San Diego Comic Con 2016 starts this week with Preview Night on Wednesday, July 20, 2016, and several GeekDad and GeekMom writers will be attending. Here are all of the things we’re most excited about!
Will James
The Game of Thrones Hall of Faces
It should be no surprise to anyone that Game of Thrones will be all over SDCC, but this year attendees will be given a chance to go into a replica of the House of Black and White and become No One in the Hall of Faces! In addition to having your face digitally placed onto one of the towers, you’ll also have a chance to look into Melisandre’s Flames, sit on the Iron Throne, pose with Needle, and see Arya, Jaquen, and the Waif’s costumes. The first 500 attendees each day will also get a free Funko Pop! Figure and a “Beautiful Death” poster.
American Gods
Anybody who knows me, knows that I am a huge Neil Gaiman fan, and like many of his fans, I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for an American Gods adaptation. The panel on Friday in Room 6BCF will include Ricky Whittle, Ian McShane, Yetide Badaki, Pablo Schreiber, Bruce Langley, Michael Green, Bryan Fuller, and Neil Gaiman. I don’t know if I’ll get in, but I’d love to hear the cast (and Gaiman) speak and maybe get a peek at the upcoming show.
Preacher
I keep meaning to write about Preacher, and I will soon because it is my favorite comic book adaptation. Every week I walk away thinking about how amazingly well-done Preacher is. There will be a panel in Hall H on Friday that will include a live stage reading of the penultimate season one episode with the cast. The line will probably start sometimes on Thursday so I won’t get to attend the panel, but, on the bright side, I did get invited to a Preacher press conference, so I’ll be interviewing not only Preacher creator Garth Ennis but the cast as well!
Cosplay
I love cosplay. It’s my favorite part of any convention I go to. Not only do I love seeing all the great cosplay and watching the competitions, but I love wearing my own. I’ll be bringing my Ashitaka cosplay to SDCC along with my brand new Keith (from the new Voltron) cosplay. I’ve heard the masquerade at SDCC is pretty intense, and I can’t wait to watch.
Exclusives
If I only get one exclusive at SDCC it’s going to be the Saga action figures.
Aside from that set, Hasbro has a whole slew of great looking exclusives including Transformers, Star Wars, My Little Pony, Micronauts, Marvel, and GI Joe. I can’t come close to affording all of them, but I don’t know if I can pass up snagging that Windblade.
Corrina Lawson
I’ve never been to San Diego Comic Con, and this trip is something of a belated 50th birthday present to myself, as I also just attended the national convention of the Romance Writers of America.
I’m most looking forward to interviews with DC Comics creators Christopher Priest, Mark Russell, Tom King, Scott Snyder and Nicola Scott, especially since King has been something of a mystery to me until now. I’ll also have a chance to interview Gail Simone about her work on Red Sonja.
I’m also hoping to tell Kate Beaton in person how much I love her work at the Scholastic Event on Thursday night. 
And then, the one television property that I’d been waiting for finally came through with an invite to the press room. I’m so looking forward to talking to the cast and creators of Wynonna Earp, my favorite new show.
And here’s hoping I have a chance to check out the costume and prop displays from the new Wonder Woman movie!
Jim MacQuarrie
I’ve been a regular attendee at Comic-Con since 1981, so I’ve become a creature of habit there. It’s a social event for me; what I do most is wander around and catch up with all the people that I only see once a year, as well as the cartoonists and industry folks that I see all the time. I avoid both Hall H and Ballroom 20 like the plague, unless somebody specifically asks me to cover a particular event and provides a pass so I don’t have to camp out overnight in order to be there. Since I really don’t like standing in lines, I haven’t tried to get a Con Exclusive anything since about 2009, and that trend looks like it will continue.
The convention’s slogan is “Celebrating the Popular Arts,” but my purpose in going is to celebrate the unpopular ones; the obscure and forgotten stuff; you’ll find me in the panels spotlighting forgotten comic artists and writers of the 1940s-70s, the cartoon voice artist panels, the Oddball Comics show, the annual Quick Draw game in which Scott Shaw! and another cartoonist (it changes from year to year) vainly struggle to keep up with Sergio Aragonés…. basically any panel that Mark Evanier is putting on.
Photo by Jareed, used under a Creative Commons license.
When I’m not rummaging in the bargain bins for Silver Age comics (Angel & the Ape, Metal Men, Metamorpho, Stanley and His Monster, Plop!, Not Brand Ecch! anything else that looks goofy), I’ll be doing some interviews (including John Ficcara, editor-in-chief of MAD), visiting some favorite vendors, and loitering around various artist friends’ booths and tables.
Photos by Jim MacQuarrie
Also, for the first time since 1982, I’m indulging in a bit of cosplay; if you see the Ro-Man from Robot Monster strolling around, that’s me.
Kishore Hari
This is my second SDCC. The first one was a blur–I plan on focusing on a few gems rather than trying to cover too much. For me, that means visiting a few favorite artists in the exhibit hall, popping into a couple of small panels, especially the science ones, and catching up with friends and colleagues over terrible convention food.
The Killing Joke
We all have formative moments in our geekdom. The first time I saw comics as a lifelong passion was when I read the wonderfully wicked graphic novel, The Killing Joke. I was only 11 when I first read it (probably a bit too young for the tragic themes), but it shaped my love of Batman forever. This SDCC brings the premiere of the first ever R-rated DC Animated Universe movie, an adaptation of that great piece. The DCAU, which has been the shining light compared to its live action sibling, with soon-to-be classic movies such as The Flashpoint Paradox, Under the Red Hood, and Justice League: Doom, now brings one of the most iconic Batman storylines, with the dream team of Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy returning as the Joker and Batman, respectively, to the screen. While the premiere in Ballroom 20 is sure to be beyond crowded, the movie also releases nationwide in select theaters on Monday, July 25th.
Paul Dini
Paul Dini is a DC Animation writing legend. His credits include Batman:TAS and the beloved Arkham Asylum and Arkham City games. His appearance at the SDCC is focused on a true story–his own personal struggle with self-worth and esteem amidst all the external success. His new graphic novel, Dark Knight: A True Batman Story, relays incredibly personal tales, amidst the imagined Joker and Batman figures in his mind. Paul will be participating in numerous conversations, panels, and signings to discuss, though none may live up to his recent appearance on the Nerdist Podcast.
#AdamIncognito
Every year, Adam Savage takes his cosplay directly to the exhibit hall floor with his part game/part celebration #AdamIncognito. He dons a costume and tries to make it across the entire SDCC floor without being spotted, dropping hints via Twitter along the way (he usually doesn’t get too far). This year is no different, with two different walks planned. I’m sure the costumes will be intricate, bizarre, and come with many stories. For those who don’t know, Adam is a champion of cosplaying, even giving a recent TED talk on his lifetime love affair to the medium. Full disclosure–I work for Adam Savage’s site Tested.com.
If you see as at the convention, feel free to stop us and say hello. What are you most looking forward to about SDCC 2016?
