By Ryan Riley, Contributor
I remember the very first time I went to the San Diego Comic-Con back in 1997. I'm fairly certain it was 1997, as I recall the inflatable Spawn that was set up to hype the upcoming release of the (in retrospect disappointing) Spawn movie. I was taken aback by the gargantuan size of the convention center, and was stoked to see so many other fanboys and fangirls in one location. I met a lot of very interesting individuals over the four days I was there. Among the highlights of my Con experience was a chance encounter with Phil LaMarr at the Eisner Awards, who at that point was best known for playing the Jumpy UPS Guy on Mad TV and Marvin, the character that was accidentally shot in the face by John Travolta in "Pulp Fiction". He was an exceedingly nice gent who was actually spending time at the Con as a fanboy and not an actor pimping his latest project, and we chatted for about ten minutes before going our separate ways.
There are other equally pleasant memories that I could share with you guys about the San Diego Comic-Con, but that's not the purpose of this particular column. I've been going to Comic-Con more often than not for over a decade, and you'd have to be as blind as the Mole Man (or Hans Moleman, same diff) to not notice that Comic-Con is receiving more and more mainstream attention over the years. While this has done quite a lot for getting more overall acceptance of comics & graphic novels (and the folks that read them), it has transformed Comic-Con from a moderately attended niche event to a jam-packed celebration of all things that have a connection to sci-fi, fantasy & comics. If you take a look at all of the successful TV shows & movies in this genre that have cropped up in the last few years, that encompasses quite a lot. Shows like "Lost", "Heroes" and "Battlestar Galactica" got a lot of exposure prior to their airing at past Comic-Cons and now the panels dedicated to them are standing-room only. And fanboy-friendly creators like my idol Kevin Smith hold Q & A sessions that are must-attend events. As you can imagine, this makes for a much more crowded house as far as Comic-Con attendance goes.
I hate crowds with a passion, so as Comic-Con has become more crowded, going there has become much more of a chore. In fact, the only reason I've attended the last few times I've gone was that I had a press pass and was covering it, once for www.pulpfictiononline.com and once as a freelancer for Wizard Magazine. But the last time I went, which was two years ago, I shared a hotel room with a pair of siblings that I met through a mutual friend, Ross & Heather. These two had their Comic-Con itinerary planned to the nines, and I was impressed both by their forethought and the results of their preparation. It is mainly from my experience with them that I have compiled the following tips to help ensure that your Comic-Con experience isn't ruined by your disdain for crowds.
I can't stress enough the importance of planning your Comic-Con trip in as far advance as possible. Even getting tickets for the Comic-Con has become a dicey prospect for the procrastinators among us. This year's Comic-Con sold out relatively quickly for all four days shortly after the tickets became available. I know that some of the tips for planning ahead listed below won't really help you for this year, but take them into account for your next trip.
Room accommodations
If you are looking to book a hotel room for the duration of Comic-Con, book well in advance. The hotels closest to the San Diego Convention Center fill up quite quickly, and the ones in the surrounding area don't last much longer. Also, those hotels charge at alarmingly high rates because they know that Comic-Con is in town and adjust their pricing to capitalize. Luckily, the folks that run Comic-Con know that hotels are relatively scarce and they have a service on their official website, www.comiccon.org, that will find you an available hotel room if one is available. As of my writing this article, there were still some rooms available through that website. Take full advantage of this service early, and you won't be caught flat-footed when the next Comic-Con rolls around.
Alternatively, if you happen to know someone that lives in San Diego or the surrounding area, by all means use that to your best advantage. Don't be a mooch about it, though. Offer them some money to put you up (and put up with you) while you're attending the Comic-Con. If they're generous and turn you down, offer to take them out to dinner at a nice restaurant or get them a nice piece of memorabilia on the convention floor to reciprocate. Remember, they are saving you money and grief, which is an invaluable gift considering how expensive hotels are nowadays.
Plan for traffic
Unless you arrive on Wednesday night for the preview, you are very likely going to run into some traffic on the freeway and in the streets that lead to the convention center. Leave early, hit a drive-thru or convenience store for some food & drink and be patient. The earlier you leave, the less hassle you will have.
Parking accommodations
Parking at the convention center fills up really quickly, so plan on arriving early in the morning if you want to park there. Otherwise you will get gouged by parking lots surrounding the convention center for the privilege of not having to walk miles to where your car is parked.
There is a relatively pain-free alternative to parking at the convention center if you aren't an early riser. You can park in the parking lot adjacent to the cruise ship terminal for a nominal fee (comparatively speaking) and take advantage of the free shuttle that goes from there to the convention center. It's not as convenient getting back to your vehicle as parking at the convention center would be, but it sure beats having to wake up at the crack of dawn.
Convention center strategy
Once you arrive at the convention center and claim your pass, there are going to be a lot of people that are planning to do exactly the same thing as you. Don't panic! If you are savvy enough, you can get almost everything done that you set out to do.
The convention floor: This is a veritable cornucopia of one-of-a-kind merchandise, creator signings & giveaways. Get to the booths you are interested in early and chat up some of the folks running them. If it's creators you are wanting a signature from, they will have a schedule of who is signing when. If it's freebies that you're after, find out when they will become available and show up early, as there will definitely be a line. Oh, and if you want to keep even a shred of sanity, don't even bother going on the convention floor on Saturday if you can help it, as that is by far the most crowded day of the con. Get your business there done on Thursday or Friday.
Panels: Be prepared to do a lot of waiting if you are planning to attend a highly-in-demand discussion panel, like Kevin Smith's Q & A session on Saturday. Whatever time-cushion you were going to allow for waiting in line, add at least 2-3 hours to it, because many of your Comic-Con attending bretheren will already be there ahead of you. Be sure you have some entertainment with you, like an I-Pod, PSP, DS or your laptop. If you don't have any of these in your possession, head on over to the convention floor and buy yourself some reading material. The buddy system is invaluable here, as it only takes one person to hold a spot in line. Be nice to the person in your group that bites the bullet and waits in line. Get them something to eat and/or drink for their perseverance.
Restaurant accommodations
The odds are good that once you leave the convention center to go grab some dinner you will run into a minimum wait of an hour to get into most restaurants in the surrounding Gaslamp district. You can get around this easily by doing a little research a few weeks in advance to find out which nearby restaurants you would be interested in eating at. Once you've got that figured out, call and place reservations at each restaurant that you want to eat at. This tactic doesn't allow for any spontaneity in your dining experience, but the ability to walk past the masses that did not have the foresight to plan ahead and eat shortly after you arrive more than makes up for that.
And I'm spent!
If you follow these simple guidelines, you shouldn't have too many problems at the San Diego Comic-Con this year. We want you guys to chime in if there are any other survival tips you might have for dealing with the hassles of Comic-Con.
