Program Type:
FeaturedProgram Description
Event Details
Comic-Con International and San Diego Public Library have teamed up for the Comic Conference for Educators and Librarians (CCEL). This FREE five-day conference will take place at the San Diego Central Library during Comic-Con® from July 24-28, and will explore the role comics play in promoting education and literacy for all ages. Those in the library and education fields are invited to learn creative and exciting ways to incorporate comics and other popular arts into their work. Through presentations and panel discussions, the Conference hopes to engage the community and promote comics as a medium for learning. Seating is not guaranteed and is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Registration is for interest only and does not guarantee a seat.
Please join us for the following Library Day panels at CCEL on Thursday, July 25th:
10:00–11:00 Finding your Nerd Niche
Robert Lanuza (San Diego Public Library, craft enthusiast) joins panelists to explore creative pathways to express your interests. What is a "nerd niche" and how do you explore different avenues of your interests? Joe Queen (GG4G-Geeky Guys and Gals for God) and Jeanie Lopez (GG4G) explain how to fellowship with comics, cosplay, and fandom. Single gamer looking for love? Rebecca Wright (librarian IV, St. Paul’s Hollywood Library in S.C.) was until she made that online connection and married her. Carl Nazaire (SDPL) explains how conscripting his friends into tabletop RPGs, wargaming, and Filipino comics led them to dive into the wider SD pool of nerdom.
11:00–12:00 Devil's Candy: The Draw of Manga
Having a popular webcomic is a dream come true for many artists, but how many can say they've been published in multiple languages and serialized in a Japanese manga magazine? Devil's Candy illustrator Rem joins in a conversation with VIZ editor David Brothers as they discuss the popularity of manga and why it's a great gateway for kids hesitant about reading.
12:00–1:00 National Treasures: A Pop Culture Pass from Your Library
Brendan Crain (NYC Culture Pass) and Jeffrey T. Davis (San Diego Public Library) share ways that libraries are increasing access to original pop culture artifacts and events—not by bringing them into the library, but through new library services that help everyone to access the local pop treasures around us.
1:00–2:00 Teen Tech/Pop Culture Programming
Discover how library staff are revolutionizing programming for teens with blends of crafts, virtual drawing classes, video games, and game design. Discover the art of combining pop culture with hands-on creativity and technology with Ramiro Hernandez (library assistant, San Diego Public Library), Robert Lanuza (library assistant, San Diego Public Library), Thomas Vineberg (senior library technician), and Janet Yeager (librarian, San Diego Public Library). Victor Castro Romo (library assistant, San Diego Public Library) and Cody Rukasin (library assistant, San Diego Public Library) will discuss how playing and creating video games fosters connections among teens. Explore how these programs provide teens with a platform for creative expression, social interaction, and experiences that contribute to their personal growth. Moderated by Caitlynn Jackson (library assistant, San Diego Public Library).
2:00–3:00 The Pathway to Libraries for Indie Comics
Led by Barbra Dillon (editor-in-chief, Fanbase Press), this panel—including Moni Barrette (director of collection development & publisher relations, Library Pass), Christina Taylor (consulting comics librarian), Jordan Hart (writer, Ripple Effects), Jessica Maison (writer, Mary Shelley's School for Monsters), and Hillary Chang (branch manager, McCully-Moiliili Public Library)—will feature library professionals and indie comics creators discussing how new pathways can be forged to bring diverse, educational, and inclusive indie comics to library patrons everywhere.
3:00–4:00 A Crash Course in Media Literacy
Samuel C. Spitale (author/creator of Quirk Books' graphic novel How to Win the War on Truth) will use the comic arts to provide a crash course in media literacy, debunking real-world examples of misinformation that muddy the media landscape. Serving as a lesson in critical thinking, the workshop will help educators and students alike cut through the noise and become more savvy media consumers, both in and out of the classroom.
4:00–5:00 Using Comics, New Media, and Games for Education and Representation
The popularity of comic-based media has increased in the last 20 years and created new opportunities to educate children about science, health, and different cultures. Panelists discuss the ways in which comics (Jaycen Wise, Street Fighter), new media (Kareem Eobard, Drexel University, Work It Out Wombats; Leigh Willis, Dr. LAW’s Photolab), and games (Juanita Cato, CodeNinjas; Carl Vernardo, Street Fighter; Arturo Cortez, University of Colorado) are being used to expose children to scientific and health concepts as well as the importance of using diverse characters to help children consider careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
5:00–6:00 Just Wrapped: NEH K-12 Institute: Using Comics to Teach Social Justice
San Diego State University faculty from the Center for Comics Studies Pamela Jackson (comic arts curator; co-director of the Center for Comics Studies), Dr. Elizabeth Pollard (professor of history; co-director of the Center for Comics Studies), and Katherine Sciurba (professor of literacy education) share the curriculum of SDSU’s NEH-funded Summer Institute for K–12 Teachers: Using Comics to Teach Social Justice. Teachers who participated in this year’s institute reflect on lesson plans developed over the course of the two-week Institute that wraps up with four days at Comic-Con.
Comic-Con badge-holders with valid single same-day or four-day badges are welcome to attend and are not required to register.
In addition to CCEL, San Diego Public Library hosts themed San Diego Comic-Con programming leading up to and through the days of the conference. Please visit our website for more information.