On the coast of West Ireland in the 1560s, a fierce female pirate poured hot lead over a rival troupe to avenge her husband and protect her property, Castlekirk in Lough Corrib Ireland. This may sound like fiction, but it's entirely true and challenges the many myths of piracy. Pirates capture the imagination of comics, literature, movies, and more, but how much truth is there within those stories? Where is the line between story and history?   

The Comic-Con panel “Pirates: Fact and Fiction in Four Colors” will rediscover pirate stories and evaluate just how right the creators got it. Ithaca College’s Naomi Hanson, Pirate Historian, leads a discussion panel exploring the many depictions of pirates in pop culture, with Captain Action’s Ed Catto moderating. 

Pirates in comics – everything from “Tales of the Black Freighter” in Watchmen, El Cazador, Eisner’s Hawk of the Sea and Lady Rawhide to more recent additions – like Marvel’s Belit and Image’s Shanghai Red will be discussed, celebrated, and analyzed from a fact vs. fiction viewpoint.

“I’m thrilled to be a part of Comic-Con international in San Diego this year. I can’t wait to discuss the pirates in pop culture panel and also to celebrate 50 years of this iconic convention,” said Hanson, who was part of the team developing and managing Ithacon 44.

Fangirl Shirts will also be sponsoring the panel and providing prizes including their Space Pirate shirts.

The panel will be held on Saturday, July 21, 2019, at 6 PM in Room 9.