WonderCon came and went over the weekend at the Anaheim Convention Center, and overall, it felt like a mixed bag that leaned more toward underwhelming than exciting.
On the first day of New York Comic Con 2024, directors Anthony and Joe Russo (Avengers: Endgame, The Gray Man) joined stars Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt on stage to give fans an in-depth look at their upcoming Netflix film, The Electric State.
San Diego Comic-Con returned last week with renewed energy after a subdued presence in the previous two years due to the pandemic and the SAG-AFTRA strikes.
With its November series finale for The Walking Dead that wrapped up the network’s flagship zombie drama, On Friday, AMC returned to Hall H at the San Diego Comic-Con to preview episode two of the series. Trailers were shown at the event. The Walking Dead Universe Fan Watch Party in Hall H at Comic-Con was the place where all the highlights and reveals from The Walking Dead Universe came out, including the first look at The Walking Dead: Dead City as well as The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Fear the Walking Dead, and The Walking Dead: Rick & Michonne. For this watch party, Hall H was full at capacity!
It has been announced that a Walking Dead spin-off starring Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Maggie and Negan, which premiered on July 23rd, has been renewed for season 2 by AMC. The Maggie and Negan Walking Dead spin-off also stars the returning Salim and Rick Grimes. There has been a huge growth in viewership for The Walking Dead since the first episode premiered in June, as it has been the #1 series premiere among all new and returning series on AMC+, including The Walking Dead, and the number of viewers has increased with each episode.
During the Comic-Con, AMC released the trailer for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, revealing new footage from the series that finds Daryl (Reedus) marooned in France after getting separated from his crew. The two main characters, Genet (Anne Charrier) and Codron (Romain Levi), are trying to get ahold of “the American” messenger, who is meant to protect Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi), the survivor who is supposed to lead humanity back to life. In advance of Daryl Dixon’s premiere on AMC, it was announced that a second season has been renewed for the series. There was also a screening of the first 20 minutes of the episode that was shown to the attendees.
On Sunday, October 22nd, AMC announced that the final episode of Fear the Walking Dead will premiere: it will air on Sunday, October 22nd. The original Walking Dead spin-off is entering the final months of its eighth and final season, which kicks off with Madison Clark (Kim Dickens), Victor Strand (Colman Domingo), Luciana (Danay Garca), and Daniel Salazar (Rubén Blades), all of whom have a prominent part to play in the finale. The unexpected return of Troy is also a highlight of the preview.
The AMC network has released a short teaser video which reveals the first glimpse of the upcoming Rick and Michonne Walking Dead spin-off series that will be directed by Scott M. Gimple. As of 2024, AMC and AMC+ will debut The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, a six-episode series that airs on AMC and AMC+.
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.
On Friday at the San Diego Comic-Con, WWE had its annual panel. During this, Chelsea Green “crashed” the WWE-Mattel panel and got in on the action.
It was during the time when Mick Foley, Seth Rollins, and Johnny Gargano were out on stage that Green interrupted Rollins while he was chatting about his own action figure that he interrupted Rollins. Eventually, she joined the panel for the remainder of the discussion, and Mick Foley expressed his praise for her role as one of WWE’s current champions for her accomplishments.
Furthermore, as part of the panel, Rollins discussed his feelings as the new World Heavyweight Champion as well as how he wants that title to be viewed similarly to the WWE Championship in terms of positioning. Mattel also revealed its new lineup of WWE action figures that will be released in the coming months into next year.
With its Funkoville area at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, Funko has returned bigger than ever with its biggest booth of all time.
I have never seen an exhibit as large and elaborate as this one at Comic Con. Each booth is decorated in pastel colors and old-fashioned signage in order to mimic the appearance of small shops in a small town, each of which has its own brand and speciality. Funko’s booth has a lot of stuff to sell. As well as the Blockbuster, there are several other amenities within the mall, including a donut shop, a bowling alley, a Loungefly-themed boutique, and a Mondo gas station as well.
The Blockbuster booth, which Funko and Loungefly developed for the event, was to tap into 90’s nostalgia to appeal to the millennials and Gen Z generation that is interested in the ’90’s.
“We like to be on the pop culture edge, but also really bring that ‘oh my gosh, I remember when I was a kid and that makes me so happy’ feeling from everyone and I would say that Loungefly has always been a bit of a nostalgic company and Funko is really on the edge of pop culture,” said Derrick Baca, SVPs of Creative, Innovation & Vision at Loungefly.
Getting around the booths is pretty straightforward as far as how to navigate them. As you enter the space, you’ll find a helpful information booth on your righthand side, and the minibooth signs will be visible as you walk in. Follow the employee to the line at that shop. You’ll get a paper menu with every item on sale in that booth as you wait in line (don’t worry, they must move fast when we were there!).
My time at the booth also included making my own Funko Pop with Pop Yourself. With Pop Yourself, you can make Pop replicas of yourself, friends, and loved ones with the added benefit of customizing them to reflect your passions and fandoms. Fans are able to immerse themselves in the fandoms and magical worlds they love through unlimited birthday, graduation, wedding, etc. offerings.
“We want to make sure that the fans always have an experience with us and its been an evolution to make sure that is something that we can do for anybody,” said Johanna Gepford, SVP Direct to Consumer at Funko.
The launch is in celebration of Funko’s 25th anniversary and serves as a huge step forward for the company, as the Pop! Yourself technology accentuates Funko’s efforts to lead innovation in the consumer products market. Consumers can use Pop! Yourself in Q3 2023 via Funko.com and in-person at the Funko Hollywood + Funko Everett locations. This mass market launch and accessibility to consumers makes collecting more personal and FUN.
In collaboration with Den of Geek Magazine, Funko Games, a leading publisher of tabletop games and the home of acclaimed studio Prospero Hall, hosted Rooftop Game Night at San Diego Comic-Con as part of the company’s partnership with the Diamond Building. There was a wide variety of popular pop culture franchises and classic original games available at this event, making it a must-attend for tabletop game enthusiasts. In addition to sampling the brand’s exclusive IPA, attendees had a chance to see the new offerings for the first time.
Additionally, Funko Games hoped to introduce its games to new audiences with this rooftop. There was a lot of excitement in the air as I witnessed the attendees playing the tabletop games for the first time in the room.
“We have games for many types of players. For casual players, and hardcore players. Ultimately we have to deliver a compelling and fun experience that lives up to the expectations of players and fans,” said Chuck Blevens, director of marketing.
As part of AMC Networks’ return to Comic-Con, AMC Networks will present a new Anne Rice Immortal Universe experience and activation at the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter Hotel’s terrace (401 K Street). The activation was previewed by us at Comic Con, where we were given the opportunity to preview it in advance.
As part of the event, guests were invited to take a tour along “The Street of Immortality,” which is an immersive experience inspired by New Orleans, with several opportunities to capture photos and videos along the way. In addition to this, attendees recognized some of the iconic locations from Interview with the Vampire (such as Hotel Iberville and Nawlins Records), and they also immersed themselves in Anne Rice’s universe, made up of characters drawn from Interview with the Vampire and Mayfair Witches.
There was also a walking street tour where attendees were able to collect exclusive souvenirs as well as limited-edition premiums, such as “The Elixir of Immortality”, a mocktail prepared by POM Wonderful. Aside from that, fans can expect some surprise and delight moments inspired by the universe, and costumes are encouraged.
With its activation, AMC is doubling down on the Immortal Universe as Interview With The Vampire’s first season had a positive reception. The fanbase of the series continues to grow as the network giant would look into tapping into this audience while the iron is hot.
The event is free and for all ages, and open Thursday, July 20, Friday, July 21 and Saturday, July 22 from 11am – 7pm.
Fans are back at cons, and they’re back in a big way! The fact that attendance at WonderCon returned to normal on March 24 – 26, 2023, in Anaheim, CA, was encouraging, as it brought the event back to normal following a down year in 2022. On Friday, there was a reasonable amount of attendance, which is typical for this Con, but on Saturday it became jam-packed with attendees and cosplayers alike.
Each year Comic Con attracts the best cosplayers around and despite the impact of a waning pandemic, this year absolutely did not disappoint.
This year was my first Comic Con experience ever and I got to experience in my hometown of New York. As a kid I always wanted to witness the magic of Comic Con in person but over the years, I just hadn’t had the chance. One thing I had learned in recent years is that the cosplayers here at pretty much the best you’ll ever see and when I finally got to the Javits center and witnessed it all in person, I was just stuck in a state of awe for about a half hour. Seeing a lot of my favorite comic book and video characters be brought rather realistically to life was incredible. Here are some of my favorite shots of the cosplayers from over the weekend.
Newer Posts