Comic-Con 2019: The Coolest Things You Missed at the Massive San Diego Convention

NBC, Fox, Amazon Prime Video, Epix, and more fought for attention with wacky, eye-catching stunts and activations. Here are some highlights.

Claire Hoffman

August 6, 2019

A 70-foot Ferris wheel, adorned with graphics of Fox characters, overlooked the San Diego skyline.Photo: Brandon Means/FoxSAN DIEGO—A 20-foot traveling shark. A superhero crime scene. An underground dungeon photo op. The Interdimensional Hole of Pancakes?

There may be only one event where all of these things come together, and it's—of course—Comic-Con International. The massive pop culture convention, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year from July 18 to 21, annually features a slew of creative brand activations inspired by movies, TV shows, and comics.

While the ticketed event inside the San Diego Convention Center caps attendance at around 135,000 people, countless more fans descend upon the city for the free activations, most of which take place outdoors. (It's no surprise that Comic-Con generates an estimated $149 million in economic impact for San Diego.) Highlights from this year included Fox's inaugural Fan Fare, a carnival-like space promoting the network's slew of animated shows, plus NBC's comedy-focused plaza featuring a Brooklyn Nine-Nine escape room and a pun-filled restaurant inspired by The Good Place.

This year, some of the brand experiences started before guests even arrived: Southwest Airlines passengers on a flight from Dallas to San Diego, for example, were surprised with Nintendo Switch consoles and a copy of Super Mario Maker 2.

On site, one of the more headline-grabbing activations came from Amazon Prime Video. In a politically tinged experience for the new series Carnival Row, fans were asked to identify as a human or a creature; those who picked creature were given an identity card that evoked the immigration process in the United States. According to series star Orlando Bloom, San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer left the experience when he heard the metaphor, though the Republican mayor's office has denied the claim.

Meanwhile, inside the convention center the buzziest moments came from panels, particularly for fans who get a seat in the much-coveted Hall H. This year's convention was highlighted by Marvel Studios' new slate of movie announcements, which featured surprise appearances from Angelina Jolie and Natalie Portman.

Here's a look at some of the more memorable activations, stunts, booths, and parties from this year's Comic-Con International.

Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video worked with Tool of North America to create a 60,000-square-foot activation across from the convention center. The public experience was highlighted by a 40-foot tower adorned with massive LED screens that played scenes from Amazon Prime shows The Boys, Carnival Row, and The Expanse. There were also live performances inspired by each show that took place on the tower, such as an immigration storyline inspired by Carnival Row.

Photo: Lauren Hurt

Inside the activation, attendees received collectible coins that helped them explore the space. First up was a disheveled audiovisual shop inspired by a scene in The Boys; fans were asked to help cover up a crime scene of a superhero kidnapping.

Photo: Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video

Meanwhile, in a space inspired by The Expanse, guests entered a Rocinante spaceship that evoked a United Nations peacekeeping mission to a newly colonized planet, as seen on the series.

Photo: Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video

In honor of Carnival Row, a series where humans and exotic creatures coexist, guests watched performances in a neo-Victorian lounge.

Photo: Lauren Hurt

Audible

For the new Audible original series Stan Lee's Alliances: A Trick of Light, Audible worked with producers Civic Entertainment Group to bring a matrix-like "light labyrinth" to Comic-Con this year. A variety of immersive light and sound-driven experiences represented key moments from the new series, which features a universe of all-new superheroes.

Photo: Courtesy of Audible

The experience had an introduction written and narrated by the late Stan Lee, while the rest of the experience—which allowed fans to trace the origin story of character Cameron Ackerson—was narrated by Grown-ish star Yara Shahidi.

Photo: Courtesy of Audible

Epix

For the new series Pennyworth, which tells the story of Batman’s butler Alfred, Epix took over the Oxford Social Club at the Pendry San Diego. Produced by CSM LeadDog, the five-room experience was set in 1960s London; guests used a secret password to enter the space through a coat check. Inside was a high-society lounge with casino tables, drag performances, and a 1960s-inspired band.

Photo: Eric Cardella

Beyond the lounge, several rooms dug deeper into the show’s mysterious world, such as a library where members of the show’s Raven Society tried to recruit members, and the society’s headquarters where guests listened to a macabre poetry reading. Visitors were then led to the dungeon, which revealed the organization’s darker aspects—and offered some unique photo ops.

Photo: Eric Cardella

NBC

NBC worked with experiential agency Giant Spoon to create eye-catching areas inspired by Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place, and Superstore. The activations were inspired by the show’s settings, and R.F.I.D. technology allowed guests to interact with the spaces. In San Diego’s Gaslamp Plaza, the Brooklyn Nine-Nine space was marked with a Statue of Liberty figure wearing sunglasses and signage in the style of the New York City subway.

Photo: Courtesy of NBC

Inside, fans “trained” to join the show’s 99th Precinct through a series of tongue-in-cheek exercises mimicking an escape room.

Photo: Courtesy of NBC

Nearby, the main lobby of the Hard Rock Hotel became a replica of Superstore’s Cloud 9. Fans could view exclusive content and get merchandise from a “customer service” desk. Meanwhile, Mary Jane’s restaurant at the hotel was transformed into the “Interdimensional Hole of Pancakes,” a reference to a season 3 episode of The Good Place; diners were served meals inspired by the show.

Photo: Courtesy of NBC

In the same area, NBC created the Comedy Cafe, a nostalgic restaurant adorned with pictures and quotes from previous NBC shows such as Seinfeld, Parks & Recreation, and 30 Rock.

Photo: Courtesy of NBC

CBS All Access

Inside the convention center, CBS All Access and the Star Trek Universe worked with the Visionary Group to build a 20-by-20-foot booth inspired by the show’s U.S.S. Discovery. The space had exclusive props and memorabilia, plus plenty of hidden Easter eggs. An immersive experience virtually transported fans to lands inspired by the series, and Star Trek stars such as Patrick Stewart, Sonequa Martin-Green, Ethan Peck, Rebecca Romijn, and David Ajala made appearances.

Photo: Tiffanie Chow

Fandom

For its fourth annual invite-only Comic-Con party, Fandom took over Float at the Hard Rock Hotel for a performance by Girl Talk and a sneak peek of R.U.N., Cirque du Soleil’s new live-action show that premieres in Las Vegas in October.

Photo: Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Fandom

The performance, which included a voice-over narration by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, featured pyrotechnics, motorcycle tricks, and other stunts.

Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Fandom

Fox

Fox hosted its inaugural Fan Fair at this year’s Comic-Con, spanning 24,000 square feet with production by Creative Riff. Located across from the New Children’s Museum was a carnival-inspired space highlighting the network’s new Animation Domination, a Sunday-night block of animated shows including The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers, and Family Guy. Interactive games included a water-gun shootout with visuals from the animated shows.

Photo: Brandon Means/Fox

A 70-foot Ferris wheel, adorned with graphics of Fox characters, overlooked the San Diego skyline.

Photo: Brandon Means/Fox

Guests could also play oversize versions of Jenga, Connect 4, and corn hole rendered in the campaign's graphics.

Photo: Willy Sanjuan/Fox

Fox's The Orville Experience, a museum-like space produced by NVE Experience Agency, was filled with costumes, props, and models. Fans could also interact with the show's writers, makeup artists, and producers.

Photo: Scott Kirkland/Fox

Fans could take pics alongside Unk, a character from The Orville portrayed by Seth MacFarlane.

FX Networks hosted its Fearless Forum activation again this year, with production by Creative Riff. The area featured spaces and activities inspired by a variety of FX shows such as What We Do in the Shadows and Archer; a highlight was a creepy camp-inspired immersive experience for American Horror story: 1984.

Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for FX

A helpful activation for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia provided sunscreen for guests.

Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for FX

A nightly projection from BartKresa Studio and FX Design featured colorful, changing graphics inspired by the network’s shows.

Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for FX

Adult Swim

Adult Swim’s free, public space behind the convention center, dubbed Adult Swim on the Green, featured panels and meet-and-greets with stars from Rick and Morty, Robot Chicken, and the upcoming series Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal. The colorful, carnival-like space also included games, giveaways, a costume contest, and a free hydration station from sponsor State Farm. Grandesign handled production.

Photo: Courtesy of Grandesign

National Geographic

To celebrate Nat Geo and Nat Geo Wild's special World's Biggest Great White, the network worked with Allied Experiential on a 20-foot-long shark named Deep Blue. The creation was supported by five handlers and was carried through the streets of San Diego to promote the show.

Photo: Courtesy of National Geographic

Netflix

To promote its upcoming series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Netflix worked with NVE Experience Agency to create an immersive 20- by 30-foot booth experience. Attendees wore R.F.I.D. bracelets that remotely changed the scenery as they walked from room to room. Other highlights were a prize wheel that offered custom swag and a moving eight-foot-tall crystal.

Photo: Courtesy of NVE Experience Agency

For the first time, Warner Bros. teamed up with sister company DC for a combined two-story, 6,500-square-foot booth produced by Vision Events. Highlights included a Harley Quinn-inspired space where fans could enter Arkham Asylum and peek at DC Comics characters inside.

Photo: Chris Frawley

Warner Bros.

Another area of the DC Warner Bros. booth was a re-creation of Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe from the CW show Riverdale.

Photo: Chris Frawley

The booth also celebrated the 25th anniversary of the sitcom Friends with a Central Perk photo op.

Photo: Chris Frawley

Warner Bros. hosted its annual media mixer at Float at the Hard Rock Hotel. This year’s event had a carnival theme, with games, fortune tellers, and on-theme photo ops. A life-size gold replica of Batman welcomed guests to the event.

Photo: Chris Frawley

IMDb

Entertainment database IMDb once again hosted its IMDboat, a three-story yacht docked outside the convention center. The eye-catching space, produced by NVE Experience Agency, featured Comic-Con-inspired games, food, and photo moments; director Kevin Smith was on board to conduct interviews with stars.

Photo: Miranda McDonald/IMDb