San Diego Comic-Con 2026 Day Four, Part Three

The greatest pop culture event concluded one week ago today—and I was there for the second time in four days and for the first Sunday since 2017. I had been perennially unlucky gaining access to buy passes during one of two public registration sessions. After long hiatus, I purchased passes for Thursday and Sunday.

Quick recap: Day One (July 23, 2026); Day Four (July 26) Part One and Part Two. I primarily used Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2 lens, supported by Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra for my first SDCC expedition. For the other day, I used the camera exclusively with NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8 (SE) lens, which proved to be exceptional choice.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 30, 202610:08 pm

San Diego Comic-Con 2026 Day Four, Part Two

This is the second of three installments from SDCC 2026. The first is dated yesterday. I used Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8 (SE) lens to capture the entire set of photos, and I am overall quite satisfied with them.

I strayed from the more commonplace approach of stopping cosplayers and taking portraits, choosing instead a more documentary style that is more like being there. The Zf produced more contrasty auto-results than I am unaccustomed to—and I like it, so much so that most of the photos are presented straight from the camera (well, after RAW to JPEG conversion).

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 29, 202610:52 pm

San Diego Comic-Con 2026 Day Four, Part One

Sunday, July 26, 2026, may be my last Comic-Con sojourn. I suffered a nine-year gap in attendance for inability to secure passes. Even then, the one-day, ah, golden ticket for 2017 was acquired indirectly. Twenty-sixteen marks my last participation from passes purchased through one of the official registration days. People enter the online purchase queue randomly, and I had been unquestionably unlucky. That is until November 2025 Open Registration, when I luckily secured Thursday and Sunday passes for this year’s SDCC. I can’t be sure to get any again.

San Diego Comic-Con 2026 was a last chance to brandish a camera during the, arguably, greatest pop culture event on Earth. I did okay shooting Day One, using Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2 lens. However, overall, I was dissatisfied with the photos. For Day 4, I attached the NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8 (SE) lens, which I had never before used. The simple, and affordable (currently $309.95 direct from Nikon USA), lens delivered. Take that, pricey Leica Summilux!

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 25, 20269:58 pm

The Chair Ate My Niece

My sister who summers in Vermont is visiting with our sister who lives in Connecticut. The older brought her daughter and granddaughter along, for a festive, gal weekend of antique shopping and other activities.

Last night (their time), they rang me, loosened up by after-dinner wine. I am pretty quick with humorous barbs that their comradery and inebriation magnify to states of roaring pandemonium. Honestly, once the laughter starts, anything I say is suddenly comedy club hilarious. “The world is flat!” Explosive laughter. “The cat puked on the rug!” Even loader laughter.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 24, 202610:33 pm

San Diego Comic-Con 2026 Day One

For my sojourn to the country’s premiere pop-culture event, I returned following a nine-year hiatus—and not by choice. Every attempt to secure passes failed until finally I had opportunity to buy two—for Thursday and Sunday—during Open Registration, November 2025. SDCC runs for four full days plus the Preview Night. As I write, Day Two wraps up at San Diego Convention Center.

I had considered several options for documenting the event, including video interviews. That was a strategy more workable for full event attendance. I chose instead to keep things simple and shoot photos. My SDCC EDC: Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2 lens; Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 23, 20269:50 pm

Return to Comic-Con

What surprises me about San Diego Comic-Con is how little—and yet how much—has changed since my last attendance for a single day in 2017. Virtually every venue was where I remember: Disability services in area A. Major celebrity panels in Ballroom 20 and Hall H. Layout of the exhibitor floor, with artists at the end nearest Hall H and smaller seller booths and gameplay nearer to area A. Everything in the middle, from big Hollywood studios to booksellers, all where they have been previously.

The same can be said for the upstairs pavilion and meeting rooms. In the Mezzanine, nothing really changed. Board games are in the same meeting rooms, and the Medieval fighters gather and joust where they always have, for example.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 22, 20269:15 pm

Bring Your Own Mutt

I see plenty of self-serve car washes around San Diego. But a place to scrub your dog, in the open-air and just off the street? Who could imagine such a thing? Obviously, its owners for sure. Turns out there are four locations. I passed by the one in North Park on July 19, 2026.

“Each wash includes warm water, professional shampoo and conditioner, flea rinse treatment, and a powerful dog dryer—all for just $16”, according to the company’s website. You provide the muscle and put in the sweat equity.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 21, 20269:55 pm

A Book By Any Other Name…

Thirteen years ago today, I worked the show floor during my fifth San Diego Comic-Con. On hand, the X100—first in what would be a series of compact cameras from Fujifilm. Auto-focus was sluggish and depth of field narrow when shooting wide open. That said, tactile controls (can you say dials), diminutive size, and hybrid digital-optical viewfinder made the X100 unique and fun to use.

Meandering about, I searched for people to interview, with the intention of compiling twelve attendee profiles into a book—later self-published as Comic-Con Heroes: The Fans Who Make the Greatest Show on Earth. I have since released it into the public domain, which means if so inclined you can read for free.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 20, 20269:40 pm

A Shot in the Dark

San Diego Comic-Con 2016, I was functionally blind—and the realization how much came during Preview Night 10 years ago this evening. My daughter accompanied me to the Convention Center, where she received a complimentary companion full-event pass as the helper for a disabled attendee—a status I never imagined myself as being.

Crippling cataracts clouded my eyesight, and I saw how severely when scanning the show floor and realizing I couldn’t read any of the large numerical signs hanging from the ceiling. Disheartened, I walked into the crowd, blindly pointed iPhone 6s, and shot the Featured Image, which essentially is the only photographic record I have of the event. Vitals: f/2.2, ISO 80, 1/15 sec, 29mm; 6:41 p.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 19, 202610:20 pm

World Cup Sunday

This morning, my wife drove me to Pop Pie in South Park, where a Too Good to Go order waited. The haul? Two pies, one traditional chicken, the other Hog (e.g. pulled pork). I walked most of the way the home, proceeding to North Park and to University Heights—30th all the way to Meade.

Wow, were the streets packed with people. I have never seen Sunday like this. The majority of folks was destination bound, with local bars and eateries the primary destinations—basically anywhere with big screen TVs. Argentina and Spain squared off for the FIFA World Cup final match, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 15, 20269:27 pm

The Trekkers

Fourteen years ago today, San Diego Comic-Con wrapped up for another annual gathering. Sunday is my favorite day of the entire event. Locals, particularly families, dominate attendance. Most of the Hollywood crowd has left the building, so to speak.

But pulp media presence is full-force present by way of brands. Star Trek is one of the biggest, considerably more so currently than 2012. One booth used to sell authentic sci-fi uniforms from several prominent TV series—I’m partial to those from Battlestar Galactica, thank-you. Star Trek was among them, but Anovos, the company producing the uniforms, no longer exists.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 14, 20268:35 pm

Day Three Crowd, Comic-Con 2012

Saturday at San Diego Comic-Con is by far the busiest day and most jam-packed, whether measured by attendance size or number of panels featuring actors, content creators, showrunners, and more.

Fourteen years ago today, a throng of people pushed past the G4 booth—as you can see from the Featured Image. Vitals: f/2.8, ISO 125, 1/17 sec, 3.4mm; 1:43 p.m. PDT.