For San Diego Comic-Con 2026, Searchlight Pictures turned Hasta Mañana Cantina in the Gaslamp Quarter into a full Super Troopers 3 takeover, and Volume 11 Inc printed and installed the graphics that made it happen. That Comic-Con activation included a fire-themed exterior building wrap, wrapped structural columns, branded signage, and custom arched wall panels inside the dining room. We’re a San Diego large-format print, wrap, and installation shop, and this is the kind of job we build our calendar around every July.
What the Super Troopers 3 Takeover Looked Like
The pop-up ran Friday through Sunday, July 24–26, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 310 Fifth Avenue, a short walk from the Convention Center. According to the San Diego Comic-Con Unofficial Blog, fans got free pancakes with Crown Maple syrup each morning, a Bogey Bros putting green, merch giveaways, and a close look at the Apocalypse Hellfire 6×6 truck from the film.
The same venue hosted the “Behind the Badge” after-party following the film’s July 24 premiere at AMC Mission Valley 20, with cocktails, games, and a DJ, as Laughing Place reported. Super Troopers 3 then hit theaters August 7. So the space had to read as a movie set at 9 a.m. for families and at midnight for a premiere crowd.
The Exterior Building Wrap: Turning a Corner Into a Fireball
Hasta Mañana sits on a corner in a brick building, which means two street-facing elevations and a lot of foot traffic from both directions. The building wrap covered the lower facade, the fascia band above the awnings, and every pier between the windows in a continuous wall of flame imagery. From a block away, the corner looked like it was burning.
Printing that at building scale is a different problem from printing a banner. The artwork has to line up across panel seams, wrap around corners without the fire pattern jumping, and stay sharp on textured stucco. We ran it on HP printers with 3M vinyl for color density and adhesion, the same material standard we use for our vehicle wraps. Branded awnings and a vertical logo sign by the entrance tied the whole elevation together.
Inside the Restaurant: Arched Panels and Column Wraps
The interior is where the film’s branding got personal. A row of arched insets above the booth seating became framed art: alternating panels of the gold Super Troopers 3 logo and a painted eagle scene, each one set inside the room’s glowing arch frames against the existing teal tile. Structural columns inside got column wraps so there was no bare surface breaking up the theme.
Curved panels like these are cut to the exact arch profile, so measurement matters more than anything. We handle that kind of surface work the same way we approach wall murals, with wall prep first so the graphic lies flat and comes off clean when the event ends. That last part matters to a restaurant that has to reopen as itself the following week.
Why SDCC Activations Pay Off for Brands and Venues
The numbers explain why studios spend on SDCC activations. The San Diego Convention Center says Comic-Con generates more than $160 million in regional impact, and organizers expected more than 135,000 attendees this year, per KPBS. The same report cited UC San Diego researchers projecting about $40 million in activity in the Gaslamp neighborhood alone.
Here’s the thing: most of those fans never get into Hall H. They walk Fifth Avenue looking for something to photograph. A wrapped building is free advertising every time someone posts it, and the host venue gets a packed room during its busiest week. We’ve written about how Comic-Con season signage helps local shops catch that same crowd on a smaller budget.
How to Plan a Comic-Con Activation Build
If you’re a studio, agency, or venue planning a Comic-Con activation for 2027, the print side should start well before badge pickup. A takeover this size involves site measurements, landlord and venue approvals, artwork built to real dimensions, production, and an install window that usually lands just days before Preview Night. Everything downstream depends on the measurements being right.
- Survey the site early. Photos aren’t enough for arches, columns, and corners. Get a physical measure.
- Build art to the surface. Seams, windows, and door frames should be planned into the design, not discovered on install day.
- Pick materials for removal. Temporary activations need vinyl that holds for a week and releases without damaging paint or brick.
- Book install time around the venue. Restaurants stay open, so crews often work early mornings or overnight.
Our event design team can help size artwork to the space before it goes to print. Plan your next activation with Volume 11 and we’ll walk the site with you.
What to Ask Before You Hire a Print Partner
Plenty of vendors can print a big image. Fewer can print it, cut it to an arch, and install it on a live restaurant in the Gaslamp during convention week. Before you sign, ask whether the shop does its own installation or subcontracts it, what vinyl it uses for temporary exterior work, and whether it has done multi-surface brand activation jobs before. Ask to see finished installs, not mockups.
Local matters too. A shop that does large format printing San Diego businesses rely on year-round can reprint a damaged panel the same week instead of shipping one overnight. Our success stories include this build, and our guide to getting signage ready for Convention Center events covers the timing side. For shops that want the look without a full wrap, storefront graphics on the glass are a lighter option, and our post on storefront window signs and graphics breaks down the choices.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far ahead should we book a Comic-Con activation build?
For a full building wrap and interior event graphics, start two to three months out. That leaves room for site measurements, approvals, and proofs. Smaller jobs like window graphics or banners can move much faster.
Will a building wrap damage the venue’s walls?
It shouldn’t when the material matches the surface and the wall is prepped properly. We use removable vinyl for temporary work so the venue returns to normal after the event.
Do you install in the Gaslamp Quarter during convention week?
Yes. We work throughout the Gaslamp Quarter and downtown, and we schedule install crews around street closures and restaurant hours.
How much does a restaurant takeover cost?
It depends on square footage, the number of surfaces, and install complexity. Call (619) 997-2280 with your venue details and we’ll put together a quote.
Bring the Next Takeover to San Diego
The Super Troopers 3 build is what we like doing most: a tight deadline, a big idea, and a space that has to look completely different by morning. Whether it’s a studio pop-up, a brand launch, or a single wrapped wall, we’ll print it and hang it ourselves.
Ready to Get Started?
Planning a Comic-Con activation, product launch, or venue takeover? Talk to the team that set Hasta Mañana on fire.
Plan your next activation or call us at (619) 997-2280.