Welcome to The San Diego Comic-Con Unofficial Blog. Our goal is to provide the most in-depth coverage of all aspects of the massive pop culture convention – from film, TV, comics, toys, offsites, and so much more.
We also offer a unique perspective from a seasoned team, who are here to provide you with tips, suggestions, and of course, all the latest news.
Make sure to go to the Contact Us page if you have any questions or comments.
Thanks for reading!
Kerry Dixon
Editor-in-Chief
A misspent childhood spent in front of the television led her to a lifelong passion for all things entertainment. After trying out a few smaller cons, she first attended Comic Con in 2010 and became hooked. With her technological know-how (she goes through the Twitter hashtags so you don’t have to!), she brings you the most up to date news on the convention scene regarding panels, events, exclusives, and much more. In her spare time, she’s a pug-loving television and travel enthusiast who owns entirely too many of Tom Hardy's props and wardrobe. She lives in Oklahoma with her two pugs, who keep her otherwise busy. If you have any questions, especially related to panels, you can find her on Twitter at @kerrydixon.
James Riley
SDConCast Host/Photographer/Writer
Despite living in San Diego most of his life, James didn’t go to his first Comic-Con until 1995. He hasn’t missed one since. Throughout the years he has spent his time at Comic-Con taking on a variety of guises. His first appearance was as a retailer where he honed his knowledge of comics, toys & cards from the other side. Next came time as a normal fan, spending most of the con hours walking the floor targeting all the cool stuff that helps make SDCC world famous. In 2005 he joined a new team, working with fellow Browncoats to run what some consider the best fan group booth at the con and ended up leading the non-profit California Browncoats from 2007-2011. Now he’s a member of the fourth estate, shooting everything in sight with his trusty camera, co-hosting SDConCast and occasionally writing an article. He’s also teamed up with his lovely wife (and fellow photographer) Beth to bring a one-two punch to capturing the con. He hopes his experience at, and love for, SDCC helps others have that special week in July they’ll remember for a lifetime. Keep a close eye on him though, you’ll never know what he’s aiming for next. He can be found on GeekShot Photography.
Johnny Du
Writer/Contributor
Johnny’s curiosity got the better of him when he decided to attend San Diego Comic-Con for the first time in 2008. It was also his first-ever con, and the event has since established itself as his favorite week and event of the year. As a chronic overplanner, he enjoys the challenge of navigating all the decision-making dilemmas at SDCC. Not only did Johnny win the first-ever #AdventuresOfPrizeMule prize in the form of a sleeping bag (which he still has), he has won at least once every year since… well, until the team got tired of him winning all the time, so they talked him into joining the UBlog and help give the prizes out instead. Johnny is on Twitter in name only @JohnnyWithTwoNs.
Kara Dupree
Writer/Contributor
Kara is a huge entertainment buff, especially anything relating to TV, music, and Broadway — and she’s also the go-to person to ask who a celebrity is. She is a big Carolina Tar Heel fan. Every year since 2013, Kara attends SDCC with her mom and sister, and they love every second of it. You can find her on Twitter at @Kara_SDCC and @KaraDupree93 and on Instagram at @KaraDupree.
Keisha Dupree
Writer/Contributor
Keisha has been obsessed with all things pop culture for as long as she can remember. So much so that she majored in Media Studies in college. She knows a little bit about a lot of things, but TV is probably her favorite. According to an app that keeps up with what she watches she's spent 1 year, 10 months, 10 days, and 16 hours so far watching TV (and that's just the things she remembers). Since 2013 she's made the trek from NC to SDCC with her Mom and Sister. A lover of animals, she's the first to take in a stray, especially a cat. One of her favorite things to do at SDCC is feed the seagulls from her hotel window and name them all (bonus points if you know which hotel you can do that at). When not ingesting some sort of media you can probably find her napping, watching Carolina Basketball, or working to pay for all the expensive media and con things. You can find her on Twitter at @xstarsgoblue25x.
Sarah Lacey
Contributor/Designer
Sarah grew up bemoaning her dad and brother watching sci-fi constantly, until her own awakening came in the form of Clark Kent in Smallville. It ushered in a fierce love of all things sci-fi, fantasy and comic-related. Her first con experience was a mid-sized sci-fi con in Anaheim in 2010. A few months later, she attended her first Comic-Con and learned second row panel seats are worth a night on the sidewalk. She’s since been to several Stargate, Farscape and Star Trek specific cons, as well as Fan Expo Canada, which is Canada’s version of SDCC. She’s a mom, designer and web developer, TV enthusiast, fan fiction reader, and all around geek. Cons are akin to summer camp, and being apart of the online con community is a wonderful way of extending that camp atmosphere throughout the year for Sarah.
Shawn Marshall
Writer/Contributor
His secret origin is one buried underneath stacks of comics and containers of Star Wars and Star Trek toys. Having not had a traditional upbringing, it is only because of comics that he ever learned to read and as a result their hero-filled pages hold a special place in his heart. Since those early days, he’s read comics and collected toys fairly consistently. The next step in his transformation to a super nerd was learning the con scene. Cons are important, as they’re the perfect marriage of all the things that make me who he am. As such, he loves sharing advice on how to get the most out of these shows. His SDCC specialties are swag, exclusives, comics and health (attending SDCC since 2005 and no con flu yet!). He’s overjoyed to be assisting the Avengers of Comic-Con in bringing fans the best SDCC possible. Outside of the SDCCBlog, you can find him on Youtube and on Twitter at @ParksAndCons.
Lisa McDowell
Writer/Contributor
Lisa is the best of the best when it comes to tracking down San Diego Comic-Con information, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who knows more about the ins and outs of social media for the convention. She’s also the resident Comic-Con autograph expert. When Lisa’s not busy scouring the world wide web, she can be found in San Diego hanging out with her family, reading Game of Thrones, watching Vikings, taking photos, and just generally being awesome. You can also find Lisa on her personal/Comic-Con themed Twitter account @sdccgotgirl.
Evic Oropilla
Writer/Contributor
It all started when at a young age he attended a small comic convention at Golden Hall. Not knowing what he was getting himself into at the time the experience would become addictive. He was exposed to what we know today as “Nerd Mecca”, “Nerdvana”, “Nerdtopia” aka the San Diego Comic Con and has been hooked now for over 25 years! His mission is to provide information to help make the SDCC experience a fulfilling one to fans as SDCC can be overwhelming! By combining tech, experience and knowledge he is able to offer a unique perspective in helping to create the best con experience possible. As SDCC gets closer his excitement level increases and the release of adrenaline triggers the monster within who is consumed by ALL things SDCC! If you have any questions you can find him on Twitter at @evico.
Beth Riley
Photographer/Podcast Producer
Beth enjoys taking a thousand photos at a single panel and then only posting five. Some of those photos end up on this site. Others can be found at GeekShot Photography. Her adventures in geekdom are documented @trekkiebeth on Twitter and Instagram.
Erin Tapken
Writer/Contributor
Erin Tapken has been attending SDCC since 2006, and has enjoyed experiencing the evolution of the convention and the expansion of what it offers. In the off-season, Erin owns and operates a comic book store in Iowa where she lives with her husband, Jeremy. Erin is a voracious reader and also enjoys attending concerts and collecting screen printed posters and soundtracks on vinyl. You can find Erin on Twitter and Instagram @BavarianErin.
Kim Twombly
Writer/Contributor
Her first experiences with con life started with Star Trek TNG, X-Files, and other fan-run conventions in the 90’s. Later, Kim branched out to CCI’s WonderCon and then the 24-hour party that is Dragon*Con in Atlanta. She has attended Comic-Con since 2006, gaining more and more insight into how to navigate both the convention and the plethora of events in the surrounding Gaslamp Quarter. In 2012, Kim brought her experiences together to start the website OutsideComicCon.com and its accompanying Twitter feed @OutsideComicCon. Much like Black Widow, she is resourceful and innovative, tracking down information and using her knowledge for good and not evil (we hope!). She aims to help other con-goers discover the opportunities outside the convention center for giveaways, virals, screenings, parties, celebrity-sightings and other amazing events. You can also find Kim on her personal Twitter feed, @Earth2Kim, and you might even catch her driving around San Diego sporting her Doctor Who-themed license plate!
Andy Wagner
Writer/Contributor
At the tender age of 3, Andy’s mother took him to see Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and a Trekkie was born. His love of Star Trek grew into a love of conventions. After starting with small Star Trek conventions in his native Pennsylvania, he finally gathered the nerve to attend Comic-Con International after moving to San Diego. After his first SDCC in 2011, he knew he was home. Andy goes to SDCC for previews, panels, offsites, and all the free swag he can get his hands on. When he’s not dreaming about SDCC, Andy is a technical writer for a government contractor. He lives in San Diego with his wife and daughter, who graciously support Andy’s SDCC habit. The whole family gives back to the community by volunteering at The Salvation Army El Cajon Corps.
Robert Warners
Writer/Contributor
Residing in Arizona with an unhealthy addiction to collecting retro video games, Robert consumes many forms of pop culture. With his first comic convention being Comic Con in 2008, he enjoyed the experience so much he has been attending ever since. Robert turned that love of Comic Con into a hobby, as he covers Arizona comic conventions at legionofsand.com.
You can either find him on a never ending quest to find the best burger around or on Twitter @LegionofSand.
You can either find him on a never ending quest to find the best burger around or on Twitter @LegionofSand.