SDCC 2022 scene report: What worked and what didn’t

For comedian ebook — and, in recent times, movie and TV — followers all over the world, San Diego Comedian-Con marks the final word popular culture pilgrimage, one thing akin to a celebration smashed right into a commerce present that additionally occurs to be the trade’s largest present store. As studios announce their immense Hollywood slates, comedian creators fill artists’ alley and passionate readers, thinkers, and artists program panels, filling every ballroom within the San Diego Conference Heart. 2022 marks the return of the total conference, after a small “Particular Version” final November, for the primary time since 2019. Whereas the town of San Diego is “working usually,” COVID-19 and the monkeypox outbreak — which was designated a world well being emergency in the course of the weekend the conference happened — are nonetheless an actual risk. So what does San Diego Comedian-Con appear to be in 2022? And was it definitely worth the wait? It relies on who you ask and what introduced them to popular culture’s most well-known gathering.

When you’ve ever been to SDCC within the final 10 years you then’ll know that simply strolling across the metropolis is usually a feat. That was noticeably simpler this 12 months with the normally mobbed areas of the Gaslamp Quarter like Fifth Avenue and J Road, and even the skin of the conference heart itself, fairly simple to traverse. Pre-COVID, SDCC yearly introduced in over 130,000 individuals and was anticipated to do the identical this time round, but it surely did really feel significantly much less busy than earlier years. It made it a decidedly extra nice and fewer aggravating model of popular culture’s busiest weekend.

Picture: Daniel Knighton/Getty Photos

That doesn’t imply SDCC didn’t really feel overwhelming within the face of COVID-19 and three years of social distancing. Cosplayer Brenden Keller — who’d crafted a really spectacular Qrow costume together with an enormous scythe that solely weighed 4 kilos — appreciated the conference’s “COVID consciousness” however would have most well-liked it to be extra like final 12 months’s Particular Version, which was attended by round 40,000 individuals and happened nearly utterly within the conference heart.

“I truly most well-liked that! I imply, we received fortunate this time as a result of it’s not too crowded,” he mentioned, noting the obvious dip in SDCC attendance. Keller defined that it was positively higher than LA’s Anime Expo, which he’d attended in early July. “That was somewhat too crowded. It’s not good, you get drained, and it’s not as enjoyable.” He additionally had some nice suggestions for individuals serious about attending a conference: “It’s actually a matter of determining and actually correctly organizing your time,” he shared. “Convey sufficient meals and water! Water is de facto necessary!”

Staying hydrated was key this 12 months as excessive humidity and 80 F (or larger) temperatures spanned the total five-day present. Traditionally, Wednesday’s Preview Evening has all the time been sluggish, however by SDCC requirements the town felt nearly like a ghost city. By Thursday, the streets have been busier however nonetheless simply walkable. Friday morning continued that development, though by the afternoon it felt packed immediately exterior the conference. Saturday is historically the busiest day of the present, however even then it was attainable to stroll the ground with out bumping into individuals or getting caught in human site visitors, one thing that may’t be mentioned of years previous. A number of individuals mentioned they felt prefer it was noticeably quieter, with some feeling that attendance was at the least 20% decrease than regular.

Whereas official attendance numbers haven’t been launched, David Glanzer, chief communication and technique officer for SDCC, spoke to Forbes within the days main as much as the conference, saying, “Folks purchased their tickets in 2019, and there have been some refunds and exchanges, however I anticipate it to be crowded. We’re fairly near a full home.”

Mysterious Galaxy bookseller and comedian artist Rebecca Ann had some fascinating ideas on why the exhibit corridor felt simpler to traverse. “A whole lot of the larger distributors within the exhibit corridor weren’t there this 12 months, so it allowed for these wider aisles and for it to by chance have safer protocols.” Rebecca additionally discovered it to be much more COVID safety-focused than Comedian-Con Worldwide’s personal WonderCon earlier within the 12 months. At that present “there have been exhibitors that weren’t masking even after being informed to, and folks simply casually strolling round on the ground with out masks.” As an immunocompromised particular person, the improved COVID protocols have been key to Rebecca’s potential to get pleasure from SDCC, as they have been engaged on the present flooring each day. For them, the adjustments that the conference made together with the additional house meant “it was the very best con that [they’ve] had shortly.”

Picture: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Photos for Disney

Face coverings in addition to proof of vaccination or a current adverse check have been a situation of attending this 12 months’s present, with Comedian-Con Worldwide verifying everybody’s standing at authorized areas. As soon as authorized, attendees got orange wristbands they needed to put on so as to have the ability to enter the conference heart. Whereas there have been six websites to get your wristband — some with little to no wait — lots of people ended up ready on the “heart” proper exterior of the conference, which at instances had a line that was a whole bunch of individuals lengthy and an hour-plus wait within the scorching noon warmth.

Within the thoughts of indie comedian creator Johnny Parker II, SDCC’s COVID protocols have been a step up from another current conventions. “I believe they did an excellent job. After going to Emerald Metropolis Comedian Con the place they sort of had a number of the identical insurance policies, I favored how SDCC did it. They’ve a number of [vaccination verification] stations. Once I did different cons, the COVID stations have been actually far-off from the conference heart for exhibitors. However right here they have been actually sensible about it. For exhibitors, your COVID station and your badge station have been in the identical space. So that you get your issues and get to work for the day. After which having a number of stations round and introducing the Clear app was only a smarter approach to method it.”

Exhibiting within the Small Press part of the conference, which he’s carried out for quite a lot of years now, Parker additionally seen the decrease attendance of the present. “This was the primary 12 months in a very long time the place I may simply sit and actually see by means of the group,” he shared. “Whenever you walked into Comedian-Con within the morning, it was onerous to make it to our desk. However this time it was simpler. So you could possibly inform that clearly it was down, however on the identical time the vibes have been nonetheless good. As a creator, the gross sales have been nonetheless good and folks have been nonetheless exhibiting as much as purchase. A whole lot of us agreed that it wasn’t our greatest 12 months, but it surely positively wasn’t the worst. It was a pleasant return to kind.”

Picture: Daniel Knighton/Getty Photos

Theresa from Calimesa, California, has been attending SDCC for years, however this 12 months’s present didn’t reside as much as her expectations. Ready in her wheelchair in line for a Kevin Smith panel in Corridor H, she defined that issues simply don’t really feel the identical. “Again within the day you used to go to your panel, purchase your Funko, and simply take part.” However the introduction of lotteries, pre-booked e-tickets for collectibles, and wristbanded occasions have taken away that spontaneity. “It’s simply actually unhappy that not everyone will get to expertise these issues. I used to be actually bummed to search out that out.” One other massive change she wasn’t pleased with was in regard to Corridor H. “They’re not letting individuals keep inside, so that you see your panel, you allow, and if you wish to see one other one you get in one other line.” To Theresa it seems like one other factor that makes it more durable to take part within the con.

From the skin, the Corridor H strains appeared much more cheap this 12 months, with the brand new guidelines showing to affect the quantity of individuals prepared to attend and a number of high-profile panels nonetheless letting individuals in inside minutes of their beginning time. It was an enormous change from years previous and hopefully allowed extra individuals to expertise one of the vital well-known components of SDCC.

Picture: Daniel Knighton/Getty Photos

In distinction to Theresa’s expertise, Corridor H was a typically nice a part of the conference for RJ Perry, a author/artist and first-time SDCC attendee. “Corridor H was enjoyable, and never simply the large media launches: Marvel, Disney, Paramount. I waited in line however didn’t get a Corridor H wristband.” That meant Perry needed to queue up for every panel he wished to attend, which generally meant a line farther than the attention may see: “I used to be informed the ‘Corridor H line begins right here’ and ‘could possibly be seen within the distance.’ I didn’t see it, lol!” Ultimately RJ, like a number of SDCC guests, discovered pleasure within the much less high-profile moments of the conference. “The attendees, followers, and execs have been all fabulous. Particularly the small unbiased publishers.” And, in fact, he received to expertise that very particular factor that solely comedian conventions supply: “Assembly execs I grew up idolizing was the very best.”

That very particular Comedian-Con expertise additionally made an affect on journalist Jules Chin Greene. “It was very surreal,” the author shared. “Once I was strolling to get COVID verified, I noticed Rob Liefeld strolling in the other way. It’s like, ‘Oh my god! That is what Comedian-Con is, I suppose.’” In that approach, SDCC completely delivered on the hype. “Assembly so many creators that I admired and simply attending to see Scott Snyder and Jim Lee and Bruce Campbell, it positively lived as much as my expectations.” It was Greene’s first time attending, as a fan or journalist, they usually discovered {that a} press go gave them route that helped with how overwhelming it might all be. “I’m glad that I went as a journalist as a result of it centered my expertise of the conference. I received to have the Comedian-Con expertise, however for essentially the most half I felt higher — with COVID going round — being there for a particular goal and having a separate house I could possibly be in that was closed from most people.”

SDCC couldn’t exist with out the legions of volunteers, safety guards, and lodge staff that make it attainable. In actual fact, staff on the Bayfront Hilton — the place many high-profile studio press occasions happen — went on strike on Wednesday night time, with their calls for shortly being met by Thursday. For Danny, a safety guard from Ontario, California, who was stationed exterior the waterfront lodge, the present had been enjoyable however not with out its challenges. “It’s fairly cool. There’s lots of people… I attempt to get them to make use of the crosswalk however they don’t hear, they simply cross anyway.” A spotlight of the conference was working by the elevators and attending to see Danny DeVito (who was on website to advertise Little Demon). But when he returns, Danny hopes that it’s as an attendee. “I’d like to come back right here simply to be right here. That might be lots higher.”