Do you go to comic conventions hoping to get a deeper insight into the things that make people shiver in fear? Are you interested in becoming a horror aficionado and need a few pointers on how to start your journey? Maybe you’re just looking to go to San Diego Comic Con and catch an anniversary screening of a classic horror movie.
Well, you’ve come to the right place. The list that follows here offers a look at some of the things you’ll be able to see, attend, and scream at during your time at SDCC. An event this massive needs a bit of direction sometimes, so I hope this helps in carving out space for some creepy happenings at the con.
Any pools of blood you might step in or body parts you stumble upon are part of the show…maybe.
1. Twilight Zone: The Movie 40th Anniversary screening
When: Wednesday July 19, 2023 7:00pm – 8:41pm PDT
Where: Grand 5, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
Infamous for its John Landis segment, which led to the tragic death of actor Vic Morrow and two child performers that were illegally hired by the production team, Twilight Zone: The Movie is getting a 40th anniversary screening as part of the SDCC program.
The movie should generate discussions about its place in cinema history, due to its controversies, and whether it should be further explored considering the work its other directors and filmmakers put in for the anthology film, among them Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante, and George Miller.
2. Splattergore: The History of 90’s Horror Comics
When: Thursday July 20, 2023 7:00pm – 8:00pm PDT
Where: Room 25ABC
Panelists: Frank Forte (Asylum Press, Heavy Metal, Cry for Dawn), Tim Vigil (Faust, Gothic Nights), David Quinn (Faust, Dr. Strange), and Joshua Sky (Heavy Metal)
The horror comics of the 1990s were particularly macabre and violent, but also steeped in myth and dark fantasy. They took after the horror movies of the time, yes, but they more directly borrowed from the splatter traditions set during the 1980s, especially with films such as Hellraiser (1987), Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989), and Lamberto Bava’s Demons (1985) having had such an impact on the field in terms of influence throughout that period.
The panel hopes to chart this part of horror comics history with a lively discussion on the late 80’s indie scene that fostered the work that came out after it, the black and white comics boom of the 90’s, and the various books and publications that stood out from that decade.
3. Horror at The Library: Junji Ito
When: Thursday July 20th, 2023 11:00am – 12:00pm PDT
Where: Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Library
This event barely needs introduction. Junji Ito at the SD Library should be one of the highlights of the entire convention for horror fans. It’s a unique chance to listen to one of the medium’s grand masters of horror talk about his craft, things that can jump off the page to scare you, and the power that nightmares have over readers.
Be sure to get to the library early to secure a seat. This might end up being one of the con’s busiest and most popular events.
4. 35th Anniversary of Beetlejuice
When: Thursday July 20, 2023 6:00pm – 7:00pm PDT
Where: Room 25ABC
Panelist: Ve Neill
It’s not often you get to hear an industry icon reveal secrets and talk creative process about one of their most important works. This is precisely what attendees are getting with the “35th Anniversary of Beetlejuice” panel.
Oscar-winning makeup artist Ve Neill is set to dive deep into the creation of the Beetlejuice character and how it fit into the personality and physical dimensions of star Michael Keaton. Matt Ryan moderates the panel. Aspiring makeup artists, attending this panel should be mandatory.
5. Queer Horror
When: Friday July 21, 2023 3:00pm – 4:00pm PDT
Where: Room 4
Panelists: Michael Varrati (There’s a Zombie Outside, The Midnight Mass Podcast),Valerie Complex (Wrath of the Rose), Teri Gamble (Horror Movie Survival Guide, Mrs. Davis), Viktor Kerney (StrangeLore, the upcoming Black queer anthology We Belong), Andy Mangels (A Nightmare on Elm Street/Child’s Play comics, the upcoming Castle of Horror: Queer Dread anthology), and Adam Sass (Surrender Your Sons, Your Lonely Nights are Over).
The official description for this panel states that the question of whether Queer Horror already exists as a genre will be asked and considered. For my money, the answer is already an unequivocal yes. The wealth of horror knowledge and enthusiasm for all things Queer Horror on this panel speaks to this, and it’s already shaping up to be one of the most fascinating discussions of the show.
From The Boulet Brothers Dragula to Interview with the Vampire, and even documentaries like Shudder’s Queer for Fear documentary, queerness in horror is a force that’s had a hand in shaping the genre into what it is today. This panel should be as validating and enlightening as it is essential and it shouldn’t be missed.
6. Jamie Lee Curtis’s Mother Nature: A Candid Discussion of Her All-New Graphic Novel/Movie
When: Friday July 21, 2023 1:00pm – 2:00pm PDT
Where: Room 6A
Panelists: Jamie Lee Curtis, Russell Goldman, and Karl Stevens
Jamie Lee Curtis’s name alone is enough to make horror fan antenna’s ping with urgency. The Halloween star has been one of the most important faces of horror, period.
News that Curtis set out to turn her unproduced script, along with co-writer Russell Goodman and artist Karl Stevens, into a comic that deals with humanity’s treatment of mother nature and how she responds to it has been making the rounds within the horror community. There’s a fair amount of excitement behind this one, so keep an eye out.
7. Horror Writers AMA (Ask Me Anything) with the Creators of Storm King Comics
When: Friday July 21, 2023 4:00pm – 5:00pm PDT
Where: Room 29AB
Panelists: Sandy King Carpenter (owner, Storm King Productions; film producer), Sean Sobczak (managing editor, Storm King Comics; John Carpenter’s HalloweeNights), Neo Edmund (Grimms Town Terror Tales, Power Rangers), Cat Staggs (artist, Storm King Comics, DC Comics), Amanda Deibert (writer, Star Wars, Marvel, DC Comics), Jason Henderson (Alex Van Helsing, John Carpenter’s Usher Down).
This should be a fun time with horror people. Sandy King has become an energetic presence in the con scene with her big and darkly inviting Storm King booths. The publisher has been consistently putting out new books and it’s had its eye on exponential growth with every passing year, especially with its YA imprint Storm Kids.
In this panel you’ll have the chance to talk to some of the most experienced creators in horror comics today and ask questions about breaking in, staying consistent, and making comics scary.
8. Zombie Love Studios: Blood in Four Colors – A New Era of Horror in Comics
When: Friday July 21, 2023 6:45pm – 7:45pm PDT
Where: Room 6DE
Panelists: Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander
Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander, the creators of Killadelphia (the finest vampire comic currently on the stands), have left quite the footprint on horror comics as of late. Their Philadelphia vampire story has amassed a strong following, and it has opened the doors to a unique vampire-verse that includes the legendary Blacula among its ranks. This was essentially established in Zombie Love Studios’ first book Blacula: The Return of the King, which was written by Barnes (who founded the studio) and illustrated by Jason Shawn Alexander.
To say Zombie Love has a bright future is an understatement. The anticipation for new book announcements and other projects runs high. This panel might just give attendees a special look at what’s to come.
9. A Scare is Born
When: Saturday July 22, 2023 12:00pm – 1:00pm PDT
Where: Room 7AB
Panelists: Erin A. Craig (House of Roots and Ruin), Johnny Compton (The Spite House), Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Silver Nitrate), Chuck Tingle (Camp Damascus), and Catriona Ward (Looking Glass Sound, Little Eve)
A treat for prose horror readers, this panel will explore the mechanics of scary writing with some of the genre’s most impressive and prominent voices in the horror scene today. Silvia Moreno-García and Catriona Ward, for instance, are currently producing some of their best work, the kind that defines an era of horror fiction. Hearing from them promises to be revelatory, especially in terms of what to expect from contemporary horror.
If you are new to horror and are looking to get acquainted with the writers that are shaping the genre now as we speak, then make it a point to attend this one.
10. Needful Things: Collecting Stephen King
When: Saturday July 22, 2023 3:00pm – 4:00pm PDT
Where: Grand 12 & 13, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
Panelists: Richard Chizmar (co-author, Gwendy’s Button Box; owner, Cemetery Dance Publications), Jonathan Maberry (author, Joe Ledger Series), Robert Wiener (president, Donald M Grant Publisher), David Williamson (owner, Bett’s Books), Jerome Smith (owner TheDarkTower.org), and Jesse Lankford (moderator)
What is a book collection without some Stephen King in it? Well, perhaps the real question should be what’s a book collection without four or five editions of It or Salem’s Lot or The Stand in it? I’ve been to countless book stores and each one has a King book with a cover I never even knew existed.
This panel is about that, what goes into collecting the many editions of King’s books and just how many of them are out there. And that’s just in the English language alone. Try looking for editions in other languages. The panel looks like a relaxed and refreshing time talking and celebrating King, along with stories from the panelists about how they went about finding some of the most obscure editions in their collections that not even Stephen King might know exist.
You can find the SDCC program schedule here. Miss any of our earlier SDCC ’23 coverage? Find it all here!
