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Under the Tents 2026: Absolute Batman, STEAM Room, Geeky Hooker, Danny Trejo, Kotobukiya

In a mere, exactly three weeks, as this is being published, we will be deep in the throes of the first full day of San Diego Comic-Con 2026. AWESOME! What will attendees get when they step right up and spin the SDCC Thursday prize wheel? An offsite reservation? An exclusive? A front-row panel seat? A celebrity sighting? A Prize Mule drop? A surprise guest or announcement? A signing wristband? A giveaway? A daily steps allotment? Perhaps even… sleep?????

While we mull over what that first full day will bring, here’s the latest roundup of the rest of the news that’s fit to print post on social media. As always, if you knew about everything below already, please consider joining our team:

  • Starting today on a daily basis, Unknown Comics is making known their exclusive covers that can be purchased individually or potentially found in their $30 Mystery Boxes at Booth #1001. First up is an Absolute Batman #19 in gold foil by Tyler Kirkham.

  • Science? Science! Collaborators from the Fleet Science Center, IF/THEN She Can, Cosplay for Science, and the Star Warsologies podcast have come together to host Mission Control, an immersive science activity room with hands-on activities run by real-life scientists as part of this year’s SDCC. The experience will run Thursday-Sunday (July 23-26), with times and a location announcement still to be finalized.

  • The investigation into where Suddenly French Mystery author Elle Jauffret will be during SDCC Thursday (July 23) has been solved. She’ll be pulling double duty! First, she’ll be part of the “Writers Coffeehouse” networking event at the Marriott Marquis from 2:15pm-4:15pm before hopping over to Sails Pavilion #AA-04 to sign copies of Cosplayed to Death from 5:50pm-6:30pm.

 

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A post shared by Elle Jauffret (@ellejauffret)

  • Isla Monstro is an animated movie that was first promoted at SDCC 2024. Two years later, it’s getting a comic book series that will launch at SDCC 2026, per this Fangoria article.

  • Mark your calendars and maps for OLO Markers, who will be making the second of their three summer stops at Booth #5120 at San Diego Comic-Con.

 

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  • Another mystery solved, as mystery box company Mystery Grail will be set up in the Exhibit Hall at Booth #121.

 

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  • Score one for SDCC, the conflict I just made up in my head between Anime Expo and San Diego Comic-Con, as animation and storyboard artist Annie Li showed off three gold foil prints for the Love and Deepspace mobile game that’ll debut at SDCC (and NOT AX).

  • By the power of Geeky Hooker comes Skeletor as an addition to her 2026 critter drop lineup. Hop on over to her website for a refresher of the drop rules while you’re at it.

  • Speaking of them knitted thingies, this one’s for the Venn diagram of crochet drop hunter and the BTS ARMY, as Nifty Neuron will be bringing Shooky to be found.

  • The Sunless Circus will be getting some shine this year, as creator Chris Kawigawa will be reprinting a “small batch” for SDCC.

  • This panel announcement comes from South Bay Zine Fest founder Maxwell Scheller, who will be moderating “Making Collaborative and Independent Anthologies” with Andi Dukleth, Attiba Royster, J.C. Cooksey, “El Kartun,” and Jade Lowder, at 12pm on Thursday, July 23 in Grand 12 & 13 at the Marriott Marquis.

 

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  • Another Absolute Batman SDCC exclusive cover for this UTT comes from Comic Inspiration and Carla Cohen for Absolute Batman #21. The virgin edition is limited to 1,000 and will set you back $30 at Booth #2302, with limited quantities to be made available through Comic Inspiration’s WhatNot and website.

 

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  • And it’s Mezco’s turn to say they’ll be saying something… next week. Yes, I know how teases work. Find them at Booth #3045!

  • Fill in another gap in the Grand 12 & 13 schedule at the Marriott Marquis, with “Indie Toy Makers Unite!” taking over from 12pm-1pm on Saturday (July 25), as toy designer Harry Moore helpfully shared.

  • Martin Hsu is getting in on all that hot Dungeon Crawler Carl action this year. Suddenly I’m hungry for donuts…

  • Roditeli Productions will be holding Exhibit Hall things down at Booth #2202 with exclusives from their Swat Kats and Postal franchises. They’ll tell you what those actually are eventually… but not quite yet (obviously).

 

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  • This ain’t the first time we’ve talked about Jeff Pina. You know where to find him (Small Press #Q-06 if you don’t). He writes. He draws stuff. He writes and draws stuff. Then sometimes he takes pictures of what he draws and shares them to entice a purchase, as he has done below with some of the original art pieces he’ll have up for grabs.

 

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A post shared by Jeff Pina (@jeffpinamakescomics)

  • Mr. Bone continues to put some more meat on their Booth #4737 skeleton, showing off a gallery of (extremely limited) drops on Instagram.

 

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A post shared by MR.BONE TOYS (@mr.bone_toys)

  • Ooh, I haven’t written up a shipping box-related item recently, so we’re breaking the drought. The Last Driver writer and artist (and self-proclaimed black and white snob) Sean Gordon Murphy unboxed an SDCC exclusive uncolored newsprint edition of The Last Driver #1. Grab it at Booth #5012, along with a new Jurassic Park print.

 

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  • “Alf is back, in pog form!”? More like, “Gonks are back, in ice cream form!” Star Wars fan Dapper Fett’s 5th annual SDCC Gonk Hunt will include Gonks as, well, ice cream bars. Keep an eye on their Instagram during the show for clues.

 

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  • Did you think Nikki and Bear were having a nice date in Obsession? Artist and cartoonist Stephen Silver must have thought so to create his take on the film’s core four of Ian, Nikki, Bear, and what’s left of Sarah. This 11×14 print will be available at SDCC (or on Silver’s website right now if you’re just TOO OBSESSED).

 

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A post shared by Stephen Silver (@stephensilver7)

  • If it’s an update from Eunisyn, it probably involves someone with a cape. Lo and behold, Robin and Bat Blob charms! Grab them at their store or wait to see them in person at Artists’ Alley #DD-10.

  • Big things happening at SDCC for Ryan Claytor this year. First, you can now find him over in Small Press #O-01. Second, he’s on two panels. Third, his son will be in attendance on Thursday and Saturday. Fourth, he just made a new book rack that will debut at SDCC at his new table. Exciting times!

  • Teen Titans Go! artist and writer Lea Seidman Hernandez will be setting up her wares at Artists’ Alley #BB-09, where you can find this scary rabbit amongst the 100 art cards she’ll be bringing. She has also opened up pre-show commissions, so you’ll eventually find more information on our List of Open Artist Commissions (unless it’s already there!).

  • Eagle-eyed UBlog reader @pkthecat1 is at Anime Expo and passed along a Kotobukiya poster with SDCC information on a Thursday, July 23 panel from 2:30pm-3:30pm in Room 10 featuring Sir Richard Taylor (co-founder of Wētā Workshop), Takahiro Kagami (Yu-Gi-Oh! animation director), and Tsukuru Shirahige (Kotobukiya sculptor). Kagami and Shirahige will also be signing autographs at the Kotobukiya Booth #3535 on Thursday and Friday (July 23-24). Thanks @pkthecat1!

  • While eating some chips and what looks to be incredible guacamole, Gabe Eltaeb shared that Big Man Comics will be at Booth #1705. The guest/signing list so far includes Mike Baron (The Punisher) and Chris Gore and Alan Ng of Film Threat. Great, now I want guac. Ughhhhh.

  • We see Danny Trejo, we post. The man some call Machete will be joining Chris Yates and Keith Arem for the world premiere of his Year of the Devil graphic novel.

Anything we missed? Let us know by dropping us a line, or tweet us at @SD_Comic_Con.

If you missed our previous Under the Tents posts, you can find them HERE.

Looking for a commission? We’ve got a post for that!

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