The Expanse, The Boys, and Carnival Row Activations at SDCC

San Diego Comic-Con has no shortage of amazing experiences and opportunities to express, experience, and engage in fandoms.

Of Temple of Geek’s time there, one of our favorite experiences was the Amazon Prime Activation, produced by Tool of North America. More immersive theatre than a run-of-the-mill activation, the experiences in the 60,000 square-foot space were all-encompassing and fan-driven: many of the experiences were determined by choices that attendees made during the activations.

I spoke with writer and director Tom Salamon, who told me, “One of the coolest things about the project is that you could go through the activation 10 times and never have the same experience.”

My experience of The Expanse included, after landing on a potentially hostile planet, being pulled aside to ask if I wanted to make an extra buck by exploiting the natives. I (somewhat ashamedly) admit that I said yes. She was very persuasive.

Each experience was, quite frankly, marvelous. I landed on a foreign planet in the world of The Expanse. I helped solve a mystery in the video game shop in The Boys. I was in an underground Victorian-era lounge in Carnival Row.

Everything from the limited-time snapchat filter that enhanced a protomolecule temporary tattoo to the easter egg comic book shop around the corner from The Boys activation showcased the thoughtful passion with which the project was realized.

“I wanted each experience to have its own feel to it,” he said. The Boys is a more adult experience, Carnival Row has a swankier feel, and The Expanse is, well, extraterrestrial.”

Salamon’s attention to detail was meticulous—he described his time planning the experience as “eating, breathing, and sleeping the project”—and it yielded absolutely stunning results.

“The best part about it was seeing the fans come out of the experiences; seeing them walk out of The Boys activation chanting ‘Fuck Supes!’ has absolutely been the highlight of the experience,” he told me.

In producing and writing something like this, there is a distinct risk of falling into the campy. (Campy has it’s own charm, certainly.) But these experiences were nothing short of Broadway worthy. If they are any indication of the quality of the shows they promoted, I’m already scheduling my sick days for binging.

See more coverage from the Amazon Prime Activation:

Interview with Naren Shankar, Daniel Abraham, and Ty Franck