SDCC Faces Changes, Challenges in 2021 and Beyond

Comic-Con International: San Diego is arising in a number of quick weeks, and that you could be not have realized that appears important. For years, San Diego Comic-Con (because it’s colloquially identified) has been the crown jewel of the popular culture calendar: 4 days in San Diego, California, full of comics, motion pictures, toys, and all types of reports that breathes life into fan passions and the popular culture information cycle. However, like all massive occasions final 12 months, SDCC was pressured to shut its doorways resulting from covid-19, and this 12 months, it’ll do the identical. SDCC 2021 takes place nearly from July 23-25.

Last 12 months, the non-profit group was one of many first to pivot to a completely on-line expertise. As a consequence, the newly dubbed Comic-Con@Home had a fraction of the affect the conference normally has and didn’t seize the joy it’s lengthy been identified for. You may largely chalk that as much as the scenario the world was in a 12 months in the past resulting from covid-19, to not point out that sitting in entrance of a display can’t evaluate to an in-person expertise. But because the pandemic wore on, related on-line occasions corresponding to New York Comic Con (no relation), DC Fandome, and even a Walt Disney Investors Call ended up producing nearer to the form of expertise Comic-Con is understood for.

Now, a 12 months later, the occasion is again at dwelling and the query is: can it recapture the magic? For the reply, io9 spoke to SDCC’s communications and technique officer, David Glazer, who additionally occurs to be its spokesperson. “Putting on an event, whether it’s in person or virtually, is still putting on an event,” Glazer informed io9 on a video name. “I think people thought, ‘Oh, you know what, it’s online. It’ll be so much easier.’ There’s still a lot of logistical issues to deal with as everybody, now that we’ve done the Zoom thing for a year or so, realizes.”

SDCC made the choice to cancel its annual in-person occasion in April 2020 and the web offshoot occurred in July. In such a brief timeframe, pivoting a manufacturing like SDCC to a brand new format couldn’t have been simple. And as Glazer defined to io9, it wasn’t. “We were kind of one of the first ones out of the gate. And now that hopefully we’re seeing the end of this pandemic—fingers crossed—we may be one of the last ones … as well.” Glazer mentioned. “But, it’s all about content. And hopefully, people have a good time and enjoy us and join us for the virtual event in July.”

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Last 12 months, Comic-Con@Home had many points. Pre-recorded and edited panels had been unceremoniously uploaded to YouTube, making them really feel fairly insignificant (plus you might simply skip by way of them). Talent all being of their houses reduce on spontaneous interactions that make the occasion particular. And fan interplay was restricted. One would hope a 12 months later, perhaps a few of the panels may very well be broadcast stay. Maybe vaccinated panelists may collect in teams for extra interplay. Maybe one thing new and thrilling could be launched. Glazer wouldn’t flat out say how, or if, Comic-Con@Home was going to vary this 12 months however he appeared to counsel that whereas the corporate would like to do give itself an improve, it merely can’t. “Comic-Con has relied on our in-person events to fund ourselves. And while we always had a buffer, a nest egg, should something happen that we couldn’t have a convention and thereby generating income, I don’t think we ever in a million years would have thought that we wouldn’t have had any events for close to two years,” Glazer mentioned. “Both our WonderCon shows we couldn’t have in person. Both of our Comic-Con shows we couldn’t have in person. And those are things that generate income. So while I think there are a ton of things we would love to do if we had unlimited resources and bandwidth—you might see it be a little more flashy— but I think the content is what matters. And we’ve tried to stay true to that.”

Programming for this 12 months’s Comic-Con@Home has begun to trickle out (AMC, Paramount, Doctor Who, and DC Comics have already introduced panels) with the complete schedule coming July 8. Glazer confirmed, although, that the majority of will probably be just like final 12 months, with panels pre-produced for YouTube along with sure interactive parts by way of platforms like Discord and Scener. And whereas the crew has mentioned including extra parts, it’s merely not within the playing cards. “The reality is people have said, ‘Well, are you guys going to do live streaming?’ And, I don’t know that we really have the resources to do that,” Glazer mentioned. “We’re a live events organization … [and] I think that will always be your focus. But we will make the best of the situation that presented to us and we hope to do that with @Home this July.”

Comic-Con@Home isn’t the one factor Glazer and his crew are engaged on. There’s additionally an in-person “Special Edition”—a reputation utilized by competitor ReedPop in NYC years in the past—scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend. The announcement was met with passionate responses from many followers, all of which Glazer and the crew noticed. However, he defined that with the world opening up extra daily, dates on the San Diego Convention Center had been filling up quick and the corporate felt Thanksgiving weekend, whereas not preferrred, was its greatest guess.

“We really do understand that we’ve been in lockdown for a year and a half. So a lot of people are going to want to spend that time with their family and we totally understand that,” Glazer mentioned. “And that’s why I think we made a point to name this ‘Special Edition.’ It isn’t Comic-Con. It isn’t the July show moved to Thanksgiving weekend. It’s a smaller, more intimate show, an ability for us all who are able to attend to kind of stick our toe in the water.” Plus, there’s no assure it occurs, as well being and journey situations proceed to vary and the Delta variant spreads around the globe. Planning additionally continues for SDCC 2022, which is already offered out resulting from tickets being transferred from the beforehand sold-out 2020 present.

Looking forward, Glazer thinks digital occasions will find yourself having one thing of a optimistic affect in the long term. “One of the great things that we heard afterwards was the ability for people to see a lot of programs and virtually attend the show that they were never able to really do in person,” he mentioned. “It was great that some programs that might have been in a 350-seat room were seen by a few thousand people. So that was a good thing. And I think going into it this year we’re trying to keep all that in mind … I think if there is something that we’ll see in the future, I think that is some continuation of an online presence. It’s a great ability to reach out to people who are all over the planet, some who couldn’t get tickets even if they wanted to.”

Something else that’s certain to proceed sooner or later is extra competitors. For a long time, SDCC has been in a category of its personal. But lately, occasions like Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo, and newcomers like Netflix’s WitcherCon, threaten to take a few of the greatest identify manufacturers out of San Diego. “Do we hope they’ll always be a part of us? We really do,” Glazer mentioned when requested about these competing studio occasions. “And I think one of the things that’s unique with Comic-Con is that it really kind of is an umbrella organization … Everybody can certainly have events about what their properties are and more power to them. But we are lucky enough to be able to have participation from a variety of different companies. And I think our fans and attendees appreciate that.”

But will they recognize it this July? November? Next July? No one is aware of, Glazer particularly. As a fan himself, although, he is aware of it doesn’t matter what occurs, the purpose is getting again to regular. “It’s going to be somewhat emotional to actually see these people in person after not being able to see them for over a year,” he mentioned. “There is something about the camaraderie. There is something about the community. To know that you’re among friends who share your passion or have passion and interests that you’re not even aware of, but to know that you’re in a safe environment to share that. My hope is that that’ll happen. We’ll hopefully all ease right back into it.”

Comic-Con@Home takes place on the internet-enabled display of your alternative on July 23-25; all Comic-Con@Home 2021 panels on YouTube are pre-recorded movies that may start to go stay to the general public Wednesday, July 21. The full programming schedule will go stay tomorrow, July 8, at 10:00 AM PT. io9 will carry you extra information and updates on that and November’s Special Edition as we all know it.

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