I’ve been attending San Diego Comic-Con since I was a kid in the 1980s. When I started going it was at the Civic Center. We stood in line to buy tickets on the morning of. At the end of each one, there was a booth set up to buy tickets for the next year’s Comic-Con.
The Pandemic changed Comic Con. 2020 was skipped. Then 2021 was skipped.
And then something new appeared. Comic Con Special Edition. Vaccines were happening. The Pandemic’s impact was being blunted. Somewhat.
What would CCSE be?
In September I and friends bought tickets.
Unlike regular Comic Con, it did not sell out.
I felt pretty excited for Comic-Con, but it was a bit strange. We would all be masked, but not as part of our costumes. We would need to be vaccinated or have proof of vaccination. And it would be smaller. Much smaller.
I gave blood.
I saw robots.
The show floor was less dense. There were fewer people. Fewer vendors. No big companies. No Marvel Comics. No DC Comics. No Dark Horse Comics. No big videogame vendors. It was odd.
Not the same as a “regular” Con but still fun. I enjoyed the Comics Arts Conference as usual. It’s fun to look at culture more deeply. It’s the kind of thing that has me thinking I’d like to do something in academia that’s cultural.
Speaking of that COMICS@SDSU had a great panel talking about what’s happening with them.
You can follow their blog or twitter. They are getting comics pros to come in and do lectures and appearances. Good stuff. Pamela Jackson wrote about SDCCSE as well.
Also happening on that weekend was the opening of the Comic Con Museum in Balboa Park. I have not been since they’ve opened but I’ve been to a few events there in pre-opening. In 2020 Kelly and I saw the Picard opening in their theater.
I had a real good time. Despite the abbreviated nature of the thing.
I look forward to 2022’s Con. Very curious to see how it goes.
For further reading check out Beth Accomando’s piece: Reflecting on Comic-Con Special Edition
