Now that it's over...

[Michaelnaut]

I liked this year, it felt, almost, laid back to me, compared to others? Without the specter of camping/line management/etc. for H on Saturday, my week for con was, I'll say, quite enjoyable.  Even the exhibit floor, while packed at times, didn't seem oppressive to me.

That being said, I caught a nasty cold Wednesday that I just finally shook off, so that impacted some panels, especially the Marvel ones Saturday.  But they did put up some videos on YT for their presence this year.

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[Silenthillnight]

As a collector, it felt like the exhibit hall was tougher this year than previous years.  The exhibit hall and booth lines were pretty crazy.  I was never able to get into the Tamagotchi line after preview night and 100% soft was either you get there as early as you can and get a ticket or you're basically sol, haha. 

Last year in comparison was a cake walk and honestly I can't remember the previous years pre-pandemic anymore.

I got a vicious flu bug on Sunday evening that I'm still recovering from.  I'm kinda lucky I checked out early to head home (before I even knew I was sick) because driving home with full blown symptoms would've been torture.

[Friends of Comic Cons]

[flyt2b0ston]

I loved my experience this year and I think a big part of it is that I hadn't attended since 2019 and that we had to cancel our 2022 plans at the last minute so I was really heart broken about that for a long time and really wanted to be back. It felt really good to be back. I didn't even win any lottery spots for anything, which I was disappointed about, but it also let me relax because I didn't feel a need to camp out in the everything else line for super long. When they moved to the online lotteries rather than first come first serve and in person drawings for things in sails I was not a fan, but even from the perspective of someone who lost out on all the online lotteries this year, I think I prefer it now. If they were never going to do anything about people cutting in the back of sails in the morning then it makes sense. At least when you lose now you lose to chance and not people breaking the rules.

I hope the strikes are resolved next year so it goes back to how it was, but for this year, even without all the usual hype it felt great to just walk the exhibit hall again and take in the feeling of the convention center.

Also, I did get sick from the con. I wore an N95 like 80% of the time, but I had to take it off to eat and drink in the lobby at times, I took it off for photos, and I didn't wear a mask outdoors at Fundays or just outside overall. I started feeling sick when I got home on Sunday and really am only just now starting to feel mostly over it. Not COVID based on the 4 tests I took including a PCR test, but probably some bad cold.

[Wkdbriss]

As a first-timer I didn’t have anything to compare it to. At first I was pretty bummed about no Hollywood but since I didn’t get a Saturday badge initially I was kind of okay with it. Then a nice man who works for CCI gave me a Saturday badge which was amazing. All in all, I’m kind of glad there was no big name actors for my first SDCC. There was so much happening that I was super busy the whole time. I really had the best time, met incredible people and scored a pair of the Kith Cyclops shoes. I can’t wait to go back next year and experience Hall H in all its glory.

[accelerate]

The Hollywood aspect of SDCC has never been a priority for me. In fact, in some years, it’s presence was an annoyance. SDCC is, and always has been about comics & art & toys for me. Yes, I’ve done the whole Hall H line ordeal, multiple times including over-nighters, but it was always due to friends & my sister who want to see the panels.

But this year made me realize I need Hollywood to be there to alleviate the congestion of the Exhibit Hall. It’s never been more crowded, and it was even more jarring compared to the almost laid back feel of 2022. Also, because I was in the Exhibit Hall a lot more this year, I spent a lot money. No regrets really on that front, though.

Also, I miss the presence of Sideshow Collectibles. Their booth was always a favorite of mine. And DC’s new and smaller booth is just not the same as their usual big slot with plush carpets.