I survived my second year at San Diego Comic-Con! Last year, I attended SDCC for the first time, with friend and fellow TGON writer Kat, and you can read about it here! I attended panels, toured the Exhibition Hall, and got my books signed by all-star storytellers, but this year, I was attending alone and wanted to be more proactive, and, WOW, what a great decision! I attended panels, toured the Exhibition Hall, and interviewed a line-up of amazing, powerhouse creators. Keep reading to find out more! Learn something to implement for SDCC 2025, which will occur Thursday, July 24 through Sunday, July 27, next year!
Last year, my mind was blown by SDCC 2024 and this year was not much different! I was amazed by what I saw, but this time, I was more prepared than ever before. As soon as the schedule was released to the public, I bought my train tickets and used the official Comic-Con International app to research panels and events, and plan out my four appointed days in America’s Finest City! By Preview Night, I was packed and ready for my second round of SDCC!
On Thursday, July 25, I took the early morning train and arrived on-site by 9:30 AM, but because it took time to get past the foot traffic of thousands, I ended up with only a few minutes to spare before my first panel. I sat in the front row for The Webcomics Revolution Will Be Televised panel, and since I had a few minutes to spare, I spent that time chatting with one of the panelists, WEBTOON creator and author of Freaking Romance Snailords. Our chat was brief, but I was happy to have the opportunity to speak with him before the panel and before our official interview. Attention all Snailords fans! I will be posting my interview with Snailords soon, so stay tuned! You can read my official panel coverage here.
You can read about the panel here. After the panel, I raced to get in line for an autographed copy of Brain Worms by author and comic creator Zoe Thorogood. Admittedly, I wasn’t familiar with her work, so why wait in line you ask? Because my friend and fellow TGON writer Kat is a massive fan of her work I promised I would bring her back something from Comic-Con. I waited in line for an hour and bought a copy of Brain Worms, an in-person exclusive Kat had been dying to get her paws on.
Afterward, I was going to attend a live tarot card reading, but it was canceled at the last minute, so I improvised and toured Artist Alley. I didn’t buy anything for myself but was thrilled to see so many wonderfully creative artists and authors. I would have spent more time in Artist Alley, but I had a mission today. Days before Comic-Con, I had been invited to attend the 10th Annual Her Universe Fashion Show. To say I was excited was an understatement. I love Her Universe clothes, so I was especially eager to join in on their celebration of ten years.
I arrived to receive my wristband, allowing my early entry into the show, and while I waited for the show to start I struck up a conversation with other press members who had arrived early. I ended up connecting with the representatives of Project-Nerd, and they even invited me to sit in the front row with them. It was amazing to get a front-row seat for one of the biggest highlights of San Diego Comic-Con, and it was a delight to sit with fellow press members who loved and breathed geek like me.
The show commenced, and it was beautiful. The twenty-five contestants were introduced one by one via video testimonials. It was wonderful getting an inside look into their hearts. Then, the show began. I don’t have much of an eye for fashion, but I loved every design for its originality. The fashion show itself was Barbie-themed, but the designs drew inspiration from Sailor Moon, Hazbin Hotel, Hot Wheels, and even Bluey. My personal favorites belonged to Duy Trương, who was inspired by the well-renowned anime Sailor Moon, and Lisa Truong, who was inspired by Mattel’s Hot Wheels Collection. I loved their energy on stage!
The show was co-hosted by Her Universe Founder Ashley Eckstein and Broadway star Michael James Scott. I loved their friendship and overall dynamic. It was fun watching them strut down the stage. Admittedly, there were some fashion malfunctions, but as Ashley said it best, “If you trip, you just keep going!”
Acting as judges, along with the two 2023 Her Universe Fashion Show winners Rachel Petterson and Raeven K, the SVP of Hot Topic Merchandising Robin Motts, VP of Barbie Product Design at Mattel Robert Best, and the creator of Hazbin Hotel Vivienne Medrano, Ashley and Michael selected a winner backstage while the audience selected the second winner. Audience members were given a pamphlet to select their fan favorite. It was a hard decision, but I made my ultimate choice and crossed my fingers.
Ultimately, Wes Jenkins won over the judges with his Barbie-based design while Candice Dunlap Miller won over the audience with her Dune-inspired couture. As a bonus, they won ten thousand dollars and the opportunity to design the next wave of Her Universe couture. If you couldn’t attend the show and love geek couture, you can watch the entire show from here.
On Friday, July 26, I started my day by briefly interviewing the Symbiote Studios President, Joseph Reiter. According to Reiter “[Symbiote Studios] manufactures very high-quality plushies based on, mostly, Hasbro properties like My Little Pony, Transformers, and G.I. Joe, but we also based our plushies on indie video games like Shovel Knight, and Rivals of Aether.” This year, they are focused primarily on manufacturing more My Little Pony plushies, which were being displayed early for Comic-Con attendees to enjoy from a short distance. As an adult plush collector, I needed to leave with at least one of their plushies and ended up buying two. I left with their SDCC Exclusives, one My Little Pony plush and one Transformers plush. They both passed the hug test.
Next, I attended the Romantic Retellings panel and got my copy of Twelfth Knight signed by YA Romance author Alexene Farol Follmuth, alternatively known as Olivie Blake, afterward. Twelfth Knight is essentially a romantic retelling of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night from a modern setting that I highly recommend for gamers and readers alike. I then toured one of the Bandai Namco booths, promoting their latest line of Tamagotchis. I talked to Marketing Director Tara Badie, who said, “Kids want the responsibility [that comes with a Tamagotchi]” according to their research with schools and parents. According to Badie, select schools were sent Tamagotchis to be used as “class pets,” and I loved that. I had at least one Tamagotchi as a kid, so this conversation brought back pleasant memories of honing in on my first sense of responsibility.
Next, I toured the Jada Toys booth and what caught my attention was the selection of Scooby Doo figures. I grew up watching Scooby Doo on the weekends, so I was excited to see its characters on display. According to the Jada Toys staff member I spoke with, “Scooby Doo is brand new for [Jada Toys]. This is the first time we are showing off Scooby Doo figures. We’re excited to showcase a lot of characters from the series, especially the monsters.” If you are a Scooby Doo fan, I suggest staying tuned for when these figures go on sale! I will be keeping an eye out for the Phantom Virus!
I explored more of the Exhibition Hall, bought a Gyarados model set, and ended Friday by attending their Comic Creator Connection event, designed to help connect writers and artists so they can collaborate and make a comic together. If you are an existing or aspiring comic creator, I highly recommend signing up for next year’s “speed dating” event. It is a great opportunity to network and find someone who can help make your comic come to life! Do you have an idea for a comic? Tell us in the comments. You might just connect with the right person!
On Saturday, July 27, I had my first big interview with WEBTOON Original creator Snailords. Ironically, I bumped into Snailords on my way to the interview and we walked together to the private room where we were holding the interview. Stay tuned for my interview article starring Snailords. I will be posting it within the next two weeks!
After the interview, I sat down for the Digital Comics and The Fandom Multiverse: 10 Years of WEBTOON U.S. panel, which delved into the history behind WEBTOON’s expansion into the United States and starred three original creators as panelists. You can read my official panel coverage here. I loved learning about WEBTOON from the creators’ perspectives, and it gave me further encouragement to start my own series of comics. After the panel, I talked briefly with WEBTOON creator uru-chan, who was kind enough to sign my badge. I then got my copy of Third Shift Society signed by Meredith Moriarty, who was also kind enough to sit down with me and chat about webcomics and my aspirations of being a comic creator. Would you be interested in reading a spotlight article featuring Meredith Moriarty? Tell us in the comments.
We talked so much, that I lost track of time and arrived late for the Game Creator Connection event, which is the sister event of the Comic Creator Connection “speed-dating” event. It was fully booked by the time I arrived, but that didn’t stop me from talking to the other attendees. In my opinion, Comic-Con is not only a place to learn inside secrets and buy exclusive merchandise, but it is also a place for like-minded folks to come together. I may have missed talking to the GCC mentors, but regardless, I connected with incredibly talented and enthusiastic individuals.
Next, I got my copy of Lost in the Never Woods signed by Aiden Thomas. If you love Peter Pan retellings, you will love Lost in the Never Woods. You can buy a copy from Barnes & Noble. Frankly, it is one of my favorite retellings of all time, so I felt blessed to meet Aiden and have him sign my copy. After the book signing, I attended another networking event for aspiring comic creators and went home, highly anticipating the following day.
On Sunday, July 28, I arrived early and got in line for one of the most popular giveaways of SDCC. For every day of Comic-Con, BoxLunch was giving away bags of merch to the first few hundred people in line. For the first three days, I took one look at the line and thought to myself, “Maybe tomorrow.” To be expected, the line was possibly a mile or two long, so I gave up for three days in a row. But today, I was determined to get my goodie bag. I waited two hours in line, talked to other attendees, and at last, arrived at the BoxLunch truck and got my bag. Ultimately, I ended up with a deluxe Tinker Bell Funko Pop and a mini Demon Slayer figure. I am a massive fan of Tinker Bell so, don’t judge, it was worth the wait! I even got a coupon for a future purchase!
After grabbing my goodie bag, I interviewed indie author Jessica Brawner, who launched a new book in March that my fellow convention connoisseurs may appreciate. Stay tuned for my spotlight article on Charisma +1: The Guide to Convention Etiquette (For Everyone)! I read my copy on-route to the convention and it gave me the boost of confidence I needed. Believe it or not, I suffer from occasional social anxiety that affects my daily life and comic convention experiences. I can become easily overwhelmed, so this book helped me out of my shell and reminded me that I am not alone when it comes to these feelings. It also made me laugh, so that’s a solid bonus!
Next, I toured the Jazwares booth to get a closer look at their latest line of Pokémon figures. They were selling an SDCC exclusive set, featuring key Pokémon from the Kanto region, such as Mew, Mewtwo, Meowth, Pikachu, and the starters’ final forms. According to the box, there were only 500 in existence. I already own a few Jazwares products, so I was incredibly excited to get my hands on this set. When I asked Brand Manager Aaron Margolin about their relationship with the Pokémon franchise, he said, “We are a team of fans. Every member of the Pokémon team at Jazwares is a die-hard fan. We keep up with the games, and we actively watch the show. It’s because we live and breathe this, it allows us to put our hearts into it.”
Margolin clarified that, to them, Pokémon is much more than a card game or TV show. “It’s about being friends, it’s about teamwork, it’s about having your own style. There’s no wrong way to be a Pokémon trainer.” As a massive Pokémon fan, I loved the reassurance that came with him saying this. There is, indeed, no wrong way to be a Pokémon trainer.
After the interview with Jessica and Jazwares, I spent the last few hours of Comic-Con exploring Artist Alley and the Exhibition Hall. First, I bought a Hazbin Hotel shirt from Hot Topic and an X-Men ’97-themed crossbody bag from the Her Universe booth before it officially sold out. I love Hazbin Hotel and grew up watching X-Men: Evolution, so I was happy to pull out my wallet and represent. Did you also watch X-Men: Evolution during the early 2000s? Who is your favorite X-Men and why?
I talked with authors in the Small Press section and bought several goodies, including signed copies of original graphic novels from my favorite independent bookstore Mysterious Galaxy, and other vendors. If you want Ghostbusters with a feminist twist, read Ghost Roast written by sister authors Shawnelle and Shawneé Gibbs, who beautifully pitched it to me in the last hour of Comic-Con, and illustrated by Emily Cannon. I saw their copy of Ghost Roast on display, fell in love with the art style, and talked briefly with the sisters. I was entranced by their enthusiasm and wanted a copy pronto, so I raced back to the Mysterious Galaxy booth and snagged an additional copy of Squad, a fast-paced and feminist graphic novel written and illustrated by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle that turns mean girls like the Heathers into bloodthirsty werewolves.
I bought the last hard copy of Jackie and the Magical Guys by author Amy Linsamouth, who was kind enough to chat with me and sign my copy. She also warned me that her graphic novel contains some “cringe” not suitable for children sixteen and younger, so if you are within that age range, save this book for when you turn seventeen! And, at the literal last minute, I bought signed volumes one through three of Mystery Babylon by comic creator Val Hochberg. I first discovered her webcomic on WEBTOON CANVAS when it debuted back in 2021. I love her art style and sense of humor! When the main lights went out, I, unfortunately, knew it was time to go and I made my way slowly to the entrance. Meanwhile, vendors were scrambling to pack up or sell the last of their supplies.
All in all, I had a great time touring SDCC for a second time and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to have a fun time, meet new people, buy exclusive merchandise, and learn groundbreaking news first-hand. What did you like most about my second trip to San Diego Comic-Con? Tell us in the comments.
See you next year at SDCC 2025! In the meantime, read my My San Diego Comic-Con Survival Guide and learn what to do in preparation for the biggest and greatest convention in California!
