I’ve been keeping tabs on the shifting San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) landscape by lurking in social media groups (still hunting for a solid Discord, by the way). One recurring complaint this year? The big dogs didn’t show. Marvel skipped out entirely, DC kept it muted with just “Peacemaker,” and several major streamers scaled back their presence. It’s like if a metal fest stopped booking Metallica. But for this attendee, it wasn’t the headliners who made SDCC 2025 special, it was the “supporting acts” that delivered another unforgettable year.
Outside Chaos, Inside Familiar Frustrations
Thursday, the official start of SDCC outside of Wednesday’s Preview Night, felt like a Saturday. The offsite crowds were massive. Either San Diegans have figured out that offsites are open to everyone, or the entire city took July 24 off. Inside the Convention Center, the usual headaches persisted: disorganized lines, a packed exhibition floor, and staff who often didn’t seem to know what was happening. These are recurring issues, but that doesn’t make them any less annoying.
Panels: Horror, R-Rated Fare, and Cultural Commentary
Panels remain the best place to rest your legs, escape the crowds, or actually engage with content. We caught the ones we were most excited about, “The Toxic Avenger,” the Animation Comedy Writers panel (featuring “South Park,” “Beavis & Butthead,” and “Digman!”), and “King of the Hill.” Even smaller panels delivered. A “Severance” discussion turned speculative fiction into a philosophical deep dive, while a panel on Holocaust art offered a sobering dose of real-world history.
But the tonal shift this year was clear: horror and adult content are surging alongside fringe pop-culture like anime (Crunchyroll Concert) and Youtubers (“Brawl Stars” presented by Mr. Beast). Thursday alone featured Lloyd Kaufman’s Hall H debut for “The Toxic Avenger” and the *South Park* creators gleefully describing their NSFW takedown of the 47th President. Friday and Saturday brought Kevin Smith’s usual f-bomb festivities, brutal previews of “The Long Walk” and “Predator: Badlands,” and the return of the raunchy “Peacemaker.”
Sure, Marvel and Downey Jr. weren’t there. But that doesn’t mean Hollywood is losing interest in SDCC—it means they’re chasing ROI.
Horror Is the Smart Bet Right Now
Take the new “Superman” movie. It passed $500 million, which looks great until you factor in the production and marketing costs. Horror, on the other hand, offers lower budgets and higher margins. “The Long Walk,” despite featuring a gloomy-looking Mark Hamill, doesn’t need to cross half a billion to turn a profit. I’m a horror fan, so I’m biased.
Offsites: Genre Wins, Clowns Beat Corporates
This year’s standout offsite wasn’t from a major studio, it was from Shudder. “Clown in a Cornfield” offered fans a pitch-black corn maze, solid jump scares, carnival games, swag, snacks, and a limited-time Shudder code to watch the film and more. It was creepy, clever, and refreshingly well-run.
Compare that to the Petco Park Activation Zone, which felt phoned-in. A claw machine where no one wins doesn’t exactly scream fan service. Some other offsites held up better, but overall, smaller genre offerings like “Clown in a Cornfield” had more heart and better execution. Overall, it was another fantastic year, as long as you seek out what you like and understand the nuances of SDCC. Can’t wait to get anxiety, spend hours planning and put my legs through agony again next year.
What We Loved at SDCC 2025
- Offsites:
“Clown in a Cornfield,” “King of the Hill,” and “Alien: Earth” were this year’s standout experiences. - Panels:
Lloyd Kaufman finally making it to Hall H for “Toxic Avenger” was a genuine joy. Following that with *South Park*’s political chaos made Thursday unforgettable. - Zombie Gnomes:
Shoutout to the zombie gnome booth—I buy one every year now, and they always come up with something weird and original.
What We Didn’t Love
- Cosplay Participation:
The quality was still great, but the quantity seemed way down. Travel costs and inflation are probably to blame. - Con Crud:
It wasn’t COVID, it wasn’t the flu—but I caught something. And it sucked. - Labubu:
I’m officially entering my grumpy old man era. I don’t know what Labubu is, and I don’t understand how it’s worth hundreds (or thousands) of dollars.
Offsite Rankings
- King of the Hill
- Clown in a Cornfield
- Paramount+ The Lodge
- Adult Swim
- Old Spice
- Twisted Metal
- South Park
- Petco Activation
Honorable Mention: Peacemaker – we didn’t attend, but it looked like the party to be at based on social media.