it took me an 20 min's just to get out of bed, I was so stiffJoin the club. The little earthquake helped me to get up.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220725/ceccb973a5a8133502a162da9382bdc6.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220725/d198047368d1a02f51b20b2e2067aa45.jpg)
Ghosts was also very cool even if the palm reading line was ridiculous, I blame that one girl who stayed sited there for 15 min straight.Tell me about it! We didn't even stay in that line - it took way too long. We got enough badges in the other activities to get a cup and a whistle (I had one extra, but gave it away) They should have re-thought that one.
Tell me about it! We didn't even stay in that line - it took way too long. We got enough badges in the other activities to get a cup and a whistle (I had one extra, but gave it away) They should have re-thought that one.
Glad that the photo op gave you two more if you posted on SNS - we got four that way (plus the one each just for taking the picture)
We totally skipped it too. I just wanted the mug, so I took like 3 dif pictures with my group and re did the arrow shooting like twice. Tarot reading was on point so it was kinda freaky ??? haha.I really want those Tarot cards! It was pretty on point, but probably universally so.
I felt like inside the exhibit hall was lackluster. My favorite thing about comic con besides panels is the experiences you cannot have anywhere else. Besides the lil Monster High game everything else felt like a store. Even the Marvel booth seemed quiet (giveaway hr non withstanding). Was excited for Netflix and Disney+ and the first one was a mess and the second a store. I missed WB/DC. After roaming around for a few hrs I was done with it which I found kinda sad. Masking rules were very well enforced imo and I hardly saw anyone maskless indoors anywhere.
I loved loved loved the offsites. Did everything except Gray Man, DBZ, Nintendo Switch and Bob's Burgers/Multiverse of Madness. FX was fun and quick, I liked how streamlined it was. Disney+ was lots of fun with great swag, kinda wish I had gone back for an Arcadian mug. HotD was really cool and yet the line management made it almost unbearable. Severance was amazing and prob the most immersive offsite I've ever participated in. The DBZ concert was super fun even for us who don't really know that show. Abbott Elementary was cute and gave lots of nice swag, I used that bag all thru con. Prey screening was also a highlight for us and my predator loving dad. WD party was amazing too, wish I could have stayed a bit longer, alas Hall H NDL called. Ghosts was also very cool even if the palm reading line was ridiculous, I blame that one girl who stayed sited there for 15 min straight.
Did Hall H Saturday for the first time and enjoyed it. That line was a disaster, we were there for wristbands for more than 2 hrs and we weren't even that far back and yet still got Cs, very weird. Sunday Hall H was also a disaster right when the panels actually started, so glad for ADA or we wouldn't have made it.
Overall I had a great time and will gladly go back next year. I did/got 90% of the things in my list so it felt like a successful con. BUT, most of the problems like line management seemed like could have been avoided with more planning and better enforcing. I get that there was staff turnover and things out of their control but it was waaay to messy. Really hoping the exhibit hall comes back next year with better stuff, or well, maybe not cause that way I won't feel FOMO if I'm outside doing offsites instead like I didn't feel it his year.
PS. Their IT system is horrible, I feel so bad for the volunteer manager who had to deal with it.
TLDR. The best part of comic con was the parts outside of comic con (Hall H not included)
Join the club. The little earthquake helped me to get up.
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I thought I felt tremors! Everyone else slept through...my first earthquake! Yeeehah.I felt it too. I dressed in case it was precursor!
As a TV-focused person, I found the TV panels to be in short supply this year. Some that would have been in Ballroom 20 in other years ended up in Hall H and I couldn't get in due to lack of commitment to lining up early. I also attended two TV panels that were "virtual" because the cast didn't show up (Rookie and Abbott Elementary).
Sounds like I wasn’t the only one who had problems with the Netflix booth. The worst. Gave up. Yeah ABC/ Disney used to be better. Skipped it since it was just a store though they did have cute photo ops along the back. The line was always capped and didn’t move much so never got a chance to do it. Yeah usually marvel is walk to wall and you can’t even get in there.
Weird Ideas I came up with that will never happen, but discuss:
+ Making the aisles one-way in the exhibit hall, similar to how grocery stores did this at the beginning of the pandemic.
+ Selling Exhibit Hall-Only badges
+ Creating a Hall H Only badge
I thought the same thing about "one way only" aisles in the exhibit hall.
In regards to Hall H, I think that if they have a day like Saturday where Marvel is at the end of the day, preventing people who are only interested in GoT or Trek from attending those sessions, they should split Saturday into two sessions with a panel clearing in the middle. I know that the con doesn't want to empty for EVERY panel. They said so at the Talkback. But, ONE panel clearing would double the number of wristbands, wherein everyone would have to choose either morning or afternoon. If they get the afternoon, they would have to do Standby for the morning if they want to attend both sessions OR they would be able to do something else.
Hall H was pretty easy to get in except on Saturday. Saturday was the challenge.
-The Petco zone was garbage with almost nothing there.
I have to agree. I think it took me longer to get through security, a first for the Interactive Zone, than I actually spent in it. I really didn't understand the super long line in the middle just to get a little cup of a drink.
Normally the Interactive Zone is filled to the brim with little offsites. This year there were only a few and even though they were spread out, they didn't really hide how empty the Zone was.
I have to agree. I think it took me longer to get through security, a first for the Interactive Zone, than I actually spent in it. I really didn't understand the super long line in the middle just to get a little cup of a drink.The line was actually for a photo op, the drink itself had no line.
Normally the Interactive Zone is filled to the brim with little offsites. This year there were only a few and even though they were spread out, they didn't really hide how empty the Zone was.
I had such a dualistic experience.
PROS
-I got to stay at The Omni which was amazing.
-On Wednesday I had a Preview Night Funko slot and got everything I wanted.
-I was able to go to the Fandom party and had an incredible time.
-I was able to go to Fundays and had an even more incredible time.
-I was able to go to the NatGeo "party" and I had a blast.
-Got to do a lot of great offsite (IMDboat, FX, Nintendo, DnD, Franklin gallery)
-I found the Yesterdays coin and got the XMen pin.
-I was able to get friends into the Pac-Man party and they had a wonderful time.
-I was able to get my mom into the Lord of the Rings party WITH the golden ticket and she had a fantastic time.
-I saw the Interview with the Vampire panel with my mom (who's an Anne Rice fanatic) and she was like a little kid which warmed my heart.
-The Cat Cafe is an annual tradition for my wife and I and it was wonderful as always.
-The energy and the enthusiasm for SDCC seemed to be cranked to 11 and that was electrifying.
-But my favorite part was that I met a LOT of forum/Discord members and I loved every second of hanging out with each one.
CONS
-The bag had one variety and there were no pins.
-No printed program and no boxes with pins.
-The floor was... bad. I just didn't really care all that much which is so strange. The absence of WB and especially DC was enormous and I could feel the void.
-Funkoville was cool and all but couldn't come close to making up for the hole left by WB and some other companies that pulled out.
-Adult Swim on the green not having their annual space sucked (but what they did do there instead was pretty funny. Also the giant inflatable floating thing was great.)
-The panel selection was uninspiring. There wasn't a whole lot I cared to see.
-Comics (my main attraction) were almost non-existent. I went back to 2013-2016 and counted the comic panels. Each publisher had around 25 EACH. This year, Marvel and DC had something like four or five each.
-The SDCC perch was cheap and the Line to get in was SLOW.
-The Petco zone was garbage with almost nothing there.
-The security was atrocious and they felt almost aggressive and angry at people instead of cheerful and helpful.
Overall, A LOT of the show felt like taped/glued together. Almost like taking out and eating a cake that isn't quite ready yet. Everything seemed like it was done to minimize cost while giving out the bare minimum experience. I completely understand that they took a pandemic hit, but they did get over $4M in relief funds that were forgiven and put on the special edition. As I type this, I realize that most of my pros have to do with things/companies outside of the convention and most of my cons have to do with aspects of the convention. OOF. There's more I'll think of an edit later probably. Over all, I had an awesome time and I'm counting down the days until 2023.
I also don't know why in an era where "tv is king" both WC and SDCC dropped the ball on those. I know they tend to rely on the WB/CW properties and CW is looking like it's about to be dismantled, but there are plenty of shows on streaming platforms that would fit right in at SDCC. We shouldn't have to pay $300+ to go to what is essentially a flea market with lackluster panels. Panels is what really drew me to SDCC to begin with, but now I barely find anything worth scheduling. I did have some minor FOMO because the atmosphere and especially the weather looked great, but I didn't have any regrets about skipping it this year. Maybe I'll do every other year from now on or go explore other conventions around the country.
I usually spend a lot of time in the interactive zone and the food trucks are almost always a go-to for lunch for me and the fact they had a massive security choke point soured me to the whole thing. I went there once on Thursday and every other day I tried to go back, the line for security was basically around the block when I was looking to go in. It was extremely discouraging because it's one of my favorite parts of SDCC.I felt bad for the food trucks in Petco. The security line definitely affected the traffic they would see at a huge event like this one. I went specifically for Ghosts, but we sometimes go there just for lunch, but we didn't this year, because of the line.
I thought I felt tremors! Everyone else slept through...my first earthquake! Yeeehah.If it makes you feel better I've lived in San Diego since summer 1999 and I've probably felt earthquakes _maybe_ 5 times: almost every time was when it was large enough to make national news :P
You do realize that SDCC, has zero influence in what panels to show right? That’s a decision for the studios and channels/streamers to make. All SDCC can do is offer the time slots and if it gets filled, it gets filled. If not, then you have a situation where they basically just had a movie screening of Lightyear and no panel for any Disney movies.Not to mention what COVID protocols may be like for studios, as well as in other countries. For example, when "Peacemaker" was shooting in Canada, actors had to quarantine for 2 weeks when entering the country; if a production is shooting in another country with stricter protocols, or studios require production members (actors & on-set crew) to be in a 'bubble,' I can see why studios wouldn't want a potential disruption in their schedules. I was almost surprised there were as many 'big' panels as there were, and a panel like Marvel had so many cast/crew: it didn't escape me that the casts they had up on stage in Hall H were wrapped so this was more of a marketing/promotional thing rather than when, say, CAPTAIN AMERICA had just started shooting a few days when the cast & director flew from Europe to USA for the Hall H panel and then flew back the next day to resume shooting.
I don’t disagree with your assessment that companies are using Covid as a cover, but I think It’s more economic than anything. No panels means no costs to transport in talent, no rooms to book, no real effort to make at booths or swag. A lot of marketing departments got affected, and part of me suspects that with Covid around, studios and companies will use it as cover to save money, limit their costs. Which means fewer panels or, if they do have a panel, less talent on the panels. They still filled the schedule, so it’s not like there’s a lack of things to discuss whether it’s about comics, toys, cartoons, collecting, etc.
Not to mention what COVID protocols may be like for studios, as well as in other countries.
Didn't at least one studio say they didn't send their talent because they can't risk covid shutting down production.
Comic-Con 2022, by 21st San Diego Comic-Con, was a good one: I'd say it's a better-than-average Con for me and the fam! I went to all the panels I really wanted to, a few I kind of wanted to but didn't plan on seeing, got some great swag, bought the few exclusives I really wanted + a few other things, and didn't miss anything I _really_ wanted to see. Thanks to being in a lineup group for another awesome year I only had to spend one 3 hour shift in line for Saturday Hall H (plus a few hours waiting for wristbands & a few hours Sat. morning waiting to get in) so I can't complain, really. I scored well with panel swag, and I didn't go over-budget on stuff! Plus, I kind of unexpectedly got one of my "Infinity Gauntlet" comics signed by artist Ron Lim to go with my Jim Starlin signature I got at SDCC SE (of course, I MUCH rather would've liked to have gotten one of the first couple issues signed by artist George Perez, which would've meant he was still alive, but...you know... :( ).
One reflection this year, is that I WAS WRONG; I was told explicitly by CCI there was no special Pro Entrance into the Exhibit Hall only to see with my own eyes that there was! I had several Pros convincing us they had indeed used the Pro entrance, explained explicitly where it was, but I chose to believe CCI's information. That was absolutely wrong! I of course didn't see that entrance/sign until Thursday late morning/early afternoon when it didn't matter much, but I look forward to utilizing that entrance in 2023.
I won a few limited signings for Disney animation shows, usually done in person to meet staff and talent. But this year, all posters were pre-signed and just given to you at the signing times. Some panels did have their talent there, it was the in-person part Disney must have we forbid.Oh, which Disney shows were they?
Less people,shorter lines, they took the busses out of the front area to make that huge walkway which was awesome. I had a great time.Yeah, I couldn't remember if that was new in 2022 or from a previous year after shutting down Harbor, but that was GREAT! Helped general claustrophobic crowds thing a bit: even more so in a pandemic. REALLY great logistics there, IMO!!
Where is the Pro Entrance into the Exhibit Hall. I'm a pro and I've never heard of this.
Anyway, go through the Sails Pavilion as if you're heading toward 6BCF or one of those conference rooms. Once you exit the Sails Pavilion, take a left and go one flight down the escalator. Once you reach the landing, you should see signs. The hallway they line us up in is right around the corner.
Oh, which Disney shows were they?
The Pros
- The FoCC Discord. I never thought I'd spend more time on another app than Twitter during SDCC. Lo and behold, the Discord. It was around in 2019 - was that the first year? - but it leveled up in a big way in 2022. Unbelievable source of real-time information without having to sort through unrelated Twitter nonsense, entertainment, and a total game-changer this year.
- Related, getting to meet so many FoCCers (I said it) for the first time. What a wonderful community.
- Reuniting with old Con friends was also just an absolute delight. Total "we're back" energy.
Here is my review of the con.
https://www.friendsofcc.com/2022/07/26/sdcc-2022-a-cons-rebirth/
In short, I had a terrific time! There were some things missing, but still more than enough to fill my time and cause me to make hard choices. I did not meet anyone who felt like they had been able to do everything that they wanted. And ultimately, that's what we want, right? A con so filled with options that we have choices. CCSE and WonderCon were severely lacking in that department. SDCC was so much closer to 'normal'.
I also noticed fewer people in Exhibit Hall and far fewer vendors there, making it look almost like the Exhibit Hall at WonderCon. I was glad to get into Hall H on Saturday.
It is my sincere wish that the exhibit hall stay the way it was at this con. I had a couple of non-major booths that I wanted to visit and I was able to navigate so easily from one end to the other.
It will probably go back to what it was, but I purchased a lot more this year because I didn’t get the immediate urge to leave. It didn’t SEEM like fewer vendors to me because I could actually experience the vendors that were there.
Reflections on SDCC 2022This is a great story, thanks for sharing: it's always awesome to hear about people with empathy and compassion being good people in a less-than-ideal environment!
I had an incredibly wonderful time at SDCC this 'return of the con' year.
I was able to produce a fan panel again after more than a couple of years away from that opportunity.
Was able to walk into Hall H and see William Shatner, Keanu Reeves and Kevin Smith.
Stayed at my fave hotel. Not in the Gaslamp, but it is a quieter place to relax and get ready for the next busy day.
Roamed the Exhibit Hall, and saw some amazing things.
Shared some of my new 'Geeks in Heaven' homemade buttons, in honor of my absolutely nerdily wonderful son who passed away just before the last planned SDCC in 2020. The anniversary of his passing was on July 23. An SDCC miracle happened that day.
My most favorite personal encounter from this year:
I visited the Transformers booth, where they had a cool Bumblebee car displayed and asked one of the young ladies at the booth if she could take a picture for me as my son loved the Transformers. She happily obliged.
When she was done, I handed her one of the Geeks in Heaven buttons, and told her of my son's passing and how cool he would think this was. My voice started to crack as tears came. We would go to each Transformers movie together.
Today was the anniversary of his passing.
She asked if she could hug me...and I said of course. We hugged and I turned and moved away slowly, as I could barely see through my tears. I admit I was a tiny bit embarrassed.
Then I felt a tap on my shoulder.
It was the young woman from the Transformers booth. She asked me if I liked the Transformers too, and if something Transformers would mean something to me. I nodded, yes. She said, "Stay right here". Off she went.
The crowd swirled around me.
She returned. "Here", she said. "This is an Optimus Prime signed by Peter Cullen...the voice of Optimus Prime. I know he would want you to have it."
She handed the figure to me. More tears streamed down my face.
"Oh yes. I know who Peter Cullen is", I barely squeaked out. I sobbed out loud.
"Please don't cry", she said to me. She gently hugged me again.
"You are so kind to do this for me. Thank you." I was crying because...of her kindness, in taking me into her heart and connecting with me. I had to find a place to spend some time and reflect in gratitude.
My only real negative was the Merch line. It was super slow. I even said something to the people that checked me out (when I finally got up to the front). Apparently, it made no difference.You know, I don't think I've EVER experienced a relatively quick/EZPZ merch line at Comic-Con: especially since they went to the pre-order/pickup model awhile back. In my experience, if you don't go on Wed. well before the Exhibit Hall opens for Preview Night, you're waiting a long time. What's even more confounding to me, is even when you order stuff in advance and go to pick-it up you're still looking at a 60 min. wait: shorter than if you didn't pre-order (which wasn't an option this year), but sill FAR longer than it feels like it would take. I suppose they don't have volunteers run that station, since it deals with cash and whatnot, but that has always felt like a relatively easy fix: just have more merch 'tables' for the booth, and double the staff at least. But I get that could be challenging. I wonder how much business they hypothetically lose every year because people just don't want to bother with the long line. This year I was fortunate with line group buddies who helped me (and many others) out so I was able to get the nifty Rocketeer SDCC 2022 shirt w/out spending hours in line but I suspect there were others who would've bought a shirt or something but just didn't want to wait.
I attended the Masquerade for the first time. It was going to be on my list for 2020. Enjoyed it, even though one of the performers fell off the stage (ouch).