San Diego Comic-Con

[Drunk Monk]

What boggles my mind about that is all of the lead stars were there. That crowd must’ve gone nuts. But they earned it. Any of the 6K attendees who made it in must have been in line all day and many all night.

We might try for one more Hall H experience for Riverdale. We were watching that before it went all Stranger Things. It all winds up around 4pm which is when I must make it for the airport.

There are so many friends here - I see them on social media - but connecting is so tough. So much going on...If anything, Sdcc has eradicated my fomo. There’s no way to see even a fraction of it. There are entire buildings we didn’t get to.

[Drunk Monk]

In line for Hall H again. They made us walk all the way out to the adult swim stage (another thing we didn’t see) thru security to chute one.

We are now where we were after 3+ hours for GoT.  Riverdale starts in 15. We’re in good shape. 

There’s a killing to be made selling ‘I survived the Hall h queue’

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We’re in!

Caught the end of the Supernatural panel. I guess that was their finale season. It was tearful and they gave away a Baby, the car from the show. Got some sort of tchotke but I haven't looked at it.

[Drunk Monk]

@SAN

We left a little early to grab drinks in little Italy. It was a great experience. So fun to spend quality time so much with Tara. So overwhelming. Wrecked me for any other comic con.

I must score passes again next year.

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It’s like leaving a dead show, traveling home with the nerd tribe. We exchange knowing glances, compliment each other on good shirts, pins, lids, savoring that afterglow as we return to the common world, satisfied yet already nostalgic. What an amazing scene. Excelsior!

[Drunk Monk]

The muggle world is dreary. I long to go back.

Yesterday we logged 5.8 miles. I was in full pack too, which meant I got bumped a lot.

Funny footnote - I was attempting to connect with several friends but navigating it allwasnt worth the bother. Among those friends was my cast mate Crystsl. Turns out her husband was part of the amazon prime experience - the crappy fight choreo on the tower. Like with the iron fist showrunner, I’ve been diplomatic.

[Greg]

You long to go back to the dreary muggle world? Congratulations, you've arrived.

[Drunk Monk]

yep.  it sucks.  no magic here.

i should mention that my big toe has been messed up since last week. i trimmed my toenail to the quick and it's been bleeding a bit.  every night in san diego, i'd clean and disinfect it.  it hurt but not too bad considering how much i was walking and stumbling, bumping into other nerds dazzled by cool stuff.  it started hurting a lot more today.  as if the meds are wearing off.  

SDCC51 is July 23-26, 2020, preview night on the 22nd.  I can hardly wait.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Oooooo! Another infection post!

[Drunk Monk]

Oooooo! Another infection post!

Strangely prophetic.

I had troubles applying for this year because I applied as a pro and I should've applied as press.  Fortunately, the same backdoor I had last year could get me and Tara on again as pro.  That was before Covid. 

[color=var(--headerTextColor)]Sections[/color]

[*]Canceled conventions due to coronavirus costing San Diego $203M — so far

[color=var(--primaryTextColor)]The San Diego Convention Center, which normally would be hosting tens of thousands of meeting attendees in the coming months, has lost most of its business due to the coronavirus pandemic and instead has become a temporary homeless shelter.
(Hayne Palmour IV /The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Conventions, from scientists to produce suppliers, have been canceled through June, as Comic-Con mulls doing the same in July
[color=var(--primaryTextColor)]By LORI WEISBERG[/color]
[color=var(--secondaryTextColor)]APRIL 10, 2020
5:35 AM[/color]
[color=var(--primaryTextColor)]First it was the cancer researchers. Then the parking industry folks and later the Indian gaming operators. Will Comic-Con be next?
So far, more than 20 larger groups have canceled meetings originally planned for the San Diego Convention Center in March, April, May and June — a tsunami of lost business that is estimated to cost San Diego some $203 million in lost spending at hotels, restaurants, bars and other businesses, not to mention a regionwide economic impact hit of $345 million.
As the bayfront center pivots to its new role as a shelter for the homeless amid the coronavirus pandemic, San Diego’s tourism industry is grappling with the enormous economic toll from canceled meetings that in normal times would have brought more than 170,000 people to San Diego between March and June, according to calculations produced by the San Diego Tourism Authority.
That translates into more than 220,000 hotel room nights lost and nearly $7 million in room tax revenue that will not be collected.
[/color][/color]San Diego’s single biggest convention — Comic-Con International, which fills hotel rooms to capacity every July — has yet to cancel, but it’s unlikely it will be able to hold its gathering of 135,000 given the kind of social distancing requirements that may well still be in place this summer, said Tourism Authority CEO Joe Terzi.

[color=var(--primaryTextColor)]“They are evaluating any financial liability they might have with a cancellation, and once they determine that, they’ll make a decision,” Terzi said. “Based on our knowledge of the event, it will be very difficult for them to have that event in July. With other events you could do things to keep people separate, but Comic-Con is a whole different animal, it’s a massive sea of people.”
In an email sent earlier this month to the more than 50 hotels that are part of the convention room block for Comic-Con, the Tourism Authority pointed out that organizers are having to consider canceling the show and needed assurances from the hotels, should the gathering be called off, that “any cancellation fees or penalties for this year’s event be waived as we work through this challenging process. Comic-Con continues to be a loyal partner and important economic generator for the City of San Diego and has been for over 50 years.”
So far, a majority of hotels have agreed to the request, and the Tourism Authority, which oversees the booking of larger citywide meetings at the convention center, is awaiting the responses from the rest of the properties, Terzi said.
Comic-Con said Thursday it is still weighing its options and hopes to make an announcement soon. It is also exploring the possibility of an “online component” should the convention not take place, said spokesman David Glanzer.
“We understand that many stakeholders rely upon our conventions as a major portion of their yearly income and livelihood, but we are truly in uncharted territory,” Glanzer said. “We do not want to disappoint the people who have saved, planned, and are looking forward to the show this summer, but the primary concern, what is chief among all our concerns, is the health and safety of not only our attendees, but the public as well.”
Also planned for July is Esri’s annual GIS conference, which has yet to formally cancel. It, too, is looking for reassurances from hotels that cancellation fees will be waived, Terzi said. It normally attracts 18,000 attendees. And the Society for Human Resources Management, booked for the very end of June and which draws 24,000, also has yet to call off its meeting. The group would still very much like to come, but is still weighing its options, Terzi said.
A spokesperson for Esri declined to comment.
On a bright note, groups are still calling to make bookings well into the future, Terzi said, but it’s hard to know how soon the meetings business will return.
In a recent survey conducted of meeting planners by the Professional Convention Management Association, nearly half of the respondents think future attendees will be more hesitant to travel once the pandemic has abated, and some said they don’t think attendance levels will rise to 2019 levels until there is a vaccine for COVID-19.
The Tourism Authority, which also oversees the marketing of San Diego as a leisure destination, has already had to furlough 51 of its 83 employees. And the Convention Center Corp., which manages the building itself, has laid off 160 of the 490 people on its payroll, plus 140 have been furloughed for a portion of their normal work hours.
In San Diego and around the country hotel occupancy rates have plummeted in the last month as travel has come to a near standstill. Where hotel occupancies normally average nearly 80 percent, the countywide rate during the first week in April was 24 percent. In Los Angeles, it was 21.5 percent and in San Francisco, 15 percent, according to STR, which tracks hotel performance.
“It’s really tough, and I’ll tell you that so many of our groups are trying to find ways to meet and are holding out as long as they can to not cancel because they know that it will be good for our colleagues and housekeepers and the community if they’re able to hold these meetings,” said Daniel Kuperschmid, general manager of the 1,628-room Manchester Grand Hyatt, which is currently closed for lack of business. “But they’re getting pressure from their attendees, like how could you have a meeting right now because it’s not safe. It’s a very real fear people out there have.”
Where normally his hotel will have bookings for more than 50 meetings and events a month, those all have evaporated for April and most of May, said Kuperschmid, who would like to reopen the hotel by the end of May. “For us in the hotel, there’s certainly the financial piece of it but what makes me emotional are our colleagues, the housekeepers and junior managers. For them, just getting through this period of time is very hard.”
The city of San Francisco is facing similarly hard times when it comes to its meetings business. So far, 18 groups accounting for more than 172,000 attendees and $228,600 in direct spending, have canceled events planned for Moscone Center. One of the largest is the International AIDS Society, which draws 65,000 normally, said Tom David, executive vice president and chief sales officer for the San Francisco Travel Association.
“Groups are nervous about when they’re going to come back but none of us knows,” he said. “Beyond this year they are optimistic about getting back to normal and seeing groups book. But this year it’s very much up in the air.”[/color]


Lori Weisberg



[*][color=var(--secondaryColor6)]Twitter[/color]
[*][color=var(--secondaryColor6)]Email[/color]
[*][color=var(--secondaryColor6)]Facebook[/color]

[*]

I was really hoping to do this again with Tara.  It was so special - a great father/daughter thing. Cancellation for SDCC is inevitable, and there's talk of the end of all supercons in the wake of Covid (really there are only two - San Diego and New York) Wondercon, which is now in LA and still under the SDCC banner cancelled already.  

Next year, if all goes well, she'll graduate, and she doesn't plan to stay in San Diego.  So we'll see.

[Drunk Monk]

Here's the Wondercon play...

We’re missing you this weekend at WonderCon Anaheim 2020! Over the years WonderCon Anaheim has built a reputation as one of the best comics and pop culture events in the country, and we’re very sad to have to postpone this year’s event.  But …
We’re pleased to introduce WonderCon@Home this weekend! We’ll be providing links on this page to videos, activity and coloring sheets, Zoom meeting backgrounds, a cosplay challenge, a one-of-a-kind print at home badge, plus a WonderCon Anaheim Merch store with exclusive 2020 items for purchase. And don’t forget our WonderCon Anaheim Online Exhibit Hall, featuring links to many of our exhibitors, Artists’ Alley and Small Press creators, and Fan Groups! For more WonderCon@Home fun, search [b]#WCA2020 [/b]on [b]Twitter[/b], [b]Instagram[/b], and [b]Facebook.[/b]
Capture the magic of WonderCon Anaheim from your couch!
[b]SCROLL DOWN FOR NEW CONTENT ADDED SATURDAY, APRIL 11![/b]
 

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[*]
[*][b]SATURDAY, APRIL 11[/b]

[*]Exclusive WonderCon Anaheim 2020 Merch Now Available!
We’re missing you this weekend, but here’s a chance to bring a little bit of WonderCon Anaheim 2020 home to you! We had some very special items ready for the big show, and now they are in our online Merch Store ready for purchase! In addition to traditional convention merch, we’ve created an exclusive, available in limited quantities, #WCA2020 T-shirt to celebrate the launch of WonderCon@Home. Capture the magic of WonderCon Anaheim from your couch!
Click here to access our exclusive WonderCon Merch store!

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[*]

[*]
[b]ALWAYS WEAR YOUR BADGE![/b]

[*][b]SATURDAY, APRIL 11[/b]
WonderCon@Home Badge
Although there won’t be a security guard checking your badge at the door, here’s a [b]WonderCon@Home[/b] printable badge to wear all weekend! Simply download the PDF, print, and cut to size. Make sure your printer settings are not set to “Fit” … print at “Actual Size.”
Once you’ve got your all-couch access pass, take a selfie with it and post it to Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter with the hashtag [b]#WCA2020[/b] to let us know you’re participating in WonderCon@Home!
Click here to download your WonderCon@Home badge!

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[*]

[*]
Photo from the WonderCon Anaheim 2019 Masquerade • [b]“Caterina Sforza” [/b]Re-creation from Trinity Blood anime and manga, worn and made by Nina London Cosplay

[*][b]SATURDAY, APRIL 11[/b]
WonderCon@Home Official Cosplay Challenge
Don’t put your cosplay away just yet! We may not be gathering around the fountains this weekend, but we miss our fans and want to see the great cosplay you had ready for WonderCon Anaheim 2020! This weekend we are having our first [b]WonderCon@Home Official Cosplay Challenge[/b] and eager fans only need to do the following to participate:

2. Post a picture of yourself in your WonderCon Anaheim cosplay on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter (all-ages appropriate, please!)
   
3. Tag WonderCon Anaheim in your post
   
4. Include the [b]#WCA2020[/b] hashtag in your post (this is a must!)
   

[*]Challenge ends at 12:00 PM PDT on Monday, April 13. Ten creative cosplayers will be selected at random to be featured on our WonderCon@Home website with their Instagram or Twitter handles! If selected, winners will be notified via Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.
We can’t to see what you’ve been working on!

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[*][b]FRIDAY, APRIL 10[/b]

Sense of Wonder: The Art of WonderCon Anaheim with Jen Bartel
In February 2020, the Comic-Con Museum premiered a new gallery exhibition called “Sense of Wonder: The Art of WonderCon Anaheim.” The exhibit showcased rare, behind-the-scenes art from the WonderCon Program Book covers from 2010 through 2020. The 2020 cover was designed and illustrated by artist [b]Jen Bartel, [/b]who was present at the opening night reception. Here’s a recording of a Facebook Live interview done with Jen talking about her work on the cover and her career in comics and beyond.
Click here to watch the video!

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[*]


[*][b]FRIDAY, APRIL 10[/b]
WonderCon Anaheim Online Exhibit Hall
One of the best parts of WonderCon Anaheim is its giant Exhibit Hall. Now you can visit some of the great creators, companies, and vendors that were going to exhibit at this year's event! We've set up our Online Exhibit Hall based on our Exhibitor, Artists' Alley, Small Press, and Fan Group pages, all of which feature links to many of our exhibitors.
[b]Click on the links below to visit these pages.[/b] Companies will be added as we get their information. Please check back if you don’t see your favorite exhibitor’s listing!

[*]

My guess is that they'll announce the SDCC postponement soon after this.

[Drunk Monk]

As expected... 

Comic-Con Announces Plans in Light of the Covid-19 Pandemic
The Current Situation Requires Exceptional Measures
For the first time in its 50-year history San Diego Comic Convention (SDCC), the organizers behind the annual pop culture celebration, announced today with deep regret that there will be no Comic-Con in 2020. The event will instead return to the San Diego Convention Center from July 22-25, 2021. 
Recognizing that countless attendees save and plan for its conventions each year, and how many exhibitors and stakeholders rely upon its events for a major portion of their livelihood, they had hoped to delay this decision in anticipation that COVID-19 concerns might lessen by summer. Continuous monitoring of health advisories and recent statements by the Governor of California have made it clear that it would not be safe to move forward with plans for this year.
Similarly, WonderCon Anaheim, which was to have been held April 10-12, 2020 will return to the Anaheim Convention Center from March 26-28, 2021.
In addition to their conventions, Comic-Con has been planning a major renovation of Balboa Park’s Federal Building to be completed for the grand opening of the Comic-Con Museum in the summer of 2021. However, the COVID-19 situation has had an effect on those efforts as well. As such, they will be rephasing the Museum’s initially planned major renovations, but will not scale back the experience to be offered to visitors upon the Museum’s grand opening. They anticipate releasing building plans illustrating the Museum’s transformation and sharing more information about those efforts in the coming months.
SDCC also announced that individuals who purchased badges for Comic-Con 2020 will have the option to request a refund or transfer their badges to Comic-Con 2021. All 2020 badge holders will receive an email within the next week with instructions on how to request a refund. Exhibitors for Comic-Con 2020 will also have the option to request a refund or transfer their payments to Comic-Con 2021 and will also receive an email within the next week with instructions on how to process their request.
In the next few days onPeak, Comic-Con’s official hotel affiliate, will be canceling all hotel reservations and refunding all deposits made through them. There is no need for anyone who booked through onPeak to take any action, including trying to cancel their reservations online or contacting the company via phone as the process will be handled automatically. Those who booked rooms through onPeak will be notified when refunds have been completed.
“Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures and while we are saddened to take this action, we know it is the right decision,” said David Glanzer, spokesperson for the organization. “We eagerly look forward to the time when we can all meet again and share in the community we all love and enjoy.”

I'm still bummed.

[Drunk Monk]

• San Diego Comic-Con@Home Will Begin July 22 and Free For All Attendees

BY STEVE 'FROSTY' WEINTRAUB      JUNE 10, 2020WEET


San Diego Comic-Con has announced their plans for this summer’s Comic-Con@Home taking place July 22-26, 2020 and the big news is that it’s free for everyone with no limits on how many can attend. If you’ve ever been to San Diego Comic-Con, you know it’s always a challenge to attend the more popular panels, with thousands camping outside overnight to ensure they’ll get a seat inside. However, that won’t be an issue this year since the entire con will be taking place online.
In addition, one of the things people love about Comic-Con are the exclusives and limited merchandise you can only buy at the convention. According to Comic-Con, they have plans for an online Exhibit Hall complete with everyone’s favorite exhibitors offering promotions, specials, and limited-edition products unique to the celebration. In addition, they will also have a Masquerade, gaming, and many other activities in which fans can participate from their own homes.
SDCC spokesperson David Glanzer said, “For the first time in our 50-year history, we are happy to welcome virtually anyone from around the globe. Though stay-at-home conditions makes this a very difficult time, we see this as an opportunity to spread some joy and strengthen our sense of community.”
While exact details are not yet known for the types of panels in the works and how fans will be able to participate online, the con says they will begin providing additional details in announcements leading up to the event.
Also, fans are encouraged to check Toucan, the official Comic-Con and WonderCon blog, SDCC’s website and social channels, and the official channels of their favorite pop culture creators in the weeks to come.
Online attendees are encouraged to use the official #ComicConAtHome hashtag to be included in the virtual activities.
Finally, I’m happy to finally be able to say Collider will be putting on two panels at this year’s Comic-Con@Home! We’re not sure what day and time they will be taking place but will share more information as we get it.

[Drunk Monk]

 The party was fun. Open bar. Nice swag bag. Desserts. Appetizers. A pot dispensary was a sponsor and gave us an amusing swag bag.  We hung out for an hour plus. It was good to see my old friend from the Badlands again.

My old friend from the Badlands is the one who got me a few freelance gigs with Den of Geek. So strange how this year turned so sideways.

So this one hurts most of all. Missing all my music festivals has been hard, but missing SDCC is breaking my heart. I had applied for a pro-pass but messed up in the convoluted application process. I should've applied for a press pass. Thankfully, my friend freelancer who got us the passes last year had my back. He scored two more pros for me and Tara. I sent him the check but he never got the chance to cash it. The pandemic hit and we were all on hold.

So I had it set up again - another great weekend nerding out with my daughter. It's still where we connect the most deeply. Next year, should there even be a comic-con again, Tara will probably be out of Diego. She's on track to graduate and plans to leave but who knows to where? SDCC was such a great weekend for us - the last really bonding fun thing we've done, especially since she moved out. I've been looking forward to this year's SDCC since I left last year's SDCC. 

Now I'm seeing all the memories pop up on facebook. It's making me so sad over everything this pandemic has cost. And there's no end in sight. This week will be rough.

[Drunk Monk]

I signed in to the site and set up a schedule like I did last year. It was a pointless gesture then because there's no way to factor in the lines and time to get from place to place - so much to see and do. It was pointless just now because while I can opt to watch it live, it's all going up on YouTube so it's asynchronous. I'll likely watch the Star Trek, Charlize, the new Pegg & Frost show, and a few info ones. Signed up for the Kung Fu one again too, even though I could barely stomach it last year, and only went for the beginning to see my friends. 

https://www.comic-con.org/cci

Some of the vids made me sad again today, but I'm just going to wallow in it in hopes that it's somehow purgative.

[Drunk Monk]

Made it into Hall H!

Warning - major Disco spoilers

[Greg]

Yay? Was there a limit on the number of internet connections you could have for the Hall?