We’re now on the heels of San Diego’s Comic-Con International, the fabled annual convention at which Marvel unveiled Phase 5: their lineup of projects slated to release over the next few years. Standout announcements include the hypeworthy Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer and the official confirmation of the next Avengers film (arriving 2024).
Fortunately for Bay Area residents, Los Angeles and San Diego don’t have a monopoly on summer’s pop culture festivities. In fact, Silicon Valley touts its own annual Comic Con hosted at the San Jose Convention Center every summer. Founded in 2014 by Steve Wozniak and Rick White, SiliCon celebrates the intersection of technology, science, and pop culture, bringing the best and brightest minds in various fields to the South Bay for three days of geeky revelry.
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Since its founding, SiliCon has amassed 60,000 visitors annually. In 2019, Mythbusters star and special effects legend Adam Savage joined the team and has served as the event's creative director ever since.
SiliCon differentiates itself in the Comic Con field by platforming the too-often unsung behind-the-scenes talent responsible for your favorite popular media, like prop makers, comic artists, and VFX specialists. We’ve gathered a list of the major guests and most exciting events coming to SiliCon this August to help prepare you for a productive weekend of nerding out.
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Karen Gillan
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Bay Area Marvel stans rejoice! Skyrocketed into the public eye in Britain after her much-lauded performance in the BBC’s Doctor Who, Scottish-born Karen Gillan became an American household name when she was cast as the blue-skinned Nebula - daughter of Thanos and sister to Gamora - in James Gunn’s 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy. Since that point, Nebula has proven to be one the MCU’s most nuanced and dynamic characters (especially thanks to her compellingly written character development in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and her pivotal role in Avengers: Endgame). For the NorCal MCU loyalists, photo-ops and meet-and-greets with Gillan will be a must on the itinerary.
Cosplay Costume Contest
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Any proper Comic Con would be incomplete without a costume contest wherein the world’s countless gifted cosplayers can strut their stuff and flex their craftsy costume prowess. The SiliCon Costume Contest will even boast a Cosplay and Construction Repair Shop hosted at the Blick Art Materials booth, so if your Thanos cosplay malfunctions and you lose an infinity stone, fear not!
George Takei
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Legendary actor and political activist George Takei is renowned for his turn as Sulu in the original Star Trek television series and spinoff films. Takei has since taken advantage of his stardom and been a progressive force in local and state politics, engaging in advocacy on behalf of queer folk and immigrants.
Adam Savage’s MakerVerse
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The heart of SiliCon, the MakerVerse is what makes the event truly distinct. Constituting a 4500 square-foot space on the show floor, the MakerVerse is a massive space dedicated specifically to the makers of the world and their infinitely creative craftiness. This bustling area will encompass countless workstations for any attendee to utilize, speed-build challenges, skill-building maker workshops, and even a Maker Stage that host discussion panels and project demonstrations where, for example, nascent filmmakers can learn the best DIY practical effects to use on their indie project.
Phil Tippett
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Though you may not know his name, you are undoubtedly familiar with his work. Phil Tippett is the Oscar-winning visual effects mastermind who, while working as one of the key specialists at Industrial Light & Magic, orchestrated the iconic practical and digital effects in such classic films as Jurassic Park, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Robocop, Starship Troopers, and many, many more. Whether you’re an aspiring filmmaker / VFX artist or are just want to delve into the fascinating and underappreciated world of visual effects, Tippett’s Q/A and SiliCon will be a must-attend.
Shohreh Aghdashloo
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Shohreh Aghdashloo is an incredibly esteemed Iranian performer and voice-actor, whose role in 1977’s The Report - directed by the world-renowned Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami - catapulted her into stardom. Aghdashloo has since become one of the most prolific character actors of the modern era, lending her magnetic presence to countless iconic pieces of media, be them shows, movies, or video games. If you’ve ever played or watched Destiny, Mass Effect, The Simpsons, Arcane, The Punisher, The Expanse, The Flight Attendant, or countless more, then you’ve either seen or heard Aghdashloo’s work.
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Photography by: Noam Galai/Getty Images
