Silicon Valley Comic Con has been rechristened SiliCon, and the public face has changed from Steve Wozniak to Adam Savage. The convention is slightly smaller and more spread out due to the pandemic. Still lots of fun! read more

This con brought many people. There is nearby parking and nearby hotels. There was a variety of store vendors, items to buy, actors, stars and cosplayers To me, this con was worth the value. I am glad I kept and have a Silicon Valley Comic Con hooded jacket. I got to meet the late Stan Lee and the late Adam Wear. I got to meet Burt Ward, William Shatner, Ray Park and Temuera Morrison at this con. It is too bad that this con ended; fortunately, Galaxy Con has taken its place. read more

Been going since the first year, so four or five years now I think. They almost always have a celebrity photo op or two that I'd like, so we always get those. It's big and fun. The cosplay folks are incredible in their diversity and costume details - some of it is breathtaking. It's delightful being out-nerded constantly. The artwork for sale is also outstanding - in fact the breadth of vended items is insane. My son's favorite is all the Lego vendors. A quick note, however. They're terribly disorganized. They've gotten better over the years, but the photo op lines are still terrible. Very difficult to see tape on the floor and literally one guy (who's my hero by the way) keeping track and loudly giving us updates and organizing people. Being silicon valley, I really think there's a technological solution or three that could be used. The folks scanning for photo ops REFUSED to take my cell phone QR code and made me waste time digging out my print out. Wait, is it 2019? Why even send it? After your photo op, you get your print out, but I always want a sleeve and digital print. They ONLY TAKE CASH. Again, I thought it was 2019? Apple, Facebook, Google etc were founded literally within a 20 mile radius of this very spot - and you only take cash? Right. We usually buy a one day ticket. I honestly can't imagine finding enough to do for three days (not a huge fan of the fora). Saturday is the best ticket to purchase as it seems to be the biggest day. Anyhoo, I shall continue to go every year indefinitely - it just needs some work. read more

I attended the inaugural Silicon Valley Comic Con on its opening day. This event is being put on by Steve Wozniak (aka Woz) and some of his cohorts to help bring the San Diego experience closer to home. I initially wanted to go during one of the weekend dates, but the price point was a bit high since I was just going to be a looky-loo. Tickets: Prices differ depending on how many days and which days you want to attend. For example Fri was only $25 but the rest of the weekend dates were $50. They also had Three Day passes, and such. Check out their website for more info: https://register.growtix.com/e/silicon_valley_comic_con Parking- Street parking will be hard to come by and prepare to get raped by the local parking lots. I saw some charging $25 which is nothing compared to SF but huge for SJ. Check out http://parksj.org/ for more parking info. Personally, I'd recommend finding a VTA Park & Ride Station (http://goo.gl/J2AzMd) and taking the Light Rail there; it drops you right in front of the McEnery Convention Center. Concessions- Didn't see any food or drinks being sold, but maybe that'll change for the weekend??? No idea. Exhibits- Typical menagerie you'll see at most comic conventions: Cosplayers; booths selling miscellaneous miscellany; exhibitors; D-list celebrities selling autographs for obscene amounts and other such truck. My favorite display of the night was the PancakeBot™ machine that made pancakes into any shape! I don't know why, but I need that in the worst way... I'm glad to see something like this come to my hometown, and I'm not sure how it compares to the San Diego Comic-Con, but who cares really? Overall it was fun, and I'll definitely be back next year. Excelsior! read more

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This is my first time at comic con. To be honest, I am disappointed that it costs money to buy a photo of the actor, and then additional money to get an autograph, and you're not allowed to take pictures with the actors in the same location in which they sign the autographs. Although they are happy to point out that you can take pics OF the actors signing autographs.....because I can't find that on Google already....... I like the displays by artists and authors. My husband bought a few books. We both bought tshirts. There is some pretty good one of a kind stuff provided here. I also like the exhibits by Madam Tussauds. Amazingly lifelike. I definitely want to visit Madam Tussauds in San Francisco now. Very disappointed that it costs $200-$300 to take a pic with Christopher Lloyd at a different location after waiting in an already very long line to get his autograph. He hasn't even been in a movie recently...has he? I like Lea Thompson in Back to the Future and I like her in Switched at Birth, but $65 for a photo that they've already taken of her and her signature is kind of out there. I could see paying that for Robert Downey Jr's signature or a picture with him.....maybe I guess I've just been spoiled by those super cool celebrities who enjoy their trade and aren't requiring a kidney and your first born for an autograph and a picture with them. I am seeing many disappointed fans walking away from lines when they learn the price of meeting their favorite actor. That's pretty sad. I have signed memorabilia that I keep at home. Not everybody is looking for a signature to sell. Keep the true fans in mind and stop focusing on getting more money. That being said, all of the really really cool seminars cost money and require special passes as well. I'm glad I know this now because i've already gotten tickets to Comic con in San Diego this year. At least I'll be prepared for comic con San Diego. The VR zone is free for exploration, but the lines are crazy long. The same is true about beverages and food. The line goes to the doors..don't even think about just grabbing something to drink. It could take hours just to see someone about getting a beverage and by then just pray that they have something left. I am really enjoying meeting the cosplayers and taking pics of and with them. They are pretty great. I would've enjoyed the costume contest a lot more if the mics had worked. I couldn't hear what most of the candidates were saying to promote their costumes. A lot of really cool cosplayers didn't show up to compete. I saw some pretty rad costumes that didn't even get entered and that could've easily won the contest. Don't be intimidated! Please enter next time because everybody should see the awesome effort that you put into your costumes! read more

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The wife and I had tried to get into the San Diego Comic Con for many many years, with no success....so it was AWESOME news to see that Woz was bringing Comic Con to SJ (which makes sense, given the level of geekdom in SV). I scored tickets the second they went live...and eagerly awaited the SVCC Weekend. Friday evening came about, and the wife and I went to see William Shatner. The first shocker was just how crazy crowded it was. The second was just how smooth Shatner is on stage. A great way to open the weekend. Saturday came around, and it was very clear very quickly that the organizers had NO idea of just how many people were waiting for their own Comic Con. CRAZY crowded, CRAZY hot. And some CRAZY attire. Most of the events were just ludicrous for waiting lines....and autographs/photo lines were insane. We did get a Stan Lee autograph on a Thor comic book (the wife has a slight "thing" for Thor), and traded some one-liners with him...that was cool, but the two hour line...not so much. The various food courts all ran out of food quickly, sending people in crazy costumes into the surrounding neighborhoods for nourishment and water. Sunday was more of the same - crazy crowds, crazy lines...we bailed after a few hours...just too hot. All in all, AWESOME. BUT...it clearly was a v1.0, and needs some serious edits before the next release....starting with AC, a larger facility, and definitely better organization across the board. NOTE.....while a v1.0, there absolutely positively has to be a v2.0!!!! read more

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Let me preface this review by disclosing that I got my 3-day badge for free from a friend, and that I've never been to a comic con prior to this one. That being said, I enjoyed this event quite a bit. The location was great this year! Being able to walk to and from the event each day saved a lot of gas. I've never before been inside the McEnery Convention Center, so it was lovely to discover the inside is just as beautiful as the outside. Lots of light, lots of space, and pretty cool architecture. There were vendors of all sorts, selling handmade goods and a wide variety of collectible items. Prices were...decent...I guess? Nothing was too expensive, or ridiculously affordable. All of the panels I wanted to go to had lines that would have taken longer to wait through than to hear themselves, so I really just ended up walking around and trying everything else all weekend. The costumes and atmosphere was great. Everyone was really excited to be there, whether they were dressed up or not. There were people of all ages dressed up, from age six to age sixty! They were all friendly and willing to talk and take pictures, too. There was a large room that had retro video games, as well as some developer games from nearby universities. SJSU had some games there, but I didn't have time to try them. I loved that room though! I really appreciate those who lended their retro consoles. My favorite table was NASA's, where I bought the iconic NASA shirt, got a few free stickers, and talked to some NASA employees about their work as space biologists. Pretty neat! I also bought the Dude in skeleton form as a sticker from this guy who makes...stickers of pop icons in skeleton form. read more

This was our first time at this comic con. I will say that I like the way they handle the VIP pass holders better than most other comic cons. Their VIP lounge is much nicer. We went primarily for Stan Lee's Autograph which in reality is worth it all by itself. The wait wasn't too long and the crowd for a Friday evening was bad at all! Tomorrow will be a whole other story. If you are purchasing autographs I recommend doing it through the app or online because they don't really have a streamline process for purchasing on site and having it on your phone for them to scan just makes its so much smoother. Aside from getting our signature I both love & hate that these places seem to be the only places to get the exclusive merchandise! I was able to find the Infinity Wars 10" Thanos which has been sold out at every target and even their online store (they only had 3 at this comic con)! That made it worth the trip for me. As usual these comic cons rarely disappoint when it comes to the costumes! read more

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I am thoroughly disappointed with this event. If it weren't for the fact that I'm a total trekkie and it's the 30th anniversary, I would have returned my tickets and passed on the event. First of all, they tell you at checkout that you'll be receiving a 3 day adult pass as a bonus for buying tickets early. It's a lie. There was apparently a "mistake" on the ticket page where it told you that you were getting a bonus. So, if you had made plans with friends thinking that you have an extra ticket, you now have to cancel. They don't bother to contact you to inform you of the "error". I had to send several emails before I got a straight answer. I would have purchased another set of tickets when they were having their Valentine's day special but now its too late. Since it was there error, I think that they should have honored the bonus ticket, but they wouldn't. Overall just the poorest customer service and communication from the event. I will not be coming back next year. read more

Silicon Valley Comic Con - The bonus ticket is a lie! There is no bonus! Buyers Beware! - Comic Books Near Me - San Jose, California

Plain and simple: there are no damn comic dealers at this show! No wonder they renamed it "SiliCon." I feel angry and ripped off! Adam Savage and Co. cheated me out of $80. I'm pissed! read more

Finally, I got my refund but after a lot e-mails. Next time people please pay online and don't give your credit card or debit card number during the convention. Pay in cash. read more

Terribly "family-friendly" comic con. Being v1.0, a tad disorganized. Limited hours. Fantastic special guests. Pre-order FTW. SF had WonderCon (RIP). "Use the App, Luke!" ===== tl;dr ==== Nice to know: * Best day for free celebrity panels -- Saturday * Worst day for last minute registration -- Saturday morning * Best day for last minute registration for Saturday or Sunday (or Friday night) -- Friday night * SVCC Android and iOS App available!!! * Discounts available on Goldstar or for Google employees... * Tag-teaming with a friend helps with seat-saving or figuring out where the line actually starts * Main convention, Exhibitor Hall, etc. shutdown daily at 6PM -- smaller convention rooms held a few events past 6PM * Volunteer for two 6-8 hour shifts and the con is yours to enjoy + pizza party reward Sunday evening Random reasons to go: * C'mon, it's Marvel Legend Stan Lee! (He suggested the Academy Awards have a category for Best Cameo Actor so he could win.) * William Shatner vs. Steve Wozniak * Stan Lee panel + a second Stan Lee w/Steve Wozniak (and Jon Heder) panel * Back to the Future movie panel with Marty, Lorraine, and Doc Brown for a mere $10.oo extra on Saturday * If you waited around long enough Sunday, the Michael J. Fox Foundation had a photo op with Lea Thompson AND the DeLorean for $40.oo (vs. $140 for everyone else)?! * Vic Mignogna (Full Metal Alchemist) had a $140 Photo Op in the Exhibitor Hall but $10 Selfies and autographs at a table *outside* by registration * Give of yourself at the onsite blood drive and stem cell research mini-blood drive... * SPACE PARANOIDS!!! Other stuff: * "Browncoats: Independence War" -- Free Independent Film ("inspired" by Firefly/SERENITY) 7PM-9PM Saturday, pre-paid for by Kickstarter/Indiegogo supporters * Super Soul Bros. Concert and Dance Party 8PM-10PM Saturday ** Jeremy Renner was hilarious and did a lot of unorthodox things (e.g., hugged a birthday girl, invited kids on stage for selfies WHILE still taking audience questions, accidentally swearing and immediately apologizing) * SJ downtown was so flooded with people that restaurants ran out of food... Lol * Sorry the tl;dr was tl;dr... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ============= This review is in progress but also serves to anchor all my photos (and videos for mobile viewers) together. Dual-purpose FTW... \(^_^)/ I don't know why Yelp hides videos from Desktop website viewers. (X_X)/ Yadda yadda yadda something about SVCC's backstory blah blah blah appearance cancellations by Carrie Fisher and Julie Benz...comparing/contrasting Fanime's three days of 24/7 insanity vs. SVCC early evening ending programming... read more

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Disappointing. However, I will iterate what I told my buddy on our way there. "This is their first year. I do not expect much. I expect this year to be the year they get their wheels under them and figure out what to fix for next time. Pros: * Their registration line was super fast and efficient. I had pre-paid, but did not have my wristband. So I had to wait in a monstrous registration line outside. I was, literally, a quarter mile away. And that was just outside. Once you get inside you still have to wait in this switchback line (like an amusement park ride) to get to the front. The line was long, but it only took 60 minutes from start to wristband. And for a line as long as it was, it was impressive speed. * The location is perfect...... if you take LightRail. Which we did. I could imagine parking being a bitch otherwise. * Artist booths. I was pretty impressed with the artists that were onsite selling and promoting their own work. Cons: (Pun intended) * I expected so much more from the cosplayers. Yea, maybe that is not direct fault of the convention. But perhaps they didn't do an efficient job of luring more cosplayers. * It was way too packed and the body order was palpable. (Note: If you have children, please bring them, but for the love of Jebus..... leave the baby buggies at home!) * I was disappointed with the lack of product exhibits and celebrity panels. It was just a big flea market for geeks for the most part. * The celebrity photo were stupid expensive. $250 for Michael J Fox? $175 for Jeremy Renner!!?!?! Who pays that? People do I guess. Hell... Shatner was less than $100. * $50 admission. This in hindsight. Definitely not work the price. Final soapbox. I really think the internet has ruined conventions, of all types. 15-20 years ago you go to a convention and see all sorts of stuff you could not find anywhere but at a convention. Digging through comic boxes to find that book you have been searching for. Or seeing a toy or game you have never seen before. Now, sadly, collecting these things is no longer a prize. It's just a matter of who has more money to win the bid. There was nothing at this convention that I had not already seen or could not find online. read more

Silicon Valley Comic Con - Comic Books Near Me - San Jose, California

This was our first time attending any comic con, and I think it went pretty well. My kids, especially my daughter, loved seeing all the cosplayers. She got as many pictures as she could with them. We even got to see Shatner, Lloyd, and Renner while there. The entrance fee was affordable, and since the kiddies were free that was helpful. Yes, pictures and autographs were a bit pricey, but for the experience I think it was well worth it. I think the biggest, and really the only con of the entire experience was the amount of people. Obviously, they want to draw in as many people as possible and I am happy that it was a huge hit, but it was near impossible to walk around the booths. The line for registration was fast moving. I was pleasantly surprised by how quick the volunteers were able to expedite everyone and get us inside. The lines for pictures were quick too, and so that was nice. I think the only regret I have is not purchasing a ticket for an autograph from Renner. Since there are so many people trying to squeeze in pictures with him, we barely had a minute to meet him and take the picture before being shoved off to pick up our print. If we had waited in line for an autograph, we would have likely been waiting a bit longer, but we also would have had the opportunity to really talk to him. My kids really wanted to meet him and so I felt guilty that it was so brief. They do love the picture we got though. In regards to parking, we had planned to take the Caltrain into San Jose at the Diridon Station but we had actually missed our train. So we ended up driving to the station in hopes for affordable parking. It turned out that there was an event taking place at the SAP Center on the same day we attended the SVCC and so we ended up paying $25 for parking. We were not pleased, but we felt more comfortable leaving our vehicle there as oppose to the other sketchy $5 lots. Oh, and the walk was timed for 20 minutes from the Diridon to the convention center, but it only felt like 10 minutes. Overall, a wonderful experience. Probably not suitable for small children since they can/do become more irritable more quickly. Totally recommend packing food/snacks since the line for the refreshments was ridiculously long throughout the day. Oh, and dress up! Since it was our first time we only wore character based tees but we definitely plan to go again next year dressed up. I think you'll have far more fun dressed up since a lot of people and children wanted to take pictures with cosplayers. read more

I've attended a few Silicon Valley Comic Cons, and while I'm not going to say 2018 was the best year, I've had a fun time at them all. SVCC is definitely the biggest of the Bay Area comic cons, far larger than SFCC and KrakenCon. Not sure about Fanime, considering they are both in the San Jose Convention Center. If you're a geek in San Jose (so yes) this is a must attend, even if it can be a pricey. Also worth driving in from SF, Oakland, or the East Bay. The guest list here is also better than the others - I finished out my autographs from the Star Trek TNG cast, met voice actors. But the comic book and local artists is where this really shines. With so many local and California based artists, you will get some pretty pictures, awesome autographs, and badass books. I also like this event for the toy selection. SFCC only had like two dedicated two vendors, but this one brings them in from all over California so you can almost always find something you need. I picked up a Japanese Soundwave figure that I was incredibly happy with. While this is not San Diego, or even MegaCon back in Florida, I want to continue to support this con so it does get to those levels. read more

Hey Woz, pay no attention to all of the hater reviews. I thought SVCC was an awesome inaugural event and I can't wait until next year. My son and I bought the gold vip tickets and the perks were a real life saver. Line jumping the panel lines and the photo opp lines is a perk that I've had paid double to get. Woz signed autographs in the Vip lounge on Sunday morning and it seemed like he had a great time joking around with the crowd. He openly acknowledged the hiccups from Saturday and said he will work to improve next year's event. My middle school son and his friends roamed around the show freely spending their allowance dollars at the large variety of vendors selling comic books, t shirts, posters, art and nearly every other conceivable item related to comics and gaming. I watched a few panels; Stan Lee is F'ing hilarious! I'd pay to see that guy do a standup comedy show. I agree the layout needs improvement, I would have taken in some smaller panels but the entrance lines for the smaller rooms overlapped with registration causing a bit of chaos. A bit of advice for attendees next year: 1. Register Early, my bands were mailed to my house so I just walked in upon arrival. No lines. 2. Buy the add ons before the show starts. Likewise, I had everything I needed for photo opps and autographs before I left home. 3. Don't drive, uber to the convention center and walk in the last few blocks. Pedestrian traffic brings car traffic to a halt near the convention center. Have fun, see you next year! read more

Silicon Valley Comic Con - Arrive early, this is the line for entry passes! - Comic Books Near Me - San Jose, California

Video Experience of SVCC 2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqubclDRKSg 2018 was my very first Silicon Valley Comic Con and I remembered having a blast, reason why I returned this year. Silicon Valley Comic Con continues to grow. SVCC runs this convention Friday through Sunday. They opened up at 10am but it looked like people got there around 8am to line up. They have a number of vendors, celebrities and of course a ton of cosplayers. Depending on the individuals interest, there was a lot to see here. I personal go to these conventions more for the art and cosplay but I know a lot of others go for the celebrities! This year, they had some really big names come out to the convention such as Adam Savage, Arnold Schwarzenager, Morena Baccarin, the Twin Brothers from Harry Potter, Kel Mitchell, Stone Cold Steve Austin and of course Jason Mamoa. I'm sure I am forgetting some names here. Because it was in downtown San Jose, of course parking was a bit hard to find if you didn't get there early and of course some closer parking lots were charging an arm and a leg. I saw a lot that tried to charge $40 for the day, but when we left around 4pm, they took the price down to $30. We were able to find parking a little further away but not too bad of a walk for $25 for the day. This year, seemed jammed pack because of the big celebrity names who attended but SVCC did a great job of providing a wonderful experience by offering something to do or something to look at throughout the entire convention. Here are some tips I can offer you: 1. Purchase your entrance tickets online in advance. 2. Make sure to have a big breakfast somewhere outside the convention center for food does cost a bit more inside the convention. 3. Bring snacks. NOTE: They did not allow us to bring in filled water bottles but allowed us to dump and refill inside. 4. Bring both cash and card. Most vendors take card these days but cash is also appreciated for some vendors. 5. If you see some awesome cosplay, let them know! They work hard on their costumes and sure do deserve some credit. 6. Arrive to the convention early for parking is not easy to find and lines get really long. 7. There were multiple entrances to this convention. We entered through the side doors while many people were entering through the front which looked like it took way longer. 8. Cosplay is not consent. So please be respectful to fellow cosplayers. read more

2018 review: Overall, i was happy with my experience coming to SVCC this year. Came on a Saturday and pretty much stayed until the exhibit hall closed. Ordering badges was interesting, i've been told the price changed from 50.00, to 60.00, to 55.00. One thing to improve upon is have consistent pricing. (i understand early bird pricing, but why raise the price few days before the event and then lower it again the next day?) In terms of picking up badges, i thought it was handled very well. They basically did badge pickups outside of the convention center in a near by large tent. One thing they could improve upon would be having more employees at the front desk. (adding 3 to 5 more people would save us a lot of time) Overall though, it took me 30 minutes to get my badge which is still very good. Exhibit hall: overall very pleased with the exhibit hall. Thousands of vendors, artist alley, and the back area for celebrity signings. Very organized, plenty of room to still walk around even for 60,000 people inside the building. As for the panels, one thing they could improve upon is having larger rooms for certain panels. some rooms could only hold 100 people. for a con with 60k plus attendees, use bigger rooms! In addition, adding more panels next year would be great. SJ convention center is huge, take advantage of the space. As for celebrity signings, I'm too cheap to pay for it but seems many folks weren't too happy with the waiting in line. All i could say to that is the most popular signings (stan lee) seemed to take all day to get. to me personally there shouldn't be an indictment on sjcc because there are more factors involved such as stan's health and how popular this man is. I beleive boba fett's autograph line was pretty sparse... Also, for anyone complaining these celebrities wont take photos or talk to you unless you buy a photo/autograph, lets be honest here, their here to make money and i'm guessing their visit to san jose is only worth it by the amount of photos/autographs that are paid by us attendees. Overall, compared to the big wow comic con of the past, san jose is the biggest comic convention in the bay area. Prices are reasonable, plenty of cosplay, decent panels, and every year they are improving. I recommend in particular newbies and families who have never attended a con to check it out in 2019. read more

Silicon Valley Comic Con - judy greer aka dr. Elizabeth Plimpton - Comic Books Near Me - San Jose, California

I went free of charge with a press badge and thank goodness it was free otherwise I wouldn't have bothered. I drove up 3 hours for the day hoping to catch Stan Lee's panel. Only to find out day of he said "he's too sick to do a panel" but is doing more autographs and photo ops? The man looked terrible and shouldn't have shown up. Comic con organizers should have advance noticed let people know he couldn't show up. On to my back up plan, get an interview with David Tennet because my podcast covers Jessica Jones. He happens to be booked up because *SHOCK* Stan Lee cancelled his press interviews and David took some of his people who lost out. Krysten Ritter was only able to come Sunday on her panel day. My final option trying to save the day was maybe get a conversation in with Nichelle Nichols. Nope! She said I'll only talk to you if buy an autograph. Basically I was out 7 dollars in parking and the gas to drive up. read more

Went to Silicon Valley Comic Con 2019 on August 18th and it was amazing. Getting to meet Oliver and James Phelps (George and Fred Weasley/The Weasley Twins) was amazing. They were like average people and cool to talk to. For how they are, their signatures are so different that it's so unique between the two of them. Ever since childhood, I always wondered what it was like for them and others to work with someone like Rupert Grint. When I asked them about it, their answer was surprisingly cool. For Geeks and Nerds and everyone who goes to Conventions, it's a blessing like no other. An experience that cannot be forgotten. Watching Anson Mount speak this year was a blessing for Star Trek Nerds and a great one at that. Though there was a lot of walking around, it was a fun and fantastic place to be. It would be a shame to get rid of such a lovely place where Gamers, Geeks, Cosplayers, Nerds, and those that were always thought of as Outcasts when they were young can be themselves. It is an experience that kids should definitely have when they are younger. Everything there is so unique and amazing, including the Fallout booth. Everything is just beyond amazing. There is nothing more than greatness within this place. If anything, this place has made the world a better place. Like, Batman, Thomas Wayne, Dick Grayson, Raven, and all heroes. Comics aren't just a bunch of pages as they once may have been, but rather lessons and fantastic memories. read more

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I couldn't give it a "2 Meh I've experienced better" since I've never been to one of these conventions. If you want to buy or sell comics or comic related stuff or want a pic or autograph of a celebrity that is there then this is cool. A parent taking a kid would be great. If you're interested in any of the panels great but even then it's not worth $55. Hint: Hang out outside registration and there will be guys selling their wristbands for $20-$40. One day is plenty to see everything. I talked to a guy who waited 6 hours in line to get an autograph from Stan Lee and was turned away. He was not happy. I wanted to hear this panel: "Diversity and Backlash: Sunday April 8, 2018 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm The new Doctor and Ghostbusters offered delightful empowerment...but met with a storm of online trolling. How did the focus in Discovery go from an African-American woman to a white man? Why is the Asian female lead in the latest Star Wars being threatened and harassed? After all this, will Black Panther give permission in Hollywood to actually have POC as main characters? Or will the online wars continue? In short, can't humanity be better than this?" Sounds great but there were no panel members with a bio listed on the website. The first half hour of the hour discussion was taken up by the 6 giving their bios. The moderator said how she had just been to Disneyland and they had no Black Panther merch on sale! It just passed Titanic as the 3rd largest grossing movie in the US! Then they took 2 questions from the moderator and only had enough time left for 2 questions from the audience. The first questioner just rambled on and wasted everyone's time. The second questioner asked immediately, "What is the definition of backlash?" Thank you! But the answer was just meh, not anything beyond what I thought up. The second question was, "Why do you think Disney wouldn't have *any* Black Panther merchandise for sale at Disneyland when they have over 80 items on their website?" Resistance to change was the overall answer yet money and probably a lot of it should overcome this resistance right? No time to discuss more. Oddly, a woman approached the man who asked the question and said, "Why do you feel you have the right to fact check a black woman?!" omg, white savior complex much? Overall the panel discussion was too short, bios should have been put on the website so we could get right into the discussion, the questions in the workshop description weren't answered or even addressed. read more

Silicon Valley Comic Con - Comic Books Near Me - San Jose, California

I have gone to SVCC every single year since it started in 2016, have bought a three day pass in advance and have brought my son each year First time when he was 3 then when he was 4 and this past year when he was 5 (so he was free with my badge). I don't go to comic cons for autographs so didn't bother waiting in long lines to get them (but my friend who does had great experiences taking his twins to get photos with Sesame Street stars one year and with Stan Lee another year). Neither do I generally spend much time in panels (especially when I'm at the con with my son) but there have always been panels and sessions I wish I had made it to. I've been going to conventions for 30+ years (and have started small non-profit conventions, volunteered at others, often run games at big conventions like GenCon, founded and run some tech conferences) so I'm pretty experienced with conventions of many sizes and types. SVCC isn't flawless - but it is among my favorite conventions. It is big but not San Diego Comic Con (or Gencon) scale massive. It attracts a large and diverse set of fans and it has something for everyone - from young kids to seasoned professionals. I'll take my son again next year even though I'll need to buy him a badge - it has become our annual father and son tradition. We'll say high to some friends exhibiting, play in the kids area, explore some of the crafts for kids and adults and generally have a fun and relaxing time. A few tips (for locals and out-of-towners). 1) Buy passes in advance in time to get wristbands mailed to you - this saves you a lot of time on your first day (really helpful with a young child who doesn't like waiting in lines) 2) if you really want autographs or photos or to see a specific panel then be prepared to wait (again not ideal with young children) - at a minimum go with friends who can at least keep you company in line and/or relieve you to get food/browse the dealer room etc while you wait. But largely I personally just don't bother with autographs or photos and just have a more relaxed convention. 3) unless you really plan on buying a lot consider taking the VTA light rail to the convention center - it stops literally at the convention center and many of the stations outside of downtown have free all day parking. Fares are cheap and the trains run often enough that it avoids the hassle and expense of paying for parking downtown. Otherwise you will likely have to spend more to park downtown and likely will need to go to a lot far from the convention center as the nearby lots fill up fast. 4) Like any comic con avoid trying to go to events too close to each other in time - give yourself time to wait in line or just to get from one part of the convention hall to another - and personally I try to minimize how many panels or events I try to make in any give day - instead giving myself a lot of unscheduled time to just enjoy the convention and less structured activities (dealers room, gaming areas etc). Pick the handful of things you are most passionate about and try to make those. If going with kids it is really really helpful to have friends/partners attending with you so you can tradeoff parenting duties to give each other time to make the things you care most about. I've been lucky to have a good friend with kids near my son's age also attend the con most years and we've each helped the other considerably with watching kids for each other while at the convention. read more

We didn't hear about it until Friday night on the news. How did that happen?!?!? We do not frequent San Jose. Finding parking was somewhat of challenge. Upside, though, was that we got to get a sense for downtown San Jose on our walk to the convention center. We had a great time given the spur of the moment decision to go. Fun atmosphere. Very energetic. Next year's is already marked on our calendar. read more

Your enjoyment is really gonna depend on how involved you are, how much money you want to spend, and who you go with. Highlight was easily finding a fan who was dressed as King Arthur from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," complete with coconuts. It was a great costume, and absolute delight to see this guy "riding" around aisles, and he let us take pictures and video with him. Unexpected, humorous, enthusiastic, friendly stuff like that can be a lot of fun. But you either find those moments or you don't. If you aren't spending a lot of money to meet celebrities or to take part in special events, you'll find yourself without a whole lot to do beyond walking around and looking at costumes and crafts. A lot of the vendors have repeat wares, which usually aren't very high quality but are very high priced. Sometimes you'll find a person who is selling their own art or craft, and that's really cool. I recommend finding and talking to those people, because they will have interesting things to say about why and how they're doing what they do. But mostly it's a lot of staring at the same sort of toys and accessories, overpriced and repeated ad nauseam. Is it worth the $60 ticket + $20 parking? For my cousin and I, no, even though we do love superheroes, fantasy, sci-fi, and all the related books, TV shows, and movies. We don't plan on coming back. However, if you and your friends dress up with good costumes, and get involved in events you like, attend a panel you're excited about, or maybe even meet an actor or artist who has inspired you, then you may feel differently. Know yourself and make the wise choice. But for us, both the Renaissance Faires and the Dickens Fair are cheaper and way, way more fun. You'll see better costumes at those places, too. read more

Bought tickets last night. I'm now waiting in a line that snakes around the exhibition floor; I've waited 20 minutes and have moved 20 feet. At this velocity I should get my wristband in 4 hours. Let's hope the two eleven year olds with me don't need to pee or eat. If you're ambivalent about coming, stay away. Boo Steve Woziak. read more

Silicon Valley Comic Con - Awful time at Comic Con. - Comic Books Near Me - San Jose, California

After reading the Yelp reviews for last year's event, I imagined massive crowds & terrible lines, but Friday at 1:00 - 5:00 worked well. There were no lines for anything, although the convention center parking lot was sold out. (I found another spot nearby.) One caution: if you didn't preorder, or get your wrist band in the mail, you can't go directly into the Convention Center. To get it, You'll need to go to another close-by building labeled "Registration". It's first building south of the convention parking structure on Market. My favorite feature was the seeing the amazing artwork and talking to artists. As a Star Trek fan, I was interested in the variety of new Sci-Fi characters. Best item for sale was a comic book with a 3-D app. (Wasn't fond so many booths with the same imported kid dolls.) All the vendors were friendly and fun to talk with. Prices seemed fair. Least favorite was not knowing who the panel speakers were or the featured guests. I would have liked to see the costume show but had no idea when or where it was. Overall, I enjoyed SVCC. read more

As a normal con goer of Fanime and Sac anime, I decided to take the drive down and pay $50 each for Saturday to check this out. Not only did that seem a bit steep, but if you buy online there is a $4 added fee...if it wasn't costly enough, right? Once we got to the con, there was virtually ZERO parking ANYWHERE. Drove around for 30 minutes and ended up parking near Spaghetti Factory and taking UBER the rest of the way. I thought this was going to be like Fanime con, but this was more like AX or SDCC. There was a 2 hour registration line, which thankfully we were able to skip due to my dad's knee issue. Once you got in, even MORE lines to get into the vendor's exhibit. Plenty of awesome X Files stuff I don't see as much at the anime cons, but oh man, was it a bitch to have to sift and push through a shit ton of people. Basically, we saw all that was in the halls and that was about it. It takes so much time to walk between people and see everything that it's ridiculous. I couldn't wait to get out of there towards the end. I also understand that an autograph had cost $100! I loved the displays and vendors, but man it was hell just to walk around. 2.5 stars for the displays and exhibits....but I'm a little iffy on whether or not I will drive down for this again next year. You're better off getting UBER or bus it if you're local, instead of battling parking and paying the steep lot prices. This should be re-named to Line-con. Hopefully they learn from Fanime con and streamline the registration line next year, if there is one. read more

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I've been to SJ Comic Con last year and this year, and I've seen a drastic change in organization.. which is great! Last year (2016), I felt like the bracelets didn't do much justice since most people were sneaking in. I remember it being controlled by machines, versus this year, it's the machine with a volunteer working. I'm assuming this may have been the reason why it was less crowded this year. Their celebrity line-up has been really good the past 2 years.. but the price you have to pay is ridiculous (ranging from $80-$200). The minor celebrities were only $5-$20. They have plenty of booths with collectible items, and they close off parts of downtown for the festival outside of the convention center. Food trucks galore! Make sure you get there early though as parking gets kind of tough. read more

My bf and I attended this last Saturday as our first comic con. We were not sure what to expect as it was our first con and the first year this is thrown together. We walked in and was immediately overwhelmed with the crazy lines for registration pick up and the multiple broken up lines that snakes around the registration line. We got our tickets partially discounted off gold star so we thought it wouldn't be crazy crowded. The volunteers and employees seemed as surprised as we were that the estimated 30,000 people actually showed up. -lines for everything is long and confusing. People can only follow instructions for so long before someone gets confused and messes it up for everyone behind them. Someone skipped one of the taped line for registration and everyone proceeded to skip it as well. -lines for panels seems to start from nowhere and continue to who knows where after each cut off. The panel lines needs a clear poster of what panel it is for. -autographs and photo ops are quite pricey. I only got one for Stan Lee and waited over 4 hours for him to finally show as his previous photo ops session ran over time and the autograph kept getting delayed. Props to the old man for being able to endure the entire day of back to back photo ops and autograph sessions. -there should be a better system of showing where certain guests will be. I couldn't figure out where Andy Weir was going to be and the volunteers did not know either. -most of the collectibles such as comics and Funko pops are way over priced. Better off buying them online. -the food and beverage line was ridiculously long, but there are plenty of options outside the convention center -parking is quite atrocious, we got lucky and found a nearby metered parking spot that needed money added every two hours. All the lots were full by the time we got there. Considering this was their first time, it could have been worse. They had a great collection of big name guests in appearance. Hopefully they will learn and improve in organization next year. I'm just glad I got to get Stan Lee's autograph. read more

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Granted this was the first year for this event after they took over Big Wow, there was a big lack of organization. I expected there to be much more steady flow being that big wow has been organized in the past. I personally arrived and hour and a half after the doors opened only to find out that no one had any clue where the line started or ended. The volunteers seemed just as lost as the event goers. I asked numerous volunteers questions about the event, only to be directed to another volunteer who also had no idea how to answer questions. In all, it took an hour to get in, even though I had prepaid tickets. There was no separation between prepaid and those looking to get their tickets. Aside from that lack of communication and training of the volunteers, the event was a success overall. There was not a huge amount of cosplay characters as I've seen at other con events. I think it was because the crowds on Saturday were mostly there to see Stan "the man" Lee and the cast from Back to the Future. So I noticed the atendees seemed to be on the older side Yay day. Unless there are huge guest names next year, I'll probably skip the event until they've gone another year or two to work out all the kinks. Organization is key to keeping this event a success for years to come. I am just grateful I had the opportunity to meet the most iconic man in Marvel history! read more

After attending last years con, I felt I could no longer support Silicon Valley comic con. There's barely any presence from the comic community; completely lacking comic creators. So many rude event staff and/or event staff lacking simple knowledge (where are the restrooms; event staff responded with a shrug). The tickets are so overpriced. I can't believe I attended three years in a row. The trick was that they advertised this as also being Big Wow during its first year. Last year was my last year. I just can't with this con. I tried to convince my friends not to waste their money this year, but they somehow thought if they continued to attend, the con would get better. Whelp, they've confirmed that this year was a waste of money, again and was worse than last year. The worst was the first year of this con. I had to witness Steve Wozniak basking in all his glory MUCH TOO OFTEN (why? I'm not too sure since his "comic" con sucks) while riding a Segway with his crew walking behind him like Turtle, Drama and Eric. Calm down dude, people aren't here to see you. SMH... This con is an embarrassment to the Bay Area and we deserve better. read more

We pre-ordered our tickets last year, so we didn't have to deal with the registration lines. I enjoyed my first con (although we lucked out and also scored tickets for SDCC this year, so SVCC may pale in comparison after July), though I am still sad we missed a few panels I would've liked to attend, including Adam Savage's panel (the line was just too long). The two panels we did attend, Nathan Fillion's and the Con Man Series, we started lining up about an hour in advance, and there was already a sizable group at the front of the line. Was worth it though, I enjoyed both panels immensely :) my husband said the feel of it and the amount of content felt like NYCC's first year (which he attended back in 2006), which makes sense - I'd imagine most first year cons would be fairly similar in scope. It was fun seeing all the cosplays (there were some really great ones), and a few R2D2s wandering around the floor. Hoping this becomes an established annual thing that grows bigger and better! *as for parking - we parked in a garage a few blocks away from the convention center near Philz both days and managed to find parking (though not super easily) - buying lunch nearby validated parking for us on Saturday, though we only got boba tea on Sunday so we paid the $5 for parking :) read more

It was overpriced for $50 but I was lucky enough to find a 25% coupon. Besides the money I thought it was fun for a first time comic con attendee. I made sure I parked a few blocks away and was lucky enough to find a spot. Apparently the line to get in was enormous but I got there 3 hours before it ended so there was basically no line. Great booths filled with merchandise and comic drawing artists. It was fun to see all the cosplay characters and taking pictures with them. That's what made it fun. Would definitely recommend going. It's well put together by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. read more

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Spent 7 hours in line to get Stan Lee's autograph only to be sent home without a signature. Silicon Valley Comic Con is an absolute joke. Never have I experienced such poor communication from staff to its customers. They should never have overbooked Stan Lee and it's a testament to how poorly the entire operation is managed. They were only concerned with making as much of a profit as possible and not a 94 year olds well being. There were 650 people who paid for an autograph who left empty handed and an icon who was clearly being exploited by these greedy bastards. read more

If you like waiting in lines this is the place for you. Take the Disneyland wait on its worst day and then double it. Hopefully next year will see a bit more organization. UPDATE: The last Comic-Con was great. Very organized and easy to navigate. I'll definitely be going back. Rating went from a two star on year one to a four star in year two. read more

I've never been to a Comic Con before, and I had a pretty good time. It was pretty crowded on Saturday and Sunday, but I enjoyed all the panels I attended and the open floor was very cool. The vendors were all pretty friendly and helpful, as were all the volunteers I encountered. I particularly enjoyed the Rancho Obi Wan exhibit (though I wish it was larger). I think Friday was the best day for people to just because it wasn't too crowded and most people were at the William Shatner panel, so the exhibition floor was not crowded. The mystery boxes sold by ToyNK were a pretty big hit. I went to panels on all 3 days, but my favorites were the The Big Bang Theory writers' panel and Stan Lee. The Back to the Future panel, which cost $10 to attend, was also fun. $10 isn't an obscene amount of money, but I get the why people would be unhappy about that. Unlike what another reviewer said, that was the only panel which required a separate attendance fee. All the other panels were free. The lines to get into panels and for convention entry on Saturday (for single day attendees/people picking up their wristbands) were insane. They need to fix this for next year. The RFID wristbands were a cool idea, but they didn't get mailed out until March 7 (I live in the South Bay and received mine on March 15). On Saturday, there was an extremely long line for the people who didn't buy their wristbands earlier/didn't receive them in the mail, so they should work on that for next year or perhaps switch to a more traditional method of ticketing because the wristbands were only used for entering and exiting. Parking was nearly impossible for anyone who got to downtown San Jose after 12 on Saturday. I parked in the SJSU garage at 4th and San Carlos, paid $5, and walked the 5 or 6 blocks to the convention center. I did the same on Sunday. Overall, I am definitely a fan of SVCC. I'll be going again next year and can't wait to see what's in store for the future! read more

We really wanted to like Woz's Con. Here's why we didn't. Parking wasn't addressed. Some people shelled out $25 if they were lucky to find it. A simple web map of all the available options would have helped. So would a shuttle/site. Lines were slow...absurdly slow for tickets (not-moving slow). Offering a slight price break or freebie for buying in advance would have helped. A sign telling people to "buy now" ( with a smart phone/QV code) and proceed to the banding area would have helped. No signs. There were no signs, so even people who bought in advance were waiting in those lines. No signs. We had tix, got our wristbands right away, and had to ask someone where the even was. (Twice) $50 got us into a crowded flea market. That's it. There was no swag. Nobody needs swag, but it's amusing and it promotes stuff. Even digital swag like free apps would have worked, - downloadable "stamps" for e-pages? People like swag. There were no 'hover-hand' cos-girls or guys in the crowd. A few pro cos players sat at tables selling art you could download. There were no minor stars doing photo ops. APPARENTLY there was a stage, but since there were NO SIGNS and the stage was down the hall, like many who went, we never knew it was there. Even the playbook didn't map it well. Again, no signs. No cool SV comic con shirts for sale with that beautiful logo on the front. The whole even should have been in one huge space. It was way too segmented. The barriers and walls and stairs and halls and curtains had thousands hemmed in. I am not disabled, but there were people in the crowd with disabilities and I really felt sorry for them. I wish they'd been offered a private Friday hour or something because being in that crowd in a wheelchair or blind would have sucked. For our group, it was just a big flea market. To see an actor, you could pay a $100 (for autograph ink) and wait. Curtains and barriers everywhere prevented you from accidentally seeing someone famous. Nobody died, and things were mostly within 45 minutes of being on time, so it could have been much worse. It felt like a con job, not like a comic con. That probably wasn't the intent. Signs and a crowd-friendly set up would have made it 85% better. read more

The Con was well laid out in the space, but the two star rating is due to the organization of the Con. I like many people waited for Stan Lee for 6+ hours on Saturday only to be sent away to return tomorrow. I understand that Stan Lee was ill and unable to make all the signings that were scheduled. But it was grossly irresponsible to not limit the tickets sold. Even with all the issues Saturday, they were still selling tickets Sunday. I also found it fishy that the tickets online for autographs were higher than if you paid cash in the line. This was the case on Sunday. My last thing is that the autograph schedule did not appear until Saturday Morning, which made it difficult to plan ahead. read more

They outdid themselves this year. Arnold Schwarzenegger was the main celeb this year. Never in my life would I thought I'd get a chance to take a photo with him. Sure it cost $450 for a quick photo, sure he didn't pose or touch you, or shake your hand. No quotes or personalization on his autographs either. The big celebs get this way when they get older and fragile. That being said I wish it was cheaper but it is what it is because of all the expenses. Other big draw was Aquaman. Jason Mamoa's line was too long for me to get in. Of course his line was out of control for him being more affordable. $125 for an autograph and $145 for a professional photo op. Saturday was crazy busy for Jason Mamoa and Sunday for Arnold was super dead. Many of the celebs cancelled their Sunday appearances because it was just so slow. Please try lowering your prices. Many of the celebs dont warrant a price tag of $40-50 dollars. Kel mitchell at $40, the red ranger at $50, the black ranger at $50, and Lou Forrigno at it again gouging his fans for $60 an autograph. This has got to be a joke. No one is in their line and it's very pathetic. read more

A taste of SDCC and not all in a good way! Disclaimer; I attended on a Saturday, this was not my first con, I am a San Jose resident and I pre-purchased my tickets online. And now without further ado the review: The Good First of all having another con in Northern California is great and I am glad were not forgotten completely. There were plenty of celebrity guests many of which could have been headliners at smaller cons and of course they managed to bag the legendary Stan Lee. There was a large selection of panels across the whole weekend, and it appeared they did plan those well so similar interests didn't overlap. Also having the museum pieces was a nice addition to the regular vendor hall and panels. The volunteers were also amazing and remained professional throughout all the bad and ugly which I will get onto. The Bad The layout was awful; having the panel rooms right next to the registration was a really bad idea for traffic flow, there was no sign posting and the map only covered one of three floors. The wrist band tagging in made sense going in I guess, but the scanning out seemed pointless. I guess this was the tech portion of the con? The vendors were a mixed bag; artist alley saved it for me really. So many vendors were very overpriced on comics, vintage toys and collectible merch. I am not an expert on it all but I know the going rate for some items I was looking out for, and they were more than double the price sometime four or five times. I saw comics I had bought for $10 online a couple of weeks ago with $35 price tags. I took a closer look giving them the benefit of the doubt that it might be mint, nope same if not worse than I got online. A tonne of Pop figures and Tsum Tsums going for more than your local Hot-topic and just regular old ones too, nothing exclusive. I ended up buying one TPB and a couple of items from the artist ally and left with over $100 still in my pocket I had assigned for that day. The Ugly The crowds; my god the crowds. I am talking Disneyland at its busiest, Black Friday, Music Festival kind of crowds. The sheer numbers mixed with the disorganization was a perfect storm on Saturday. Registration was mess, first of all pre-ordering online meant nothing you got in the same line as any Joe that decided to turn up on the day. Secondly they had two lines that had to funnel into one for registration. The first line was out the front door and round the corner, the second line was for everyone that already got into the convention center though the other entrances and snaked it's was around the whole ground floor. Eventually the second line inside got so huge and was blocking so much traffic to panels they let it go first snubbing those in the other line that had been waiting for hours already. I was one of the lucky ones, 1 1/2 hours after getting there I had my wrist band. A lot of people were getting upset and missing panels they wanted to attend, I personally missed two. Oh and registration is a fancy word for scanning a QR code on your ticket. There were was only one refreshments stand inside. By mid afternoon the line extended across the entire width of the main hall and looked to start snaking out the door. Not even little stands selling bottled water like at other cons I have been too. The heat was unbearable; there was talk that the air-con broke down that's when my party decided to call it quits feeling dehydrated and getting headaches. In conclusion the whole day was meh. The bad and ugly cancelled out anything good for me. I have never left a con early but I did this time, to be honest if I hadn't already payed $50 for a ticket I would have walked out after an hour in the registration line. I hope the organizers learn for this experience, how they managed to mess it up I don't know. This can't be there first rodeo, but for some maybe it should be their last. read more