While comic conventions have become hubs for giant celebrity meet & greets, the heart of every con will always be the Comic Book Creators.
At every comic convention these days, the movies based on comic book characters seem to be everywhere you turn. From statues, to pops, to cosplay, and the celebrities who play them on the big and little screens. However, every comic book movie started with a comic book, and some of the talent behind those books can be found at the cons. In artist alley you can find them selling their comics, signing them, taking pictures, or just talking nerdy things to each other and the guests. You can also find many of them in panels.
MEGACON Orlando 2026 had some fantastic Comic Creator panels
We went to a few different panels this past weekend at MEGACON Orlando, and here are some fun facts and stories we took away. Our first panel featured the married couple comic powerhouse: The Jamandaverse, featuring Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner. They talked their comic origins, and Jimmy described Amanda’s art as “disgustingly cute.” Their origin led them to ‘The Pro’ in the early 2000s with Garth Ennis. This superhero parody pushed some boundaries and tested the waters for Ennis who went on to do ‘The Boys.’
They also talked some of their current work, including Harley Quinn & Elvira, and Jimmy’s recently wrapped Punisher/Daredevil run, and his current book Deadly Tales of the Gunslinger. They have a history horror comic coming soon from Mad Cave Studios. More details will be dropping soon.
The DC Absolute Universe
Some of the comic creators currently working on the DC Absolute books got together to talk what’s been going on, and what we can expect. We learned they weren’t sure where this would all go, but they decided to aim big, and it’s paying off. Scott Snyder said he’s never had so much fun in comics, and they’ve got a big finale coming that’s been in the works for awhile. I personally have never had so many DC books on my pull list before. ‘All In‘ has gone back for its third printing, while ‘DC K.O.‘ is on its fourth, and ‘The Dakota Incident‘ sold out.
Jeremy Adams teased that his upcoming Green Lantern run featuring Kyle Rayner, will have a Peter Parker feel. In a sense that things are not going his way. He also mentioned he took from his own life when he first moved out to LA to create this story.
We also learned that Belen Ortega joked that she wanted to draw her Corgis when Tom King asked what she would like to draw more of. She got her wish, as there is now a mini series featuring her corgis. A casual joke turned her dogs into superheroes!
As all the writers and artists continued to praise each other (rightfully so), Scott mentioned that there are 50 issues of Absolute Batman planned, and so long as people keep buying them, there is no end in sight. He’s got a lot of story to tell.
Panels for Writing Comics
Whether or not you have a desire to write comics, these types of panels are a lot of fun. If you’re interested in becoming a comic book writer, you get some great advice from some actual writers. If not, you get some fantastic background stories. We attended 2 different panels regarding writing for comics, and here are some stories we enjoyed.
While each panel began with origin stories that led them to writing comics, Ethan Sacks joked he thought this job wasn’t real. It was like being a Keebler elf. Chris Condon, mentioned that when writing IP (meaning already established characters that someone else owns), he thinks about what moved him when he would read their stories. Jody Houser then mentioned that reading as much as you can, can help tremendously. She consumed as many comics as she could to help her with pacing when she writes her stories.
In another panel, pitches were discussed. Comic writers don’t just get to write, they got to sell their ideas too. Some tips were: plan it, no self deprecation, you need a hook, look at every comic as a new business, have some ideas ready in case approached, and so much more!
There were also writing tips too. If you’re feeling not so creative, go to a library, museum, or book store. Take bad things that have happened to you and spin them into good. Write a story you want to read! STAY CURIOUS! If you want to break into comics, you should definitely find a con, and scan that schedule closely. These panels were both fantastic.
Comics have gone Hollywood
The last comic panel we attended was ‘Comics and Hollywood: Movies, TV, and Animation.’ We learned that without the animated X-Men show, we never would have gotten X-Men (2000). The director Bryan Singer never read a comic, but he was a fan of the show. A show which only adapted 2 comic storylines: Days of Future Past, and the Phoenix Saga. All the other stories were original.
With these characters becoming so “Hollywood” on the big screen (and little), animators have actually had more freedom to do as they like. Stephen Platt, who worked on Iron Man (2008), said that was the best film he ever worked on. It was an amazing experience for him. They of course had no idea the massive empire they were building. Iron Man was a risk at the time.
We then learned that animation is sent out for edits, and returned before airing. If the return package has errors with no time to fix, it can get tricky. They all then laughed at an old Fantastic 4 cartoon that featured 2 Reeds for a second. We then wrapped with Craig Kyle (one of the creators of Laura Kinney X-23), saying how grateful he is for James Mangold bringing Laura to life in the movie Logan (2017). As someone who cosplayed as Laura at MEGACON, I couldn’t agree more.
DON’T SKIP THE SMALL PANELS
The celebrity panels at cons can be a blast, but they also always make their way to YouTube. I can’t recommend taking the time to do a few of the smaller panels. They’re more intimate and engaging, and you usually can’t find them on YouTube.
For more from Lauren, check out ‘Hops GEEK News.’
What are your favorite things to do at Comic Conventions?
