You see, with roughly a month before the convention, the Writers Guild of America went on strike. With the screen writers pulling out, that would cause issues with trying to set up panels to promote various film and television programs with many not willing to go out of solidarity. And just as the programming schedule went live two weeks ahead of the convention, the Screen Actors Guild went on strike. That, for sure, was going to disrupt all sorts of plans as the Hollywood presence that dominated Comic Con the last couple decades had diminished immensely.

Programs were getting altered or getting cancelled outright. Marvel Studios and Warner Bros. pulled out, The Walking Dead presentation would be without actors or writers, My Adventures with Superman and Twisted Metal became simply screenings. With these kinds of changes, could Comic Con be the pop culture juggernaut it had been for so long? Well, given some of the things I was interested in, it still managed to thrive as strongly as ever. Fan presence was still huge and some programs got a chance to a shine without Hollywood in the way.

To say The Owl House became a pop culture phenomenon since its premiere on January 10, 2020 would be an understatement. The Disney fantasy about a teen venturing into the Demon Realm and fulfill her dreams of being a witch had become the equivalent of a revolution. It would build a global fanbase that grew and strengthened even after the finale aired on April 8, 2023. So any presence of The Owl House would see its legion of fans flock in overwhelming numbers in support. And there’s no greater stage for such a gathering than Comic Con.

The fans were willing to sit through the presentation that occurred beforehand, in this case World Wrestling Entertainment, to ensure their spot in The Owl House panel. I didn’t get into the WWE panel, but I managed to get a fairly good spot before the room completely filled up minutes later. Serving as moderator would be production associate Rebecca Bozza, aka Rebecca Rose, and she was joined by cast members Avi Roque (Raine), Cissy Jones (Lilith), and Sarah-Nicole Robles (Luz) as they looked back in celebration on the Peabody Award winning series.

Attendees hung onto every word that was spoken, listening in as the panel told stories about making the series and what it was like looking back on the results. Jones brought up the more than one year gap between when she auditioned to when she officially got cast. Robles noted that, while she got to see the full episode scripts, she was still surprised with how scenes came out. Roque stated that the show “came at a time when my voice had settled” and were truly able to be themselves as a performer. There happened to be a lot that fans were discovering.

Having sat through numerous panels for My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, there was little question that the atmosphere would be similar for The Owl House. Perhaps what made The Owl House presentation an absolute joy in comparison to the previous two would be how the fandom relished every second that the panel spoke and absorbed all that was discussed and revealed. It was definitely celebratory in nature and it was a delight to be in the middle of it. Nothing was wasted and everything was pure fun.

The legacy of Fleischer Studios, headed by Max and Dave Fleischer, would be that of a pioneering enterprise that challenged Walt Disney in the 1930s. The library of cartoons starring Koko the Clown, Betty Boop, Popeye the Sailor, and Superman made it a viable animation house. Financial difficulties and the brothers falling out led the studio to be lost within legal rights conundrums for decades. Now, Max’s granddaughter Jane was leading an effort to restore the cartoons and Comic Con was the latest stop to bring attention to the ongoing project.

Joining Jane would be her partners Rocking Pins CEO Mauricio Alvarado and historian Ray Pointer, author of The Art and Inventions of Max Fleischer. In a way, the three let the animation do the talking for them, showing off clips from a documentary Pointer had done, restoration comparisons, and screening in full the restored Betty Boop in Snow-White and The Cobweb Hotel. It should go without saying that the restoration work on the cartoons was nothing short of heroic and really made these some of the best looking animation I’ve seen even against today’s offerings.

It was brought up that the day prior to the panel was what would have been Max’s 140th birthday and the week before was the 90th anniversary of the original Popeye the Sailor cartoon. Alvarado noted that they had restored around 10-20 cartoons, about 50 were in progress, and another 160-200 still in the works. Prior to answering my question about the recent Warner Bros. blu-ray of the Superman cartoons, Pointer and Jane brought up a sad story regarding what some of Jane’s relatives had done to some of the original studio materials.

The panel was a lovely presentation, made all the more enjoyable knowing that there were so many of us that nearly filled the room in adoration. We liked it so much that we quickly followed Pointer out of the room so we could buy what copies of his book he had on hand. I was among the first to get a copy and have it signed by all three. The attendees even went about continuing discussions with them expressing their admiration for the work being done. A fantastic panel for animation fans and a wonderful way to rediscover some excellent cartoons.

On September 14, 1990, Warner Bros. and the legendary Steven Spielberg presented Tiny Toon Adventures. Following the numerous, wacky escapades of young cartoon characters inspired by the classic Looney Tunes, Tiny Toons was a tremendous success and would be at the forefront of reinvigorating Warner Bros. animation at the dawn of a new century. The show would find itself overshadowed in time by later titles it had helped usher. But now, Warner Bros. is giving the over 30-year-old classic series a reboot with Tiny Toons Looniversity.

No doubt there were plans for the Tiny Toons Looniversity presentation aside from a screening. I recall catching it under the “Updated” tag quite early in the lead up to the convention, going as far as to merely note that it would provide a sneak preview screening as well as trailers for other programs related to Looney Tunes. In the end, they ended up having Sam Armour, production manager at Cartoon Network and adult swim, do a very brief introduction to what would be the screening of two episodes months in advance of the show’s fall debut.

Dan’s Review: Tiny Toon Adventures is one of my all-time favorite shows. I tried to keep my excitement regarding Looniversity in check, given how a few recent reboots went. In the end, I rather enjoyed the two episodes screened. Moreover, I was surprised with how each episode managed to maintain some semblance of coherence with multiple plots going on in chaotic fashion before all were tied up in a satisfactory climax. The episodes were hilarious, nicely made, and the positive reaction was promising enough that this series just might work out.

When Robert Kirkman got his first major shot in creating a comic book for Image Comics, he and artist Cory Walker created a superhero title called Invincible. First published on January 22, 2003, it was after Kirkman’s popularity boomed with The Walking Dead and Marvel Zombies did Invincible start to garner interest. It was enough that an animated series was developed and began streaming on Amazon Prime on March 25, 2021. The first season was a major success, helping boost the streamer’s profile. Viewers were salivating for the second season.

I didn’t think I’d be getting in given I was arriving shortly after the start time, the program was very popular, and it was the second of a double-panel with a 20th anniversary celebration of the comic. Nevertheless, I got in right as they screened the trailer for the second season, with fans excited for the massive roster of guest stars that included Sterling K. Brown, Daveed Diggs, Tatiana Maslany, Chloe Bennet, and Peter Cullen. They later screened a scene from one of the upcoming episodes and a scene from the Atom Eve special that premiered that same day.

The panel was originally set to include cast members. While the strikes technically did not affect animated shows, the actors did not participate out of solidarity and Kirkman encouraged support for the strikes. Otherwise, he kept quiet about details of the second season and what from the comic would be adapted to avoid spoilers. Instead, he engaged in a rappaport with the moderator, Collider editor in chief Steve Weintraub, as they merely hinted at what could be happening as the show progressed. It was fun to hear, actually.

This was probably the first panel I attended that was affected by the strikes to a greater degree with the cast not participating. Nevertheless, it was kind of nice to sit through as Kirkman and Weintraub got to play around with their discussions so that it didn’t come off as filler and kept the fans in anticipation for the second season without revealing all that many details. Not even the sudden ringing of the fire alarm going off for a second dampened the fun. Given what could be done under the circumstances, I thought it turned out pretty well.

When Sharknado premiered on the Syfy Channel on July 11, 2013, it was initially seen as just another low budget B-movie flick in the channel’s library. But the silliness of the premise of mixing tornadoes and man-eating sharks suddenly caused it to blow up in popularity. It became a cult phenomenon no one saw coming, as it spawned five sequels, spin-offs, a video game, and a whole lot of meme and parody material utilized. So what better place to look back and celebrate the wonder of one of the finest “so bad it’s good” movies than at Comic Con.

Several minutes before the panel started, the fire alarm in the convention center went off again along with a PA message for everyone to evacuate. This turned out to be a false alarm, but it delayed the panel 15 minutes. When the panel finally got going, director Anthony C. Ferrante performed the theme song with local band Manual Scan. Joining Ferrante for the panel proper would be producers David Rimawi and David Latt, writer Thunder Levin, and star Ian Ziering (Fin) with Yahoo Entertainment senior correspondent Kevin Polowy serving as moderator.

Ferrante talked about how they had to make due with what they had given it was a typical made-for-TV movie. Ziering added that he was told doing the film would kill his career, but he needed to do it so he and his family could qualify for SAG’s health insurance. Latt detailed the live Tweeting process helped the film’s popularity boom. For special effects, a nifty breakdown of a shark eating scene was shown. Ziering noted from the second film onward he got to make special effect suggestions for shots and how cool it was when they were utilized.

The Sharknado panel was plagued by technical issues that seemed to happen every ten minutes, from the wrong footage playing to no sound happening. Yet it sort of made it that much more charming of a presentation to attend. Everyone was just as taken aback that the film managed to develop a successful legacy to be able to have an anniversary celebration and there were some neat interactions, like when Ferrante and Ziering had differing accounts over how the cast found out what the title was. It turned out to be quite a fun experience overall.

From May to August 2000, Sand Land by Akira Toriyama was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump Magazine. A short story made merely for Toriyama’s own enjoyment, it was praised for its unique artwork and characters with some calling it superior to his legendary creation Dragon Ball. Over 20 years later, Bandai Namco began franchising the manga about a sheriff and a couple demons searching for water within the endless desert riding a tank. Chief among these projects was an animated feature and it was decided to hold its world premiere at Comic Con.

World premiere screenings were nothing new for Comic Con. The world premiere of Sand Land, though, was seen as a big deal. It was a major anime title premiering on American soil weeks ahead of its debut in Japan and Japanese media were on hand to cover the event. The screening was being done in the third largest room at the convention center and excited fans filled it up instantly. They even showed the trailer for the accompanying video game ten minutes before the actual start time and filled the rest of the time playing some of the film’s soundtrack.

The pre-screening panel consisted of director Toshihisa Yokoshima, Toriyama’s editor in charge Akio Iyoku, and actress Nanoka Hara, serving as the event’s “special reporter”. Yokoshima commented about fulfilling his childhood fantasy of bringing to life Toriyama’s work, Iyoku noted the uniqueness of the film and how it worked in adapting the manga, and Hara showed off the sweet swag all attendees received. Moderating was an executive named Mike, conducting the panel like a press conference and translating what was being said for the audience.

Dan’s Review: I really wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into, even with the small research I did beforehand. I found myself being absorbed into an incredible world that was populated with delightful characters. The mixture of hand-drawn and computer generated imagery allowed for the animation to be smooth and richly defined. The story was nicely told, a hilarious romp with cool action sequences and some genuinely touching moments. The reaction was extremely high throughout with everyone agreeing that they had watched an excellent film.

The popularity of Dungeons & Dragons was growing by the early 1980s. To take advantage, original publisher TSR, Inc. partnered with Marvel Productions to develop a Saturday morning cartoon for CBS. First broadcast on September 17, 1983, it would be one of the most daring and beloved programs at the time in telling the tale of six teens on a seemingly never-ending journey to escape The Realm and return home. Now, in the midst of a renaissance for the role-playing game, a celebration of the show’s 40th anniversary would be held.

A lot happened before the presentation started. Katie Leigh (voice of Sheila) was cosplaying for the first time ever and took part in photo ops. The panel also decorated the table with toys, books, and the game’s Starter Set. TJ Shevlin (Uppder Deck product development coordinator) served as moderator that featured Leigh, Mark Evanier (series developer), Luke Gygax (son of game co-creator Gary Gygax), Frank Todaro (voice actor on The Cuphead Show), and David M. Booher (writer of the Dungeons & Dragons: Saturday Morning Adventures comic book).

This turned into a fun panel with all sorts of interesting stories and comments about the show. Evanier had a lot to say about the behind-the-scenes process. Leigh noted her awe at being part of what was subtly an ensemble cast when she was relatively new. Gygax got to tell interesting tidbits he remembered growing up around his dad. Todaro and Shevlin provided a fan’s perspective on how much more mature the show was. Booher explained ideas he hoped to explore in the comic that he had thought about since watching when he was a kid.

In a way, there was a calm, quiet atmosphere hanging in the air in that everyone in the packed room paid attention and allowed themselves to be absorbed into the discussions that were taking place. There was absolute affection for the show, be it in presentation, the memories shared by the panel, and certainly from some of the fan interactions. This was definitely a presentation in which the nostalgia factor played a great part in which made this a thoroughly enjoyable program, even before it properly started. This was truly a panel for the fans from start to finish.

If there was one animated series that could never seem to ride off into the sunset, it would be Matt Groening’s Futurama. The science fiction comedy of a time-displaced slacker that started broadcasting on March 28, 1999 went from being cancelled by Fox in 2003 to having direct-to-video features released in 2008 and 2009 to a revival on Comedy Central from 2010 to 2013. Now, ten years after it last aired, Futurama was coming back again courtesy this time of Hulu. And there frankly was no better place to celebrate the show’s latest return than at Comic Con.

I made it just in time, not only for the start of the presentation, but also for the screening of “The Impossible Stream”, the first episode of the revival. Attendees got a chance to see it days ahead of its Hulu debut, which was more than enough reason for fans to completely fill Ballroom 20. The episode was very warmly received, with many seemingly falling out of their seats they were laughing so hard from the all-too relevant humor coming at them hard and fast. It sure did prove that the show was still a quality program even after a ten year hiatus.

The screening was followed by a panel with producers Lee Supercinski and Claudia Katz, directors Peter Avanzino, Crystal Chesney Thompson, and Edmund Fong, and storyboard artists Ira Sherak and Andrew Han. They talked about how they were forward to the plethora of new hot topics to tackle, such as cancel culture and the pandemic, and noted side characters they were interested in revisiting. A fan question regarding possible crossovers with other Groening shows received an answer from Katz of “right now, we’re trying to focus on our show.”

Futurama remained a favorite of mine for quality content that had managed to hold up over the course of time. Its presence at Comic Con showed that its return was gladly welcomed with open arms. The episode screening was top notch and the panel provided just enough hints of the fun that was in store for audiences to discover. But what really made this an enjoyable experience was the positive atmosphere that was maintained throughout. Attendees were excited and they were not disappointed in the slightest. A promising start for the returning show.

For over a decade, Seth MacFarlane’s prime time animated ventures have had a major presence at Comic Con. So much so that they would be staples in Ballroom 20 on Day Three, often packing the second largest room in the convention center with fans eager to check out what both American Dad! and Family Guy had to offer. While this year was no different, it wasn’t going to be a typical presentation. This would be due to MacFarlane himself and some of the other executives temporarily exiting their creative roles on both shows in support of the strikes.

To fill the space, both shows would screen episodes ahead of their respective fall broadcasts as well as a small American Dad! panel with some of the directors sandwiched in-between. For American Dad!, they screened “Frantastic Voyage”, which would serve to bring the season back from hiatus, while for Family Guy they screened “Supermarket Pete”, which would air later in the show’s season. Both episode screenings were followed by five-minute trailers that showed off what audiences can expect as the shows progressed through their respective seasons.

Serving on the panel for American Dad! were directors Brent Woods, Jennifer Graves, and Ron Hughart and production manager Aldrin Cornejo. Woods was the moderator and at one point showed off the model sheets of all four of them as background characters on the show. Graves teased an intriguing episode that would supposedly include “a visual position” they clearly could not show and were figuring ways to make it work. There was also talk about which alter ego of Roger’s everyone liked and how they helped better develop the character over time.

To be honest, I didn’t sit through the entirety of either screenings. I missed a middle chunk of American Dad! while I nearly missed out Family Guy completely. Which was just as well as I wasn’t too keen on Family Guy and the okay reception seemed to confirm that. American Dad! looked like fun and I would consider checking out the full episode later. The panel was a nice opportunity for the directors to talk about what was in store for American Dad! and were able to leave us interested. Not bad for what they could make do with under the circumstances.

Since 1977, the San Diego-based Spike and Mike’s Festival of Animation had become a renowned and invaluable institution. It was the premiere touring exhibition and promotion of animation as art and not just a medium or genre. Prominent figures within the industry such as Nick Park, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, Mike Judge, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Craig McCracken, and many others got their start through their early shorts being showcased at the festival. And one of the more prominent stops for the festival had been an annual presence at Comic Con.

An “all ages” showcase was added for this year in addition to the regular presentation of the Sick and Twisted Festival with surviving co-founder Craig “Spike” Decker doing a very brief introduction. The selections for this hour-long sample exhibition were two No Neck Joe shorts by McCracken, Grandma’s Hero by Corentin Monnier and Ben Ozeri, The Bookworm by Richard Wiley, Cavallette (Grasshoppers) by Bruno Bozzetto, Life Smartphone by Chenglin Xie, Captain Awesome by Ercan Bozdogan, Key Lime Pie by Trevor Jimenez, and The Missing Scarf by Eoin Duffy.

Dan’s Review: Admittedly, I can only take strange and bizarre animation in small doses. This sample of Spike and Mike had tempted me to try sitting through the full experience once at some point, but it also reiterated why I prefer small doses. That these were the best selections for an “all ages” showcase had me concerned about how totally out-there the proper exhibition would be. That’s not to say the shorts were bad. I rather liked what I saw, showing off some great animation in different forms and a couple having some interesting narratives.

Since first broadcasting on Geek and Sundry in 2015, Critical Role had become a pop culture phenomenon the likes of which no one had ever thought possible. The weekly broadcast of a group of well known animation voice actors playing Dungeons & Dragons had reached a level of popularity that rivaled the other film and television programs that had a presence at Comic Con. Spawning comic books, novels, and an animated series, Critical Role had truly taken the world by storm and it was only growing with each progressive year.

2023 saw a great representation of how Critical Role was getting bigger and bigger. This year, they had not one, but two panels. The first would be their proper presentation in Ballroom 20, this time around called the Fireside Chat and Cast Q&A. The second would take place an hour afterward in another room, this one being Making Candela Obscura. It spoke volumes to the dedication of the fandom as they were able to fill Ballroom 20 for the first panel and many immediately made their way over to the other room and packed that to capacity as well.

For the Fireside Chat [right], all eight members of the core cast were present: Matthew Mercer, Laura Bailey, Liam O’Brien, Sam Riegel, Ashley Johnson, Taliesin Jaffe, Marisha Ray, and Travis Willingham. Moderating was Robbie Daymond, who in recent years had become a part of the family in having played in numerous games and doing the audiobook readings of the novels. Much of the discussion was based around events that had happened to date in the current 3rd campaign, although they did their best to not spoil too much of the more recent occurrences.

Of course, the real fun was when it opened to fan interactions. This included a suggestion for Willingham to delve deeper into figuring which positions the Critical Role characters would play in football, an appreciation for Riegel’s sponsorship ads, and further interest in the way Mercer runs games. Fan interactions like these were a big part of why the Critical Role panels over the years would always be a highlight for me. The sheer joy everyone had was infectious and a real treat. So imagine getting to have a second panel to go to and experience shortly afterward.

Candela Obscura [right] was the recently launched monthly program utilizing a new game system the group created. Serving as moderator was Ivan Van Norman, who was head of the Darrington Press division. The panel consisted of Jaffe, Ray, Daymond, Bailey, Mercer, and Johnson along with voice actress Anjali Bhimani. Jaffe and Ray spoke about crafting the game around Jaffe’s interest in cosmic horror that wasn’t in the vein of H.P. Lovecraft. Mercer, Daymond, Bailey, Johnson, and Bhimani explained trying to play a new system and their approach to role-playing.

There wasn’t much with regards to fan interaction, outside of Bhimani recording the audience to singing “Happy Birthday” to her brother at the end. Yet it was still a delightful presentation as it explored the process of creating a new gaming system almost from scratch and refining it while broadcasting games. It was actually a nice counter-balance to the first panel, which was light in tone and presentation whereas the second was dark in atmosphere. These panels together further illustrated what a wonderful brand Critical Role had become.

Introduced in 2021, The Hellfire Gala was a state dinner event within the X-Men comic books. Modeled after the real-life Met Gala, it was a fancy soiree in which the mutant nation of Krakoa opened it gates to non-mutants to celebrate mutant culture and served as the platform to unveil a new X-Men team. The concept was well received and it turned into an annual occurrence within the comics. Disney decided to take it further this year by hosting a real-life Hellfire Gala during Comic Con. Needless to say, curious costumed fans wanted in on this unique event.

The Hellfire Gala took place offsite, specifically at the PARQ Nightclub a way’s north of the convention center. While one didn’t need to have a Comic Con badge, they needed a ticket and they were sold only to D23 members. It managed to sell out weeks ahead of the event. As the concept was that it would be a fancy soiree, many definitely dressed up, whether it was in just standard formal wear or in elegantly designed cosplay. Most of the costumes were definitely X-Men related, but there were other types from within the Marvel universe and beyond about.

PARQ Nightclub was far bigger than expected, allowing for three distinct areas. The Green Lagoon acted as the entry area in which folks could gather and have some drinks. The Hellfire Ballroom was where the main discotheque dance floor was found. And Lair X housed some of the activities that could be done like playing the old-school X-Men arcade machines and checking out various photo op displays. All attendees received tickets at the entrance, one for a free drink and one to pick up a gift bag that included pins, X-Men books, and other goodies.

I would say that the Hellfire Gala was a very impressive set-up. It was quite a sight to behold, allowing for moments in which I was just standing around to take it all in. But it was just so crowded! So much so that it made the atmosphere extremely warm, and this was in the middle of summer. Furthermore, I really couldn’t try out any of the photo op displays because the lines were just so packed. I didn’t regret going to the event and it was fun enough just to be in the middle of it all. But I probably wouldn’t do another one given how crowded it was.

On Day One, I had been standing for several hours straight and my feet were hurting for some relief. So much so that I decided to sit in on the panel that was ahead of Fleischer Cartoons. This would be What’s New in Independent Comics [right]. A few independent comic book creators came to discuss where things were going for them and how the strove to stay afloat against the ever shifting landscape of how the industry ran. A very interesting panel to listen to and offered a unique look at the challenges faced being a comic book creator these days.

A number of entertainment-based panels would indeed be greatly affected by the strikes. Among them was TV Guide Magazine’s Fan Favorites 2023. This panel would normally spotlight actors that popular at the moment and explore their career paths up to that point. That would clearly not be the case this year. So they instead brought in notable online columnists to discuss the concept of fandom and what it means to be one. It could’ve been something uniquely interesting, but it couldn’t escape it’s ultimate fate of being filler between programs.

Scheduled ahead of Critical Role was Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire. However, the strikes caused that to get cancelled and its spot was empty for several days. At literally the last minute, they added The Sights and Sounds of Lumpia, The Deep Fried Universe, and Beyond [right], celebrating an expanding crowdfunded Filipino-American film franchise. Having been at Comic Con for years promoting their brand, getting into Ballroom 20 was a big deal for them and they took advantage with a thoroughly entertaining panel that was energetic and fun.

With the two Critical Role panels taking place in separate rooms, the vast majority of fans made an immediate rush to get to the next room and sit in on whatever was happening ahead of Candela Obscura. This would be Developing TV/Film for Streamers, one of the few active programs not necessary affected by the strikes as it discussed the Tubi series Underdeveloped. It was a fairly big panel that included actor/producer Thomas Ian Nicholas and star Tom Arnold, whose presence was definitely welcomed due to the hilarious Hollywood stories he told.

There wasn’t much of interest on the last day, with a couple panels that could have been worth checking out getting cancelled as a result of the strike. It’s also my big shopping day as I made a final go at picking up things. Nevertheless, I found myself sitting in on the room that was use for drawing lessons throughout the weekend. The first program I sat through was Figure Drawing for Comics, Storyboards, and Illustration [right]. Less actual life drawing lessons and more about its utilization in graphic illustrations, it was still a nice program.

Following that was Draw Me Like One of Your Disney Girls. It was presented by a group who would get hired by Disney and other studios to serve as life drawing models on occasion. There were three on hand, dressed as Disney characters such as Ariel and Esmeralda. They each took turns to pose for five minutes, allowing any one in the room who wanted to draw to do so, while talking about what they did and providing some interesting tidbits. It was a nice little program as their anecdotes were fascinating and it was fun to draw along with everyone else.

You couldn’t have any convention, be it Comic Con or any other major social gathering, and not see hundreds of folks roaming about in Cosplay. Be it in the halls of the convention center or out on the streets of downtown San Diego, fans from all walks of life dressed up as characters from across every possible corner of the pop culture spectrum. And one couldn’t help but to stop and admire the work that went into creating such wonderful and unique costumes being worn. Some would say that the cosplay was the highlight of the convention.

There was a great deal of cosplay that I got to see this year. Interestingly, I noticed that there were a lot of groups in costumes, not just individuals or pairs. At one point, there just happened to be a dozen people dressed as various Batman characters of different eras gathered in one spot just because. But I’m of the opinion that the fandom with the most cosplayers was The Owl House [above right]. There were just so many costumes from the Disney series out and about, they were not confined to just the panel or to the many the group autograph signings.

Another one in which there were a lot of costumes was for Critical Role [right]. Further proving that it was growing, I found all sorts of fans dressed up as characters from all three campaigns to date and they were located in various places throughout the convention, not just in the panels. Probably one of my favorite groups, though, were some fine fellows who dressed up as various characters from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. They got stopped often as fans wanted pictures of or with them seemingly every ten seconds they were a delightful set.

A popular solo costume was of Peter B. Parker with a baby Mayday from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. There was quite a number of them seen throughout the convention center and I even caught one getting interviewed for FX Movie Channel. One of the funniest costumes was taking Kratos from the God of War video games and making him a Mormon elder in the vein of The Book of Mormon. I could not stop smiling upon seeing that. Another favorite were two little girls, one dressed as Powder and the other dressed as Jinx from Arcane. It was adorable.

The autograph signing for the cast and crew of the Spider-Man 2 video game [right] would undoubtedly be one of the biggest. But for some reason, the Marvel booth didn’t do a lottery drawing first thing in the morning on Day One like they usually did. So hundreds of fans crowded the booth 90 minutes before the signing. They sealed off those lucky enough to be crushed against the right spot as getting in and I was among them. It almost killed me, but it was ultimately a great moment as I got to meet the folks behind the game series I greatly admired.

Being a wrestling fan, I would consider meeting wrestlers who appeared at the convention when I could. One name that caught my attention was El Hijo del Vikingo. One of the most spectacular wrestlers ever, I really wanted to meet him and had a chance at the Headlocked Comics booth on Day One. Also there were delightful comedy wrestler Danhausen and powerhouse brute Brody King, though I’ve met King before. Vikingo was great to meet, allowing me to hold his championship belt for our photo and even photo-bombing my picture with Danhausen.

I’ve met Robbie Daymond [right] years before when he did a Sailor Moon group signing at the Viz Media booth. I wanted to meet him again as he had since voiced Spider-Man and became part of the Critical Role family. The latter being the cause for his lines in the Autograph Area in the Sails Pavilion to be very long, with the wait time being an hour. He seemed to remember me from the Sailor Moon signing and geeked out when I showed him the panel in Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows revealing Peter and Mary Jane’s daughter being a Critical Role fan.

Having a table next to Daymond on Day Two was Zeno Robinson. Robinson was part of an emerging generation of voice actors who had quickly garnered popularity. Among his best known work include voicing Keigo “Hawks” Takami in My Hero Academia, Goh in the Pokémon franchise, and Genya Shinazugawa in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. He recently experienced a boost in fan interest voicing Hunter in The Owl House. As a result, Robinson would have hefty lines himself, though in sporadic periods. He was a cool guy to meet and was fun to hang out with.

Because of commitments to other programs, Robinson couldn’t participate in any of the group signings for The Owl House panelists [right]. And what massive lines these had, to the point that they went outside the convention center with the wait time going over four hours. It’s a testament to the incredible fandom of The Owl House. In the middle of Day Two, Robles, Jones, and Roque were joined by Elizabeth Grullon, who voiced Camila, adding more excitement to the affair. All four were a pleasure to meet and offered a great experience to everyone.

I let Jones know I was going to see her at another signing, this time with Ashly Burch. This was a must for me as I was a fan of the Life is Strange video game where Burch voiced deuteragonist Chloe Price and Jones voiced her mother Joyce. The signing was in conjunction with a panel they did called AI in Entertainment – The Performers’ Perspective. Burch was touched by my fandom, and while she didn’t have anything in particular to sign, they liked my suggestion of her signing Jones’ Joyce promo to play up Chloe being a rebel and invading her mom’s space.

Funko had a few booths this year, a couple under the 7 Bucks A Pop brand served as stations for autograph sessions. On the last day, one of the booths would host Irene Bedard [right], the voice of Disney’s Pocahontas. She was scheduled to spend the entire day there, but her flight got delayed and was a couple hours late. While she did have some Pocahontas promos available, I had her sign an art piece I did 20 years ago. That it was 20-years-old led her to give a great comment about the enduring legacy of the character. A delightful woman to meet, really.

In comic book related signings, I paid a visit to Jody Houser at her table in Artists’ Alley on the last day to chat with and she sign a copy of a Critical Role comic book I had forgotten I had put aside specifically for her years back. Afterward, I swung over to Adam Hughes‘ booth during the last time period in which he would do sketches. I was always game to add sketches to my artists’ sketchbook and getting something from a respected illustrator like Hughes was too good of an opportunity to pass up. It was a joy to watch him illustrate Mary Jane Watson for me.

Our Twitter post with video showing the lengthy line for The Owl House group autograph signing garnered enough attention that it was retweeted by Rebecca Rose and Cissy Jones as they expressed their thanks and appreciation to fans who waited to meet them.

To everyone who waited in line the past two days, THANK YOU! Some of you waited OVER FOUR HOURS to come by the table. This video doesn’t even show that the line had to be redirected outside the con at one point. You guys are the best and the cast loved meeting you all! https://t.co/9XWokUI8UD

— Rebecca Rose (@HeyRebeccaRose) July 22, 2023

I am floored by you all! Thank you thank you for being here, and for your patience so that we got to speak with everyone 🫶 https://t.co/OBLJnHqt3v

— Cissy Jones (@cissyspeaks) July 23, 2023

Hundreds of attendees lining to get into the Exhibit Hall on Day One.

There may be something behind Dan…

The LEGO “Brickbuster” was among the popular booths this year.

This is why Dan liked taking the shuttle buses to Comic Con.

“Oh the misery, Everybody wants to be my enemy.” (Jinx and Powder, Arcane)

It took fans a minute to realize The Owl House panelists had arrived ahead of time before the cheering started.

Fans were so impressed with this King (The Owl House) costume they wanted a picture with them.

“I was alive, but then I was dead, and now I’m alive again. I’m originally from Whitestone and this is Pâté, my pet rat.” (Lauda, Critical Role)

“Eat my atom bomb, eternal dork!” (Jubilee, X-Men)

Fans coloring a Critical Role comic book panel at the Dark Horse Comics booth.

“Today’s forecast: 100% chance of pain!” (Shego, Kim Possible

So many different Batman characters from different eras gathered in one spot just outside the Exhibit Hall.

Scanlan and Vex’ahlia appearing to have started to get up there in age (Critical Role).

“I’m a Mawg. Half-man, half-dag. I’m my own best friend.” (Barf, Spaceballs)

Dan getting trapped in a sea of humanity trying to get into the Spider-Man 2 signing at the Marvel Booth.

There would only be 250 lucky fans who would get into the Spider-Man 2 signing at the Marvel booth.

“Okay, I’m off to the Forgetful Forest to find a bee for Agent Boole. This is a serious mission, no matter how adorable it sounds.” (Raz, Psychonauts)

El Hijo del Vikingo photobombing Dan’s picture with Danhausen.

Fans purchased The Art and Inventions of Max Fleischer directly from Ray Pointer that he would sign immediately after the Fleischer Cartoons panel.

“Let me guess, my dad used to beat up your dad?” (Spider-Girl)

“You’re hot, cupcake.” (Vi, Arcane)

There were so many costumes of The Owl House this year that it seemed like you’d run into at least one every few minutes.

“I made a vow to the people of Naboo when I became queen. I will not back down.” (Padmé Amidala, Star Wars)

“If you claim to be a man, stand your ground and fight like one!” (Red Sonja)

There was no greater obstacle for these Monty Python and the Holy Grail cosplayers than to be stopped every ten seconds for pictures.

A very impressive set of Hawkgirl, Hawkwoman, and Hawkman costumes.

These Tekken fighters were ready to go another round.

The “front” of the line for one of The Owl House autograph signings was already packed more than an hour before the scheduled start time.

“Here we are! Born to be Kings, we’re the Princes of the Universe!” (Freddie Mercury)

The Owl House cast were game to sign just about anything fans offered, including the headpiece to a King costume.

“I’m a journeyman actor. This was just a moment in time that happened to be global… Six movies later, I’m very proud to be part of a project that entertains so many people. Kids have pictures of Fin Shepard [on their lunchboxes] — it’s cool!” (Ian Ziering, Sharknado)

“Special Reporter” Nanoka Hara showed off the sweet swag all attendees of the Sand Land world premiere would receive.

“Here I am, ungodly beast – Fearless Astrid Hofferson! Come and get me, if you dare!” (Astrid Hofferson, How to Train Your Dragon)

Katie Leigh (Sheila) dressed up in costume for the first time and joined fellow Dungeons & Dragons cosplayers for a unique photo op.

Seriously, you couldn’t go more than ten feet without running into The Owl House cosplayers.

Robbie Daymond (Critical Role, Spider-Man, Sailor Moon)’s autograph signings were very popular and had long lines the entire weekend.

Brent Woods showed off the character model of fellow American Dad! director Jennifer Graves as a background character.

Cissy Jones (The Owl House) being interviewed to further discuss a performer’s perspective on AI in entertainment.

Dan with Life is Strange daughter and mother duo Ashly Burch (Chloe Price) and Cissy Jones (Joyce Price).

“Now, as you die, rest assured it will not be the end, for you will forever suffer.” (Sofina, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves)

Even with Imogen around, there could only be chaos and trouble wherever Fearne went (Critical Role).

Sam Riegel video recording for the Critical Role Tik-Tok the fan reaction of his introduction.

Tom Arnold brought the house down telling a hilarious story about Steven Seagal during the Developing TV/Film for Streamers panel.

Matthew Mercer offered his name tag for Ashley Johnson to use temporarily during the Critical Role: Making Candela Obscura panel.

Thor and Scarlet Witch enjoying a drink in The Green Lagoon at The Hellfire Gala.

The dance floor was alive and rocking in The Hellfire Ballroom at The Hellfire Gala.

Just one of many photo op displays for fans to utilize in Lair X at The Hellfire Gala.

The trolleys that ran all over San Diego were wrapped up in promotion of programs like Futurama throughout the weekend.

Part of the Nickelodeon booth was made to look like the Good Burger restaurant.

“I’ve discovered something. Charm is exhausting.” (Mara Jade Skywalker, Star Wars)

The Sand Land booth offered fans numerous photo ops and a chance to play a demo of the video game.

Even on the last day, the Exhibit Hall was packed to the gills with attendees.

“Sisters, right? You can’t live with them, can’t stuff them back in the old babymaker.” (Jinx, Arcane)

Irene Bedard (Pocahontas) received a surprise visit from Bill Farmer (Goofy) during her autograph signing at one of the 7 Bucks A Pop booths.

Peter B. Parker (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) being interviewed for FX Movie Channel while keeping Mayday comfy.

Aerith and Tifa having a girls’ day out on the Exhibit Floor (Final Fantasy VII).

Kratos as the God of War/Book of Mormon crossover we never thought we wanted, but would gladly receive.

Mark Buckingham (Fables) dropping by for a chat with Adam Hughes (Fairest) amongst comic book artists at the latter’s booth.

Matt Murdock and Jennifer Walters going out on a date, it would seem (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law).

The Spider-Man 2 post signed by Bryan Intihar (Insomniac Games creative director), Jon Paquette (narrative director), Jacinda Chew (senior art director), Ryan Smith (game director), Yuri Lowenthal (Peter Parker), Nadji Jeter (Miles Morales), Tony Todd (Venom), Laura Bailey (Mary Jane Watson), and Bill Rosemann (Marvel Games creative director).

Comic Con exclusive The Owl House lithograph pre-signed by Dana Terrace (creator) and signed by Sarah-Nicole Robles (Luz), Cissy Jones (Lilith), Avi Roque (Raine), and Elizabeth Grullon (Camila).

The swag attendees of the Sand Land world premiere received.

The gift bag of goodies attendees of The Hellfire Gala received.

After being betrayed by rogue con artist Forge Fitzwilliam, widowed bard Edgin Darvis and his barbarian companion Holga Kilgore plan to get back at their former associate and reclaim Darvis’ daughter Kira. Fitzwilliam has become Lord of Neverwinter and he’s bringing back a popular, yet controversial event with high-stakes betting that will fill his vaults with riches beyond imagination. The ideal target for a heist. Darvis and Kilgore enlist the aid of half-elven sorcerer Simon Aumar and tiefling druid Doric. But in the background is Sofina, a red wizard setting a nefarious plot into motion that leaves the group having to deal with more than just breaking into a heavily guarded vault.

One of the biggest hurdles in adapting Dungeons & Dragons into a film is that there is no one plot to be based off of. It’s generally up to the players to create their stories and how they would play out. Supplemental material have been released over the years offering pre-made content, from world settings to adventure ideas, for players to use. As such, there’s numerous options to choose in developing a film. For Honor Among Thieves, Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley went with telling an original story and based it within a popular setting called The Forgotten Realms. This has helped settle on a nice mixture of options for the presentation.

Most stories within the fantasy genre tend toward an eventual “saving the world” plot. To have Honor Among Thieves be more unique, the filmmakers instead are telling a heist that happens to be set within a fantasy world. This allows for emphasis to be on developing the characters and less on spending time having to flesh out the world when it is unnecessary to do so. If there’s any lore to be told, it’s because it’s something that will benefit the characters. Thus there is a purpose to the group spending time learning about and trying to locate a magical item called the Helmet of Disjunction as it will help Aumar break the powerful enchantments placed upon the vaults.

Another big hurdle has been how to portray the game’s mechanics and spirit. The mechanics is perhaps the hardest at bringing to life as much of how things work are not visual. This led the previous feature film to make spell casting inaccurate to how they’re done in the game so that it could be apparent on screen that such is happening. Honor Among Thieves is interested in the mechanics and figures ways to showcase them with delightful results. Aumar possess a token that brings a dead creature back to life. It is alive only long enough to answer five questions, then it is dead for good. What can be a conundrum is that it answers any five questions spoken aloud.

Honor Among Thieves captures the spirit of the game in realizing its key component: fun. More often than not, films in the fantasy genre tend to play with such seriousness that they run the risk of being droll and stiff. The other direction is to spoof the genre, lampooning the troupes to a corny degree. Goldstein and Daley instead looked to find a middle ground in which things are not taken with great seriousness, but it’s not a mockery. This is exemplified with Xenk Yendar, a human paladin the group seek the aid of to find the Helmet of Disjunction. But though they are in awe of his stoic prowess as a true heroic figure, his mannerisms get on their nerves very quickly.

Adding to the fun factor is the wonderful performances by the ensemble cast. Chris Pine captures the charm and occasional vulnerability of Darvis. Michelle Rodriguez hits the right beats playing the tough and warm Kilgore. Hugh Grant perfectly personifies the deliciously despicable Fitzwilliam. Justice Smith works quite well as the neurotic Aumar. Sophia Lillis is lovely as the unpredictably endearing Doric. Regé-Jean Page seems to be made to portray the righteous Yendar. And Daisy Head stands out superbly as the devious Sofina. Often in these films an actor’s presence can overtake the character. Here the whole cast embody their characters very nicely.

What’s also fun are the Easter Eggs fans of the game can discover. They’re utilized in such a way that audiences unfamiliar with Dungeons & Dragons don’t need to feel like it’s something very important, which happens to hilariously be spoofed in the film when Sofina explains in few words how it is the vaults are enchanted to a pair of delegates who just take her for her word. There’s quite an Easter Egg late in the film that’s sure to bring a smile to fans, which I won’t reveal even though clips of it have been shown already. And I was howling over a credited cameo appearance and how it’s done both visually and its part in fleshing out the backstory of one of the characters.

It’s almost a given that Honor Among Thieves would be special effects heavy like the first Dungeons & Dragons film. Whereas the previous film relied on the effects to carry the film, this film uses just enough that they do not hinder the storytelling. A lot of the visual effects animation is done for Doric whenever she uses her wild shape ability to transform into a creature. There’s a fantastic escape sequence that evokes being a single take shot in which she’s changing between herself and into various animals while trying to avoid getting captured. It’s impressive by itself, but made more so because it serves the plot in showing how dangerous the heist is going to be.

The visual effects are used quite well in bringing to life the many races and creatures that previous adaptations hardly touched upon. While they don’t play major roles, their presence lends itself to showing that there’s more than just humans, elves, and dwarves. There’s the eagle-like aarakocra and the aptly named dragonborn conversing with the characters. One of the most recognizable creatures within Dungeons & Dragons is the owlbear, brought to life is Doric’s preferred wild shape transformation whenever in combat. There’s even a unique use of a red dragon that’s wonderfully done with great animation making it all the more fresh and fun.

Honor Among Thieves is so much fun that it’s few flaws can be overlooked very easily. It tries not to be a spectacular epic like The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It flirts with going for the scope one would expected from the fantasy genre, but doesn’t quite go all the way. This can be either a good thing or bad depending on one’s interests. Same can be said with keeping the world-building at a minimum. While it would detract the story, digging deep into the history and lore of The Forgotten Realms would be enchanting to those interested. I may have to listen to it a few more times, but I found the score by Lorne Balfe to be merely pleasant and I’m not entirely sure how memorable they are. Again, these are minor criticisms that are forgivable for a film that’s difficult to dislike.

I’m hopeful that Goldstein and Daley have developed a blueprint on how to adapt Dungeons & Dragons into a feature film and make it work. Honor Among Thieves doesn’t take itself too seriously, yet it also avoids being a parody of the genre. The narrative benefits character development over unnecessary world-building, allowing for audiences to enjoy things happening and their servicing the storytelling. The animation is very nice and the overall visual effects do a wonderful job of bringing to life creatures and races from the game that had yet to be showcased on screen before. It is just a fun movie to watch from start to finish, having managed to roll a critical success.

The brand was also being displayed in other media with positive results. From its use in Stranger Things and The Big Bang Theory to its influence on the Pixar film Onward to tribute parodies in Gravity Falls and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Even celebrities publicly expressed their love with Joe Manganiello regularly hosting sessions that included Vince Vaughn, Game of Thrones showrunner DB Weiss, Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello, and “The Big Show” Paul Wight. The game was garnering its biggest mainstream appeal since the 1980’s.

It would only be natural for Wizards of the Coast, the current owners, to try adapting it into other mediums. But while it had managed to establish a line of video games, novels, and comic books, its actual presence in film and television had been limited. This was largely because, at its heart, Dungeons & Dragons could be about anything. While supplemental content had been developed, there essentially wasn’t any one true story to encompass the whole of the franchise. Thus making a Dungeons & Dragons program would be complicated and challenging.

As such, there had only a few adaptations made. So few, in fact, that a couple were actually translations of gaming sessions and would branch out to become their own franchises. The high fantasy nature generally used for the brand would make animation ideal to be used in the adaptations. But as challenging as it would be just to develop a Dungeons & Dragons program for the screen, it would be just as challenging to execute. Attempting to convey the spirit and mechanics of the game would prove to be rather tricky.

Dungeons & Dragons really started to surge in popularity in the early 1980’s. Alongside an impressive television commercial containing both live-action and animation, original publishers TSR, Inc. looked to further capitalize on the increased interest. This would result in them partnering with Marvel Productions in developing a Saturday morning cartoon for CBS that was simply titled Dungeons & Dragons. The show would tell a seemingly never-ending quest of six teens looking for a way home after being mysteriously transported to The Realm.

While the show used aspects of the game, such as the teens having specific class roles, it didn’t necessarily follow the core mechanics entirely. Yet it did capture the spirit of the game in that the teens were challenged to think their way through situations rather than charging into battle. This was noted with their magical items being defensive in nature, exemplified by Sheila having the Cloak of Invisibility or Eric using the Griffon Shield that projected a protective force field. It wasn’t so much winning battles as it was surviving encounters.

Marvel Productions had a working relationship with the renowned Japanese studio Toei Animation. As such, the animation would be of a high quality compared to most other Saturday morning cartoon shows. This allowed for experimentation with darker graphical designs one might expect from its title. From the presence of a cursed skeleton warrior to the varying magical attacks from the evil five-headed dragon goddess Tiamat, there was always something dangerous and exciting that made the show visually unique and impressive.

The Dungeons & Dragons animated series was a big hit in its own right, having led its time slot for the majority of its run before declining ratings resulted in its cancellation without a proper finale made. Rights issues would hamper a lasting legacy some and a few within the Dungeons & Dragons community would look down on the premise when applied against the game’s darker aspects. The show would nevertheless be fondly regarded in representing the brand positively and for pushing the envelope for a Saturday morning cartoon.

Dan’s Review: I’m of the generation that grew up on the animated series. It was what I thought of most when it came to the brand and the show itself was an enjoyable romp to watch. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve been more mesmerized by the talent that worked on the show, such as pre-Optimus Prime Peter Cullen voicing the villain Venger and show writers that included Batman: The Animated Series greats Paul Dini and Michael Reaves. The animated series was a wonderful trip down memory lane that was worth revisiting from time to time.

In Japan in 1986, Ryo Mizuno and his Group SNE serialized their gaming sessions as Dungeons & Dragons “replays” in the magazine Comptiq. Mizuno would go further by publishing the stories of human fighter Parn and his adventuring party into a successful series of novels called Record of Lodoss War. It’s popularity would see eventual animation adaptations, first with a 13-episode original video animation (or OVA) from Madhouse Studios in 1990 followed by AIC adapting the Chronicles of the Heroic Knight story arc as a television series in 1998.

Lodoss War would retain much of the mechanics and rules from Dungeons & Dragons even as the series evolved through its numerous adaptations. A key part of this would be the utilization of the classes to shape character personalities. Being a fighter, Parn would often be impulsive as he was brave. Etoh, on the other hand, would be cautious and thoughtful being a priest. Encounters would also create a sense of challenge, forcing them to determine if they were strong enough to contend with a dragon, much less an ancient dragon.

The series had been looked upon as pioneering the presentation of high fantasy for Japanese audiences. Madhouse Studios would take it further with how high fantasy would be visualized in anime as the original OVA series had often been regarded as an elite title within the genre. Mixing the look of medieval culture with their tried-and-true approach in animating stylish action sequences, the OVA series was a majestic beauty to behold with rich details that had allowed for it to hold up and age stupendously in the years since its release.

While the anime scene had managed to expand to unprecedented regularity and recognition, Record of Lodoss War would quietly remain a seminal favorite over the years. It would set the standard upon which every other high fantasy anime would be measured to and continued to evolve, such as recently releasing the video game Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth. The Dungeons & Dragons influence would be such that Group SNE would create their own game, Sword World RPG, upon which they would continue to craft similar high fantasy adventures through.

Dan’s Review: A great deal of my visualization for high fantasy would end up coming largely from Record of Lodoss War. I was enchanted from the first moment I saw the OVA, albeit catching it at its climax. It nevertheless interested me enough to check it out as much as I could and really liked what it presented. Deedlit would embody what elves were like for me to such a degree that I felt true elves needed to have as long and pointy of ears like her. It would remain one of my favored anime titles, certainly among those in the high fantasy genre.

After numerous attempts that dated as far back as the 1980’s, a Dungeons & Dragons feature film was finally released in 2000. Directed by Courtney Solomon, the film told of a ragtag group of assorted folk coming together to retrieve a scepter that controlled red dragons before a power-hungry mage could use it to oppose the land’s Empress and her gold dragons. The difficulties of getting the film made were unfortunately displayed throughout the film, showing just how challenging it was for the first-time director to handle.

Solomon’s attempts to bring to life the essence of the game was heavily hampered by the complications faced since securing the rights to make the film as a producer in 1990. The end result saw a relative lack of utilization of the mechanics. Character classes were not properly defined or showcased and what little of the unique spells that were displayed were modified that they were not entirely accurate. Coupled with a generic screenplay and there was hardly anything that made viewers believe they were being immersed in Dungeons & Dragons.

The film managed to be made a very small budget in comparison to similar films of the genre. This would certainly have an affect on the presentation of the visual effects. Despite attempts to cut corners and still be able to produce quality content, there was no denying that they looked cheap in the final cut. From small shots like fire burning upon a watery surface to the climatic battle between armies of dragons, the animation came off appearing no better than kind of low quality efforts regularly seen on cable television movies.

The Dungeons & Dragons feature film was a commercial and critical failure. It did very little in generating any interest in the brand and would be immediately swept under the rug. Surprisingly, it nevertheless managed to spawn two direct-to-video sequels in Wrath of the Dragon God and The Book of Vile Darkness. Both films managed to be a somewhat closer in showcasing a bit of the game mechanics than the theatrical film. But in the end, the films were widely disliked and many within the community wanted to forget they ever existed.

Dan’s Review: I had hoped that Jeremy Irons playing the villain Profion would have been enough to give the film a pass when I first saw it. But despite Irons going hilariously over-the-top and with brief, but no less nice appearances from Tom Baker and Richard O’Brien, the film was just bad. And time had made it worse, looking at the poorly aged animation and cringing with embarrassment. I’ve seen some of Wrath of the Dragon God, but it’s hardly any better. I’m concerned about watching it again, fearful that I won’t laugh as much as I would cry instead.

As a result of the commercial failure of the feature film, Wizards of the Coast would scale back on further attempts at adapting the game for the screen. At the same time, DVD was emerging as a viable media viewing platform. The interactive options the format offered was intriguing enough to try out a smaller feature in 2003 with Scourge of Worlds, a choose-your-own-adventure that allowed audiences to determine how the story of a trio of heroes trying to prevent an unspeakable evil from being unleashed would play out from start to finish.

Scourge of Worlds would be the earliest feature to utilize pre-existing content. It would take place in Greyhawk, a campaign setting that was initially designed by Gary Gygax, and featured established characters in human fighter Regdar, halfling rogue Lidda, and elven wizard Mialee. The choose-your-own-adventure approach would give viewers a sample of how one could play the game, though it didn’t show off the full mechanics. Furthermore, it was still relatively linear whereas the game would allowed for thinking outside the box.

The animation for Scourge of Worlds had not aged all that well. Even at the time, it was hardly of any quality better than what was already being used on television. The characters were stiff as rocks, regardless of the occasional wild facial expressions. Despite the use of motion capture, movements lacked fluidity. And the designs were about as good as they were going to get with the financial and software limitations director Dan Krech and his studio faced. It might have seemed interesting at the time, but the animation would come off as basic nowadays.

The potentiality of what could have been done for the Dungeons & Dragons brand with choose-your-own-adventure animated DVD features like Scourge of Worlds might have sounded good on paper. It was the execution that would cause it to be lost in the abyss of time as it would be forgotten in the years following its release. A real lack of genuine interest coupled with animation that just wasn’t up to snuff to properly flourish. It ended up being nothing any one would go out of their way to check out, all things considered.

Dan’s Review: Curiosity got the best of me and I decided to give this one a look. It wasn’t quite as terrible as I feared, but it wasn’t any better than merely decent at best. It’s super obvious how old this felt compared to the animated fares that would emerge in the years that followed, with its sluggish movements to the lack of refinement in the details. And I never got a feel that this represented the brand all that well, rather coming off as a standard direct-to-video animation title that just happened to have the Dungeons & Dragons name associated.

Before Record of Lodoss War in Japan, a publication of gaming sessions was first done in 1984 with the beloved Dragonlance series. Initially conceived to support the Dragons of Despair gaming module, the first novel Dragons of Autumn Twilight would enchant fans with its story of an adventuring party reuniting in time to be swept up in the opening stages of a great war. There was a great desire to see the Dragonlance stories adapted and that wish would be fulfilled by Paramount Pictures with a direct-to-video animated feature released in 2008.

Unfortunately, someone made the decision to try to adapt the entirety of the over 400-page narrative into a 90-minute feature. As a result, the richly detailed story was heavily condensed in favor of moving from scene to scene as quickly as possible. This would give little to no time for proper character development to be displayed and hardly any of the game’s mechanics to be showcased outside of the briefest of moments to explore the human wizard Raistlin and the consequences he would physically bare in his pursuit of power.

In addition to the narrative being woefully truncated, what really disappointed fans was the animation. Being a direct-to-video feature was hardly an ideal format to begin with. But it just seemed as though there was never any genuine desire to really bring to life such a beloved world in a satisfying manner. The animation came off as a poor attempt at replicating the art style from a previous comic book adaptation combined with some computer generated imagery that failed to impress. A shockingly huge visual downgrade compared to what fans were imagining.

Much like the Dungeons & Dragons feature film before it, the direct-to-video animated adaptation of Dragons of Autumn Twilight was a major letdown to fans and to Wizards of the Coast. The feature hardly made any traction in piquing interest, with lack of any sort of marketing making sure of that. The film just came and went in the wind. Those who actually did manage to take a look were not impressed with what they saw, be it the bad animation or a presentation that lacked the proper context that made it such a beloved title in the first place.

Dan’s Review: I had thoroughly enjoyed the Dragons of Autumn Twilight novel long before the animated feature was made. Given that it was direct-to-video, I kept my expectations low. The voice acting at least tried to make the film work, with Kiefer Sutherland in particular being an excellent choice to voice Raistlin. But in the end, it still managed to be a disappointment. I’m actually surprised Paramount decided against what would have been an obvious cash-grab and tried to make sequels regardless of the negative reception.

Dungeons & Dragons would experience a renaissance in the 2010’s thanks to the advent of broadcast streaming. At the forefront would be Critical Role, the gaming sessions of well-known animation voice actors that became a surprise global phenomenon. Following one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns to date, a much desired animated adaptation of mercenaries whose need for coin would lead them into becoming the unexpected heroes in the land would come to fruition with The Legend of Vox Machina being released in 2022.

A major part of what made Critical Role so popular was the ability of the players to adapt and work off the results of their rolls, turning the mechanics of the game into the foundations upon which to develop compelling story moments. The Legend of Vox Machina carefully enhanced these for even greater dramatic affect, showcasing the excitement of what would happen from a single action. As such, importance would be carefully given to how things worked under the game’s rules and the alluring narrative benefits they could provide.

Thanks to the Kickstarter campaign’s overwhelming success, the animation quality was assured to be at its best and then some. A joyful mix of Japanese animation with the graphic appeal of some of modern western titles created a visual look that was stunning to behold. The added benefit of how descriptive the players were with their role playing allowed for the animators at Titmouse, Inc. to go the extra mile in details that made for displaying some of the most beautiful and majestic scenes ever seen even in the high fantasy genre.

The Legend of Vox Machina further elevated what was already a very successful production of Dungeons & Dragons. From utilizing the game mechanics to create rich storytelling moments to the top-notch animation visualizing the heart-stopping action, it was everything a fan could hope for and more. Recently, it was announced that the second Critical Role campaign The Mighty Nein would be adapted alongside more seasons of Vox Machina, giving audiences more unique characters and stories originally crafted from playing a game of Dungeons & Dragons.

Dan’s Review: I’m pretty sure everyone would know by now what a Critter (or Critical Role fan) I had become over the years. It would be the catalyst for my actually playing Dungeons & Dragons. That I would like The Legend of Vox Machina would be a given. What delighted me was that it managed to be quite an excellent series in its own right. I was enchanted from the first frame onward savored every second that was produced. This would be the fanboy in me saying this, but the show would be the finest representation of the brand to date.

As could be seen, adapting Dungeons & Dragons for film and television was not something that could be done with any relative ease. That the game could be played to be about anything meant that any one looking to develop a program based on the brand would have to conceive of virtually everything from the narrative to how the mechanics would be utilized. And how to present the uniqueness of those mechanics would be just as challenging to showcase, often conflicting with creating a competent narrative and thereby causing both to suffer in quality.

Even the use of animation, a medium in which anything could be possible, would have mixed results. When they worked, they could be quite majestic to view. The really good ones could also end up setting the standard for the look of the high fantasy genre. When they didn’t work, they would age poorly and run the risk of setting things back a step or two. Often it would come down to understanding how animation can be used to visualize just about anything that could be imagined in playing Dungeons & Dragons and for it to not be taken for granted.

Perhaps because there were not that many adaptations, each one were special regardless of their varying quality. The unsuccessful titles seemed to be able to fail in an intriguing manner to elicit curiosity. Those that succeeded helped elevate the brand and provide a positive representation of the game. The next time a Dungeons & Dragons adaption would be released, such as the upcoming Honor Among Thieves, it would be interesting to see, for good or bad, what unique narrative could be conceived from the imagination and how animation could bring it to life.

In Honor of Michael Reaves

This retrospective was in the middle of being written when Michael Reaves passed away at the age of 72. Reaves became the primary writer of the Dungeons & Dragons animated series from the second season onward. He also wrote what would have been the finale to the story and the foundation for a new adventure had a fourth season proceeded before the series was canceled. Reaves would post the script online to great fan interest and it would lead BCI Eclipse to produce it as an audio drama for their DVD release of the series.

The one-minute short was directed by Eric Goldberg, who also animated alongside Mark Henn and Randy Haycock. Goldberg, Henn, and Haycock were also making a new Mickey Mouse short at the same time, Mickey in a Minute, which is featured in the Mickey: The Story of a Mouse documentary on Disney+.

The last Oswald The Lucky Rabbit short produced by Disney was The Sky Scrapper, released back on September 3, 1928.