The 2026 Baltimore Comic-Con is scheduled for September 25-27, once again at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland. The show has announced their first wave of guests which includes Frank Cho, Colleen Doran, Larry Hama, Louise Simonson, Walter Simonson, and Mark Waid.

Cho’s career began with work in his college’s newspaper on the strip University2, which was the predecessor of his creator-owned Liberty Meadows. His art has appeared in New Avengers, Mighty Avengers, Shanna the She-Devil, New Ultimates, X-Men: Schism, Jungle Girl, and for his covers on Harley Quinn.

Doran is a writer-artist who did early work in The Sandman and adapted the short stories Troll Bridge, Snow Glass Apples, and Chivalry. Her work has been featured in American Gods, Norse Mythology, and the adaption of Good Omens with Terry Pratchett. She contributed to Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds, illustrated works by Alan Moore and Margaret Atwood, drew graphic novels about The Doors and Blondie. She has also worked in Action Comics, Detective Comics, Amazing Spider-Man, Captain America, Star Wars, and Wonder Woman.

Hama is a writer-artist-editor-actor best known as the writer on G.I. Joe and Wolverine comics of the ‘80s and ‘90s. He created and wrote Bucky O’Hare, he wrote, edited, and drew Avengers, Conan, Batman, Wonder Woman, X-Men, and Spider-Man. He wrote The Death of Captain America, recently scripted Iron Fist/Heart of the Dragon and Spy Hunter/Paper Boy. He has done layouts for Deathstroke, Damage, and Michael Cray, and returned to G.I. Joe at Skybound.

Louise Simonson worked as an editor at Warren Publishing then moved on to Marvel as editor on X-Men, New Mutants, and Star Wars. She has written for Marvel Team-Up, Web of Spider-Man, and Red Sonja, and introduced Apocalypse in X-Factor. She also worked on Superman: The Man of Steel and The Adventures of Superman at DC.

Walter Simonson is a writer and artist who has worked on titles like Weird War Tales, Manhunter, Metal Men, Orion, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, Vigilante, and Hercules Unbound. At Marvel, he had notable runs on The Rampaging Hulk magazine, X-Factor, Fantastic Four, and Thor.

A multi-time Harvey and Eisner Award winner, Waid has had acclaimed runs on DC’s The Flash, Kingdom Come, JLA, Legion of Super-Heroes, and Superman: Birthright; on Marvel’s Captain America, Fantastic Four, Amazing Spider-Man, and Daredevil; BOOM! Studios’ Incorruptible and Irredeemable; and Archie’s Archie. He is also known for his creator-owned works, Empire and Potter’s Field, and for serving as publisher of Humanoids.

“It’s always fun to announce heavy hitters,” Baltimore Comic-Con show promoter Marc Nathan said. “These first six guests we’re announcing are some of the best in the biz, without question. Every one of these individuals has contributed such a significant amount of work to the comics industry that their bios here hardly do them justice – comics lovers are in for another amazing convention this September!”