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San Diego Comic-Con 2026 to Feature Webtoon Creator Panels, Industry Deep Dives

San Diego Comic-Con 2026, which will be held from July 23-26, will host a full slate of webtoon and manhwa programming, with WEBTOON Entertainment leading four creator panels.

The event will also host independent panels examining the format's industry growth and ongoing censorship challenges, and several panels will host guests whose works have received anime adaptations.

WEBTOON's schedule spans four panels across three days, featuring creators Punko (Stagtown, Cinderella Boy), ROSEOAK (Not So Silent), and Derek V. Song (Fantasy High), building toward the company's flagship "What's Next" panel on July 25.

WEBTOON Entertainment panels:

• Creature Craft: Visionaries of Horror Comics Share Their Secrets — Thursday, July 23, 10:00-11:00 a.m., Room 29AB. Punko (Stagtown, Cinderella Boy) joins Cullen Bunn (Ripcord, Deluge) and Cat Staggs (Death Mask) to discuss horror comics. Moderated by Rotem Rusak, Editor-in-Chief at Nerdist.

• Love in Every Universe: The Great Romance Trope Debate — Friday, July 24, 10:00-11:00 a.m., Room 32AB. ROSEOAK (Not So Silent) joins Wattpad's Alessandra Ferreri, author E.M. Wilson, and Becca Erin Title of Meet Cute Romance Bookshop. Moderated by Crystal Bell, Culture Editor at Mashable.

• Bringing Fantasy High to WEBTOON: Spotlight on Derek V. Song — Friday, July 24, 1:00-2:00 p.m., Room 32AB. Derek V. Song discusses adapting the Dimension 20 series Fantasy High into webtoon format.

• What's Next from WEBTOON Entertainment — Saturday, July 25, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Room 24ABC. Ryan Lee (Head of Content at WEBTOON), Sydney Bright (Head of Global Animation at WEBTOON Productions), and producer Erik Kozura present new content announcements alongside creators ROSEOAK, Derek V. Song, Punko, and Ucheomaaa (Vibe Check!). Moderated by journalist and 2026 Eisner judge Tiffany Babb.

Independent panels:

• Bite Me: Calling All Vampires — Thursday July 23, 2026 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., Ballroom 20. Global K-pop group ENHYPEN along with Catherine Hardwicke (movie director, Twilight) and other guest creators from vampire-related works explore how they bring vampire characters to life.

• How Webtoons Have Changed the Comics Industry — Thursday, July 23, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Room 24ABC. Deb Aoki (Mangasplaining), Kalai Chik (K-Comics Beat), Heidi MacDonald (The Beat), Leeanne M. Krecic (Let's Play), and Derek V. Song discuss webtoons' growth from a US$1.3 billion industry in Korea into a global storytelling format, and how U.S. publishers are adapting.

• Anime, Manga, and K-Comics Censorship — Friday, July 24, 1:00-2:00 p.m., Room 11. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund's Jeff Trexler, Deb Aoki, and USC Annenberg doctoral researcher Samantha Tecson discuss rising restrictions on anime, manga, and K-comics, including school and library bans, import prohibitions, debanking, and arrests, along with First Amendment protections.

• From 0 to 50: Pro Tips for High-Speed Webtoon Production and Studio Workflow — Saturday, July 25 6:00-7:00 p.m., Room 25ABC. Taiwanese comic artist PAJI and Taiwanese illustrator Kane discuss how small teams can produce up to 50 full-color webtoon panels per week.

Other webtoon industry panels:

• Taking Off with Rocketship Entertainment — Saturday, July 25 7:30-8:30 p.m., Room 26AB. Rocketship Entertainment CEO Tom Akei along with Leeanne M. Krecic, Brandon Lee / TurtleMe (The Beginning After The End), and other webtoon creators such as Sanford Greene and David K. Wilson will discuss transitions from webcomics to print and back.

Sources: WEBTOON's press release, SDCC's website