If there’s one constant in this year’s Emerald City Comic Con, it’s a dungeon and a dragon. The cast of Baldur’s Gate 3 is in attendance. The stand features highly detailed miniatures and dice, with an entire room carved into the RPG session. However, the “Dungeons, Dragons and Manga, Ah!” panel addressed the main subject of Comic-Con: Manga! Specifically, it was a panel dedicated to the intersection of fantasy and comics.
The panel features creators who have all experience in fantasy. Moderator Zack Davisson has translated multiple fantasy-based comics, including Lodoss War’s animated records. G. Willow Wilson may be known for his work with Mr. Marvel and the Poison Ivy, but hunger and dusk are just as great. Jim Zub is currently scripting the wild b-man’s adventures of Conan. Lukas Ketner Illustrated Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight makes Batman one of the greatest fantasy realms: The North Pole!
In true D&D fashion, there were some improvisations on the panel. Davisson had planned to show off a PowerPoint detailing fantasy and comic history, but there were some technical issues. This didn’t stop him in a small amount, as he proved to be one of the most resourceful moderators I’ve ever seen. Whether fantasy fans were controversing whether they were attracted to monsters or Zub and Wilson’s gentle ribs, there was no moment when the audience wasn’t laughing.
But what is fantasy? Each panelist had a different portrayal of this genre. “It goes beyond what we consider rational, rational, or magical or mystical hints,” Wilson said. “You infused the ordinary with something powerful,” Zub said. Ketner had a simple answer. I couldn’t do fantasy, but it’s fun. “Davisson then talked about how he saw the first Star Wars as a fantasy and how he didn’t like it when the fantasy story tried to explain all the Mintae. “Please put the instruction manual! It’s a fantasy! You can do whatever you want.”
The lecture turned to the ever-evolving world of fantasy. Davisson launched the panel by discussing how fantasy comics started when Roy Thomas came up with the idea of Conan Comic on Marvel. Wilson cited the ways orcs have evolved subtly from evil over the years, cultivating how fantasy tends to turn its approach into a specific ratio. Dungeons and Dragons were also a major part of how fantasy returned to manga. Davisson pointed out that Lodoss War’s record originally began as a D&D campaign for creator Ryo Mizuno, and Zub said he treats his comics as a D&D session, as well as watching his brother fall in love with the games he was a child.
I liked this panel as a fan of Dungeon & Dragons and as a comic book fan. Finding creators who like roleplaying is great. It also reminds us that comics can reserve space for a variety of genres, including fantasy.
