Report on Comic-Con@Home (SDCC 2020)

When the 2020 San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) was cancelled in mid-April, it was a disappointment for many but a surprise to few—health and safety, of course, comes first, and the state and local officials likely would not have it allowed it to be held anyway; many other large events, including WonderCon, usually held in the Spring and also organized by Comic-Con, similarly were cancelled. Like many, I had purchased a table, paid a deposit at my hotel, and had badges.

Shortly after the cancellation, Comic-Con announced SDCC 2020 would be a virtual event, open to all—Comic-Con@Home to be held on the same dates, July 23–26. There would be online panels and even a virtual exhibit hall online where confirmed exhibitors like myself would have a space!

Comic-Con@Home has now come and gone. Though I didn’t expect to have much to report regarding a cancelled event, I have to say that like the “real” Comic-Con, it was whatever you made of it, with online programming and mainstream coverage of the event. They even provided badges and signs that could be downloaded to make it as fun and “real” a Comic-Con experience as you wanted to make it. The traditional program was available for download as a PDF and they rolled out their programming for the event in advance like any other year, including the Eisner Awards and the Masquerade Ball. (All the panels—including the Eisner announcements—were pre-taped.)

As an exhibitor, I had a “table” in the virtual exhibition hall, which allowed exhibitors to promote products and exclusives, and link back to your website. As usual, I had a new issue available for sale at Comic-Con: Rob Hanes Adventures #21. You would have had to drill pretty far down to find me, and that's if you were looking—however, being active and promoting on social media made a big difference, and sales were way better than expected and a pleasant surprise. (You can see I re-posted some of my Tweets on my blog below.)

So though I did not have to be “on” 24/7, I was relatively active during the show posting on social media and watched panels throughout the weekend at my leisure—I also mixed things up by using Comic-Con as an opportunity to post photos from past shows of cosplay, the year I received the Inkpot, etc. (Though the panels dropped as scheduled on Comic-Con’s YouTube channel, they remain available for viewing.) To be honest, although it's only an annual event, it was nice to have the break and not have to be "on" 24/7. So, again, though Comic-Con did a great job of making it an inclusive celebration, of course it’s not the same as capturing the excitement and enthusiasm (and exhaustion) of the show IRL.

Some of the panels I “attended” include:

• Public Domain Comics: From Sherlock Holmes to Mickey Mouse & Beyond 
• Full Time Creative Work On A Part Time Schedule 
• Cartoon Voices 
• Celebrating 80 Years of Will Eisner's The Spirit 
• Fantagraphics and IDW: Classic Comics Reprints 
• 32nd Annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards 
• Bill and Ted Face the Music 
• The Brave New World of TwoMorrows 
• Oddball Comics Not So Live! 

As a confirmed exhibitor for 2020, I’m already confirmed as an exhibitor in 2021—let’s hope it happens and see you there!

My brother, who helps me year every year at my booth, created the exhibitor badges featured below for this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, courtesy of a template provided at the Comic-Con website so that people could still have the Comic-Con experience at home!

Marking the end of Comic-Con@Home (2020)

It's not the end of #SDCC until the official announcement comes over the loudspeakers, followed by the exhausted cheers of those who have stayed till the bitter end lol--which I captured in 2016. (1/2) https://t.co/3EDpLtzzYR pic.twitter.com/x0yprZeBU3

— Randy/WCGComics • ComicCon@Home 2020 (@randywcgcomics) July 27, 2020

Day 4 of Comic-Con@Home

Day 4 of #ComicConAtHome -- For many, Comic-Con is all about the panels! I’ve served on a few over the years, most memorably, of course, the year I received my Inkpot Award for Achievement in Comic Art! (I've said it's a recognition for stubbornness!)#SDCC #SDCC2020 (1/3) pic.twitter.com/sFuxhzQYI5

— Randy/WCGComics • ComicCon@Home 2020 (@randywcgcomics) July 26, 2020

Day 3 of Comic-Con@Home

Marking day 3 of #ComicConAtHome -- a few of my favorite cosplay from past San Diego Comic-Cons... (1/2)
#SDCC2020 #SDCC pic.twitter.com/oRnbT88IJV

— Randy/WCGComics • ComicCon@Home 2020 (@randywcgcomics) July 26, 2020

Day 2 of Comic-Con@Home

Day 2 of #ComicConAtHome -- you never know who you’ll bump into …#SDCC2020 #SDCC

Visit my virtual Small Press booth (K1) landing page at https://t.co/Mhl74DzsSD. pic.twitter.com/FzfwtiSj09

— Randy/WCGComics • ComicCon@Home 2020 (@randywcgcomics) July 24, 2020

Day 1 of Comic-Con@Home

Day 1 of #ComicConAtHome -- yes, the new issue of Rob Hanes Adventures (#21) is now available!

Go to my Small Press virtual booth landing page at https://t.co/Mhl74DzsSD. All orders come with freebies, including a bonus back issue, bookmarks and more!#SDCC2020 #SDCC pic.twitter.com/rwkkNwQZxL

— Randy/WCGComics • ComicCon@Home 2020 (@randywcgcomics) July 23, 2020

Tweeting "Live" from Comic-Con@Home!

Comic-Con@Home begins tomorrow and I'll be tweeting and posting to social media "live" during the show! Follow me Twitter, Facebook and/or Instagram!

Comic-Con@Home programming and activities have begun and my virtual Small Press booth landing page is now live!

Tonight is traditionally Preview Night at the #ComicConAtHome edition of #SDCC2020—the day I usually drive down from L.A. and set up my booth.#SDCC

Visit my virtual Small Press booth at the show—a new issue or Rob Hanes Available, a free comic-book download, and more! pic.twitter.com/5Sv1iZ0WPw

— Randy/WCGComics • ComicCon@Home 2020 (@randywcgcomics) July 22, 2020

WCG Comics/Rob Hanes Adventures Comic-Con@Home Exclusives

For additional information, contact Randy Reynaldo at WCG Comics. See below for additional images for promotional use. 

For immediate release

Available at WCG Comics’ virtual booth at the Comic-Con@Home edition of the 2020 San Diego Comic-Con: an advance release of the newest issue of Rob Hanes Adventures, free downloadable comics, trade paperbacks, all back issues, and other merchandise, from 2018 San Diego Comic-Con Inkpot recipient Randy Reynaldo!

Comic-Con may be cancelled but the show goes on—WCG Comics, the publishing imprint for the long-running indie comic-book series, Rob Hanes Adventures, will have a virtual booth at Comic-Con@Home, the virtual edition of the 2020 San Diego Comic-Con, July 22–26, 2020. And no badges needed!

Available at WCG’s "booth" will be the advance release of issue 21 of Rob Hanes Adventures. In this latest issue, after being secretly halo-dropped inside a foreign enemy state to spirit out of the country a defector and rogue nuclear scientist, Rob discovers that, in a comic case of mistaken identity, another employee from his espionage and security agency, Justice International, who has the same name and works as a mall security guard, has been kidnapped and taken prisoner inside the country, turning Rob's mission into a rescue operation as well! Fans of international intrigue and non-stop action won’t be disappointed!

Also available will be all back issues, including trade paperbacks, single issues, downloadable previews, merchandise, and even a FREE downloadable comic-book issue in its entirety for readers to sample the series.

Among the items that will be available:

• Trade paperbacks collecting the early runs of the series, and two volumes collecting issues 1–4 and 5–8 at special reduced prices!

• Selected packages to purchase the entire run of Rob Hanes Adventures or the run along with the trade paperback collections of additional material not appearing in the main series.

• And, of course, all back issues, such as the popular and perennial “Death at Comicon” murder mystery!

• All orders will receive our usual freebies like bookmarks, pins, and a free back issue!

With Comic-Con open to all this year, now is the time to experience the exhibition hall and panels for the first time and in an all new way!

About the Series
Rob Hanes Adventures is a light-hearted action-adventure series featuring the exploits of a globetrotting private eye and troubleshooter from Justice International who travels the world on assignment, facing adventure, intrigue and romance at every turn, with occasional dashes of good humor and forays into other genres. Every story is self-contained, making it easy for readers to jump in with any issue.

Launched in 1994, the title is one of the longest-running indie comics series. Readers and fans have praised Rob Hanes Adventures for recapturing the spirit of the classic adventure strip and updating it for a modern-day audience.

Series creator-writer-artist Randy Reynaldo was a featured guest at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con, where he was honored with an Inkpot Award for Achievement in Comic Arts.

For more information about the series, previews and to purchase back issues, visit wcgcomics.com.

Additional information about the series is available at the article, "Twenty Years (and more!) of Rob Hanes Adventures."

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From the Art Vault, Pt. 1

Below is the original art for a Rob Hanes Adventures "pinup" from 1995 that was used on the cover of the Nov. 1997 cover of Diamond Comics' PREVIEWS catalog featuring a collage of upcoming comics....

(The leather coat he's wearing has a little too much red in it. A bit of trivia: it actually was supposed to be a "vintage" leather army air force flight jacket that was sometimes worn by the lead character in the classic adventure strip, "Terry and the Pirates," during World War II. My character wore it in a few early stories.)