2023 Special Guests
Frank Cho
Frank Cho is an Emmy Award-winning and critically acclaimed writer and illustrator. He is known for his newspaper comic strip series, Liberty Meadows, as well as for his work at Marvel Comics such as Mighty Avengers, Spider-Man, X-Men, Shanna the She-Devil, the Hulk and Savage Wolverine. He is also known for his Harley Quinn, Batman and Wonder Woman covers at DC Comics.
Frank Cho is noted for classical and energetic figure art, beautiful illustrations of women, humorous writings and adventure stories.
Presently, Frank Cho has finished Skybourne at BOOM Studios, and is working on various creator-owned projects, Autumn, World of Payne, and War Wytch with novelist Tom Sniegoski at Image Comics.
He is currently wrapping up Fight Girls at AWA Studios.
Ryan Ottley
Ryan Ottley is an American comic book artist who is most known for his work on the INVINCIBLE series. He is a contributing creator on the series who designed and co-created a large part of the INVINCIBLE universe with writer Robert Kirkman, and is the primary artist for 127 issues of the 144 issue run. It is now an animated TV series on Amazon Prime video, Ottley works on the show as a Creative Consultant.
Other titles of note are Amazing Spider-Man with writer Nick Spencer. HULK with writer Donny Cates.
Trina Robbins
Trina Robbins has been drawing and writing comics since 1966, when she drew comics for the East Village Other, New York’s iconic underground newspaper, while at the same time designing and selling clothes from her Lower East Side boutique, Broccoli. In 1970, she produced the very first all-woman comic book, "It Ain't me, Babe." In 1972 she was one of the founding mothers of "Wimmen's Comix," the longest-lasting women's anthology comic book. (1972 - 1992)
In the mid-1980s, tired of hearing publishers and editors say that girls don't read comics and that women had never drawn comics, she co-wrote (with catherine yronwood) "Women and the Comics," the first of what would become a series of histories of women cartoonists. She has been responsible for rediscovering previously forgotten early women cartoonists like Nell Brinkley, Tarpe Mills, Barbara Hall, and Lily Renee.
In 1986 she became the first woman to draw a Wonder Woman comic book.
In 2013 Trina was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame. In 2017 she was inducted into the Wizard World Hall of Legends, and at the San Diego comic convention she received the Eisner award for editing the two-volume reprint collection of the complete “Wimmen’s Comix.”
Steve Leialoha
Steve Leialoha has been drawing and inking for Marvel, DC and many others.
Highlights include Vertigo’s Fables, Jack of Fables, Nevada, Petrefax, the Dreaming, Sandman, and Dead Boy Detectives.
Since the 70’s he has been an inker on Warlock, Howard the Duck, Daredevil, GI Joe (the Silent issue), Superman, Batman, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Ms Marvel, the Avengers, Secret Wars II, the Fantastic Four, and the original Star Wars adaptation.
He has also drawn the Justice League, Dr Strange, Iron Man (the Hawaiian Adventure!), the X-Men, New Mutants, the Hulk, She-Hulk, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Star Trek!
Witness first-hand the incredible talents of the legendary penciler himself that has given magic to the books we know and love for over 40 years! Rick Leonard’s artistic journey has left an indelible mark on some of the most iconic titles and characters that have remained near and dear to our hearts for decades.
As a penciller for Marvel Entertainment, he has graced the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man, Thor, X-Men, Cloak & Dagger, Spider-Man 2099, and Daredevil. His artistry knows no bounds, as he also contributed his remarkable skills to the DC Comics, illustrating Batman, Nightwing, Batgirl, Superman, and Justice League.
Rick’s creative genius extends beyond the Marvel and DC universes. His collaborations with Dark Horse Comics have given birth to thrilling adventures in Predator, Star Wars, Aliens, and Hellboy. Notably, he joined forces with Dark Horse Comics and 20th Century Fox to create the exhilarating graphic novel Green Lantern vs. Aliens. Moreover, his talents as a writer and artist shine in New Paradigm Studios’ critically acclaimed work, Watson and Holmes: A Study in Black, which received an Eisner Award nomination for best new series in 2014.
Rick Leonardi
Gail Simone
Gail Simone is an multiple-award-winning writer of comics and animation, notably Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Deadpool, the Simpsons, and Secret Six. She has also written animation as diverse as Justice League Unlimited and My Little Pony. Known for her skewed humor and viewpoint, and her close relationship with her readers
Willie Ito
After a career spanning 50 years, Willie Ito, animator, cartoonist, writer, director, and producer, retired from Walt Disney Productions to become an illustrator, publisher, and producer of his children’s book “Hello Maggie.”
Starting his animation career at Walt Disney Productions, his first assignment was the iconic spaghetti kissing scene from Lady and the Tramp.
The following six years was spent at the infamous Termite Terrace of Warner Bros Cartoons Department. He worked with the legendary director Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng, working on such classics as What’s Opera Doc, and One Froggy Evening, the Coyote and Road Runner series, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Pepe Le Pew were some of the iconic series Willie worked on. Ito then went on to Bob Clampett Studios to help create the animated Beany and Cecil Show. Upon completion, he went on to Hanna-Barbera for the following 14 years, involved with renown shows such as Yogi Bear, the Flintstones, The Jetsons, Hong Kong Phooey and Scooby Doo. Followed by a year’s stint with Sanrio of Hello Kitty fame.
Willie retired to his home base of Disney to work in the Comic Strip Department. He worked in Disney Publishing and later with Disney Consumer Products. In the International Creative Department, as Director he oversaw the development of Disney character merchandise for over 800 Disney Stores worldwide. He mentored local artists from our international offices around the world. A short stint with Disney Television to launch this new endeavor, Willie worked on the pilot shows of The Wuzzles and The Gummy Bears which launched Disney TV as it exists today.
Willie was a recipient of the prestigious Winsor McCay Annie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Animation, the Golden Awards from the Cartoonist Guild commemorating 50 years in the Animation Industry, The Ink Pot Award from the International San Diego Comic-Con, the Cartoonist of the Year Award from Academia Nemoland in Florence, Italy, the 24 Carrot Award from Warner Bros and numerous other recognitions.
In retirement, Willie is now at the drawing board producing a full 2D animated cartoon based on his “Hello Maggie” book, recalling his and author Shig Yabu’s accounts of their childhood experiences during their years incarcerated in an internment camp at Heart Mountain, Wy. for Japanese American citizens. It is a poignant child friendly story to be told to future generations.
Peter Shinkoda
Peter Shinkoda is an actor known for his portrayals of the combatant Dai in Steven Spielberg’s Falling Skies on TNT and the villainous Nobu in Marvel’s Daredevil on Disney+. He has enjoyed an acting career that has spanned over 30 years working in TV shows and features that include I, Robot, Paycheck, The Predator, Midway amongst many others. He has worked under the direction of Roland Emmerich, John Woo, Joe Dante, Alex Proyas, Shane Black, and many more. Locally, he has been in independent films GO FOR BROKE: AN ORIGIN STORY, portraying Hawaii attorney Masaji Marumoto, and stars in WAIKIKI, depicting a homeless man.
