It’s not every day that you get your very own tour of the Nickelodeon booth from Fairly OddParents creator Butch Hartman, but on Preview Night, I was fortunate enough to get the grand tour from the man himself. I had an absolute blast. If you’re on the convention hall floor, this booth is essentially going to be a must-see attraction — especially if you grew up on the old 90’s cartoon series.
Nickelodeon has always had a presence at SDCC, but this year they’re kicking things up a notch with a heavy emphasis on 90’s nostalgia. Butch explained that a big part of the reason for this is that they’re trying to show their appreciation for the fans. There’s been a huge resurgence in interest for Nick’s old school programming, and they are more than happy to oblige.
A major focus of Nickelodeon’s efforts this year focus around their upcoming Legends of the Hidden Temple movie. They have a working, talking Olmec who is more than happy to ask you trivia questions and take selfies with you. They also have one of the coolest VR experiences we’ve ever done. You actually get to explore an ancient temple yourself and solve puzzles for Olmec.
If you were ever pissed off at the kids who couldn’t put the silver monkey together or figure out the other puzzles, this is your moment to shine.
You can also sit on a stoop with the characters from Hey Arnold! and stick your hand up the giant nose from Double Dare (without the grossness). Seriously — best photo ops ever.
OMG you can sit on the stoop at the @NickelodeonTV and it’s he best thing ever. (Photo credit: THE @realhartman!) pic.twitter.com/1YiWaOf5br
— NERDOPHILES @ SDCC (@nerdophiles) July 21, 2016
Nickelodeon also has some convention exclusive merchandise available at their booth that’s worth checking out. This month also sees the launch of their brand new Nickelodeon themed subscription box service. In keeping with the 90’s nostalgia theme, the first box features items from all the greats including Rugrats, Ren and Stimpy, CatDog and more! They’ve got the full box on display on the video if you want to check it out before you get it (and ultimately get sucked into another niche subscription box service).
But their presence isn’t just going to be felt on the floor at their booth, there are also a slew of panels set to celebrate the network’s old school hits. This is a great year to be a Nickelodeon fan, and this is a great booth to check out!
If nothing else, stop by to hang with Arnold and his friends!
Select Nickelodeon Panels
On Thursday they’ll be hosting an epic panel focusing on some of Nick’s past animated programming. If you’re looking for a great way to spend part of your Thursday morning, just take a look at this panel description. Butch Hartman will be on board for this one to introduce his new series Bunsen Is a Beast which should be really cool. (He’ll also be doing a signing with Lion Forge on Friday for his all new comic book!)
Happy Happy Joy Joy
Room 6A – Thursday, 11:15 AM to 12:15 PM
For 25 years, Nickelodeon has produced some of the most innovative and memorable animation in the history of television. Nick Animation podcast host Hector Navarro finds out how and why four of the network’s most influential creators did what they did: Craig Bartlett (Hey Arnold), Jhonen Vasquez (Invader Zim), Butch Hartman (Fairly OddParents, Danny Phanton) and Arlene Klasky(Rugrats, Wild Thornberrys, Rocket Power), who along with Gabor Csupo and Paul Germain, createdRugrats. Don’t miss the chance to see production art from the upcoming Hey Arnold movie, animation from Hartman’s new Bunsen Is a Beast, and the world premiere of Don vs Raph, a TMNT animated short written and produced by Jhonen Vasquez.
Then on Friday, they have an awesome panel on women in animation!
She Made That: Nickelodeon Women in Animation
Room 24ABC – Friday, 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Big time 90’s Nickelodeon fans will really want to pay attention ton their Saturday panel. They’re bringing together some of the best All That cast members for a reunion panel!
Back to the 90s: Nickelodeon’s All That Reunion and Legends of the Hidden Temple
Room 6A – 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM
Join Nickelodeon’s throwback programming block, The Splat, for a reunion of the trailblazing sketch comedy series’ major players. Josh Server, Danny Tamberelli, Lori Beth Denberg, and Kel Mitchell discuss all things All That, with a few added surprises. Plus, get the first look at Nick’s new TV movie based on Legends of the Hidden Temple and hear about it from returning cast members Kirk Fogg and Dee Bradley Baker, and other panelists, moderated by Entertainment Weekly’s LA correspondent, Marc Snetiker.
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