So, what happens when Comic-Con is not Comic-Con, at least not what many people might expect? The famous Hollywood celeb-fest at Hall H is not happening this year due to participants pulling out of all the big ticket panels amid the writer and actor strikes. It’s not a pretty picture and some cry foul but the show must go on and, in many ways, there is a light at the end of this tunnel in terms of a refocus to the roots of Comic-Con: comic books! With the spotlight off of Hollywood blockbusters and related projects, Comic-Con will, in fact, be returning in a big way to how it all began, as a gathering place for comic book enthusiasts. And that’s got to be a good thing.
It’s all about writers working with, and supporting, writers.
My panel at this year’s Comic-Con, along with the smaller scale, down-to-earth panels, is still on. And it happens to be all about writers and the creative process. George Clayton Johnson: Master Storyteller is about my new book, George’s Run. It features George Clayton Johnson and his meteoric rise as a writer. And it is through his journey that you learn about the group of writers responsible for what we take for granted today as dark fantasy, as well as a more nuanced and personal science fiction and horror. The point is that the creative process is at the core of what we’re talking about. I invite you to go to my panel which celebrates the very essence of Comic-Con. In fact, George was a great supporter of Comic-Con right from the start. He loved the sense of community of people joined together by the magic of comic books.
Here is a report from CBS 8 San Diego (archived on YouTube):
As Hollywood continues to grapple with the impact of the writer’s strike and the all-but-certain actor’s strike, the standoff is creating new problems for San Diego Comic-Con. Several of Hollywood’s biggest companies have now decided to skip panels in Hall H, which is typically the biggest attraction and the longest wait time of the convention. In years past, Hall H panelists would discuss current and upcoming projects as well as promote future ones. This year is a little different. Disney, Marvel, Lucas Films, HBO, Sony, Netflix, DC Studios, and Universal have announced they will be pulling out from Hall H presentations, the Hollywood Reporter said on July 8. In a statement to CBS 8, a spokesperson for Comic-Con says in part, “With regard to the strike and its possible effects on Comic-Con, we tend to refrain from speculation or forecasting. Our hope is for a speedy resolution.” While the status of some things at Comic-Con are still up in the air, there is still plenty to be excited about at the Comic-Con and the Comic-Con museum.
