the coronavirus pandemic have canceled or postponed everything from the Tokyo Olympics to the Tour de France this year. That includes the massive in-person cultural explosion known as San Diego Comic-Con.
But this summer, fans can join a different type of reunion. Organizers are planning Comic-Con @ Home, a digital version of the event, from July 22 to 26. A preview video boasts of the free parking and the comfortable chairs, custom refreshments, and lack of lines that come with the convention experience at home. Here is a guide to everything we know so far about how Comic-Con @ Home will work.
The Basics of Comic-Con 2020
Comic-Con @ Home will take place online July 22-26 and, unlike the real-world event, is free. But just like the actual event, there are expected to be over 350 panels featuring the world’s most famous actors, writers, and names from television, movies, games, and comics.
Comic-Con panels generally reveal teasers, trailers, and news from the world of entertainment. Online dashboards should still brag about some of that, though with so many movie delays due to COVID-19, some movies and shows may not be as advanced as usual, and they may not have ready previews yet. to show.
All panels will be pre-recorded, The Wrap reported on July 6, so there will be no live fan interaction with panelists. Still, some shows, like the Netflix animated show The Dragon Prince, have invited fans to submit questions for their panels.
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How to follow along
Subscribe now to Comic-Con’s official YouTube channel and sign up for notifications. That way, the latest news will be sent to you once the panels are posted online. You can also check Comic-Con’s official Toucan blog for the latest. SDCC’s unofficial blog is also a great place for news and news.
Hot panels to search
Who will participate? All the world! If you are addicted to science fiction, fantasy, animation or comics, this is your scam. Search for everything from huge Hollywood panels to small independent comic book panels. We can’t list them all, but here are six to keep in mind.
The Walking Dead
Chris Hardwick, who presents The Walking Dead after the Talking Dead show, will moderate a panel on the AMC zombie show. Cast members Norman Reedus (Daryl), Melissa McBride (Carol), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Negan) and Lauren Cohan (Maggie) will be featured, as well as executive producers Greg Nicotero and Scott Gimple, and showrunner Angela Kang.
Date and time to announce
Bob’s Burgers
Light the grill. Loren Bouchard, creator of Bob’s Burgers, and his cast of voices, including H. Jon Benjamin (Bob), John Roberts (Linda), Kristen Schaal (Louise), Eugene Mirman (Gene), Dan Mintz (Tina), and Larry Murphy ( Teddy) will discuss Fox’s animated comedy and answer questions from fans.
Date and time to announce
Marvel’s 616
the Yes, Marvel will be featured at Virtual Comic-Con 2020. This is what is planned It is vast and complex. Marvel’s 616 is an anthology series coming to Disney Plus, and each episode will explore a different corner of the Marvel Universe. Writer and presenter Angélique Roché will moderate the panel, which will include directors Gillian Jacobs and Paul Scheer and executive producers Sarah Amos and Jason Sterman.
Thursday, July 23, 1 p.m. PT
The right thing
The Apollo moon landing was over 50 years ago, but it still fascinates almost anyone who has looked at the sky. The new Disney Plus original series, The Right Stuff, is a scripted series reminiscent of the early days of the space program, following seven astronauts as they prepare to make history. Royal NASA royalty will help with this: Former astronaut Mae Jemison will moderate the panel, which will include the huge cast, as well as showrunner Mark Lafferty and executive producer Jennifer Davisson.
Saturday, July 25, 1 p.m. PT
Bill and Ted face the music
Guys, be great with each other. Bill & Ted Face the Music reunites Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter as the best middle-aged rock friends, who have their own daughters. Filmmaker Kevin Smith, yes, that Kevin Smith will moderate the panel, which will include Reeves, Winter, director Dean Parisot, and writers Ed Solomon and Chris Matheson.
Date and time to announce
The new mutants
Some superhero movies are horrible, but a superhero horror movie? The New Mutants movie hopes to do just that. The New Mutants are a group of teenage mutant heroes in training, a spin-off from the Marvel X-Men universe. Maisie Williams of Game of Thrones fame and Charlie Heaton of Stranger Things are among the stars who will be on this virtual panel.
Thursday, July 23, 2 p.m. PT
Cosplay, but not in person
It’s hard to imagine Comic-Con without the colorful and creative cosplayers attending the convention dressed as superheroes to anime characters, robots, and mythological creatures. Sadly, this year no one will bump into the Hulk in the hallway on the way to buy a hot dog, but organizers say there will be a virtual version of the event’s annual masquerade, her cosplay showcase.
“Calling all clients!” The tweet started. “For this year’s virtual masquerade, one page will be our stage. Attendees can view their entry as a video presentation or a series of photos showing off their cosplay talents on the official Comic-Con Tumblr page.” A linked page provides more specific details. Tickets are limited to a maximum of 50, so request it soon if you expect to be one of them.
Calling all customers! For this year’s virtual masquerade, one page will be our stage. Attendees can view their entry as a video presentation or a series of photos showing off their cosplay talents on the official Comic-Con Tumblr page. For more details visit https://t.co/JGYfTndGRJ pic.twitter.com/qJ5rhoeap4
– San Diego Comic-Con (@Comic_Con) July 7, 2020
Masquerade’s website will launch on July 23, though entries will be evaluated in advance and winners will be announced online on July 24.
If cosplay is not your thing, perhaps chalk art is? Comic-Con is inviting interested fans to submit photos of their own chalk masterpieces for the entire family. Selected entries will be displayed on the convention website or on social media.
To buy stuff
Comic-Con is so big that visitors need a map of the showroom to have any hope of finding their way. The same goes for the virtual version. On July 22, the Comic-Con @ Home online showroom will open. The interactive floor plan will allow visitors to click on a representative display of exhibitors and will include “company listings, exclusive products for sale, promotional links” and more, the organization says. Promotional links and company listings seem like a yawn to us, but limited-edition products can be interesting. We will have to see what is offered.
Reserve it
Comic-Con still plans to publish a 2020 scrapbook to celebrate the big event. The book is usually a full-color paperback book delivered to all attendees free of charge. This year’s book will be a downloadable PDF, and should be available around July 23. It includes biographies and photos of event guests, tributes to industry stars who died last year, special comics, and articles. This year’s edition will mark events including the 100th anniversary of late science fiction author Ray Bradbury, and the 50th anniversary of Conan the Barbarian’s first appearance in the comics. Fans were able to submit items and artwork earlier in the year.
Honor writers
Six writers are being honored with the Bill Finger Prize, which honors the memory of William Finger, the first Batman writer. The organizers of the convention decided that it wouldn’t be fair to honor a live recipient in a year when that person doesn’t have an event to attend in person, so all six awards go to writers who have died. Their biographies are rich and can be read on the Comic-Con website.
See you next year?
Comic-Con organizers expect a regular in-person meeting in San Diego in 2021, though from the way the coronavirus pandemic is unfolding, no one knows if that will be possible. For now, Comic-Con 2021 is scheduled for July 22-25 at the sprawling San Diego Convention Center.
