In July, the comics book faithful turn west and make their pilgrimage to San Diego. It’s the geek Mecca, as 100,000 people swarm the city to talk about not just comics, but movies, fiction, gaming, and which fans should definitely not be wearing spandex.
And next week I’m going for my first time — sink or swim, baby! I’ll be on a couple panels, one about the prose part of my life, and one about the new comic book I’ve been working on (due out in August).
First up, Thursday afternoon I’m doing a panel with a lot of great writers about “Twisting Genres.” Afterward, there will be a signing, where I will sit next to the heavy hitters and watch people line up for them. I’ve become very good at these kinds of things at holding coats, providing extra pens, running and getting gin… you know, just helping out.
On Friday, I’m going to a panel I’m not actually on, but Bill Willingham and I have decided to sit in the audience and interrupt. It’s on creating superhero fiction, and they’ll be talking about Masked, the superhero anthology that’s out now. Anthology editor Lou Anders and my pals Chris Roberson and Matt Sturges will be on it.
Then on Saturday, I’ll be on a panel with Kurt Busiek and BOOM! Studios’ head guy Mark Waid to talk about the Dracula: Company of Monsters comic. Woo hoo!
Here’s the schedule copy-and-paste:
Thursday, 4:00-5:00 Twisting Genres— Fantastic fiction authors talk about pushing the envelope on genre, not confining it to one definition. Participants include China Miéville (Kraken), Justin Cronin (The Passage), Naomi Novik (Tongues of Serpents), Daryl Gregory (The Devil’s Alphabet), Jeffrey J. Mariotte (Cold Black Hearts), Robert Masello (Blood And Ice), Keith Thompson (The Leviathan trilogy), and Scott Westerfeld (The Leviathan trilogy). Moderated by Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy. Room 25ABC
Friday, 10:00-11:00 With Great Power Come Great Stories— Authors discuss creating superhero superfiction, including novels and stories in anthologies like Masked and Wild Cards. Authors include Lou Anders (Masked), Jackie Kessler (the Icarus Project novels), Caitlin Kittredge (the Icarus Project novels), Gini Koch (Touched by an Alien, the Katherine “Kitty” Katt series), Kevin Andrew Murphy (the Wild Cards series), Chris Roberson (Book of Secrets), Caroline Spector (Wild Cards contributor), and Matt Sturges (Justice Society of America). Moderated by Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy. Room 32AB
Saturday, 3:30-4:30 Editing Comics the BOOM! Studios Way— BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Mark Waid and BOOM! Managing Editor Matt Gagnon talk with Kurt Busiek and Daryl Gregory about putting together their upcoming BOOM! series Dracula: The Company Of Monsters. Don’t miss this in-depth look into the editing secrets of one of the comic book industry’s leading independent publishers. Join moderator Mark Waid (author of the Eisner Award-nominated Irredeemable, BOOM! Editor-in-Chief) and panelists Kurt Busiek (author of the Eisner Award-winner Astro City), Daryl Gregory (acclaimed sci-fi writer, author of The Devil’s Alphabet), and Matt Gagnon (BOOM! Managing Editor) as they discuss editing do’s and don’ts of today’s comic book industry. Room 24ABC
Daryl Gregory 
Hey, this is a very cool and interesting blog. I could kill a lot of time here and call it work-related.
Anyway, it was great to meet you at the Comic Con (man, my wrist is still sore from signing) and I look forward to reading some of your work.
Let me know if you’re ever out in Santa Monica.
Robert Masello
Robert! Great meeting you. My physical therapist says we can probably get full function back in my wrist. But my other therapist — the one with the psychology diploma on the wall — has given up hope.