Comic-Con Rolls Up the Red Carpet

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Screen actors, on the whole, tend to be boring in public. They are never as attractive, charismatic, or tall in real life. They can be witty during live interviews, but you get the impression that wasn't the first time they delivered that line. Even when trying to appear authentic, they somehow remind us this is work.

That's not to say I don't love seeing celebrities. I mean, I've ben riding my chance encounter with an A-lister during a run in Del Mar for years now. I am the most annoying kind of name-dropper. I'll casually mention how BD Wong asked for sushi recommendations the other night when actually he threw the question to the La Jolla Playhouse stagehands standing next to me. (To be fair, the late Roger Rees really did look me in the eye and ask my opinion on a play he wrote and directed. I told him it was fascinating, even though it was still rough around the edges. No matter, it made it to Broadway.)

That should mean I'm the type of attendee to be disappointed that the big names (and even supporting cast members) didn't turn up for Comic-Con this year. Major studios, such as Disney, Sony, Netflix, Marvel, Universal,  HBO, and Warner Bros., pulled the plug once writers went on strike, followed by SAG members. A few actors came anyway, notably Jamie Lee Curtis, who emphasized she was there as a graphic novelist and not an actress or screenwriter.

I still had a great time, and it looked like most everyone else did too. Maybe it was because the halls weren't clogged by actors and their entourages. Wait times for panels were still incredibly long, but we made the most of our time in line together. Ballrooms were packed because or in spite of the lack of panelist name recognition. The massively overcrowded exhibit hall made me claustrophobic as usual.


Downtown San Diego celebrated big, as always. There was something going on in every open space, with outdoor events and activations open to everyone, not just those with a coveted badge. Even the bayfront weather played along, staying cool and moist despite a heatwave in surrounding suburbs.

I was disappointed screen writers weren't there because I like to hear about their craftwork and creative process. Directors don't ever spill the tea, but I think they sometimes speak in code to let fans know a certain someone was a royal pain in the ass on the set. 

It turns out we didn't need the Hollywood crowd promoting their projects; we got to pick the brains of the geniuses behind our favorite comics, novels, and video games and give them some much needed love. 


We all loved seeing British Baking Show runner-up Kim-Joy smile broadly at every audience seat taken. Artists talked to a room full of shellheads eager to know what happens next to 40-year-old Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles. And God bless the  LARPers who battled each other in full gear -- and sometimes real swords! --  as conventioneers tried to cut across the terrace.

We played old school pinball to kill time and ate overpriced pretzels and pizza. We shyly asked costumed characters to pose for a picture. Even our own San Salvador got into the cosplay spirit and pretended to be a boozy pirate ship to the delight of those of us waiting hours for Hulu's multi-sensory Animayhem.

I do support those on strike. Most in attendance did too. AI is going to take a lot of our jobs. Machines will eventually usurp humans (even the few without messy lives) in output, maybe even creativity. After all, the programs learned from our own work product that Big Tech swiped from under us.

I do worry what will happen if these strikes last much longer. I foresee Netflix cues filled with nothing but nostalgic sitcoms, rejected reality TV, and South Korean dramas. I don't even want to think of what will become of cable and network TV if future episodes of The Bear and Abbott Elementary evaporate.

For now, I am warmed by the hundreds of thousands of fans who didn't need Comic-Con to roll out the red carpet to have a good time. We descended on San Diego as we always have to share in our communal love of pop culture and to support those who kept their commitment amid uncertainty. I hope you all felt our appreciation by the strong turnout despite a different vibe and lack of star power. You were there for us even if Hollywood wasn't, which is why we are here for you too.



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