Friday night, Image Comics hosted a Emerald City Comicon panel entitled Putting the 'Graphic' in Graphic Novels. Image publisher Eric Stephenson moderated the discussion among creators Fiona Staples (Saga), Matt Fraction (Sex Criminals), Howard Chaykin (Black Kiss 2), Joe Casey (Sex) and Brandon Graham (Multiple Warheads). 

Chaykin kicked things off, discussing his controversial smut-classic Black Kiss, and the 2012 sequel that has already been banned in Canada and the UK. He explained his work is intended to entertain no one other than himself. He said his only obligation is to the material, and he doesn’t care what anyone else thinks of his work.

Fraction commented that trying to appeal to the expectations or demands of the audience invalidates the writing. Fraction and Chaykin are slated to collaborate on Satellite Sam, a noir story featuring alcoholics and trangressive sex set in the golden age of television.

Fraction also discussed Sex Criminals, his upcoming sex comedy with Chip Zdarsky. It is the story of two lovers who have the power to freeze in time when they get intimate.

The creators reflected on the weirdness of their jobs. Brandon Graham, known for spearheading the Prophet revival, as well as King City and Multiple Warheads, talked about his early career working on porn comics.

Casey was up next, whose appearance at Emerald City was tied to his new Image release, Sex, which he described as described as "50 Shades of Gray meets Batman." It follows a super-hero whose mentor dies, leading him to hang up his costume

Joe Casey equated super-hero comics and pornography, saying that they share the same formula, which he described as a rise of action into a climactic moment. He went on to compare the difference to porn and comics, saying in porn movies there’s not much of a plot, and it’s just an excuse for sex.