San Diego Comic-Con 2026:
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Offers Comic-Con Fans a First Look Before Opening Its Doors
If there’s one place that understands how stories shape who we become, it’s Comic-Con.
This year, one of the convention’s most intriguing panels isn’t announcing a movie or television series. Instead, it’s offering fans an exclusive first look at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, opening this September in Los Angeles.
Founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the museum celebrates the art of visual storytelling and the very comics, illustrations, animation, and films that inspired generations of creators and fans alike.
It’s hard to imagine a panel that speaks more directly to what Saturday Morning Cereal has always celebrated: the stories that shaped us, and how they continue to shape us as adults.
Just two months before opening its doors on September 22, the Lucas Museum is giving Comic-Con attendees an exclusive preview of its mission with a Hall H panel featuring Jim Lee, Seth Green, “friend of the show” Matthew Senreich, Ryan Linkof, and Keke Palmer, along with exclusive merchandise debuting on the convention floor.
Link to our SDCC25 Preview-Coverage
Link to our SDCC25 Post-Coverage
Inside the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
Comic-Con attendees will get an exclusive preview during Thursday’s Hall H presentation.
Inside the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
Thursday, July 23
4:45 PM
Hall H
The panel brings together an incredible cross-section of creators whose careers span comics, animation, television, filmmaking, and museum curation.
Ryan Linkof
As Senior Curator and Head of Film Programs for the Lucas Museum, Dr. Ryan Linkof has helped shape the museum from the ground up. Previously part of the founding curatorial team behind the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Linkof has spent his career exploring how visual storytelling influences culture and history.
Seth Green & Matthew Senreich
Few creators understand pop culture quite like Seth Green and Matthew Senreich.
The co-founders of Stoopid Buddy Stoodios revolutionized stop-motion comedy with Robot Chicken, creating one of television’s longest-running and most beloved animated series. Their work has celebrated and lovingly skewered, every corner of geek culture for more than two decades.
Between Robot Chicken, Crossing Swords, MODOK, and countless animation projects, they’ve become experts at understanding why fandom matters.
Checkout our 2015 Robot Chicken Episode with Matthew Senreich
Jim Lee
If Comic-Con had a Mount Rushmore, Jim Lee would already be carved into it.
The legendary artist, writer, publisher, and current President, Publisher, and Chief Creative Officer of DC has influenced generations of comic fans through his iconic work on X-Men, Batman, Superman, and countless other heroes.
As one of the most celebrated comic artists of all time and a 2024 inductee into the Will Eisner Comic Industry Hall of Fame, Lee represents exactly the kind of artistic legacy the Lucas Museum hopes to preserve and celebrate.
Moderated by Keke Palmer
Keeping the conversation moving is Emmy Award-winning actress, producer, entrepreneur, author, and storyteller Keke Palmer.
From Akeelah and the Bee to Nope, Password, and her best-selling book Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative, Palmer has built a career around storytelling across every medium imaginable, making her an inspired choice to guide this discussion.
Fans can expect an exclusive first look inside the museum, previews of upcoming film programming, and conversations exploring how narrative art has inspired generations of creators, including George Lucas himself.
Bring a Piece of the Museum Home
Booth #2913-G
The Lucas Museum won’t officially open until September 22, but Comic-Con attendees won’t have to wait to take home a souvenir.
Located at Booth #2913-G, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will debut all-new limited-edition merchandiseavailable for the very first time. As one of the first booths attendees will encounter upon entering the exhibit hall, it’s worth adding to your opening-day shopping list.
Whether you’re a collector, an art lover, or simply excited for the museum’s grand opening, this will be your first opportunity to own exclusive Lucas Museum merchandise before the doors officially open in Los Angeles.
Merch Product List
MODAL NODES GUITAR PICK $12
MODAL NODES BAND TEE $60
LET’S RIDE EXPOSITION PARK TEE $60
LET’S RIDE EXPOSITION PARK TOTE $35
I LOVE LUCAS MUSEUM PIN $15
Why We’re Excited
This panel feels like it was made for us.
At Saturday Morning Cereal, we’ve always celebrated the stories that shaped our childhood and explored what happens when those stories grow up alongside us.
That’s exactly what the Lucas Museum is about.
It’s a celebration of narrative art in every form. From comic books and newspaper strips to animation, illustration, cinema, concept art and the lasting impact those stories have on our culture and our lives.
Throw Jim Lee, Seth Green, Matthew Senreich, Ryan Linkof, and Keke Palmer into the conversation, and you’ve got one of the most fascinating discussions of Comic-Con weekend.
We have a feeling this won’t just be a preview of a museum.
It’ll be a celebration of why we all fell in love with storytelling in the first place.
We’ll be on the ground all week at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, bringing you the biggest news, exclusive interviews, panel coverage, and behind-the-scenes moments from the convention floor and inside the press rooms. Be sure to follow Saturday Morning Cereal and follow us on X @StayClassySDCC for live updates throughout the show.
