San Diego Comic-Con 2023 Overview – Geekdom Strikes Back!
No. I didn't mean strike back against the writers or actors. (I guess it's a poor turn of phrase. Forget I said it.*)
*THE POP CULTURE GEEK NETWORK SUPPORTS THE WRITER’S AND ACTOR’S STRIKES!
How do you put on massive pop culture event without the people that are usually the faces of and the minds behind so much of what we love? Well, it definitely cuts down on the number of movie and television based panels one has to stand in line for. And not that it has ever shied away from providing the largest selection of comic book creators in one place, but this year gave those artists and writers for the original medium San Diego Comic-Con was created to celebrate a chance to shine.
Comics have always been there. I grab a fairly big stack of books every year to complete the various series I collect and I often discover new stories from creators hungry to put their books in the hands of more people. Shows like San Diego contain the widest selection of comics to discover new characters and adventures that will likely some day become the next big box office blockbuster or epic binge-worthy television series. It’s good to know that the foundations and the inspiration for so many stories we love in other genres are and always have been available to discover years before they make it to a screen in San Diego and in cons around the world.
But San Diego Comic-Con 2023 has also shown us that the event is not just about movies and TV and that the convention can survive and even thrive with the “CONmunity” that drives the passionate culture through diverse options found in other media. Sure, many of the studios were still here, showing off their future projects, but without the pandemonium created by personal appearances and room-shaking revelations, it came down to relying upon tried and true swag giveaways, prop photo ops in their booths, and ultra-exclusive offsite events held in random hotels or restaurants.
It’s never been about celebrities. It’s about all of the content we love to consume (that they want us to buy). And I’m pretty sure we seem to be okay with that, regardless of how it’s provided to us: movie? streaming series? comic book? video game? action figures? massively huge statue to put in your man-cave? All of that is fair game at San Diego Comic-Con.
This is just a little bit of what I enjoyed this year.
THE CROWDS
Was it emptier than ever? Was it busier than ever? Nobody seemed to agree. It depended on where you were standing at any given time. There definitely had to be more people on the Exhibition Hall floor with all of the major panel rooms not overflowing with massive crowds fed by endless lines, especially iconic Hall H.
THE COSPLAY
I know I got to take more cosplay pictures than ever before, primarily for our Cosplay a Day site that celebrates all aspects of cosplay and those who create and celebrate all the characters they love, regardless of what they look like or their skill levels. So remember, if you love to cosplay, I want to take your picture, especially at San Diego Comic-Con, home of some of the best I’ve ever seen. You could end up in a collection of images more than 25 years in the making!
But my favorite part of this is the friends I’ve made through taking their pictures so many times in some of the most amazing cosplay I’ve seen.
THE COLLECTIBLES
What was with everyone (okay, Funko and LEGO) going retro and partering with Blockbuster when promoting their insanely collectible brands? Doesn’t matter. I walked away with a Jurassic Park vinyl figure in a VHS style clamshell case regardless. I never could quite get anything I wanted at LEGO. As for the big toy makers, Mattel and Hasbro, they held onto their usual spots on the floor and gave us a look at loads of new Masters of the Universe, Star Wars, Hot Wheels, and Jurassic Park (again) toys coming to stores in the near future or right their in their booths, if you were fast enough to snag one before they sold out.
Gimme that massive Ghost from Star Wars Rebels or a dancing Grimlock Transformer! Both mind blowing pieces of plastic.
THE GAMING
While A Hall was packed with loads of popular console gaming gems, snazzy PC builds, and collectible TCG cards, it was all about the Stern Pinball machines for me. With the new Foo Fighters machine on the floor alongside the just revealed Venom table, available to play on the floor and in a special room over at the Marriott hotel next door, it was difficult to keep my fingers from flipping every time I was nearby.
THE OUTSIDE EXPERIENCES
Comic-Con doesn’t simply exist inside the walls of the convention center. It bleeds out into the streets of the city (in a good way), both in ways that studios officially take to promote their content and in ways that poorer, more entreprenureal folks take advantage of to get potential fans to notice them. In the more official ways, there what’s called “activiations” peppered throughout the grounds behind the convention center and right up 5th Street, spreading out in every direction from there for attendees and locals alike to enjoy. One of the most fun was the Hulu Animayhem walkthru experience that featured recreations of some of their most popular animated series, like the Simpsons, Futurama, Family Guy, and The Great North. Walking through the world of Futurama and standing alongside standees of my favorite characters was surreal and worth the wait.
THE STUDIOS THAT REMAIN
While some studios bowed out altogether (Warner Bros and DC), most entities under the CBS and Disney umbrellas held their own in their usual spots in the Exhibition Hall. Lucasfilm gave us a sneak peek of the upcoming Ahsoka series on Disney+, Nickelodeon gave us some Good Burger and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles goodness, and Paramount+ let us strike a dramatic pose in the captain’s chair aboard the USS Enterprise from Strange New Worlds.
THE COMICS
I just realized why most big cons don’t put a big focus on comic books. It’s not that they aren’t a truly visual medium, but most people just don’t take pictures of them when they’re browsing or buying. There isn’t a comic company booth that makes their comics something to experience. They’re mostly just mini shops and places to meet the creators, who, let’s be honest aren’t usually any more photogenic than the ones asking for autographs.
Sure, there are those who might find a picture of a stack of books quite alluring, but I’m never so inspired to feel that I must snap a pic over digging through some long boxes for about 3 hours.
Of course, Marvel is the loudest and flashiest of all the comic company booths, but while they definitely talk about their big event books and showcase their creators, their stage is mostly filled with talented cosplayers and props from the upcoming MCU films based on the comics, like The Marvels, in theaters this November 2023.
I feel like I’ve just been scratching the surface. I didn’t mention the LARPing, the after hours parties, the endless freebies. It’s a lot. I guess there’s always next year.