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It’s less than a week to one of the biggest geek parties of the year, Comic-Con in San Diego, and this year, a contingent of four GeekMoms–Corrina, Patricia, Karen, and Majk–and one GeekDad-Sean Z-will be there to bring you coverage of everything from television to comic to fashion, and the Eisner Awards.
Please follow along with our live updates on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!
Here’s what we have planned.
Patricia: Cosplay, Schedules, Star Trek, SpongeBob, and Terror
This is Patricia’s first time attending SDCC and she couldn’t be more excited. In fact, while she’s at work, running her sons around, and enjoying her garden this summer, random thoughts about next weekend will pop into her head. Constantly. For example, in the middle of the night earlier this week, Patricia woke up in a panic: she had input the panels and interviews into her iPhone calendar, forgetting that when she flies from Colorado to California, the time zone shift will make all of the appointments one hour later! Yikes! She immediately made that correction.
Patricia has also been putting the finishing touches on the costumes she’s bringing along, although with the number of press interactions she has on the schedule, as well as the warm weather, she’s starting to question whether she can really do the costumes. Just the same, if she ends up in costume, she’s most likely going to be in the same red Star Trek TOS dress she wore on Day 1 of Denver Pop Culture Con in late May.
In terms of coverage, Patricia is the most excited about all the television announcements that tend to come out during SDCC. She promises to cover these events in real time for GeekMom. She’s currently negotiating press access for the following events:
CBS has announced two new Star Trek television series and SDCC guests will be treated to several panels and events. Patricia is particularly interested in learning more about the upcoming series Star Trek: Picard, starring Sir Patrick Stewart, and Star Trek: Lower Decks, CBS’s newest animated series. Both of these series will be made available this fall on CBS All Access.
Nickelodeon Studios is hosting several events in honor of SpongeBob Squarepants’ 20th birthday this year. Patricia’s family turned SpongeBob Squarepants into their own Saturday morning cartoon tradition, since before her sons were born. Today, the family still laughs up a storm at the show, but Patricia will admit that the earliest episodes are by far her favorite. She is negotiating interviews with Tom Kenny and Bill Fagerbakke, the voices of SpongeBob and Patrick, respectively.
AMC Networks is bringing back their acclaimed limited series The Terror, with their season 2, titled The Terror: Infamy. The second season will feature a completely different fact-based fiction plot, compared to season one’s Arctic setting. George Takei stars in the ten-episode second season, set in a Japanese internment camp. Patricia had heard some teasers about the second season during Denver Pop Culture Con when she was at George Takei’s Celebrity Spotlight in June . Patricia is looking forward to the cast and crew panel on July 19th.
Turner Networks has announced several events for SDCC. Patricia is particularly interested in seeing a screener for TBS’s new series, Snowpiercer, a followup to the 2013 Korean film and 1982 French graphic novel. Academy Award-winner Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind) and Tony Award-winner Daveed Diggs (Hamilton) will star in the series as passengers on a train that carries what’s left of humankind on a train that circles the earth in the years following a global cooling.
Finally, Patricia and her family have thoroughly enjoyed the NBC series Superstore, starring America Ferrera. She was excited to see plans to set up a Cloud 9 department store in the lobby of the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego.
There are many other great events that CBS, NBC, FX Networks, Turner Networks, Nickelodeon Networks, Netflix, and Amazon Prime are all showing off next weekend. Patricia is looking forward to it all. It did not go unnoticed that ABC and Disney are keeping on the down low during SDCC, probably saving their coverage for their own D23 Expo event occurring in August in Anaheim.
Corrina: Museums, Panels, and Emergence
When she first started receiving notices about the new Comic-Con Museum in San Diego, Corrina was more interested in that the Con itself. Could it rival what she called the geekiest museum on Earth, the Museum of Pop Culture (formerly the EMP) in Seattle?
She’ll find out on Wednesday, July 17, as the museum opens in the early afternoon for a special press preview before the big, swanky opening night event, The Gathering. And for those in San Diego and unable to make the opening night and, alas, have no Comic-Con tickets, the museum will have a special free pop-up exhibit in San Diego’s Balboa Park during Comic Con, The Batman Experience:
Soar over Gotham City in the Dark Knight Dive, a breathtaking VR skydive for guests 13+. Knock out classic criminals in an immersive boxing challenge, Rogues Gallery Rumble. Play iconic Batman video games in the Batcave, and take a ride with Alfred in WB and Intel’s Wayne Technologies Autonomous Vehicle Experience — all surrounded by authentic pieces on loan from the WB archives.
Down at the Comic Con itself, on Thursday, Corrina, drawn by the female executive producers and lead, will be covering the press room for ABC’s new show, Emergence:
Beyond explanation…beyond understanding…lies the truth. Join the Cast and Executive Producers for a first look at the pilot episode of ABC’s new drama series “Emergence” followed by an exciting panel discussion.
This character-driven genre thriller follows a police chief who takes in a young child she finds near the site of a mysterious accident who has no memory of what has happened. The investigation draws her into a conspiracy larger than she ever imagined, and the child’s identity is at the center of it all.
The press room participants should include Executive Producers Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters; cast members Allison Tolman, Donald Faison, Alexa Swinton, Owain Yeoman, Ashley Aufderheide, Robert Bailey Jr., and Zabryna Guevara.
Moving onto Friday: Corrina has a panel of her own to attend: 
And, last but not least, on Saturday, she also plans to attend the panel: Women of Marvel: 10 Years and 200 Episodes, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, which will feature host Sana Amanat (VP of Content and Character Development, Marvel) and Judy Stephens (producer, Marvel).
MAJK: Teaching With Comics, Anime, Artists Alley, the Her Universe Fashion Show & More!
MAJK has attended many cons but never SDCC. Aside from being a bit nervous returning to her home state of California for the first time in decades she couldn’t be more excited. She intends to focus primarily on Comic related events but she’s not limiting herself. Given the overwhelming number of exciting and interesting events this year there’s a lot on her agenda.
Wednesday night
MAJK hopes to checkout Teaching with Comics: An Interactive Workshop for Educators which lists as a hands-on workshop designed for educators looking to integrate comics into classrooms. Having taken a class called Gender Through Comic Books years ago. MAJK is interested in seeing what this workshop has to offer, you can bet if it’s good, she’ll be telling you about it.
No convention would be complete for MAJK without some Anime indulgence and there’s plenty for an Otaku even on preview night.
She hopes to hit up that night include Pokémon Detective Pikachu. having a Pokémon superfan in her house guarantees she won’t pass up exploring the city and capturing a few Instagram-worthy moments in the neon cityscape, and the Ryme City marketplace. She might have to see if the Pokémon Go app works there. What better place to capture rare Pokémon?
If she can fit in some time to check out the toys/collectibles at The Dragon Ball World Adventure co-sponsored and presented jointly by Bandai and Toei Animation, you can bet she will.
With viewing options like Outlaw Star, Twin Star Exorcists, the Dirty Pair OVA, and Dimension W; there’s a good chance MAJK will tank up on some “Anime and Chill” time before the real fun starts. That’s assuming one of her partners in crime doesn’t drag her to The Adventures of Captain Marvel.
Thursday
MAJK is super excited about wandering Artist Alley. It’s safe to say that’s her favorite spot in any convention. Seeing emerging and established authors interacting with their fans was part of the inspiration for Con Artist. She’s hoping to find some more artists to spotlight.
One panel on her must see list is Entertainment Is LGBTQ, a joint effort by BOOM! Studios and GLAAD. This in-depth roundtable discussion about LGBTQ representation in pop culture and the path forward to a brighter, more inclusive future, involves panelists from all corners of the entertainment world, including many of comic artists and writers that grace MAJK’s pull list.
After her interview with Noah Hayes (The Avant-Guards) MAJK hopes to make it to Image Comics: Bone-Chilling Insight into Bestselling Horror Comic Books as two writers that she’s a huge fan of are on the panel Kieron Gillen (Die), and Chuck Brown (Bitter Root). Then choosing between panels like Farscape: The Official 20th Anniversary, Women on the Dark Side, is proving to be a challenge. Anybody got a cloning device?
Whatever happens Thursday afternoon MAJK’s going to be making it a point to hit up certain booths like Booth # 1231 the SDCC location for one of her favorite webcomic artist Lar deSouza. She’s also going to try to find Adam Gorham artist for Punk Mambo and beg him to sign my copy of Punk Mambo #1.
The Her Universe Fashion Show is top on MAJK’s Thursday evening list of want-to-do’s. Having spent years in Jeans and nerdy t-shirts she’s completely excited about joining her Geek Mom colleagues at this event. Nerd Fashion is timeless fashion. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. MAJK’s excited for this event.
Friday
MAJK’s Friday is packed as she will be interviewing Impact Theory Comics talent Tom Bilyeu and Eisner winner Jim Krueger. Their comic, Neon Future, is set roughly 30 years in the future in an America that has outlawed advanced technology. A civil war is brewing between the Augmented, an oppressed class of people who have chosen to integrate technology into their bodies, and the Authentic, who have not. The resistance movement “Neon Future” is led by the mysterious Kita Sovee (a character modeled after DJ Steve Aoki), who strives to bring peace, by showing the world a brighter future in harmony with technology. Even if she wasn’t a Steve Aoki fan (which she is) she’d be all over this comic. She hopes to nab one of the Neon Future #5 SDCC Limited Variants. Just look at how great they look!
After that she plans to attend the Marvel Comics: Spider-Man panel, and then a special preview of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. She’s been waiting a long time for this one. That evening she’ll join her fellow Geek Moms and some comic industry folks at the invitation-only Impact Theory Comics – SDCC 2019 party. She may not make it to the Eisner Awards but she’s still going to have a great time!
Saturday
MAJK’s starting early Saturday with the Viz Media SEIS MANOS panel, then a special screening of Dark Spectre 2, before she dives into the Marvel Comics: The Next Big Thing. With the conclusion of The War of the Realms, the Marvel Universe is going to look drastically different. MAJK’s been a Marvel comics fan since before Storm defeated Calisto to become leader of the Morlocks. She’s eager to discover what’s next for the X-Men, Avengers, and the rest of the Marvel Universe. After that she’s off to join Valiant Comics writers Cullen Bunn (PUNK MAMBO, the just-announced ROKU) and Tim Seeley (September’s BLOODSHOT) for some press time. She’s a big fan of Cullen Bunn but she’ll try to stay cool.
For the evening she’s looking forward to a panel that speaks to multiple sides of her nerdiness. Rolling the Dice: Where Comics and Role Playing Collide is a panel of secret and not-so-secret role-playing comics creators includes Kieron Gillen (DIE, The Wicked + The Divine), Jim Zub (Stone Star, Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons), Spike Trotman (Delver, Iron Circus Comics), and M. K. Reed (Delver). How cool can they get?
GeekDad’s Sean Z.: Panels, Panels, Panels, Including She-Ra, The Witcher, Brooklyn 99 & More!
When I attend conventions, I usually go for the panels. The sheer number and variety of talks you can see at San Diego Comic-Con is staggering, and while I enjoy browsing at new merch on the show floor, it’s always interesting to learn how things are created, and to hear the stories behind their creation, be it a show, a comic, or your favorite movie score.
At the moment, both Netflix’s The Witcher and DreamWorks’ She-Ra are probably the panels I’m most interested in attending – I have friends that have spoken highly Sapkowski’s book series, and I’m eager to see where Noelle Stevenson is taking She-Ra. The annual “Behind the Music” panel, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s “Take PRIDE in Comics”, “The Science of Star Trek”, and the Brooklyn 99 panel all take honorable mentions.
Beyond panels, I’m looking forward to exploring SDCC’s artist alley. Each convention I’ve attended seems to attract and accept different types of people into their artist areas: New York Comic Con, for example, has a high concentration current and former superhero comic artists, while Emerald City Comic Con tends to have a more indie and eclectic vibe; one of the reasons I love ECCC is that there are plenty of people creating queer comics. Since this is my first time at SDCC, I’m quite curious what I’ll see, and hopefully, I’ll find a few new comics to follow.
Also, I’m excited to see the exhibit of props and costumes from the new Star Trek: Picard show. Hearing GeekDad Billy talk about how he developed props for Prospect was fascinating, and I’m curious what the process is for a show like Picard – I suspect it’s come a long way since the original series (which had to smuggle in costumes via a window in the studio, as they were made with non-union labor).
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