Upcoming Events: Comic Con 2013!
June 26, 2013
The Exhibitor list for this year’s Comic-Con has been posted. Time to start plotting who to visit, which booths to patronize.
Does this ever get old? Normally the answer would be *insane cackle* “Of course not.” And in a lot of ways, nope. It really doesn’t. Mecca, after all.
But even I have to admit,Ā after the Badging Debacle of 2011 (wherein my intrepid beloved never-to-be-sufficiently-thanked husband sat up ALL NIGHT among hordes of other similarly intrepid fans to buy our tickets for 2012’s SDCC solely because he knew that the prospect of not going to SDCC the next year would cause me *hic hic hic* “But .. but .. ok .. but but” *hic hic* speech-impaired grief), and after the Sit at the Computer Ready for Anything and losing out on Preview Night 4-day passes Debacle of 2012, a little of my pure, shining, glorious joy in going to Mecca has been tarnished.
I hate crowds, I’m not a huge fan of people in general and you know how I feel about paying ridiculous prices. And yet I’ll plow headfirst into every one of those conditions for Comic-Con, because there’d always been something utterly uplifting about going to SD just for fun. The one time in my year when work wasn’t allowed, when it was completely about fun and nothing else. When it was ok to spend money on myself if I wanted to, and not spend 3 days looking for a bargain first, and then talking myself out of it.
Life isn’t nearly so bleak these days šĀ but there’s something about keeping the traditions originally built into the Annual Pilgrimage that’s homey and comforting. I started out watching every penny, parking out back of beyond, staying with friends because they’re awesome, and buying gifts for people six months early because you can find unique gifts there. Most of it sort of stuck.
It’s the one time in the year we spend quality time with certain friends; it’s awesome if we can find good presents, or at least ideas,Ā well ahead of Christmas; walking the Con floor from end to end is like navigating an obstacle course collecting bonus gifts on the way.Ā It’s really too bad we can’t hit a box for bonus coins or lives but this is good enough.
In recent years, the Con has grown exponentially, promotional events and booths spilling over the edges of the Convention Center itself into neighboring hotels, into the Gaslamp District and clear through to PetCo Park. It’s a sight to see, I tell you.
The main casualty of this growth is their ability to properly sell tickets. It’s become a situation where attendees can’t buy tickets in a sane manner on site for the next year, the vendor managing sales cannot serve up tickets online only without servers collapsing under the weight of anxious buyers and no one knows how many of what kind of tickets will be sold at any given time. It’s a bit of a mess.
There’s no longer a guarantee that this year won’t be the last year that we can get tickets and that’s terribly dispiriting. It seems easier to get a ticket if you went the previous year because you get two shots at the ticket purchasing gauntlet so once you drop out of attending, you almost can’t plan to go back. (Pessimist.)
On the other hand, if this is the last year, we’re going to make the most of it. (And look, I typed that whole statement without having to hold my breath or tearing up. I’m finally making my peace with it. Probably.)
Which means: we’re staying at a hotel in the Gaslamp District at conference rates (only hotel we could get at the time), sharing out the cost by rooming with friends, and planning to make the most of what little time we have left.Ā I have a lot more flexibility with regard to work than I ever have before, so there’s that.
:: Have you got any travel/fun-only traditions? Any that you’re going to have to (or have had to) let go of?
Are there any smaller comic shows near you throughout the year?
I’ve been to NYCC the past two years and it was not worth it to me. Well, it wouldn’t have been worth it if I paid. I did not qualify for the professional badge this year (for whatever reason) and did not even consider paying for it. Maybe I’m not into main stream comics enough, but it gets so crowded you can’t move or see anything. If you want to see a panel you need to spend a lot of time queuing for it. I am not sure if SDCC gets like that at all.
Instead, I’ve found that there are lots of smaller/independent comic expos around ny that are a bit more reasonable to attend and still have some pretty good stuff.
WonderCon used to be nearby but it’s not been for a couple years, and I’ve not been super interested in APE. SDCC is pretty nutty but I grew up with it getting that way so I really don’t mind. Especially queues, for me, they used to actually be a fun thing.
I lived there for years and never went. Always wanted to, though! I’m sorry they may be cancelling it. Would they really do that, given the massive legions of die-hard (and pro-active!) fans and huge amounts of money to be made?? Why wouldn’t they just move it to another venue with more capacity? Las Vegas or somewhere like that?
I’m glad you have that outlet. Sounds like your happy place. š
My annual trip is to see my family on the East Coast, since I left there for far-off places at 22. NOTHING stops that trip. When I’m home, my diet and budget go out the window. I save up and plan for it AAAALLLL year. Sometimes the thought of it is the only thing that gets me through living abroad!
Sorry, I edited to make clear what I meant by “the last year”. They might move it, but I honestly doubt they’d ever cancel w/record highs of attendance each year. I would stop going if they moved it to LA or Las Vegas, honestly. I really don’t like either location at all.
<3 your annual trip to the East Coast.
I had to give up my annual trip, again to home, for Christmas each year once I moved to NZ. Lots of reasons, mainly financial. It is tough not to be near family at Xmas, or partake in any of the traditions, but I still have my summer trip to look forward to. š
I enjoy reading your yearly posts about Comic Con. Vicarious living, I guess. Hope this isn’t you guys’ last time. Gotta keep the tradition going! š
My annual trip is a trip home at whatever time of year that works, and I also have a 1 international trip per year goal that I created about 4 years ago.
When I was married, we had two ritual trips:
1) For years, we would go back to the Highlands Inn in Carmel, where we honeymooned. We spent every Christmas there.
Eventually, the proprietors remodeled and raised the prices beyond what even a corporate lawyer could afford, so that came to an end.
2) After my mother died, my father remarried a woman I couldn’t stand (not in a knee-jerk way — liked her at first, but after a couple years of abuse came to loathe her) . Every Thanksgiving this lady’s daughter would have a big feed at her house, to whom she would summon the family and every refugee from Ohio she could find. (When Ohians move to Arizona, it develops, they hang together like expat Americans in Mexico.) Most of these people were excruciatingly boring and their politics invariably lay somewhere to the right of Adolf Hitler’s. (Not an exaggeration!) The daughter would serve what we came to call “flat white food”: no joke. One holiday the only food with any color on the table was the Jell-O salad!. Otherwise, it was steamed turkey, mashed white potatoes, and boiled cauliflower!
So we took to driving from Phoenix to Grand Junction, Colorado, every Thanksgiving, just to get out of having to go to these shindigs It was a hideous long drive and I didn’t care for his mother much, either — her politics were at the other end of the spectrum, and she was the type who would let you know how stupid you were if you didn’t agree precisely and specifically with every wacky thought that entered her head. But at least we had a decent TG dinner and we didn’t have to listen to fools prattling on about the “brown tide” and what’s wrong with the Navajo and what the ERA was gonna do TO American women.
LOL! I guess that’s why I’m happy not to do any traveling in my old age. š
I’ve always wanted to go to comic con… I’m so jealous!
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