My First Time at San Diego Comic-Con as Press 2023
I landed in San Diego on Thursday with a mission and mild anxiety. Flight was delayed about 30 minutes making me just a little late to a panel I got a press invite for. I literally went from the airport, hopped in an Uber, straight to a hotel to pick up my panel pass, walked very quickly to a storage place near the convention center to drop off my roller bag, booked it over to the Sails Pavilion to pick up my press badge and then made it to the panel only a few minutes late.
MAX Animation panel featuring ‘YOUNG LOVE’
When I tell you, I was SWEATING and STRESSED. But it worked out in the long run, so I couldn’t even let the anxiety get to me. I’m glad I got to make the panel because it tremendously helped me plan the questions for the press line after the panel.
I had never done a pressline before and it had been years since I interviewed anyone in person, so I was trying not to psych myself out. At the same time, I was waiting on my buddy, co-host and fellow Multiverse of Color contributor, Keenon, who was landing a little bit after me. (I changed my flight TWICE lol. Next year I will be coming in Wednesday night to avoid what I experienced on Thursday (⊙‿⊙✿) ).
He and I finally linked up and ran over to the Bayfront to do our pressline interviews. For my first time, it went very well. Everyone was super friendly and accommodating. Shoutout to MAX’s PR team for being as organized as they could be amongst the chaos.
I will make a note here about the strikes. I am 100% in solidarity with all striking workers. Wage theft and exploitation are something we all face in any industry and I respect the WGA and SAG-AFTRA for uniting in striking. I also understand the struggle and confusion for those not in those specific unions, but whose jobs are tied to covering all these things. Journalists have to balance integrity and moral ethics, while also still getting the damn job done.
Anyway after the pressline, I had to run back to the exhibit floor for my first interview at the top of the DC booth with Mark Russell. Talking to an Eisner winner, who has been nominated multiple times, was absolutely inspiring and motivational. Dude really has a way with words, which makes sense because he wrote one of my favorite Superman books in the last couple decades.
I met up with Keenon because we finally slowed down and could check into our godawful Airbnb. Listen, kudos to Keenon for finding a decently priced rental in a short period of time. The host clearly didn’t take care of his “many properties” (his words) and we had to deal with some shit while staying there that weekend.
That didn’t take away from how much fun we had exploring the city after we got done with comic con duties, but I digress. Friday was a much lighter and chill day for us both. We got to see episodes 4 and 5 of My Adventures With Superman in the Indigo Ballroom at the Bayfront, but mostly spent the day working on our stories in the press room.
We did another pressline at the Bayfront, this time with some of the team behind Justice League: WarWorld. It was super interesting and a wonderful opportunity, but more importantly, we started connecting with other press people we remembered being there from the day before. One of the best things coming out of SDCC was the connections I made from it. After that we got to enjoy the rest of our Friday, grabbing drinks and food in the gayborhood.
Saturday ended up being nearly as crazy busy as Thursday. Majority of my interviews ended up being almost every hour for a four-block period on Saturday, so by 4pm I was EXHAUSTED. You can read all my interviews and articles from SDCC 2023 here!
Getting to talk to Dennis Culver, Nicole Maines, Joe Casey and Joshua Williamson was truly an amazing experience. They were all super kind and complimentary towards my interviewing style and in-depth questions. That kind of shit gives me a buzz almost nothing else can. I try not to seek outside validation too often because that’s a slippery slope, but it’s nice to get it regardless. Especially when it’s regarding something I am deeply passionate about.
Multiverse of Color contributors: (left to right) Jules, myself and Keenon
After those interviews, Keenon and I did some on the street interviews with cosplayers and then finally headed back to our rental to get ready for the boat party we got invited to. It was a blast and we got to know a lot of fellow Black nerds like us, hustling and covering the stuff we love. It was an amazing experience and I hope I get to see them all again in person in the future.
After that, it was a wrap on the weekend! I flew out, after MANY MANY MANY delays from Southwest, on Sunday and got snuggle up with my baby girl. This was my first time being away from her and it was surprisingly more painful than I thought it would be. I didn’t expect it to physically hurt not being near her. I don’t like that feeling at all. So while SDCC 2023 was one of the best I’ve ever been to, it was difficult being a new mom away from my baby. Next year, I definitely plan to bring the hubby and the kid to San Diego with me! Problem solved.
