SAM 2016: CCI unveils Storytelling Across Media event details
The new one-day San Francisco-based event from Comic-Con International, SAM: Storytelling Across Media is not necessarily the kind of show that sits alongside the other events we showcase, here at AEISD – it is an incredibly niche symposium, designed specifically for creatives across a broad spectrum of formats, and set up to provide tools for those creatives to tell more effective stories.
Admittedly, to get the most out of the one-day experience, you may find yourself pinballing around various rooms at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in San Francisco, as Comic-Con International have unveiled the titles and summaries for the panels available… And there’s a lot of them, too, and many of them may overlap so prepare to pick and choose wisely.
The good news is, as an CCI event, the organisation has the world’s industry leading storytellers in their contacts list to hand and has invited the likes of graphic novel creator Thi Bui (The Best We Could Do), comics creator/animation artist Stephan Franck (Silver), and writer Rick Remender (Captain America, Black Science, Low), as well as companies such as Telltale Media, specialists in cross-media storytelling.
The event takes place on Saturday 5th November 2016 (11am – 6pm), panels are first-come, first-served with no limits to the amount of panels you can attend, and is completely free of charge to attend. You just have to move fast to get the places for the panels you’d like to see, as the deadline for applications is less than TEN DAYS – we’ve included the links to the panels below to make things easier for you. Step to!
SAM: STORYTELLING ACROSS MEDIA Panel Schedule Saturday, November 5
11:00–11:45 Bay Area Comics & Illustration History
Last Gasp Publishing will take this panel on a one-of-a-kind journey through the history of Bay Area comics and storytelling. Featuring art and anecdotes that reveal the inside story of what made San Francisco one of the most influential cities in the history of comics. Foothill G
11:15–12:00 Parent and Child Class
Brian Kolm (Atomic Bear Press) helms a workshop that is specifically designed for a younger crowd excited to make comics with a parent or guardian. From coloring to character design, this session is all about collaboration and creativity. Foothill C
12:00–12:45 Diversity and Representation in Storytelling
Shawn Taylor (Nerds of Color) moderates an honest discussion about diversity and representation in comics with Robert Love (Number 13), Tyler Cohen (Primahood: Magenta), and Daniel Parada (Zotz). Presented by the Cartoon Art Museum and the Black Comix Arts Festival. Foothill G
12:15–1:00 Cartooning 101
The Cartoon Art Museum offers this workshop for teens with the creative impulse to turn their own stories into comics. Whether you’ve already tried your hand at cartooning or are just getting started, this workshop will help you continue to develop the foundational skills needed to craft engaging stories in the comic book medium. Foothill C
1:00–1:45 Spotlight on Thi Bui
Graphic novelist Thi Bui (The Best We Could Do) shares the trials and tribulations of autobiographical comics, how to incorporate oral history and research, and the painful but important process of rewriting in comics. Foothill G
1:15–2:00 Cartooning 102
Robert Love (Fierce) leads this workshop perfectly suited for anyone looking to push their storytelling craft to the next level. Explore the finer points of storytelling on the comics page with expert advice and practical tips to apply to your own visual art and writing practice. Foothill C
2:00–2:45 Spotlight on Stephan Franck
Multi-award-nominated animator/writer/director/comic book creator Stephan Franck (The Iron Giant, Despicable Me, Silver) answers your questions about his work, as well as the art and commerce of storytelling—visual and otherwise—as it applies to comics, animation, and filmmaking. Foothill G
2:15–3:00 Interactive Design with Telltale Games
Telltale Games specializes in episodic, story-driven, interactive games. From the very beginning, they developed games based on comics such as Sam & Max and Bone. More recent games based on The Walking Dead, Fables, and Batman have been huge hits. This panel will focus on that legacy and the future for Telltale Games. Foothill C
3:00–3:45 Spotlight on Rick Remender
In the past 15 years, Rick Remender (Fear Agent, Dead Space, The Iron Giant) has written numerous acclaimed titles across every genre. Join Rick for a one-on-one interview and Q&A session about the trials and rewards of creating a new story from the ground up. Foothill G
3:15–4:00 Storytelling For Game Development
Moderator Maya Zuckerman leads an in-depth conversation with Zeb West (Star Wars: the Old Republic) and Michael Cinquemani (EPISODE) about storytelling and video game development. From the early days of comics bundled with Atari cartridges to the latest line of popular Batman games, comics and video games have had a strong connection. This discussion will focus on those back and forth influences and development of new cross-media storytelling. Foothill C
4:00–4:45 Storytelling in Editorial Cartooning
Adam Bessie (The Atlantic), Nick Sousanis (The Unflattening), and Mark Fiore (San Francisco Chronicle) discuss the ins and outs of editorial and non-fiction cartooning. In today’s visually dominated media, editorial and non-fiction cartooning have never been more important. This panel of experts discusses the potential pitfalls—and unexpected rewards—of telling stories based on real life events. Foothill G, San Francisco Marriott Marquis
4:15–5:00 Comics and VR Storytelling
Kevin Buckley (Madefire) and Dustin Freemen (Kinect) discuss the ways Virtual Reality is quickly becoming a new medium for telling fully immersive and interactive stories. Join us in a conversation about the exciting possibilities of motion comics, AR (augmented reality), VR (virtual reality), and other rapidly evolving platforms. Foothill C
5:00–5:45 Storytelling and Queer Identity
Moderator Maia Kobabe (The Thief’s Tale) and a panel of talented queer storytellers discuss their craft and how they bring life to their characters on the comics page. Storytelling plays a role in shaping both the identity of the storyteller and the characters on the page. This panel explores how queer cartoonists navigate this space. Foothill G
5:15–6:00 Dynamic Comics Readings
Matt Silady (chair, CCA MFA in Comics program) is joined by Bay Area cartoonists Meggie Ramm, Cordelia McGee-Tubb, and Trinidad Escobar, to discuss what it takes to deliver an engaging and entertaining public performance. Enjoy some very special comics readings and tips on how to bring your comics to life on the stage. Foothill C
Full details of what Comic-Con International have in store for attendees of SAM can be found on the CCI website page for the event:
http://www.comic-con.org/frontpage/sam-storytelling-across-media
You can also find out more about the Guests and Special Participants of the event, here:
http://www.comic-con.org/frontpage/sam-guests-and-program-participants