And that Panel #5: SyFy Wire's The Great Debate
MC Aisha Tyler

This was the panel my wife and I wanted to see the most, at least from what we planned to see. The premise, asking a panel questions straight out of geekdom promised great dialog and humor, espeically with Aisha Tyler MCing. 

We were not disappointed. I don't think I've laughed that much in a very long time.

There is actually a great detailed write up from SlashFilm.com site that describes all of the panelists and questions.

What I will say is that the humor went blue very quickly and, thankfully, most of it went over our youngest's head.  But the laughs were plentiful for everyone.

The main thing i will bring back from this is the image of Han Solo as just a middle-aged man that lives out of his van, in response to the question Who is Cooler, Wolverine or Han Solo? That little nugget came from Dani Fernandez (Ralph Breaks The Internet). i'll never get that image out of my head, and I love it.

Day 1 Ends
And that pretty much wrapped our first day at SDCC 2019! We did try to sneak in some Exhibit Hall time, walk around parts of the floor, but it was crowded as hell that afternoon.  My brother went to meet some friends and we decided to go out to eat. Then we went back to the hotel, satisfied at a productive and fun Day 1.

What more could we expect?

​        2019 marked the 50th anniversary of the San Diego Comic Con. A truly landmark event in the history of comic conventions world wide.
      All of the pre-Convention communications included a garish gold logo, and was featured on most blog posts leading up to the Con. Surely, this would be a special event. 
I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, but all I could think was 'What was the big deal?" Or, more on point, "Where was the big deal?"
     I've been going to the San Diego Comic Con for almost twenty consecutive years, seeing the changes, the growth of the Con and how much Downtown San Diego has changed along with it. I remember when the registration for the following year was in the exhibit hall lobby, then when they moved it upstairs to Sails Pavilion. I remember when it started to get really crazy and people had to line up hours before they opened the next year registration. Then, that fateful day when registration was handled online.
I remember the crowds being manageable and almost every panel was a walk-in. 
    Because of all of these memories of the past twenty years, I felt that the 50th anniversary would feature not just the expected logo and specially marked merchandise, but something else that would make this Con stand out from even it's own lofty stature. 
          What I found was only this:
​1) Logo'd merchandise
2) Handful of themed panels
3) Verbal recognition by most, but not all, panel MCs.

   Of course, some of the logo'd merchandise was outstanding: especially the super special, and fast selling Tech Hoodie. But everything else felt a little too much like the same old-same old Con.

      
         Don't get me wrong - being able to attend the SDCC again was an honor and achievement for which I am very grateful. I had a great time (more on that later). 
       I just feel that the 50th could've had more celebratory feel from decorations to special booths or exhibitors that hearken back to the original days of the Con, maybe a space recreating the original sign up table, or signs from the first few years. 
        Maybe I am a bit of a history nut for hoping for such things, but a visceral and tangible recognition of where it all started would have been a nice touch: honoring how far we've come.
         Now, I am well aware that there are some political issues relating to how much the emphasis of the Con has moved away from Comics to overall pop culture. This shift in dynamics has left many feeling as if they have been pushed aside or even ignored. The complaints of many of the older comic book sellers is fairly well documented, as well as those comic fans who feel that the presence of the larger TV, movie, and now streaming media companies are an intrusion to the 'sanctity' of the original intent of the Convention. I cannot, and will not, argue either position because I don't believe there is a winning side. But such feelings should not have impeded the recognition of this special year for the San Diego Comic Con. That's all I have to say about that.
        Overall, I had a great time at SDCC again this year. It was a special year and the first time I was able to bring the whole family to share it with. While some things could've been run better, or my planning could've been done to a greater scale, these are all part of the SDCC experience where anything can, and sometimes does, happen.
       For the 50th celebration, I can only conclude that it was underwhelming at best.