Forget the movie stars. Fandom, cosplay rule at scaled-down San Diego Comic-Con
‘Special Edition’ event draws thousands to the San Diego Convention Center
Robin — minus Batman — posed for photos with a blond Elvis Presley who never seemed to tire of saying, “Thank you very much.”
Scooby-Doo searched for Shaggy, Scooby snacks and The Mystery Machine while a huge Geoffrey the giraffe from the nearly defunct Toys “R” Us strolled around with his “handler.”
A Storm Trooper from Star Wars checked his cell phone for messages — maybe from a caller in Tatooine?
Yep, it’s Comic-Con weekend in San Diego, although not the same weekend as usual.
This was a special-edition version of the pop-culture bonanza, pushed from its usual spot in July due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Day Two of the scaled-down, three-day event at the San Diego Convention Center was largely absent of the star-studded Hollywood A-list draws it has boasted in years past.
But lines filled with the usual suspects (Spider-Man, Ghostbusters and Captain America were popular) were still plenty long Saturday morning for entrance to popular exhibits, workshops, panels — and a few merchandise giveaway opportunities.
Booths were filled with mainstream items like comic books and clothing, but crafters also had their space. Samantha Smith, 25, of Medford, Ore., was busy selling Amigurumi toys — adorable Japanese-style handmade crocheted dolls that included Wonder Woman, Batman and Thor.
And while veteran cosplayers are familiar with Comic-Con’s strict costume weapons inspection process, all participants had to pass through a new check-in procedure, this one for COVID-19. Outside the convention center, cosplayers and “regular folks” alike all donned facemasks and stood in line to show a required proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test result that was taken on or after Nov. 23 in order to gain access.
Before making his way to a morning panel, Los Angeles resident Bob Kellough spent some time adjusting his face mask, stating that he wanted to be sure that he would not be asked to leave. He said he was definitely thinking about the COVID-19 variant that has just started to be reported — named Omicron — and wanted to be sure he was protected.
“It’s nice to be around a crowd again, you know, and just kind of enjoy the atmosphere,” said Kellough, who donned a full neon green body suit, saying he was the “Green Screen for Spider-Man.”
Kellough has been to Comic-Cons before, but it was the first visit to the San Diego event for his wife, Beth, who dressed all in black with black glasses, going as “Spider-Man Noir.”
DC Comics’ lesser-known Hawkman and Hawkwoman, portrayed by cosplayers Andy Holt and Anna Yeutter, said they were vaccinated and “boosted” and were not overly concerned about the spread of COVID-19. The pair sported brightly colored brown and white feathers for wings, yellow hawk masks and blue tights, and carried 3-foot long poles with spiky metal balls on the end.
Holt, from Irvine, said he was a little disappointed because there were fewer booths and not as many big vendors or toy manufacturers with large-scale setups. But he said he had planned to come no matter what, joking that he “felt it was time to fly the coop for one day.”
Redondo Beach resident Yeutter said they had been to other festivals in the last few months, including the Star Trek convention in August in Las Vegas and FanX Convention in September in Salt Lake City and that with the San Diego event so close to home, “We needed to spread our wings just a little bit.”
Not everybody was dressed up for the occasion. Oceanside resident Velanda Joyner, in a black shirt and pants, has been attending Comic-Cons for 15 or 20 years but was able to enjoy the event through the eyes of her friend’s nephew, 13-year-old Trenton Roberts.
Dressed as Captain America, Trenton was stopped inside the venue by an adult version of the same superhero, who shared some sage advice.
“You are what our future looks like — it will be up to you to fight the good fight,” a wide-eyed Trenton was told, as Joyner snapped photos of the two shield-holding heroes.
Joyner said she appreciated this year’s more intimate Comic-Con.
“It’s easier to get around and easier to do what you want to do,” she said. “I’m just happy that it’s open. I’m glad we’re here.”
Comic-Con’s 2021 finale is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
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