Downers Grove Public Library's virtual Library Con Aug. 7 to feature panels on drawing, webcomics, and more

Downers Grove Public Library is hosting its first Library Con virtually from 10 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7.

Acclaimed panelists will discuss comics, teach new drawing techniques, and more. The winners of the Cosplay Contest and Trivia will receive prizes. They are no longer accepting entries for the cosplay contest. The submissions are judged virtually by a panel of cosplayers and costumers. The winners will be announced Aug. 7 and featured on this webpage.

Sign up for the individual sessions at dglibrary.org/library-con/.

• From 10 to 11 a.m., panelist Tim Seeley will discuss "Writing Comics."

The comic book writer/artist will share tips and tricks on writing comics, as well as relating tales from his many years creating his own comics and for DC, Image, Dark Horse, and others.

He has drawn a number of different comic book series including "G.I. Joe," "Halloween," "Wildcats," and "Exsanguine." His writing work includes New York Times bestselling "Hack/Slash," "Nightwing," "Batman Eternal," "Money Shot," and the critically acclaimed "Revival." He has also done consultation work for Cacao Barry, artist Hebru Brantley and DreamWorks Animation. He is an adjunct professor at Columbia College Chicago. He was recently named the new editor-in-chief for Heavy Metal magazine. He resides in Chicago with his wife and daughter, and works at home, where he is never far from his 1980s action figure collection. Visit www.timseeleycreative.com.

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From 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Gene Ha will demonstrate how to draw just about anything for comics, and share stories from his career writing his own comics, as well as for Dark Horse, DC, and Marvel.

He writes and draws Mae Volumes 1 & 2, out now from Oni Press. It's the story of Mae Fortell, a girl who follows her long missing sister Abbie to a world of mad science and mystery. He's best known for his work with writer Alan Moore on "Top 10" and its prequel "The Forty-Niners." Ha has won four Eisners, the highest award in American comics. He lives in Berwyn, with his wife, Lisa. Learn more at www.geneha.com.

• From 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., there will be a panel of webcomic creators and pioneers who will provide insight into getting started in webcomics and more.

Katie Cook is the creator of the comic "Nothing Special" on Webtoon, an all-ages adventure about a girl, a boy with fairy wings, and a dead Radish. She also wrote and drew the webcomic "Gronk: A Monster's Story," which lost several awards but is still delightful. Cook spent several years as one of the primary writers on IDW's "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" and has also done projects with Marvel, Boom! and more. She also has illustrated several Star Wars children's books for Disney Lucasfilm Press and created artwork for the Disney Wonderground Gallery. Learn more at www.katiecandraw.com.

Monica Gallagher is a writer and illustrator with over 20 years experience making comics with a positive, feminist spin. She has worked for Oni Press, Vertigo, Papercutz, Comixology, Dark Horse, and Valiant, and as well as self-published several of her own mini-comics and books. She has two series comics currently on Webtoon - "Assassin Roommate" (which won a Ringo award in 2018 for Best Hero), and "BOO! It's Sex" with Danielle Corsetto. "Assassin Roommate Book #1" was published in October 2020. She's the co-writer/co-creator of Comixology's "The Black Ghost" series and iHeart Radio's "Lethal Lit" with Alex Segura. She also has successfully kick-started and self-published the collected Volume #1 of her webcomics series "Bonnie N. Collide, Nine to Five." Learn more at www.eatyourlipstick.com.

David Gallaher, a Harvey Award-winning author, is the author and co-creator of "The Only Living Boy," "Box 13," and "High Moon." His previous work includes "Green Lantern Corps," "Hulk," "Iron Man," "Deadlands," and "Yours Truly Johnny Dollar." He is often cited as a digital comics pioneer having worked with Marvel, DC, and Comixology during the infancy of their digital comics development. In addition, he also writes for role playing and video games, including "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint" and "Vampire: The Masquerade."

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From 1:45 to 2:45 p.m., Robin Ha, author/illustrator of "Almost an American Girl" and "Cook Korean!," will discuss her career and being creative, as well as a Q&A. She also will demo some sketching, as time permits.

Ha is a Korean American cartoonist based in Washington, D.C. She is the author and the illustrator of "Almost American Girl," a 2021 Walter Award honoree memoir; and "Cook Korean!: A Comic Book With Recipes," a New York Times bestselling cookbook graphic novel. She grew up in Seoul, South Korea, and moved to the U.S. at age 14. After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design, she moved to New York City and worked in the fashion industry for several years before diving into comics. Her work has been published in independent comics anthologies as well as in the pages of Marvel Comics and Heavy Metal Magazine. Ha has been an avid reader of comics since she was introduced to them by her mother as a young girl. She strives to make comics that are entertaining and also empowering the readers to become more accepting of themselves and others. Ha is currently working on her third graphic novel inspired by the Korean folklore of Gumiho. Learn more at robinha81.wixsite.com/robinha.

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From 3 to 4 p.m., Mark Crilley, best-selling author of the children's manga "Akiko," will talk about the techniques behind creating great manga characters.

Crilley began drawing almost as soon as he could hold a pencil in his hand. Upon graduating college in 1988, he held various job teaching English in the Far East. While living in Japan, in the fall of 1992, he invented "Akiko" and fashioned her first adventure, a 33-page comic book story entitled "Akiko on the Planet Smoo," which was published in the U.S. upon his return in 1995. From there, he created a series on "Akiko," as well as other series. His novels have been featured in USA Today, the New York Daily News, Disney Adventures Magazine, and on CNN Headline News.

In addition, Crilley has produced many successful drawing books, and also hosts a popular YouTube channel where he posts short drawing lessons. He now lives in Michigan with my wife, Miki, and their children, Matthew and Mio. He sincerely hopes that he can spend the rest of his life doing just what he's doing today: writing, drawing, and speaking to young readers at schools and libraries across the nation. Learn more about Crilley at www.markcrilley.com or www.youtube.com/user/markcrilley.

• From 4:15 to 5:15 p.m., Library Con will wrap up with "Cosplay 101," with cosplayers Karen Bergquist Dezoma, Rose Bonarek, and Geannina Gutierrez.

Interested in cosplaying or learning some new ideas? The panel of cosplayers and seamstresses can answer your question and provide inspiration!

Also, during that final hour, compete individually with the comic trivia contest and win gift cards to Graham Cracker Comics. The library's trivia expert Samantha Zimmerman has been a comics aficionado. She is also a cosplayed, and has been active with Costumes with a Cause.