Returning for another weekend of fun last month was Silicon Valley Comic Con. This is one of my most anticipated comic cons this year, so being prepared was a top priority in terms of having all the gear necessary. Cameras were packed. Film was packed. Microphone and mini tripod for vlogging packed. Everything packed except a wind shield for windy audio.
Attending as press means I did not get to wear a wristband. This means I didn't really get to experience the scanning process. Basically I flashed a badge and walked through. However, it seems a bit more thought was devoted to making sure a steady flow of traffic entering and exiting. There was never really a gridlock jam like last year. Another thing to note is all wristband scanning happened outside of the convention center, so there was no one allowed inside to ghost, even in the spacious lobby inside.
The artist alley contained a wide variety of content. Some I recognized, even local favorite artist Riri Mon had a table. Since this is a comic con, there was a big presence of independent comics that took on all sorts of topics and art styles. It's one of the reasons why I enjoy walking around the SVCC artist alley. The creativity in this artist alley is incredible, and the familiar artists I see at other events always bring new things that are relative to the event content.
The artist alley contained a wide variety of content. Some I recognized, even local favorite artist Riri Mon had a table. Since this is a comic con, there was a big presence of independent comics that took on all sorts of topics and art styles. It's one of the reasons why I enjoy walking around the SVCC artist alley. The creativity in this artist alley is incredible, and the familiar artists I see at other events always bring new things that are relative to the event content.
Notable exhibitors this year include NASA, Wordpress, Acura, Warner Brothers, Joby and Lowepro. These were the booths that grabbed my attention each day, making sure I didn't get stuck too long in one particular spot. However, rest stops at the Wordpress tables was extra convenient since they had charging stations for phones. Not an exhibitor, but the couches and tables with chairs offered plenty of spots for people to take a break. This helped prevent people from sitting against walls and crowding up space in the exhibit hall.
Special guests were somewhat spread across the exhibit hall. There wasn't one particular area where the event guests could be found together. You kind of had to walk around, but Celebrity Row contained most of the celebrities. The likes of Steve Yeun, John Cusak, Grant Gustin and Tom Felton had another area for autographs and photo-ops. Lines for them were considerably long and there was no space in the exhibit hall to accomodate large crowds standing in a line.
Food was readily available in the exhibit hall and in the lobby area. Local spots like Psycho Donuts had a little pop-up shop serving up donuts and a selection of bottled soft drinks. There was another local food spot that set up, and they served a small assortment of Asian foods; the name is slipping my mind right now. However, just outside the convention center were the ice cream and hot dog vendors. That is something to take advantage of. Hot dogs were $5, but they were loaded with bacon, onions, jalapenos, mayo, mustard and ketchup.
There was so much going on the two days I went. Schedules were quite busy, but I made sure to check out one panel on Saturday. Finding Your Path to Greatness as an Actor of the Future with Anjali Bhimani was such a great panel to be at, but I'll be writing up a bit more on this in another article pretty soon. It was that good!
There was so much going on the two days I went. Schedules were quite busy, but I made sure to check out one panel on Saturday. Finding Your Path to Greatness as an Actor of the Future with Anjali Bhimani was such a great panel to be at, but I'll be writing up a bit more on this in another article pretty soon. It was that good!
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| Anjali Bhimani (Fallout 4, Overwatch) |
I am already looking forward to the next SVCC. Dates for next year will be April 6-8, 2018. Coverage this year spanned over 2 of the 3 days, but I'll be pushing to cover SVCC from beginning to end next year. This event has expanded so much that I think it is worthy of drawing in out-of-state crowds. It brought up some southern California folks, so it's obviously catching the attention of people outside the bay area. The special guests line-up next year has a tall order to fill after having an amazing line-up last month. Tickets for next year can already be ordered online with a 25% discount, making the 3-day adult pass $74.25.
The video below is a little vlog that I made. Not really little, it's 40 minutes long, but includes clips during Saturday and Sunday. There are some audio issues in a few parts, mostly due the not bringing a wind shield for the microphone. Check out the video since it shows off the exhibit hall and other random happenings at SVCC.
Links to more SVCC 2017 coverage
Photo Gallery | Facebook
A Panel with Anjali Bhimani -- coming soon
Instax Snaps -- coming soon
The video below is a little vlog that I made. Not really little, it's 40 minutes long, but includes clips during Saturday and Sunday. There are some audio issues in a few parts, mostly due the not bringing a wind shield for the microphone. Check out the video since it shows off the exhibit hall and other random happenings at SVCC.
Links to more SVCC 2017 coverage
Photo Gallery | Facebook
A Panel with Anjali Bhimani -- coming soon
Instax Snaps -- coming soon
