A few Comic-Con attendees hope to return and participate in a panel discussion on their achievements in popular culture.
Growing up in South County, Jeff Ranjo’s ambitions came true when he was speaking to fans from the other side of the podium.
Ranjo, who is currently an executive with Netflix, stated, “I had aspirations of entering the industry growing up.”
Ranjo talked at the Comic-Con panel San Diego Kids to Hollywood Artists, one of many San Diego natives who entered the entertainment industry.
For Ranjo, this meant fostering his artistic abilities from a young age and then honing them while attending CalArts, Mesa College and City College, Southwestern College, and Montgomery High School.
He resided as a young professional in a building near Petco Park, which is close to the San Diego Convention Center, the site of Comic-Con.
It all paid off as he went on to work on Walt Disney movies, such as Frozen.
Born and raised in Lemon Grove, Joe Moshier is a character designer who has contributed to big motion pictures such as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Emperor’s New Groove.
He modeled the body of Miles Morales’ Spiderman character on that of NBA player and former San Diego State standout Kawhi Leonard, tying his work to his local roots as a devoted Padres supporter.
Growing up in Del Cerro, Bret Marnell became passionate with film after attending the old Ken Cinema in Kensington to see vintage films. He is currently an editor with 35 live-action and animated film credits. He is working on the eagerly awaited movie adaptation of Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, which is based on the renowned La Jollan Dr. Seuss novel.
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Aliki Theofilopoulos, another La Jollan, has worked in the entertainment industry in a number of capacities, most notably as a producer. She has contributed to the popular television series Phineas and Ferb, the movies Hercules and Mulan, and more.
Theresa Bentz, a self-described theater enthusiast who grew up in Lemon Grove, is currently a producer and production manager with credits that include Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
At Comic-Con, voice actor and panel moderator Tom Racine urged attendees to pursue their goals, saying, You can succeed if these dorks can.
