that trend and create fully-developed, unique cultures for their stories? Join moderator Michael Spradlin and authors Stacey Lee (Outrun the Moon), Indra Das (The Devourers), Damian Duffy and John Jennings (Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation), Elizabeth Briggs (Future Shock), and Ru Xu (NewsPrints) to talk about how they developed inclusive futures (and presents and pasts).
Panel: How (and Why) Kids Started Reading Comics Again
- Panel time: 12:00pm-1:00pm
- Location: Convention Center, Room 25ABC
- Scholastic Author: Raina Telgemeier (Ghosts)
- Description: How (and why) did comics and graphic novels for kids go from a sliver of the market to dominating the sales charts? And what's next for the category? New York Timesbestselling cartoonist Raina Telgemeier (Drama, Sisters) and children's librarian Eva Volin are joined by comic industry insiders Gina Gagliano (marketing manager, First Second Books), Adam Staffaroni (senior editor, ROAR Comics), and Sarah Gaydos(editor, IDW) to discuss their theories. Moderated by Josh Elder (executive director, Reading With Pictures).
Author Autographing Session
- Signing time: 12:30pm-1:30pm
- Location: Autographing Area 09
- Scholastic Authors: Greg Grunberg (Dream Jumper), Lucas Turnbloom, (Dream Jumper)
Author Autographing Session
- Autographing time: 1:00pm-2:00pm
- Location: Kernel Booth #135
- Scholastic Authors: Matthew J. Kirby (An Assassin’s Creed Series: Last Descendent)
Panel: YA? Why Not? The Importance of Teen and Young Adult Comics
- Location: Convention Center, Room: 24ABC
- Panel Time: 1:00pm-2:00pm
- Scholastic Author: Raina Telgemeier (Ghosts)
- Description: Once the fastest growing genres in literature, YA books have grown beyond babysitting and first loves. BOOM! Studios senior editor Sierra Hahn and creators Hope Larson (Goldie Vance,Compass South), Raina Telgemeier (Smile, Drama), Cecil Castellucci(Shade, The Changing Girl, Moving Target: Princess Leia) and Brenden Fletcher (Gotham Academy) discuss the significance of these emerging categories of comics and what they mean for modern literacy.
Panel: Assassin’s Creed Last Descendants Author Matthew J. Kirby
- Location: Convention Center, Room: 23ABC
- Panel time: 2:30pm-3:30pm
- Scholastic Author: Matthew J. Kirby (An Assassin’s Creed Series: Last Descendents)
- Description: Attention, young adult readers and gamers! Aymar Azaizia (head of content), Andrien Gbinigie (community manager), and Matthew J. Kirby, author of the new young adult series Last Descendants discuss bringing the game to life on the page. Assassin's Creed cosplayers will win contest prizes!
