Hi everyone! Shelli Anpan here to bring you a peek inside the halls of San Diego Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), the largest pop culture convention in the United States.

Originally geared towards the comic and graphic novel aficionados, SDCC has since grown over the past several decades to encompass all forms of art and geekdom, including (but not limited to) TV shows, big budget movies, video games, and detailed replicas. To learn more about SDCC and its history, click here.

With almost 24-hour programming, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when attending a convention of this magnitude. To narrow it down a bit this year, here are my Top 5 for Day 1:

  1. #TheHallofFaces
    All 4 Days, L Street Fine Art Gallery
    As a huge fan of the Game of Thrones television series, this is definitely a must-see. Going off of the listed description, “The Hall of Faces activation will allow guests to enter the House of Black and White and ‘Become No One’.” Praise to the many-faced god!
  2. #SuperheroIRL
    6:30PM – 7:30PM, Room 24ABC
    Everyone has encountered bullying in some way, shape, or form in their life, inspiring writers and artists to create (super)heroes to overcome them. Nonprofit Pop Culture Hero Coalition harnesses the idea of the superhero and applies those ideals to the real world. With the advent of Internet and prevalence of cyber-bullying and recent physical attacks around the globe, heroes in the real world are needed now more than ever to stand up and be beacons of hope and strength against the bullying, against the hatred.
  3. “Geek Couture” Fashion Show
    6PM – 8PM, Harbor Ballroom, Manchester Grand Hyatt
    Although I probably will not be able to attend the Fashion Show as it conflicts with the #SuperheroIRL panel, I still can’t wait to see what beautiful works of wearable art will be showcased this year!
  4. CBLDF: Navigating The Powers & Perils of Banned Books
    12PM – 1PM, Room 30CDE
    Ever wonder why graphic novels are attacked by censors? This panel will discuss just that and and how to successfully integrate them into the classroom.
  5. Exclusives!
    Last, but not least, I’m super excited for exploring the Exhibit Hall! For all first-time con-goers, the Exhibit Hall is where you’ll find all the popular, rare, and exclusive paraphernalia you could ever desire. These include comic books, original fine artwork on canvas, highly detailed sculpted collectible figures, video games, apparel, and accessories. SDCC is well-known for their w exclusive merch, which can only be purchased at the convention. Of course, you’ll probably be able to find that special exclusive on eBay later for an arm and a leg.

That’s all for now, but to get live news and visual within the con, follow me on Twitter (@ShelliAnpan)!

Are you going to SDCC? Do you wish that you could go? Tweet at me and let me know what you want to see, and I’ll do my best to take you there!