With hundreds of panels and 130,000 attendees, San Diego Comic Con is arguably the biggest fan event of the year. It’s a place where fans can get exclusive sneak peeks of movies, TV shows, comic books and games, a place where a regular Joe can ask a star a question during a panel, and a place where fangirls and fanboys can meet their idols in person for autographs or photos. With the increasing number of entertainment panels packing the fans into Hall H (the most coveted room in all of Comic Con) movie and TV stars are completely accessible to fans.
If you’ll recall our photos from last year’s Con, you’ll remember how many celebrity photos we took at the lobby of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, which is where most celebs stay and where the majority of press functions are held. Last year, a handful of fans waited outside for their favorite stars to depart for their panels at Hall H. We got photos of fan favorites, like Robert Pattinson, who came out to greet the small number of fans.
This year, the secret was out in a big way and dozens of fans swarmed the sidewalk by the drop-off/pick-up area waiting for a glimpse of their faves. Some stars were accommodating, not only giving fans a wave but also rushing over to take pics and sign autographs, some—who shall go unnamed—were not so friendly and quickly rushed inside like the whole thing was one grand inconvenience for them. I completely understand not wanting to be “on” all the time, but come on! Comic Con is for fans, not an industry-exclusive event, so you need to play the game a little bit.
Some stars just get it and this year’s friendliest (just my opinion—don’t hate on me for not including your fave!) were Michael Fassbender, Aaron Eckhart, Kevin Smith, The Big Bang Theory’s Johnny Galecki and superstar Hugh Jackman. Of course, there was also Jason Momoa, but I’ve covered him already. Being nice to fans is crucial, especially at an event like Comic Con where a single tweet or Facebook post about being a jerk could put off your entire fandom. Most stars handle it perfectly and we were very pleased to get these pics.
Photo credit: Pat Sue Gentry – Trashwire.com