Silicon Valley Comic Con set for a Savage remake
There are major changes coming to Silicon Valley Comic Con this year — with a new name, new dates and a new public face of the show. The pop culture, science and technology fest is now SiliCon with Adam Savage and will take place in October at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has been the public face of the show since he launched it in 2016 with the late Stan Lee. But now he’s passing that torch to Savage, best known to audiences for hosting the hit show “MythBusters.” Savage says there’s no “replacing” Woz, really, with this more about getting himself involved in a bigger way as SiliCon’s new creative director.
“The thing about it I found so exciting — in addition to being a con in our backyard — was that Woz and the whole team was really enthusiastic about what fans were getting into,” said Savage, 52, who lives in San Francisco. “It was a con for fans, and I’m excited to be part of that.”
For Woz, a guy who never has enjoyed being in the spotlight, this means he can enjoy SiliCon more as a fan instead of being on stage. “Adam Savage is my favorite guest that we have ever had, and it is fitting that he is joining the team,” Wozniak said in a statement.
So what does this all mean for Silicon Valley Comic Con fans? Savage is throwing himself into all aspects of the show and says you still can expect plenty of comic book culture, science and technology, and pop culture celebrity Q& A sessions. But there’ll be a much greater emphasis on cosplay and maker culture, with workshops and vendors aimed at both amateur and professional makers. (More details and ticket information are available at siliconsj.com)
“Putting my name up there is one really clear way to tell anyone who’s intersected with my output that there’ll be something there for everyone,” said Savage, who after leaving “MythBusters” continued to cross the streams of science and pop culture with both his website, Tested.com, and his show, “Savage Builds.”
The show has included guests from pop culture space explorers like William Shatner to real-life astronauts Buzz Aldrin, and Savage says that science and space travel will continue to be a big part of the show. “There’s no better ambassador for science than astronauts, so you can bet I’ll be calling the ones I know,” he said.
Savage also agrees that after San Mateo’s Maker Faire ceased operations last year, SiliCon’s new emphasis on maker culture will provide a new option for that community. “The maker community has always been deeply embedded in cosplay and the con community,” said Savage, an avid cosplayer himself who is known for walking around convention floors usually unrecognized in elaborate costumes (and yes, he’s already planning one for SiliCon). “One of the things I loved about going to Maker Faire was seeing all the families there. I love seeing families cosplaying together.”
Shifting SiliCon’s dates to Oct. 16-18 also is expected to allow cosplayers planning for Halloween to give their costumes a tryout, as well as bring in more families and college students than last year’s August dates did.
Having attended Silicon Valley Comic Con since it started, Savage said this move really just codifies a relationship that has existed since Woz let him set up a cosplay repair table at the very first show in 2016.
“Steve’s well known for having one of the biggest brains, but he’s also got an equally sized heart, and one of the things Steve loves about the world is he wants to get other people involved in what he loves,” Savage said. “The time I’ve spent with Woz over the years has always been magical.”