General 1 — Space Aliens Bad Mothers and Guns

The fate of Comic Cons and fandom events for 2020 and 2021, worldwide, was and continues to be in the hands of COVID-19, the corona virus. With some conventions being so far along in its planning and already scheduled, some asked, if the show would go on? While others immediately called it quits in anticipation of blanket pandemic lockdowns for this season. Yet, in exercising optimism, others used TBA (TO BE ANNOUNCED) as a vague outcome. (Please note, many of the conventions have passed as we are now in 2021).

One huge disappointment for us personally was the cancellation of Midgard 2020. We were absolutely looking forward to return to this event. Midgard will always be #1 on our list for the most fun and engaging fandom we have ever experienced.

For those fans that were looking to attend their first Midgard in 2021, attendees now have 238 days and counting before its next event in Iceland. Midgard is Iceland’s first all-inclusive fan convention (meaning their target audience is not one specific fandom). This event attracts fans of video games, board games, table top games, cosplay, books, comics, tv and movies. The international event would have been in its third year in 2020, had it not been for COVID. But there is good news on the horizon; the promoters of this exciting event are currently in the process of gearing up for 2021, with the event being held September 4-5. So, don’t miss out on this international event; and while you are there stop by and say hello to us! You may want to add a few days for some sightseeing. Iceland has some of the most astounding landscapes your eyes may have never seen.

We travel back across the pond to western United States where one of the biggest comic cons is held each year, taking up multitudes of city, blocks creating its own microcosmic sci-fi and fantasy world. For the first time in its fifty-year history, San Diego Comic Convention (SDCC) did not open its doors to its legions of fans and celebrity superheroes.

With its 2020 badges selling out in an hour, SDCC is one of the largest events of its kind in the world, drawing thousands upon thousands of fans. Previously scheduled for July 23 – 26 and with 130,000+ attendees expected, the event held online events for fans to view and participate. Promoters anticipate that the event will return to the San Diego Convention Center in 2021, July 22-25. So stay tuned.

In other news…

Anime NYC, scheduled from November 20-22, at the Javits Center, in New York City, still planned to have their event despite concerns for the spread of COVID. At the time of this decision, it was still early in the game. The organizers had been posting updates with its most recent post (during the first stages of the COVID discovery) being on April 6th: “To help coronavirus relief efforts, a portion of all Anime NYC tickets sold in April will [go] towards the American Red Cross. It’s a tough time for everyone, and we know a lot of fans aren’t thinking about November, but if you are, we want to make sure your ticket helps support others in need. 2.5% of ticket sales will go toward the American Red Cross and the Anime NYC team will match this with an additional 2.5% - together contributing 5% of sales to the American Red Cross.

While the organizers of Anime Con had good intentions based on the initial assessment of how COVID was being addressed, sentiment changed as conventions promoters began to get a better grasp of the situation. Subsequently, Peter Tatara, the Show Director of Anime NYC, posted:

“I'm deeply proud of all this planning; however, as we near summer's end, it's become apparent no amount of preparation will protect our attendees, and we've made the decision Anime NYC 2020 will no longer take place because of coronavirus.”

Coupled with the cancellation of this Con, Anime Frontier, a new convention to be held in Texas scheduled for May 8-10, by the same organizers, had been postponed until 2021.

Just a few of the conventions have been highlighted here. But to give our readers a bit more clarity on the situation, below is the end result, for 2020, on some of your favorite conventions with links to their websites in addition to some upcoming 2021 events. Keep in mind, many conventions, as we know it, were cancelled because of COVID, but many had hosted virtual events that allowed fans to remain interactive in some capacity like webinars, Q&A panels, virtual cosplay competitions and more. It is recommended that you check the convention’s website before making any plans to go.