New York Comic Con offers a wide-ranging slate of panels and other programming for fans and industry professionals alike. This year’s event will feature discussions of book banning, trends in the romance and speculative fiction spaces (including, of course, the booming romantasy subcategory), and more.
Thursday, October 17
Keep Bans Off Our Books
12:30 p.m., room 1B02
Scott Chantler, Lewis Hancox, Sharee Miller, Matthew Noe, Taylor Robin, and Irene Vazquez address graphic novels,
literacy, and what people can do about censorship in their communities.
Authors Reading Bad Reviews
6:30 p.m., room 1B02
Brian Azzarello, Scott Hoffman, Stephanie Phillips, Scott Snyder, and Chip Zdarsky read some of their most vexing
negative reviews aloud and explain how creators can develop an “impenetrable suit of armor” against criticism.
From Page to Screen: Authors on Adaptations
8 p.m., room 1B02
Rachael Allen, Steven Barnes, Delilah Dawson, Tiffany D. Jackson, and John Jackson Miller discuss page-to-
screen—and screen-to-page—adaptations and all that
goes into adapting stories for different mediums.
Friday, October 18
Putting the Horror and Crime in Comics
1:30 p.m., room 406.2
Michael Gaydos, Tula Lotay, Helen Mullane, Curt Pires,
Pablo Raimondi, and Scott Snyder discuss their latest
works of crime and horror and how to get ideas onto
the page.
Spotlight on Tegan and Sara, with Tillie Walden
3:30 p.m., room 1B02
Grammy nominees Tegan and Sara Quin and cartoonist Tillie Walden discuss Tegan and Sara, the twin sisters’ middle grade graphic novel series named for their indie pop duo,
with The Forest Demands Its Due author Kosoko Jackson.
Saturday, October 19
LGBTQIA+ Romances in Science Fiction and Fantasy
10:30 a.m., room 1B02
Authors Maiga Doocy, K.M. Enright, and Emery Robin discuss the recent rise of LGBTQ characters and themes in speculative fiction.
The World of Romantasy
Noon, room 1B02
Authors Mai Corland, Aurora Dominguez, Jeneane O’Riley, Analeigh Sbrana, and Sydney J. Shields talk about the hottest trend in books and what it means to write romantasy.
In the Heat of the Moment: The Art of Narrating Spicy Audiobooks
6 p.m., room 1B02
Audiobook industry professionals Will Damron, Brittany Pressley, Andrew Eiden, Kristen DiMercurio pull back the curtain on their craft with live readings and discussions on trends and the process of preparing for and narrating “spicy” audiobooks.
Dstlry Presents: Surviving the Most Sinister Sci-Fi Dystopias
6:15 p.m., room 1C03
Brian Azzarello, Scott Hoffman, Stephanie Phillips, Scott Snyder, and Chip Zdarsky “vivisect the vicious timelines we’re all desperately avoiding,” per the organizers, in this panel on dystopian comics.
Sunday, October 20
Girl Power Unleashed: Celebrating Strong Female Protagonists in a Male-Dominated Comic World
2:45 p.m., room 1B02
Rachael Allen, V.P. Anderson, Tiffany D. Jackson, and Colleen AF Venable discuss the new wave of strong, dynamic female protagonists who stand out in the traditionally male-dominated comics field, in a panel moderated by Random House Graphic executive editor Whitney Leopard.
