SDCC 2018

By: Agent Bunnie

Afronauts has returned from San Diego Comic-Con 2018! We survived the chaos, crowds, and heat! We'd like to share our thoughts, experiences, and pictures with all you Afrofuturists!

Just in case you didn't know what San Diego Comic-Con is, or SDCC for short, it is the world's largest comic convention! It's held annually in San Diego, California (USA).  Although, it originally started out as a comic convention, it has since turned into a huge pop culture celebration. This was Afronauts third year attending the convention. We had previously attended in 2015 & 2016, but unfortunately we were unable to attend the con last year due to unforeseen circumstances.

Since we had previously been attendees, we knew what to except- big crowds, long lines, and lots of waiting.  The downsides are unavoidable. Whether you want to buy an exclusive piece of merchandise or you plan on attending a panel, there is almost always a line to get to your destination.  With that said and while we knew about the long waits, we do feel that SDCC was a bit unorganized. In the past, we had never really had issues, because rules and regulations were clear. This year, it seemed like the regulations changed almost instantly and one convention worker did not have the same requests as the next. On Comic-Con's part, it did seem like there was a lack of communication and training this year and this was a bit frustrating to have to work with. We truly hope that they can work out their kinks for 2019.

We did, however, put our best foot forward! After all, we receive what we expel! So, we were determined to have the best time that we could!​

The city of San Diego really outdid itself this year for Comic-Con! We have never seen so much decoration and design. We took a 15 minute walk up the street to the edge of the Gas Lamp District and there was still so much to see! They literally "wrapped" the city up this year! Every bus, every trolley, and most buildings had something on them to represent an aspect of SDCC! Everyone really came out to support the event and it was great to see!

Cosplaying Couple of the Green Lantern  Core

Not only did the Comic-Con organization and the city of San Diego do a great job, but the fan community really came out in a supportive way! This year's SDCC felt way more open-arm'd and supportive than any other year! We had such an amazing time connecting with other like-minded fans.

Agent Afornaut is here with a Gryffindor Bunny! We love this personal fan take on Harry Potter's own House!

One thing that's hard to spot at comic conventions is Anime or cartoon cosplay. Usually, it's all comic book characters in some format, whether it's from the actual comics or the movies and TV shows. However, we spotted this great Garnet cosplay from the Cartoon Network cartoon, Steven Universe, as we were leaving the Afrofuturism panel.

FYI: Steven Universe is a great cartoon that emphasizes female power and relationships, as well as diversity! The story line has become wonderfully in depth and so have the characters! If you haven't watched it yet or caught up in the series, we suggest you get on it! 

The number of cosplayers at SDCC in some sort of Black Panther cosplay was astounding to see! We personally loved this powerful female take on the actual Black Panther character!

Speaking of Black Panther cosplays, it's great to see people cosplay secondary characters, because we all know they play just as important of a role to the story! Where would T'Challa be without his strong mother!

While waiting for the Black Heroes Matter flash mob, we met a great cosplay of the classic Static Shock from Milestone Comics. DC Comics would later acquire the rights to this character with a merge.

Overall, we did have a good time at this years SDCC and met a lot of great people! Look out for our spotlight posts on SDCC coming soon on this blog and the podcasts we have coming on the con! If you happen to know who any of the cosplayers are or you can self-identify yourself, please email: stylish.kiss@gmail.com.