22 JUNE 2024
Happy Summer Solstice! Whether you observe the seasons or not, you can't deny we have now tipped into the second half of the year - and arguably the better one as it brings us Comic-Con, Halloween, and Christmas. Those are all holidays on equal footing in my book. And yet this Comic-Con season has been a bit... lackluster?
We're getting some announcements, Funko had their sale, badges are shipping - and yet signs point to a more leisurely Comic-Con. Whether people want to blame this on the actor's strike, Hollywood's ongoing fade from Hall H, or refute it altogether is a matter of opinion. I'm willing to be wrong and hoping to be wowed in the coming weeks.
Let's look at a few event highlights so far.
Events
The Stargate Fan Celebration from Dial the Gate - now this is pure Comic-Con. No date yet that I can find but special guests and door prizes are promised.
Chris Hardwick is doing a live set Friday night at American Comedy Co.
Mosh Eisley returns to The Music Box on Friday night.
School of Rock concert - this is at House of Blues on Thursday night.
Bob's Burgers Trivia - Are you an expert on the Belchers? Meet your kin in the Marriott Marquis lobby on Thursday night at 8 pm.
The San Diego Comic-Con Bar Crawl - if you want to get to know all the bars and find out which of your fellow attendees like to party, this might be the best use of your Friday or Saturday night.
Batman Live in Concert is at the Civic Center on Friday night. You're encouraged to dress like your favorite DC character; I recommend the Silver Banshee.
Board Game Night - if you don't have a Preview Night badge, an empty Wednesday night can bring back all the anguish of that long-ago badge sale as you watched badges sell out. Never fear: you can join Punch Bowl Social and play board games with free chips and salsa. Just sign up first.
Ready Party One: Legends of Fantasy is at Parc on Wednesday night. It offers a cheaper version and a VIP version that includes Atomic Blonde (the band) and a burlesque dancer.
The Museum
It seems like just yesterday the Comic-Con Museum crawled out of the womb; now it's regularly hosting fantastic events. I have to give CCI credit for doing a great job here, not just in the exhibits themselves but in their achievement of fostering a stronger sense of nerd community. One of my clients, an SDCC virgin, heard that San Diego was the nerd mecca in a general sense beyond Comic-Con; he referred to the museum, though he didn't know its official name.
Anyhow. The Museum is holding a variety of events to get you in the Comic-Con mood - from now to SDCC.
June 26: A members-only sneak peek at their new Betty Boop exhibit.
June 28: A competitive puzzle building event
July 12: A crafting event that is kid-friendly
July 19: My pick - a Zombicide game night
July 25: Their Betty Boop event repeats, though this is probably their nighttime event for people who don't have Preview Night badges.
The A-list events/panels/exclusives of 2024
I don't know what these are yet. I suspect we won't know until we're right up on the Con. But if you have an idea of what will be the hot ticket items this year, please share!
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