WonderFul WonderCon

WonderCon starts tomorrow at the L.A. Convention Center. Here is an updated list of the panels I'm doing there — and please note that The Sergio and Mark Show is now at 1:30 PM instead of 12:30. You can find the complete programming schedule online but these are the events you really want to see…

Friday, March 25 – 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM, Room 502A
THE SERGIO AND MARK SHOW

Spend an hour — or about as much time as it takes Sergio to draw an issue of Groo the Wanderer — with the folks who bring you that comic book, the award-winning team of Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier. They'll tell you all about Groo and other weird things they've done or are planning to do, plus you'll also get to meet the hardest-working man in comics, Tom Luth, who has to color it all, as well as the letterer, Stan Sakai, creator of Usagi Yojimbo.

Saturday, March 26 – 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM, Room 403AB
QUICK DRAW!

It's one of the most popular panels at Comic-Con each year but it was born years ago at WonderCon! Three cartoonists! Lots of paper and Sharpies and silly ideas! Watch the battle of wits and markers as amazing cartoons are created right before your eyes by Sergio Aragonés (MAD magazine, Groo the Wanderer), Scott Shaw! (The Simpsons, The Flintstones) and Kyle Baker (Why I Hate Saturn, The Bakers). Your moderator Mark Evanier throws the challenges at them, many suggested by the audience. So maybe you'd like to be part of that audience.

Saturday, March 26 – 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM, Room 403AB
CARTOON VOICES

Talk about super-powers! Here's a panel with heroes who can put voices into the mouths of your favorite animated characters. They'll tell you how they do it and there will be an unrehearsed reading to show how they do it! With Maurice LaMarche (Pinky and the Brain, Futurama), Candi Milo (Curious George, Jimmy Neutron), Townsend Coleman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Tick), Amanda Troop (Batman Unlimited), Chuck McCann (Duck Tales, The Fantastic Four) and others! Your host is Mark Evanier (The Garfield Show).

Sunday, March 27 – 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM, Room 502A
COVER STORY

Some of the greatest artistry in comics today can be found not in the books but on the outside. What goes into designing a memorable, magnificent cover? This topic is discussed with examples by folks who've done it: Russsell Dauterman (The Mighty Thor, Nightwing), Paolo Rivera (Daredevil, The Valiant), Bill Sienkiewicz (Stray Toasters, Elektra: Assassin) and Annie Wu (Black Canary, Hawkeye). Presiding over the discussion is Mark Evanier.

Sunday, March 27 – 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM, Room 502A
JACK KIRBY TRIBUTE

They call him the King of the Comics and his influence is unescapable around the industry and around this convention. 22 years after he left us, there's still so much to say about him and some of it will be said by Steve Sherman (former Kirby assistant), Charles Hatfield (Author of Hand of Fire: The Comics Art of Jack Kirby), Paul S. Levine (attorney for the Rosalind Kirby trust) and your moderator, Mark Evanier (former Kirby assistant, author of Kirby: King of Comics) and another special guest or two.

Everything is subject to change at a moment's notice, including times, room numbers, panelists and certain audience members' underwear. If you see me around, don't be afraid to say hi and I'll be glad to discuss just about anything except religion, politics and cole slaw.