As is the case every July, thousands of fans, media, industry professionals, celebrities, vendors, and more travel to beautiful San Diego California for the annual San Diego Comic Con International.
The event draws together the largest assembly of fans, celebrities, and panels anywhere as it is an amazing whirlwind of all things movies, games, comics, television, pop culture and more.
The massive main hall was packed with vendors, gaming companies, and studios displays which had to be seen to be believed. Capcom brought the house they premiered at E3 to showcase their upcoming Resident Evil game and DC had costumes from their upcoming Wonder Woman and Suicide Squad films.
Star Wars really drew fans in with a temple themed display that showcased plenty of collectibles as well as costumes from the upcoming “Rogue One” movie.
The more I travelled the displays, the more impressive they became with a great Walking Dead display complete with actual Zombies and a White House mock up for the new Kiefer Sutherland series Designated Survivor.
Words cannot properly do justice to the size and scope of the hall as there is so much to look at and the number of purchase options are staggering simply from show exclusives alone.
The panels are always a big draw for fans, some of who lineup overnight to get a seat. The reason for this is that studios bring their full star power to the show to promote their upcoming films and shows and for many fans, this is their only chance to not only see their favorite stars but to get a look a chance to ask them questions. San Diego Comic Con is also the place where many new trailers and information is released so there is always the excitement about what is to come next. During our coverage we were able to cover new and upcoming seasons from FOX, Warner Bros, SyFy, FX, Comedy Central, and more and also got the first look at the new Wonder Woman, Justice League, Kong: Skull Island, and Star Trek films and shows.
There are also numerous parties and events including free events for those unable to obtain tickets for the show as it is a massive event which not only fills the convention center but also several nearby hotels, parks, stadium parking lots and the Gaslamp District.
I always tell people that the key is to be patient and flexible as it would be impossible to see it all even if you had multiple copies of yourself. Instead make a plan but be flexible to include backups should you not be able to get to or get into what you had originally hoped to attend.
I have had many great moments between interviews and meetings when I went by a panel room that had an opening and I was able to come in and enjoy the panels without having to wait in line. I have also been able to find new shows and films that I became a fan of by seeing the panel which encouraged me to watch the show or movie.
Gaming continues to grow at the convention and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Injustice 2, and other games had panels this year and there were gaming stations by Nintendo and Microsoft off site.
The convention continues to grow and keeps getting better and better, as the chaos is pure bliss to fans and the ultimate gathering of fans, talent, and information anywhere on the planet. We cannot wait for 2017 as we had another awesome and productive year.
