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Amazon Prime Video's Paper Girls arrives at San Diego Comic Con '22

Popverse covers SDCC's Paper Girls panel live!

Image of the four main Paper Girls characters
Image credit: Amazon Prime

The Popverse team has made it to sunny San Diego! We can't wait to run around and check out all the amazing cosplay, eat Mexican food, and bring you amazing live coverage from the coolest and most important San Diego Comic Con panels this year.

Speaking of live coverage… join us as we attend the highly anticipated Paper Girls panel all about the upcoming television series adaptation of the beloved Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang series. Though the SDCC site didn't confirm the exact guests for this panel, it looks like there will be cast, creators, and executive producers ready to talk about (and hopefully give us a sneak peek of) the upcoming Paper Girls show.

The official synopsis from the Comic Con schedule reads: From Amazon Studios, Legendary Television, and Plan B comes Paper Girls, a coming-of-age sci-fi adventure series based on the bestselling graphic novels by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang. The cast, creators, and executive producers present an in-depth look at what to expect from this Prime Video series, debuting on July 29. Paper Girls is a high-stakes personal journey following four paper girls—Erin, Mac, Tiffany, and KJ— who are out on their delivery route in the early morning hours after Halloween 1988 when they become caught in the crossfire between warring time-travelers, changing the course of their lives forever. Transported into the future, these girls must figure out a way to get back to the past, a journey that will bring them face-to-face with the grown-up versions of themselves and the Old Watch, a militant faction of time-travelers who have outlawed time travel so that they can remain in power. To survive, the girls will need to overcome their differences and learn to trust each other, and themselves.

Popverse will be liveblogging the entire panel as it happens, so keep an eye on this page to follow along live or to read a moment-by-moment breakdown of all the best bits at a later date.


To follow along with Popverse's coverage throughout San Diego Comic Con, check out our roundup of SDCC coverage.

Our live coverage of this event has finished.

We are back in Ballroom 20, ready for the Paper Girls panel.
It's a bit empty here, but they don't seem to be letting many people in...
They are dimming the lights to start the panel... starting off with the trailer.
IT looks like more people are being let in now...
Our host Yvette Nicole Brown (the one and only) has taken the stage!
Brian K Vaughn and Cliff Chiang, creators of the original comic, have taken the stage.
Now joined by members of the cast!
Brown asks Vaughn and Chiang where the story originated. Vaughn responds that when he was a kid in Cleveland Ohio and one summer all the paper boys were mysteriously replaced by paper girls, and how interesting that was.
The cast members include Sofia Rosinsky, Riley Lai Nelet, Camryn Jones, Fina Strazza, Nate Cordry, and Adina Porter
Christopher Cantwell talks about how intimidating it can be to adapt an iconic comic like Paper Girls.
"We were told not to meet prior to when we were on set," Riley shares. And how strange it was to have these very special moments on camera. "We just clicked."
Camryn shares "We bonded over ice cream," getting ice cream each time they had a major or minor celebration
They're now showing a clip of the show.
They're now showing a clip of the show.
Fina shares about her character KJ and how "she feels the pressure of her family... focing her into a box that she doesn't feel liek she fits into." The paper route, FIna argues, is how KJ can find her own way.
Sofia describes Mac as a "Foul mouthed, guarded, brash, little street rat," who "underneath it all, has a heart of gold."
In a clip that's been played, we see an interrogation with some scary looking garden tools.
Adina Porter describes her character as a loyal soldier "who gets her answers by any means necessary."
Brown asks Porter about how she balances being formidable and empathetic. Porter responds that it starts with the writing and just trying to be a human being. "Everyone is wanting to feel proud about what they did at the end of the day... I think she believes in what she's doing."
Chris Rogers points out that Ali Wong is a fan of the comic and what had already been done. Rogers also pointed out the chemistry between Wong and Riley.
Brown is now asking the panel if they'd like to travel back or forward in time. Riley says that it would be hard (As a girl of color) to move back in time, but that it would be fun to go to a disco.
Sofia wants to go back and make sure her grandparents are born.
Sofia wants to go back and make sure her grandparents are born.
Camryn says she'd like to go back to the late 90s.
When asked about her knowledge about the history of homophobia in the 80s, Fina responds "We really try hard not to glorify it, because the 80s were not the best for a lot of people." She was very aware of the homophobia, just hearing stories from her mother and even watching old Disney shows.
Brown asks if the panel was sent back to 1988 what modern convenience she would want the most. Fina says an air fryer. Camryn says her phone. Riley says Spotify. Sopfia says 911 as an emergency number. Nate says Amazon to lots of laughter (and points out that 911 did exist in 88).
Porter says she'd miss some adult tools that are no longer battery operated. Nate points out you can buy them on amazon.
Vaughan says that he doesn't want to follow that question up, but when pressed, he says his answer is the same as Porter's.
An audience member is asking her question and has introduced herself by sharing that she was a paper girl herself and that she had to fold the papers herself. She would carry 120 papers every day.
When asked about any training they had for riding bikes, Fina points out that usually moving vehicles would be pulled by a trailer. But that on screen, they were actually riding bikes during their closeups for realism.
Camryn prepared for the role by rolling up a paper, banding it, and riding around from house to house, throwing the paper (which her mom would throw back to her) and then throw the paper to the next house.
Camryn prepared for the role by rolling up a paper, banding it, and riding around from house to house, throwing the paper (which her mom would throw back to her) and then throw the paper to the next house.
Now a question for Chris Rogers about Halt and Catch Fire, and why he was drawn back to the 80s again with Paper Girls. "I think we go back to the 80s because of why these guys [Vaughn and Chiang] did." That art is about getting back to those first few images and feelings. Vaughn says "We wanted to do something that was anti-nostalgic" about how so many stories address the 80s through rose colored glasses.
Now a question for Chris Rogers about Halt and Catch Fire, and why he was drawn back to the 80s again with Paper Girls. "I think we go back to the 80s because of why these guys [Vaughn and Chiang] did." That art is about getting back to those first few images and feelings. Vaughn says "We wanted to do something that was anti-nostalgic" about how so many stories address the 80s through rose colored glasses.
Now a question for Chris Rogers about Halt and Catch Fire, and why he was drawn back to the 80s again with Paper Girls. "I think we go back to the 80s because of why these guys [Vaughn and Chiang] did." That art is about getting back to those first few images and feelings. Vaughn says "We wanted to do something that was anti-nostalgic" about how so many stories address the 80s through rose colored glasses.
Now a question for Chris Rogers about Halt and Catch Fire, and why he was drawn back to the 80s again with Paper Girls. "I think we go back to the 80s because of why these guys [Vaughn and Chiang] did." That art is about getting back to those first few images and feelings. Vaughn says "We wanted to do something that was anti-nostalgic" about how so many stories address the 80s through rose colored glasses.
Now a question for Chris Rogers about Halt and Catch Fire, and why he was drawn back to the 80s again with Paper Girls. "I think we go back to the 80s because of why these guys [Vaughn and Chiang] did." That art is about getting back to those first few images and feelings. Vaughn says "We wanted to do something that was anti-nostalgic" about how so many stories address the 80s through rose colored glasses.
Now a question for Chris Rogers about Halt and Catch Fire, and why he was drawn back to the 80s again with Paper Girls. "I think we go back to the 80s because of why these guys [Vaughn and Chiang] did." That art is about getting back to those first few images and feelings. Vaughn says "We wanted to do something that was anti-nostalgic" about how so many stories address the 80s through rose colored glasses.
Vaughan gives credit to artist Cliff Chiang (and his other artists) for how he builds out his stories. Vaughan says that Paper Girls and the queer storyline is inspired by his women friends growing up and how challenging it was for them. "I was just looking for a way to celebrate them." Chiang points out that there are so many coming of age stories about boys, and how having girls opened up even more story opportunities.
Vaughan gives credit to artist Cliff Chiang (and his other artists) for how he builds out his stories. Vaughan says that Paper Girls and the queer storyline is inspired by his women friends growing up and how challenging it was for them. "I was just looking for a way to celebrate them." Chiang points out that there are so many coming of age stories about boys, and how having girls opened up even more story opportunities.
Rogers brings up the phrase "anti-nostalgia" again when asked about 80s music inspiring the show. Rogers points out that he wanted to be honest with the show, showing the good and the bad. When asked about female representation in tv, Rogers points out that the writers room is primarily female and full directed by women.
Cliff Chiang thanks the audience for their support as there have been times in the past where a story like this would not have been as widely accepted. And that's our conclusion!