Another SDCC has come and gone but the memories will last in a blur. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people descend on San Diego to be the first, the first to get some cool swag, first to see some footage, first to meet the cast of for a new series. Experiences are what it’s all about at conventions and San Diego brings some of the biggest. I got to have a few myself and thought I’d share them with you.
Day Zero, Wednesday, of the convention had everything already set up inside and out. San Diego Comic Con goes well beyond the convention center, you can find pop-up buildings across the street, transformed restaurants, and even boats on the marina. Amazon Prime has a new series for The Tick, it’s the character’s third series, second live-action, with Peter Serafinowicz as the big blue bug himself. To get folks hyped for his return to the screen, Amazon created the Tick Takeover, an event that tests your Tick trivia and detective skills.
When you first show up you get fitted with a wristband that can be scanned at certain points to answer some trivia about the Tick. You could also just sit and relax on some couches and check out the pilot episode. This was merely the waiting room for what was ahead, you were about to be tested for your heroic aptitude. You’d move on to a set of levers that were labeled with different emotions, when you pulled one, the Tick antennae out front would change position to show his emotional state. You also got to design your own t-shirt that you’d get at the end of the experience.
Finally, you’d be taken inside a room that looked like a deli where a video of Arthur, the Tick’s friend and sidekick, would alert you of a supercriminal gang. You’re tasked with finding 14 clues in only a few minutes over the course of two rooms. The scanning was a bit spotty when I went but it was fun running around in the rooms they had. At the end, you were scored, given the shirt you’d designed, and got to take a picture that used cameras that scanned you for 180 degrees to give a cool animated gif effect.
Several years ago, getting a boat on the marina as your booth became a very hot item. The Internet Movie Database got a boat this year and dubbed it the IMDboat and then teamed up with Amazon for promotionals. Amazon has a fairly new app for helping kids discover the fun of reading called Amazon Rapids. Recently having teamed up with two of Amazon Prime’s kids shows, Danger & Egg as well as Niko and the Sword of Light for some additional stories in these series. It definitely feels like a great gateway to get kids into reading for fun.
It uses animation, the voice actors from the shows and an easy to follow texting format so kids can follow along and read at their own pace. They also have lots of other original series that go for ages six to twelve. Seems like it’s worth checking out if your kid is still looking for the fun of reading. Then your kid could get all sorts of pages read rewards for class and school programs.
This year was pretty fun for unique convention experiences. There was plenty I just didn’t have the time to see, carnivals, escape rooms, and plenty more. If you ever get a chance to go to San Diego Comic Con, I’m sure there’s at least one experience you’ll find and hopefully get to do.
Dr. Bustos
drbustos@comicattack.net
