Fans will flock to the Baltimore Comic-Con at the Inner Harbor’s Baltimore Convention Center this September 25-27. The Baltimore Comic-Con is thrilled to announce a special autograph session by Ringo nominee David Dastmalchian on Saturday at our 2026 event. Co-writer Leah Kilpatrick will be available during David’s signings to sign books they have written together, as well as other items.
Tickets for autographs by David are limited, and include one copy of his book, a signature in that book, and an autograph on one other fan-provided item. Leah will be on site to sign their co-written books as a bonus! Both will be appearing Saturday afternoon at the Cards, Comics & Collectibles booth, #916, with ticket holders to meet David being provided a number to determine if they will be in the first or second grouping.
One of the most celebrated genre actors working today, David Dastmalchian has built a remarkable career spanning blockbuster films, independent cinema, horror, science fiction, and comic book adaptations. He made his feature film debut in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight and later reunited with Nolan for Oppenheimer, while becoming a frequent collaborator of Denis Villeneuve with roles in Prisoners, Blade Runner 2049, and Dune. With his genre-focused company GOOD FIEND FILMS, Dastmalchian produced and starred in the horror hit Late Night with the Devil. His credits also include Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man films and James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, classic DC villain Abra Kadabra on The Flash, Gotham, and currently stars as Gurathin in Apple TV+’s acclaimed science-fiction series Murderbot. He has now entered another enormous corner of fandom as Mr. 3 in Netflix’s live-action adaptation of One Piece, and will next step into one of gaming’s most iconic franchises as M. Bison in the upcoming Street Fighter.
But Dastmalchian’s connection to comic books goes far beyond appearing in their adaptations. A lifelong comics fan, he is also an accomplished comic book writer, having created and written Count Crowley, his horror series about a television horror host who discovers that the monsters she presents on screen are very real. With Dark Horse, he has also co-written the annual Headless Horsemen anthology and the breakout 2026 hit Kingdom of Earth. For Image Comics, he created the series Knights vs. Samurai, and his Creature Commandos series at DC is now available in trade paperback. His recent Ringo-nominated graphic novel Through from Z2 Comics and The Accessories from Panick Entertainment both debuted in 2026. Upcoming books from Dastmalchian include stories in Venom from Marvel, Kolchak Meets Count Crowley from Monstrous Book, and M. Bison for Legendary.
Leah Kilpatrick is a writer, actor, and creature-maker whose work spans comics, film, and television. Drawing from her background in performance and production, she explores reimagined monsters, dark humor, and the humanity buried inside the things we fear most.
In comics, Kilpatrick is the co-creator and co-writer of Kingdom of Earth from Dark Horse Comics and The Accessories from Panick Entertainment, two original horror series that use monsters as a way into deeply personal stories. The acclaimed Kingdom of Earth explores survival and connection against the backdrop of an apocalyptic world, while The Accessories turns its focus toward the forgotten figures surrounding horror’s most iconic monsters. Her previous work includes stories in DC Horror Presents and the Headless Horseman Halloween Annual.
On screen and behind the scenes, Kilpatrick’s credits include acting, practical creature performance, and SFX/makeup, most recently for The Boulet Brothers’ Holiday of Horrors for Shudder. She also leads an upcoming found-footage horror feature set entirely within a cave, slated for release in 2027, and is currently developing multiple projects as Executive Creative Director of Good Fiend Films.
When she’s not writing or performing, she’s probably somewhere scrubbing prosthetic adhesive off random places on her body.
“Every once in a while, a bluebird lands in your lap” said Marc Nathan, show promoter for the Baltimore Comic-Con. “We were thrilled to see David’s Z2 book nominated for a Ringo Award this year, and even more excited to hear he was joining us for the ceremony. When he and Leah decided to do a signing while they were in town, we were over the moon! Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to meet them at our 2026 event!”
