SAN DIEGO — San Diego Comic-Con is here and so too are new exhibits to see at the Comic-Con Museum.
“We always want to pay tribute to creators, innovators, and legends in the popular arts world,” Museum Executive Director Rita Vandergaw said. “We do just that in an homage to Stan Lee’s 100th birthday and Cowboy Bebop’s 25th anniversary. Anime features have been one of the top requests from attendees, so we’re looking forward to celebrating the fandoms of ‘Cowboy Bebop’ and ‘My Hero Academia’ with Crunchyroll for current and future fans to discover.”
With the addition of exhibits honoring Stan Lee's life and legacy, Cowboy Bebop's 25th anniversary, an exhibit on My Hero Academia as well as new headline exhibits “The Animation Academy – from Pencils to Pixels” and “Cover Story: Five Decades of Comic-Con."
The Comic-Con Museum offers 15% off memberships during Comic-Con from July 18-23. You can purchase a discounted membership at the ticket desk in person. You can visit the museum booth, 1714, at the Convention Center and receive the benefits of membership immediately. This offer is not available online.
Comic-Con Museum & Comic-Con Shuttle: During Comic-Con, a complimentary shuttle will run between the museum and the Convention for those who have museum tickets and Comic-Con badges.
Here are a few of the special exhibits featured at the Comic-Con Museum:
“Rick Geary and the Comic-Con Toucan” This special exhibit is about comic artist Rick Geary’s creation of the famous Comic-Con Toucan, from the 1980s to now.
PAC-MAN Arcade - This neon-lit arcade room features one of the most recognized characters on the planet, including free endless arcade games, artwork, and memorabilia.
The following events, happening at the Museum during Comic-Con, are free to Museum guests:
IF/THEN STEAM® Fair, Friday, July 21 through Sunday, July 23 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., is a family-friendly event featuring American Association for the Advancement of Science IF/THEN® Ambassadors, women leaders in science, engineering, technology, and math (STEM) leading engaging experiments and activities, splash talks about their career journeys, and pop-up tables from other members of the coalition. The careers represented range from earthquake geology and molecular biology to robotics, neuroscience, and conservation ecology.
Cardboard Superheroes workshop, led by founders and brothers Connor and Bauer Lee, on Thursday, July 20, invites guests to drop in throughout the day and create cardboard model superheroes, characters, and signature accessories. Participation is free with admission, as space allows.
The following additional events are available at the Comic-Con Museum:
Friday, July 21 from 2:30-4:45 p.m.: An exclusive “Chuck Jones Center for Creativity Big Draw” featuring Marvin Martian. Build your own Martian Maggot paper air rocket, learn to draw Bugs Bunny, and enjoy several more interactive creative experiences for the entire family.
Friday, July 21 from 2-4 p.m.: Hunger Action Heroes Photo Opportunity and Caricaturist – Join Comic-Con Museum and Feeding San Diego in the fight against hunger. Have your photo taken with live Hunger Action Heroes and/or your own hero likeness drawn by artist and caricaturist Thom Zahler.
Saturday, July 22 from 2-4 p.m.: Tim Smyth: Teaching and Learning with Comics – Tim Smyth, author of the Eisner-nominated book “Teaching with Comics and Graphic Novels” will share his insights using the power of comics to promote literacy. The Smyth family will discuss many of the creative learning ideas from Tim’s book. Teachers and parents will learn how to integrate these high-interest and fun ideas to engage their students/children.