NPR

Comic-Con 2019, Day 1: Sleepless In San Diego

San Diego Comic-Con kicked off Thursday, with more than 130,000 attendees expected. Big draws of the day were Lin-Manuel Miranda and Arnold Schwarzenegger — and a surprise appearance from Tom Cruise.
Godzilla — who's celebrating his own 65th birthday this year — watches over convention-goers on preview night at San Diego Comic Con.

Welcome to the 50th San Diego Comic-Con!

A good convention is almost a ritual space — a time and place away from time and place. Once you step through that glass door and swipe your badge, you could be anywhere, anywhen; the hours pass by outside and you don't notice. It's almost as if the rest of the world doesn't exist — you are at Comic-Con. You have always been at Comic-Con. What I'm trying to say, here, is that I've barely been here 24 hours and I already don't know which way is up or really what day it is. Mallory, I hope you're less disoriented than I am.

(Mallory: Nope, I'm equally disoriented. I have barely any idea where I am at any given time.)

Wednesday is usually fairly quiet here. The convention's. (One of only 12 available per day! Ah, the joy of the hunt.)

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