Comic-Con 2019 Day 1: Activations, SHIELD, Fashion Shows, Conan and Tom Cruise – OH MY!

The NiceGirls made the most of their time at Comic-Con on the official first day. Check out all of the activities below and follow along here for the whole Comic-Con experience!

AMC’s DeadQuarters

From Lisa: AMC did not disappoint this year with their “DeadQuarters” experience.  It was zombie-tastic at The Walking Dead/Fear the Walking Dead official Comic-Con fan zone. They have Walkers roaming the quarters and there’s a Fear The Walking Dead treehouse. As if that wasn’t enough there is also an activation where you walk through the tundra with snow and frozen zombies! It was so chilly in there, which is a welcome change to the Southern California heat – even if it makes you scream! If you love The Walking Dead you do not want to miss this activation!

Stan Lee’s A Trick of the Light

From Sarah: A forever fan of Stan Lee, I was thrilled to go through Audible’s Stan Lee’s A Trick of the Light experience.

Narrated by Yara Shahidi, one of today’s brightest talents and most prominent generational voices, and co-written by Edgar-nominated author Kat Rosenfield, Stan Lee’s Alliances: A Trick of Light introduces listeners to a mysterious young woman, Nia, whose fate is intertwined with a seemingly ordinary Midwestern teenager, Cameron Ackerson, whose quest for YouTube stardom takes him to the heart of the Great Lakes Triangle where he is imbued with the power to “see” and “hear” a new reality. 

As Nia and Cameron’s relationship grows, they conspire to create a more righteous online universe, dishing out justice big and small, but wind up crossing a shadowy outfit called OPTIC, which goes after them for its own nefarious purposes. Meanwhile, a threat of galactic proportions emerges, imperiling humanity’s very existence by harnessing our individual desire to connect as the very means to destroy us. 

The activation immerses you in the new universe of Stan Lee superheroes through a series of reality-bending light and sound-driven experiences — including a matrix-like “light labyrinth” — representing key moments from “Stan Lee’s Alliances: A Trick of Light,” one of Lee’s final collaborations.

Conan Live Taping

From Lisa: My friend Karma and I were in the audience for today’s taping of Conan and it was awesome! The guest lineup was kept a secret until shortly before the taping began, which added to the excitement. Guests included Tom Cruise, there to debut the trailer for Top Gun: Maverick, as well as Norman Reedus and Jeffrey Dean Morgan from The Walking Dead. To round out the guests Isaac Hempstead Wright, the actor who played Bran on Game of Thrones, stopped by. It was a great episode!

Stumptown Panel

From Lisa: Stumptown coming this fall on ABC looks pretty good. We saw a sizzle reel and a trailer, but the pilot isn’t ready yet. Several of the cast and the creators were there, including Cobie Smulders, Jake Johnson, Cameron Manheim, and Michael Ealy. I think this will be a show the Nice Girls will enjoy because there are three strong female leads, including an indigenous woman in a lead role! That’s something we rarely see, so I’m excited about it. The cast is pretty diverse, although Michael Ealy is really all I need to give the show a try! 

Her Universe Fashion Show

The Her Universe Fashion Show is a highlight of the con each year and Roz was able to grab prime seats and watch the creativity strut down the runway.  They did a great job of being inclusive (there was one model in a wheelchair and one junior designer) as well as focusing on children’s mental health with a collaboration to help end the stigma associated with mental health. As for the fashion, the two winners were showstopping pieces – one a riff on Jurrasic Park and the other a glittering Loki jumpsuit with train and gigantic hat!

Judges Winner: Adria Renee for her Destination: Isla Nublar look inspired by Jurassic Park
Audience Winner: Sarah Hambly for her Bodak Green look inspired by Marvel’s Loki

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. panel

From Roz: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has its swan song at Comic-Con as the series draws to a close. There was a retrospective look back at the series (and a tease for the end of this season) with clips and questions. My favorite moment was when Iain De Caestecker starting to sing “Big Yellow Taxi” about not shooting scenes with Elizabeth Henstridge.