PAWMICON – COSPLAY FOR A CAUSE – FLIES INTO FUTURE HOME OF COMIC-CON MUSEUM
Helen Woodward Animal Center Orphan Pets Seek Superhero Adopters
at a Dynamic New Venue…
Rancho Santa Fe, CA (June 27, 2019) – For the last six years, Helen Woodward Animal Center orphan pets have celebrated the spectacular feats of superhero adopters by throwing a Pop Culture themed Dog Cosplay event. Now, for the first time ever, PAWmicon will be hosted at the future home of the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park. Comic-Con-enthusiasts and animal-lovers are invited to partake in “Cosplay for a Cause” and attend Helen Woodward Animal Center’s biggest and best PAWmicon yet. PAWmicon, hosted by the Comic-Con Museum, presented by Embrace Pet Insurance and supported by Petco, will be held on Sunday, July 7, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.. The Comic-Con Museum’s future home is located at 2131 Pan American Plaza in Balboa Park.
Although not scheduled to open until 2021, the Comic-Con Museum (once the Hall of Champions and set to undergo major renovations) is already hosting a wide variety of Comic-Con-themed events including Everquest 20: A Living Legend; Cover Story: The Art of Comic-Con 50; and a Star Wars: Armada Tournament, to name a few. In addition to providing San Diego with the excitement of Comic-Con year-round, the museum has a focus on giving back to the community that has supported Comic-Con and turned it into the world-wide phenomena it is today. A collaboration between Helen Woodward Animal Center and the Comic-Con Museum, 100% of the proceeds from PAWmicon will support the Center’s pets and programs.
PAWmicon began with an adorable Helen Woodward Animal Center costume photo shoot in 2012 based on an observed parallel between orphan pets and Comic-Con attendees. While comic book enthusiasts wait all year for Comic-Con International, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite action-adventure stars, similarly, the orphan dogs and cats at Helen Woodward Animal Center wait a lifetime to meet their superheroes – individuals with one sole mission…to rescue an orphaned pet. The promotion drew the attention of fans and animal-lovers everywhere and turned into an annual event that has grown in pup-ularity with each passing year.
PAWmicon is a family-friendly event that encourages attendees to grab their canine sidekick and celebrate with themed photo experiences, music, games and activities for kids, trivia, opportunity drawings, food vendors and more. Of course the highlight of the event is the all-important PAWsplay Contest for superheroes and their heroic dogs. Those who stop by to partake in the revelry may catch sight of such uniquely comical critters as “Ready Puppy 1,” “Thor: Dog-narok,” “Bark Panther,” “Arf-quaman,” and many others. This year’s Contest will be separated into five fun categories including Superheroes, Super Villains, Cartoon Canines, Pop Culture Pups, and Dynamic Duos – for those who want to dress up alongside their fuzzy family member or have multiple dogs in costume. Contest entries are $10 per contest.
Tickets to PAWmicon can be purchased for $10 per person or $20 for an entry ticket plus a limited edition PAWmicon t-shirt. Get tickets here: www.animalcenter.org/pawmicon.
Those attending, and even those not attending, are encouraged to snap a photo of your pup in superhero PAWSplay to submit for this year’s Superhero Sidekick Pets Calendar Contest. The pet photos (displaying superhero attitude, in either costume or action) with the most votes will receive a professional photo shoot in superhero garb to grace one of the 12 months of this limited edition calendar.
Proceeds from PAWmicon ticket sales, PAWsplay Contests, and entries into the Superhero Sidekick Pets Calendar Contest all support Helen Woodward Animal Center pets and programs.At the core of it all, this unique event has one life-saving mission: To inspire individuals to perform a superhero action of their own and adopt an orphan pet. Side note… These furry sidekicks will quickly reveal their own superhero abilities to save us right back.
Grab your snuggley superhero and the whole family and head to PAWmicon at the future home of the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park on Sunday, July 7th, for a celebration of heroes big and small!
For more information about PAWmicon, visit www.animalcenter.org or www.pawmicon.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Helen Woodward Animal Center PR Director Jessica Gercke: JessicaG@animalcenter.org
Helen Woodward Animal Center Communications Manager Fernanda Lopez: FernandaL@animalcenter.org