Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546606
S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 | P E R S P E C T I V E 7 what she and her fellow artists were up against in their efforts to unionize, pushing for higher pay, fairer scheduling and better working conditions overall. She walked away with answers about the organizing process and, just as important, encouragement to keep pushing forward. This year, Dejon came back to the booth with news: Two months after that conversation, she and her co-workers successfully voted to unionize with IATSE Local 122 and are now negotiating their first contract. Her story is a reminder the impact a casual conversation at the convention can have. Graphic Designers in the Spotlight After a couple of years off, the Guild returned to Comic-Con with its first-ever panel dedicated exclusively to ADG Graphic Designers: The Design Is in the Details: Graphic Designers in Film & Television. Panelists Hilary Ament (The Odyssey), Dianne Chadwick (Licorice Pizza), Kristopher Gifford (Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire), Kelly Rae Hemenway (Moana) and Maybelle Pineda (Superman), moderated by Kate Weddle (Dutton Ranch), packed the 280-person Room 3. The panel gave attendees a behind-the-scenes look at what Graphic Designers in film and TV contribute to a production. Panelists discussed how they got their start, the creative problem-solving the job demands, the collaborative nature of filmmaking and the research behind getting details right. During the audience Q&A, attendees asked about breaking into the industry from adjacent fields, and balancing traditional and digital techniques. A recording of the panel is available on the ADG YouTube channel. Investing in the Next Generation Twenty-one members volunteered their time for this year's portfolio review sessions, meeting one-on-one with aspiring artists to review their work. For many attendees, especially students and emerging artists, these sessions offer a rare opportunity to receive direct, professional feedback and advice from working industry veterans, feedback that's often difficult to access anywhere else. The participating members were Anthony Winn, Bill Brownell, Brendan O'Connor, David Lowery, Evan Welch, Geoffrey Mandel, Harry Otto, James Doh, Jasmine Alexia Jackson, Jiarui Bai, Jose Iturriaga, Kate Weddle, Kathleen Widomski, Ramsey Avery, Ricardo Delgado, Roland Tan, Sienne Josselin, Suzanne Feller-Otto, Tim Burgard, Tim Longo and Vincent Lucido. Why It Matters The booth, panel and Masquerade are about visibility: making sure fans and industry alike know trained, union artists are behind the film and television worlds they come to celebrate at Comic-Con. But the week matters just as much in its quieter moments: a portfolio review that gives a student real, professional feedback; advice for someone curious about how to get their start in the industry; a conversation that plants the seed for someone's first step toward organizing. It's all part of the same effort: a platform to promote the work of our members, a way to bring new talent into the field, and, as Dejon Parnell's story shows, a genuine organizing tool. Comic-Con draws fans of our members' craft from every corner of the world, and every year, the ADG Comic-Con Committee, with planning support from Director of Awards and Events Debbie Patton, shows up, ready for the crowds and the conversations. C. (L-R) LINIA HARDY, MICHAEL ALLEN GLOVER, KATE WEDDLE AND HILARY AMENT. WITH THE MASCARADE WINNERS. D-F. SIENNE JOSSELIN, SUZANNE FELLER-OTTO AND VINCENT LUCIDO CONDUCTING PORTFOLIO REVIEWS. G. KAREN MANESS AT THE ADG BOOTH. B G C D E F