For the second year in a row, Nerd HQ will not be coming to San Diego Comic Con. Zachary Levi confirmed today via instagram that not only will Nerd HQ not be returning this year, but he doesn’t expect to be able to bring Nerd HQ back to San Diego ever again. As someone who loved what Nerd HQ brought to SDCC, this is devastating news.
With Comic Con fast approaching, what does this news mean for those who flock to San Diego that don’t have tickets to the convention? Nerd HQ was a haven for people who wanted to join in the fandom but didn’t get tickets for the convention.
Some might wonder, why is this such a blow? Aren’t there plenty of other free things to do? It is Comic Con after all. In my opinion, no one else has been able to match the offerings that Nerd HQ brought year in and year out.
Every year, Nerd HQ would release their schedule for Conversations for a Cause. While these were not free, the $22 went to Operation Smile, a charity that helps those suffering from cleft lip or cleft palate (www.operationsmile.org). Zachary Levi would invite his friends to come sit down and talk in front of an intimate crowd of about 200 people. The conversations were always fun, and the closeness of the audience and guests couldn’t be matched. As you can probably guess, these conversations were highly sought after, making tickets difficult to get. Mostly, you had to get lucky… as is the standard when it comes to Comic Con.
But the conversations were only one part of the puzzle. If you couldn’t get tickets to one of the conversations, most times you could count on your favorite celebrities to visit the Smiles for Smiles photograph line. Once again, Nerd HQ asked for a donation to Operation Smile in order to get a photo op with your favorite TV or movie personality. When you consider what these photo ops would cost at other conventions, giving $20 to Operation Smile seems like a bargain. Plus, it feels better knowing the money is going to charity.
Along with these activities, Nerd HQ would rent out an entire museum to bring in activities and provide a space for people to flock. While there are plenty of activities around the convention during SDCC, Nerd HQ’s absence will still be felt for all of those who enjoyed their many offerings. We may never know for sure what happened to prevent Nerd HQ from continuing their Comic Con run, but let’s hope others don’t get pushed out as well. I would expect that you can still catch Zachary Levi at a panel for Shazam, but it’s too soon to tell if he’ll be involved in anything else. SDCC is less than two months away, so we should start seeing more rumors and announcements in the coming weeks.