INTI’S FIRST SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON
Article by Inti Chabert
Photos by Inti Chabert and Christian Navarrete
When Adam Mast of Cinemast.net invited me to be a part of his press crew for the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), I was ecstatic! Sure, I had been to the Salt Lake City Comic Con, now known as SLC FanX, several times, and I’ve even been to the 2017 Las Vegas Level Up Expo, but this… This was the mother of all Comic Cons; the Olympus of geekdom and nerd culture! I couldn’t wait to pack and get on the road. I was warned in advance; however, that SDCC may not be all Spider-Mans and Deadpools. In preparation for this Hajj to such a Mecca, Adam Mast gave me the talk;
“San Diego Comic-Con can be a real grind.”
My mind began to wander. Grind? I’ve grinded. I’ve grinded in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater for the original Playstation, I’ve grinded through seasons of Marvel’s “Iron Fist.” I mean, how bad could it be? It’s San Diego Comic-Con after all, a place where dreams come true. It turns out “the grind” means many hours of driving, lugging around equipment, sleeping in lines on the ground, small amounts of sleep, not showering, and eating junk for the most part for 3 days. Full disclosure; It’s not that bad. I have certainly endured worse, but the hardest part for me was the lack of showering. I have always feared being “that guy” who smells in public, but hey, I gave it a shot. Life’s about experiences after all- and baby wipes. Lots and lots of baby wipes.
So, as far as Cinemast.net press duties, the main mission that we chose to accept was to get into and attend the prestigious, and perhaps even infamous, “Hall H” at SDCC. Hall H is where many of the big celebrities, reveals, and panels are held. If you heard about the upcoming Phase 4 plans for Marvel, it came from Hall H. Did you get an exclusive sneak peek? It likely came from Hall H. To ensure we’re able to have good seats in Hall H, we arrived the first day in the late afternoon to meet up with some friends who had already been holding our spot in line for the entire day. A friendly reminder that this is not the line to get into SDCC or to grab tickets, this is simply the line to get into Hall H…The next day!
The line would end up stretching many blocks out near the harbor located behind the convention center in a serpentine fashion. We did this for all three days we attended, as a new line is created daily. In fact, the line is really just a line to get to the line that gets you into the overnight line/camping area for Hall H. Then, at around 4:00 AM the morning of the Hall H festivities, the organizers of SDCC horde everyone in an organized fashion into the 6,500 attendees strong ballroom. As lines go, it’s worse than Disneyland, but only for the fact that the line is of Galactus proportions.
In reality, the line is part of the experience and a positive one at that. It would seem everyone knows what they are in store for. Everyone has their camping gear set up, chairs, video entertainment, you name it. We would even break out Cards Against Humanity for a good laugh. Even better is how friendly everyone is. While in line, everyone is discussing their anticipations, their views on film, comic books, and celebrities as well as their previous experiences at SDCC. I can see how a lot of networking is done through such an event, as well. I was pleasantly surprised at the high morale of everyone I encountered, even with the lack of sleep, long lines, heat, humidity, and smells. This was one of my favorite aspects of the whole experience aside from what we saw in Hall H. The whole thing felt like a bonding experience with my buddies and new acquaintances. So much so that Stephen King is going to write a coming of age tale based on our SDCC experiences (Not Really).
Anyway, eventually we would make it into Hall H- and it was glorious! Each day, as we entered the ballroom, everyone is greeted with “Stuff We All Get” (aka, SWAG) and a line of cheering SDCC employees congratulating us for making it into coveted Hall H. I couldn’t help but smile at the welcome, so kudos to SDCC staff. Over the few days we were there, we got to see and be a part of a multitude of panels, announcements, and sneak peeks.
Included: TERMINATOR: DARK FATE, TOP GUN: MAVERICK, Marvel Phase 4, the upcoming “Creepshow” series, YouTube’s KARATE KID-based series, “Cobra Kai,” etc. It’s astounding the fan service SDCC provides. Of course, there were panels for shows I had never seen, such as HBO’s “Westworld.” We were treated to a sneak peek of season three and now, guess what I’m watching? That’s right! HBO’s “Westworld.” And I love it! Thank you SDCC for introducing me to new content!
As I mentioned, I attended SDCC as press for Cinemast.net. It was my first time acting in such a capacity, and one that I was particularly thankful for, so naturally I wanted to do my part. For my part, this meant being responsible for gathering video and pictures, most of which you can take a look at on Cinemast.net’s many social media platforms, and sending it to the site publishers as quickly as possible. It’s part of “the grind” to which Adam was referring, but I must say I adored playing the part. Taking photos at panels and creating headlines based on surprising announcements made me feel like a reporter from the 1920’s running to a payphone, calling headquarters and reciting the news they just got in an attempt to be the first to put it out there. I just needed a fedora or a bowler hat with a card stuffed in it and my vision would be complete. If you find me on LinkedIn, I’m not embarrassed to say I’ve added the experience to my online resume. Perhaps my future holds an old New York accent and more press work. One can dream.
In conclusion, my first San Diego Comic-Con was nothing but a blast! Although I was warned the experience could be a bit of a grind, I can’t say I ever felt it. Perhaps it was just the “first-time experience goggles” I was wearing, but I can’t wait until next year, time and space stones willing. SDCC seems to truly bring people together in a way I have not seen at any other convention I had attended previously, and that is a testament to such a prestigious and glorified event. I get to go home feeling closer to my friends I attended with, and I get to say I’ve made some brand new ones! SDCC left me feeling like I was a part of something exclusive, bigger than myself, simultaneously jointed, and I’m impressed that they can pull that off. I certainly get the hype now. I thank Adam Mast and Cinemast.net for such a great experience and opportunity!
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