By Guillermo Azabal |
San Diego (USA) (EFE)
A situation that, as EFE confirmed this Thursday, maintains the more than 45,000 daily attendees that the event brings together with mixed feelings that range from “disappointment” to the desire to enjoy the rest of the activities that are still in force.
the shadow of the strike
“Can I start by saying about the actors?” asked Miguel, a young man who came to the convention from Ciudad Victoria (Tamaulipas, Mexico), before answering EFE’s questions.
Immediately afterwards, he shared his disappointment and how he has redone his plan for these days at Comic-Con: “What I was most excited about was seeing the actors from sagas like Marvel or DC, but now I’m going to have to focus on getting exclusive Funko-type objects and toys.”
Meanwhile, hundreds of people of all ages dressed as Spider-Man, Batman or characters from the Star Wars saga, such as Grogu or Cassian Andor, walked through the usual and very long lines at the San Diego Convention Center, located right in the port of this city bordering Tijuana (Mexico).
“I bought my ticket 8 months ago, I’m going to try to enjoy it as much as possible even if I can’t see the stars of my favorite series,” said Stuart, a native of Vancouver (Canada), accompanied by a group of friends who share their admiration for the “Abbott Elementary” series.
This production, like “Yellowjackets” or “Interview with the Vampire”, is one of those that had designed giant posters to promote itself in the hotels and buildings surrounding Comic-Con before the strikes of SAG-AFTRA and the American Writers Collective (WGA) became official.
When the pickets began, the presence of the actors and directors of these productions was cancelled, as was that of well-known series such as “The White Lotus”, “Cobra Kai” or “The “70s Show”, among others.
The absence of Marvel and traditional exhibitors from Comic-Con
In this edition, attendees will not be the first to know who will act in the next film or the title of the new series derived from franchises like Marvel and Lucasfilm, or what will be the premieres to arrive on Netflix, HBO, Universal or Sony Pictures.
“Everything that has happened is a shame. I can’t believe that all those panels aren’t going to be held,” acknowledged Guillermo, a teenager from Riverside (California, USA), who also influenced the idea of ”better take it as a party” rather than whipping himself for not “seeing unpublished material” in what is his first Comic-Con.
This is not the case of Stephany, who is coming for the second time with her family from Palmdale (California), and has already noticed that “there are fewer alternatives and options than other years”, but she stressed that her children were still “excited” to see a preview of the new Ninja Turtles movie.
The “Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” panel; a room with costume replicas and innovative garments for sale from the “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy; several conferences with curiosities from the latest “Dungeons & Dragons” film; and the exclusive premiere of the final season of “Archer” are the most anticipated of the day.
In any case, it does not seem that this 52nd edition of Comic-Con will serve to consecrate this event after the stoppages of the pandemic, as its organizers expected.