Veteran Creator Joseph Illidge Sets SDCC 2026 Panels And Appearances
by Scott Redmond
With a newly acquired property partner and Eisner nomination in hand, creator Joseph P. Illidge returns to San Diego Comic-Con. Under his creative development and intellectual property company, Illuminous, the veteran editor, writer, and publisher will engage in a variety of panels, appearances, and creator programming at the annual show.
Most recently Illuminous and Illidge brought the Centaur Riders: Cataphract Legacy dark fantasy series under their umbrella. Created by Danny Porter, written by Charlie Brafman, and illustrated by Marco Turini, Centaur Riders: Cataphract Legacy is the first official client for Illidge’s company. The aforementioned Eisner nomination comes in the category of Best Anthology for Noir is the New Black through FairSquare Graphics. The anthology featured 18 short noir stories from 48 Black creators.
After decades of work that spanned leadership roles at DC Comics, Simon & Schuster, Todd McFarlens Productions, Milestone Media, and Image Comics, Illidge formed Illuminous in 2025. The goal of the company is to help creators build, expand, and refine their original worlds across both publishing and entertainment. They focus on creator-owned properties and utilized various strategies to help with potential and long-term viability.
Beyond the company Illidge still has his hands in comics through other publishers. The New History of the DC Universe: The Dakota Incident, Shadow Cabinet, Bloodletter, Harriet Tubman, and the Judge Kim and the Kids Court are just some of the works he’s written for DC Comics, Image Comics, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster as of late.
Illidge will appear at the following SDCC panels.
Panels and Programming
Thursday, July 23rd
The Creator’s Symposium
10:00-11:00 AM | Room 23ABC
Women in Comics Collective International (WinC for short, pronounced “wink”) is an artistic and informative initiative. It serves to highlight the merit and craftwork of marginalized voices, especially those of Women and Queer Folx of color, who work in the comics and multimedia industry. They are also the 2024 recipients of the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award. Created during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Creator Symposium is an ongoing panel discussion series designed to explore the ways in which creatives working in comics can continue to grow and thrive in an ever-changing industry. Panelists include Shawnee Gibbs and Shawnelle Gibbs (Ghost Roast, writers), Joe Illidge (Noir Is the New Black Season 2, writer), Amy Linsamouth (Omens, writer), Morgan Hampton (Green Lantern Corps), Alice Meichi Li (Rebel Moon, cover artist), and Asia Simone (Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur, cover artist). Moderated by Regine L. Sawyer (WinC, founder).
Pitching Your Vision and Developing IP
5:00-6:00 PM | Room 25ABC
Whether you’re dreaming of the Big Two or building your own universe from scratch, this is the panel that pulls back the curtain. Industry veterans John Barber and Joseph Illidge are bringing the inside knowledge from Marvel and DC. Kristen Simon and Tom Waltz will break down exactly what Mad Cave and IDW want to see from new projects, whether you’re pitching something original or chasing a licensed property. And if indie publishing and Kickstarter are calling your name, David Hedgecock and Shannon Denton have cracked that code, and they’re ready to share it. Moderated by Magma Publisher Denton J. Tipton, this is the panel aspiring creators can’t afford to miss.
Saturday, July 25th
Creator’s Assemble: Comics Camaraderie, A Networking Event
4:00-6:00 PM | Room TBA
The “speed dating” style networking event returns with new and returning guests. Brief pitches and structured rounds support learning and connecting with industry insiders, retailers, publishers, and creators, including Alex Antone, Barbra Dillon, Charlie Stickney, Heather Antos, Meghan Fitzmartin, Drew Edwards, Lisa Burdage, Dylan Davison, Jessica Maison, David M. Booher, Gamal Hennessy, Jonathan Chance, John Hazard, Joseph P. Illidge, Shannon Live, Tony Fleecs, Katie Pryde, John Berry, Omar Morales, Gabriel Valentin, Jeffrey Snow, Dan Brozo, Brock Smith, and more. Moderators are librarians and educators who work with comics, including Matthew Atherton, Stacy-Michelle Banks, Matt Slayter, Mary Ellen Stout, Joel Bakker, Joe Barrette, Elias Campos, Sophia Juarez, Janie Ghinazzi, Jack Phoenix, Megan Halsband, Allison Dohr, Jana Tropper, and Moni Barrette.
Brand New Day: Comics and the Art of Reinvention
8:30-9:30 PM | Room 7AB
From Spider-Man’s “Brand New Day” to Marvel’s Ultimates, DC’s Absolute line, and countless reboots in between, comics have long been the medium of reinvention—erasing marriages, rewriting origins, and reimagining icons for new eras. But what drives these creative resets, how do fans react when beloved characters are remade, and what can the psychology of change in comics teach us about navigating change in our own lives? Join forensic psychiatrist Vasilis K. Pozios, M.D., child and forensic psychiatrist Praveen Kambam, M.D., author Alex Segura, and freelance editor and author Joseph P. Illidge for a lively look at the art and impact of reinvention in comics — from the storytelling logic behind big swings to the fierce fandom debates that follow. Along the way, the panel will explore why letting characters change (and letting ourselves change with them) might be one of comics’ most enduring superpowers. Moderated by attorney Jeff Trexler (Interim Director, CBLDF).
