It’s less than two weeks away from Comic-Con, and CCI is releasing the programming schedule for Comic-Con 2023 in its annual fashion. We’ll be bringing you the highlights of each day as they’re announced.
We’ll also be discussing our thoughts on this year’s lineup, including our top picks, room flow, and what time we think you should line-up in a special series of live podcasts this weekend. The first of which covered Thursday’s and Friday’s lineup, and the second segment — in which we break down Saturday and Sunday — will be on Sunday, July 9 at 4pm PT / 7PM ET (that’s tonight!)
With that said, let’s dive right into Sunday.
The big news of the day is that… there is no Hall H. While traditionally both Ballroom 20 and Indigo Ballroom are closed on Sunday (which they are again this year as well), Hall H normally remains open. But not in 2023. It’s also worth noting that normally Comic-Con International would have announced their Toucan Tracker wristband system by now. Given that they haven’t, we suspect they may not even be doing wristbands in 2023 (but we shall see).
Still, there are movie panels to be found on the Sunday schedule, including “Lights! Before Camera and Action” at 11am in 7AB, which features camera and lighting directors from Laika and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, to discuss lighting stop motion, in what sounds like a fantastic panel. You’ll also find a documentary, Selling Superman, about a son trying to navigate his family’s legacy and the potential windfall of selling his late father’s comic collection, at 2pm in Grand 12 & 13, with filmmakers and more. Storyboard artists from many of your favorite films (including Spider-Man: Far From Home, Black Panther, and more) discuss their craft at 12:30pm in Room 23ABC.
There are other entertainment panels, including “Looney Legends: A Conversation with the Voices of Bugs Bunny and Other Favorite Characters” at 1:30pm in Room 29CD. If your kids are into history, take them to “National Geographic Kids: Greeking Out Live!”, for a live episode of the popular podcast at 10am in Room 6DE. You’ll also get your first look at the upcoming animated Gamera Rebirth series at 3pm in Room 25ABC with anime director Hiroyuki Seshita.
And you’ll get a second chance to take a stroll down Sesame Street, as Cookie Monster and Elmo are on hand to give you a special premiere at 11:30am in Room 6BCF.
Join behind-the-scenes members of the Star Trek: Picard team at 1pm in Room 24ABC, or get the scoop on the upcoming Miraculous Ladybug & Cat Noir film at 10:15am from the ZAG Animation team at 10:15am in Room 6BCF. The “Browncoat Meeting Room” will give you an update on all things Firefly along with Firefly and The Mandalorian costume designer Shawna Trpcic at 1pm in Grand 10 & 11.
The annual Buffy: Once More with Feeling Whedonverse musical is back at 3pm in Room 6BCF, and if you haven’t caught the new The Little Mermaid live action film, you’ll get your chance to experience “The Scuttlebutt” while your attendees sing along at 12:45pm in Room 6BCF, which certainly can’t make that song any worse.
Fans of comic and the arts have plenty to be excited about on Sunday. “Cover Story” at 2pm has a stacked roster of cover artists, including Becky Cloonan, Todd McFarlane, Joe Quesada, and J. Scott Campbell at 2pm in 7AB. We’re also excited about “The Best and Worst of Making Comics”, which includes Amy Chu, John Romita Jr., Joe Quesada, Ben Templesmith, and Ron Turner at 11am in Room 25ABC.
Get scared (in a good way) for “Horror Comics” at 12:30pm in Room 6DE, for a panel that includes Scott Snyder, actor and Count Crowley author David Dastmalchian among others.
Get a retrospective on the legendary George Clayton Johnson, who write classic The Twilight Zone episodes and co-wrote the Logan’s Run novel, with a new graphic novel at 12:30pm in Room 29CD. You can also dive into the legacy of Steve Ditko at 12:15pm in Room 5AB.
Speed into the Sonic the Hedgehog panel at 10am in Room 25ABC; learn how pro wrestling and comics intersect in “Not So Strange Bedfellows: The Relationship Between Comics and Pro Wrestling” at 12pm in Marriott Grand 12 & 13; and join writer J. Michael Straczynski for his Spotlight panel at 1:15pm in Room 5AB. You’ll also find tons of great talent at 12pm on “The Rogues’ Gallery: My Favorite Villain” at 12pm in Room 25ABC, which includes Michael Conrad, Rachel Smythe, Steenz, Kim-Joy, and David F. Walker discussing their favorite villains.
Congress comes to Comic-Con as U.S. Congressman Robert Garcia gets a panel at 12pm in Room 4, alongside librarian of the Library of Congress Megan Halsband and Blue Beetle writer Josh Trujilo to discuss the launch of the Congressional Popular Arts Caucus, at 12pm in Room 4.
Scientists get a bad rap thanks to comics villains — so come hear from real scientists, engineers, and technologists about how they’re trying to improve the rep of scientists in pop culture at 2:30pm in Room 29CD.
If you’ve ever considered writing your own novel, you can come hear from the pros including The Winner Twins, Jonathan Mayberry, Jim Benton, and Paul Cornell at 2pm in Room 25ABC as they give advice and war stories.
Elsewhere, you won’t want to miss “Cartoon Voices II”, especially if you missed Saturday’s edition — with Mark Evanier leading Maurice LaMarche (Futurama, Pinky and the Brain), Anna Brisbin (Final Fantasy VII Remake), Fred Tatasciore (Team America, The Hulk), Frank Todaro (The Cuphead Show, Transformers), and Courtney Lin (Monster High, Rainbow High), at 11:45am in Room 6A.
One of the simplest but best concept panels is back this year — “Trivia for Chocolate” at 3:30pm in Room 26AB, in which if you answer a trivia question, you get… chocolate! What’s not to love? And speaking of giveaways, the annual “X-Men Fandom Panel” is offering up not only great conversation about all things X-Men, but also an exclusive art print by Marvel Stormbreaker artist Lukas Werneck.
Also back is the annual fan-favorite “Starship Smackdown” in which a panel debates pop culture questions and talks some smack at 2:45pm in Room 6A.
We’re also interested in “Draw Me Like One of Your Disney Girls” at 2pm in Room 11, where Disney figure models discuss their industry. Are you looking to get into the business of voiceover? Then head to Room 7AB at 3pm to join Mark Evanier for “The Business of Cartoon Voices”.
Sunday is traditionally “Kids Day”, which means there are tons of great panels for your budding artist or writer. “Kids Draw Superheroes” at 11am in Room 11 is exactly the reprieve from the floor your little one needs. Zander Cannon also leads “How to Make a Minicomic from One Sheet of Paper” at 12pm in Room 3 for a fun interactive panel.
Your kiddos will also get a kick out of Dynamite Entertainment’s Disney Titles panel at 11:30am in Room 23ABC, and for your mini-goths, you can celebrate 30 years of Emily the Strange at 10am in Room 32AB.
And of course, you can end the day with Comic-Con Talk Back, the annual “town hall” where you can tell Comic-Con International directly what you liked, hated (bring back the carpet!), or anything you want, really. That’s at 3:30pm in Room 23ABC.
You can also read the programming highlights for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
What will you be lining up for on Sunday of Comic-Con? Let us know in the comments.