Like eleven years ago, July 12 is a Sunday. While the dates and days sync up, something else doesn’t: San Diego Comic-Con concluded on this date in 2015. The 2026 gathering won’t start for another 10 days, with Preview Night. I will be there on Thursday and Sunday, my first dalliance since 2017.
The Featured Image is among the last dozen photos taken using Fujifilm X-T1 and XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS lens on this date 11 years ago. Vitals: f/3.2, ISO 250, 1/60 sec, 18mm; 1:49 p.m. PDT.
While the convention conceptually is about comics, the event is more about the roles people play—being someone whom they aspire to be, even if as a temporary fantasy. They can be heroes and even stars, for most anyone well-costumed will be repeatedly stopped for photos. Comic-Con lets them be not just someone else but somebody special. May they achieve their aspirations.