IT'S HERE!!! COMIC CON 2026 IS GO!!! BUT FIRST....

 

WELCOME BACK CRAZIES!!!  IT'S HERE!!!  AFTER A LONG YEAR, IT'S BACK!!!  COMIC CON 2026 HAS COME!!!  Alright, we gotta keep our cool.  It's actually in two days as we're posting a bit early as is typical Comic Con week.  But how can I keep calm when the greatest week of the year is here?  Disneyland? Christmas?  Super Bowl?  Child's play!  For me, SDCC is the grand daddy of them all and I think it's time to dive right in and get started!

As we look back today, we'll also include helpful tips to make your Comic Con experience a bit smoother, especially if you're a first timer.  For now, though, we are heading back to 2024 and yet another unique experience for SDCC weekend just happened to fall on the same weekend that the Summer Olympics in Paris opened up!  So polish off that bag of Cheetos and slap on a fresh pair of Batman Underoos because the CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN is a go!  Enjoy...

The Ghost With The Most shows Lydia some of the Gaslamp Quarter's finer hole-in-the-wall dining options!

TIP: Best time to grab a bite is between 11am and 2pm.  Hall H and Ballroom 20 are usually drawing large crowds during those times so restaurants aren't as packed.  Also, most restaurants in the Gaslamp Quarter DON'T accept reservations during SDCC due to the demand being too high.  It's also worth mentioning the further out you're willing to walk, the less crowded restaurants are, and there are some solid spots past Market Street.

Even at Comic Con the greatest of enemies put their differences aside and have fun!

Doctor Octopus was hoping hoping the extra arms would nab him some extra swag!

TIP: When cosplaying, take weather and bathroom/meal breaks into account.  It is VERY hot in San Diego year-round and a heavy costume will only add to that heat.  If you need to sit for any reason, your costume should allow for an easy exit.

Didn't get much of a chance to explore the Petco Park Interactive Zone in 2024, but it looked bigger and cooler than the stripped down slop they presented last year!  Hopefully this year's offerings will bring the Zone back to its past glory.

Google Play brought a Ferris Wheel back to Comic Con for the first time since 2019!  I didn't go on it but people seemed to enjoy it more than the infamous Mr. Robot Ferris Wheel from 2016!

Star Trek and Doctor Who combined for a fun little popup museum on 5th Avenue showcasing props and costumes from both shows!

The Peanuts Museum celebrated A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving with life-size displays of Snoopy and Woodstock fixing up a feast that only Peppermint Patty would complain about.  Seriously, with diets like these, how the hell is it that Snoopy's brother Olaf is Peanuts' only fat character?  Those kids should all be on Rascal Scooters and have reaching claws!

Through some of the sheerest dumb luck I've ever had, I got into Paramount's The Lodge thanks to a very kind bystander with an extra ticket!  I don't know where that lady is now, but your kindness still humbles me.  Overall, it was a pretty cool experience.  Just wish their ticketing system was more fair.

TIP: There are MANY free offsites and activations offered throughout the weekend, a few even start before the con starts and run after it ends!  However, not all of them are simply walk-in and enjoy.  A few require reservations that fill up quick while others offer standby lines.  Some of these lines may last longer than the offsite's operating hours.  So, take into account the risk/reward factor of getting in line.

The Voodoo Ranger and Abbot Elementary...  Two iconic moments from SDCC 2024!

TIP: Because alcohol is served, the Voodoo Ranger is NOT a free experience.

Sucks being a Red Shirt...

Hilda cosplay!  How quirky!

TIP:  Be sure to wear comfortable, closed toe shoes!  You will be doing a LOT of walking on concrete and asphalt.  High heels and sandals are without question the WORST shoes you can wear!  Also, your feet WILL get stepped on!  It's nothing personal, just part of the risk of being in a building with close to 200,000 people inside and millions more outside of it trying to join in.

Well this doesn't seem too ominous!

A true hidden gem of SDCC 2024 was the Planet Of The Apes offsite!  I don't even like those movies and I came out of this with a greater appreciation of the series!  Well run, tolerable lines, air conditioning and a live hawk...  What more could you really want in an activation?

Abbot Elementary has seen a growing presence since the con returned in 2022, and Ava Fest certainly took that presence to a whole other level.  The lines actually went pretty quick and they gave out some nifty swag.  So, naturally, last year they screwed everything up with an asinine queuing system that just left people hot and bothered.

I still don't really know what The Bear is, but this activation was SDCC 2024's most popular offsite and also featured the most coveted swag of the con!  People were literally fighting each other over tee shirts rolled up like burritos!

TIP: Water and sunblock!  Bring PLENTY of both!  You will be in the sun a lot, especially if offsites are your primary focus, and it's gonna be hot outside, so hydrate properly in between lunchtime binges of soda and energy drinks!  And although the Convention Center won't put out coolers anymore unless clients order them, the surrounding hotels all have water coolers in the rooms and are okay with people refilling their bottles, especially the Marriott.

If only Orco could have cast a spell that would've made Mattel, Amazon and MGM better promote the Masters Of The Universe movie!  Then again, this is Orco we're talking about here.  He'd probably still find a way to screw it all up!

The Deadpool Unicorn Brigade.  It was a very hot day...

TIP: BE COURTEOUS!!!  Yes, it's hot, it's crowded and there are certain people there not being upstanding citizens, but you know what?  We're all in the same boat.  Sometimes, it is much easier to ignore a pest than it is to engage them.  And if they are really being that bad, there's about 1,000 overzealous police academy rejects working security that are more than happy sweep that pest out.  No jerk is worth losing your badge and going to jail over.  Just try to keep your cool and be patient when dealing with certain attendees.

Can't stress enough that you really don't need a badge to experience Comic Con.  There are literally five offsites in this picture behind the Convention Center alone!  Free for all!

Powerline stopped by to make sure everybody was seeing things Eye 2 Eye!

TIP: Bring a portable charger and cable!  Wall outlets are at a premium with that many people on hand!  Also, don't expect to be making too many phone calls or getting social media posts out as cell service is pretty spotty at SDCC due to the crowds and Convention Center WiFi is slow and terrible! 

Lastly, since Halloween is on deck after SDCC, I'll leave you with this little bit of nightmare fuel: A Walk-Around Rainbow Brite costume!  Seriously, how hard would it have been to find a few little blonde girls to dress up like Rainbow Brite and give them and their families weekend passes so they could switch out every few hours?  That suit above looks like the first demon to greet you at the gates of Hell!

And that was Comic Con 2024!  Hard as this may be to believe, I really don't remember too much of it. I was so busy in the weeks leading up to it that I've largely had to go back and look through pictures to try and piece things together.  It looks like I had a good time, so I'll just have to go with that!

And that's another week down in the CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN, but fear not!  The show may be over soon, but we ain't stopping 'til we got pics for this year, so keep coming back until we are done!  If you're heading to San Diego this weekend, be sure to say hi if you spot me!  I'll try my best to update y'all on Twitter and BlueSky as my cellular service will allow.  As of right now I'm not on any panels, but you never know?  I wasn't expecting to be at a booth either and last year, there I was!  Until next time, take care, stay safe and I'll see y'all at Comic Con! 

COMIC CON... STILL GETTING OVER IT!!!

Well, Comic Con 2025 has come to pass.  And it was...  How the Hell should I know?  It' still June as of this typing!  Y'all know I queue these up well in advance!  I think it's probably a safe bet though that by the time y'all are reading this, those who attended will ALL be feeling pretty worn out!  Y'all are also likely to be going through HUGE Con withdrawals right now too!  So, let's just get right to the pics, okay?  The setting is exactly one year ago in Downtown San Diego!  Take those last rolls on your D&D campaign because the CRAZY Comic Con Countdown is entering the homestretch!  Enjoy... 

Two legends finally meet!

Castle Grey Skull's looking pretty hungry there!

Looks like Hades had some of that charm left!

Man...  Can't even begin to tell you how many quarters I fed into a few of these Ninja Turtles arcade cabinets back in the day.  My brother and I probably put a few Roller Skate Land employees through college!

The incredible Abbott Elementary offsite!  The purist in me doesn't quite get why this show would even be at Comic Con as it doesn't fit any of the represented genres, but I can't complain about a well-run activation that saw quick lines and everybody leave satisfied! 

Last year marked 25 years of Nickelodeon bleeding SpongeBob Squarepants dry!  I love old school SpongeBob, but man, it is time to put him out to pasture already!

The Avengers Ferris Wheel!  I didn't go on it and if memory serves, you had to do something involving Google to be able to ride it anyway.

I think they're trading books...

The Downside of the Schwartz ain't too picky it seems!

The Bear Activation inside of the FX Zone at the Hilton!  Don't let its emptiness fool you, this spot had the most coveted swag of the con!

Some screen-used masks from the more recent Planet Of The Apes films were on display at the aptly-named offsite!  This activation did not get enough credit last year.  Much like the Abbott Elementary carnival, it was extremely efficient with short lines and high turnaround, not to mention, a live hawk for photo ops!  I'm not even a fan of the movies and I still enjoyed the experience!

Mothra on patrol outside the Convention Center!

Riddle me this?  What's green and red and easily slumped over?  This Riddler cosplayer a few minutes later!  Seriously, it was hotter than the 7th Level Of Hell that week!

And finally, PeeWee Herman hit the streets of the Gaslamp, hoping to collect enough spare change to hitch a ride to the Alamo!

And that was Comic Con 2024!  I'm not gonna lie folks, I honestly don't remember much about it.  The weeks leading into the show were among the busiest of my life!  In a span of about five weeks I worked four massive shows, pulled a muscle in my ribcage, got a severe sinus infection and remodeled ALL the bedrooms in my house in between it all!  Needless to say that by the time we finished packing up Nickelodeon's gear and I got home, I just plain crashed!  I had reached my limits.  Hopefully, next week's post will be a little more fruitful in terms of my experience at this year's show.

Well folks, that's all she wrote for July and the penultimate edition of this year's Countdown, but fear not!  I wouldn't end this year's proceedings without a look at this year's show, which is coming next week!  So be sure to come back and check out the finale of the CRAZY Comic Con Countdown 2025 as we start August off right!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

COMIC CON 2024... CAME, SAW, CONQUERED!!!

Well, we've come to it at last.  The conclusion of the CRAZY Comic Con Countdown 2024...  It's never easy to type up this particular post because it more or less means that Con Season is over for me, especially now that Long Beach Comic Con has officially been cancelled (Yeah, I was still mulling over whether I should go or not).  But not all hope is lost.  The holidays will be here soon enough to keep me and many others preoccupied while we wait for WonderCon, which is less than eight months away!  But enough about that.  Y'all came for the biggie!  The pride of San Diego!  The time has come for us to take one last trip back to the San Diego Convention Center for a final lap around the exhibit hall and surrounding offsites.  We went big with this post, so hold on to your Batman Underoos and Code Red Mountain Dews, because the CRAZY Comic Con Countdown is set to launch!  Enjoy... 

I don't know Apollo. You couldn't even take on Ivan Drago!

The DragonBall World Tour returned to the the Marriott Marquee for the fifth straight year!  I actually spent the bulk of Preview Night there, collecting swag and taking pics!  The lines moves fast at this one and the giveaways are always worth it.  Easily among the best run offsites at SDCC.  Hopefully they'll keep coming back.

Ultraman had a VERY large presence in the exhibit hall this year with two dedicated booths and several panels on the schedule as the very first Tokusatsu hero has returned to pop culture in grand fashion!

Spongebob is celebrating his 25th Anniversary this year while Nickelodeon celebrates 20 years of bleeding the franchise dry!  This sculpture/fountain, which looked for all the world like poor Spongebob is receiving the enema to end all enemas, also doubled as a refill station for water bottles.  Incidentally, Nickelodeon itself turns 45 this year.

Speaking of anniversaries, Rainbow Brite turned 40 this year and is still rocking her colors as vibrant as ever!  She even gave me some Star Sprinkles!  Which I promptly wasted while trying to add color to some old Three Stooges shorts!

The Petco Park Interactive Zone returned with its usual fair of food trucks and fun free experiences!  Although I did get to walk around it for a little bit, I sadly didn't have time to try any of the experiences being offered.  Was a busy year to say the least.

Abbott Elementary returned to Comic Con this year with a truly fun and efficient offsite that left many smiling!  Ava Fest was a carnival complete with a big ass slide, ball pit and swing ride!  I was impressed with the line management of this one as they simply let people in (After signing a liability waiver of course) and left everyone to their own device.  And wouldn't;t you know it?  Crowds moved through fairly quick!  Imagine that?

Nice to see Chilindrina and Chavo hanging out again!  I'm sure Don Ramon would approve!

The Lounge!!!  Paramount+'s infamous offsite that's nearly impossible to get into without a reservation and wasting an entire day away in the standby line.  I was determined to try it anyway, so I got there early Friday morning and was shocked to see the standby line so small.  As the hours wore on and the line got longer, I remember being thankful I was among the first 15 people in line that day.  Even more surprising, the line for people with actual reservations never got any longer than 20 people the entire time I was there.  As it came time to open, a lady named Katya walked by and informed the standby line that her friend couldn't make it and she had an extra ticket.  One is indeed the loneliest number, but in this case, it served me well because I was the only loner in the standby line and she got me in early!  And even better?  Within ten minutes, all the people that had been waiting with me in standby were let in too as folks missed their reservations!  So we all won!  The experience itself was pretty cool with activations from Star Trek, Spongebob and Ninja Turtles among others.  I did get some cool swag and some delicious lemonade.  Overall though, it's hard to justify missing out on a day in the exhibit hall for an experience that lasted less than an hour.  Always weigh the risks and rewards when choosing offsites.

Cliff Vandercave and Sharon Stone!  Easily my favorite cosplay of Comic Con this year!  I'm a big fan of obscure character cosplay and these two nailed it, choosing the villains of The Flinstones live action movie!  They said I was the only person to get it, though I'm sure others figured it out as well as the day went on.

Another huge waste of time on my Comic Con Friday was Hulu's Animayhem activation!  Was there cool swag?  Yeah.  Were the photo ops fun?  Yeah.  Should it take three hours or more to wait and experience this?  HELL NO!!!  Flat and simple, there is no reason at all this offsite should take as long as it does, especially considering that several of the shows are either no longer relevant or just plain not popular (Seriously, NOBODY wanted the Solar Opposites swag!).  Even worse, my group was never given the donuts we were promised!  If it comes back next year, I'll likely skip it.

Batman always come prepared when out surfing with his Batboard, Bat-Trunks and Bat-Shark Repellant!

The FX Lawn.  Some loved it, some hated it.  Easily the most coveted swag of SDCC this year came from The Bear activation within, with the What We Do In The Shadows umbrellas being a close second.  While the experiences inside were fun and immersive, I feel line management could've been much better for this one as well.  In the past, they just let people in at their leisure and it all worked out.  This year, not so much.  I waited two hours just to get in then waited another hour just to get my umbrella!  Why was the wait so long?  Because some dudes were scribbling your name and a stick figure drawing on the umbrellas with Sharpies!  A friggin' kindergartener could done the same deal quicker and just as sloppy (Believe me, these guys aren't gonna be in Artists' Alley anytime soon!)!  Still, I made some friends while waiting in line, so it all worked out.  

A Tiger and his Boy, out on another adventure!

The Adult Swim lawn was back and bringing the fun as always!  I had hoped to get in, but it took so long to get through the FX Lawn that AS became another casualty of my swag hunt.  By the time I got there, the line stretched towards the boardwalk.  There's always next year...

Strawberry Shortcake loves her some Godzilla!

The cast of Jurassic Park had a heartfelt reunion with their biggest costar!

Another offsite oddity at Comic Con this year, The Penguin Slushy Truck!  This pic was taken on Preview Night before it opened, but every time I walked by this thing during the show, there'd be an insanely long line and workers standing inside the truck just looking confused by it all.  All they had to do was hand out eight ounce cups of knockoff Slurpees.  How friggin' hard is that?

Doctor Who and Star Trek teamed up for a fun little offsite featuring costumes and props from both legendary SciFi series!  Nothing too immersive, but still a nice break from the blazing weather outside!

Peanuts returned to their usual spot with a fun museum/shop that looked at the history of their holiday specials and even had a fun photo op in Charlie Brown's kitchen as Snoopy and Woodstock attempt to make Thanksgiving dinner out of toast and popcorn!  Just outside the museum, guests could sit in a shaded spot and watch the latest special before being locked away for AppleTV subscribers only!

The very fun and VERY immersive Planet Of The Apes offsite!  The line rarely went longer than 20 minutes and the staff just straight had their crap together!  I even got to have my picture taken with a live hawk!  Easily among the best run offsites at SDCC this year!

Can't really post this without talking about the elephant in the room: The Gaslamp Fire!  One of the buildings on 5th Avenue near J Street, where several offsite activations were in full swing, caught on fire.  Exactly how it happened is still under investigation as of this writing, but thankfully it was contained fairly quickly, though the staff at the Penguin Lounge offsite did have to be evacuated and the actual show was postponed for several hours.  Anything really can happen at Comic Con!

These fine young men came to Comic Con to learn about AI!

Lastly, we'll end the post on a happy note with some folks dressed as happy characters: The Flintstones!  Fred, Wilma, Barney and Betty were there to promote their amazing new alternative fuel source: FEET!!!

And that was Comic Con 2024!  It was a wild time for sure, packed with swag and a few exclusives.  I still can't believe I did all the things I did this year!  I was pretty exhausted heading into the show.  I'd had little rest between SDCC and the show before it, ESRI, while also dealing with a home renovation that was complicated by a sinus infection.  By the time Comic Con ended, I was past my physical limits.  It ain't easy coming to grips with the fact that I'm not a young man anymore.  The day job's taken a toll over the years, and it's really starting to show now.  What does this mean for next year?  Well, we'll have to wait and see as it's time to re-verify again.  It's a process that always rattles me, even more so now as it's all online now, and I'm just not good with tech.  I have other ways in, but I'd rather not be that guy, the type that takes advantage of connections.  It just doesn't feel right.  The form's been submitted, so it's all up to fate now.  One way or another, I'll be back and it'll be great!

And thus wraps up the CRAZY Comic Con Countdown 2024!!!  I hope you all enjoyed these last ten weeks of looking back at the Cons of recent past!  I do enjoy looking back and seeing how things have changed over the years and I promise no matter what happens with my pro status, I will be back next year with another edition of the Countdown, two of them even as WonderCon's not too far off!  Be sure to come back next week as Bubble Fox takes center stage with more art celebrating his 10th Anniversary!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!