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San Diego Comic-Con 2021 scheduled for Thanksgiving, sparks backlash from fans & talent

Because it's not the usual time when Comic-Con runs, this year's SDCC is a Special Edition to get the ball rolling for a larger event in 2022.

Sam Chandler

March 28, 2021 6:30 PM

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San Diego Comic-Con looks to be returning this year despite the global pandemic. The massive convention has announced the dates that it will be running in November, and it just so happens to be over the Thanksgiving weekend. If the event goes forward, this will be the first Comic-Con since the pandemic swept the world.

Despite being cancelled at the start of March, the San Diego Comic Convention has revealed that it plans to host a Comic-Con this year. The press release on the Comic-Con site states that there will be a Special Edition of Comic-Con held over Thanksgiving as part of a three-day event. The dates currently in place are for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, November 26-28, at the San Diego Convention Center.

The announcement also includes a statement from spokesperson, David Glanzer, “While we have been able to pivot from in-person gatherings to limited online events, the loss of revenue has had an acute impact on the organization as it has with many small businesses, necessitating reduced work schedules and reduction in pay for employees, among other issues.” Glanzer hopes that this smaller event will lead to larger gatherings in 2022.

The press release does make note that Comic-Con may not happen this year. It states, “We do not know whether having this event in November is even feasible as we are still in the midst of the pandemic.” At this time, the CDC still recommends that large gatherings and events should be avoided when possible.

Even so, there has been backlash online from fans and talent over the selection of dates. People have drawn attention to the fact that we’re still in the midst of a pandemic, not everyone will be vaccinated, retail workers will be manning the frontlines for Black Friday with media covering those events online, and workers at Comic-Con being forced to work over the Thanksgiving holiday. The general consensus seems to be that Thanksgiving is a poor time to host an in-person event.

While the rollout of vaccinations continues across the United States, planning a large, in-person event for November has its risk. If things do not improve, and the CDC guidelines do not change, would-be attendees might see this SDCC Special Edition cancelled. Thankfully, SDCC has allowed people to get refunds for 2020’s tickets or roll them over for this year’s event, and even supports a rollover on to 2022’s event. Be sure to keep it locked to the Shacknews SDCC page for updates about whether this Special Edition event goes ahead this November, as well as badge prices and attendance capacity limitations.

Sam Chandler

Head of Guides

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as Head of Guides. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler