Kirby art, classic cadavers and other craziness at Saturday’s San Diego Comic-Con 2018

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Zoinks! Scooby-Doo and the gang made an appearance at San Diego Comic-Con 2018.

Saturday at the San Diego Comic-Con saw a celebration of Jack (King) Kirby’s incredible art; a 200th birthday party for a classic cadaver; and a wide collection of cosplay craziness. The crowds were large, but seemed mellower and maybe even smaller than the day before. (No science or statistics there folks, just a subjective observation.)

Our first stop of the morning was the “Happy Birthday, Frankenstein” panel, with authors and Frankenstein experts, Carrie Sessarego, Leslie S. Klinger, Jonathan Maberry, Kiersten White and Merrie Destefano.

Frankenstein's 200th Birthday Cake — Frankenstein’s 200th Birthday Cake

Frankenstein is considered by many to be the “first science fiction novel,” and for the book’s 200th anniversary the panel discussed the ground-breaking impact of the story and the various themes it contains, like loneliness, nature v nurture, the fear of death, the quest for immortality and the price to be paid for such pursuits.

Next up, while waiting for the Jack Kirby art panel, we sat in on part of the “Inside the Writer’s Room: From Script to Screen – The Breakdown” discussion, where a group of writers concocted a screenplay on the fly and revealed some of their own writing processes.

An honorary name placard for the late Jack Kirby.

Then came “Jack Kirby’s Art Extravaganza Encore!” It was a unique panel featuring IDW President and Publisher, Greg Goldstein, who interviewed renowned artist, Joe Jusko, while a plethora of original Kirby art scans played on the overhead screen.

A huge fan, Jusko discussed how Kirby’s style influenced him, his art and his life. The two artists, coincidentally, grew up in the same Lower East Side neighborhood in New York City. Joe’s favorite Kirby characters are Captain America and the Fantastic Four’s Thing. Everyone in attendance for the Jack Kirby art panel scored a limited-edition print.

Click on the gallery images below to see the full-sized pics: