Inside Comic-Con's top free fan activations revealed
While A-list celebs from Ryan Gosling to Johnny Depp promoted studio projects at San Diego Comic-Con, brands launched free downtown fan activations that required no pricey passes. From HBO's "Lanterns" training headquarters and Disney's Percy Jackson experience to a Snoopy Peanuts pop-up, fans scored immersive freebies outside the convention floor. Looking for inside comiccon8217s top free activations? These downtown takeovers mattered because they let badge-free fans join the buzz.
Key Takeaways
- HBO Max led Gaslamp Quarter takeovers for DC's "Lanterns" and "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe."
- Disney offered a "Percy Jackson" experience plus Hulu Animayhem themed food.
- Paramount's downtown Lodge featured Avatar, South Park, and Star Trek freebies.
- Super7's Peanuts pop-up celebrated Snoopy's siblings and backed dog adoptions.
- Eli Roth's "Ice Cream Man" event mixed horror thrills with frozen-treat chills.
What free Comic-Con activations did HBO Max run?
According to Page Six, HBO Max emerged as MVP of the Gaslamp Quarter with two downtown takeovers. The "Lanterns Training Headquarters" at Venue 808 recruited fans into the Green Lantern Corps for an interactive journey.
Hands-on training included an escape room, a "freefall flight test," target practice at a shooting range with props that were not real guns, and souvenir Green Lantern rings. Stars Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre, Garret Dillahunt and Poorna Jagannathan visited, alongside creators Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King.
"Stuart Fails to Save the Universe" recreated the series' comic book store at Sparks Gallery. Fans moved through alternate realities while creators Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn and Bill Prady, plus stars Kevin Sussman, Lauren Lapkus, John Ross Bowie and Brian Posehn, stopped by.
Which Disney and Paramount experiences drew fans downtown?
Disney Entertainment Television staged a mythical "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" activation across from the convention center. Stars Walker Scobell and Aryan Simhadri appeared, meeting fans and even a Halo cosplayer.
Hulu's "Animayhem: Fandom Fuel Up" served themed food from "King of the Hill" (Bobby Hill's Robata Chane) and "Futurama" (Planet Espresso). Paramount's annual downtown "Lodge" at Happy Does offered photo ops and freebies for "Avatar: The Last Airbender," "South Park" and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," plus an alien DJ and drinks named Cosmic Drops and Vulcan Sunsets.
What else stood out beyond the studio takeovers?
For horror fans, Eli Roth's "Ice Cream Man" event at Kansas City BBQ featured the director and mascot Merle in a playground massacre scene, with an ice cream truck playing in the background. Roth called the genre's box office boom "such a great year for horror," saying the sundae was "just the cherry on top."
Collectible company Super7 hosted a Peanuts pop-up celebrating Snoopy's lesser-known siblings, partnering with Best Friends Animal Society to support real-life dog adoptions. Bigger parties included Fandom's Hard Rock Hotel bash, a "Pan's Labyrinth" 20th-anniversary soiree with Guillermo del Toro, and an IGN and Prime Video party where "The Rings of Power" star Jamie Campbell Bower took a DJ spin.
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