It’s been six months since a fantastic San Diego Comic-Con, which means we are only six months away from the next one! And I wanted to share my experience with you so you can know what to expect from me in SDCC 2023.
In addition to speaking about how I enjoyed myself in San Diego, I will add some value to the post with stuff I learned and great books featured at Comic-Con. So let’s get started.
I went to San Diego prepared. Months before, I planned and created personalized gifts for my favorite creators and fellow Substack writers, who have inspired me in many ways. I also wrote my comic book to promote my Substack. Without further ado, let’s see who were the lucky ones that got a Llama:
Tom King, Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo
First, I attended the Tom and Tom panel with guest Bruno Redondo. One takeaway was the moment the Toms contrasted their styles: King writes about the problems and the sadness in the world, showing the harsh reality we live in, while Taylor chooses to see the hope and determination in people. Contrasting styles from two of the best in the industry. It made me confirm that comics is a medium that allows anything: we have a variety of excellent stories and creators, with everyone truthful to their style and not having to adapt to the needs of the industry, the readers, or anyone. This creative freedom to explore any topic inspires me to create the stories I want to see on the shelves.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t take pictures of Tom Taylor and Bruno holding my books and gifts, but Tom asked me to sign my book for him. It was the first book I’ve ever signed and for it to be for a giant in the industry felt terrific, and it showed me the kind of person Tom is. I felt great being his fan.
Here is a picture of Tom King with a Llama.
Fun fact: when I told him my Substack was all about spreading positivity and good vibes in the comics industry, he told me he does the exact opposite LOL
Oh, and I wanted to shout out one of Tom and Mitch Gerads' stories that came out in August, just after Comic Con: Batman: One Bad Day - The Riddler #1. Tom mentioned that it is about a world where The Riddler, someone more intelligent than Batman, decided to stop toying with him, giving him riddles, but said: Fuck it, I'll do whatever I want. This kind of story is a classic Tom King story, and it was so good! I was glad to see it in many Top Reads of 2022 articles.
Brian Michael Bendis and Brian K. Vaughan (BKV)
The two Brians. Two titans who have shaped the industry over the past decades. For the readers and fans, they are two unique, award-winning writers. But for me, they are more: They represent two pivotal points in my life as a comic book reader.
I told him this a couple of years ago, but Brian Michael Bendis is one of the reasons I read comics. We didn’t get many comic books here in Peru, especially in the early 2010s when I started reading. Fortunately, a local newspaper ventured into publishing books from the Big Two. And that’s how I met Brian. His Avengers and New Avengers runs, and events such as Secret Invasion and Siege, woke my love for superheroes and comic books in general.
Fast forward a couple of years back, during a family vacation. I only read Big Two comics, the superhero stuff. I don’t remember how but I discovered Y The Last Man (by BKV and Pia Guerra) on the shelves of a comic store I visited. Intrigued, I bought Deluxe Edition Book One. By the end of the trip, I had secured the five books, and shortly after that, I finished reading this fantastic story. And it opened a whole new world to me. One with different types of characters, fewer fictional and more mature tales, and many diverse genres. The Indies.1
Jonathan Hickman and Mike Huddleston
3W/3M was among the first Substacks announced. I knew what Jonathan could do because of his work at Marvel, with stories such as Secret Wars and HoX/PoX and having revolutionized the Fantastic Four and the Avengers. His world-building, characters, and enigmatic storytelling caught my attention from page one and always kept me wanting to read more.
But the creative freedom he gained from working independently opened a world of possibilities. In addition to announcing a new universe composed of Three Worlds and Three Moons, he revealed some creators that would collaborate with him in creating the systems of his world. Names such as Al Ewing, Ram V, and Tini Howard made religious, economic, and magic systems, respectively. It sounded terrific, and so far, it has been a blast.
Last week they accepted pitches for a story set in this universe, and of course, I was in! While studying this series of stories, I was impressed by all the creations: this universe has it all: opposing factions, diplomatic relationships, the systems I mentioned, a balance between science and magic, fantastic creatures, and more. So much more. And the best part, as the universe itself, the 3W/3M universe is ever expanding.
Meeting some of the creators behind this ambitious project was awesome!
Tini Howard and Phillip Sevy
Tini and Phillip were the most excited of the bunch when they received my presents. Seeing creators I admire so happy with a gesture I created felt great.
What they are doing in their Substack with their series Phenomenocity sounds excellent because they tackle two themes that could each spawn a different book. First, how would the world react if an unknown outer world phenomenon appeared and there was absolutely no explanation for it? How would people feel? What happens to us when there is something from out of this world that we can't answer for? And how does this make us reflect on our role in the universe? If it didn't sound thought-provoking enough, this book also discusses the effects and implications of social media disappearing. What happens with the information gathered for years by private companies?
The answers are in the (phenomeno)city.
James Tynion IV
The best writer of the year! At SDCC, James proved once again to be the best writer in comics. I was on his Slaughterverse panel on Friday, and he mentioned something insightful for me as an aspiring creator.
Before, I saw James was working on the Slaughterverse, which includes two ongoing series and a one-shot special announced that Friday. In addition: The Department of Truth, A Nice House on the Lake, The Closet, Wynd, Christopher Caos, and more. I thought it was impossible to be on his level, having so many stories in your mind that are independent of each other. But he mentioned that he used all of this work to avoid distraction. It may sound counterintuitive, but hear this: If he couldn’t write more SIKTC, he pivoted to writing The Department of Truth to freshen his mind, moving forward with his work. And so on with the rest of his titles. He said this was the only way he could be constant with his work, despite it being a lot of books. He uses the many worlds he has created to take breaks from the many worlds he has designed.
Initially, I thought that if you wanted to write two or more books at a time, you had to split your time between them, almost forcing yourself to flip your switch between books. But what James mentioned was eye-opening. Writing a different book as a distraction, as a break, from writing your first book sounds excellent and makes it easier to write many books at a time. Which is something writers need to master in the current state of the industry.
Rodney Barnes and Ram V
I grouped these two creators because, on this list, they are the ones I know from more recent times, and they have taken the industry by storm with their stories.
I got to see Rodney on a Horror Comics panel with other amazing creators, and I had a blast. He explained how Killadelphia originated from a desire to spend more time with his father, and it was very personal, which is why this book is so powerful. I love horror, and their discussion about writing about your fears and desires made me think a lot about what I can contribute to this genre.
On the other side, Ram is a writer who showed me the medium's range in ways I haven't seen before. Blue in Green, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr (co-created by Filipe Andrade), and These Savage Shores are on a different level, visually and storywise. They have made me realize that even now, with so many comics out there, you can stretch comics to create your mark on the readers.
Scott Snyder
Like James, Scott, his mentor, and close friend, also emphasized the importance of having many books, in the sense that if you want to get published or even make it into a series or movies, it is more likely to have one of your stories selected if you make more. The classic "don't put all your eggs in one basket" makes absolute sense. It is a philosophy that works in life, finance, and comics.
Scott is an incredible creator and a wonderful person who cares about his fans more than anything, giving us golden opportunities to interact with him and his work. An example is the dinner he hosted at SDCC for Substack subscribers, which I attended. Unfortunately, my dumb self forgot to take a picture of him with the Llama, but sitting next to him talking comics and the industry, with him giving us sneak peeks of stuff to come, was a dream.
Hey all! Glad to be back with this type of article. First of all, thank you for reading! I want to clarify that the creators above are primarily writers, as I’m a writer, and they are my role models. In addition, they are the ones who migrated to Substack, a platform I deeply enjoy. Nevertheless, their stories wouldn’t be what they are without the artists, colorists, letterers, and editors behind their projects.
Next time! More Substack recaps and content about Marvel Comics. I’m working hard to make comics, so hopefully, I can update you on that soon. Until then, stay awesome and read something!
A message for the connoisseurs: I know Y The Last Man is from DC Comics, but the Vertigo imprint feels like indie books.