WonderCon 2023

Most creators have no trouble coming up with great ideas for new comics, but they often struggle to speak clearly and concisely about those ideas to other people. Giving a good pitch is a vital skill in bringing your project to life. Fortunately, it’s also a skill you can learn and improve with practice—and Pitch Review is a great place to do that. If you’re someone who wants to get better at pitching your work (and especially if you’re a writer or artist attending the Comic Creator Connection immediately after this event), this is your chance to practice giving your pitch and get some invaluable help from a professional writer and speaker coach. Pitch reviews will be conducted by Douglas Neff, a professional speechwriter, speaker coach, and host of the Comic Creator Connection. This is not a panel. Instead, these are 3-5 minute individual coaching sessions for as many people as can be accommodated in the scheduled time. Spaces are allotted on a first-come, first-served basis, and observers are welcome.

Description.

Practically everyone's definitions of comics and comic artists are so lacking in wit and imagination that they miss out on whole worlds outside the boxes. Past Eisner Award judges Michael Dooley (professor at Art Center College of Design) and Jim Thompson (comics historian at A People’s History of Comics group) burst open your borders and reframe all your assumptions with irreverent abandon. Board games? Kid Lit? The New Yorker? Dada? All comics, comics, comics! And that's just for starters!

The comics industry is experiencing a sea change. The status quo has been broken. Publication, distribution, and retail continue to adjust, and Ultima Comics is here for all of it. Learn about their Founding Four titles in production, about their independent distribution model set for launch this summer, and about how your project could be involved. Independent is the New Mainstream. Hosted by Joshua Waldrop (CEO, Ultima Comics).

*This panel has been merged with Spotlight on Mitch Gerads, Sunday, 2:30-3:30 in Room 208*
Eisner Award–winning writer Tom King had an extensive run on Batman, giving us a story to truly remember. His other credits include Batman/Catwoman, Grayson, Heroes in Crisis, Mister Miracle, The Omega Men, Rorschach, Strange Adventures, and The Sheriff of Babylon for DC and The Vision for Marvel. His most recent projects have included Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and Human Target.

Most creators have no trouble coming up with great ideas for new comics, but they often struggle to speak clearly and concisely about those ideas to other people. Giving a good pitch is a vital skill in bringing your project to life. Fortunately, it’s also a skill you can learn and improve with practice—and Pitch Review is a great place to do that. If you’re someone who wants to get better at pitching your work (and especially if you’re a writer or artist attending the Comic Creator Connection immediately after this event), this is your chance to practice giving your pitch and get some invaluable help from a professional writer and speaker coach. Pitch reviews will be conducted by Douglas Neff, a professional speechwriter, speaker coach, and host of the Comic Creator Connection. This is not a panel. Instead, these are 3- to 5-minute individual coaching sessions for as many people as can be accommodated in the scheduled time. Spaces are allotted on a first-come, first-served basis, and observers are welcome.

Richard Hickey (head of creative at Moonbug Entertainment) and Andy Yeatman (managing director of Americas at Moonbug Entertainment) discuss how to build a franchise, growing up digital, and expanding brand affinity and fandom.