by Emma Smith, Assistant Editor

Around corners, up stairs, and through guarded doors, SDCC hosted unique experiences to tempt explorers into watching or rewatching shows. Each studio put their unique twist on these Activations, making them a fun experience. Here are some of our Activation highlights from SDCC 2023:

AMC turned a courtyard at the San Diego Hilton into a street straight out of their show Interview with a Vampire, about to enter its second season in the first half of 2024. Visitors could visit a speakeasy, listen to the street piano/singer duo, evade the constable on the lookout for hooch, and stock up on talismans to hopefully ward off the evil making the residents of this lively street disappear. One by one…

Highlight of this event: Our own Matt Sernaker (Managing Editor) came to the rescue and filled in for a missing piano player on the Street of Immortality…

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Paramount+ took over the Happy Does Bar on Fifth Street to create the Lodge, where guests could enjoy mini sliders from Good Burger 2 and grab a drink from 1923’s Silver Dollar Soda Short or coffee/ice tea from the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Energon Station. Interactive stations also doted the Lodge – guests could get an airbrushed tattoo from an Inkmaster, get a Star Trek themed caricature, or take pictures on Pet Semetary and SpongeBob SquarePants sets.

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Hulu’s activation focused on Animayhem – their many animated offerings, both new and old. Immersive 3D sets were made to look 2D via stylings. Visitors could take pictures of themselves in the Bob’s Burgers restaurant, around the Futurama table or in front of the Planet Express Ship, in American Dad’s Hall of Rogers, and even feel very, very in a Solar Opposites bedroom once they’ve been properly “shrunk.” Visitors could also ask Alanis Morissette questions on the set of The Great North.

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FX took a similar tactic. It showcased its long-running hit American Horror Story with a doctor experience guaranteed to make you jump out of your skin. Visitors could also wander through the gardens of the upcoming Shogun, scheduled to air this fall. If arriving at the right time, they might even catch a live performance tied to the 2024 series. What We Do In The Shadows had a lovely shaded area (very important) where one could get “popsicles” or take a picture with a glass of “wine.” Most fun was the intriguing flight one could take to A Murder at the End of the World – one that required a special key to enter. Out of all of the Activations that we participated in, this last one was the most successful at getting me interested in the shows as a whole, and I will definitely be looking into these series when they air.

Activations were certainly a highlight of this year’s SDCC, at least for those willing to wait in line for them. They were a fun way to interact with current favorites and maybe some future favorites. 

Our SDCC 2023 coverage has only just begun, so stay tuned to ComicsOnline for exclusive interviews, reviews, and everything geek pop culture!

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