This past weekend I had an incredible experience attending Comic Con San Diego 2016. I had been to Comic Con three years ago, and it was definitely time to go back.
It was basically 130,000 people enthusiastic about comics, tv shows, movies, books, and franchises coming together to celebrate the characters that they love and admire.
The Convention was packed. People of all ages and sizes dressed in D.I.Y. costumes walking around and having their picture taken with fellow Comic Con goers.
Attendees dressed as Mandalorians from Star Wars.
I even witnessed a Finn and Beemo reunion; two total strangers brought together by their love of Adventure Time.
The main part of the Convention and the place where the majority of the crowd gathers is the floor, which hosts everything from pop-up-shops and super hero life-size displays to comic book artists and cast autograph signings. The floor itself spans the length of the entire San Diego Convention Center, and it took my family and I two days to cover.
The cast of The Vampire Diaries signing autographs.
A life size replica of R2-D2.
On the upper level of the Convention Center, there are panels and workshops in each room and ballroom. Long lines form outside of doors where people wait for up to hours at a time. The longest line, of course, is for the infamous Hall H, which can be seen going from the back of the Convention Center all the way outside. Some people even camp out the night before an event just to get a seat inside to see things like the Suicide Squad cast or exclusive clips and trailers from D.C. or Marvel.
A few of the Teen Wolf cast members signing autographs and taking pictures with fans.
These are some of the comics that were available for purchase.
The entire con was full of surprises. My favorite part was seeing artists at work, sketching and coloring their own original work and selling their first books. I also had the privilege of meeting Allen Bellman, the main artist of Captain America for many years, who worked with Stan Lee and the other artists who made Marvel so successful.
Makeup artists teaching each other and creating a dramatic look.
Being in an environment of fans and professionals encouraging and supporting the entertainment industry was like being in a type of Disney World for little kids, big kids, adults, and just about everybody else.
Comic Con San Diego 2016 just about blew my mind, and I can't wait to go back.
