Comic Con International 2024 — the quick wrap up

SAN DIEGO: The sun has set on yet another Comic Con International, aka San Diego Comic Con. This celebration of pop culture and the arts has been called Mecca for geeks. The first convention was held in 1970.

Since then, attendance to the multi-day show has grown from 300 individuals to well over 135,000 in recent years. This isn’t counting those without badges who line up for activations outside the convention center.

This year, Paramount, FX, Hulu and Peacock were among the entertainment outfits sponsoring some kind of satellite attraction you line up for, and at the end you usually get some swag.

The free swag is everywhere. I remember about 10 years ago, I was so excited to bring as much stuff as I could home to friends, I got into an elevator with Ming Na Wen and dropped a whole bunch of freebies consisting mostly of tote bags and magazines.

any people get the impression Hall H is where all the panels are held. Hall H has been where the big announcements and reveals happen. In addition to all the rooms at the Convention Center, the event also utilizes several offsite venues resulting in over 2,000 hours of programming on a variety of topics related to the popular arts — comics, filmmaking, costumes, video games, anime and more.

Attendees get hefty materials on the scheduling for each day to help them select which panels they want to attend at the Comic Con campus. It’s pretty much a certainty two things you want to be at will be happening at the same time.

Finally, 2,000 members of the press from 26 countries have been showing up at SDCC. Me included.

The best way to handle Comic Con is really with a crew, team, family or buddy, the same goes for the press work. It is a challenge for a one-person crew.

‘Tales of Deejays and Eraserheads in the Lumpia Deep-Fried Universe’ at SDCC featured a fresh trailer for an upcoming Eraserheads documentary.

This year, I was so happy to see several panels devoted to Philippine pop culture — one featured the Eraserheads, one launched an entertainment app called Halo Halo, and one was on Filipino martial arts in Hollywood.

On the exhibit floor, Whilce Portacio (who was part of at least two panels) had his own booth, artists from the Philippines like Harvey Tolibao and Manix Abrera were doing commissions and signings in different booths, and Angelo Mendez of Hot Tropiks set up in the small press section to promote and sell Philippine titles.

After 12 Comic Cons, I finally got my first Marvel press con, which also happened to be my first press line. There’s a whole behind the scenes story on that, which I’ll share in the future but for now, I’m still taking in that I got to chat with Harrison Ford.

I was not in Hall H this year when they did the biggest reveal — that of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. Getting in to Hall H when there is a Marvel panel (some years even have DC and Marvel on the same day) is a test of grit, endurance, savvy, determination and coordination.

All in all, it’s fun to see geeks of all kinds having fun, making friends, enjoying the event and connecting with peers, fans and favorites. I was about to say heroes instead of favorites, but I’ve had a lot of thoughts lately about putting people on pedestals and idolizing them.

A column for another day. For now, we’re allowed to get goofy and silly.

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