NYCC 2025: Joseph P. Illidge Brings Illuminous and More to Comic Con

With a career built on intention, legacy, and forward-looking storytelling, Joseph P. Illidge heads to New York Comic Con 2025 as a driving presence all weekend—meeting with peers, connecting with press, attending marquee events like The ICv2 Insider Talks: The New World of Comics on Thursday, October 9, and The Harvey Awards on Friday October 10, and engaging in conversations that extend beyond the convention floor. At the center of his spotlight are Bloodletter, two high-profile Kickstarter projects, and his ongoing mission of Illuminous.

Illidge is the co-writer of Bloodletter, alongside Tim Seeley (Revival, Hack/Slash) and artist Christian Rosado (Vampirella, Skull and Bones: Savage Storm), a supernatural thriller in the Spawn Universe from Image Comics and Todd McFarlane Productions. Expanding Spawn’s world with espionage, mythology, and blood-soaked secrets, the series reaches its climax on October 15 with Bloodletter #5, the explosive finale that delivers the ultimate confrontation with Al Simmons and leaves the Spawn Universe forever changed.

He is also contributing to two Kickstarter campaigns that are currently live. The Comic Shop Anthology: A Hit TV Show Tie-In! brings together a wide range of voices inspired by the acclaimed web series Comic Shop, celebrating community and the culture of comics. In Noir Is The New Black: Season 2, Episode 2, Illidge, a writer on The Winterfields, continues the landmark anthology from FairSquare Graphics that amplifies Black creators and diverse voices in contemporary noir storytelling. Illidge will be signing copies of Noir Is The New Black, Thursday, October 9, at the FairSquare Graphics Booth #2765 from 3:30-4:45 PM.

NYCC 2025 Panels

Copyrights and Contracts for Comic Book Creators

Location: 1C03

Saturday, Oct. 11, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Step into the legal trenches of comic book creation with this fast-paced, one-hour workshop designed for creators, publishers, and dealmakers. We’ll crack open the vault on copyright essentials, decode the fine print of contracts, and tackle the wild frontier of AI-generated content. This year’s spotlight: how artificial intelligence is reshaping rights, royalties, and creative control. Plus, we’ll arm you with savvy negotiation tactics to survive—and thrive—in today’s volatile publishing economy. Celebrate our 20th year at NYCC with Thomas Crowell, Esq., author of The Pocket Lawyer for Comic Book Creators, and entertainment and labor lawyer Sheafe Walker, Esq., along with a few surprise guests. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable knowledge while having fun!

Beyond the pages and panels, Illidge is shaping the future through Illuminous, the story and strategy studio he founded to help creators build purpose-driven IP across comics, film, TV, and animation. Operating at the intersection of creativity and culture, Illuminous develops fully realized stories that resonate across generations and platforms. Learn more at illuminousideas.com and follow @illuminousideas for updates and client launches.

A longtime force for equity and evolution in comics, Illidge’s past work includes editing Batman: No Man’s Land, Birds of Prey, and Batgirl at DC Comics, as well as launching projects like The Shadow Cabinet at Milestone Media. His perspective, honed over three decades, continues to shape the medium from within and beyond.

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