By Patricia W. Fischer
Like any superhero movie, when things appear to be on the upswing and the characters believe everything’s gonna work out, the dark moment hits.
We expect it, but it doesn’t mean we like it.
Due to the Covid19 outbreak, our summer social media posts will be a bit less flooded with photos of Cosplayers, superheroes, and incredible theatrical announcements.
For the first time in its fifty-year history, San Diego Comic Con, has been canceled, but these are extraordinary circumstances.
In Friday’s press release “the organizers behind the annual pop culture celebration, announced today with deep regret that there will be no Comic-Con in 2020. The event will instead return to the San Diego Convention Center from July 22-25, 2021.”
The organizers hoped the Covid19 numbers would decrease enough keep the event open, but with over 135,000 attendees every year, they made the very responsible decision to cancel.
Hopefully, this gives vendors to adjust, but the economic impact of not having Comic Con will hit San Diego community hard.
According to News 10 San Diego, the city not only sees a huge influx of visitors, but dollars. SDCC brings in over $150 million by way of hotels, restaurants, transportation, original artwork, and memorabilia to name just a few. Another casualty of this pandemic.
Already have a ticket for 2020 Comic Con? No worries. The “individuals who purchased badges for Comic-Con 2020 will have the option to request a refund or transfer their badges to Comic-Con 2021. All 2020 badge holders will receive an email within the next week with instructions on how to request a refund. Exhibitors for Comic-Con 2020 will also have the option to request a refund or transfer their payments to Comic-Con 2021 and will also receive an email within the next week with instructions on how to process their request.”
Those who’ve booked their hotel rooms through SDCC’s official hotel affiliate, OnPeak.com, will automatically receive refunds and should not need to call asking for one. No deadline has been posted regarding by when this should happen.
No word yet on if they will have any virtual panels or if merchandise that would be sold exclusively at SDCC will be available for sale.
Balboa Federal Building where Comic Con Museum is scheduled to open summer 2021
On the upside, the 2021 summer grand opening of the Comic-Con museum has not been changed.
In 2018, the announcement to renovate the Balboa Park’s Federal Hall of Champions building, initiated the buzz of a 365-day opportunity for fans of comic books, superheroes, and lovers of the multiple worlds were we all escape, began.
Plans are still moving forward. Plans and transformation of the building will be posted in the coming months.
“Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures and while we are saddened to take this action, we know it is the right decision,” said David Glanzer, spokesperson for the organization. “We eagerly look forward to the time when we can all meet again and share in the community we all love and enjoy.”
Stay tuned for any additional information on refunds, vendor merchandise, and the potential for (and schedule of) virtual events.
Take care and stay safe.
Sketch from ComicCon.com
