Main Menu

Under the Tents 2026: Martin Hsu, Rachta Lin, Jeff Pina, Icon Heroes, The Eisners, CGC

After a very eventful sports weekend this past weekend, with the NBA (Go Knicks!) and NHL (Go Canes!) finals coming to an end, I haven’t known what to do with my free time at night, which has resulted in thinking more and more about how much I still have to do in preparation for the Con, like finally booking a flight; however the news stops for no one, not even those needing to focus on some important travel decisions.

Today is Wednesday, and that means it’s exactly five weeks until those lucky enough to have scored Preview Night will begin to descend upon the Convention Center with a certain gleam in their eyes, hoping to score those coveted exclusives and giveaways. Perhaps the thing they most covet will be among the following bits of news.

Here’s a look at some of the stuff you may have missed:

  • The Kevin Workman Foundation announced that they will be back in the same place this year in Booths #934/#936 and that they will be celebrating with their sponsored artist Eric Bonhomme, who has some very amazing and vibrant art. Make sure to stop by and say hello and pick up one of Eric’s pieces of art, ranging from originals to prints and everything in between. They teased that they also have some surprises brewing, so stay tuned.

  • Fans of the movie The Swan Princess will be very happy that artist Steven Gordon will be bringing an updated version of an Odette and Friends print, featuring Odette holding Jean-Bob while General Puffin and Lorenzo “Speed” Trudgealong sit and fly beside her. Fun fact, not specifically about this print, but when I was younger I could only draw a flower and a frog, and the frog was always named Jean-Bob, so even though I don’t necessarily remember watching The Swan Princess, I must have if I was consistently drawing Jean-Bob’s all over the place.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Steven Gordon (@stevenegordon)

  • The Black Heroes Matter Panel shared the list of leading voices who will be a part of the panel this year. Attendees will find talent from across film, TV, comics, and interactive media coming together to examine the future of Black storytelling. While there is not a date and time set yet, this will be a can’t-miss panel. Stay tuned for more information coming in the next few weeks.

  • Streetfighter and Swimsuit Edition definitely was not something I ever thought I would hear in the same sentence, but here we are. It appears that Dan Quintana will have a Streetfighter Swimsuit Edition exclusive. Signed books, personal remarks, and exclusive surprises are also mentioned. We’ll have to keep our eyes on this one to find out more information and where it will be available.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by KRS COMICS (@krscomics)

  • The artist Rachta Lin shared two exclusives; the first features Absolute Batman with Absolute Harley Quinn, and the second features Absolute Catwoman with many cats (which is my personal favorite as a cat lover). They will both come in two variants: trade foil and virgin foil. They will be available to pick up at Jams Fortress Comics, Wambulance Comics, and Street Level Hero.

  • Broke Skull Collectibles, in collaboration with Brett Bean (creator of D’orc) and Chris Fredricks Art teased two limited edition covers. The full art reveal and pre-order will drop on July 6, with only 250 of each variant available for pre-order. Head over to their socials and share a guess on what you think the final reveal will be.

  • The Eisner Awards announced the nominees for this year’s Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award, with the winner set to be announced at the award ceremony on July 24. The nominees include Robert Mgrdich Apelian, a writer and artist of Fustuk, which brings together Armenian mythology, food, and family history in a YA fantasy debut. Katie Hicks, who is a writer/artist behind Astral Panic, is known for punchy, colorful storytelling that tackles anxiety, digital overload, and young adulthood with humor and heart. Stipan Morian, the artist of Our Soot Stained Heart, brings strong visual storytelling to the series. Toril Orlesky, the creator of Hotblood, is best known for the long-running centaur western that has become a cult favorite. And, Carlos Sánchez writer and artist of Rune: The Tale of a Thousand Faces and Rune: The Tale of the Obsidian Maz, has built a fantasy world rooted in myth, adventure, and striking design.

  • Jazzinc Dioramas shared some Work In Progress pictures of sculptures of the Joker and Harley Quinn. Sculpted by Sean Dabbs, painted by Andy Manoloff, and costumed by Pam Ford, these figures look amazing. Pricing and preorder information will come at a later time, so stay tuned.

  • Artist Kehasuk announced that they would be releasing new work at SDCC and at AnimeExpo with a post sharing a WIP of a piece of art they are working on.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kehasuk (@kkehasuk)

  • It appears that award-winning writer James Tynion IV and artist Werther Dell’Edera will be attending the convention this year, and will be doing signings not only at the Scott’s Collectables set of booths, but they will also have signing times at the Boom! Studios booth as well. The times will be announced at a later date, so stay tuned!

  • As an extreme cat lover, and being a fan of The Boys, this new tease from artist Martin Hsu is right up my alley. Featuring Kittylander and a glass of milk hovering above Kitty Butcher and the rest of the gang. I can’t wait to see the finished product and what else he has planned.

  • Are you feeling nostalgic? Do you miss the days of going to the mall and visiting a KB Toys Store? Well you may be in luck because Icon Heroes is bringing the nostalgia with a booth including exclusives from Jiu Jitsu Combat Creatures, KB Toys collectibles, and Handmade by Robots, plus products from Hiya Toys, Four Horsemen Studios creations, and some of their favorite indie toy companies. You can find them at Booth #4344. Keep a close eye on their socials for more reveals.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Icon Heroes (@iconheroes)

  • Artist Tiago Palma will be attending his first-ever SDCC! You can find him in Artist Alley #HH-20. He’ll be taking a load of his  X-Men United comics, the new Excommunicated series, his sketchbook, prints, and original art! If you’re interested in a commission, you can shoot him a DM and set something up. Be sure to stop by his table and say hello and give him a warm welcome as a newcomer!

  • Artist and writer Jim Mahfood announced that he will be coming to the convention this year, and you can find him at the Allen Spiegel Fine Arts Booth #4701.

  • And finally, back again this year will be the Jericho Fan Table. I was a big fan of the show Jericho back in the day, I remember when the show was cancelled, how all the fans rallied behind it and sent 20 tons of peanuts to the CBS Headquarters in New York to show how much the show was loved, and it worked; it got the show a second season. Also due to the overwhelming amount of nuts, CBS worked with the fans to get the nuts sent to local food banks and overseas, so it was a win-win all around. Its nice to see what can happen when people come together for something good. It’s also great to see there is still fan support for this show. I think it may be time for a re-watch myself.

  • Director Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code, Warcraft) is heading to San Diego Comic-Con, where he’ll be promoting his upcoming Rogue Trooper film, based on the classic British comic. You can catch him at the 2000 AD Booth #2121 on Saturday, July 25 from 2pm-3pm.

  • Are you seeing double… or triple? Twins Matt Glebe and Mick Glebe — the duo that make up Glebe Art — are representing “three major properties” as San Diego Comic-Con exclusives this year. Can you guess what they are?

Anything we missed? Let us know by dropping us a line, or tweet us at @SD_Comic_Con.

Still need a badge for San Diego Comic-Con? Sorry. We can’t help. But maybe try the Contest Hub?

If you missed our previous Under the Tents posts, you can find them HERE.

Looking for a commission? We’ve got a post for that!

Tags

Related Posts

Share this post
Scroll to Top