SDCC 2024: A New Normal?

Was SDCC 'Finally Back to Normal' in a Post-Pandemic World?  That's what SDCC chief communications and strategy office David Glanzer told Variety, but is it true? As Variety notes, last year's SAG-AFTRA strike "forced almost every studio to pull their panels" and yet this year "with no obvious impediments in sight...the largest fan fathering in North America is set to mount its first regular convention in five years." 

Sure, the big panels with generous swag were back, but new to me was an Hall H lottery for, to my knowledge, one specific panel: The Deadpool and Wolverine Celebration of Life. Those lucky enough to get in received a popcorn container and pins, but getting in was the problem. Contrary to the usual practice of people coming and going to Hall H from the beginning of the day until the end, people were cleared from the panel preceding panel for FX's vampire comedy "What We Do in the Shadows" that ended two hours before Deadpool and Wolverine's Celebration of Life. That was the beginning of the problem.

Even waiting to get into the vampire panel, the volunteers in charge of the lines as well as the security personnel weren't in agreement. The press waiting to get in on studio passes were abruptly told to move because we were lined up in the wrong area, an area that for the 12 years I've been covering SDCC for RogerEbert.com has been used for press (and others) with studio passes to Hall H and where the person in charge of the press entry had told us to wait. We had already had our passes and bags checked and been wanded by security.

The "What We Do in the Shadows" event was a farewell to fans, this being the last season for the goofy show about four vampires trying to live on Staten Island. Based on Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's 2014 movie of the same name out of New Zealand, this mockumentary style comedy has been nominated for 29 Emmy Awards, winning a Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes in 2022. This year, the series is nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards (Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Matt Berry, and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series) and five Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards (Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program, Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes, Outstanding Picture Editing for a Single-Camera Comedy Series, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series and Animation and Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Comedy Series or Variety Program).

The panel included Kayvan Novak (Nandor the Relentless) via Zoom, Matt Berry (Laszlo Cravensworth), Mark Proksch (Colin Robinson), Kristen Schaal (The Guide), executive producer/writer Paul Simms and executive producer/director Kyle Newacheck. Novak stole the show by being totally in character throughout. The big reveal was that Season 6 will introduce a new character who awakens after a 50-year nap and upsets the chemistry between the quartet. Season 6 premieres on Monday, October 21st on FX with the first three episodes of an 11-episode season. All episodes stream the next day on Hulu where the previous five seasons are available. Internationally, the five seasons are available on Disney+.

Disappointed that we wouldn't be able to stay over for the Ultimate Deadpool and Wolverine Celebration of Life, we headed to the Den of Geek party and the possibility of getting a free retractable light saber. With our retractable light sabers in hand, we relaxed to overloud music and the tea - not the kind of tea you drink, but definitely the kind you spill.

The mother and daughter who were sitting at our table had a tale to tell. One of her seven kids had won the Deadpool and Wolverine Hall H lottery, receiving a congratulatory email. There was no wristband or ticket. There were, however, more than the 6,000 people waiting in line. Yet 6,0000 is the capacity of Hall H. Not all of the lottery winners got in.

When we left Hall H after the "WWDITS" panel, we were crowded into one space and had to wait to go through a single exit on to the sidewalk. It took us over 30 minutes. One couple who was in that same panel, reportedly took 30 minutes to exit and then had to walk over a mile to get to the end of the Deadpool/Wolverine line and, in the end, didn't get in although they had won the lottery.

Already in possession of two of those popcorn buckets, I was glad to have my Power Saber. The Den of Geek party didn't have dancing, but as with last year had good food and who doesn't want a retractable light saber with sound effects by Goliath? We went home before the unannounced Deadpool and Wolverine firework and drone show began.

The next day, Friday, there was more chatter about how Comic-Con International was going to put out this emotional fandom fire, but there were also two actual fires. The upstairs rooms of the San Diego Convention Center were temporarily evacuated for a fire incident, but that was quickly over. Yet that evening as we walked to a panel, we could see black smoke rising outside of the convention center in the Gaslamp district. We later learned one activation, for HBO Max's "The Penguin" was evacuated after a fire broke out in the neighboring Brazilian restaurant. No one was injured, but people were displaced.

Otherwise, I was disappointed that National Geographic didn't have its rooftop reception with brainy fare, having attended the last two years. Yet, in the cool of the evening, as the Google Play carousel lit up, the convention center was flooded with face eaters given to Hall H attendees for the "Alien: Romulus" panel. Definitely the big movie grand gestures were back at SDCC, but still, this edition wasn't as robust as 2019.

Unlike 2019, Hall H was empty on Sunday without any panels. That's the day I usually spend the morning and early afternoon in Hall H. Moreover, 2019 was the year the Comic-Con Museum opened with a splashy reception and an impressive exhibit dedicated to Batman that included Batmobiles. The next year had a Spider-Man exhibit. Last year the museum's major exhibit during SDCC was devoted to the art of animation. While that was fun, the rest of the exhibits weren't up to the same level and, even at its best, the museum can't compare to the use of technology of Los Angeles' Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. This year, no reception was planned for the Wednesday preview night and no new exhibits opened in July. There was, however, an auction of items, beginning on Sunday morning.

Another museum was conspicuously absent from the exhibition floor: Sci-Fi World Museum. Originally promoted as the Hollywood Sci Fi Museum, it was rocked with scandal in 2018, and this year had an aborted grand opening in Santa Monica. With the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures now open and the opening of the (George) Lucas Museum of Narrative Art expected in 2025, both the museums might be facing hard competition for the fan base that attends comic-cons.

The A-list stars may be back at SDCC, but with the absence of Star Wars and Netflix and the leveling down of its young museum, SDCC 2024 was not at the same level of 2019.

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