Event and Panel Schedule subject to change.
Panel Schedule and Descriptions - More Details Soon!
All Day – Portfolio Review
Calling all aspiring comic creators! Don’t miss your chance to have professional comic creators review and critique your work. You will get valuable feedback and tips to help you in your future comic goals! Reviews by Ande Parks, Jeremy Haun, and Kevin Melon at their booths.
Calling all aspiring comic creators! Don’t miss your chance to have professional comic creators review and critique your work. You will get valuable feedback and tips to help you in your future comic goals! Reviews by Ande Parks, Jeremy Haun, and Kevin Melon at their booths.
Panel Room One
11:00am
Jam Comics Workshop
with Seth Wolfshorndl
Great for Ages 11 to Adult!
One of the best ways for young artists to learn how to make comics is to just MAKE them. Jam comics are improvisational pages where the story is made up one panel at a time by a different artist each time. These can help you loosen up and feed off the inspiration of your fellow creators. Join this workshop for cartoonists age 11 to adult to make up quick comics together! Pencils and page templates will be provided, but feel free to bring other drawing media, if you prefer. Other varieties of jam comics will also be explored.
12:20pm
Q&A with Tony Amendola
Hosted by Jared Rowe of Original Geek
Open to all ages
Actor Tony Amendola best known for his role as Bra’tac on Stargate SG1 will be discussing his work in tv, movies, animation, and video games. He’ll also be answering your questions!
1:20pm
From Page to Screen with Ande Parks, Kevin Mellon, and Jeremy Haun
Hosted by Jared Rowe of Original Geek
Open to all ages
Join our guest comic creators, Ande Park, Kevin Mellon, and Jeremy Haun, as they talk about their experience of taking their comic book creations and having them translated into live action films and shows. They’ll also be answering your questions!
2:20pm
Sisterhood of the Travelin Bantha "Live Podcast" Recording”
with Denise McKay
Open to all ages
Banthas, Blasters, and Backstories: Build a Star Wars Character With Us! Grab the reins and help the group create a Star Wars character like no other! Together, we’ll pick their species, backstory, and galactic antics. Will they become a hero, a villain, or just a bantha herder on the run? The galaxy (and the fun) awaits!
3:20pm
Writing Dynamic Characters
with Annie Lisenby
Open to all ages
In this session, participants will learn hands on to create characters with desires, goals, and flaws. Come ready to work! Whether you're creating a character for a play, a graphic novel, a novel, D&D, or more, you want to create a character as complex as the Marvel Universe. With an MFA in Theatre, Annie has been a professional actress on stage and in film. Currently, she writes novels and has won many awards for her work. In 2024, Annie released "From Stage to Page: Using Techniques from Theatre to Enrich Writing," a companion to the workshops she's led at many conferences.
11:00am
Jam Comics Workshop
with Seth Wolfshorndl
Great for Ages 11 to Adult!
One of the best ways for young artists to learn how to make comics is to just MAKE them. Jam comics are improvisational pages where the story is made up one panel at a time by a different artist each time. These can help you loosen up and feed off the inspiration of your fellow creators. Join this workshop for cartoonists age 11 to adult to make up quick comics together! Pencils and page templates will be provided, but feel free to bring other drawing media, if you prefer. Other varieties of jam comics will also be explored.
12:20pm
Q&A with Tony Amendola
Hosted by Jared Rowe of Original Geek
Open to all ages
Actor Tony Amendola best known for his role as Bra’tac on Stargate SG1 will be discussing his work in tv, movies, animation, and video games. He’ll also be answering your questions!
1:20pm
From Page to Screen with Ande Parks, Kevin Mellon, and Jeremy Haun
Hosted by Jared Rowe of Original Geek
Open to all ages
Join our guest comic creators, Ande Park, Kevin Mellon, and Jeremy Haun, as they talk about their experience of taking their comic book creations and having them translated into live action films and shows. They’ll also be answering your questions!
2:20pm
Sisterhood of the Travelin Bantha "Live Podcast" Recording”
with Denise McKay
Open to all ages
Banthas, Blasters, and Backstories: Build a Star Wars Character With Us! Grab the reins and help the group create a Star Wars character like no other! Together, we’ll pick their species, backstory, and galactic antics. Will they become a hero, a villain, or just a bantha herder on the run? The galaxy (and the fun) awaits!
3:20pm
Writing Dynamic Characters
with Annie Lisenby
Open to all ages
In this session, participants will learn hands on to create characters with desires, goals, and flaws. Come ready to work! Whether you're creating a character for a play, a graphic novel, a novel, D&D, or more, you want to create a character as complex as the Marvel Universe. With an MFA in Theatre, Annie has been a professional actress on stage and in film. Currently, she writes novels and has won many awards for her work. In 2024, Annie released "From Stage to Page: Using Techniques from Theatre to Enrich Writing," a companion to the workshops she's led at many conferences.
Panel Room Two
11:00am
The Art of Cheki and Photocard Decorating
with Jessica Bradin
Open to all ages
Join Moe Mo for an exploration of cheki and photocard decorating! Discover the vibrant history of these instant photo trends, from their Japanese origins to their K-pop popularity, and learn how fans personalize their memories. We'll also share expert tips on materials, layering techniques, and theme creation. Whether you're a seasoned decorator or a curious beginner, this panel will inspire you to transform your photos into stunning keepsakes.
We will dive into the history of cheki and photocards, highlighting the growth in popularity with the rise of idols and kpop groups. we will look at photocard culture and the collectability in some groups due to rare personalization's and signatures. Last we will dive into how to get into decorating for your own fandom/interests and give tips from materials, layering techniques and even do a give away of a personalized cheki, that was decorated live to show paint pen layering techniques.
1:20pm
Let’s Talk Evil Dead/Army of Darkness
with Katie Fitch
Open ages 18+
Join Katie for a discussion about the movie, tv show, comic books, video games, and the musical!
The panel will be about this horror/comedy series and how it changed films forever and still is today.
2:20pm
Ignite your Creativity!
with Kaitlyn Tuel
Open to all ages
Want to begin your career in creativity? Take your first step towards your dreams in the "Ignite your Creativity" panel! Learn the secrets of creativity, discover how to overcome your obstacles, and enjoy our Q and A with professional artists. Don't let another moment of your creativity slip by. Let's begin!
3:20pm
Japan 101
with Arthur Anders
Open to all ages
So you want to go to the land of anime but you don't know what to expect or how to plan for your amazing adventure. In this panel we will go through anything from creating your own DIY itinerary to the Do's and Don't in Japan. Prepare yourself to take notes. In this panel we will go through anything from creating your own DIY itinerary to the Do's and Don't in Japan. I will have a slideshow of my own Japan experience from March 2024.
11:00am
The Art of Cheki and Photocard Decorating
with Jessica Bradin
Open to all ages
Join Moe Mo for an exploration of cheki and photocard decorating! Discover the vibrant history of these instant photo trends, from their Japanese origins to their K-pop popularity, and learn how fans personalize their memories. We'll also share expert tips on materials, layering techniques, and theme creation. Whether you're a seasoned decorator or a curious beginner, this panel will inspire you to transform your photos into stunning keepsakes.
We will dive into the history of cheki and photocards, highlighting the growth in popularity with the rise of idols and kpop groups. we will look at photocard culture and the collectability in some groups due to rare personalization's and signatures. Last we will dive into how to get into decorating for your own fandom/interests and give tips from materials, layering techniques and even do a give away of a personalized cheki, that was decorated live to show paint pen layering techniques.
1:20pm
Let’s Talk Evil Dead/Army of Darkness
with Katie Fitch
Open ages 18+
Join Katie for a discussion about the movie, tv show, comic books, video games, and the musical!
The panel will be about this horror/comedy series and how it changed films forever and still is today.
2:20pm
Ignite your Creativity!
with Kaitlyn Tuel
Open to all ages
Want to begin your career in creativity? Take your first step towards your dreams in the "Ignite your Creativity" panel! Learn the secrets of creativity, discover how to overcome your obstacles, and enjoy our Q and A with professional artists. Don't let another moment of your creativity slip by. Let's begin!
3:20pm
Japan 101
with Arthur Anders
Open to all ages
So you want to go to the land of anime but you don't know what to expect or how to plan for your amazing adventure. In this panel we will go through anything from creating your own DIY itinerary to the Do's and Don't in Japan. Prepare yourself to take notes. In this panel we will go through anything from creating your own DIY itinerary to the Do's and Don't in Japan. I will have a slideshow of my own Japan experience from March 2024.
Meet our panel moderator and ArtCon 2025 MC
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Jared Rowe
Original Geek Comics and Audio Network Original Geek is a comic publishing company out of Central Arkansas. For the past two-three years, they have been doing the con circuit in Arkansas. Now that they have established themselves after successfully funding a total of 5 books on Kickstarter (at this time anyways) and selling a few thousand copies of their first three books, Original Geek is moving on into expanding their reach, including into other states.
The comics they have funded include three issues of Vengeance (written by Nick Helms, owner of the company, pencils/inks by former members Jake Jackson & colors by Cameron Asselin), The 8th Day #1 (written by Nick & art from Eric Cushing) and Whispers in the Dark #1 (written by Nick and art by Salem Black). Along with the people mentioned above, also on the team include Sean Litten (artist), Mike Nixon (artist), Jared Rowe (marketing/ host of the popular podcast “If You Give A Dad A Podcast,” J. Michael Tatum, Cullen Bunn, Buster Moody, Kevin Mellon, Jeremy Haun) and Luke Smith. Original Geek is also planning to move into other avenues in 2024 like apparel, an indie music label, audio dramas, and more. In 2024 alone, Nick was a featured guest as Saline County Comic Expo at Benton, AR while some form of OG have also been guests at PTX Con (Paris, TX), Metrotham Con (Chattanooga, TN), Nerds Assemble Con (Jonesboro, AR) and Hallows Con (McAleister, OK). They also have done book release/special events at Heroes and Wizards (Webb City, MO), Kapow Comics (Sherwood, AR), and Treat Yo Shelf (Mountain Home, AR). You can check Original Geek out at all of their socials and website where you can find their comics/merch by visiting this link. If You Give A Dad A Podcast is hosted by Jared, affectionately known as Papa Podcast. This heartfelt and dynamic show brings together creatives from all walks of life—voice-over talent, musicians, comic creators, artists, actors, and independent wrestlers—to share their unique stories and passions. Known for its laid-back, conversational style, the podcast is often described as "a podcast about nothing, where interesting people talk." Jared’s passion for storytelling extends beyond the podcast, as he also creates short-form video content featuring his signature dad jokes, adding a dose of humor and relatability to his creative endeavors. With topics ranging from voice acting and comics to cosplay and pop culture, the show offers something for everyone. Fans especially enjoy the fun "Dad Joke of the Week" segment, which has become a beloved part of the experience. Join Papa Podcast in celebrating creativity, fandom, and the stories that connect us all! https://linktr.ee/Giveadadapodcast [email protected] |