We get the latest from this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego. It is being done to a person for the first time since the outbreak.
San Diego Comic-Con returned last week with its first in-person convention since the pandemic began. And it wasn’t just Spider-Man and Batman wearing masks – and you know everyone was wearing costumes because that’s what everyone does there. Along with the proof of protection, masks were made mandatory for all celebrities and everyone else, as the cases of coronavirus are rising all over the country. Stephen Thompson is at an event that ends today in San Diego. He is the host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour and joins us now. Welcome.
STEPHEN THOMPSON, ON: Hey, Ayesha.
RASCOE: You know, to start off, I want everyone to know that I’ve always wanted to go to Comic-Con, and it’s like Disney World to me. I just want it out of the way. But this year, there are mask and vaccine requirements. Does this make the Comic-Con convention feel different?
THOMPSON: I think so. You know, you walk around and everybody’s there in clothes – I mean, it’s usually just a bunch of fun people in T-shirts with…
RASCOE: Maybe the T-shirts with the colors on them because I’ve been to some shows and I just wear, like, a Scooby Doo T-shirt.
THOMPSON: That’s right, and I think that’s kind of what you see. Mainly what they are is just a fun twist on various pop culture genres.
RASCOE: And how crowded was it this year?
THOMPSON: It’s very crowded. It was good to see everyone wearing masks. They really loved him. But anyway, you know, they ended up selling. They are at their best. So you enter the auditorium and you’re walking through the crowd. These are the most crowds I’ve been in over the past 2 1/2 years. So you have a mixture of excitement and enthusiasm for sharing all these pop culture delights mixed with the low-grade panic of being in a huge crowd full of people.
RASCOE: Yes. And, I mean, the damage that I’ve gone through, that’s around the D.C. area. – a big part of it is being able to, like, buy all kinds of gear and comics and whatever you’re into. Like, is that what it’s like at Comic-Con?
THOMPSON: Yeah, there’s this big auditorium. And, of course, you have a mix of people selling rare comic books and pictures but also many booths promoting different brands – toy lines, you’ll see a 15-meter-tall statue of Bowser made of Legos.
RASCOE: Well, I want to talk about it because I saw this giant Bowser Lego. And first of all, Bowser is one of my favorite characters. Bowser is the main villain of Super Mario. He’s the guy you fight at the end of the games. When I play Smash Brothers, my kids will tell you, I’m always Bowser. And at first I was strong, but then my son learned to play it and I can’t beat him anymore. But tell me about Bowser. Like, could he walk?
THOMPSON: (Laughter) The thing is, they’re trying to promote these Lego lines. And you are a parent, Ayesha. You know how much Legos cost, (laughter) you know?
RASCOE: Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
THOMPSON: You know, they’re trying to make a splash. You know, you have about 150,000 people attending Comic-Con. You know, they’re trying to get the word out. The fact is, you and I, right now, are talking about a 15-foot-tall statue of Bowser made of Legos, so someone somewhere did their job.
RASCOE: They did their job with me. Like, I’m easy to sell to things like this. I mean, like, what shows are people crazy about? I have seen many trailers. I know it was, like, “Dungeon & Dragons” and “Lord Of The Rings” shows and – all kinds of shows. Like, what trailers and things were people raving about this year?
THOMPSON: You know, the pop culture convention extends way, way, way beyond comic books.
THOMPSON: You know, it’s called Comic-Con. You know, there are awards for the comic book industry – the Eisners are held. They are kind of the Oscars of the comic book industry. There are many aspects to a comic book. But it’s a pop culture convention. It’s a TV convention. It’s a movie convention. It’s just tons of different types of pop culture all tied together. So sometimes there’s fun with these big, big, big brands, like “Game Of Thrones” and “Lord Of The Rings.” But there’s also, like, a big panel with the cast of “Abbott Elementary,” you know, a big, you know, a panel with the cast of “Ghosts.”
You know, there are a lot of different TV shows that are represented where the fans of these TV shows come and, you know, watch the actors, you know, tell stories and laugh. And then the visitors to Comic-Con come up and ask weird questions about a small part of the show in question. The most interesting thing is just the kind of gathering of all these things in one place.
RASCOE: I mean, do you think it’s too commercialized or do you think it has some of the authenticity of the original?
THOMPSON: If you can’t accept advertising, this is not your convention because it’s just all advertising. There are brands everywhere. Everyone is promoting something. So if you can give yourself to that and just find things that you’re already enjoying, find things that you’ve always wanted to know about, I don’t think it’s going to be a very accessible game. as a game to have fun in the things you already like and try to deepen your fandom with the things you already like.
RASCOE: That’s Stephen Thompson, one of the hosts of Pop Culture Happy Hour. Thank you very much for joining us.
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Where is the next Comic Con in California?
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Will there be a L.A. Comic Con 2022?
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San Diego Comic-Con 2022 runs Thursday, July 21 through Sunday, July 24.
Is there a Comic Con in LA?
LA Comic Con is one of the largest independent conventions in the United States and includes several sections, including comics, horror, sci-fi, anime, sports, and pop culture, focusing mainly on the Los Angeles area. Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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