Comic-Con news so far

22 JULY 2017

After a prolonged period of no Wifi, I'm back online. So what have we learned?


COMICS

Biggest news: Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham are doing Arkham Asylum 2, featuring an adult Damien Wayne.

We're also getting The Tempest, another League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, from Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill. This is a year away.

And there's this: Frank Miller is going to take on Superman and give him the Dark Knight treatment. What is in the water this SDCC?

Joelle Jones will tell us what happens when Batman proposes to Catwoman.

SEGA will publish New Sonic comics through IDW - not Archie. Also getting IDW series: Transformer Unicron and female Ghostbusters.

Marvel is bringing you a new Thanos series.

Archie and DC announced a crossover that everyone will want: Betty, Veronica, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. Weird combination, but compelling. Out this fall.

I'm less certain about this crossover: Doom Patrol and JLA. Could be good, I guess.

Very big news: we may be getting new Invisibles, Sandman.

TV

Stranger Things was a major offsite and a major panel for attendees - and we found out that while Barb will not be returning, she will be "avenged."

As a Halloween lover and stop-motion fan, I can't wait for the SpongeBob Halloween special "The Legend of Boo-kini Bottom."

Krypton is coming and reactions are mostly meh.

99.9% of us were not allowed to enter the Westworld experience but we did see the season 2 trailer, which features Dolores on horseback, gunning down humans. There was no definitive word on how much we'll see of Samurai World.

The Tick is one of those shows that got a lift from SDCC. Not many people I know thought twice about it before this weekend, but there's reasonable interest now.

The Defenders also is getting positive buzz. Everyone I know had only good things to say about it.

The next season of Archer will be Danger Island, set in the South Pacific in 1939. I'm ready for it.

It looks like Riverdale's second season will continue Jughead's melodramatic voiceover. Who shot Fred Andrews? Etc.

iZombie shared a sizzle reel and season 4 news about new zombie rules and wars. I feel like this show is running out of steam.

I heard The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones panels were lackluster, but we did get an interesting look at elderly Rick and found out the show will never try to cure/solve the zombie issue. For GOT, we got some intriguing hints about Dany partnering up with Melisandre. Maybe.

MOVIES


We're getting Wonder Woman 2. Of course we all knew this, but the official announcement is nice.

Thor: Ragnarok seemed to wow everyone with its trailer.

Were you expecting Michelle Pfeiffer to be in another superhero movie? Me neither, but she'll play Janet Van Dyne in The Ant Man and the Wasp.

DC always delivers news of its next animated feature but this year they announced four: Gotham by Gaslight, Suicide Squad/Hell to Pay and the two-part Death and Return of Superman. I was surprised by the eye-rolling that greeted this news; I'm all for it.

Black Panther got a standing ovation in Hall H.

We saw the first footage of Ready Player One and reactions were .... mixed. People who hadn't read the book seemed more into it than readers.

The reaction to Justice League was more positive, although I think all of us are pretty much dying for Aquaman to come out already.


CON DEVELOPMENTS

There's no shortage of talk here. We'll start with Conan, where something went drastically wrong this year:  on multiple days, people with tickets were sent home or received emails telling them not to show up. The Spreckels Theater was extremely hot - two people next to me on Thursday night got up and left before the show started. Overall, it was a very different experience from the previous 2 years. It's been suggested that demand surged this year, so everyone actually did show up for the tapings - where before they could count on a certain percentage never claiming their tickets. Not sure if it's true but hopefully next year will be smoother.

Offsites have been a main attraction for a few years now, but I've never known quite so many people to focus on them so intently - sometimes to the point of skipping the entire Con. I think Blade Runners takes the honors here because it partnered so many good elements - great VR, a t-shirt, shots of Johnnie Walker, free food, an atmospheric experience - while the line was much more reasonable than Game of Thrones. Netflix was also in high demand and then we had the Westworld experience, which only admitted 120 people a day.  I still maintain that the Tech Pavilion at the Omni is worth a look, but of course most attendees are skipping it. Even though I think some of the VR there was as good as Blade Runner.


Now - onto the Hall H line. My, my. Just when you think you've lived through every type of Hall H line drama possible, 2017 happens. From a line being forced to disperse, while new people took their places, to attendees getting wristbands and not getting in, this year was a mess. Apparently some people report waiting 30-40 hours, only to have so many others cut in front that they wound up with D wristbands or nothing at all. Staff pretty much shrugged off complaints.

But the biggest issue - reportedly - is that some people created fraudulent wristbands to get in. Everyone is reporting this as fact but I haven't seen it verified. At any rate, 2 full chutes of wristbanded attendees got left out in the cold after waiting upwards of a day. The good - and unprecedented - news is that CCI actually gave them 4 day badges for next year!

I have to admit I didn't expect that one. But while it was a nice gesture, it's obvious CCI has to do something about Hall H. The wristbands were a step, but now attendee madness has incorporated them into their desperation. CCI has to take stronger measures. I think assigned sections, handed out via lottery, would be one way to do it, but there are others.

Anyhow. Tomorrow is the final day of the Con. Hopefully the Hall H line will go a little smoother for Supernatural fans. And if you're one of those only-offsite people? Put your badge to use and give the actual Con a try. You may never get to go again.

SDCC events: where are you going?

4 JULY 2017

Happy 4th of July! As everyone heads off to barbecues, boats and fireworks tonight, it seems appropriate to talk about events.

If you've been listening to the Comic-Con conversation, there's been a common sentiment circulating that there isn't much going on. There have been fewer big parties and promotions announced, fewer contests and fewer press invitations. Given that one of SDCC's greatest attributes is the network of parties, shows, festivals and other events that surround it, this has upset some attendees.

But while I do think that there's been a slight marketing withdrawal from SDCC, there's still plenty to do. CCI shared a few outside events today, and they range from the simple (character balloons) to the more complex (tech demos and VR experiences.)

First-timers, when you see references to "outside events," know that these fall into 2 buckets:

1) Events and activities that are officially endorsed by CCI and part of the SDCC umbrella. Usually you need a badge for these. (Some will let you participate if you don't - but ask before you waste a lot of time in line.)

2) Events operated by outside entities. You don't need a badge for these in most cases, though some organizers will specify their events are for badge-holders only.

The first group used to be dwarfed by the second group - hence the wave of unbadged people who pour into the area during Comic-Con - but this year they're a little more equal. If you were hoping for more, remember that we still have 2 weeks to go. We will hear about more events. Remember also that the line factor and ticket sell-outs makes going to all of them impossible anyhow.

That said, here are some things to keep in mind when deciding where to go and when.

When is the line worth it?

Before you decide that one activation is worth all day in line, check online for what people are saying. I won't name names, but a few highly anticipated attractions of recent years left people cold. They'd stand in line for four hours, only to be whisked through a 90-second experience. Given how much else is going on, there's no reason to sacrifice 20% of San Diego Comic-Con for such a brief event. Team up with a partner for lines as always, but also have a Plan B, C, D and so on if the line for something is blocks long.

What day and time should you go to the all-day activations?

If you're going to something that isn't crazy popular, early morning and dinner time is usually best. In general, visiting the activations on Thursday used to mean shorter lines, with Saturday and Sunday lines being horrible. A lot of extra people will come down on the weekend; the people who didn't get Saturday badges will be looking for something else to do. However, last year was more unpredictable. Some activations will need to be played by ear. Sunday afternoon might be empty; most everyone will line up in the middle of the night, with people waiting 20 minutes by sunset.

Is it worth leaving the Gaslamp for outside events?

Yes. But if you book yourself every night for Balboa Theatre or a club party, it'll probably feel like a chore by the 3rd night.

In general, I wouldn't invest in too many spendy pre-ticketed events because odds are good you'll end up on bailing on some of them. There's a lot going on - things like the Buffy Fandom Party, Ghostbusters Mass Hysteria party at Werewolf, a Batman dance party that's a tribute to Adam West,  Jay and Silent Bob at American Comedy Co., the Dragon Ball meetup at McFadden's, the Heroes Brew Festival and the Suicide Girls Blackheart Burlesque and countless other events. Some of them might involve a car ride but others like Syfy Live are right in the area. I think it's best to only plan for your absolutely can't-miss events and leave yourself open as much as you can. The best Comic-Con adventures usually happen when you go where the night takes you.

How good are the official SDCC activations and events?

These range from dull to magnificent. This year looks decent, in my opinion.

We have the Her Universe fashion show on Thursday - I've never been but people like it. Every year there's some kind of TV show promotion between the Omni and Tin Fish, and this year it will feature Midnight Texas, which promises a "4D experience guaranteed to ignite all your senses." There's also a Skull Island thing behind the Omni, which will show you giant Kong bones and the King himself.

But the most in-demand events will undoubtedly be:

The Tick Takeover, which will have a multi-room replica of the set and a special lounge for Amazon Prime members to watch the pilot. There's also some sort of scavenger hunt.

The Friday night Vikings funeral. Supposedly the cast will be there and it all ends with a burning ship in the water. Previous Vikings attractions were big draws so I expect this will be too.

FX is back in their spot in front of the Hilton Bayfront. They have a history of offering activations that sound incredible but don't really deliver. This year you'll mix it up with various American Horror Story, Legion and Atlanta elements. Probably worth it if there's not much of a line.

AMC Deadquarters. This sounds kind of weak - Negan batting cages? - but maybe it'll be good. Regardless, it's going to pack in the attendees, especially because "cast appearances" were dangled in the description.


Netflix at Hilton Gaslamp is going to offer you swag, sneak peeks at Stranger Things, Bright and more. Given that Netflix is already one of the top buzz winners of SDCC2017, this will be popular. However, attendees often forget about Hilton Gaslamp doings so that could make it more accessible. I know I will swing through, and also head to....

The Tech and Futurism Pavilion at the Omni. VR has been a staple of SDCC attractions for a few years now but it hasn't exactly been all that enthralling. This year sounds like we'll be getting something a little more worthwhile, particularly for attendees who have yet to lose their AR and VR virginity. In addition to a concert, we're getting 9000 square feet of technology, including an AI fair with "ground-breaking robots."

One good rule of thumb when it comes to events is to not get too hung up on them. I've seen people lose their mind because they made the Game of Thrones activations the spiritual core of their Comic-Con, and then they couldn't get in.  It's always worth remembering that's there's a lot going on at the Con - and if you can't access one event, you'll get into another that's just as good.

The SDCC offsites are amazing this year

5 JULY 2016

Erasing any doubt that you actually need a badge to have fun at Comic-Con, CCI announced their major offsites today. Emphasis on their; these may be officially recognized but there are plenty of others afoot. Right now, those of you who landed in the Thursday/Sunday split like my niece are probably not too upset about missing out on a few days inside the convention center.

So what do we have? A lot of VR but a few other things too.

Live coverage.

Comic-Con HQ will be at the Hilton Bayfront for daily live programming and nerd celebs and Con coverage.

Adult Swim is back. 


Hard to believe Adult Swim once contained their annual Con carnival to the Exhibit Hall floor. The Meatwad Full Dome Experience is back, so are some nightime events and so is a Rick and Morty VR experience.

The Omni will have a daily Batman v Superman scavenger hunt.

And a Batmobile.

MAC is offering a Star Trek photo op.

We knew about the Thursday launch party in the Gaslamp MAC store, but this goes beyond the debut of the Star Trek makeup line; you can also enjoy a "futuristic photo op and unique immersive experience" in the Star Trek transporter.


NBC revives the lost art of free Comic-Con treats.

In this case, frozen yogurt. Along with photo ops and other promotions for Timeless, Emerald City and The Good Place.

Amazon is promoting their shows The Man in the High Castle and Thunderbirds are Go.

Costumes, props, more VR.


Hasbro gives you a once-in-a-lifetime photo op.

It's with Transformers hero Bumblebee to celebrate the launch of EarthWars.

Neil deGrasse Tyson lights up your Con with space travel magnificence.

CCI is calling this “VR Con at Comic-Con.” Catchy title, CCI. They'll have “The John Wick VR Experience,” “NASA’s Journey to Mars” and others - and this sounds like it will be real VR (we hope?) and not simple 360 stuff.


South Park lures you away from the Con and never lets you go.

If you arrive at SDCC and detest it immediately - and that happens sometimes - you can head over to South Park's Hulu viewing lounge and lose yourself in every episode ever of South Park. You can also step into 20 life-size 2D/3D builds in an interactive fan experience, admire South Park art, and more.


The Her Universe Geek Fashion Show returns.

Another Thursday evening event. I've never been but I know it's quite popular.

American Horror Story IS at Comic-Con - kind of.

The cast may not have a panel this year, but FX is bringing an AHS VR experience, a face swap garden, giveaways and more.

Fox celebrates fishnets and muscles.

A giant rock wall, a huge stunt bag, another "immersive virtual reality experience" for Rocky Horror - you probably can't go wrong with this one.

In addition to device charging, Con-X will have a t-shirt bar.

Custom, limited edition t-shirts. Isn't "limited edition" guaranteed with anything customized? I'm guessing they'll be working with some kind of template and you can deviate from there.

First-timers, don't wait for Sunday to do these and the other activations. The lines will be awful. Find time in your schedule here and there and try to knock off the ones you really want to do early on.

Haunted Hotel open for SDCC - with Escape Room

16 JUNE 2015

 

If you're one of those SDCC attendees who wishes Halloween could come 2 or 3 times a year, you'll be happy to hear that the Haunted Hotel is opening up just for Comic-Con - and they have some new scares in store for you.

This year will have a LIGHTS OUT theme, forcing you to make your way through dark and creepy rooms. Everyone gets a free glow necklace to wear. Also new: an Escape Room, just like you've seen on TV. Up to 12 people will be trapped in a room and have one hour to find hidden clues and solve riddles to figure out their exit. Haunted Hotel calls it "the fastest and most intense hour you have ever experienced."

If you're a haunted house connoisseur, you know that they range from a garage with a few masked people holding chainsaws to elaborate mansions with special effects. The Haunted Hotel is definitely worth a visit - it's been voted one of America's best haunted house attractions and featured on the Travel Channel.

What: The Haunted Hotel

Where: 424 Market Street

When: Friday, 10 July and Saturday, 11 July - both nights 7-11 pm

Cost: $18 normally; $15 if you show your SDCC badge or grab a flyer from the promo team

 

Yes, you should go to SDCC even for 1 day

22 FEBRUARY 2015

                                     San Diego Symphony Summer Pops Comic-Con Concerts


Now that the smoke has cleared from the badge sale, two groups of people have probably come to terms with how they did: those who got 4 day or Preview Night badges, and those who got nothing. There's not much to decide there, after all.

But people who landed in the more nebulous zone of a one day badge or Thursday/Sunday have to decide now if they really want to go after all. My vote: yes. Unless the airfare is going to be outrageous and you're already strapped for cash, you should definitely go to Comic-Con. Even just for one day.

I discussed the Thursday/Sunday split when I landed in it last November. But I want to point out a few other reasons you should attend, especially for first-timers who've never been to SDCC before. It's easy to visualize Comic-Con as something that happens within a building, like a soccer game or concert would happen inside a stadium. You're either in or you're out. But the Con is quite different. It is a sprawling octopus of a phenomenon with tentacles that can accommodate anyone - whether they have a badge or not.

Let's say you have a Thursday badge. You have access to a freshly stocked Exhibit Hall and you can get into the massive MTV party that night - it's free to anyone with a Thursday badge, features multiple bands (Linkin Park headlined last year) and fandom awards. The whole thing is broadcast on MTV that Sunday night. If you only got Sunday, you'll have all those Exhibit Hall deals to take advantage of - lots of marked-down stuff - and a fairly eclectic variety of panels. (Which isn't to say you won't have major ones too. Check out last year's Sunday programming.)

But mostly you'll have a dazzling array of outside events to attend. I'm not talking about vendors or cheap carnival exhibits. I'm talking about really fun high-caliber events and promotions that can be more enjoyable than anything inside the convention center.

Here's just a small sample of the events last year:

The CBLDF party
The Image Expo
The Outlander red carpet premiere
The Adult Swim Fun House and Jammy Party
The Strain screening and fan event
The Walking Dead Escape
San Diego Symphony Summer Pops Comic-Con Concert
The Nerd-A-Thon with MC Front-a-lot
The Zombie Walk and the Zombie Prom
The Orphan Black Meetup
A combined Welcome to Night Vale/Thrilling Adventure Hour performance
The Incognito cosplay party with Adam Savage
Chris Hardwick's @midnight and live Nerdist podcast
The Haunted Hotel/Zombie Apocalypse Store
Geek and Sundry's ongoing party
The Crave Online party with MGMT and Grimes
Free gamer arcades at various bars and locations
A Nerdist laser-tag party
The Assassin's Creed obstacle course
The Game of Thrones Experience
The Sleepy Hollow virtual reality experience

And I'm not kidding when I say that's just a fraction of what was happening.

Of course there's also Gam3rCon - not just gaming but art shows, bands, and panels - and of course
Nerd HQ. Last year Nerd HQ offered up Joss Whedon, the Orphan Black cast, Nathan Fillion, the Supernatural and Walking Dead cast - lots of fan favorites show up there. Check out this list of panels.

Most 2015 events are yet to be announced, but we do know some - for instance, that Conan O'Brien will be taping from Spreckles Theatre every night of the Con. And of course there are beaches, taking the ferry to Coronado Island and lots of local museums that offer special nerd-themed exhibits during SDCC.


So 5 benefits in all to your partial badge situation:

1) You can avoid getting worn out. If you haven't been to SDCC before, you can't imagine how exhausting it is. I say this as a high-energy person who can hike for miles without getting tired. When you're at the Con, a day to sleep in, eat some leisurely meals and then kick around doing whatever you feel like is pure heaven.

2) You can actually spend time with your friends. Every year I have long-distance friends at the Con and while we say we're going to catch up, it never happens because we're trapped in panels and interviews and obligations.

3) You can go to all the fun outside events the people in the Hall H line will never experience.

4) You can avoid going down this hellish rabbit hole next year if you find out now that you actually don't care for Comic-Con. Hey, it happens. A lot. If it's not for you, better to find out when you've only invested in a 1-2 day trip.

5) You will have two chances at going to SDCC 2016, since even a one-day badge gets you into 2016 Pre-registration. And you're only competing against 2015 attendees in that round, unlike the horde of hopefuls in Open Reg.


Did I convince you? Don't ask for a refund. Just go.

SDCC will have more virtual reality on tap

11 FEBRUARY 2015

Remember last year when 3 or 4 different studios brought virtual reality exhibits to SDCC - and then they were almost impossible to get into? Well, you can expect more of the same this summer, though hopefully they'll be more accessible.

I feel like this is one of the moments we'll all recall decades from now when we're old (at least, old but feeling young through the miracles of Radical Life Extension.) Then, when virtual reality is as part of the daily fabric of our existence as the Internet is now, we'll fondly recall those days when we took our first trembling steps into VR at Comic-Con.

Anyhow. Here's the story. Legend3D, which is a 3D conversion and VFX studio, has launched a Virtual Reality division. (How cool would that look on your business card?)  And they're partnering with major Hollywood studios, ad agencies and stores to create "immersive VR experiences in both 2D and 3D formats."  One of those stores - a leading retail brand which I pray is not something boring like the Gap - has give them a contract to provide a 360-degree stereoscope VR experience. Movie studios will be utilizing their magic as well.

Now, here's where it gets SDCCish.  Legend3D will be making "cinematic VR content" for "key marketing initiatives, from tentpole releases to installations at San Diego Comic-Con." While it's not entirely a surprise that we will see more VR at the Con, the fact that retailers, studios and agencies are jumping into the mix shows that VR is no longer an alien futuristic technology but something accessible and popular. And given that companies typically bring their A game to the Con, we should see some dazzling VR scenarios - if not this summer, then definitely next.

First look at outside attractions

9 JULY 2014



10 years ago, when you left the convention center, you were mainly accosted by people handing out postcards for their store sales and club parties. Sometimes there would be a promotional set-up on the grass but for the most part any events and attractions took place at a venue somewhere.

Not anymore; now there are tons of things to do all over the area, whether it's going through a funhouse in the Petco Park parking lot, boarding a pirate ship, having your face painted like a superhero or getting your picture taken as you sit in the Iron Throne. Last year was really good in this regard and I'm sorry I missed so many of the possibilities. Learn from my experience; while you calculate how much time it's worth to stand in line for a panel, remember everything else you're giving up. Instead of waiting 4 hours to see a 50 minute panel, you could be strolling around and crossing off 3 different things on your wish list.

At any rate, CCI has listed a few we can expect and they sound just as tantalizing as last year's:

• Homer's Dome outside the Hilton Bayfront
• Godzilla Display behind the convention center next to the 5th Ave pier & ferry landing (hopefully this will be as good as last summer's Godzilla experience, in which he stomped past your building)
• The Adventure Time Conquest Fulfillment Center across from Children's Museum
• Game of Thrones: Survive the Realm Experience at the Omni Gallery
• The NBC Experience at Gaslamp Square - okay, they could have picked a more enticing title for that
• The Assassin's Creed Experience next to the Hilton Gaslamp
• Sony's Pixels Arcade at the Hard Rock Hotel

And of course the Nintendo Video Game Lounge is at the Marriott and Xbox Lounge is at the Hyatt. I'll post more details on those when I cover gaming at the Con.

Obviously the Game of Thrones one is going to have an insane line, so do it sooner rather than later; that's good advice in general when it comes to these things. Often word spreads throughout the Con, so that the lines get longer each day for them.