UC Riverside is going to Comic-Con.

The UCR Library’s Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy will be represented on a panel at the annual San Diego gathering of comic book, genre, and pop culture professionals and fans. The event, which will be held July 24-27, drew over 135,000 attendees from around the world last year.

Phoenix Alexander, the Jay Kay and Doris Klein Science Fiction librarian who oversees the collection, is scheduled to appear on a Sunday afternoon panel titled “How Libraries Help Support Creators.”

This will be Alexander’s first visit to Comic-Con and the first time he knows of Eaton being represented at Comic-Con programming. He said the appearance is an opportunity to showcase the breadth of materials available in the Eaton Collection, from rare anime and manga to movie and television memorabilia.

“It’s really going to be aimed at creators like screenwriters, artists, authors, people who are thinking about what to do with their materials, maybe donating them to an archive,” he said. “I’ll be speaking about the Eaton Collection, describing what we have and the resources available to them.”

Eric Guignard, an author and adjunct professor with UCR Extension, is moderating the panel which includes other librarians. As one of the largest and most renowned resources of the science fiction and fantasy genre, the Eaton Collection is especially relevant to the Comic-Con audience, he said.

“Phoenix Alexander, as one of the librarians for this collection, is a particularly knowledgeable and helpful resource for patrons, for purposes of research, academia, or simple enjoyment of expansive reading,” Guignard said.

Alexander won’t be the only Highlander at the event. John Jennings, a professor of media and cultural studies who has written and drawn several acclaimed graphic novels, is scheduled to appear on four panels, including ones on Afrofuturism and history-based storytelling.

Jennings, who has been going to Comic-Con regularly for a decade, will also be doing some signings for his latest graphic novel “Parable of the Talents.”

More information on Comic-Con and its programming schedule is available here.