There is a noticeable difference in atmosphere at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, because the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike had a dramatic impact on the show.

Nevertheless, passionate attendees did not let that stop them from attending San Diego Comic Con as there was something to do for everyone at the event. From after parties to meetups with film and television properties, there was something to suit everyone’s interests. In fact, there were many activations that I attended a short time before they opened to the public, including One of the most popular activations at San Diego Comic Con, AMC’s Immortal Universe, as many convention goers named this as their favorite activation. Here are just a few that I thought stood out to me out of all of them.

The party that was organized by XLE Productions was an all-out celebration of the 90’s. It was more than just the music, it was the aesthetics, presentation, and production that brought me back to the Saturday nights I spent watching Nickelodeon in the mid 90’s. Everything was included, even the orange couch. A spokesperson for the venue told us that 90’s nostalgia is a huge hit among millennials, and that they wanted to introduce it to the Gen Z audience born after 2000 who have never experienced this decade before.

From the same company, they also wanted to take advantage of the Barbie movie, which premiered just this week, and tap into the market. The Malibu Daydream Experience brought out the best in the Barbie brand and there were also photo sections where everyone could act out their scene and have fun as they did so. In addition, it is worth mentioning that this part was not connected to the Mattel brand in any way.

As part of San Diego Comic Con, Fandom usually hosts a party, but this year marked the brand’s first themed activation. To drive awareness around the dangers of youth vaping, Fandom created a ten foot metal monster inspired by classic Kaiju movies like Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster. Additionally, attendees were able to participate in various augmented reality experiences that brought the monster to life. Through engaging content from influencers, those watching the weekend’s events from home can also engage with the “Metallic Monster.” Also to note, there were local food businesses that were also there and it gave them a boost in sales and social media awareness.

Most people at Comic Con were unaware of this exhibit until they saw it, but Cozi TV celebrated 30 years of Roseanne during San Diego Comic-Con this year with The Lanford Lunch Box. In the first season of Roseanne, the diner from the series was introduced as the place where Roseanne and her sister Jackie worked as waitresses. Furthermore, over there, there was also a mini-carnival with a lot of games and puzzles to do, as well as a lot more activities.