A Look Back at Thursday @ Comic-Con 2019

I can’t say Thursday started out well because it started with disappointment. After getting to the Con early and lining up for tickets, the gods of RNG left me wanting. They chose to laugh as I wasted my time waiting for hours to get tickets for the Impractical Jokers panel at the Horton Grand Theater. It was rough going and while the couple in front of me (that I was waiting with for hours) each got tickets (a total of 4), I missed out on one of the few panels where you need to get tickets beforehand. Oh well, I wanted to see them but the Con will go on. I’m sure I’ll get to see most of what I want.

My Hero Academia

Prepare to go Plus Ultra! with this one-of-a-kind hero panel. Learn how to be a real hero as panelists discuss this hit anime series, featuring English voice actors Justin Briner (Deku) and Clifford Chapin (Bakugo), and professional football players Marcus Davenport (New Orleans Saints) and Adam Gettis (Atlanta Falcons). See the panelists arm wrestle, watch new episodes for season 4, engage in a Q&A, and get giveaways.

This anime has been pretty cool and the manga has been on my to-read list for a while so I figured it’d be good to check out what they had to say. I was surprised by the number of fans that showed up in 6BCF and was impressed that the NFL players knew the show so well. Another season is coming soon but I was surprised to see I have 30+ episodes to catch up on recorded on my TiVo. While there was no arm wrestling, they did show some clips from season 4 and promised that the battles between the schools were gonna be intense and highlight some pretty interesting quirks.

Dragon Ball Z

One of the greatest action animated series of all time celebrates its 30th anniversary this year! Join legendary DBZ voice actors Sean Schemmel (Goku), Christopher R. Sabat (Vegeta), Sonny Strait (Krillin), and Monica Rial (Bulma) for a celebration 30 years in the making, along with DBZ super-fan Mohamed Sanu, wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons.
Hmm…another NFL player who knew quite a bit about animated Japanese shows…it was cool but makes me wonder if the NFL is trying to improve their image.

Regardless, this was a fun panel with voice actors talking about what it was like to yell the whole time they were acting and how they’ve met grandparents who are proud to be introducing their grandkids to the same shows they used to watch.

For me, I’ve only watched a few episodes of this show but have heard tons about how good it is. Someday I might spend some time to dig into the deep storylines and this panel certainly made me feel like I’d missed out on some good animated stories.

Home Movies 20th Anniversary

The classic adult swim animated series is celebrating its 20th anniversary with the first-ever Home Movies panel. The fan-fave series is feted with a cast reunion featuring co-creators Loren Bouchard (Bob's Burgers) and Brendon Small (Metalocalypse), plus cast members H. Jon Benjamin (Archer, Bob's Burgers) and Melissa Galsky (Bob's Burgers). Revisit your favorite characters, episodes, and more with the team that brought them to you!

This was the panel I went into Ballroom 6BCF to see and while I enjoyed the panels leading up to it, it was so happy to have been able to see Brendon Small, H. Jon Benjamin, Melissa Galsky, and Loren Bouchard talk about the show I love.

Home Movies holds such a special place in my heart…they told wonderful stories about the Wizard’s Baker and battles between SciFi fans and Fantasy fans. Coach McGirk gave so much advice and Brendon composed a rock opera about Kafka. This was truly an innovative show that should have gone on longer. But then I think the fact that it was groundbreaking held it back from performing well in the ratings (the cast did mention that if a show got their ‘low’ ratings now it would be a hit).

In any case, it was good to hear the 4 of them reminisce about making the show and how it impacted their careers. Could the show come back? Possibly, but it wouldn’t be the same so the cast is not really interested in anything like that, they just have fond memories like I do.

I’m just surprised this was the first time they had a panel at the Con.

It’s a Wrap

So while I didn’t get the see the Impractical Jokers I had a great day at the Con. I got to see some cool animation panels and spend some time on the exhibit hall floor, and for the first full day, I’d say it was pretty successful for me. I also figure I’ll be digesting what I learned over the days and weeks ahead.

If you made it out to the Con, just hung out in downtown San Diego, or had to work on Thursday and just followed the events online, I hope you all had a great time.

Ramble 34 | A Look Back at Thursday @ Comic-Con 2019