Comic-Con 2026: Full Schedule

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10:00am PDT

Friday July 24, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT

Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Library

Adventure awaits. Danielle McKechnie (Otto Normal's Monsterton) and fellow authors Simon Estrada (Otto Normal's Monsterton), Arianna Irwin (Penelope's Escape from the Platypusary and 101 Dalmatians: Penny's Big Splash), Mike Maihack (Spider-Man: Mighty Mayhem! [A Mighty Marvel Team-Up]), Samuel Sattin (Unico Awakening), and Katie Longua (Agent Cupcake) discuss how action-packed stories spring off the page and engage middle-grade readers and teens alike.

Friday July 24, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Library

1: Programs, Action/Adventure, Art and Illustration, Books, Comics, Education, Kids, Library Programs, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Superheroes, Writers & Writing

11:00am PDT

Building Connections with Middle-Grade Graphic Novels

Friday July 24, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Library

From shared communities to bonds with family and friends, connections help young readers understand themselves in the world. Daniel Sulzberg (Unicons), James Burks (Box Tales: Grow, Strawberries, Grow!), Gale Galligan (The Baby-Sitters Club), Rob Thompson (Feo the Chupacabra), and Sequoia Blankenship (Feo the Chupacabra) share stories centered on empathy, trust, and belonging.

Friday July 24, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Library

1: Programs, Art and Illustration, Books, Comics, Education, Kids, Library Programs, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Writers & Writing

12:00pm PDT

Drawing Courage: YA Graphic Novels That Speak Up

Friday July 24, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT

Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Library

These stories can't keep quiet any longer. Julie Fiveash (The Froggy Library), Jarrett Dapier (Wake Now in the Fire), Tilly Bridges (Just Another Summer), Susan Bridges (Just Another Summer), R. Sikoryak (Declaration/Emancipation Illustrated), and Rob Reger (Emily the Strange (25th Anniversary Edition)) discuss how graphic novels shape moments of standing up and speaking out to initiate change.

Friday July 24, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Library

1: Programs, Anniversaries, Art and Illustration, BIPOC, Books, Comics, Education, Kids, LGBTQIA+, Library Programs, Writers & Writing

1:00pm PDT

Visual Literacy for Early Readers

Friday July 24, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Library

Creators Julio Anta (Speak Up, Santiago!; Sol Goes for the Goal), Stephen Shaskan (author/illustrator, Pizza and Taco), Trisha Speed Shaskan (author, Itty Bitty Witch), and Dora Wang (author/illustrator, Pocket Peaches) and creator-educators Chris Pearce (cartoonist, Big Fat Notebook study guides) and Jana Tropper (Animal Rescue Friends; speech-language pathologist) discuss how they scaffold early visual literacy skills. From overall story construction to artistic choices within a single panel, understanding visual images—including identifying literal and nonliteral meanings, making predictions, and connecting images with background knowledge and other media—is a critical skill for young readers. Creators share examples from their work, educators discuss classroom use, and time is reserved for Q&A.

Friday July 24, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Library

1: Programs, Art and Illustration, Books, Cartooning and Comic Strips, Comics, Education, Kids, Library Programs, Writers & Writing

2:00pm PDT

Super Teachers Unite! Engaging Students with Comics in the Classroom

Friday July 24, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm PDT

Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Library

Educators discuss how incorporating comics into the curriculum can increase engagement and access for students while building literacy skills. Panelists Erica Aguirre Tan (history/ethnic studies teacher, ABC Unified), Jaime Diego Chavez (school counselor, San Diego USD), Scott Nielsen (mild/moderate special education teacher, Grossmont UHSD), Ella "Dizzy" Rogosin (history teacher, Sweetwater UHSD), Lorran Garrison (school psychologist, Little Brainstorm), Sue Bourrillion (para educator, San Diego USD), and Mike Cruz (elementary teacher, Temecula Valley USD) share classroom strategies, resources, and tools, along with how the Comic-Con Educator Book Club connects teachers across the region. Moderated by Jewyl Alderson (San Diego County Office of Education).

Friday July 24, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm PDT
Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Library

1: Programs, Comics, Education, Historical, Library Programs

3:00pm PDT

What Now?! Comics Censorship in Schools and Libraries

Friday July 24, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT

Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Library

Comic books are under attack in schools and libraries across the country. This panel covers the latest threats, what is being done, what to know, and ways to help protect the freedom to read comics. Featuring Jeff Trexler (interim director, CBLDF), Gamal Hennessy (comic book attorney), Moni Barrette (comics librarian), and Mary Ellen Stout (lecturer, SDSU), with a surprise guest creator.

Friday July 24, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Library

1: Programs, BIPOC, Books, Cartooning and Comic Strips, Comics, Education, Historical, Kids, LGBTQIA+, Library Programs

4:00pm PDT

Comics in the Classroom: The Benefits of a Comics-Based Curriculum

Friday July 24, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT

Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Library

Bryant Dillon (president, Fanbase Press) leads comics creators, librarians, and educators, including John Jennings (professor, UC Riverside), Ryan Claytor (Elephant Eater Comics; self-publisher, artist, and professor), Dr. Katlin Marisol Sweeney-Romero Pack (assistant professor, UC Davis), Jack Phoenix (comics librarian), and Shane Portman (writer, Shrub), in a discussion of why comics serve as valuable classroom resources and approaches for selecting and integrating comics into curriculum.

Friday July 24, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Library

1: Programs, Comics, Education, Library Programs

5:00pm PDT

Pow! Bang! Teach! Comic-Con in the Classroom!

Friday July 24, 2026 5:00pm - 6:00pm PDT

Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Library

Patrick Meehan (ELA teacher, SDUSD), Nancy Burks (social studies teacher, SDUSD), and Maya Bellistri (librarian, SDUSD) discuss how the myriad aspects of Comic-Con can transform the ordinary classroom into a creative, collaborative, and engaging learning environment that complements the needs of today's students and educators. The panel includes handouts and resources for educators, as well as freebies for kids.

Friday July 24, 2026 5:00pm - 6:00pm PDT
Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Library

1: Programs, Education, Fandom, Kids, Library Programs

Comic-Con 2026

10:00am PDT

11:00am PDT

12:00pm PDT

1:00pm PDT

2:00pm PDT

3:00pm PDT

4:00pm PDT

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