Posted in: Comics | Tagged: black panel, neil gaiman, san diogo comic-con, sdcc

Neil Gaiman's Appearance On San Diego Comic-Con's The Black Panel

Neil Gaiman was announced to attend the first panel of last Friday's San Diego Comic-Con, The Black Panel. run by Michael Davis for its 25th year. But sadly flight plans meant that he was unable to attend. For the third time, it seems. But he did send a video recorded in advance of such an eventuality. Here's the video and a transcript as shared with Bleeding Cool.

"Hello Michael, hello everybody, congratulations on the 25th Black Panel, it's awesome. The first time that Michael asked me to be on this panel, I was about 5 000 miles to the north and the east of San Diego. The second time he asked me to be on this panel, I was about six and a half thousand miles to the south and the west of San Diego. And right now I'm, in all probability, on a plane about to land in San Diego and I'm not here, and the irony and frustration of that is enormous, but at least I can be here on video to say congratulations, obviously. But also to talk about how, when I was 27, maybe just 28, I went to New York, and I got to meet the new artist on Sandman, Malcolm Jones III who had taken over the inks on Sandman with issue five, and stayed with us for several years. And I met Malcolm, and discovered to my delight and joy that Malcolm was black. And I remember the first time I met Malcolm hanging out with Denys Cowan and with Michael, with you, and just listening to you guys um teasing each other and really teasing the weird English guy who come into New York and wasn't quite sure what was going on. And I loved realizing that comics were a place that was all about welcoming underdogs, in the same way that the Jews and the Italians had taken refuge in comics because we weren't welcome on Madison Avenue. There was a wonderful level on which comics was just all about talent, comics was all about brilliance, and comics was all about doing the work. And I love that in the 25 years since you've been doing the Black Panel and in the 30-something years since I met you and Malcolm and Denys together and we talked about changing the world in between you guys making fun of my accent, that the world has changed. That something like this is happening is celebrated. That the joyous and wonderful diversity of human beings is part of comics now. It's an intrinsic part of comics. It had always been part of comics, but now we get to see it, we get to parade it, and you guys and you, Michael, have been out there in the forefront of that 25 years plus plus plus. Congratulations, I really wish I was with you."

• Bill Duke, actor and director known for X-Men: The Last Stand, Predator, Black Lightning and directing Sister Act 2.
• Orlando Harding, creator of the Night Stalker comic books, about an African American female demonic detective.
• Dan Evans, former VP Creative Affairs at DC and former Director of Development, Animation at Marvel Studios, now at Netflix as Manager, Original Animation.
• Felicia D Henderson, writer and co-executive producer on The Punisher and Fringe TV series
• Tim Fielder, illustrator, animator and head of Dieselfunk Studios behind Matty's Rocket, INFINITUM, Black Metropolis and High John Conqueror.
• Ralph Farquhar, co-creator of sitcoms South Central, Moesha and The Parkers.
• And Michael Davis

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