SDCC 2023: maybe not the best year ever, but still pretty fun

 23 JULY 2023

So the most beleaguered Comic-Con in recent history has come and gone. (I'm not counting the virtual Con of 2020 for obvious reasons.) What did you think? Did you pine for the celebrities who weren't there? Did the empty chairs in Hall H give your heart a pang? Or did you adventure off in other directions that turned out to be kind of great?

My answer would be neither/both - I could feel the palpable absence of, well, several elements I wish were there, but I still enjoyed buzzing around the Con. If you were sad, my advice is to set your sights on next year. The dates: July 24-28. And we can probably look forward to panels on the next Alien film, Beetlejuice 2, Captain America: Brave New World, and Joker: Folie a Deux. Well, unless a new global pandemic, industry disaster, or AI uprising has destroyed life as we know it.

You can also look forward to the Comic-Con Cruise in 2025. More on that later.

Overall, this wasn't the most groundbreaking Con but I don't think it would have been even without the strikes. I apparently am in the minority in this line of thought, because so many people said to me with heartfelt conviction that if the strike hadn't happened, this would have been the all-time greatest Con ever with stupendous events and record-shattering trailers and big splashy promotional surprises around every corner. I'm not sure what this belief is based on but many people expressed it to me. Are you in this camp? If so, what were you expecting?

I'll post buzz winners and my report from first-timers in the next few days, along with some guidance on how to apply for your own SDCC panel. Until then - I hope you found something valuable and beautiful this past week, and that it keeps you inspired until our next bigger, richer, and more vibrant Comic-Con.

What do you think of San Diego Comic-Con so far?

 20 JULY 2023

So we're here, in the thick of it, and all questions have been answered as to what kind of Comic-Con we've been dealt. Some of the answers being....

Yes, Hall H turnout is paltry. 

The photos are out there. It actually makes me a bit sad, and also reminds me of my tender youth when my girlfriend and I casually walked in and took a seat to see Neil Gaiman promoting Stardust. 

Allegedly, as I type, there is a healthy line for the afternoon. Listen: Hall H will be back with a vengeance. I'm sure of it. This is just a weird year. Speaking of....

Turnout overall seems slightly less than pre-pandemic levels, but still good.

That's my perception, at least. All those attendees announcing they weren't coming apparently weren't big enough a group to make their absence felt, not really. I did think last night felt a little too calm in the Gaslamp and there was less late-night activity around the convention center when I walked back to the Marriott. But I think the turnout overall is decent. I also think people may be overestimating it because...

The Exhibit Hall IS the Hall H of 2023.

Yowza. Very, very crowded. Preview Night has been more crowded for years - if you recall years ago when only a portion of attendees got a PN badge, you'll remember how it used to be - so last night didn't faze me in any way but people seemed shocked at the crowds. That's a trend that started pre-pandemic and is now continuing.

Even Exhibit Hall lines have morphed into Hall H lines somewhat. Remember when everyone used to crowd in front of the doors and then swarm in? Now the pre-dawn line is so intense that everyone is forced to form into a snaked line, which invariably merges into one messy crowd right before they open the doors. Lots of complaints about that this morning. I saw one attendee meltdown and one staffer running up and down a roped-off area like a rat on meth and attendees persistently asking why why why do we have to stand in line to which another staffer cuttingly replied: "To keep you civilized." Zing!

The efficiency level of organization, management, and control does seem to have dipped.

And it wasn't great to start with. From certain observations, I think there used to be security and volunteers who returned year after year, or maybe there were training facilitators who returned year after year and now those people are gone. This whole class of people just seems very inexperienced this year. More so than other years, which also featured new recruits to the world of SDCC management.

The offsites aren't getting quite as much buzz this year but it's still Thursday.

I'm about to head out to the Interview with a Vampire one, which was praised highly to me. For others I haven't heard a whole lot of raves; Jurassic Park turned in mixed reviews, though those might be from pre-Con experience. If it's the same here, it's nothing  that would inspire me to do the standby line, though I would do it if guaranteed access. 

By tomorrow morning, we should have a clear buzz winner. What offsites have you done and what did you think?

Finally, I have encountered more first-timers than I expected. They seem baffled by SDCC culture and practices, so here are a few tips:

A lot of things won't seem logical or make sense. You can protest all you want but you're pissing in the ocean. I think people who are more dominant or authoritative by nature tend to balk at their powerless in the Comic-Con flow of things, but it's just an adjustment you have to make. The way lines, exclusives, lotteries, panels, swag, signings, cancellations, etc. are handled can be mysterious and maddening, I agree. But getting angry and belligerent about it will get you nowhere.

If you do run into a roadblock, be gracious and tenacious at the same time. Stay polite but ask if there's a solution. Sometimes there just isn't. Sometimes someone will suggest a workaround or do you a favor, like the guy yesterday who let me join a capped line. The exhibitor selling my #1 wish list thing this year got sick and didn't show up BUT I nicely asked the people who took over her booth about it and they texted her and she asked me to DM her and we worked something out. Advocate for yourself and you might get a break.

Don't get swept away by the grandeur and bombast of the Exhibit Hall and the Con in general. A first-timer last night at dinner gave me one word: overwhelming. Heard that before! We talked about how easy it is to miss things in the Exhibit Hall because there's so much to look at. Go ahead and enjoy that dazzled feeling, but ultimately you'll want to study booths and really look at what they've got, find out on social what other people are buying, and map out some kind of strategy.

And also - look into other parts of the Con. The Exhibit Hall isn't everything. Go check out the awesome gaming and pinball arcade in the Marriott, or the offsites, the screenings, the library panels, the film festival. You might have ignored the events guide but you really should look through it and get an idea of where to go.

Finally, on lines - yes, there are lines for everything. I had lunch at Lou and Mickey's and some people next to me were expressing disbelief that there were lines for restaurants. Yep, those were 2 people who did not grasp what SDCC is really like. There's no shame in that but do realize you are in a small area of the city with more than two hundred thousand people all competing for resources. So bake that into your plans - if you want to eat lunch before a 2:00 pm panel, for instance, account for waiting in line instead of thinking you can easily search for a restaurant at 1:00 pm and make your panel.

I hope everyone is enjoying themselves on the first day of SDCC. We're just getting started, right?

You're going to love having a low-key SDCC

 24 JUNE 2023

Hello, fellow pallbearers! Did you hear the news? This is going to be a funereal San Diego Comic-Con, according to fans and nerds everywhere.

But don't send out memorial cards yet. Yes, many studios are sitting this out - that would be Marvel, Sony, Netflix, Universal, and others - but there will still be plenty to look forward to. And no, I'm not just putting a brave face on it. 

The reality is, you could never see every panel worth seeing anyhow. You couldn't do Indigo Ballroom, Hall H, and Ballroom 20 all at once, most of us have failed to access at least tasty offsite due to lines/schedules, and - this is crucial - most of us have invested hours waiting for big-ticket panels that wound up being utter duds. It's fine to be disappointed that you're not going to get the panels and celebrities and trailers you hoped for, but there will be other things to captivate you.

I suppose I'm less than sympathetic to everyone's moping because I already went through this years ago with SDCC - my SDCC, that is. The elements that I liked most died off and I did caterwaul about it a bit, including on this blog, but then I got over it and learned to enjoy other things about the Con. 

You will too! Here's how I know:

1) SDCC attracts scrappy innovators and entrepreneurs. Right now, greater minds than mine have observed the starpower vacuum at the Con and are cooking up events and screenings and offerings to take their place. Every savvy marketer knows the end of July plants a big group of zealous fans looking for their next passion in San Diego. Someone is going to capitalize on that opportunity. 

2) Some of the best discoveries every year are from smaller studios and companies. I'm not downplaying the magic that Marvel or Sony might have brought but the thing is, you're going to hear about their releases anyhow. Now you'll have the space for those equally good but often overlooked projects.

3) You can - depending on your inclination - party a little harder or relax a little deeper this year. Or do both. Maybe you'll have time to sleep in, get a massage, go to the fancy sauna at your fancy hotel. You'll have time to linger over good meals at good restaurants. And if you have Con friends, you'll be able to really catch up over drinks instead of just briefly hugging it out in the convention center lobby.

4) If you don't have friends, this is the year to make them. No more shyness. No more crippling sense of inadequacy or social anxiety. No one cares! It's Comic-Con, we're all weird, so just be friendly, ask if people want to hang out, and see where the day or night takes you. 

5) This could be the birth of your next passion. SDCC offers exposure to anime, tabletop games, independent films, lesser-known artists, obscure comics, cosplay, science fiction, collectibles, and so much more. If you're interested in some Con elements, chances are you would be fascinated and fulfilled by others - but previous years have just been too busy for you to really check them out. This is your chance to try out new interests and see what catches your fancy.

6) You can enjoy other parts of San Diego. You do want to check out the Comic-Con Museum - that's not even a question. There's also the beach. And there will be events across town that might be distant from the Gaslamp but are still worth attending.

I don't want to downplay the emotional importance of what feels like a loss for many of you. I really do get it. But I think over the next few weeks - especially once the official schedule comes out - we'll all find panels and events to get excited about. So take off your black armband, come out of mourning, and put on your explorer's hat. You're going to have a more adventurous Con this year and it's going to be a good thing.

What are your hopes and dreams for SDCC 2023?

 19 JUNE 2023

Happy Juneteenth! We're in a very special time of year when one half of us pays heed to Father's Day, the Summer Solstice, Juneteenth, the Fourth of July, and goes to barbecues and whatnot - and yet the other half lives in a ghost world waiting for SDCC announcements to bring them back to life. It's SDCC Ghost You I'm talking to today.

A month from now, we will walk into the convention center for Preview Night. (Well, some of us will.) And we kind of know what to expect. Those of us who've been to our share of San Diego Comic-Cons know how they can vary from red-hot to middling, depending on the year. And we know how the pandemic changed things for CCI (witness the badges we're receiving this year compared to the boxes and pins of yesteryear.) We know inflation has reduced the circumstances of many a would-be swag offerer and elevated the costs of even a basic burrito or bottle of sunscreen. And of course, most of us are thinking about the writers' strike. 

So I think many of us are entering into SDCC 2023 with the understanding that it may not be the lavish spectacle of our dreams. That said - we're all hoping for something or we wouldn't be going. So what are you hoping for? And what are you worried about?

Panels

Let's start with the #1 anxiety I hear from attendees. Has the writer's strike wiped Hall H off the map?

 .....No, not entirely? I guess that's my prediction. Yes, I think we'll feel the strike. I think we'll all face easier choices when it comes to investing in the Indigo Ballroom vs Hall H vs that special offsite your friends got tickets to. But I'm sure there will be some trailers and panels worth seeing.

Or maybe not. I don't know. My only small but fervent wish was to see a Salem's Lot screening this summer but I doubt that'll happen. I think we'll just have to wait and see and give the panels a chance. Because the overcrowded offerings of previous years often did eclipse some serviceable shows/movies that never got the fuss they deserved. 

Con Stuff

Remember last year how we only got two bag designs? I'm expecting the same this year. We know there won't be carpet in the Exhibit Hall. I'm hoping desperately they bring back the paperback Souvenir Guide but I doubt we'll get it.

But one place SDCC could shine is by putting fresh designs into their merchandise. This has varied in the past - but maybe they'll bring their A game this year.

Events

There are levels of events, from dance parties and cosplay contests to really good shows and screenings to invite-only parties. I'm guessing all of these will be reduced but we do have a few good options already. I think this might be an excellent year to put effort into creating your own events. I don't mean just a party in your hotel room but organizing meetups for your digital communities and fan bases. 

The Floor

I accepted the loss of my own favored retail booths years ago, those being the more offbeat oddities that used to reign supreme at SDCC. In my impoverished youth, I spent ludicrous sums on the floor; now that I'm older with far more discretionary income, I can't find anything I want to buy. I know other people feel the same way, but obviously someone is buying all those little light-up dragons and voodoo dolls and fantasy paintings. If that's you - I think you can look forward to more of the same. 

We know Sideshow Collectibles is not returning and probably some other former mainstays, so it will be interesting to see the new layout.

Celebrities

Will A-list celebrities be there if they have nothing to promote? Will C-list, for that matter? I'm sure we'll all still have elevator run-ins with someone who looks famous but we can't think of their name, while our favorite actor appears on a Gaslamp sidewalk at the same moment we're in Ballroom 20.

Overall, I think we may get a little less star power this year. I'm okay with that. Maybe it's a chance for emerging talent to shine. That used to happen a lot more at SDCC - remember?

Okay, I feel like I've just described a poor man's SDCC when really, I think we'll all still be thrilled and surprised by something unexpected. That's part of the Comic-Con magic. I remember the year when everyone talked about the Orphan Black panel and most of us were like, "Orphan who? Tatiana what?" and it ended up getting more intense buzz than big studio rollouts.

 That seems to happen with some graphic novel or TV pilot or video game every year - and it will probably happen this year. So I suppose our best approach is to just go in without expectations, except the expectation that we'll all find something to love.