Movies, TV shows, costumes — all that and more is coming to San Diego’s Convention Center very soon. The first day of Comic-Con International in San Diego kicks off on Thursday, July 20.
It's a sold out four-day event.
“Comic-Con tickets go on sale about six to eight months in advance of the show,” said Comic-Con spokesperson David Glanzer. “People buy tickets long before they even announce what studios are going to be there, what exhibitors are going to be there, what guests are even going to be announced.”
Even with all the excitement, a writer's strike and potential actors' strike are looming over Comic-Con.
Some studios such as DC and Marvel have announced they are scaling back their appearances.
“Not every studio attends every year,” Glanzer said. “It's not unusual for studios to sit out if they don't have something that they feel is dynamic for the fanbase or that can speak to the Comic-Con group. That being said, the strike is unique, the pending strike is unique.”
135,000 people are expected to attend this year’s Comic-Con.
Plus many more people will visit downtown to just catch a glimpse of the action.
“People come down and they don't even go to the event and they just hang out, dress up in their best cosplay and make a weekend out of it, or even a long weekend out of it,” said Gaslamp Quarter Association Executive Director Michael Trimble.
He wasn’t too worried about how the two potential strikes could affect the Comic-Con crowds.
“We expect a boom to business, we expect to see a very steady lunch and dinner crowd starting on Tuesday, maybe even Monday. Because we have a lot of the companies loading in and building outdoor activations,” he said.
Despite the strike, it will likely look and feel the same as years past, according to Glanzer.
“But the show’s going to go on. There will still be presentations in Hall H, there are still panels that generate from Hollywood, so I think it's going to be a great show,” the Comic-Con spokesperson said.
While DC and Marvel may not be in Hall H this year, both have booths on the convention floor, and there are sure to be tons of panels on all things pop culture.
