San Diego Comic Con International, which has been on hiatus for any in-person events since 2019, has now announced the dates for its next convention.
The news was shared on Comic-Con.org, revealing that the three-day event will take place over Thanksgiving weekend at the San Diego Convention Center. It begins on Friday, Nov. 26, concluding on Sunday, Nov. 28.
As last year's event was cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the usual summer dates for SDCC were deemed to still be too early for a large crowd, the "Comic-Con Special Edition" was planned as a smaller gathering in addition to the virtual events that the organization is hosting.
The continued effects of the global lockdowns were acknowledged in the announcement. "It is our hope that by Fall conditions will permit larger public gatherings," the text reads. "Comic-Con Special Edition will be the first in-person convention produced by the organization since Comic-Con 2019, and the first since the onset of the global pandemic COVID-19."
The economic difficulties that the pandemic has placed on the organization and its location was also noted. Spokesperson David Glanzer was quoted as saying, "While we have been able to pivot from in-person gatherings to limited online events, the loss of revenue has had an acute impact on the organization as it has with many small businesses, necessitating reduced work schedules and reduction in pay for employees, among other issues... Hopefully this event will shore up our financial reserves and mark a slow return to larger in-person gatherings in 2022."
Additional details, including badge prices and attendance capacity, will be forthcoming once they are finalized.