There’s no question that it’s tough to get around the San Diego Comic-Con. I mean, it’s what, 150,000 in one (huge) building? And that’s not counting all the security staff, which has to run to several hundred. (And very nice people, too.)
So it goes without saying that if you want to do anything more in your two, three, or four days than stand in line with 14 Spider-Men and a Magneto in a Speedo (don’t ask. Please don’t ask), you need a plan. Your plan needn’t be terribly specific, more a set of guidelines, to know how to get where you want to be and see what you want to see.
Obviously, if your dream is to see the cast of “The Avengers” in Hall H, then you’re either going to have to camp out all night or, using the new system, get in line really early in the morning and stay for as long as it takes to get to your panel. (Note to SDCC: Guys, it’s the 21st century. Surely you can come up with a better plan…) The same goes, to a lesser degree, for Hall 20. But if that’s not you, I have a few suggestions on how to get the most bang for your buck and enjoy this convention like you would any other.
First, there is practically a side convention going on outside the convention center. Booths and displays are set up across the street. Storefronts have been set up in the Gaslamp, and function rooms in adjoining hotels. There are now panels in the public library (which I recommend you tour just because it’s so awesome, particularly if you’re a baseball fan). They don’t require a badge, and there are enough to fill an entire day.
Second, go to other panels. There are panels at Comic-con which are not held in Halls H or 20. They are really good, and they don’t require standing in line for four hours. (Although given the number of people around, it’s not surprising that they can and do fill up; still, we managed to get into 80% of what we wanted with little to no trouble.)
Lastly, and certainly not least, is the dealer’s room, that ginormous Bat-cave of comic books, movie ads, t-shirts, toys, art, and (to a surprising degree this year) books. If you’ve ever been, you know that the dealer’s room is more packed than a Tokyo subway. And it’s not just the fans, it’s their costumes, the strollers, and the motorized scooters. (Watch out for the latter, particularly in you’re in costume, because they’re not looking out for you. Someday a stroller and a scooter are going to collide and the ensuing traffic jam will collapse into a black hole.)
But there are ways around this conglomeration: (a) Come in on Wednesday, preview day, and never go back; or (b) wait until after 5:30 in the evening. The room closes at 7:00, but by about 5:45, many people have wandered off to find dinner. At that point, it’s easy to explore for over an hour without fear of being trampled, and if it takes more than an hour to see what you want, come back the next day and do it again.
So, yeah, SDCC’s really freaking big, and that’s my main knock against it. But this year I started to discover the cracks between the walls, and to my surprise, there’s a convention there I can actually enjoy. You simply have to wait until the crowd files into Hall H so that you can see it.
#SFWApro
Leave a Reply