In 2020, the Comic-Con Museum launched their first-ever fan sourced T-Shirt contest. The winning T-Shirt Design is by Ron McFee. Like so many of the comic book community, Ron is very excited to get back to the Museum for in-person programs, exhibits, and events. In the mean time there's plenty to enjoy with the virtual activities this year, and there's still more to come in the next few months.
To receive your Charter Member T-Shirt, sign up for a Tier 3 Charter Membership by following this link. Or, if you are already at least a Tier 3 Charter Member like me, simply donate $25 to receive your 2021 T-Shirt.
While you're at the site be sure to check out what the Comic-Con Museum@Home has going on in February. Fun Book #30 celebrates the impact Black creators have made on comics and pop culture. These contributions started as early as 1865 with the Black Republican and Office Holders Journal, which is the first known newspaper to include humorous spot cartoons by Black artists. Draw on your knowledge of Black history and comics to complete the Cross Purpose crossword (I love crosswords!).
Monthly Charter Member bonuses this month include hands-on activities, and fun for the classroom. Challenge a friend or family member to use the issue’s Comics Panels page to make a comic strip about cartoonists Jackie Ormes or Morrie Turner, and more. You can download your copy of Fun Book #30: Comics & Black History on Thursday, February 25. The latest six-page edition of Comics Layouts is currently available on the Museum@Home webpage, featuring new 4-panel layouts, 5-panel layouts, and 6-panel layouts.
If you're an educator you'll appreciate the Cardboard Superheroes - Teachers Addition. Infuse some extra fun into the classroom with Cardboard Superheroes available on the Museum@Home webpage. The brand-new Pop Culture STEAM Curriculum builds Next Generation Science Standards onto your love for iconic characters. Each hands-on lesson is designed to enhance creativity while helping develop artistic skills, math comprehension, basic engineering and architecture techniques, design processes, and even inspire future career paths.
Over the course of 10 tutorials, students will build mini-cardboard models such as Captain America’s Shield, Wall-E, and more. For teachers, each model will include pre-recorded video instruction, PDF templates, student worksheets, reference images, and teacher guides. I bet this would be great for parents looking for something different to do at home with their kids that just happens to educate them while having fun.
Although we've all been cooped up and adjusting our lives to a more nested lifestyle, comics and popular culture are fueled by fans, and The Comic-Con Museum is no exception. While the term “Museum” is in its title, Museum Selfie Day is an online campaign intended to celebrate you who have visited and/or look forward to visiting our corner of Balboa Park someday. You amazing folk who make up the comics and pop culture community can still contribute to that feeling of community. The museum is still collecting selfies to share in a photo gallery, so please send yours in! The photo can be one you took from the Museum before March 2020, or can be a virtual selfie taken in front of the free Zoom background. And then be sure to email your Comic-Con Museum selfie to museumops@comic-con.org for a chance to be included in the Museum Selfie gallery!
Don't forget that the monthly Charter Member Virtual Tours are still happening. If you haven't been on one of the Charter Member Virtual Tours yet, you're missing out. Led by the Membership Team, the tours will take you through the Comic-Con Museum, highlighting key developments along the way. The tours are very interactive with audience questions, trivia, and games. Tours happen once a month for the remainder of the year. Take a look at the schedule below, and if you haven't received an invite contact us at CCMmembership@comic-con.org.
Upcoming Tours:
Monday, February, 22 at 3 PM PST
Monday, March, 22 at 3 PM PST
Monday, April, 26 at 3 PM PST
Keep your eye on the site for announcements for when you can once again visit the museum in person. It's likely to include a big re-opening event that I'm sure Comic-Con fans are not going to want to miss. And when that happens, the museum will still continue to reach its community far and wide through the virtual worlds that always accesible to everyone every where.