Comic-Con 2019: Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes imprint their legacy at Theatre Box San Diego

It was a light-hearted and heart-warming evening on Friday as Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes stopped by Theatre Box San Diego to permanently make their mark on the city.

The film legends, best known for their roles as Jay and Silent Bob in the Smith’s directorial debut Clerks, were invited to a handprint ceremony in downtown San Diego to honor their cinematic achievements.

“We love sticking s^&* in cement, so this is perfect for us,” Smith said before the ceremony began.

The event was held at Theatre Box San Diego in the Gaslamp, an entertainment and dining venue created in collaboration with TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood. The San Diego version of the handprint ceremony continues a longstanding tradition of honoring Hollywood’s most cherished.

“I’m super excited about it,” Mewes said, referring to the honor. “Walking by the one [Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre] in L.A all the time, I look at all the handprints and put my hands in there and say, ‘This could be me one day.’ And here it is.”

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The film duo work on their cement handprints, which will be displayed at Theatre Box San Diego.  ((Sara Butler | PACIFIC Magazine))

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Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith are the latest film legends to be honored with the handprint ceremony, a longstanding tradition of TCL Chinese Theatres.  ((Sara Butler | PACIFIC Magazine))

Kevin Smith, a regular at Comic-Con International, noted his and Mewes’ love and appreciation for San Diego.

“San Diego is a big city for us. It’s always been really good to us,” Smith said, noting the numerous projects they have brought to Comic-Con International throughout the years.

“This city is in my DNA and my genetics at this point,” he continued. “So to know that there’s a little piece of us that’ll stick behind even when we are not here in town is thrilling.”

After their speeches, Smith and Mewes signed their names with a stick in the wet cement — which Mewes jokingly described as a “crossbow arrow” — before sticking their hands in to cement themselves as film icons in San Diego. While Smith took the traditional handprint approach, Mewes playfully set his right hand as a “rock on” gesture.

Smith and Mewes have been professionally and personally connected to each other for 30 years, and 25 years ago they decided to team up for their debut movie, Clerks. The independent film, which first introduced their characters of Jay and Silent Bob, garnered many prominent awards and became a cult classic. These characters continued to appear in many other collaborative works, such as Mallrats, Chasing Amy and Dogma.

2019 not only marks Comic-Con International’s 50th anniversary, but also the 25th anniversary of Clerks. Smith and Mewes’ next project together is Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, the sequel to 2001’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. The comedy is slated to hit theaters Oct. 15.