After 2020 having no in-person ComicCons, many nerds and fans have been eager to get back to the fun that comes with directly interacting with the whole experience. I am so grateful for the people at ReedPop and all the celebrities, vendors, artists, authors, and everyone involved for their hard work in putting on the digital festivities. It gave the fans some of what they wanted. It gave artists, vendors, authors, and others a way to showcase their wares. Celebrities still got to connect with their fans.
This year, while people have been excited to be able to go back, Covid-19 is still a major concern. ReedPop and all involved are adhering to CDC Guidelines, as well as Washington State Convention Center protocols on top of local public health guidance. Still, some people like myself, are leery of going back just yet. ECCC is available online, to a lesser degree than in-person, but available. I miss the convention, but I would rather be safe than sorry. My family decided not to go to the local state fair because of it too.
ECCC is also asking for proof of vaccination or negative testing verification. Masks are a must as well. ECCC is asking for you to use hand sanitizer often and make sure you practice good hygiene. This year, ECCC is at reduced capacity. To make it easier for us to judge the distance of six feet, they are putting distance marks along with directional markers to keep people moving with minimal bumping into each other. You can read more about it on their Safety Guidelines page.
There is very little so far on the ECCC website. I have been checking back on and off. Usually to find absolutely nothing, so this was a pleasant change. As of writing this, there are twenty total guests. Seventeen under the Entertainment heading. Three under the Comedian heading. The comedians are Donny Cates, Sam Maggs, and Ryan Stegman. The most well-known entertainers are Jon Cena, LeVar Burton, and Hayden Christensen. I am a little disappointed that LeVar Burton was only credited with Star Trek. He also did Reading Rainbow once upon a time.
Also scheduled to appear are Justin Briner, Clifford Chapin, Luci Christian, David Matranga, and Monica Rial, from My Hero Academia. Griffin, Travis, Justin, and Clint McElroy of The Adventure Zone are scheduled to be there. Dr. Sydnee McElroy from Sawbones, Teresa McElroy of Shmanners, and Rachel McElroy of Wonderful! are slated to be there. Amy Jo Johnson, the original Pink Ranger is going to be there Thursday through Saturday. Johnny Yong Bosch from Bleach rounds it off.
There is no schedule up, no panels to be seen. I don’t see anything about Artist Alley, which is probably my favorite part of ECCC. I can’t find anything about the authors or Cosplayers either. There is no talk about what vendors will be there or any of the usual stuff on the site. I wonder why. Are entities being fickle about whether or not they are showing up?
With the current list, are you wanting to buy tickets? These are definitely some quality guests to have, but is it enough? Compared to years passed, there are not many. How about that there is no information on authors, Artist Alley, and vendors? I miss the convention. The costumes, the feeling of being accepted, the merch, the panels, the celebrities, do I need to go on? I wish I was going this year. Well… maybe.
Are you going to Emerald City ComicCon? If so what are you looking forward to most? I can find precious little information. Do you know where I can get more? Is it worth the price of the ticket if you don’t know if more than twenty guests are going to show up or if it is just them? Let me know in the comments below. Until next week…
