Parents love to share their hobbies with their children, and that goes double for geeky parents, so it’s not surprising that many make attending comic cons a family tradition. Like other conventions, San Diego Comic-Con sets aside Sunday as Kids Day, but there will be plenty of young readers’ and YA content every day of the show: Scholastic will offer Harry Potter and Dog Man themed photo ops; First Second will bring in pop stars Tegan and Sara to promote their graphic memoir, Junior High, drawn by Eisner winner Tillie Walden; Graphix’s Amulet series bestseller Kazu Kibuishi will appear onstage; and Candlewick will host a Princess in Black Power Hour. Special guests for the show include Steenz (Heart of the City), and Raina Telgemeier (Smile).
Take a peek at new and upcoming offerings by other kids’ and YA comics creators featured at SDCC (check the conference schedule at comic-con.org for details).
Billie Blaster and the Robot Army from Outer Space
Science prodigy Billie Blaster takes her newest invention to the school science fair, but when her rival accidentally launches it into space, the result is a robot army and an intergalactic war. Now Billie must stop the destruction of her galaxy with the help of a few allies, including her pet goat, Lucy, in this middle grade action comedy. Taylor is a National Book Award finalist and bestselling novelist. She and Bartolo will join a star panel lineup with Kibuishi.
Digital Lizards of Doom
Evil genius Pineapple Pete has encapsulated a whole universe inside a video game in this very meta middle grade adventure story, and he watches with glee as warrior Dizzy Doom fends off attacks and searches for the powerful weapon that will bring peace to his land.
Family Style
Pham uses food as the through line in his YA memoir recounting his family’s escape from Vietnam, their time in a refugee camp, and the tensions they faced as first-generation immigrants once they settled in California—“a vivid and insightful telling that offers joy and hope amid the terror” per PW’s starred review. Pham’s events at the show will include a one-on-one panel with National Book Award winner Gene Luen Yang, with whom he collaborated on Level Up.
Paper Planes
Former best friends Dylan and Leighton have been sent to a boot camp for troubled youth, with the threat of permanent consequences if they don’t successfully complete the program. As the two react very differently to the camp, a series of flashbacks outlines the events building up to the conflict that got them into trouble. Wood is the creator of the award-winning Flutter, while Dozerdraws was one of the many artists for Lumberjanes.
Steve L. McEvil and the Second Wind
Supervillain-in-training Steve L. McEvil intends to dig up a hidden treasure during his school trip to Washington, D.C., but his plans go hilariously awry in the second volume of this middle grade comedy-action series by the cocreator of Dream Jumper and the creator of the webcomic How to Cat.
Turtle Bread
A young woman with social anxiety finds friendship and support in a local baking club in this YA graphic novel that first ran on Comixology. Kim-Joy participated in the Great British Bake-Off, and the book includes illustrated recipes.
