In spite of the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which led to many big networks and studios pulling out of highly-anticipated panels this year, San Diego Comic-Con 2023 did not disappoint. What started out as a simple comic book convention in 1970s has remained the nation’s largest premiere comic, movie, and pop culture phenomenon. 

The streets around the Comic-Con convention had already erupted into a circus by 7:00 in the morning until the doors opened at 9am, when a variety of cosplayers and patrons start making their way towards the San Diego Convention Center packed like sardines in a uniformed line into the main exhibit floor.

Here are just some of the sights, sounds, and exhibitions we encountered!

THE EXHIBITS

Once in the exhibit main floor, various vendors showcased their work and/or played a part of the exhibition. From Bandai products selling model robots, to Blizzard selling video games and merch. Blizzard also celebrated their 15th anniversary of World of Warcraft. From autographed books to signed posters and collectibles, it’s definitely action-packed inside the main hall. There was so much going on, our attention got pulled in every direction!

Despite the busy exhibits, the main thing that caught our eye was the popularity of the Tamagotchi -- a digital pet that anyone of all ages can take care of which first gained popularity in the '90s. You feed it when it gets hungry, play with it, and yes, you’re digital pet can also die from neglect. We were blown away by the continued popularity of this product decades later. The exclusive they gave away was the Tamagotchi “GROGU”. People stood in line just to get this and was usually sold out within the first hour or less. 

THE ACTIVATIONS

The interactive experience that caught our attention most was Hulu’s “Animayhem”. It starts by zapping you into an itty-bitty person, then your journey begins through the cartoon set of “Solar Opposites”: Inside the Wall. As you walk through the set as a shrunken human, you’ll eventually end up at the dome where you’ll meet Judy Tobin and her imaginary best friend, a projection of Alanis Morissette. It’s an interactive experience where fans get to ask Alanis any questions while she answers. 

Other sets that can be seen right outside are “American Dad”, “Family Guy”, “Archer”, “The Simpsons”, "Futurama", and “Bob’s Burgers”, where they were passing out some delicious sliders and fries. 

THE COSPLAYERS

As usual, the cosplaying community brought their A-game to the annual geekfest, and as usual we were blown away by the talent and creativity of some of these people! Here are a few of our very favorites that we saw:

THE GASLAMP

Let’s be real. As much as fun as was to see all the cool stuff inside the convention, the real party was outside in the Gaslamp District, where you don't need any kind of badge to get in and join the fun. Some of the things that caught our eye included Batman fighting with Joker, a group of Super Mario Bros. cosplay characters riding their bikes around, Activations outside the convention, and some giveaways. It was definitely a big, outdoor party.

THE STRIKE

Although this year’s SDCC had a noticeably different vibe due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, as there were very limited special celebrity appearances or Q&A panels with any actors, that did not stop the multitude of people who came out to experience Comic-Con. After all, isn't that what Comic-Con is really all about?

See you next year, San Diego!