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020 AUGUST 2017
Always a highlight on our calendar, the 48th annual San
Diego Comic-Con promised much and delivered even more.
Words: Scott Hocking
Heroes from the DCEU and the MCU mingling
with aliens from Star Trek, Disney characters,
zombies, inhabitants of Westeros, and Hogwarts
wizards – Comic-Con is the ultimate shared
universe where everyday lives are put on hold
for four days a year in sunny San Diego. The
event is more than just a global gathering of
pop culture enthusiasts, collectors, artists,
filmmakers and gamers. Crossing all genres,
creeds and cultures, it’s a unifying experience
that has no equal.
Even if you don’t have a badge to get into
the exhibit hall at the Convention Centre, you
can still absorb all the fervour and excitement
by osmosis, as there’s plenty on offer in the
environs.
VR was a big element at this year’s Con, not only
with the preview of Steven Spielberg’s new thriller
Ready Player One, but also driving offsite attractions
like the Blade Runner 2049 experience. Or the
Legion MR (Mixed Reality) installation adjacent
to the Hilton Bayside Hotel – which incidentally
no longer sports the perennial vampire mural
from The Strain, having been replaced by the
aforementioned X-Men series.
It wouldn’t be Comic-Con without the
cosplayers, who are always up for a photo opp
or selfie. Not only do they draw appreciative
and bemused stares, but they also reflect the
most popular screen offerings of the past year.
Disney’s Moana certainly made an impact this
year, with lots of moms and daughters in grass
skirts, while The Joker and Harley Quinn were
still championed, even if Suicide Squad was not.
This year was an exceptionally busy
Con for STACK, with the access to talent
including Blade Runner 2049 director Denis
Villenueve, Thor: Ragnarok’s Taika Waititi,
Black Panther ’s Winston Duke, and the casts
of The LEGO Ninjago Movie and Ready
Player One all on our interview schedule.
You’ll find all of the above and more in
the pages that follow, as we take you inside
the panels and press rooms, the offsite
attractions, exhibit hall and booths, for a taste
of the mother of all pop culture conventions.
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