What You Need to Know about San Diego Comic-Con
Attracting some 130,000 people every year, San Diego Comic-Con is the biggest comics convention in North America. However, even from the beginning, the event didn’t focus only on comic books. San Diego Comic-Con is a celebration of nearly all forms of pop culture: comics, movies, TV shows, anime, and video games, as well as the horror, science-fiction, and fantasy genres in their many forms.
The first San Diego Comic-Con was a one-day event in March 1970; the first full-fledged, three-day convention took place later the same year. Three honored guests were present: award-winning science-fiction author Ray Bradbury; the famous comic book artist and writer Jack Kirby, co-creator of Captain America; and A. E. van Vogt, one of the most influential sci-fi authors of the mid-20th century.
Today, the event continues to welcome similar prominent creators and influencers in the entertainment industry, although the scope of the convention has grown exponentially. This year, San Diego Comic-Con is scheduled for July 18 to 21, with the exclusive Preview Night on July 17. The main venue is the San Diego Convention Center, located downtown, but satellite events will take place throughout the city. Even if you’re not attending, you likely won’t be able to avoid the convention that weekend.
If you’re interested in attending or just want to learn more about this pop culture extravaganza, here’s what you need to know.
Program and Format
San Diego Comic-Con doesn’t release an official schedule of events until two weeks beforehand. However, we know that the convention includes a massive Exhibit Hall with 460,000 square feet of space where major Hollywood studios, creators, and even mom-and-pop comic book shops set up booths. Here, attendees can purchase coveted “exclusives” — special merchandise only available at the convention, such as issues of comic books with special covers not seen in stores, action figures in colors and outfits that differ from the standard retail versions, and collectible figurines.
Comic-Con also features anime and film screenings, games, the Masquerade costume competition, an art show, and an autograph area. The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards — the “Oscars of the comics industry” — are granted during a ceremony at Comic-Con as well.
Overall, attendees can expect upwards of 700 individual events, including discussion panels, hands-on workshops, and even educational and academic programming such as the Comic Arts Conference. Comic-Con is officially an “all-ages” event, though not all events may be appropriate for young children. However, Sunday is Family Day, and many exhibitors host events focused on children’s entertainment.
Comic-Con’s panels probably attract the most media attention and interest from attendees, due to appearances by famous actors in highly anticipated or widely popular movies and TV shows. Comic-Can panels are also known for major announcements and other surprises from studios and prominent creators. For example, in 2009, director James Cameron surprised audiences and delighted fans at a panel by showing not a trailer nor a short clip but 25 minutes of his upcoming film Avatar, which later became one of the top-grossing films of all time. During the 2013 Marvel Studios panel, the crowd went wild when actor Tom Hiddleston showed up in costume as his character Loki, a fan favorite from the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. Fans later described the surprise appearance as a “once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
How to Attend
San Diego Comic-Con’s international popularity means you can’t simply saunter up to the convention center and buy a ticket. The process is much more involved than that. First, you must create a Member ID in order to purchase a badge, which is required for entry to any Comic-Con event. The badge, a physical nametag equipped with RFID technology, must be worn at all times during the event. Badges can be purchased during two sale periods: Returning Registration and Open Registration. The former is for badge-holders at the previous year’s Comic-Con, while the latter is for everyone else.
Member ID holders in both groups will receive announcements regarding purchase dates, which are held months in advance of the convention and change every year. Demand is extremely high and badges sell out fast — for example, the Open Registration for 2019 badges took place on Saturday, November 10, 2018, at 9 a.m. Just after 10 a.m., San Diego Comic-Con posted on Twitter that all badges had sold out. Unfortunately, having a Member ID does not guarantee you a badge. You must pay attention to announcements about sales, act fast, and have luck on your side.
What to Expect This Year
Though the official schedule for San Diego Comic-Con won’t be released until July, entertainment journalists and fans are speculating who will appear at this year’s convention.
Marvel Studios has been a huge draw in past years, but it sat out Comic-Con 2018. During the press junket for Avengers: Endgame earlier this year, studio president Kevin Feige refused to confirm the studio’s appearance at Comic-Con 2019, saying that even to reveal these plans would constitute a “spoiler.” However, with the release of Marvel’s Spiderman: Far From Home set for early July, it seems reasonable to expect that the studio will use Comic-Con to make an announcement regarding the next films in its Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In addition to Marvel, there are a number of film and television productions that may appear. Warner Bros. Studios may bring their highly anticipated Joker to the convention. This live-action film premieres in October and represents the latest take on the always-popular villain from DC Comics. The actors and creators involved in Walt Disney Studios’ Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker could also make a Comic-Con appearance, though this is less certain because Disney will host its own convention, D23 Expo, in August. Other buzzworthy movies Comic-Con attendees may get a preview of include It: Chapter Two and Terminator: Dark Fate.
