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The Streamline: Day 2 of Comic-Con takes over downtown; hot & humid weekend ahead
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Dorian Reyes Black of Los Angeles, dressed as Peacemaker, from left, Connor Bright of Los Angeles, dressed as Archie from “Riverdale” and Emily Rose of Los Angeles, dressed as Pomni from “The Amazing Digital Circus” attend Comic-Con International on Thursday, July 23, 2026, in San Diego.
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Here is what you need to know in the July 24, 2026, Streamline newsletter:
- After a busy and eventful first day, downtown San Diego is gearing up for even more excitement and surprises on Day 2 of Comic-Con 2026.
- San Diego County is heading into a hot and humid weekend, but meteorologist Megan Parry’s microclimate forecast shows some relief from the heat could arrive soon.
- Everyone loves finding a bargain at outlet stores, but we’ll show you how to tell whether those deep discounts on popular brands are truly a great deal or too good to be true.
THE STREAMLINE
The Streamline: Friday, July 24
TOP STORY
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Johnny Depp scolded Comic-Con International attendees in character as Ebenezer Scrooge as the nation’s biggest pop culture convention opened Thursday.
“Do you have jobs? It seems as though you have so much spare time. Why are you here?” said the actor, clad in an overcoat and top hat as he emerged from a faux snow-lined downtown San Diego storefront marked with a “Scrooge and Marley” sign. A crowd gathered, recording on cellphones and calling out “Merry Christmas!”
“I can only say you’re all very, very strange people. Humbug!” Depp called out gruffly, shuffling back inside the building.
“Ebenezer,” set for release Nov. 13, is the embattled star’s first studio film in eight years. His appearance on the streets of the Gaslamp Quarter — outside any official panels — fits the more guerrilla-style approach to marketing and promotion that some Hollywood studios have taken at the expo in recent years.
What to expect on Day 2 of Comic-Con 2026
More than 120,000 people are expected at the four-day convention, which began in 1970 with a gathering of several hundred sci-fi and comics fans and an in-person appearance from Marvel icon Jack Kirby.
Fan ‘Mecca’ through 2030
Organizers have said in recent years that the San Diego’s event and hotel space may not be enough to hold growing crowds, and have floated moving to Los Angeles or another large city. But the city’s mayor Todd Gloria said Wednesday as the expo opened that it would remain in San Diego through 2030. He said the announcement “reflects our shared commitment to the fans, creators, businesses and workers who make Comic-Con unlike anything else in the world.”
PJ Richardson, 44, drove cross-country from Orlando, Florida, with his family for his first Comic-Con International. He’d visited a smaller convention in his hometown — but it hadn’t prepared him for the magnitude of toys and collectibles on display at the bayfront expo.
“It’s the Mecca. It’s once-in-a-lifetime, so we had to come. This was a thousand times more,” he said. “The setups of all the booths and everything are absolutely amazing.”
Pop culture melting pot
The K-pop group ENHYPEN joined Catherine Hardwicke, director of the first “Twilight” film, and franchise actors Peter Facinelli and Ashley Greene at a Thursday panel about vampire storytelling. It marked one of many moments of cross-pop culture exchanges.
Members of distinct fandoms unite through cosplay, showing off handmade costumes and exchanging photos. Brionna Slavalk, 27, traveled from Indiana to attend the convention dressed as the elf paladin Vaelus from “Critical Role,” a Dungeons & Dragons-themed web series. Her skin was painted purple.
“Obviously I am partial to the body paint. I think it looks really neat when people do that. I saw somebody who was red, who I think is from ‘Hazbin Hotel,’ who was amazing. We just saw three Doctor Dooms over there!” she said. “It’s a blast.”
What to expect at Comic-Con 2026
Comic-Con has grown to include cosplay contests, autograph booths, obstacle courses, concerts and panels covering everything from video games — new titles feature Wolverine and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — to movie poster art and fencing. (Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden and “Ghosts” actor Asher Grodman were discussing “Hollywood’s Love Affair With Fencing” on Thursday.)
The Avengers appear set to return to Hall H as Marvel Studios uses Comic-Con to build hype for the December release of “Avengers: Doomsday” — and chart a path forward as audience interest in superhero films has waned.
That panel on Saturday is the most-anticipated hour of the nation’s biggest pop culture convention, which runs through Sunday.
DC Studios, which like Marvel sat out last year’s Comic-Con because the publicity campaign timing wasn’t right, will showcase its HBO “Lanterns” series with a “training headquarters” activation in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter and a Friday panel featuring stars Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler.
That presentation, like Marvel’s, will be in the convention center’s 6,500-person premier showcase: Hall H. Livestreams aren’t allowed inside but online reaction from fans in attendance can swiftly lift — or doom — a film or TV show’s prospects.
Another prestige TV highlight: Actors from “Widow’s Bay” are expected to pay a visit to the bayside convention center on Saturday as Apple TV celebrates the comedy-horror series’ 19 Emmy nominations.
Comedy fans won’t need to comb the desert to find updates on “Spaceballs: The New One,” the focus of a Friday panel. The film set for release next year features Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman and 100-year-old Mel Brooks reprising their roles from Brooks’ 1987 parody.
Story by Javier Arciga, The Associated Press
- Comic-Con brings thousands to San Diego, expected to generate $160 million for the region
- Comic-Con panel features Holocaust documentary about the search to find priceless stamps stolen by Nazis
- “No drone zone” in effect during Comic-Con 2026
- No Comic-Con badge? Here’s how to celebrate in San Diego without spending a fortune
- SD bars and restaurants celebrate Comic-Con 2026 with food, drink specials
- Marvel fans’ guide to Comic-Con: Booths, panels, cosplay and more
- Excitement grows in downtown as San Diego Comic-Con sets up
- Now or Never Comics stocks up for one of the city’s biggest events
MICROCLIMATE FORECAST
Coasts
Inland
Mountains
Deserts
BREAKING OVERNIGHT
IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Drones carrying explosives targeted a city in northern Iraq where U.S. forces are stationed and sirens rang out in Bahrain on Friday.
That came hours after the American military said it finished its 13th night of strikes against Iran.
The conflict has flared again over the past week, as the U.S. has pounded Iran while Tehran has attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted U.S. assets and allies in the region.
The strait is a crucial passage for the world’s energy supplies and is at the center of the latest fighting since Iranian attacks can effectively shut the waterway.
That has sent fuel prices soaring worldwide and causing widespread economic turmoil.
The Iranian-allied Houthi rebels added further pressure this week by targeting two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea.
CONSUMER
Outlet stores promise big savings on popular brands, but shoppers may not always be getting the same products sold in traditional retail stores.
A new report finds that many outlet items are made specifically for outlet locations, raising questions about the true value of some “discounts.”
Too good to be true? Inside outlet store pricing
WE FOLLOW THROUGH
A long-planned public art project on Grand Avenue in Escondido is facing another delay after city leaders decided not to move forward with the only artist finalist under consideration.
The project, meant to celebrate the city’s culture and history, will now reopen the artist selection process, pushing the timeline back even further.
Escondido’s Grand Avenue public art project faces delays in selecting an artist
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