| 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM ET | Exhibit Hall Opens / Visit the Booths
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM ET | Opening Keynote Conversation with Laurie Halse Anderson, Wonderful Women of the World (DC) and Mariko Tamaki, curator of Surely Books (Abrams).
Moderator: Dr. Lucia Cedeira Serantes, Limited Duties Instructor at The Faculty of Information and Media Studies, Western University, ON
Studio Spotlights | Available on-demand all day starting at 11:30 AM ET
Step inside artists’ studios as they discuss their work, from technique and medium to design and collaboration.
Michele Assarasakorn, Paws: Gabby Gets It Together (Penguin Young Readers)
Art Baltazar, Big Alien Moon Crush (Action Lab)
Miguel Giner Bou, A Chance (Graphic Mundi)
Anu Chouhan, Aru Shah (Disney Publishing Worldwide)
Ezra Claytan Daniels, Upgrade Soul (Oni Press)
Scott Magoon, The Extincts (Abrams)
Bowen McCurdy, Specter Inspectors (BOOM! Studios)
Jose Pimienta, Twin Cities (Random House)
Chris Schweizer, Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton (Image/Skybound)
Lisa Sterle, Witchblood (Vault Comics)
Tillie Walden, Clementine Vol 1. (Image/Skybound)
Two Sessions Running Concurrently
12:05 PM - 12:55 PM ET | Just for Kids
We’ve seen an explosion for comics for younger readers in recent years; these panelists will explore why they love writing and illustrating for this audience and offer insight into their creative processes.
John Gallagher, Max Meow: Donuts and Danger (Random House)
BonHyung Jeong, Kyle’s Little Sister (Yen Press)
Jared Roselló, Red Panda & Moon Bear: The Curse of the Evil Eye (Top Shelf)
Sergio Ruzzier, Fish & Sun (HarperCollins)
Moderator: Carla Riemer, YA Librarian and Blogger
12:05 PM - 12:55 PM ET | Carving Out Queer Identity
The panelists, whose books are aimed at adults and older teens, will talk about crafting comics that grapple with LGBTQIA+ identity, from a guide to asexuality to a coming-of-age story about a teenage Japanese artist longing to come out.
Jarrett Melendez, Chef’s Kiss (Oni Press)
Molly Muldoon, Quick and Easy Guide to Asexuality (Oni Press)
Ariel Slamet Ries, Witchy, Witchy Vol. 2 (Oni Press)
Jeremy Sorese, The Short While (BOOM! Studios)
Gengoroh Tagame, Our Colors (Knopf/Pantheon)
Moderator: Justin Shannin, Teen Library Associate, Chicago Public Library (IL)
12:55 PM - 1:30 PM ET | Break / Visit the Exhibit Hall
Two Sessions Running Concurrently
1:30 PM - 2:20 PM ET | Based on a True Story
These graphic novel authors will discuss writing stories that were inspired by real events, from a children’s book about sibling woes to a YA memoir about emigrating from China to an account of serial killer Ed Gein.
Alverne Ball, Across the Tracks: Remembering the Tulsa Race Massacre and Black Wall Street (Abrams)
Cristina Durán, A Chance (Graphic Mundi)
Samantha Edwards, A Tale as Tall as Jacob (Andrews McMeel)
Laura Gao, Messy Roots (HarperCollins)
Eric Powell, Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done (Albatross/Diamond)
Moderator: Crystal Chen, Teen Librarian, New York Public Library
1:30 PM - 2:20 PM ET | The Horror, the Horror
The genre has taken off in recent years, and these panelists will examine what draws them to create horror comics and why tales of terror resonate.
Rodney Barnes, Nita Hawes’ Nightmare Blog (Image)
Talia Dutton, M Is for Monster (Abrams)
Daniel Kraus, The Autumnal (Vault)
David Leach, Senior Creative Editor, Phantom of the Opera (Titan)
Skottie Young, The Me You Love in the Dark (Image)
Moderator: Jason L. Steagall, Reference Librarian, Arapahoe Community College (CO)
Two Sessions Running Concurrently
2:25 PM - 2:55 PM ET | Fast Learning Session I
Two presenters will discuss their fandom-oriented collections. William Fliss will shed light on his work as curator of the J.R.R. Tolkien Collection at Marquette University’s Raynor Library, while Monica Montgomery, curator of social justice, special projects and programming at the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building, will offer insight into the museum’s “Futures” exhibition, which spotlights the work of sci-fi author Octavia Butler.
Moderator: Mahnaz Dar, Senior Editor, Professional Reading & Reference, School Library Journal
2:25 PM - 2:55 PM ET | Fast Learning Session II
Rodneyna Hart, division director of the Louisiana State Museum, and Jessica McDaniel, community programming & outreach librarian, East Baton Rouge Parish Library (EBRPL), LA, will detail how they collaborated on Mid-City Micro-Con, an annual event at EBRPL that spotlights comics creators from marginalized identities.
Moderator: Carla-Mae Crookendale, Arts Research Librarian, Virginia Commonwealth University
3:30 PM - 4:20 PM ET | Wild Rides
Drawing inspiration from West African mythology, Marvel’s Black Panther, Cinderella, and more, these YA fantasy and speculative authors will chat about how they craft thrilling adventures set in lavishly set worlds.
Natasha Bowen, Skin of the Sea (Random House)
David Bowles, Clockwork Curandera: The Witch Owl Parliament (Lee & Low)
Melissa de la Cruz, Cinder & Glass (Penguin Young Readers)
Stan Stanley, Hazards of Love Vol. 1 (Oni Press)
Ibi Zoboi, Okoye to the People: A Black Panther Novel (Disney Publishing Worldwide)
Moderator: Elisa Garcia, Supervising Librarian of Teen Services, New York Public Library
4:30 PM - 5:00 PM ET | Closing Keynote Conversation with Victor LaValle, Eve (BOOM! Studios) and Nnedi Okorafor, Akata Woman(Penguin Young Readers).
Moderator: Dr. Grace Gipson, PhD., Assistant Professor of African American Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University | 
