Tonight was preview night of San Diego Comic Con. While, the schedule of presentations was light, it was our first chance to get to check out the show floor with several Disney-company booths trying to get fandom excited. Follow along with LaughingPlace all weekend as we cover the con from a Disney perspective.
Marvel
The Marvel booth seemed a bit sparse this year with a big video board being its prominent element. The booth seems to be heavily interested in promoting the upcoming Inhumans series, but doesn’t seem too focused on Marvel Studios which had a prominent presence at the D23 Expo.
The booth’s merchandise was quite popular, with a plush Lockjaw and Black Panther being highlights.
ABC
This year, ABC is promoting the “new book” of Once Upon a Time. In their experience, video screens immerse you in the world of the series, which is apparently moving its locale to Seattle. Captain Hook appears and interacts with the audience (Think of it like that closed Captain Jack experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
You can also participate in an AR experience where you swordfight with Captain Hook.
Disney Music Emporium
This booth was surprisingly popular, with a wide selection of vinyls, cassettes, CDs, and other novelties such as the turntables that were available at the D23 Expo. There were special Marvel vinyls based on the Netflix series and a Moana picture disc, just to name a few.
Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm gave us a sneak peek into some characters appearing in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. This includes new character C’ai Threnalli, a fighter pilot of Abednedo descent who flies as Poe Dameron’s wingman following the evacuation of D’Qar.
There were also many licensees selling their wares ranging from Her Universe to Petco. I picked up the exclusive Boba Fett chew toy as well as the Ewok stick toy. Del Rey was also selling an early copy of Inferno Squad including a special convention exclusive edition which is signed by the author.
Disney Publishing Worldwide
This booth is a hidden gem. This year they were selling early copies of A Kiss Goodnight by Richard Sherman and Floyd Norman as well as Miles Morales: Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds. There will be signings throughout the event and lots of giveaways. With every purchase, they also gave a free Tsum Tsum, so that was a special perk.