Now that San Diego Comic-Con is way over, I thought it would be a good idea to look back at it! I was intrigued by how much SDCC apparently returned to its “comic” roots in 2023!
SDCC 2023 REALLY WAS A ‘COMIC CON’
One thing about San Diego Comic Con over the past several years is that it is still called a “comic con” although the majority of SDCC really doesn’t deal much with comics any longer.
This year, SDCC was much more focused on its roots in the comics industry because, well, the writers and actors being on strike basically ground what people call the “entertainment industry” to a halt… for now!
Granted, legally, SDCC can call itself a “comic con” even though it really hasn’t been one in terms of comics for years. TV shows and movies and videogames have overwhelmed the comics aspect of this convention for quite a long time. However, if you checked out the SDCC news on several sites, we saw mostly comics and related businesses taking up the spotlight. You know, the books, the toys, the creators… it was once again a real, honest-to-goodness “comic con!”
I’m sure some of the usual attendance numbers probably lacked compared to recent years. I also imagine that this impacted the support services in downtown San Diego as well.
The first year I attended SDCC, a woman in the tourism office of San Diego told me how many residents dislike the con because they cannot venture into the downtown area because so many fans and others overwhelm the area. She told me she couldn’t wait for the convention to be over so the residents could again travel to downtown San Diego again.
A day or two later, I was riding a tram (or whatever a transportation device is called in San Diego) and I was sitting near food service employees. They saw my SDCC badge, so they couldn’t help but tell me how thrilled they were that fans like me were there! “We get to work a lot of overtime when you all are here,” they said! “You can come here anytime you like!” they happily said.
I have several friends who regularly attend SDCC, but I still haven’t heard from them yet regarding this year’s convention! I’ll be fascinated to hear what they thought about it now that they are likely finally back home!
I WON’T REPEAT ALL THE COMICS NEWS HERE
First thing I noticed was that Ram V had signed an exclusive contract with DC. I hadn’t heard that kind of thing taking place for quite a long time, and since I do enjoy his scripting on Detective Comics (among other places), that made my day! Of course, I don’t know much about the specifics in his contract, but this kind of thing makes health insurance (and a certain amount of work heading the creator’s way) much more certain, so I’m sure he is a happier guy as a result!
I also liked that DC was going to have the Justice League (they’re back again?) meet the monsters including King Kong and Godzilla, among others. I always enjoy monster stories, so I’m already looking forward to that.
There’s a new Punisher in town! I’m a big David Pepose fan, so I’m happy for him and am anxious to see what he’ll do with the new guy! However, death is by no means certain in comics, so I imagine Frank Castle will be back, perhaps sooner rather than later! We’ll see!
WHAT ABOUT NEXT YEAR?
Fans are already making plans to attend SDCC in 2024, including making reservations at hotels and with friends as well as signing up for tickets soon. I’m sure everyone (myself included) hopes that the strike will end in the months ahead so that the con can get back to “normal” in next July.
But one thing we can never be certain of is what will take place in the entertainment industry. So we need to keep our ears to the ground to see what we’ll face in the coming months!
The trick in all this is that hotel reservations and all have to be made as soon as possible after this year’s SDCC. I bet people who might not want to miss out on the coming SDCCs will be able to work out arrangements with friends (or hotels) so they won’t lose their place in line, as it were! That will likely depend on the hotel, though!
If you went this year, did you get all your exercise in (walking from place to place in San Diego)? Were you able to attend all the meetings you wanted? Was it not quite as crowded as it has been in years past? I bet several of us would like to hear how SDCC was when it comes to crowds and other forms of congestion!
Are you having any problems making reservations now that this year’s event is over? I’m sure San Diego (except for that one lady I spoke with in the tourist bureau) will be happy for things to finally get back up to speed in 2024!
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