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.
AMC recently held a press-invited conference for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol, following a panel discussion at San Diego Comic Con.
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.
A ton of trailers are shown for the first time every year at San Diego Comic Con. This year’s con was no different. In order to make sense of the noise, we’ve compiled a list featuring only the biggest reveal trailers to come out of SDCC 2016. From film to television, Marvel to DC, these are the first-looks at some of the next couple years’ biggest entertainment franchises. There was plenty more that excited us coming out of SDCC including the new Sherlock trailer and that leaked footage of Spiderman, but everything below is brand-spanking new.
Wonder Woman
The trailer that gathered the most attention coming out of this year’s convention, Wonder Woman is quite the treat. Surely it has not taken this long (nearly ten years since Iron Man and The Dark Knight kicked off the comic book movie boom) for one of the most iconic American super heroes to get her own movie? Laments about Hollywood’s neglect of female and heroes of color aside, Gal Gadot kicks ass in this WWII era trailer, which looks to essentially be the first Captain America film but (hopefully) way way better.
Justice League
Speaking of DC, it is hard to get legitimately stoked for anything in that cinematic universe following Man of Steel and Batman V. Superman. But this… this is awesome. Ezra Miller is the true star of this trailer as a witty Barry Allen that could completely change the grim tone that has been dragging these movies down to the depths where Aquaman resides. P.S. “Icky Thump” is my favorite White Stripes song.
Lego Batman
Justice League takes a good position in the middle ground between comical and oh-my-god-the-world-is-on-fire-we-need-to-save-it, everyone get their serious masks on! Lego Batman doesn’t even try to take itself seriously, and that’s why we love it. We all know Will Arnett is doing fantastic voice work in this season of Bojack Horseman, so between him and the dream team that brought us The Lego Movie, this one is sure to be a delight. At very least it’s sure to be better than the last time we saw Batman and Robin on the big screen.
Kong: Skull Island
This one’s been in the works for a while, but we finally got a glance at it at SDCC. Sure, a King Kong origin story may not be the most exciting concept to everyone — I mean who is truly a fan of the King Kong franchise? — but it shows promise. It’s more original than just another reboot. Between Brie Larson, John Goodman and Tom Hiddleston, the cast alone is worth the hype.
Marvel’s Luke Cage
Luke Cage and OBD go together like peanut butter and jelly. I guess what I’m trying to say is there wasn’t too much surprise worthy in the reveal trailer of the next in the line of Marvel’s popular Netflix universe. But much in the same vein of Daredevil and Jessica Jones Cage seems very very good at punching dudes in the face, torso and lower body areas.
Marvel’s Iron Fist
The final member of Marvel’s Defenders, Iron Fist looks to take the same gritty tone as the previous three, but with a possible twist. There isn’t too much to this short teaser, but fans would know that what sets Danny Rand apart is the way his powers manifest. He is not simply stronger or a better fighter, but has mystical chi, which should be a fun production hurdle for Netflix and hopefully result in some awesome sequences.
Star Trek: Discovery
It’s been one hell of a week for Trekies. With the release of Justin Lin’s surprisingly well received Star Trek: Beyond (die-hard fans who hated on the Abrams films seem to be somewhat more pleased) and now this. We still dont’ know much about CBS’s 2017 program and this trailer really only shows of the ship, but it’s safe to say even a taste of a new Star Trek is sure to get fans of the new and old alike ready for a brand new adventure.