Could San Diego Comic-Con Possibly Happen in 2021?
2020 was a unique year. The COVID-19 outbreak threw a wrench in everyone’s plans, especially the summer 2020 convention schedule. San Diego Comic-Con moved its programming online and became Comic-Con@Home. Exhibitors, artists, and vendors worked to move their storefronts online. Panels were free for everyone to stream online. In October 2020, when hopefuls would huddle around their computers for the opportunity to buy the coveted badges, Comic-Con International announced that there would be no badge sales for San Diego Comic-Con 2021. The only attendees would be those who had transferred their badge from 2020 to 2021.
Here we are in January 2021. California is still dealing with COVID-19 cases. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are being deployed, with more vaccines coming on the horizon. The uncertainty remains. Like last year, other conventions are closely watching San Diego Comic-Con to decide whether there will be in-person events this summer.
The official San Diego Comic-Con website still has the dates set for July 22- 25, 2021, with Preview Night on July 21, 2021. Currently, the San Diego Convention Center is being used as shelter for the homeless through January 2021, with proposals to extend it through March 2021. Comic-Con International Chief of Communications and Strategy David Glanzer said the following:
“I don’t think anything is off the table, but scenarios can change rapidly. But if there’s a surge [in cases] or something happens, it can be shut down very quickly. There’s just so many variables that I don’t think any of us have ever had to deal with before, short of a natural disaster.”
Comic-Con is the polar opposite of social distancing. Crowds pack together in exhibit halls, hunting for exclusives. Fans sit together in Hall H and B20, among other conference rooms, waiting to hear the latest announcements. People spend a lot of time together waiting in lines. Personal hygiene becomes questionable as many literally camp out for days. Attendees joked of “Con Flu” that many get after the convention is over.
The Comic-Con as we know it will look different in 2021 and beyond. Public spaces have adopted social distancing and sanitizing stations (although some San Diegans joked that a social distanced line for Hall H would probably stretch all the way to Tijuana). A Comic-Con@Home may happen again in 2021. Glanzer commented:
“Is it going to be 100% online? Is it a hybrid? Those are questions we just can’t answer yet."
Chris Andaya of the ComicConTenders, a group of fans and podcasters who embrace the Comic-Con culture, thinks that a hybrid approach will drive future events for a while, especially since it opens up access for everyone.
“Maybe less in-person badges, and maybe offer a virtual badge with specific panel access to keep on-site numbers a bit lower.”
This is likely now that online meetings are a norm.
Another SDCC veteran, Heidi MacDonald, who runs the comics culture site The Beat, points out that events could be set up outdoors, avoiding the poorly-ventilated convention halls. San Diego’s beautiful weather can make this possible.
Glanzer emphasizes that safety will ultimately guide the event.
“It really has to do with the safety of our fan base. Whether it be exhibitors, whether it be creators or panel presenters, I think everybody would love to have an in-person show, but equally, everybody wants to make sure that they are safe and the fans that they met are safe as well.”
San Diego Comic-Con has been a memorable experience for all attendees. It has grown from a small gathering of comic lovers exchanging boxes of comics in someone’s garage to a literal celebration of pop culture. This is where you can come face to face with your favorite stars. As strangers come together at a sporting event to share their love for their team, strangers come together at Comic-Con to share their love for their common interest. Friendships are made in lines. New fandoms are discovered in panels. Fans made the most of it with Comic-Con@Home last year. They printed their own badges, made their own signs, and even dressed up for the virtual panels. Whatever format San Diego Comic-Con may take this year and beyond, the fans will prevail.
Source(s): IGN, SDCC Unofficial Blog