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The Great Con Thread
Great idea for a thread! Dying to attend San Diego Comic Con. I'm going to the Dallas Con this year.You met Fiona Staples? I think my heart imploded when I read that. What was she like?
What did you learn from that info post?
Awesome! RainbowDash and I already had an epic conversation about SD Comicon on the Welcome New Members thread. I've been to SD Comicon three times, and I will be attending again this summer. I've become a regular member and attendee now. Its easier for me because I live very close, just a three hour drive away. I've also been to a con in Santa Monica, I think. Not sure if I remember correctly where it was being held... I'm also tempted to go to Wondercon in Anaheim this spring. A friend invited me to go to an Anime Expo in LA this last weekend, but unfortunately I wasn't able to go. I was really bummed. It sounded like a lot of fun.What kinds of cons have any of you been to?
What is your favorite part of a con?
Do you like to go in costume?
I myself like walking through the convention hall, with or without a costume, and visiting all the booths. I get awesome artwork, get to talk to some writers and artists, get free loot and the latest scoop on upcoming video games, movies, tv shows, book series, etc. I try to give myself a spending limit, but I always seem to exceed it. I just needed new movie posters and collectables and such! I think the best part is the general fellowship and comraderie of cons. Bringing along friends and making new ones. It doesn't get any cooler than that.
I have never been to a convention, and it's like a dream of mine to finally get to go to one. (I'm totally jealous that my husband has been to a bunch of music and computer conventions, and even the ones that were for work were fun.) :PThis thread is awesomely relevant, because just today my kids were asking me about taking them to a con, and we discovered that it might actually be feasible for them to save up their allowance and buy tickets to the Austin ComicCon this November. Which, of course, means I get to go, too! :D (Of course, I have to pay for all the gas, food, and hotel room, but I get to go to a con!!)
There's actually a con in Houston (where we live), but it's not as big and doesn't give us as much time to save up money, so we'd rather go to the one in Austin.
Any tips for first-timers (especially for pre-teens / teens) would be appreciated.
Jennifer wrote: "What kinds of cons have any of you been to?What is your favorite part of a con?
Do you like to go in costume?"
1. The only ones of any size I've been to are comic books. Although I really would like to attend DefCon and something specifically sci-fi related.
2. Walking the floor, followed closely by the panels. Walking the floor edges out though because you get to meet the folks who are responsible for the things you love.
3. I've never been in costume, mostly because I want to be comfortable all day. But I haven't ruled it out ever.
@Jennifer - I used to really want to go to San Diego. Now I'm not so sure. I mean there's just SO MANY people, and the line ups.... jesus. And good luck getting into any of the panels you're really keen on. It seems to just be dominated by the big studios now... while that's interesting and all I'm really there for the comics.
@Michelle - you guys will have a blast! My biggest tips for first timers: be prepared for line ups, bring your own water, and bring cash. Bring all the cash you will need. The line ups at the ATMs are seriously ridiculous. Biggest tip though: don't feel too silly to dork out (my little sister did last year and she regretted it). Everybody is a huge dork, you're not going to stand out.
I really want to go to APE and Emerald City. FanExpo is up on the list too.
I actually volunteer and work med staff for Dallas' AKon. I've been going for 6 years so I will be going again this year. We're moving to a new, larger hotel this year so it should be crazy. I've only just gotten really into comics this past year or so, so I'm hoping to be able to go to the Dallas Comic con this year. Maybe if I keep my weekends off schedule see what else pops up schedule wise, and if my gf and I keep our webcomic contacts open get to work ComicCon. (A girl can dream.)
My main Con rules are comfortable shoes and hydrate! You honestly have no idea how much you're going to be walking and the majority of what I see on Medstaff is twisted ankles and dehydration. Make sure you have enough meds to last the whole trip, plus one day's extra to make sure, and advise the Medics ahead of the convention of you have any serious medical issues like seizures. Also, bring a backpack or large bag to put anything you get into. We sit next to security so we see all of the lost an found items come in. It can be a hassle to have to constantly pull your camera out every time you see a costume you want to take a picture of, but don't just hold it in your hand. It's the easiest to lose and can ruin your weekend. Brig cash! Most shops take credit but not all do, plus it will help you from overspending. The websites have schedules you can look at, usually a week or two in advance so print those out and plan for what you want to see/do. No fun to realize halfway through a panel you so wanted to be there. Other than that, just have fun! Look at everything, talk to everyone. For me Cons are like coming home. I'm surrounded by my people!
Yes - heather makes a good point with planning. Make a list of the panels you want to see and prioritize. I was able to get into all of my first choice panels at CalgaryExpo last year because I made a point to time them all out. Saves a lot of disappointment. I'm the same vain - know how soon you can line up for the panels. Most cons have a time you can start (60-30 mins before hand). And don't be afraid to bend those rules a bit if you want to get into one that's popular. You might not be able to actually queue up, but you can sure mill about the general area a lot of the time.
Last year was my 15th straight year going to Comic-Con San Diego and this year will be my 6th going to/5th working for Wonder-Con. I've also gone to AKon in Dallas (just the right size, right Heather?), AnimeExpo in Anaheim, Designer Con in Pasadena, APE in San Francisco and a couple of small ones in Mexico City. Thank God for living in a border city, grad school in SF and family all over the place ^_^My dream convention year would be to add going to New York ComicCon and Japan Expo in Paris (all in the same year) and it will be the best year of my life!
The tips already shared are the essentials, especially the comfy shoes and keeping hydrated. You don’t want to start out your geek-out weekend with shoes that make the rest of it torture, and dehydration is just no fun at all.
I’d recommend being familiar with the con’s guidelines on lining up and milling about in wait for lining up. SDCC has gotten really particular about this because they have so many people trying to get into panels and the Fire Marshall on their case about keeping the walkways clear.
One major thing I learned the hard way is to be particular about what you pick up. Yes, that piece paper doesn’t weigh much and the image is cool, but add up the other 100 pieces of paper you’re likely to pick up and you won’t be able to raise your arms or bend your elbows on Monday. Believe me.
Another big thing to consider is that the place is likely to be packed or at least crowded. It is impossible to keep track of your entire group for the entire time. Make sure you have ways to get in touch with each other that take into consideration the horrible reception most convention centers have. I once got separated from my brother and it took us close to an hour of wandering to find each other. That extra walking for no purpose is no fun. Set up a meeting place that will be checked on the hour (i.e. exactly 3pm, 4pm,5pm) in case of getting separated.
I’ve got about 100 more things I could say, but this post is getting too long. Hit me up with any questions or doubts and I’ll be happy to answer. ^_^
Excited for the cons this year!!!Going to SDCC (it is my 20 year annivesary in attending). Wondercon is going to be in Anaheim this year, so definitely going to that since I live 20 minutes away. Going to Gallifrey One (my first time and sooooo excited). That is it for this year so far. I am dying to go to Geek Girl Con, but not sure I am going to make it this year.
Wow!!! All of this advice sounds right on. I would also advise, for SDCC at least, that you have back up panels or things you want to do in case you don't get into a panel you wanted to see. I know it can be heartbreaking if you waited for forever to get into a panel and then they don't let you in. But don't let your SheGeek spirit get down! If you see that the line is MILES long, and you are pretty far back, and the venue only seats so many, chances are you are not going to get in. This can happen with the panels that are crazy popular. But there is always plenty to do at a con, and in the city you're in, too. So stay focused on the positive.
I'm only saying this because I've seen quite a few people get really down over not getting into a panel, or really belligerent and angry. Don't miss the spirit of the thing!
@Adriana & Christina- a million awesome points to you for such dedication! 15 years, 20 years. That's amazing. Maybe I'll see you at SDCC, or Wondercon. =)
Hello!For anyone in the Southwest USA area (or anywhere really, haha!), the Friends of the Amarillo Public Library is sponsoring our 2nd annual AMA-CON (an anime/comics/steampunk) convention to be held Saturday July 20th 2013 in Amarillo TX.
Visit http://www.ama-con.com for more info.
That is all. Thank you!
Good luck to everyone trying to buy Comicon tickets right now!
Not going. I clicked exactly at noon (That's when it starts over in the East) and I just got a blank page that was loading. After an hour of attempts on my phone, I just decided to refresh the white page. Not to mention four-day passes are already sold out. This registration process was really horribly executed; they need to fix that.
I was really looking forward to it too; I'm so depressed right now, that was going to be my highlight of the year.
But I'll still be attending Youmacon, as I do every year. Michigan's only good convention.
I was really looking forward to it too; I'm so depressed right now, that was going to be my highlight of the year.
But I'll still be attending Youmacon, as I do every year. Michigan's only good convention.
I'm so sorry to hear that! I was also trying to purchase a badge for a friend of mine and I got the same thing you did, a white page of death. I know they will be selling tickets again in maybe a month or so, of the ones that didn't go through this time. Maybe you could get a second chance. I agree that it was horribly executed this year. It seems like every year gets worse. I hope you have a really great time at Youmacon!
I always have a great time at Youmacon! It's a great con. ^_^ My first one, too.
Yes, I believe they're doing a resale thing. I also want to see if I can maybe snatch some up on eBay or something.
Yes, I believe they're doing a resale thing. I also want to see if I can maybe snatch some up on eBay or something.
Buying them on ebay might work, but then again it might not. They specifically give the tickets to the registerred user who buys them, so you'd have to not only have the member id, but also be able to prove that you are them. Like, if my member id were Teadrinkingcat, I would register that "Jennifer is Teadrinkingcat" with comicon and prove that I was them with my drivers license when I go to pick up the badge. I'm not saying you can't buy tickets on ebay, I'm just saying you might spend too much on unusable tickets, and just get ripped off. So be careful.
Yikes, I didn't realize that. :/
Well, I'm not that desperate to go. I mean I was super psyched thinking I would have gone, but it might just not have settled in yet. I'll have to look into the badge thing later on. Do they really have you show your drivers license? By the time Comic-Con starts I will only have my learner's permit.
Well, I'm not that desperate to go. I mean I was super psyched thinking I would have gone, but it might just not have settled in yet. I'll have to look into the badge thing later on. Do they really have you show your drivers license? By the time Comic-Con starts I will only have my learner's permit.
Oh! I'm sorry...I didn't mean you had to have a "drivers license" to go, I just meant you had to have a legal form of id to prove who you are. Most people use a drivers licenses for that. But any legal form of id with your picture on it would work. But to more fully answer your question, yes, they do check your id to let you in to comicon. So buying tickets online or from scalpers might not be a good idea. Sorry about that. I'm sure comicon will give you the opportunity to try again at the resale, and if that doesn't work there is always another time. And besides, its nice to support your local con Youmacon! I'm sure you'll have a blast in Michigan.
Wow, they check your ID? Well, it is the biggest convention in the US, so I suppose that would be needed.
Youmacon is super fun, but they don't really have any good panels, and that was the main thing I wanted to hit up at Comic-Con. But hopefully one year I'll get to go, and this year I gained some experience with the registration process.
Youmacon is super fun, but they don't really have any good panels, and that was the main thing I wanted to hit up at Comic-Con. But hopefully one year I'll get to go, and this year I gained some experience with the registration process.
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Aw that's awesome! Lucky duck! ^_^
I've always wanted to go to Glasgow. How is it there??
I've always wanted to go to Glasgow. How is it there??
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Nah I love Glasgow. I used to live on the east coast of Scotland and it would take a hell of a lot to make me move back there, the west is just so much better. Glasgow has lots of restaurants, bars, clubs, geeky little comic books shops (ok it only has three or four of the last one but one of those is perfect). Also a few nice museums and parks.
If you're going to visit Glasgow there are a few bits of advice I'd give you though; do it when you're old enough to drink (only 18 here), don't do it alone (dangerous city, lots of stabbings and sexual assaults) and try to avoid talking to the most inbred of the locals, you can spot them a mile off, they walk kind of hunched to one side and they look like their diet is solely made up of lager, smack and haggis suppers. There are lots of nice people in Glasgow but those ones are just plain scary.
Reading that back I realise why my mum always whines at me to move home.
I laughed to myself reading that description. XD
Ugh, I'd KILL for a comic-book store. The only one near me is an hour away, and whenever I go there I end up splurging on WAY too much cash.
One of my favorite bands (Beecake) is set in Glasgow. I'd love to see them live.
It seems like a cute little place to live, or have a second home at. Scotland seems very beautiful from pics I've seen, but sadly whenever I grow to love a place all my Internet friends prove me wrong by stating all the stuff about it that's horrible. That's why I don't love London as much anymore. :/
Ugh, I'd KILL for a comic-book store. The only one near me is an hour away, and whenever I go there I end up splurging on WAY too much cash.
One of my favorite bands (Beecake) is set in Glasgow. I'd love to see them live.
It seems like a cute little place to live, or have a second home at. Scotland seems very beautiful from pics I've seen, but sadly whenever I grow to love a place all my Internet friends prove me wrong by stating all the stuff about it that's horrible. That's why I don't love London as much anymore. :/
Mod
Scotland is a very beautiful place, it's just a shame about the weather and the people some times.
.....
You....
You saw.... You saw..... Billy.....???
Ohw my gawd I may worship the you walk on. UGH I'm so JEALOUS!
Yeah, I get what you mean. Michigan is EXACTLY the same. Bleh. Weather is awful (especially nowadays), it snows like all the time, but only in January through February, during November, December, March, and April it's just all slush. You can see the grass, but patches of nasty brown snow are everywhere, and when you think you've found some nice dry grass you sit down and your butt sinks like ten inches into the ground from the mud. Summers are nice though! But it's either extremely warm or extremely cold here. And the people are... interesting. More so boring than interesting, actually....
UGH I wish I lived in Scotland! At least you guys have beauty.
You....
You saw.... You saw..... Billy.....???
Ohw my gawd I may worship the you walk on. UGH I'm so JEALOUS!
Yeah, I get what you mean. Michigan is EXACTLY the same. Bleh. Weather is awful (especially nowadays), it snows like all the time, but only in January through February, during November, December, March, and April it's just all slush. You can see the grass, but patches of nasty brown snow are everywhere, and when you think you've found some nice dry grass you sit down and your butt sinks like ten inches into the ground from the mud. Summers are nice though! But it's either extremely warm or extremely cold here. And the people are... interesting. More so boring than interesting, actually....
UGH I wish I lived in Scotland! At least you guys have beauty.
Haha! You guys are funny. I live in SoCal, so not much weather to complain of, just wind. (But we get serious wind, like 70-80mph). I visited Ireland once and it was....rainy. I expect that Scotland is wet as well. A comic convention in Glasgow sounds really cool, however! I would be the tourist who just can't get over the scottish accent. I would ask them all sorts of stupid questions just to hear them say it. (not in a mean way)
But I think that you can find boring, interesting, and really scary people just about everywhere. I don't have to walk far to find crazy people here.
Mostly I've been doing local cons in the artist alley. While I've gone to some out of state like Akon, Anime Expo, Animazement the past few years... I'm back to just doing Momocon and Anime Weekend Atlanta.Just did momocon actually ... and should write up my report :3. I got an autograph from Steve Blum (voice of Spike Spiegel, Roger Smith, Vincent, etc.) and it was awesome!
Is anybody heading over to Anaheim for WonderCon?What are you looking forward to seeing?
Personally, I'm ready to sleep in any line I have to for as long as I have to in order to see Joss Whedon and Nathan Fillion on Sunday ^_^
Adriana wrote: "Personally, I'm ready to sleep in any line I have to for as long as I have to in order to see Joss Whedon and Nathan Fillion on Sunday ^_^ "I'm also going to see Nathan Fillion this year, although at Calgary Expo instead (fun fact: Nathan Fillion is actually from Edmonton, about 3 hours north of Calgary). No Joss Whedon for me though.
So the first big con I'll be attending this year I'm flying off to next weekend - which is actually sold out this year (first time ever).Should be INSANE. I'm so excited.
My sister got a photo op with Norman Reedus for her birthday, and she wants me to come do the photo with her (she's shy!). Should be interesting, hah!
Hello! Shameless promotion again, sorry.For anyone in the Southwest USA area (or anywhere really, haha!), the Friends of the Amarillo Public Library is sponsoring our 2nd annual AMA-CON (an anime/comics/steampunk) convention to be held Saturday July 20th 2013 in Amarillo TX. Admission is only $5 for this awesome 1 day event :) - please come out and support us! We want to make it even bigger and better each and every year!
Visit http://www.ama-con.com for more info.
That is all. Thank you!
Jennifer wrote: What kinds of cons have any of you been to?
What is your favorite part of a con?
Do you like to go in costume?
1. I'll just tell you which ones -- there haven't been many. The first one I attended was WonderCon a few years back when they were still having it here in San Francisco. I also attended a pinball/arcade machine convention in the South Bay last year that was a lot of fun.
2. Favorite part? I know it can be a bit of sensory overload, but I love the people watching. Second to that, seeing all of the neat stuff -- like new comics or games.
3. I've never gone in costume. I can barely get my shit together for Halloween sometimes! Although I'd like to. I've just never been good at dressing up.
I've been wanting to attend APE and SDCC for about a decade. For one reason or another, I haven't been able to go to either. This year, my husband and I tried to get tickets for SDCC for my 30th birthday but, as most of you know, it was a huge disaster. I hope to go to APE this year but I'll be starting law school in the fall and I don't know if I'll have time for it.
Upcoming cons: I'm really looking forward to the event that Image comics is putting on in July. I even added the date that tickets go on sale to my calendar! There's also a really small con in Sacramento in June that I'd like to attend.
HeatherIlene wrote: "Jennifer wrote: What kinds of cons have any of you been to?
What is your favorite part of a con?
Do you like to go in costume?
1. I'll just tell you which ones -- there haven't been many. The fir..."
Sounds like you've had a lot of fun! I think small cons are a great deal of fun because you can monopolize the artists and booths a lot more. Big cons can be a bit too busy. Good luck with Law School!
Heather- I too desperately want to attend APE! That's on my list of Cons to attend. That and Emerald City (I heard it's a large con really still dedicated to the COMICS and not just pop culture, which so many seem to go to).I've given up ever hope of going to SDCC - while it'd be a wacky experience, it's just not my thing anymore. I know you have to give yourself over to the line up experience, but it just seems so ridiculous now. You can't even get tickets anymore, they sell out so fast. There's other Cons I think are worth the effort instead.
Kelly -- yes! APE looks absolutely wonderful! I haven't heard of Emerald City but I like the idea that there's more of a focus on comics rather than movies/tv/etc.Yeah, I'm starting to think you might be right about the other Cons. I think the one in Chicago would be fun and more accessible.
Jennifer -- thank you so much! I'll need all the luck I can get! And that's a good point about the smaller cons. That's why I'm so looking forward to the one in Sacramento!
My husband and I just went to our first con this weekend! It was Houston's Comicpalooza. It's one of the smaller ones, but still fun! :)The only thing I regretted is that we didn't get costumes. We just didn't have time, and I couldn't think of anything I'd really get excited about. I did have one idea today -- tell me if you'd get the joke on this, and whether you'd think it's funny.
The husband and I are both kinda middle-aged, a bit overweight. And by the next convention, I'll be obviously pregnant. I was thinking we could dress up as Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy with signs that said, "Spider-Man / Gwen Stacy, Earth 1218." Ya know, like Earth 1218: The Earth where Spidey and Gwen are just fat, old comic book nerds. :P
The first con I went to was CA Comic-con, but I don't remember it well, because I was like eight at the time. But, I hope to go again, because now I know so much more about things, (Like comics, movies and even mangas!) But, sadly, this year I didn't get to get tickets, but I will try to get some of the real sell tickets. And I would dress as Ellis from Left 4 Dead 2, because I already have the shirt and hat! I really want to go to Comiccon, again.
I recently attended Motor City Comic-Con, and I also attend Youmacon every year.
I also plan to go to the Chicago Supernatural convention in 2014.
I also plan to go to the Chicago Supernatural convention in 2014.
Michelle wrote: "My husband and I just went to our first con this weekend! It was Houston's Comicpalooza. It's one of the smaller ones, but still fun! :)The only thing I regretted is that we didn't get costumes. ..."
That's a awesome idea for a costume!
Is anyone at the London comic con this weekend?
Alright - who's doing San Diego Comic Con this weekend?
Ugh. Don't bring that up; horrible painful memories.
The mouse clicked loudly, awaiting the ever-sudden fate. It was as sure as life or death. The page loaded extremely slow, the wi-fi almost seeming to blink out for a moment. The user's eyes shifted, sweat dripping from her forehead. This was too intense.
The screen failed to load. The user scrambled for hours on forums, but to no avail. The site had crashed. Tickets were selling by the minute, a countdown on Twitter already beginning. "Three-day passes already sold-out". It was heartbreaking.
She would not be going to Comic-Con that year. And it seemed to be, not any year at all.
*End scene*
The mouse clicked loudly, awaiting the ever-sudden fate. It was as sure as life or death. The page loaded extremely slow, the wi-fi almost seeming to blink out for a moment. The user's eyes shifted, sweat dripping from her forehead. This was too intense.
The screen failed to load. The user scrambled for hours on forums, but to no avail. The site had crashed. Tickets were selling by the minute, a countdown on Twitter already beginning. "Three-day passes already sold-out". It was heartbreaking.
She would not be going to Comic-Con that year. And it seemed to be, not any year at all.
*End scene*
I hear that's pretty much always the problem - seems to repeat itself every single year no matter what. I used to really want to go, but now it seems so Hollywood, and watching Morgan Spurlock's documentary at Comic Con made me kind of sad, with all the comic guys talking about how they're basically regulated to the corner. Pop culture cons are great and all, but it is called Comic-Con.
I'm hoping to hit up Emerald City next year, I hear that one is still true to the comic roots.
That's what I've actually been thinking lately. It's so mainstream (not to sound like a hipster) and just SO many people go, I feel like it would be really overwhelming. Just... bleh.
I'm content with the smaller cons, I think like 10,000 people in my max, though Motor City Comic-Con was pretty good and it was HUGE. Stan Lee was there, which was awesome.
I'm content with the smaller cons, I think like 10,000 people in my max, though Motor City Comic-Con was pretty good and it was HUGE. Stan Lee was there, which was awesome.
Kelly wrote: "Alright - who's doing San Diego Comic Con this weekend?"I'll be going tomorrow.
But, I have no idea if I'll be able to walk so much, hopefully my toe is pretty healed up by then.
I really hope I'll be able to see someone I actually know. I went to comic con when I was like 6 or 7 for the first time and I really, really don't remember it.
Teadrinkingcat wrote: "I'm content with the smaller cons, I think like 10,000 people in my max, though Motor City Comic-Con was pretty good and it was HUGE. Stan Lee was there, which was awesome. "I go every year to CalgaryExpo, which is 60,000-70,000 people and that's pretty damned big - I can't imagine twice that many people! Unfortunately CalgaryExpo seems to be going to way of Comic-Con - much more TV/movie/pop culture related things and less comics (there were next to no comic book panels this year, which really made me sad). Hopefully they get more comic people next year.
But on the other hand, I'd like to do Comic-Con at least once. It's kind of like Mecca - you have to go at least once, right? Too bad we can't time travel, I'd like to go about 10-15 years ago.
Grace wrote: "I went to comic con when I was like 6 or 7 for the first time and I really, really don't remember it. "
Haha, nice! Your parents must have taken you?
Kelly wrote: "Alright - who's doing San Diego Comic Con this weekend?"Here, here!!!!!.....
She says, jumping up and down in excited anticipation.
Christina wrote: "Here, here!!!!!..... She says, jumping up and down in excited anticipation."
Fill us in Christina! What's going on!?
I follow #adamincognito every year on twitter, but this year it was a bit of a let down. The first one it must have taken three hours for people to find him and there was a ton of interaction on twitter. These days it seems like he gets found in 20 mins and there's very little interaction.
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Anything and everything to do with the grand world of comic/manga/anime/gamer/tech/writing cons.
So, who has plans to go, and which are you going to this year? Are you going to more than one? What's your dream list of conventions to visit?
I attended my first big convention last year (previously I'd only ever been to smaller local ones). It was CalgaryExpo and I cannot wait to go again this year. It was probably the biggest highlight of 2012 for me - and despite some problems they had (because they had about 10,000 more people attend than they thought were going to), it was an absolute blast. I met awesome people, got awesome artwork (signed Tony Moore prints), met some creators I was extremely excited to meet (Fiona Staples!!!), and had the time of my life. I'm definitely going back this year.
Thank god I had read a very informative post on attending your first big con - which was written for Comic-Con - but got me really prepared.