SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KGTV) — Comic-Con 2022 has officially wrapped up, and ABC 10News spoke with attendees and local businesses alike who say the weekend exceeded their expectations.
“People just love being back in the environment…you know…it’s a family,” said Luke Cheeseman, a panelist and Comic-Con enthusiast who has been coming for a decade.
The highly-anticipated return of the event, back in full-force for the first time since the pandemic, brought thousands of people to downtown San Diego.
But, for some, it didn’t quite live up to the pre-pandemic pandemonium.
“It isn’t quite to what it was…a lot of the studios didn’t bring out as much stuff because I think this was a testing [of the] waters. And I think by what they saw, the attention was really good and up but probably not quite pre-pandemic but it was close. A lot of the panels were packed out,” added Cheeseman.
Still – local shops and restaurants saw a welcome boost in business after a challenging few years.
“Just fabulous. We are so thankful to have comic con back in full-force it’s been a very very exciting time I almost feel like we’re almost gotten over the finish line,” said Richard Walker, the owner of Richard Walker's Pancake House downtown.
Fans agree – the weekend was a big hit for all: “People were with friends and family…people they haven’t seen in years. So it’s a gathering of like-minded people,” said Cheeseman.
