San Diego Comic Con will be returning over the Thanksgiving weekend for Comic-Con Special Edition, which will be held as a three-day event over Thanksgiving weekend, starting on Friday and continuing through Saturday and Sunday, November 26-28, 2021 at the San Diego Convention Center.
According to Comic-Con’s press release “Comic-Con Special Edition will be the first in-person convention produced by the organization since Comic-Con 2019, and the first since the onset of the global pandemic COVID-19. The Fall event will allow the organization to highlight all the great elements that make Comic-Con such a popular event each year, as well as generate much needed revenue not only for the organization but also for local businesses and the community.”
Comic-Con is hopeful “…that by Fall conditions will permit larger public gatherings.”
Not everyone was excited to hear about the event being scheduled over the Thanksgiving holiday, as many prominent members of the comic book industry balked at the the timing of the event.
Chip Zdarsky jokingly responded to Charles Soule’s comment with the promise of an Artist’s Alley buffet:
San Diego Comic-Con International responded to the questions about the timing of the event with a second statement, saying that “When reviewing dates for an in-person event, it was clear that available meeting and exhibit space would limit our options. Of the dates presented with the fewest restrictions, Friday through Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend seemed to be the best balance of available space and our envisioned event. As longtime fans ourselves, we have attended many conventions over that holiday weekend, opting to spend Thanksgiving day with family and the rest of the weekend with friends and our families of choice.”
The organizers also pointed out that “Comic-Con Special Edition was never intended to be the large gathering reflective of the summer event. As a shorter event, it was our attempt to start slowly and cautiously while at the same time addressing the desire from fans to have an in-person show.” and that “Currently we do not know whether having this event in November is even feasible as we are still in the midst of the pandemic and while we are optimistic about Q4, we have not been privy to any specific information on large gatherings. However, it was our desire to have something in place for our fans who have longed for an in-person event.”
Stay tuned for more updates on the Comic-Con Special Edition and other conventions as organizers try to navigate the unsure waters of the COVID-19 pandemic.