As we reported yesterday, the organizers of the San Diego Comic-Con came under fire on social media earlier this week for language in the rules for their annual art show that allowed Ai-generated art to be entered in the show.
The pushback on Comics BlueSky was vast and unrelenting from all areas of the industry after artist Karla Ortiz pointed out the policy in a post.
Later yesterday, the policy was quietly changed. On the SDCC website it now reads:
(3) Material created by Artificial Intelligence (AI) either partially or wholly, is not allowed in the art show. If there are questions, the Art Show Coordinator will be the sole judge of acceptability.
The art show is one of the oldest but least publicized elements of the sprawling pop culture titan that is the San Diego Comic-Con. Currently, it is set up at the Manchester Grant Hyatt – you do not actually need a badge to attend the exhibit.
Artwork that is submitted is offered for sale via Quick Sale or silent auction, and that seems to have worked. According to the SDCC website:
You’ll see numerous original drawings, paintings, sculptures, pieces of jewelry, and more “unusual” items, all created and displayed by professional and amateur artists. In 2025, more than 800 items were sold by the 116 artists exhibiting in the Comic-Con Art Show!
However according to the previous policy, the AI-generated art could not be offered for sale.
(3) Material produced by Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be placed in the show, but only as Not-for-Sale (NFS).
But how did such a policy – clearly against the spirit of SDCC’s mission to elevate the art of comics – get on the website anyway?
Artist Dane Ault actually reached out to Glen Wooten, who is in charge of the art show, and got more clarity.
Here’s an email exchange I had with Glen Wooten, the person in charge of SDCC’s Art Show. The previous language has been in place for a couple of years & was a compromise between himself & the higher ups. This whole ruckus convinced them that they needed more forceful language, so that’s great.
— Dane is home for a bit. (@monkeyminion.com) 2026-01-15T02:22:38.088Z
“Check the art show page — you’ll see that the rules have been changed, and that AI is no longer discouraged, but is banned,” Wooten wrote. “Those 2 sentences have been in the rules for a few years to make people not want to put AI art in (since there would be no way to sell), from a time when AI was just starting to rear its ugly head. It has worked — no one has put AI artwork in. But the issue is becoming more of a problem, so more strident language is necessary: NO! Plain and simple.
“Notices started coming in yesterday afternoon, but I haven’t said anything till the office updated the web page (I do not have access to it).
“My wife is an artist, so I have no love for regurgitated AI artwork. As an art show director, I wish the biggest problem to be telling the artist to stop calling prints of originals as originals. I may not be able to control what goes on outside, but I can keep a tight leash on the art show.”
In a follow-up he added: “I would appreciate it if you did (you can use my name). The office decided to “reorganize” the rules this year, so they brought out a small part of a paragraph, and gave it its own little lightning rod. As I said, it’s never been a problem, because they know I frown on it, so they don’t do it — but this is perception, and what was acceptable a few years ago is more of a hot-button topic now. The previous wording was a compromise (I wasn’t allowed to say NO! at the time) — now there is no question.”
It seems that this policy had existed for quite a while – but no one noticed until now. It also seems that it was actually meant as a deterrent to Ai-generated art…but these times call for stronger measures than a deterrent. And now the policy has been changed to an outright ban. Small victories for the humans.
