SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — More than 50 years ago, Comic-Con arrived in San Diego as a way to bring comic book and superhero aficionados together to bond over their shared interests.
The first event was held in the basement of the U.S. Grant Hotel and was attended by 300 people — since then, it has exploded into one of San Diego’s largest annual events, drawing tens of thousands of people every year.
Over the years, Comic-Con has brought together celebrities, well-known directors, comic book creators, authors, producers and fans under one roof at the San Diego Convention Center.
This year’s Comic-Con will start with a preview night on Wednesday, followed by four days filled with pop-ups, activations, panels and meet-and-greets. The last day of the convention is on Sunday, July 26.
Pop-ups and activations outside
Aside from the dozens of panels and booths inside the convention, there are also plenty of things to explore outside of the convention center for those who weren’t lucky enough to secure a coveted Comic-Con badge.
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From an interactive zone at Petco Park to “King of the Hill” themed food and drinks at Hulu’s activation, those walking around the Gaslamp Quarter during Comic-Con will have plenty of ways to join in on the fun without having to spend anything.
Schedule
Nearly every hour of the day is filled with something to do or see for Comic-Con goers.
The festivities kick off Wednesday with an interactive workshop at the Shiley Special Events Suite at the San Diego Central Library. From 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., the workshop will teach educators how to bring comic books into the classroom. Through hands-on activities participants will learn how to make reading and learning fun using comics.
Starting at 5 p.m., several other activations and showings will take place at the Marriott Marquis on preview night.
As the week goes on, the convention center will transform to include panels with prosthetics and makeup artists, exclusive looks at new seasons of television shows, autograph signings with actors, drawing classes and behind-the-scenes looks at popular comic books.
There’s really something for everyone — which can make it difficult to plan out your schedule. To see the full convention schedule, head to the Comic-Con website where you can filter by day and program type to plan out your week.
Special guests
Part of the fun of Comic-Con is the access and insight, and you get to meet some of the people who are behind some of the most popular media out there. Aside from the panelists, there will also be more than 40 surprise guests, according to the Comic-Con website.
William Stout, who has worked on more than 70 movies, including “Wizards,” the Oscar-winning “Pan’s Labryinth,” and “Masters of the Universe,” will be at booth 4803.
Author, screenwriter, director and producer Frank Miller will also be there.
He is best-known for his work on “Daredevil: Born Again,” “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns,” “Elektra Assassin,” “Sin City” and “300.”
You can see the full list of surprise guests here.
Panels
Some of the most-anticipated panels of the convention will happen over the weekend.
On Saturday, attendees can head to Hall H where cast members and crew from Apple TV will be giving sneak peeks at their series and films, including “Matchbox the Movie,” “Dark Matter,” “Mayday” and “Silo.”
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Also on Saturday, shows “American Dad,” “Family Guy,” “Bob’s Burgers” and “Futurama” will have a panel in Ballroom 20 about the future of the iconic adult animations. Ryan Condal, showrunner and co-creator of HBO’s “House of the Dragon,” will host an advanced screening of the show’s new season in Room 6DE.
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Some notable panels worth checking out on Sunday include an autograph session with the stars of “MadTV,” the voice actor behind characters like Bugs Bunny, Philip J. Fry and Popeye and a look at Marvel’s book-publishing future.
How to get to Comic-Con and where to park
As with any major event, one should expect heavy traffic, limited parking and crowded streets in Downtown during the days that Comic-Con is here.
If you plan on driving, just know that Harbor Drive between First Avenue and Park Boulevard will be completely closed to traffic.
As far as parking goes, ACE Parking opened up a lottery-based system for parking permits, which is now closed. The permits allow you to park at various parking structures operated by ACE Parking that are near the convention center. The permits range from $25 to $35.
There may be other parking options near the Gaslamp Quarter, but expect to pay high fees and have limited options.
Comic-Con also has a free shuttle service that stops in Mission Valley, Downtown and hotels near the airport on Shelter Island and Harbor Island. Shuttle service starts Wednesday at 3 p.m. and goes until 12 a.m. The shuttle runs from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday to Saturday, and 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
You can also take the MTS trolley or coaster to avoid traffic.
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