Comic-Con Kicks Off With Preview Night

By Luis Monteagudo Jr.

Comic-Con 2013 kicked off Wednesday night with its annual Preview Night, allowing four-day passholders to wander the never-ending exhibit hall and get first crack at t-shirts, toys and exclusive merchandise.

It used to that Preview Night was the calm before the storm but in recent years, it’s become as hectic as any of the other days. Tonight was no exception as tens of thousands crowded the exhibit hall and convention ballrooms for sneak peeks at television shows scheduled to debut in the fall.

So far, the prize for most elaborate exhibit hall display goes to AMC, which created a replica of the prison from “The Walking Dead,” complete with fencing and a life-size mannequin of series hero Rick Grimes standing atop a watchtower, on the lookout for zombies.

As in years past, Comic-Con has again expanded past the San Diego Convention Center and into the Gaslamp. Spotted so far are a Sega video game arcade, a giant tent previewing the upcoming “Ender’s Game” sci-fi film and displays for the television show “Grimm."

Comic-Con is off to a roaring start. Check back with Patch Goes Pop for updates on Comic-Con 2013.