High-end toys and models seemed to be the biggest growth segment in this year’s exhibit hall.Ī noisemaker, but not a newsmaker. It’s not clear if toy and prop collectors showed up in numbers, but if they did, there seemed to be more than enough booths in the center of the floor to service them. Sales appeared to be brisk at most publisher booths, where there was a lot of inventory to attract new readers.Īrtists and collectibles dealers I spoke to all did well catering to pent-up demand by fans.
Up-and-coming publishers like Z2, AfterShock, comiXology Originals and Scout Comics got to expand their presence with larger booths in more prominent locations, while folks like Mad Cave Studios and Tapas slotted into table space in the historic independent press district at the front of Hall C. Beneficiaries of that dynamic reported higher than expected sales, with depleted inventories by Sunday afternoon. One byproduct of the absences of big players like DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Graphitti Designs, Continuity/Neal Adams (RIP) and Drawn & Quarterly was a lot of shuffling of vendors, with longtime back-of-show booths moving closer to the front. On Sunday, I walked the exhibit hall and did a few spot-checks with exhibitors. Show floor shuffle pays off for rising companies. That generated the show’s biggest line, which stretched the whole length of the convention center as far down as the Hyatt, and generated some of the most controversial line-management issues with attendees as well.
All were part of a packed Hall H Saturday schedule that featured previews of Shazam 2 and Black Adam, the full Marvel Phase 4 slate and juicy news of what lies beyond, a big Star Trek panel, plus the buzzy launch of Netflix’s Sandman with Neil Gaiman, Patton Oswald and the cast in attendance. Rumored absences in the schedule from the likes of Marvel Studios, Paramount and Warner Bros did not materialize. Several offsites including the Ten Forward bar at the old "Dick’s Last Resort" space on 5th Avenue, the lounge at the Hard Rock and the Severance and House of the Dragon attractions had lines as big as anything inside the convention center for most of the weekend.
These sponsored events pour revenue into SDCC’s coffers as well as those of the city and its businesses, and are the financial lifeblood of an event that was, for the most part, locked into 2019 pricing for badges and exhibit hall space while faced with 2022 costs. The clearest indicator of the Con’s big return to San Diego were the building wraps and activations surrounding the convention center for blocks. As long as it suits the interests of SDCC, exhibitors and sponsors to pack them in, in they will be packed. But of course, all those people had badges, as opposed to the throngs left out in the cold. More than a couple of people said they wished this level would become the new normal for SDCC going forward, as it felt like a good balance. The result was a show that felt very busy (and deeply uncomfortable to the COVID-conscious, despite mask and vax requirements that were largely observed), but not insane. The rough consensus of longtime attendees and exhibitors suggests a 15-20 percent reduction from late-teens peaks, reflected in more walkable aisles even mid-day Saturday, more accessible panels, and big rooms, including Hall H, with seats available at most times. SDCC has not released its attendance numbers, but said earlier that 2022 carried over the sold-out house from the pre-COVID 2019 badge sales, give or take a few refunds.