It’s that time of year again when everyone heads out to San Diego Comic-Con, and there are a ridiculous number of things to do while you’re there. Whether you want to hunt down the one comic you need to finish your collection, pick up a major exclusive collectible, meet the stars of your favorite films and TV shows, or get all the big news about what’s coming down the road for your favorite franchise. It all begins later this week, and we are breaking down everything you need to get ready.
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If you’ve never been to San Diego Comic-Con, there are a few basics that should come in handy to know. The first is the dates of the event, as Comic-Con will begin with a preview night on July 22nd and then will officially open on July 23rd. The final day of the show will be on July 26th. You’ll need to present your badge to get into the event, and there are a few things you will have to have handy if you want to make it the best experience possible.
The first is bringing a backpack of some sort with some key items, with one of the most important being a portable charger. One of the quickest ways to rain on a great day at Comic-Con is to run out of battery and not be able to make calls, take photos, or look up information, so you’ll want a fully charged battery pack to make sure that doesn’t happen. You also might be in long lines waiting for panels and autographs, so you’ll want to have a portable fan (the ones with a bit of water in them are also great), and a collapsible chair or stool wouldn’t hurt either, especially for those long waits.
Last but not least, if you plan on taking photos and getting autographs, you’ll want to bring a permanent marker or a paint pen with you just in case. Most people signing at an event or a table will have their own to sign with, but it’s always good to have a backup.
Pop-Ups and Activations
You don’t actually have to get a badge to experience some of the fun Comic-Con has to offer, as there will be all kinds of fun events and activations around the convention center. That includes the hotspot for many of these at Petco Park, which will have a bevy of interactive experiences that include the pop-up MaruMart, KAYOU’s Walls of Fandom, a new Quest for the Grail event with Funko, the Labu-Tique Farmers Market, and the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck.
Another major area to find is the Lanterns Training Center on J Street, which will have fans going through a series of interactive tests in order to see if you have what is needed to become a Green Lantern. If you pass, you’ll walk away with a custom Green Lantern ring to boot. On the Marvel side of things, there is also a BERO Spider-Man: Brand New Day x Pendry Pop-Up activation happening at the Pendry Nason’s Beer Hall. The event is first come, first served, but lucky fans will then be able to try Tom Holland’s new non-alcoholic beer BERO, and there will also be photo-ops and samples for guests who are 21 or older.
There will also be a Hulu Animayhem area by the MLK Promenade that will feature all things Hulu, including King of the Hill and Futurama-themed food and drinks, interactive environments, and merchandise. You can then find the Peanuts X Super7 Adopt-A-Puppy Pop-Up at the Wine & Culinary Center on W Harbor Drive. Here, fans can adopt a Snoopy or one of his brothers and sisters, and you can take him home as a plush with its own pet-carrier packaging. They will even come with their own adoption certificate and bandanas, making this perfect to bring the whole family to.
In that same vein, Nickelodeon is going to be setting up shop at the Children’s Museum downtown, and part of the festivities will be themed around SpongeBob Day. The activation features live performances, games, and even a slime station, and there will also be an outdoor screening of The SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants on the lawn.
Comics and Creators You Have to Check Out
You can’t have San Diego Comic-Con without the comics part of the equation and the annual event is going to be absolutely stacked. On the DC Comics side, expect to find popular creators like Jim Lee, Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, Mark Waid, G. Willow Wilson, Matt Fraction, Joshua Williamson, Tom Taylor, and many, many more at the DC Booth for signings. There are also some great panels to check out, such as the Gotham City Panel, the Absolute Panel, and more happening throughout the event. IDW will also have a serious presence during SDCC, with exclusives at the IDW booth and loads of panels as well — we’re particularly excited about Godzilla Smashes San Diego and the Comic Industry on Thursday and TMNT: Shellabrating 300 issues of Turtle Power & Last Ronin on Friday. Of course, Marvel will have a major presence as well beyond the exciting Hall H presentation on Saturday. For fans looking forward to the upcoming Midnight Universe, be sure to check out Marvel Comics: Midnight Universe on Saturday as well.
And while there’s a lot going on at SDCC for comics fans, you don’t have to miss out on reading your favorites—or discovering new ones. Take your favorites with you with GlobalComix. GlobalComix is the ultimate digital comics app that lets you read over 300,000 comics anytime, anywhere from your phone or laptop. You can find just about anything on GlobalComix, from hidden indie gems as well as big-name hits all in one app: Marvel, DC, IDW, Dark Horse, and more. At only $6.99 per month or $69 per year, it’s a perfect companion to your San Diego Comic-Con adventure and beyond.
The Panels You Shouldn’t Miss
Part of the fun of Comic-Con is watching some of your favorite stars get together for a panel or special event, and there are all sorts of those happening at Comic-Con. There will also be panels with big reveals and announcements, and those are not to be missed as well if you can help it. We’ve collected some of the biggest panels for each day below, but make sure to head to the full panel rundown to find the events that are most important to you as well.
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender: This event will be held in Hall H and features the voice cast and the creative team behind Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, and will include discussion about the new film and what is in store for the franchise moving forward. It takes place in Hall H at 1 PM.
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe: This panel is actually going to start off with an exclusive screening of the first episode, and then there will be a panel afterwards featuring Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn, Bill Prady, Kevin Sussman, Lauren Lapkus, John Ross Bowie, and Brian Posehn. It will take place in Hall H at 2:15 PM.
Adventure Time: Side Quests: Finn and Jake are back with brand new adventures, and the show’s delightful panel will include the creative team and the voice cast. This will take place in the Indigo Ballroom at 11 AM.
Lanterns: One of DC’s most anticipated shows debuts next month, and fans who attend the Lanterns panel will get an exclusive first look at the new series as well as insight from Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King. This will take place in Hall H at 1:30 PM.
Spaceballs: The Comic-Con Panel: One of the most anticipated films of next year is also likely to be one of the funniest in Spaceballs: The New One, and fans can get a behind-the-scenes look at the film and hear from the cast and filmmakers bringing it to life. This event takes place in Hall H at 4 PM.
Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall: One of the more anticipated animated projects is the adaptation of a classic story from DC’s history in Batman: Knightfall, and fans can check out a panel with inside looks at the new animated event. That panel will feature Rick Morales, Jim Krieg, and Michael Mando, and you can find this event in Room 6A at 10 AM.
Futurama: Futurama is set to return with new episodes every week on Hulu, and you can get an exclusive first look at some of those new episodes in the Futurama panel. Matt Groening will be joined by David X. Cohen, Claudia Katz, Ken Keeler, and members of the cast including Billy West, John DiMaggio, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, Maurice LaMarche, and David Herman. The event takes place in Ballroom 20 at 11 AM.
Star Trek Universe: Many have been wondering what lies ahead for Star Trek, and fans can hopefully get some answers at the Star Trek Universe panel. This panel will celebrate the franchise to this point and reveal an exclusive first look at the franchise’s future, and will feature Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Paul Wesley, Melissa NaKurtzman, and Henry Alonso Myers. This event takes place in Hall H at 12:30 PM
Apple TV: Another major presentation will be from Apple TV, who will spotlight some of their current projects and several of their upcoming ones. Those include Matchbox the Movie, Widow’s Bay, Dark Matter, Mayday, and Silo, and a host of members of the creative team and the casts will be part of the presentation. This event takes place in Hall H at 2 PM.
Marvel Studios: Marvel is returning to Comic-Con in a major way this year, and Marvel Studios will hopefully have some big reveals for its upcoming MCU plans. Avengers: Doomsday is happening in December, and many are hoping that Marvel will reveal plans for Secret Wars or some key castings for its new MCU X-Men, but we’ll just have to wait and see. This event takes place in Hall H at 5:30 PM.
Star Trek: 60th Anniversary Celebration: While the Star Trek TV and film universe will get some love earlier in the weekend, there is also a big 60th anniversary event panel being held by IDW to celebrate the Star Trek comics. Heather Antos will be in attendance to guide fans through the future plans of the Star Trek comics universe, including a new series that picks up where Picard left off. This event takes place in Room 6A at 1:30 PM.
Buffy: Once More, With Feeling: The Musical Experience: One of the most beloved episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the musical episode Once More, With Feeling, and a special interactive screening of the episode is set to close out Comic-Con this year. This event will take place in Room 6BCF at 3:30 PM.
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