By R.V. Baugus
Time to fess up. I am not into Comic-Con (picture me now cowering and covering my head as rotten tomatoes are thrown my way). I would say that I am not the demographic, but that wouldn’t exactly fly as I do know people in the general vicinity of my unshared age who would beg to differ.
The differences in our DNA is what makes the world go round, right? I can’t watch any type of horror movie. I 
know it is a MOVIE, but my stomach just can’t take it. Guess that’s why a list of Mel Brooks’ movies stands tall in my group of favorites.
But back to Comic-Con. It did not take place this year at the San Diego Convention Center, the first time since 1991 for that to happen — or not happen. When I received an email from Maren Dougherty, the venue’s director of marketing and communications, sharing a brief video posted to Twitter and entitled “You Are Comic-Con,” it felt as though she was indeed talking to me. I clicked to watch the 1:13 message from the Center to the Comic-Con fans around the world that in essence said that we miss you but we will see you next year.
Comic-Con 2020 was slated for April 10-12, but obviously COVID-19 canceled this year’s event. Next year the venue will host Comic-Con March 26-28.
“The volume and content of the replies and retweets demonstrate the incredible communities that form around live events,” Dougherty wrote. No kidding! I scrolled down to read the comments, many of which contained emojis dominated by tears due to the powerful and emotional message. In all, to date there have been almost 1,000 retweets and comments from the July 21 posting.
And when it comes to numbers, these do not lie. A visit to the venue’s website reveals that the 2019 Comic-Con was to bring in an estimated 135,000 attendees from over 80 countries and more than 2,500 media personnel from over 30 countries, with guests generating an estimated $149 million in regional impact to San Diego. Enough said!
The website goes on to share fascinating and impressive statistics when it comes to the super-sized appetites of attendees with Centerplate answering the call to feed guests. Sustainability is another area of remarkable statistics.
But you are here because we really want you to enjoy this video, so without further ado, please click here.
Just bring Kleenex with you.
