One year after its fan-driven rebrand, Syfy is going big at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2018 with ten panels, two parties, interactive activations and much more, with all of it designed to be “the year’s ultimate celebration of fandom,” according to the network.
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Syfy also will launch its new Syfy Wire Fan Creators initiative, which will “celebrate, nurture and support the makers, artists and creators at the heart of genre fandom,” says Syfy.
The initiative will debut with an online hub that showcases fan creations around Syfy’s slate of shows. It will also offer year-round contests, partnerships and plenty of recognition for strong fan efforts.
“At Syfy, we know that genre fans are not mere observers, they’re passionate participants,” said Alexandra Shapiro, executive vice president, marketing and digital for Syfy and USA Network, in a statement. “And so everything we do at SDCC will include remarkable creative work from fan artists and creators, from the designs on our sought-after swag bags to the décor and food at our parties.”
Panels are at the heart of much of SDCC and this year, Syfy will be offering a total of ten – eight panels around such shows as Deadly Class, Krypton, The Magicians, Nightflyers, Sharknado, Wynonna Earp, Van Helsing and Z Nation—as well as two panels from Syfy Wire.
The first of these – “Syfy Wire’s The Great Debate”—returns with host Aisha Tyler talking to celebrity panelists about the genre’s most controversial topics (such as “did The Force Awakens do Luke Skywalker dirty?” and “did Disney ruin Solo?” and “will George R. R. Martin ever finish ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’?”) Fangrrls Managing Editor Cher Martinetti also will host “Women Changing the Game,” an in-depth discussion with women who are leading efforts in sci-fi, fantasy and horror.
[Click here for dates/times/locations for all panels and screenings.]
Fans seeking swag – and what true fans aren’t? – can head to the San Diego Children’s Museum on Thursday, July 19 through Saturday, July 21 at 10 a.m. to try to grab limited-edition mystery boxes, with each featuring a custom genre-themed design. While there, people can try their hand at the Human Claw Machine!, which features a life-size claw machine that lowers players into a pit of prizes and lets them see what they can come up with. On Friday and Saturday nights, wannabe party-goers can head back to the museum and queue up to try to get into Syfy’s first-come, first-served free celebrations.
Those who don’t make it into the party, or who just don’t feel like queuing, can jump on one of the genre-theme bingo trolleys that will roaming the Gaslamp or get on the Syfy karaoke bus, which last year featured the cast of The Magicians singing their hearts out all over downtown San Diego.
Orlando Jones will be back on the Syfy scene this year, presiding over pop-up awards that will honor the best in cosplay, art and more. So get out your best costume and listen for the drumline, possibly coming to reward you for your creativity.
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All of this and more will be covered by Syfy Wire’s teams of reporters, who will provide 24/7 online and mobile coverage. Syfy also will offer primetime coverage on the network from Thursday through Saturday.
[Images of season 3 of The Magicians courtesy of SyFy/Eric Milner]
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