Comic Con International: San Diego , which had not held any in-person events since 2019, has announced that it will be having an in-person event this November, but the timing of the event over Thanksgiving weekend has drawn a considerable amount of criticism from fans and the comic book and Hollywood celebrities that would normally be attending one of the biggest comic conventions in the world.
The three-day Comic-Con@Home virtual event that initially debuted last year due to the pandemic will occur again this year, from July 23-25, but there will be a "Comic-Con Special Edition" at the San Diego Convention Center from November 26-28. Thanksgiving Day this year is on November 25th.
Comic-Con International touted the new event, stating, "It is our hope that by Fall conditions will permit larger public gatherings," an announcement for the event said. "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 Fall event will allow the organization to highlight all the great elements that make Comic-Con such a popular event each year, as well as generate much needed revenue not only for the organization but also for local businesses and the community."
However, scheduling the event over the Thanksgiving holiday has not gone over well with some of the people who would normally be attending the event. Star Wars writer, Charles Soule, tweeted, "So they scheduled #SDCC on the same weekend as the first chance most families will (hopefully) be fully able to celebrate Thanksgiving in two years.
See you in 2022!"
Marvel Comics writer Dan Slott tweeted, "My family missed Thanksgiving last year because of the pandemic.
This year, we'll all be vaccinated. There's no way I'd be attending any event instead of spending that time with them. Even if everything were magically back to normal.
I can't imagine fans and pros who celebrate Thanksgiving in the U.S. feeling differently."
SYFY WIRE's Senior Producer for the West Coast, Tara Bennett, tweeted, "Sure. Make it during the one non-denominational fall holiday weekend in U.S., w/ always peak airfare prices. And I’m sure A-list celebs will LOVE doing this. Black Friday, indeed."
Journalist Carla Day tweeted out other logistical concerns, such as, "Will talent and publicists want to work over Thanksgiving weekend? It's the first holiday they may be able to spend with their families in almost 2 years? This date isn't well thought out. Not only talent and publicists, but they want to help the community, which means restaurant & bar workers will be more in demand. Drivers. Every job. And that will keep them from seeing their families as well. #SDCC would draw a limited attendance crowd any weekend. Bad choice. And perhaps #SDCC doesn't care. They will sell tickets before any talent or panel announcements are released, so if the event has subpar panels, they still get their money and can move forward. Buyer beware."
Hollywood Reporter's West Coast TV Editor, Lesley Goldberg, summed it up in a tweet, "This is so beyond stupid. If conditions are safe, won’t talent, producers, PR, press, etc., want to spend Thanksgiving with family? I certainly would. Did any thought or consideration go into this decision (other than greed)?"
Source: Hollywood Reporter