While A-list celebs from Ryan Gosling to Johnny Depp appeared at San Diego Comic-Con to promote their blockbuster studio projects, several brands launched free activations for fans downtown — with or without the pricey passes.
Here’s a rundown of the top activations:
HBO Max emerged as MVP of the Gaslamp Quarter this year, putting on two takeovers of downtown locales to tout new shows, DC’s “Lanterns” and “Big Bang Theory” spin-off, “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.”
The “Lanterns Training Headquarters” at the sprawling Venue 808 gave attendees a chance to be recruited into the Green Lantern Corps for an interactive journey. Hands-on training included an escape room, a “freefall flight test,” target practice at a shooting range (they weren’t real guns), and, of course, souvenir Green Lantern rings.
Stars Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre, Garret Dillahunt and Poorna Jagannathan, alongside creators and writers Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King stopped by to take on the challenge themselves.
“Stuart Fails to Save the Universe” brought a slice of Pasadena to the Sparks Gallery with a painstakingly detailed recreation of the series’ iconic comic book store. Fans were treated to a multiverse-spanning adventure taking them through a series of alternate realities.
Creators Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn and Bill Prady, plus stars Kevin Sussman, Lauren Lapkus, John Ross Bowie and Brian Posehn, stopped by to rifle through comic books and try their hand at failing.
For horror fans, Eli Roth‘s “Ice Cream Man” scooped up chills with a disturbing, but delicious event at Kansas City BBQ, where the director and his unsettling mascot, Merle, were spotted playing tetherball with a severed head amidst a playground massacre. (An ice cream truck trilled a familiar tune in the background).
“It’s such a great year for horror. This sundae is just the cherry on top,” Roth said of the genre’s recent box office boom.
Meanwhile, Disney Entertainment Television also made its presence known downtown with a mythical “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” activation across from the convention center, plus a “Hulu Animayhem: Fandom Fuel Up” featuring themed food from “King of the Hill” (Bobby Hill’s Robata Chane) and “Futurama” (Planet Espresso).
Paramount saw lines for its annual downtown “Lodge” at Happy Does, featuring photo ops and freebies for properties like “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” “South Park” and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.” There was even an alien DJ on hand to set the scene as guests sipped on galactic drinks named Cosmic Drops and Vulcan Sunsets.
Outside of the studio scene, collectible company Super7 hosted an adorable Peanuts pop-up shop celebrating Snoopy’s lesser-known siblings, partnering with Best Friends Animal Society to support real-life dog adoptions.
The year’s biggest parties included Fandom’s annual Thursday night bash atop the Hard Rock Hotel, a Friday soiree at Parq Nightclub celebrating 20 years of “Pan’s Labyrinth” with director Guillermo del Toro, plus IGN and Prime Video’s party on Friday evening, which saw “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” star Jamie Campbell Bower take a spin at the DJ booth.
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