Friday brings the Oscars of the comics industry as Comic-Con hosts the 37th annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, a highlight of any year.
But if you don't want to attend an awards show, check out the panel recommendations below. Also, remember to stop by the Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival (CCI-IFF), held daily in the Marriott Grand Ballroom 6, for films on geeky topics and a refreshing, air-conditioned break from the crowds and lines. There is also an anime room playing your favorite shows all day and into the night at Grand 4 in the Marriott for additional relaxed viewing.
Also a reminder: You can visit fan tables in the mezzanine, the art show at the Manchester Grand Hyatt and Artist Alley inside the exhibit hall.
Cosplay | Comics History| Creators | Monsters | TV + Film | Women | Culture | Academic | Games
More picks are coming for Saturday and Sunday, so stay tuned. You can also find the full official Comic-Con schedule here.
All panels listed below are on Friday, July 25.
If you love costumes, cosplay and creativity on display:
- Costume to Cosplay: How It’s Changed in 50 Years | 10 a.m., Grand 12 & 13, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
- Cosplay 102: Taking It to the Next Level and Beyond | 11 a.m., Grand 12 & 13, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
* Celebrating the Puppetry Arts | 12 p.m., Grand 12 & 13, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
I have never been to a puppetry panel, so I am intrigued!
* Witch House: Set Decoration of the Supernatural | 2 p.m., Room 9
This has a Halloween vibe, courtesy of the Set Decorators Society of America.
- 3D Printing the Star Wars Universe | 3 p.m., Room 7AB
- How to Build Cosplay Armor and Props with Anvil Station | 6 p.m., Grand 12 & 13, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
* The 501st Legion: Star Wars Villainous Costuming | 6 p.m., Room 7AB
I failed in my attempt to join the 501st in 2022 (I will try again!), but you can get tips on how you can join and create a villainous costume.
If you like comics history, legends and the Eisners:
* Eisner Hall of Fame | 10 a.m., Room 29CD
This used to be part of the evening ceremony, but the Eisners were running a bit long — so now the inductees are celebrated at a separate event.
- The Birth of Comics: How Anarchy and Innovation Led to the Comics of Today | 11:30 a.m., Room 10
* Artist's Editions: What's Next from Act 4 Publishing? | 1:30 p.m., Room 24ABC
Check in with San Diego-based comics creator Scott Dunbier and his Act 4 Publishing.
- Celebrating 75 years of Peanuts | 1:45 p.m., Room 6DE
- Remembering Trina Robbins and Her Underground Comix | 2:30 p.m., Room 26ABC
- The New Yorker: Cartoons, Comics, and Covers | 3 p.m., Room 4
- Beyond Borders: 80 Years of American Comics "Down Under" | 4 p.m., Grand 10 & 11, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
- Best and Worst Manga of 2025 | 6 p.m., Room 4
* The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards | 8 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
Attend the Oscars of the comics industry and see if your favorite titles win.
If you want to hear from the people who make the comics you love:
- Spotlight on Marcos Martín | 10 a.m., Room 29AB
- Spotlight on Paul Karasik | 10 a.m., Room 23ABC
- Spotlight on Jonathan Maberry | 10 a.m., Room 24ABC
- Spotlight on Stephanie Phillips | 12 p.m., Room 23ABC
* Spotlight on William Stout | 12 p.m., Room 29AB
As a kid obsessed with dinosaurs, I have always loved William Stout's art — his murals can be found at the San Diego Natural History Museum.
* The Groo Panel | 12:30 p.m., Room 10
I miss Sergio Aragonés, who has been absent since the pandemic, but his work continues to be celebrated with Mark Evanier and Stan Sakai.
- Spotlight on Bilquis Evely | 1 p.m., Room 25ABC
- Spotlight on ChrisCross | 1 p.m., Room 4
- Spotlight on Greg and Karen Evans | 1:30 p.m., Room 29C
- Spotlight on Todd Klein | 1:30 p.m., Room 10
* Two Marks Explain Everything | 2:30 p.m., Room 10
Mark Waid and Mark Evanier field questions — and if they do not have the answers, then no one does.
- Julio Anta Spotlight with Chris Condon | 3 p.m., Room 29AB
- Spotlight on Max Allan Collins | 4 p.m., Room 28DE
* Manga Legend Katsuya Terada Live Draws | 4 p.m., Room 11
Live draw panels are always fun.
If you're drawn to monsters, villains and horror fandoms (as Beth is):
- The Kaiju Kingdom Podcast: Legacy of Ultraman and Godzilla | 2 p.m., Neil Morgan Auditorium, San Diego Central Library
- Celebrating Dark Shadows: Comic-Con Premiere of a New Original Graphic Novel and More | 3 p.m., Room 32AB
* Godzilla at 70: Seven Decades of the King of the Monsters | 4:15 p.m., Room 6DE
A celebration of Big G — collectibles (from Super 7 and Mondo), comics (IDW) and films — with "Shin Godzilla" director Shinji Higuchi as a panelist.
- Villains We Love: Why We’re Drawn to the Dark Side | 4:30 p.m., Room 24ABC
- The Bold Voice of Contemporary Horror | 4:30 p.m., Room 5AB
* EC Comics: The Summer of Fear | 5 p.m., Room 23ABC
EC Comics, a name to trust for horror, has risen from the grave at Oni Press, which is launching "The Summer of Fear."
* Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse: Do You Have the Guts? | 8 p.m., Room 32AB
I think I have the guts, but you can never have too much survival information when it comes to zombies.
If you love TV, movies and behind-the-scenes stories:
- Adult Swim's Rick and Morty Season 8: The Panel | 1 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
* Collider’s Inside Hollywood with Bob Odenkirk | 1:30 p.m., Ballroom 20
I love Bob Odenkirk's work in "Better Call Saul," and he was also fun in "Nobody," which has a sequel coming up.
- King of the Hill | 4 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
- You're Still Wrong, Leonard Maltin | 4 p.m., Room 23ABC
- TRON: Ares | 5:30 p.m., Hall H
* Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation | 9 p.m., Room 5AB
This Comic-Con tradition lives up to its name. Expect some deliciously sick and twisted animation.
If you want to celebrate women making movies in comics and film:
- Girls Who Tell Stories: Shaping the Future of Comics and Creativity | 11 a.m., Omni San Diego Hotel, Omni Grand Ballroom DE, 4th Floor
- Latinas Directing from Within | 2 p.m., Room 23ABC
* Wonder Women: Female Comics CEOs | 2 p.m., Grand 10 & 11, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
Real wonder women!
* Independent Women: Female Filmmakers in Indie Movies | 2 p.m., Grand 6, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
I'd go just for Barbara Crampton, scream queen and star of "Re-Animator."
* Monstrous Women: From Revered to Reviled | 8:30 p.m., Room 10
This panel explores the cultural roots of horror tropes that turn independent women into witches, vampires and villains. Oh, my!
If you like smart panels on identity, justice and pop culture:
* The Black Panel | 10 a.m., Room 5AB
Don't miss this one! Panelists include Kevin Grevioux ("Underworld"), Keithan Jones (Black Comix Day founder, "The Power Knights") and Dr. Stanford Carpenter.
- Comics Arts Conference Session #6: The Knack for Seeing Things in a Different Light: How Comics (Re)Imagine and Challenge Sciences of the Past and Future | 12 p.m., Room 26AB
* Joy and Resistance | 12:30 p.m., Room 24ABC
“Joy is an act of resistance," said poet Toi Derricotte. Yeah, could use some of that.
* Queer Horror | 2 p.m., Room 4
Prism Comics and moderator/screenwriter Michael Varrati explore horror through a queer lens.
- Reconciling and Reckoning with the Past | 3 p.m., Room 28DE
- Native American Creation Stories in Popular Media | 4 p.m., Room 4
- Always the Sidekick: Psychology of Pop Culture Companions | 5 p.m., Grand 10 & 11, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
* This Panel Has Been Banned! | 5:30 p.m., Room 10
More panels on censorship — this one looks at the legacy of EC Comics.
- Diversity in Fantasy | 6 p.m., Room 9
- The BHM Panel: When Representation Becomes Resistance | 7 p.m., Room 28DE
- Deaf Representation in Popular Culture | 7:30 p.m., Room 3
- Conspiracy Theories and Propaganda Throughout Pop Culture | 7:30 p.m., Room 26AB
* Camera, Culture, Combat: Unveiling Filipino Martial Combat Legacy in Comics, Film, and Television | 8 p.m., Grand 12 & 13, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
I love action films and any exploration of the genre. This one focuses on Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) in popular culture.
If you like comics that intersect with science, law and academia:
* Space Is the Place: Comics and Spatial Narratives in Black Speculative Popular Culture | 10:30 a.m., Room 26ABC
John Jennings and Stanford Carpenter make any panel worth checking out.
* STEM, Space, and Afrofuturism *| 12 p.m., Omni San Diego Hotel, Omni Grand Ballroom DE, 4th Floor
Dr. Lawanda Richmond, co-founder and organizer of Afrofuturism Lounge, is one of the panelists — worth checking out.
- More Science in Your Fiction with The League of Extraordinary Scientists & Engineers | 1 p.m., Omni San Diego Hotel, Omni Grand Ballroom DE, 4th Floor
* Death Strikes: An Opera Survives WWII and Comes to Comics | 5 p.m., Room 4
In 1943, two prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp wrote a sci-fi/fantasy opera imagining Death going on strike to protest a dictator’s forever wars. Eighty years later, Berger Books/Dark Horse published the acclaimed graphic novel adaptation, "Death Strikes: The Emperor of Atlantis." That sounds fascinating.
- The Science of Severance: Exploring Identity, Memory, Technology, and Beyond | 7 p.m., Room 11
* The Law of Daredevil Born Again | 7 p.m., Room 25ABC
I thoroughly enjoy The Legal Geeks, a group that uses pop culture to teach law. This time, they will ask: Can Bullseye sue Daredevil for injuries from being thrown off a building? Does Matt Murdock understand how the attorney-client privilege works?
If you're into games, voice acting and animated oddities:
* Video Game Actors Unmasked | 11:30 a.m., Room 6BCF
There have been lots of panels over the years on cartoon voice acting, but I am curious how it differs from voicing game characters.
* How Video Games Are Changing the Lives of Students at Monarch High School | 5 p.m., Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Library
This looks like a fun and inspiring panel.
- Breaking into Voice Acting for Games and Animation | 7 p.m., Grand 12 & 13, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
