We’re so excited to be back at San Diego Comic-Con booth 1721, along with Special Guests Katie Skelly, Briana Loewinsohn, and Peter Bagge (Pete will be at Artist Alley table II-09)! We’ve got a full signing schedule, fascinating panels, tables full of books (including some new releases that aren’t out yet), and exclusive merch! And then of course, there’s our big annual Not-At-Comic-Con Sale, with 25% off just about everything on Fantagraphics.com! Scroll down for the details.
Fantagraphics Booth 1721 Signing Schedule:
Thursday, July 23rd:
12:00-1:00 pm: Mathew Klickstein (See You At San Diego: An Oral History of Comic-Con, Fandom, and the Triumph of Geek Culture)
1:00-2:00 pm: Briana Loewinsohn (Raised By Ghosts) + Gilbert Hernandez (Love & Rockets)
2:00-3:00 pm: Gilbert Hernandez + Natalia Hernandez (Roy #2)
3:00-4:00 pm: Katie Skelly (Heaven) + Jaime Hernandez (Love & Rockets)
4:00-5:00 pm: Jaime Hernandez (Love & Rockets)
Friday, July 24th:
11:00 am-1:00 pm: Jaime Hernandez (Love & Rockets) + Gilbert Hernandez (Love & Rockets) + Natalia Hernandez (Roy #2)
1:00-2:00 pm: Carol Tyler (The Ephemerata: Shaping the Exquisite Nature of Grief) + Mathew Klickstein (See You At San Diego: An Oral History of Comic-Con, Fandom, and the Triumph of Geek Culture)
2:00-3:00 pm: John Pham (J + K) + Katie Skelly (Heaven)
3:00-4:00 pm: Christopher Fink (Breakthrough: Life On the Brink)
4:00-5:00 pm: Briana Loewinsohn (Raised By Ghosts) + Peter Kuper (Wish We Weren’t Here)
Saturday, July 25th:
12:00-1:00 pm: Mathew Klickstein (See You At San Diego: An Oral History of Comic-Con, Fandom, and the Triumph of Geek Culture)
2:00-3:00 pm: Briana Loewinsohn (Raised By Ghosts) + Carol Tyler (The Ephemerata: Shaping the Exquisite Nature of Grief)
Sunday, July 26th:
2:00-3:00 pm: Briana Loewinsohn (Raised By Ghosts)
3:00-4:00 pm: Barbara “Willy” Mendes
Panels:
Thursday July 23, 2026 1:30pm – 2:30pm in Room 24ABC: Finding the Funny in Six Panels or Less: Is there anything better than a six-panel page? What about it lends itself so well to setting up a joke and landing a punchline? The funniest people in comics, Peter Bagge (Hate), Nathan Gelgud (No Concessions!), Mimi Pond (Do Admit: The Mitford Sisters and Me), Marc Torices (Cornelius), and Julia Wertz (Bury Me Already (It’s Nice Down Here)), talk with Tom Devlin (Drawn & Quarterly) about finding the funny everywhere they can.
Thursday July 23, 2026 2:00pm – 3:00pm in Room 29AB: Spotlight on Katie Skelly: Cartoonist Katie Skelly (Heaven) discusses her distinctive art style, as seen in My Pretty Vampire, Maids, Nurse Nurse, The Agency, and her newest book Heaven, and her influences in conversation with Briana Loewinsohn (Raised by Ghosts). Q&A follows.
Thursday July 23, 2026 2:00pm – 3:00pm offsite at Bards & Cards in the Gaslamp: San Diego Comic-Con Oral History Panel: This “oral history alternapanel” promises a rare opportunity to hear directly from some of the surviving originators of the con, sharing firsthand stories about how Comic-Con came to life and evolved into the global pop culture powerhouse it is today. The panel is being organized by Mathew Klickstein, whose book See You at San Diego: An Oral History of Comic-Con compiles stories from the creators, artists, and fans who built the convention from the ground up, including Roger Freedman (1970’s committee member), Wendy All (1970’s committee member), Scott Smith (Director of Electronic Publicity), Clayton Moore (1970’s committee member), Gus Krueger (son of co-founder Ken Krueger), Barry Short (1980’s Program Director), and Dave Clark (co-originator).
Thursday July 23, 2026 3:00pm – 4:00pm in Room 4: Spotlight on Peter Bagge: Peter Bagge (Hate), one of the primary architects of the alternative comics scene that exploded in the 1980s and 1990s, discusses his enduring chronicle of the grunge era with Colin Blanchette (Canon Zine).
Thursday July 23, 2026 4:00pm – 5:00pm in Grand 10 & 11, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina: Carousel: Comics Performances: The long-running live comics-reading series returns to SDCC, featuring a mix of independent, established, and emerging authors and artists, including Melissa Chan (You Must Take Part in Revolution; Street Noise Books), Maelle Doliveux (I Will Live Forever; Beehive Books), Peter Kuper (Insectopolis; W. W. Norton), Katie Skelly (Heaven; Fantagraphics), Marc Torices (Cornelius: The Merry Life of a Wretched Dog; Drawn & Quarterly), and Sophie Yanow (The Contradictions; Drawn & Quarterly) participate. Hosted by R. Sikoryak (Declaration/Emancipation Illustrated; Drawn & Quarterly).
Friday July 24, 2026 10:00am – 11:00am in Room 29AB: Spotlight on Briana Loewinsohn: Harvey Award winner and Eisner nominee Briana Loewinsohn (Raised by Ghosts) and her bestie, Eisner winner Thien Pham (Family Style), have a lively discussion about the life and works of Briana Loewinsohn.
Friday July 24, 2026 1:00pm – 2:00pm in Room 28DE: Pham-tastic Cartoonists: They’re all award-winning cartoonists, and they’re all named Pham. Animator John Pham (J & K), children’s book illustrator LeUyen Pham (Princess in Black), and graphic novelist Thien Pham (Family Style) discuss the art of visual storytelling, what keeps them motivated, and what it takes to make it in their respective fields. Moderated by Gene Luen Yang (Lunar New Year Love Story).
Friday July 24, 2026 2:00pm – 3:00pm in Room 28DE: Creating and Maintaining Your Comics Community: Besties Raina Telgemeier (Smile), Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese), Julia Wertz (Bury Me Already, It’s Nice Down Here), Thien Pham (Family Style), and Briana Loewinsohn (Raised by Ghosts) discuss lives of friendship and comics.
Friday July 24, 2026 4:30pm – 5:30pm in Room 26AB: Love (& Rockets) and Hate: As far as independent comics series go, Love & Rockets and Hate are about as iconic as they get. Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez (Love & Rockets) have been chronicling the exploits of the residents of Palomar and Hoppers since 1982, while Peter Bagge (Hate) has created an enduring chronicle of Seattle’s 1990s grunge milieu. Gilbert, Jaime, and Peter discuss their long-running series with Gary Groth (Fantagraphics co-founder, editor).
Saturday July 25, 2026 11:30am – 12:30pm in Room 10: How to Pitch Your Story for Comics, Graphic Novels, Film, and Animation: Do you have an idea for the next great story? Gene Yang (American-Born Chinese), Julia Wertz (Impossible People), Sara Phoebe Miller (BOOM! Studios), Jordan Morris (Teen Titans Go!), and Briana Loewinsohn (Raised by Ghosts) discuss what you need to know to pitch your idea for graphic novels, comics, animation, TV, and film. Moderated by Thien Pham (Family Style).
Saturday July 25, 2026 2:00pm – 3:00pm, Room 23ABC: Last Man Standing: Former industry leaders Paul Levitz (DC Comics), Mike Richardson (Dark Horse), Ross Richie (BOOM! Studios), Terry Nantier (NBM), Dean Mullaney (Eclipse), and maybe some surprise guests discuss what it’s like to run a comic company and to reflect on it after getting up from that desk. Moderated by one of the last men standing running a comics publisher for decades, Gary Groth (Fantagraphics).
Saturday July 25, 2026 3:00pm – 4:00pm in Room 29AB: Fantagraphics at 50: (Still) Publishing the World’s Greatest Cartoonists: Gary Groth (co-founder and president of Fantagraphics) and Conrad Groth (editor at Fantagraphics) discuss the storied history of Fantagraphics. Moderated by fellow traveler and BAO publisher Michele Foschini, the panel reflects on five decades of groundbreaking comics publishing and what lies ahead.
Saturday July 25, 2026 3:30pm – 4:30pm in Room 29CD: O.P.P.: Writing Other People’s (Intellectual) Property: Working with beloved cultural icons can be both a dream and a nightmare. Longtime industry professionals Jennifer Lee (Frozen), Amy Chu (Borderlands), Jordan Morris (Teen Titans Go!), Thien Pham (Baby Garfield’s Firsts), Melissa Flores (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), and Gene Luen Yang (Avatar: The Last Airbender) share how they navigate the tricky task of writing IP. Moderated by Comic-Con special guest Briana Loewinsohn (Raised by Ghosts).
Saturday July 25, 2026 4:00pm – 5:00pm in Room 23ABC: Beyond the Mainstream: Literary Manga, Manhwa, and Manhua: Editors and publishers from Kana (Abrams), Takumigraphics (Fantagraphics), Drawn & Quarterly, and Kazé (HarperCollins) discuss the growing audience for literary manga, manhwa, and manhua. The panel explores how publishers discover new projects, work with creators and translators, and connect acclaimed Japanese manga, Korean manhwa, and Chinese manhua with English-language readers. Panelists also discuss how these works fit within the broader comics landscape and why they continue to reach new audiences.
Sunday July 26, 2026 12:00pm – 1:00pm in Room 4: Life in Comics: Graphic Nonfiction: Graphic memoirists Briana Loewinsohn (Raised by Ghosts), Thien Pham (Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam), and R. Sikoryak (Declaration/Emancipation Illustrated) discuss their art, process, and research with Rocco Versaci (professor at Palomar College).
Sunday July 26, 2026 1:00pm – 2:00pm in Room 32AB: No One Gets Out Alive: Creators Look Back at a Lifetime in Comics: Danny Fingeroth (Jack Ruby: The Many Faces of Oswald’s Assassin), Barbara “Willy” Mendes (Queen of Cosmos Comix Trilogy), Barbara Randall Kesel (Crossgen Chronicles), Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo), and Comic-Con special guest Mimi Pond (Do Admit: The Mitford Sisters and Me) discuss their careers in comics. Moderated by Jon “Bean” Hastings.
Booth Exclusives:
Eisner Nominations:
Best Short Story: “Blood Harvest,” in Brain Damage, by Shintaro Kago, translated by Zack Davisson
Best Short Story: “Curse Room,” in Brain Damage, by Shintaro Kago, translated by Zack Davisson
Best Graphic Memoir: The Ephemerata: Shaping the Exquisite Nature of Grief, by Carol Tyler
Best Graphic Memoir: Precious Rubbish, by Kayla E.
Best Graphic Memoir: Raised by Ghosts, by Briana Loewinsohn
Best Graphic Album–New: Shadows of the Sea, by Cathy Malkasian
Best Graphic Album–Reprint: Goes Like This, by Jordan Crane
Best U.S. Edition of International Material: Buff Soul, by Moa Romanova, translated by Melissa Bowers
Best U.S. Edition of International Material: Nocturnos, by Laura Pérez, translated by Andrea Rosenberg
Best U.S. Edition of International Material: Raging Clouds, by Yudori
Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books: The Atlas Comics Library No. 7: Girl Comics, edited by Dr. Michael J. Vassallo
Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips: Barnaby, vol. 5: 1950–1952, by Crockett Johnson, edited by Phil Nel & Eric Reynolds
Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips: The George Herriman Library: Krazy & Ignatz 1928–1930, edited by J. Michael Catron and Bill Blackbeard
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist: Cathy Malkasian, Shadows of the Sea
2026 Eisner Hall of Fame Judges’ Choices:
Lee Marrs (1945– )
Beginning her comics career assisting on Little Orphan Annie, Prince Valiant, and Hi & Lois, Lee Marrs went on to co-found Alternative Features Service. She is one of the godmothers of the underground comix movement, a “founding mommy” for underground women cartoonists. Creator of the underground comic The Further Fattening Adventures of Pudge, Girl Blimp, she also contributed to a variety of series, notably including DC’s Plop!, but also Wimmen’s Comix, Wet Satin, and Gay Comix, as well as Star*Reach, which was published by lifelong partner and fellow Hall of Fame inductee Mike Friedrich.
Paul S. Newman (1924–1999)
When Paul S. Newman died at age 75, The New York Times and CNN carried the news, including that he had been listed in Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s most prolific comic book writer. His official credits began with DC in 1947, and the man whom historian Robin Snyder dubbed “King of the Comic Book Writers” often worked without credit on a variety of story types for a variety of publishers. To put his work in perspective, Newman said in 1977 that, to get his 4,121 stories approved for publication, “I had to submit an additional 5,000 plot ideas, which were rejected.”
Héctor Germán Oesterheld (1919–1977[?])
Lambiek describes Héctor Germán Oesterheld as “the most important comic writer from South America.” The Argentinian tackled almost every genre, instilling each with social and political substance. His works between 1952 and 1968 include the revisionist Western El Sargento Kirk, the war comic with no battles Ernie Pike, the popular El Eternauta science fiction strip, the horror-adventure title Mort Cinder, and the biography Vida del Che. Oesterheld was subsequently arrested and presumed killed. An Italian journalist was later told, “We did away with him because he wrote the most beautiful story of Che Guevara ever done.” Oesterheld understood the risks he was taking but always wrote what he believed.
Jimmy Swinnerton (1875–1974)
James “Jimmy” Swinnerton was a prolific newspaper strip creator whose career began with comics targeted to children, which was unusual for the period. He was still a teenager when the San Francisco Examiner carried his Little Bears strip, inspired by the bear on the California flag and/or the bear mascot for the San Francisco Mid-Winter Exposition of 1894. An early multi-panel strip using speech balloons, Little Bears might be considered the first “talking animal” comic. For the New York Journal, Swinnerton introduced The Little Tigers and, later, Little Jimmy. While in New York and after a move to Arizona, he introduced Mr. Jack, Mount Ararat, and Rocky Mason, Government Marshal, and painted backgrounds for dozens of Warner Bros. cartoons.
Carol Tyler (1951– )
Carol Tyler is a cartoonist, painter, and comics educator whose interest in undergrounds led her to San Francisco and her 1987 debut in Weirdo magazine. Collections of short pieces such as The Job Thing and Late Bloomer would follow, setting the groundwork for her first long-form narrative, the Eisner Award-nominated biography of her father, whose three color volumes were collected as Soldier’s Heart. The New York Times described it as “a vivid, affecting, eccentrically stylish frame built around a terrible silence.” Married to Comics, a 2023 documentary about Tyler’s life with her late husband, fellow cartoonist Justin Green, was released to rave reviews. Her 2025 work The Ephemerata is a sensitive reflection on the nature of grief.
Can’t make it to Comic-Con? No need to fret—treat yourself during our Not-At-Comic-Con Sale! From Thursday, July 23rd to Sunday, July 26th, you can use coupon code SDCC at checkout for 25% off just about everything (and yes, that includes pre-orders) at Fantagraphics.com!
All order fulfillment subject to availability. Merch, and gift cards will not be included in the sale. Due to increased order volume, please allow an extra 7-10 days for shipping and handling. Sale discounts can not be combined with any other promotions. Free shipping offers do not apply. For questions, please email helpme@fantagraphics.com with “Comic-Con Sale” in the subject line, or give us a call at 1-800-657-1100.