When I think about San Diego Comic-Con, a handful of experiences come to mind. Navigating a path through pressing crowds in the convention center, strolling past the Childrens Park fountain late at night after some event or another, setting up shop with my laptop wherever I can find wifi, and visiting my favorite booths. Sideshow is among those. Display cases filled with high-quality collectibles surround their sprawling booth every year. Convention attendees get as close as they can to the plexiglass to photograph and drool over new Hot Toys figures, statues, and more. With San Diego Comic-Con going virtual with Comic-Con@Home for 2020, Sideshow took a different approach. They constructed a real booth in their offices, so attendees can visit and explore virtually. Since crowds aren’t a concern, Sideshow designed their booth without the plexiglass. You can get up close and personal—through technology, anyway.
Sideshow gave Nerdist a private virtual tour of Sideshow Con, which kicked off July 20th, and shared first looks at new collectibles from Star Wars, DC Comics, Marvel, and more. As it is when I visit their booth in person, the sheer number of statues and sixth scale figures dazzled me. It’s visual overstimulation at its finest. As my accommodating hosts panned the camera around gorgeous art (a Guardians of the Galaxy piece by Shag!), a photo op display with Baby Yoda (okay, technically The Child), and rad new Clone Wars figures, I did get a taste of being at Comic-Con.
But it was better, because I wasn’t elbow to elbow with dozens of other people trying to angle my phone just right to photograph Anakin’s hair without a reflection. It was a lovely escape—one I was pulled away from only when one of my cats went after a hummingbird and nearly went over the balcony (both cat and hummingbird are fine, thank you).
Though I couldn’t take pictures on a virtual tour, Sideshow Con is officially underway and they’ve shared peeks at some new items. Let’s go over some of the figures I was most excited to view. First up, Luke Skywalker in his snowspeeder pilot suit from Hot Toys.
Sideshow
And reader, I was thrilled to see Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi from The Clone Wars as Hot Toys figures. Look at those armor pieces!
Sideshow
Sideshow
They’re revealing a General Obi-Wan Kenobi Mythos statue this week, too. And you are not prepared for how majestic his robe is.
Now this next one has been available for pre-order for a little while, but seeing it in person (so to speak) is a treat. Sideshow’s Call to Action Superman premium format figure features the hero shedding his Clark Kent disguise to be Superman. It’s the first time Sideshow has made a statue that interacts with its own wardrobe. The fabric poses beautifully to capture a dynamic moment.
Sideshow
Staying in the realm of DC Comics, they had a very cool Batman Armory on display that’s similar to the currently available Iron Man Hall of Armor.
Flipping over to Marvel, I was smitten with a Hot Toys Spider-Man figure sporting the classic Spidey suit. It’s from Marvel’s Spider-Man (the video game) and an ideal way to get the bright blue and red suit into your collection.
Sideshow
That’s only the tip of the collectibles iceberg. Sideshow will be unveiling more products from their booth all week.
Sideshow creatively addressed the problem of how to give fans a Comic-Con experience from their couch. They did so much more than putting all their new products and convention exclusives online. That’s nice, to be sure, but it doesn’t emulate the feeling of community. Though you’re visiting Sideshow’s booth virtually and from your home, you still feel like you’re doing something special and different. Visit Sideshow Con to register, get discounts, enter giveaways, and more. They have daily events, too, so keep your eyes on the schedule.
Featured Image: Sideshow Collectibles
Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist and the author of The Jedi Mind, available for pre-order now. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
