Everything 'Star Trek' Fans Need to Know About SDCC 2018

It is every fan’s favorite time of the year, San Diego Comic-Con! That goes for fans of Star Trek as well as the venerable science fiction franchise returns to the San Diego Convention Center once again.

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CBS Television Studios is billing this year’s Comic-Con festivities as “a celebration of over 50 years of Star Trek and the upcoming second season of Star Trek: Discovery.”

Star Trek: Discovery will take over Hall H for the first time at this year’s big event. with several cast members attending the panel. Tig Notaro, guest stars as Chief Engineer Reno in Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, will moderate the panel.

CBS is also setting up Star Trek: Discovery Mirror Universe Gallery Takeover near the convention, similar to the gallery they had set up prior to the show’s premiere in 2017. The “fully immersive Star Trek: Discovery Mirror Universe experience” will take place at the Michael J. Wolf Fine Arts Gallery (363 Fifth Avenue, San Diego). Comic-Con badges are not required for entry, and the exhibit is scheduled to run from Thursday, July 19th through Sunday, July 22nd and will feature a photo opportunity with Emperor Georgiou’s Throne and showcases for props and costumes related to the Terran Empire. The gallery will also serve as the location of the official Star Trek shop with Comic-Con exclusives.

In addition, CBS is also running a Star Trek: Discovery pedicab promotion from Thursday, July 19th through Sunday, July 22nd. The branded pedicabs will offer free “intergalactic” rides throughout San Diego’s Gaslamp District. The pedicabs are inspired by the design of the USS Discovery’s captain’s chair, with the chair’s distinctive stitched black seats and video monitors built into its armrests, which will run trailers for the highly the show’s second season. Each vehicle will also display an illuminated USS Discovery delta shield on the back.

Here’s everything you need to know about Star Trek at this year’s Comic-Con International: San Diego.

Star Trek: Discovery in Hall H

The biggest Star Trek event at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con is easily the Star Trek: Discovery panel in Hall H.

The panel takes place Friday, July 20th at 1:30 pm PT. Cast members appearing on the panel include Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Shazad Latif, Mary Wiseman, Anthony Rapp, Wilson Cruz, Mary Chieffo and newcomer Anson Mount, who will play the role of Captain Christopher Pike of the USS Enterprise in Season Two.

Also in attendance will be executive producers Alex Kurtzman, who was recently made new showrunner of the series, and Heather Kadin. The panel will be moderated by series guest star Tig Notaro, who plays Chief Engineer Reno.

It is unclear what, if any, major announcements or reveals Discovery will be bringing to Comic-Con, but possibilities include the first season two trailer, footage from the season premiere, a casting announcement about Spock, or a release date.

The Mirror Universe Gallery

Star Trek fans at Comic-Con can check out the Star Trek: Discovery Mirror Universe Gallery Takeover, a “fully immersive Star Trek: Discovery Mirror Universe experience” located at the Michael J. Wolf Fine Arts Gallery (363 Fifth Avenue, San Diego).

Comic-Con badges are not required for entry, and the exhibit is scheduled to run from Thursday, July 19th through Sunday, July 22nd and will feature a photo opportunity with Emperor Georgiou’s Throne and showcases for props and costumes related to the Terran Empire. The gallery will also serve as the location of the official Star Trek shop with Comic-Con exclusives.

If you’re looking for transportation, Star Trek: Discovery-branded pedicabs playing footage from the show will be running routes in the area as well.

The Science of Star Trek

There will be some additional Star Trek-themed panels happening at at SDCC years, including “The Sciences of Star Trek.” Here’s the description:

“To go boldly where no one has gone before . . . but human eyes may have. If you believe that elsewhere in this galaxy, familiar worlds from Star Trek and sci-fi exist, this is the panel for you. Dr. Morgan Cable (NASA scientist for Europa Lander mission concept), Dr. Jessie Christiansen (NASA scientist at Exoplanet Archive/Caltech), Phil Plait (SYFY’s The Bad Astronomer and Bill Nye Saves the World), Hallie Lambert (writer for The Expanse), and André Bormanis (science consultant for Star Trek and The Orville) discuss the real science behind sci-fi’s most beloved universe.”

The panel takes place Thursday from 5:45 pm to 6:45 pm in Room 6DE.

Star Trek: A Fandom Divided?

Star Trek expert Larry Nemecek will be hosting two panels this year. The first is “Star Trek: A Fandom Divided,” a discussion about the supposed controversies surrounding the debut of Star Trek: Discovery.

Here’s the panel description:

“Larry “Dr. Trek” Nemecek (The Trek Files, Trekland’s Portal 47) hosts a panel of Trek podcasters asking if age or even tech affinity is amplifying the controversies surrounding Star Trek: Discovery, or is it all much ado about nothing? Be a part of the Q&A and be recorded live for later podcasts’ use. Panelists will include John Champion (Mission Log: A Roddenberry Podcast, The Trek Files), Ken Ray (Mission Log: A Roddenberry Podcast MacOSken), Alison “Kenna” Pitt (Priority One), Kayla Iacovino (TrekMovie, ShuttlePod), and trek.fm’s Aaron Harvey (Saturday Morning Trek).”

The panel takes place Friday from 5 pm to 6 pm in the Neil Morgan Auditorium at San Diego Central Library.

Klingon Lifestyles

Friday night also features a panel devoted to everyone’s favorite alien species, the Klingons!

Here’s the description:

“Klingons, weapons, a new mission, and a live-action bat’leth sword battle. Come join the fun and mayhem for the 25th annual Klingon stage play. Watch the Stranglehold Klingons attempt to capture a new power source for the Empire. Fellow costumed Trek fans will celebrate this silver anniversary presentation with a group photo at the end. All alien races welcomed. If you love stage plays, come and support the only live-action Star Trek fan-based play to boldly go where no play has gone before.”

The event happens from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm in Room 5AB.

Disco Was My First

For his second panel, Larry Nemecek goes in search of “DFFs,” or “Discovery Fans First,” fans for whom Star Trek: Discovery is their first experience with the franchise.

Here’s the panel description:

“Larry “Dr. Trek” Nemecek (The Trek Files, Trekland’s Portal 47) makes his annual SDCC trip to hunt for any fans who have found Star Trek for the first time with Discovery -DFFs: “Discovery fans first”-but all are welcome as he leads a forum of audience opinions and feedback. How do fan voices react to Discovery -or are some even being heard at all? As usual there’ll be plenty of past, present, and future Star Trek too, using bloopers, in-jokes, and touchstone visuals from the Nemecek Trekland archives, plus a world premiere sneak peek from his The Con of Wrath documentary and a same-day-only bonus from his new Portal 47 fan experience.”

The panel happens on Sunday from 1 pm to 2 pm at the Grand 9, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina

James Kirk Bourbon Tasting

Silver Screen bottling recently unveiled its official James T. Kirk Signature Bourbon Whiskey, the first release in a line of Star Trek-themed spirits. The whiskey is said to carry Kirk’s spirit for adventure and exploration.

If you’re looking for an offsite activity, the company will be holding a tasting event where you can see if the whiskey does Kirk’s name justice for yourself.

The event is being held at Rustic Root on Fifth Avenue, not far from the convention center, on Thursday between 2 pm and 6 pm. Attendees are expected to bring an ID to show that they are old enough to legally sample the product.

Star Trek Merchandise

There is plenty of company with officially licensed Star Trek goods attending San Diego Comic-Con. If you’re looking to find some for yourself, here’s who they are and what booth they’ll be at!