Wizards and Jedi right now.
Comic Con Taking over downtown San Diego,
even our new studio here a little bit.
This is one of the biggest celebrations
of pop culture in the world.
Thanks so much for joining us, everyone.
We have to be a part of this,
even if we can't be there.
That's exactly
right. I'm trying to be Velmo wh
scooby-doo, but I am Anna Lauret
is got a tough. Right now,
Comic Con is just getting start.
The doors opened around
9:30 this morning. Nearly
130,000 people are now at
Comic Con listening to panels.
Cos playing or buying art from
hundreds of comic artists. Lots
of people flying in and
flying out of downtown.
Right now we have team coverage
for you on Comic Con 2023,
CBS 8's Chris Grow showing the t
cosplayers you will see in the gas lamp.
Dana Marie Mcnichol has all the
details on when you what you can
do out there without a badge. Bt
first, let's go to CBS8's
Kelly has it all live outside
the Convention Center for us.
Kelly, how did Mayor Gloria
kick off Comic Con today?
Yeah, that's right.
You know, there's a lot of
excitement out here right now.
We're right outside the Conventn
Center inside these doors. Thats
where all the excitement is happening.
Let's give you a look at the crowd right now.
You can see people going inside as we speak.
A lot of positive energy out here today.
Mayor Todd Gloria,
excited to kick off Comic Con 2.
Here's some of what he said this morning.
This signature San Diego event
returns for its 54th year today,
and myself and our city's
first dog, Diego, is here.
He's happy to join in the fun ad
keep this annual tradition goin.
And you can see Mayor Gloria's dog there,
dressed up as Super Mario Broth.
I'm making a nod to the movie.
And so Comic Con officially
underway right now.
The mayor ruled out the red car.
Welcome people to America's Finest City.
Thousands are here from all over the world
to enjoy the next few days here at the
Convention Center in downtown San Diego.
Now the economic impact this
convention has on our city is h.
The city says last year 135,000
people attended Comic Con,
bringing in about 3 million in l
and sales tax revenue, of cours.
And the hope is that this year e
numbers are even bigger and the mayor
says that revenue helps fix potholes,
helps build a homeless shelters,
pays for law enforcement.
So this is a very important
event for the city.
Now, one thing we've heard a lot about
is the strike happening in Los Angeles.
The mayor also addressed that t.
We
want to acknowledge the writersd
the actors who are currently on strike,
fighting for better pay
and for better benefits.
I think the entire city of San
Diego joins me and saying that e
hope for a quick and beneficial
resolution for everybody.
And so here is another live look
outside the Convention Center as
Comic Con gets underway today.
The mayor went on to say it's important
to remember that it's all the workers
that make events like this poss.
Now, even if you don't have a b,
it's just great to come down hee
for all the people watching.
Let's send it now to my colleag,
CBS8's Chris Crow
for more on that part of the story. Chris.
Yeah, Good morning. People watcg
at the very best happening right here
in the heart of the gas lamp. In fact,
let's just do a quick scan right here.
See all of the people that are coming
away from the Convention Centert
are headed to the Convention Ce.
In fact, I see someone who doest
have the high ground right now,.
Anakin Skywalker, I don't like ,
doesn't have the high ground.
Not only are you fit here, but ,
you, you have the whole look go.
Does it take very long to get this going?
Yeah. But I always do it last minute.
You always do it last. I always.
How you do it for for your empi.
Right. Your Galaxy. Not yet.
Not yet. Not yet.
Now, real quick, How long have
you been coming out to Comic Co?
Do you even have a badge or
do you just love coming out?
I have a badge right here.
Very good. Very good. I this is.
I've come out a few times.
This is about,
I think this is my fifth year h.
Awesome.
I didn't start dressing up until last year,
and
I always let my hair grow out.
Always getting ready for last yr
with Steve Harrington because
the Stranger Things coming out
this year is just Anakin. Becaue
I like Anakin. Hey, why not?
All right, Well, I don't want
you to miss the crosswalk there,
so have a good time, man.
I appreciate it.
May the Force be with you.
Hey, always may the Force be with you.
All right. No matter which side
of the Force that you fall on.
But characters like Anakin?
You've even got family members, Minnie Mouse,
always a clutch go to right the.
You have so many people trying
to best represent the arts
that they love that they enjoy.
Indiana Jones for instance.
Over here to my left, to your r.
So it it's really hard to even
just try to wrangle everybody,
if you will.
But guys, I I think some of the
best costumes are the ones thatu
sit and you look at and you're ,
this is going to take me a whil.
Who who am I looking at?
Maybe.
Maybe you take a picture and you
Google search it and then it's ,
ah, that made sense.
So earlier today I was a reporter Laurian,
right? You guys have been Clark tent.
I heard scooby-doo character may
have made an appearance or is
making an appearance right now.
Anna. Velma, did I hear that ri?
So Velma and Velma and Chris,
not everyone's a superhero
and badges can be stolen.
So I like the fact that.
Anakin had that badge
on his security belt.
Did you notice that?
A lightsaber away.
No one was on the security belt.
It was strapped and and you know what?
I I could tell he knew how
to handle that lightsaber.
I tell you, if anybody tries to swipe it,
just saying they might lose a hand like it.
Not the Moss icely cantina.
Just saying Chris
could go toe to toe with anybody with
a lightsaber. I've seen your moe
this morning. That and that
story is coming up by the way.
And 1/2 hour you'll see some mo.
You'll see some more.
Thank you down there.
Thank you, Chris. Appreciate
that. You may be wondering,
is there any way that you can gt
a last minute badge to Comic Co?
You're not going to get
it from Anakin there.
He's not giving his up,
unfortunately.
Every badge sold has been
sold out for months now.
Yeah, there is still plenty to do though,
around Comic Con all weekend.
CBS8's Dana Marie Mcnichol is le
at the Petco Park Interactive Zone for us,
showing us everything you can do for free.
It's reporter Bobby Barbie and .
That was shocked today when I've
been watching your report showig
all the stuff they've got. I me,
it is larger than life for people to do.
And it's free. Exactly.
And that's such a great way to describe it,
Larger than life.
And all over the gas lamp,
behind the Convention Center and here
in the ACE premier lot of Petco Park,
that's where fans are now gathe.
It's a free immersion experienc.
So many people are actually usig
this as a way to get in the sha,
eat some food, regroup,
and also as you can see, there'.
Transformers,
There's even a 30 year reunion of a movie.
So I have dazed and Confused,
but I do want to send you over to some
video that we shot earlier this morning.
We've been out since 4:00 AM jug
to all these free interactive
experiences that you personally
can still wait in line for.
So let's start off with that Paramount
plus experience at that lodge immersive
featuring current and upcoming Paramount
plus original series and movies.
There is something new around eh
corner for Yellow Jacket fans.
Step inside Lottie Serene compod
to see if the iconic antler
Queen will reveal herself.
Then take a look at the Star
Trek Character studios.
Artist will actually sketch viss
as their own Star Trek characte.
Pretty cool there.
We had so much fun also discoveg
a hidden Speakeasy in the Silver
Dollar Soda shop for the Yellow
Spin spin Off show of 1923.
All themed food,
which does include good burgers
and a cocktail from the CBS Spos
bar are free now.
I just want to mention,
reservations are taken,
but you can still wait in line at that bar,
Happy does in the gas lamp.
Then we moved over to Hulu.
Anaham Anna Mayham,
excuse me,
where I hung out with the cast f
American Dad and Alanis Morissee
as part of the Great North.
There are no shortages of photoS
with The Simpsons and Family Guy jump
behind the bar of Bob's Burgers.
You might even be served one.
It's at random during the day.
The new season of Futurama is
also premiering this month,
so it's a huge crowd pleaser from posing.
Slurmed to jumping into the
future with Fry and Lela,
it's definitely worth the wait.
It opens every day at 10:00 AM until Sunday.
That's right behind the Conventn
Center near the Marina.
Now,
the last free experience I wento
this morning was NBC's their lie
interactive Quantum Leap missio.
Now me and my photographer,
we had to leap through time,
help the characters on The Voicd
Chucky get back to their normal programming.
I even helped the cast of Law
and Order find evidence and put
it into an evidence box.
And I think that was so.
Much fun,
guys.
I can.
I'm like out of breath talking t
all the things that you can do.
Thank goodness you have today through
Sunday to really experience allf
those live events and experienc.
But you're back out at outside of Petco Park.
This is a great place again to come sit down,
cool off and get some great food. Yeah,
I mean, you may be Barbie,
but you're not in the Barbie world yet.
That's tomorrow. You're in the c
Con world out there for now. Ye,
you're going to be a little more patient.
That's right. With those crazy,
scary dolls. Yeah, the
creepy danger things. Yeah.
I didn't know Chucky was making
an appearance in the midday show
here. That's totally scared us.,
my gosh. It was a fun, fun time. Yeah.
Thank you for that, Danary.
So Comic Con is looking a
little different here this year.
Yeah. The actors, the writers,
they're on the picket lines.
They are not allowed to
promote their TV shows,
movies or projects while
the strike continues.
You heard the mayor touching
on this a little bit off the
top of the show in Kelly Story.
So Marvel and DC Studios have
already said they will not
hold panels at this convention.
Paramount Pictures is still hosg
a panel today at 11:30 AM on thr
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mo.
We actually had the Turtles
in studio here the other day,
and boy, they're pretty cool,
so they're still going to be a t
of fun for people to interact w.
Not all attendees are disappoind
that Hollywood isn't really
at Comic Con this year.
I spoke to the owner of Comics
Stronghold in Oceanside,
Gavin Wilson is his name here.
He is been going to Comic Con se
he was four years old for 19 ye,
and he thinks this ongoing strie
will make Comic Con focus on whs
truly the core of the conventio.
That makes
it really kind of fun.
A lot of, like, I know a lot of people
kind of turned off by that, but.
Before, back in the olden days of Comic Con,
what it was about was the books and the
art and the celebration of that community.
And then lately it's become a
celebration of pop culture in general,
which has been fantastic and exciting.
But now the past couple years wh
COVID and now the writers strik,
it's given us an opportunity
to go back to form,
go back to our roots and really
celebrate the comics and what
makes Comic Con Comic Con.
Yeah, you see a Wilson,
his wife there, Kristen.
They opened their store
just a few months ago,
right around the time that
there a son was born.
Right now there is only one
comic book shop in Oceanside
and you can find them on
1906 Oceanside Blvd. Today
we're working for you
sharing your best options for
transportation to Comic Con.
The number one tip is.
Try to avoid driving.
W Harbor Drive is actually clos.
This is what Harbor Drive.
This is the Convention Center.
All of that is closed right now
and parking is very limited.
Many lots are used for popups.
Street parking will likely be f.
You could get lucky,
but you'll be driving around
a while looking for it.
Seven lots downtown and the Convention Center
garage are reserved for Comic Con attendees.
Another option is to use the
free shuttle bus service.
You only need your official Comic Con badge.
There are 6 routes,
each with pickup spots near hotels close
and far from the Convention Cen,
so this is a map of the area of the stops.
The buses come about every 15 to 30 minutes.
There's also the trolley.
MTS is running a special Comic n
Express line from the Balboa Av.
stop to the 5th and Imperial st.
It can bring you right across
the street from the center.
You can also take a longer route on the
green line on the blue or orange lines.
Make sure you get off at 12th and Imperial.
You have to pay through the Pronto app,
or you can buy at a machine
at a trolley stop.
There are discounted Comic Con
passes available through the ap,
and if your costume gets
torn in all the excitement,
but you don't have access
to Tony Stark technology,
the next best thing is the
Cosplay Repair Station.
It's on the 4th floor of the
San Diego Central Library.
While supplies last,
you get access to sewing machin,
3D printers, and other supplies,
all for free.
And make sure to swing by for
games and other activities.
The lab will be open from 3:50 for the
next couple of days until Satur.
We will be open from 1:00 to 4:00 Sunday.
That sounds like a great idea
to take your kids to go
check out. Absolutely.
There's a lot to see out there.
If you're going to Comic Con,
show us you are cosplay.
Thank you to this viewer
for showing off her costume.
She was on our show during the
May the 4th or Star Wars day.
She is going to be dressed up as
Riva from the show Obi Wan Keno.
Like how. To the T exact.
That costume is very detail oriented.
You can still send us your
pictures of your cosplay.
Go to the CBS8 app.
Go to the Near Me section on
the bottom there on the app.
Sure.
Be sure to tell us your name
and then what you are going as,
because maybe you're kind of mig
some of the costumes together
to create your own little style.
We've seen that before and
I like to see that again.
Yeah. And the more obscure, the better
it seems like when you're down there.
So people have some really, I m,
it turns into a trivia game.
Are you from? Which episode?
Yeah, Yeah, that's how they are.
Can be a little confusing.