Balboa Park’s South Palisades is undergoing a lot of changes and the Comic-Con Museum hopes to be a big part of that. At a press conference Thursday morning they revealed what the renovated building will look like.
In a nod to the devoted fan base of nearly 14,000 charter members, the museum held a special Zoom meeting at 8:30 a.m. to reveal a new fly-through conceptual video, where they showed images of the renovated museum two hours before the official press conference took place. Members could also ask questions and partake in polls. Overall the members displayed excitement and enthusiasm for the museum.
The popularity of Comic-Con International has made it impossible for many people to attend the annual pop culture convention. The Comic-Con Museum was conceived in part as a way for Comic-Con to continue its educational mission and reach people 365 days a year.
Comic-Con took over the Hall of Champions in the Federal Building in Balboa Park back in 2017. At Thursday's press conference, the museum revealed the fly-through video and announced it had hit the halfway point in its $34 million fundraising goal. In addition, Cox Communications just donated toward the education center, which is where renovations are planned to begin.
Although the museum announced it would open in summer of 2021, it also said the full renovations shown in the video might not be completed until 2024. The museum is located in the area of Balboa Park known as the South Palisades, which is undergoing some major renovations with the parking lot being turned into a more pedestrian friendly park space. Newly announced steering committee chair Patti Roscoe noted, "It was an opportunity for the museum to play a role in San Diego's economic recovery."
The press release also introduced the 19 members (see press release document) of the Museum’s Steering Committee including Chair Patti Roscoe. Members consist of local San Diego region leaders and representatives of the pop culture community.
The museum outlined some of its Long-Range Comprehensive Plan: 25,000 square feet of space for rotating exhibits; a year-round schedule of programs and experiences such as panels, creator meet-and-greets, experiential cinema, watch parties, eSports, cosplay shows, and concerts; more than 6,000 square feet of classroom space in the Education Center; a café with a changing menu of dishes and beverages that are creatively inspired by the themes of the rotating exhibit and program offerings; a gift shop with comics and graphic novels, branded souvenirs, art, t-shirts and other collectibles; and a 4K video theater and presentation space.
COVID-19 may still force Comic-Con Museum to alter its planned opening next summer. But in the meantime, the museum does have many virtual offerings including the upcoming SAM (Storytelling Across Media).
