02322-20240727 San Diego Comic-Con—Magic Wheelchair+Adobe-missing child+Simpsons panel+Exhibit Hall+AVA Fest+Adult Swim+C-C Masquerade-R3

San Diego Comic-Con 2024 — my best ever

July 30, 2024/Jan Wagner/
Subscribe

On the convention’s website, San Diego Comic-Con is described as “The Ultimate Event for Comics and the Popular Arts.

Comic-Con is the premier event for all things comics and related popular art, including movies, television, gaming, interactive multimedia, and so much more!

Movie poster for "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" featuring an ape in a desert landscape with the title on the right side.
Movie poster for "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" featuring an ape in clothing against a cityscape background.
Poster for "Escape from the Planet of the Apes" featuring an ape character and a helicopter in the background.
Planet of the Apes" movie poster with close-up of an ape's face and armored figures on horseback in the background.
Close-up of an ape's eye next to the title "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.
Close-up of an ape face on the left; the right side displays the title "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" in white text on a dark background.
A group of armed apes, led by one riding a horse, confronts a group of soldiers. Text reads "War for the Planet of the Apes.
Three characters, two apes and a human, stand in front of a forested backdrop. Text reads "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
Exhibit displaying "Planet of the Apes" memorabilia, including costume, posters, and black and white production photos.
A person wearing a costume with ape-like features, including fur and facial prosthetics. They have long blonde hair and brown eyes.
A black and white photo of seven people in "Planet of the Apes" costumes standing on a sandy beach.
Two individuals in motion capture suits with sensors crouch, holding crutches-like props, standing against a plain background.
Three people with arm crutches interact in a jungle-themed environment. Two are wearing tennis-style skirts and the third is in pants and a black T-shirt.
Two people in exoskeletons participate in an activity at a Comic-Con 2024 event, surrounded by onlookers and jungle-themed decor.
People using ape-like arm extensions and stilts in a jungle-themed exhibit.
A chimpanzee rides a horse through a lush forest, holding a large bird with outstretched wings on its arm.
Falcon with a hood perched on a gloved hand, set against a forest-themed backdrop.
Life-sized figures of apes with human-like features in a jungle setting, surrounded by props and red flags.
Planet of the Apes

Enjoy cosplay galore and take part in unique programming, exclusive previews, and presentations, not to mention the expansive and diverse Exhibit Hall featuring merchandise and displays representing all fandoms.”

Yellow text "Star Trek: Menagerie" on a blue starry background.
The image shows a “Salt Vampire” creature from Star Trek, in a museum display. It has white fur, long hair, and is wearing a woven garment. A description plaque is visible.
Sign with the text "I need my space!" above the NASA logo, and the website "www.nasa.gov" below on a starry background.

Even all four-days (plus Preview Night) are not nearly enough to see and experience it all. The lines can be long, and lots of walking and standing are required. My visits typically include some panels, checking out the merchandise for sale (merch!) and booth exhibits, snagging a few giveaways (food and more merch!), cosplay…

Person in a white sci-fi costume with black stripes, holding a circular disc, poses at an indoor event.
A life-sized, detailed model of a green dinosaur with sharp teeth and steam emanating from its mouth.
Person in costume rides a large, detailed dragon sculpture emitting smoke with open mouth and visible teeth at an indoor event.
People in costume gather at a booth with signs reading "Magic Wheelchair" and "Beetlegeuse." A person in a wheelchair has a dragon-themed design around it. Others stand or squat near them.
People in Deadpool costumes ride inflatable unicorns on a bustling street with colorful buildings and advertisements in the background.
Group of people in Star Wars-themed costumes, with Mandalorians and Jawas, posing together outdoors at a convention.

… socializing, offsite activations and NETWORKING.

When I meet people who have never been to San Diego Comic-Con, they usually think that they would not enjoy it because they were not able to get a Comic-Con badge. That is not true. You do NOT need a badge to have an absolutely wonderful San Diego Comic-Con experience.

Image gallery image
Outdoor event with crowds gathered around tents and tables. A tall building with colorful advertisements is in the background under a clear blue sky.
A person stands next to a large purple furry character at an outdoor event.
Sign displaying "Hero Within Energize Lounge II: The Wrath of Con 2024" with a graphic of a mug featuring a delta insignia.
Bottles of Star Trek-themed blue wine on display, featuring Andorian on the label, with a price sign of $139.99 in front. Background shows a Star Trek Wines promotional poster.
Four themed liquor bottles displayed on a shelf with special price tags, labeled as Star Trek Wines, featuring unique designs and emblems.
Display of Star Trek themed wine and spirits products, including bottles and packaging with sci-fi design elements and logos.
Two people in Star Trek uniforms, one wearing yellow and gesturing, the other in blue looking at a device. A QR code is visible in the background.
Signboard promoting a game, urging players to join and enjoy gameplay during breaks, including bathroom time.
Billboard featuring a cartoon warrior with a sword and helmet, promoting "Battle Station" against a background of trees.
Cartoon battle scene display featuring a character peeking through a wooden fence above a toilet with the sign "Bathroom Battlestation." Other characters and tools surround the display.
Display table with numerous red toilet paper rolls featuring cartoon faces, two yellow rubber ducks, and a sign promoting a "Bathroom Battlestation" giveaway.

Yes, benefits of having a Comic-Con badge include getting access to where most of the multitude of panels are in the San Diego Convention Center and other official indoor venues…

… shopping for merch in the huge Convention Center Exhibit Hall…

Crowd at a convention with various booths and large banners overhead.
A booth with orange Super7 branding, displays shelves of collectible toys and figures. A large, colorful mascot figure is in the foreground. People browse the booth.
Funko booth display featuring cartoon figures of a girl and a dog in a control booth, with a large "Funko" sign below.
Cheetos and Frosted Flakes boxes are displayed with figurines of Chester Cheetah and Tony the Tiger holding a basketball, alongside small packets and snacks.
Shopping for merch

… attending signings and being able to watch the Saturday evening Comic-Con Masquerade in-person.

A hand holds a Comic-Con International 50th Anniversary Masquerade photo pass for July 27, 2024, featuring a camera icon.
A performer in shiny, silver outfit is lifted above a person's head in front of an audience at a Comic-Con event.
Three people in formal attire on stage at a Comic-Con event, with one person at a podium shaking hands with another.
A group of five people stands on stage. One person is in a Superman costume. The others are dressed casually.
A humanoid robot with exposed wires is posed against a blurred background.
Two people at a podium speaking at San Diego Comic-Con International. The podium displays the event's logo.
Person in detailed fantasy armor with flowing dark red hair holds a decorative staff, standing in front of a Baldur's Gate banner.
Six people in various pink superhero costumes stand on stage holding hands.
People in Star Wars and fairy tale costumes perform on stage under colorful lighting.
Three people in Star Wars costumes, one in an officer's uniform and two in armor, stand on stage interacting during a performance or event.
Group of people in various Deadpool-inspired costumes pose on stage with an "Applause" sign in the background.
A group of people on stage in costumes stand in front of a large display screen with text listing names.
Three people in colorful, elaborate costumes pose on stage. One wears a witch hat, another a doll-like outfit, and the third a robotic suit with a mask, holding a swan-shaped bag.
Two people stand on a stage at Comic-Con next to a large screen displaying a vibrant collage of robots. A third person in a robot costume stands in front of the stage.
A group of people dressed as various video game characters stand in a line on stage, each holding different props.
A group of people dressed in "Assassin's Creed Brotherhood" costumes stand on stage next to a speaker, with a screen displaying related text and graphics.
Two dancers perform energetically on stage, one in a red costume and the other in gray, with a projection in the background.
A group of performers in colorful costumes on stage; one in pink stands at the center holding up a book titled "Dungeon & Dragons 22+2.
Four people in costume engage in a staged lightsaber duel against a blue backdrop.
Three people in costumes engage in a staged lightsaber battle; one holds a green lightsaber, another a red one, and the third appears to block.
A person in a robot costume stands next to another person holding an award on stage.
Person in elaborate costume being awarded a blue ribbon by another individual in a purple gown on stage.

Panels that I attended included one for “The Simpsons.”

However, while those things and many others that require a badge to attend are great, there are other activities that are simply too large to fit in the Convention Center’s limited space.

These offsite activations, as they are called, are held in vacant buildings, parking lots and grassy areas by the movie, TV and streaming services, and others, outside the Convention Center, many of which are scattered throughout the large area from the Children’s Museum to the west, Petco Park to the east, and along the streets that radiate out towards the Gaslamp Quarter and downtown.

Sign for the "Fearless Hellevator" attraction, stating: "Must be 18+ to explore the #FXSDCC experience.
Person holding a white FX-branded umbrella stands on steps next to a door with an FX sign above it.
A weathered building with boarded-up windows, featuring a neon "BLESS" sign on the roof.
People stand in a dimly lit room with green wallpaper, looking at a digital display of a corridor.
Visitors look at a large display featuring a close-up of an expressive face with an open mouth against a red background.
Screenshot

Those events are usually free and well worth the time that you will spend waiting in the lines to visit them. This year, as I often do, I easily spent more than half of my time doing just that. Those FREE experiences included taking the reins of a Roman chariot in a race within a Coliseum (promoting Peacock’s “Those About To Die”)…

People walking near a large outdoor screen displaying a horse race scene.
Three people in ancient-style robes stand under an ornate archway, with "Those About to Die" displayed behind them. The setting includes columns and the word "Peacock" is visible on the structure.
People watch a small-scale chariot race game in an amphitheater setting with colorful balconies and red curtains.
Chariot race scene with ten teams, each with four horses, set in an ancient-looking arena.
Model of an ancient Roman chariot racetrack with miniature chariots, amphitheater seating, and architectural details.
A hand holds a packaged pin showing a charioteer and horses. The card reads "Peacock Original Those About to Die.
A person smiles while standing on a chariot-like prop at a promotional event for the Peacock Original, "Those About to Die.

… playing carnival games and riding a thrilling ride (at ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” presents AVA FEST…

A bustling amusement park with colorful rides, a circus tent labeled "Awareness," and a crowd of people. Trees and a body of water are visible in the background.
Colorful lollipops with "AVA FEST" labels, arranged on display.
Person holding a red and white striped AvaFest fan club flag in front of equipment.
People playing a carnival water gun racing game with colorful targets featuring cartoon faces and names. Brightly colored booths and umbrellas are in the background.
People are riding a colorful spinning swing ride at an outdoor fair. A crowd stands behind a railing, watching. A sign reads "Abbott Elementary.
People riding a swing carousel at an outdoor event by the waterfront, with a ship and buildings in the background.

… and at “Adult Swim”)…

Outdoor event with a large screen displaying "Adult Swim: Pirate Parrrty on the Green." A crowd is gathered, and a Hilton hotel building is visible in the background.
Person sitting on a large inflatable dinosaur near a waterfront, with their arm raised.
A large crowd gathered outdoors, watching a performer on stage. A tall building in the background displays vibrant artwork.

… getting an apron and lunch box (for “The Bear”)…

FX The Bear sign on a wooden wall background.
Four people stand behind a modern, minimalist bar with a white backdrop, wooden stools, and hanging round lights.
Four people in aprons and hats stand smiling in front of a building labeled "FX The Bear." A person stands in the background near the entrance.

… and an umbrella from FX…

… taking part in a scavenger hunt and getting a STAR TREK T-shirt at “The Lodge” (Paramount+)…

Wooden wall with a large Paramount+ logo featuring a mountain and stars. A blue snowboard below is labeled "Paramount+ The Lodge.
A person is placing a T-shirt in a heat press machine for printing graphic designs. A tattoo is visible on their arm.
Poster of "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" featuring four turtles. Above, a sign reads "Turtle Power Pizza.
Colorful Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-themed pizza stand with vibrant murals and pizza boxes.
Paramount+: The Lodge activation in the Gaslamp quarter

… collecting free pins and a huge, Simpsons-themed donut at Hulu’s Animayhem…

Entrance to "Hulu Animayhem" attraction with people entering, featuring cartoon decorations and a staff member in a safety vest at the front.
Outdoor donut stand themed as Lard Lad Donuts from The Simpsons, featuring cartoon character decor and people in event attire preparing and selling donuts.
Tray of donuts with green icing and sprinkles on top.
A person in a safety vest poses next to a themed display featuring various colorful cartoon alien characters and space-themed elements.
Person in a blue and white costume holding a small purple monster toy inside a cardboard box.
A wall mural featuring Marvel's Hit-Monkey holding a sword, alongside a man in sunglasses also wielding a sword.
A theme park attraction featuring large Slurm cans and "AniMayhem Factory" pipes. Staff members are interacting with visitors in front of the setup.
Outdoor exhibit celebrating "Family Guy" 25th anniversary with display screens, cartoon cutouts, and a themed backdrop. Visitors walk past the setup under a canopy.
Giant yellow "25" with internal shelves displaying toys and items. Cartoon dog and gears visible in the background.
Cartoon character in a yellow suit and top hat, smiling and raising a hand to his head, stands with one leg lifted.
Person in a green hard hat and vest holding a paddle with illustrations, standing behind a table with a "Futurama" item.
Person displaying a Hulu 'Hit-Monkey' themed package with graphic designs, alongside two green and black pouches on a table.

… getting grab bags filled with merch plus ice cream at the BoxLunch giveaway truck…

Two men smiling and displaying merchandise: one holding a small backpack and the other a collectible toy box. They are outdoors with palm trees and buildings in the background.

… free dinner at Mickey’s Pizza (Super 7 and TMNT), and much, much more.

A group of people, some wearing themed clothing, stand in line outdoors, waiting near a beige building. One person in a green outfit smiles at the camera.
A woman in a green dress, wearing a badge and a backpack, smiles while making a "shaka" hand gesture. Another person in a hat is in the background.
Sign for Mikey's Pizza with a red and green logo and checkered design.
Storefront featuring a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles themed pizza event with logos for "Mikey's Pizza," "Super7," and "Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Colorful Mikey's Pizza menu featuring action figures, collectible masks, and apparel with prices ranging from $20 to $450, displayed on a checkered background.
People ordering and serving pizza at a busy restaurant counter, with staff wearing aprons and hats.
Toy figure dressed as a pizza chef with a pizza box backdrop. The sign reads "Pizza Chef Michelangelo" and "$55".
A toy vehicle resembling a delivery van with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles branding is displayed next to its colorful box on a shelf.
Pizzas with pepperoni and cheese on display at a restaurant counter.
Two men wearing red aprons stand on either side of a person in a turtle costume with a red bandana. They are in a pizza-themed setting with ovens in the background.
Four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles wearing masks and holding pizza slices, with the title above them on a black background.
A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle in a red mask plays an arcade game in a pizza-themed room.
Two life-sized figures of cartoon turtles with masks, one red and the other blue, stand in a room with a Coca-Cola machine in the background.
Two people in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costumes pose indoors, with one facing forward and the other turned away, near an arcade machine and a poster.
Person holding a signed Mikey's pizza box, wearing a hat and apron, standing in a restaurant with checked tablecloths.
A smiling man stands between two people in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costumes, with one holding a box.
A person holds a pizza box with a cartoon turtle chef logo, reading "Mikey's Pizza." The box has a handwritten message addressed to "Jan!" and signed "Brian Flynn SDCC 2024!.
Children pose with two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and a costumed woman at an arcade.
People waiting in line outside a restaurant at night, with signs reading "Thanks for Coming" and "See Ya!" The restaurant has a red and white checkered theme and Ninja Turtles decor.

For me the most valuable thing that I took away from Comic-Con this year was the knowledge that I got from networking. I learned to do that from an annually recurring Comic-Con panel called “Success in Creativity: Making the Best of Your Resources.”

Sign reading "Welcome Dent Reception" with a blue logo and text, including social media handle @Dent and hashtag #DentSDCC2024.
Man in a Star Trek-themed outfit speaks into a microphone next to a screen displaying a futuristic beverage advertisement.

While the free merch and fun activations are great, I met two complete strangers at Comic-Con that may well put my 20+ year career writing these columns (almost 850 to date) on a sharp upward trajectory.

I have not had the time or the knowledge to build much of a social media presence. One afternoon I asked someone to take my picture. We got to talking and he ended up telling me how Instagram Reels have been hugely beneficial for him, and he told me how I could do that too (I intend to!).

Then, another day, a lady commented on my professional Canon camera and we struck up a conversation. It turns out that she has a crew of very talented people that together do what I do by myself. She is so grateful to the people who helped her as she began her now-successful career that she decided to pay it forward and help others — including me.

For more information about San Diego Comic-Con (and WonderCon in Anaheim), visit: https://www.comic-con.org/cc/.

To explore a wide variety of content dating back to 2002, with the most photos and the latest text, visit “AutoMatters & More” at https://automatters.net. Search by title or topic in the Search Bar in the middle of the Home Page, or click on the blue ‘years’ boxes and browse.

Copyright © 2024 by Jan Wagner – AutoMatters & More #848r2

Posted in , , , , , ,

Jan Wagner

6 Comments

  1. David Sperry on March 9, 2025 at 6:25 pm

    Jan, thanks for the lengthy and informative reply. I just couldn’t comment on everything. I love pizza, but I’ve never been into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Somehow I missed their rise to fame. David.

    Reply
    • Jan Wagner on March 9, 2025 at 9:11 pm

      David,
      I was never into the TMNT either, but it was a very fun offsite activation.
      Jan

      Reply
  2. David Sperry on March 9, 2025 at 10:43 am

    Jan, great photos…and such detail. I didn’t read many comics in my youth, but I was a huge fan of Alfred E Neumann and Mad Magazine. I spotted them in one of your smaller photos. And I did go to most of the Planet of the Apes movies, but there are many I don’t recall. Did they actually make it to the movie house? There was no direct to video or streaming TV, so where were they shown?

    Great photo of you on the Roman chariot. Your two new networking contacts sound interesting. Just a word of caution. Becoming an established personality or influencer on social media is very time consuming and can grow occupy your life. I wish you the best with these new ventures. Please give us updates from time to time.

    Reply
    • Jan Wagner on March 9, 2025 at 2:15 pm

      Hi David,
      Thank you very much for your wide-ranging comments. I appreciate the time that you clearly spent to enjoy my many photos. They took me way more time and effort than you probably can imagine — not just to edit the photos, but to individually delete and reinsert many of the photos in my WordPress website TWICE.
      The reason is because, having never placed so many photos (over 150) in a single column, I had decided to place large numbers of the photos that were on single topics, within something WordPress calls photo galleries as I uploaded them from my computer system, but when I checked the final result on my Internet-connected computer after posting the column, I observed that many of those photos would either not display at all, or only display partially. I deduced (in the middle of last night!) that I had inadvertently placed too high of a demand on my computer’s limited processing power. They displayed on my iPhone, mostly as single, vertically stacked photos on its relatively tiny display, but not on my computer. This might have also been your experience, and that of countless others, so I had to re-position the photos as singles or in very small photo galleries of two to three photos.
      After I redid everything (which took a few hours to do), they displayed properly — but only after I refreshed the page on my computer. Before I did that, they were still messed up. Hopefully I will remember that going forward, as it caused me to be up working almost all of last night.
      Regarding your comments I, too, used to read Mad Magazine. I really enjoyed it. I have a drawing of Alfred E. Newman in my family room.
      I remember seeing several “Planet of the Apes” movies, but not as many as all of these. It is possible, though. The one that I remember most clearly is the first, starring Charlton Heston.
      In case you wondered, I took these “Planet of the Apes”photos (and many more) at another one of the many free offsite activations, for which a difficult to get San Diego Comic-Con badge was not required. At this activation, they taught people how the actors used to walk like gorillas, with the result to be added as a special visual effect in editing.
      As for my two networking revelations that I wrote about last year, ultimately I did not pursue either one. I just did not have the time or the necessary energy. For one of them, I was actually offered to be hired to go to Florida to help work as a still photographer to document a documentary film. As tempting as that was, I thought about it and declined. If only I were ten or twenty years younger.
      I noticed that you did not choose to comment on the photos taken at Mickey’s Pizza with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. That activation was so much fun — and it was one of the many off-site activations that was free to the public (for one day only). At the end of a long, tiring day, I appreciated the ample supply of free pizza and diet cola!
      Today I need to write this week’s new column. The new work never ends…
      Jan

      Reply
  3. Alberto on March 9, 2025 at 10:18 am

    Excellent work!
    Thank You for sharing this great article. With all those great photos.
    Your longtime experience, skills and knowledge really shine in your hard work!

    Reply
    • Jan Wagner on March 9, 2025 at 2:21 pm

      Thank you, Alberto.
      Please read my reply to David Sperry’s comment. In that I explained some of the massive amount of work required to post this column.
      By the way, you were going to reply about my recent Blue Angels and Thunderbirds column. I would like to read your comments about that.
      Jan

      Reply

Leave a Comment