Post Comic-Con blues are real. And they are even worse when compounded by a cold that makes your body feel as down and depleted as your emotional state. So with 345 days until Comic-Con 2026, I thought I would reflect on 2025 with a few pointers about how to celebrate pop culture all year long.
As someone who has been attending Comic-Con since the mid-1970s, I can say it is my home away from home. It is the place where I feel the happiest and most comfortable because I know I am around fellow geeks. If I say, "No matter where you go ..." someone will complete the thought with, "There you are." And I won't have to explain who Buckaroo Banzai is.
Comic-Con may not be perfect, but it is absolutely my happy place. I know that if I have to wait in line, I will be able to chat with people who are passionate about something we either share or we can introduce each other to. Comic-Con may only exist for four and a half days a year, but — as with Halloween — I try to live every day as if it were Comic-Con and Halloween.
Famous firsts: George Lucas and Troma make history
As a "Star Wars" kid, the big news this year was George Lucas making his first-ever Comic-Con appearance. “Star Wars” and Comic-Con will be forever linked since in the Con’s early years, “Star Wars” had a booth before anyone knew anything about the Force or Darth Vader. But Lucas himself making an appearance was a big deal — not enough to make thousands camp overnight for his Hall H panel, but enough to pack the 6,400-seat venue. And it was pure joy for me; I even got goosebumps a couple of times.
Perhaps the panel topic — his Lucas Museum of Narrative Art — was not as exciting to people as hearing about a new film project. But the panel was great. It was passionate, geeky people talking about the things they love.
It was Lucas, along with museum board member Guillermo del Toro and production designer Doug Chiang. Lucas, who rarely makes public appearances of this scale, shared his passion for narrative art and called the museum a “temple to the people’s art.” He revealed that he has been collecting art since college, and his collection includes original panels featuring Buck Rogers and Black Panther, as well as works by Winsor McCay, Norman Rockwell, Charles Schultz and Frank Frazetta. In addition to original art, the museum will include props from Lucas’ films, a library, restaurant, theater and beautiful grounds for visitors. The museum is scheduled to open some time next year in Exposition Park in Los Angeles.
While Lucas often got carried away in deep thoughts about what narrative art could entail, del Toro kept bringing it back to very current issues. He pointed out, “Certainly comics were the first ones to punch Nazis.” Then he noted: “Myth belongs to all of us. Propaganda is controlled by a very small group. And myth unites us. Propaganda divides us.” And finally, he met with rowdy applause for addressing AI: “One of the things that I find oppressive is people saying, you can do art with an app, and I'm sorry, you cannot. The way he's talking about art and narrative is the difference between eye candy and eye protein. Eye candy is an ornament. Eye protein is nutritive. And the difference is personality, knowledge and emotion. Those are the three things that need to exist. And I'm sorry, they don't come in a f---ing app.”
Ironically, though, the panel took place barely two months after the museum laid off 15 full-time employees, many from the education and public programming departments. But Chiang still spoke of the museum as a place that can “inspire the next Norman Rockwell or Frank Frazetta.”
Another famous first was my beloved Troma getting their first-ever appearance in Hall H with the new reboot of “Toxic Avenger.” Technically the film is from Legendary and Bloody Disgusting rather than a Troma Entertainment film, but Lloyd Kaufman, the man who has been proudly disrupting media for more than a half-century, was on the big stage, and it was epic. The new film boasted it was the “first unrated horror movie to host its own SDCC Hall H panel.”
To make it even cooler, Kaufman came offstage as “South Park’s” Trey Parker and Matt Stone came onstage. Troma released Parker’s first feature film, “Cannibal! The Musical,” and even though their association was brief, Troma’s mission of “disrupting media” and being fiercely independent no matter what, is something Parker and Stone are most definitely carrying on with “South Park.” And just to toot Troma’s horn again, another alum, James Gunn, was in Hall H to promote his series “Peacemaker,” which also refuses to follow any rules or conventions. So here’s to Troma, for making a space for young filmmakers to get a start and to inspiring them to follow their own beat.
Hall H: A new kind of energy
Without a big Marvel panel revealing casting choices or next steps in the MCU, Hall H was quieter — but in an interesting way. This year suggested what ideal Hall H programming could be like: a packed venue but not necessarily camping out overnight in lines. I had friends get into the Lucas panel by just lining up at 9 a.m. Sunday for the 11 a.m. panel. Some people had slept in line overnight, but you did not have to.
Another friend was thrilled to get into Hall H for the first time in 12 years to see "Tron," "Alien: Earth" and "Predator: Badlands." Without thousands of people waiting for hours or days in line, more people were on the floor (OK, not great for crowds), and my unscientific survey suggested they were spending money. Several artists said sales were strong this year, with people seeming willing to spend at higher price points.
Eisner Awards: Celebrating comics diversity and retailers
Reading the list of Eisner winners is one thing, but being there to hear some impassioned speeches is quite another. Caitlin McGurk, curator of comics and cartoon art at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum and associate professor at Ohio State University, won Best Comics-Related Book for "Tell Me a Story Where the Bad Girl Wins: The Life and Art of Barbara Shermund." Her enthusiasm and acceptance speech made me go out the next day and buy her book.
Many winners revealed the breathtaking diversity of the medium — not just in terms of race and gender but also stories and styles. Everyone who won had a story beyond just the books or art they created. Check out the video above and see if you are as inspired as I was to buy a book. Explore both the Eisner nominees and winners to create a yearlong reading list to keep the Comic-Con spirit alive. With 32 categories, you can easily find a book a month or even a week.
Another thing I love about the Eisners is that they recognize retailers. Comic book shops are like no other businesses. They are geeky watering holes offering staff who can hook you up with exactly the right book, run by people whose passion matches that of the fans who come by. The comic book industry needs retailers like this to survive. And retailers are not getting rich running comic book stores; it is hard work with many challenges. But they do it because they love it and want to create a safe, inviting space for fellow nerds and geeks. This year, a Spanish shop called Akira Comics won, and Jesús Marugán’s speech was just wonderful.
The awards ended on a bittersweet note with Eisner administrator Jackie Estrade announcing she was stepping down after 35 years of stellar service. She has been a tireless champion for the comic book medium, and her passion and dedication will be hard to match. But fortunately, she said she is not going away and will remain a resource for Comic-Con and the Eisners to tap into. Thank you, Jackie, for all your years of hard work — you are a treasure.
Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival: Hidden gems to watch
Comic-Con’s best kept secret is its film festival. Fortunately, many of the winning films can be tracked down even after the Con is over. I loved “Shopping for Superman,” and I was thrilled to hear that it won Best Documentary. The film is available for pre-order, and I urge you to seek it out as an enlightening look at the business of comic books and how the retail end evolved. I had no knowledge of so much of this history and the role one woman played.
For an in-theater experience, the Best Humor/Comedy winner, “Fireflies in the Dusk," will screen Aug. 24 at FilmOut San Diego. Jonathan Hammond is a local filmmaker, and his parody of time travel romances hits all the tropes with savage affection for the genre. Plus it has Drew Droege!
The Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Film and Judges’ Choice Award winner "First Sight" can be found online and is an expertly rendered tale about grief and technology. The delightful Best Action/Adventure Film, "El Espiritu," is also available online.
Keeping the geek vibe going: Local spots to visit year-round
A shout-out to our local geeky venues that stepped up this Comic-Con: Super7 San Diego, Now or Never Comics and Digital Gym Cinema. Super7, despite reeling from tariffs, knocked it out of the park with its Godzilla activation at its store. Godzilla stomped into the shop for photo ops, and a massive Godzilla head was added to the front of the building — I hope it stays there forever.
Now or Never Comics was bustling with signings and events, within walking distance from the convention center. Digital Gym Cinema was "Toxic Avenger” headquarters, screening all day with celebrities, such as Peter Dinklage, Elijah Wood, director Macon Blair and Troma founder and legend Lloyd Kaufman engaging the audience. Everyone walked away with a day-glow toxic foam hand and a cutout mop (which was crazy big and awkward to carry around). Digital Gym was buzzing with activity, and the projection was awesome for the new Toxie film's debut.
The great thing about these venues is you can visit all year to enjoy the Comic-Con spirit — be it comic books, movies or collectibles. We are lucky to have this geeky Bermuda Triangle to get lost in.
Also, shout out to Little Fish Comic Book Studio in San Diego, which inspires a new comic artists with year-round classes and its Comic-Con Artist Intensive program that ended this year with students getting their work reviewed by pros at Comic-Con.
Epic cosplay: Craftsmanship meets fandom
Cosplay is a big part of Comic-Con, and my favorite are those that display both fandom and expert craftsmanship. The year's winners for me were the stunning Galactus and an amazing Mondoshawan from "The Fifth Element."
Cosplayer Jose brought political satire to Comic-Con with his portrayal that explored social issues through costume.
Lessons learned: Bringing back the artist-fan connection
This year’s Comic-Con felt in some ways like a return to old times. The Lucas panel reminded me that Hall H used to have panels where someone like Terry Gilliam or Tim Burton just showed up with a moderator, talked for an hour and then took questions. It wasn’t someone just pushing a product, but wildly creative artists taking time to hang with geeky fans and interact. I hope Comic-Con does more panels like this — letting us savor quality time with people we love and admire.
I went through more than 1,000 hours of programming, narrowed it to about 275, then made it to about a half dozen. This always happens, and I am always sad trying to figure out what I could do differently. But I can still go through the list of panels I wanted to see and sometimes find ways to seek out the work that was featured or read more on a topic. Again, I can extend Comic-Con by using the program listings to seek out new things, rediscover old ones or dive deeper into what I love.
So it’s not 345 days until Comic-Con. It's 365 days a year of finding pop culture bliss wherever you can.
