I went to San Diego Comic-Con this weekend, and climate change was there. Maybe I brought it with me because I’m a climate reporter, but I couldn’t help but marvel at how much the climate crisis has permeated popular culture.

This is my fourth or fifth San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC). If you’ve never been, SDCC is one of the most popular comic book and fan conventions in the world. I was one of 150,000 people that attended this weekend—all of whom came to celebrate the popular arts. It’s like being transported to another world, one where cosplayers create costumes that rival those on movie sets, and where fandom is front and center.

But this year’s convention was different from the ones I’ve attended before, and not just because the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike kept Hollywood writers or celebrities from promoting their work. (That put the focus back on comics and fans in a way that felt refreshing).

It was the inclusion of climate change that really caught my attention. The creatives at SDCC are making the climate crisis real for their hundreds of thousands of fans in a way that I haven’t seen before. And at least one graphic novel is doing it in the most compelling way possible—by giving a face, name, and story to the ultimate comic book villain: fossil fuel companies. 

Jamie Lee Curtis creates the ultimate climate comic

From the very first day at SDCC, I saw climate change featured as a reality in what otherwise would be fantasy settings. ...