Panels
Community
Gem State Comic Con is a community, and we’re proud to offer space on our show floor to our fandom friends through curated, community-based programming. Make sure you check out our community programming and support your fellow fans!
All panels are FREE with admission.
FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2026
Community Panel Zone | Center Expo
4:00 PM Writer's Groups: What Are They for and How Do They work
We will go over what it's like to be in a writer's group, some of the dos and don'ts, and give a brief example of what a critique sample can look like and how to accept/give effective critiques.
Presenters:
Third Person POV Podcast @thirdpersonpovpod
JC Bybee has been a presenter at the Bear Lake Writer's Workshop, The Eagle Mountain Writer's Conference, is a self-published author with 8 books in print and 2 more in their final stages, and is a certified high school English teacher.
Tyler Hess has taught middle school and creative writing courses. He is an editor and writer working on finishing his first novel.
Grey Alder is working on finishing his first novel and has served as a Youth Leader/Teacher with his local church.
5:00 PM Learn to crochet Hornet from Silksong
Learn the step-by-step process of how to crochet Hornet from Silksong!
Presenters:
Angel Schroader (AngelCraftsStuff)
Freelance artist and crochet business owner.
6:00 PM Cosplay Q&A with Rabbit
Meet the local cosplayer Rabbit, ask all your cosplay questions, and learn some new cosplay tips and tricks.
Presenters:
Rabbit @Jadedsnowwhitewolf
SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2026
Community Panel Zone | Center Expo
11:00 AM Could You Survive Camp Half-Blood?
So you’ve discovered you're a demigod! Congratulations! Now you're off to Camp Half-Blood for quests, magical creatures, and lifelong friendships. If you last that long, of course. Join the Rick Riordanvese “experts” from the Muses of Mythology podcast to determine if the famous Camp Half-Blood is the summer escape of your dreams, or a nightmare of child endangerment and OSHA violations.
Presenters:
Muses of Mythology Podcast @musesofmyth
Darien (she/they) and DJ (he/him) are two siblings who started a Percy Jackson/mythology podcast during a global pandemic. Six years later they are (surprisingly) still making the podcast and (unsurprisingly) still siblings.
12:00 PM 60 Years of the Women of Star Trek
Celebrating the Women who have inspired many generations over the last 60 years.
Presenters:
Crusher Convo Podcast @crusherconvo
Jessi is the host of Crusher Convo, a podcast that deep dives into Star Trek through the eyes of Dr. Beverly Crusher. As a newer fan of the franchise, she explores the philosophy of IDIC — Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations — and highlights how both the character and Star Trek itself continue to inspire curiosity, compassion, and thoughtful conversation.
1:00 PM Droid Building
Are you interested in learning how to build and operate a droid? Would you like to be a part of the droid building community and participate in events? We will discuss various droid building techniques and systems for operating them and where to start. We will also share the reason we build droids and how we use them to educate people from kids to adults.
Presenters:
Idaho Droid Builders @idaho_droid_builders
Sharing the love of droids via building, community, charity & STEM events.
2:00 PM Bought, Built, or Thrifted? A Cosplay Creativity Challenge
“Bought, Built, or Thrifted?” is an interactive, audience-driven cosplay activity where cosplayers can briefly showcase their outfits and invite the audience to guess whether the look was purchased, handcrafted, thrifted, or a creative mix. After each reveal, Idaho Youth Ranch will share a short tie-in highlighting creativity, sustainability, and how revenue from IYR’s thrift stores supports programs across Idaho. The activity is fast-paced, inclusive, and celebratory of cosplay ingenuity at all budget levels.
Presenters:
Idaho Youth Ranch @idahoyouthranch
Nathan Gilbert, an Idaho native with 15 years of experience in the non-profit sector! Getting involved as a youth volunteering, he has focused on Volunteer Management for the past 5 years, serving as the Volunteer Services Manager currently at the Idaho Youth Ranch. Nathan thrives on connecting community needs with passionate individuals, with a focus on the “1”. A lifelong learner, jack of all trades, he loves, organizing, crafting, and exploring new cuisines with his wife and two daughters!
3:00 PM The Good Fan Etiquette Guide To Recommending Anime
Anime is more popular than ever, but it can be a hard genre for a newbie to parse. Former anime newbie, and veteran pop culture journalist, Sven Cerritos is here to give your the must-see guide on how you as an experienced anime fan can do your best to recommend the right anime for the newbies in your life. Come learn Sven's patented VAULTELF recommendation system, and even try your hand at using it, if you are brave enough!
Presenters:
Sven Cerritos @themaskednovelist
Sven Cerritos is a veteran culture journalist and fantasy author who tries to find the fun, accessibility, and beautiful weirdness in all aspects of life
4:00 PM This Is The Way: Who are the Mando Mercs?
Learn about who the Mandalorian Mercs are, how to get started, and ask questions! Discussion on armor construction, how eras of Mandalorian culture shape different looks, and more. Questions for local club leadership are welcome.
Presenters:
Mandalorian Mercs Costume Club @idaho_meshurok_clan
Ann Stokes: Education & Compliance officer for Meshurok, Ann serves by assisting prospective members with building their costumes and ensuring official members keep theirs within compliance of the club's standards.
Christopher Weed: Chris is the President of Meshurok and serves as the commanding officer. He works closely with Meshurok Clan Council and regional leadership to implement plans for membership growth, community engagement, and more.
Michael Capell: As the Lieutenant, Michael is primarily in charge of bookkeeping, social media, and merchandise sales for Meshurok. In addition, he serves as a vice president to Chris in the chain of local command.
5:00 PM Horror and Pop Culture
The panel examines the impact of the horror genre on pop culture — both in the past and in the present. Films, books, creators, animation, and video gaming are all discussed as well as how they left their mark on horror. This is a deep dive into movies presented as a horror “Hall of Fame” including discussion around such favorites as The Shining, Halloween, and Terrifier. Several trivia questions for horror enthusiasts are included and mixed into the slideshow to encourage audience.
interaction.
Presenters:
Noel Wing @noelwingauthor
Noel Wing is an author known for his captivating tales of horror, suspense, and fantasy. His writing skillfully blends spine-tingling suspense with the thrilling, often supernatural,
challenges faced by his protagonists. Wing’s works include the Tales from Hallowed Ground series, chilling volumes containing seven short stories. Also, Mr. Wing has penned two novels, The Chute and The Flight — tales that explore eerie landscapes and mysterious forces. In the summer of 2024, three novellas were released, which includes Baby, Baby, a dark paranormal detective story with a surprising outcome, along with The Smoke Out and Ashes to Ashes. In
March of 2025, Noel finished the original draft of Twin Tunnels, a haunting story about a middle school boy fighting evil while solving a disturbing mystery.
SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2026
Community Panel Zone | Center Expo
11:00 AM Current UAP Disclosure Progress and Recent Evidence of Aircraft with Unexplained Physics
This panel will feature charts, graphs, and an open discussion examining current findings, theories, and ongoing investigations, followed by a live audience Q&A.
Presenters:
MUFON Idaho (Mutual UFO Network) @mutualufonetwork
Amy Bond: State Director, MUFON IDAHO. Amy contributes thirty years of health care experience to the team. An experiencer herself, she works to bring compassion and leadership to others struggling to understand their own paranormal encounters. After a severe health crisis in 2022 Amy retired from the health care field to focus on her passions: creating art and UFO research. She is a Level Three Field Investigator and the current MUFON State Director for Idaho. As our state embarks to incorporate into a post UAP/UFO disclosure world; a new frontier where understanding and adaptation will be imperative, Amy seeks to provide Idaho with truthful information, solid leadership and peaceful relations.
Daniel Nichols: MUFON Idaho Field investigator; podcaster for “Cosmic Convergence”. Daniel Nichols is a field investigator with MUFON and an experiencer of the phenomenon his whole life. He worked over 10 years in film and media post-production where he gained an understanding of how visual content and data is constructed. Daniel also assisted in locating missing children through remote viewing for four years. These experiences brought understanding and sharpening to Daniel's extra sensory abilities. Through his podcast, “Cosmic Convergence”, Daniel spotlights guests with paranormal gifts and experiences, who help bring these concepts into the mainstream.
Through this platform Daniel encourages listeners to explore and incorporate their own
psychic talents into their daily lives.
12:00 PM Jpop Idols and You
You've certainly heard of Kpop and the fantastic Idols and groups along with the genre, but what about Jpop? In this panel, a local Idol herself will teach you all you need to know about the wonderful Jpop idols, the culture surrounding it, and how YOU can even become an idol yourself!
Presenters:
Jpop of Idaho @jpop_of_idaho
Beary Star: Multi-genre Kaigai idol. Idaho-based.
1:00 PM The Great Dragon Showdown
All dragons are awesome. From figures of myth like Nidhogg, titans of literature such as Smaug, and even childhood friends like Toothless or Falkor. But only one of these magnificent beasts can truly be called the best. Dragon lovers from across fandom, from high fantasy, old mythology, and even new romantasy, will have their voice heard. Come determine which fanged, flying, fire-breathing fiend* is the greatest dragon of all time! (*Fangs, flight, and fire-breath are not required for competition entry. Dragons of all types are welcome.)
Presenters:
Eragon and Back Again Podcast @eragonpod
Lucy Hart (she/her) and Darien Smartt (she/they) are best friends and aspiring authors who escaped from content mill purgatory. They love to talk about storytelling, dragons, and their cats. Please ask Lucy about her favorite Legend of Zelda game and Darien which Discworld book you should read first.
2:00 PM Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (an extremely abridged reading)
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..... Seven friends try to retell one of the most iconic sci fi stories ever told as efficiently as possible. How will we manage to condense a 135 minute movie down to 45 minutes? Join us for our extremely abridged reading of Star Wars episode VI: Return of the Jedi and find out! Buckle up, and prepare to make the jump to lightspeed!
Presenters:
Unofficial Productions
3:00 PM Not Broken, Just Becoming: Rewriting your Origin Story
This youth-centered panel explores how traits often labeled as “negative,” such as anxiety, hypervigilance, sensitivity, or social withdrawal, can be better understood through a trauma-informed lens and reframed as strengths or “superpowers.” Drawing on familiar character arcs from comics, anime, gaming, and film; panelists will examine how many beloved heroes begin as sidekicks or outsiders and ultimately grow into confident leaders by understanding, rather than suppressing, what makes them different. Idaho Youth Ranch counselors, staff (moderator), and local creators will guide discussion on building self-worth and positive identity. While also facilitating a peer-led conversation about forming friendships through shared fandoms, navigating online communities, and coping with conflict or exclusion.
Inspired by initiatives such as Super Human Anxiety at San Diego Comic-Con, which used creative storytelling in partnership with mental health nonprofits to spark meaningful dialogue. This panel will model how fandom spaces can safely and powerfully support conversations about emotional wellbeing. Attendees will leave with a new framework for seeing personal challenges not as flaws, but as adaptive strengths that can become sources of connection, resilience, and healing.
Presenters:
Idaho Youth Ranch @idahoyouthranch
Nate Gilbert - Moderator: Nathan Gilbert, an Idaho native with 15 years of experience in the non-profit sector! Getting involved as a youth volunteering, he has focused on Volunteer Management for the past 5 years, serving as the Volunteer Services Manager currently at the Idaho Youth Ranch. Nathan thrives on connecting community needs with passionate individuals, with a focus on the “1”. A lifelong learner, jack of all trades, he loves, organizing, crafting, and exploring new cuisines with his wife and two daughters!
Panelists:
"My Name is Daniel Barnett. I am a Boise native and forever resident. My work often explores themes of isolation, depression, and the never-ending quest for security. It is proof of life and is a continuing documentation of my exploration to find, experience, and document the process of mindfulness within art."
"Hi, I'm Erika Moe and I am Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC.) I have a BA in Liberal Arts/Elementary Education from the University of Northern Colorado and an MS in Clinical Counseling from Northwest Nazarene University. I have been a clinician for 10 years. I am a Registered Play Therapist, board approved supervisor, and have training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Play Therapy, and EMDR, as well as training in animal assisted therapies incorporating both dogs and horses."
"I’m Dana Wagner, an illustrator and graphic designer who loves bright colors and bold shapes. I'm currently based in Boise, Idaho. I earned my bachelor's degree at Furman University in Studio Art with a minor in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. With a few years of freelance work under my belt, I headed back to class to earn my MFA in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design. When I'm not illustrating and designing, I'm probably sewing a quilt, baking banana muffins, validating my friends, or playing with my cat Stella."
All schedule and programmings are subject to change.