14 tips for SDCC first-timers

20 JULY 2026

If there's one thing that is absolutely adorable in the days leading up to Comic-Con, it's the questions asked by first-timers. Their eyes see everything in a whole new way; it's perfectly logical to them that we might have to register in advance for panels or that a box lunch might be provided. 

If that's you - stumbling through the SDCC forest on your newborn legs like a baby fawn and trying to avoid horrific mistakes - here are a few things other first-timers have told me. 

Build your day around 1-3 priorities.

Sometimes it might even just be 1 if you're chasing an SDCC white whale. You can't get everything you want at Comic-Con, and it's really easy to get distracted or delay buying something that sells out faster than you thought. Pick your top priorities and then forever hold your peace.

But don't be afraid to pivot.

Sometimes your dream panel turns out to be a dud; go ahead and seek greener pastures. Or sometimes someone opens the door to a better offsite or event. SDCC is volatile and you'll want to be flexible.

Learn how to navigate the convention center.

That includes A) going in the evening hours when it empties out B) choosing the bathrooms at the back, as they are often less crowded and C) using the lobby to make your way from one end to the other, rather than trying to push through the crowds. 

Also: don't clog the aisles! Keep it moving. And speaking of clogs, don't fill up your schedule with back-to-back panels - you'll need to factor in transit time and lines. Just because Panel 1 ends at 1:00 and the next one doesn't start until 1:30 doesn't mean you'll get in. You might - but if it's a hot ticket panel, you might not.

Finally, if you see an item you want to return to, take a photo of the booth floor number. Take a photo of the item too and see if it's available elsewhere.

Order groceries.

Now that we live in the glorious age of Insta-cart and Whole Foods delivery, it's really easy to fill up your room with things for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Ralph's is an obvious choice for getting groceries delivered. Not only will you save money, you'll be able to cram in more action when you don't have to stop and travel outside the Con to lunch.

Consider canceling - or adding - a night at your hotel.

I am someone who jets out on Saturday quite a bit - so if you're not in love with Sunday, it's not too late to shave off a night at your hotel and pocket the savings. It's also nice having an extra day to recover.

If you want to go in the other direction, booking Sunday night is not difficult to do and often inexpensive. Why would you do this? So you can relax, spend some time at the beach or zoo or Balboa Park, or just go out and annihilate yourself Sunday night and sleep in the next morning.

Be realistic about lines.

Predicting lines is voodoo beyond my pay grade, but some things are obvious - like Hall H for Saturday. A few tips:

Don't make a blanket decision to line up days in advance. As a first-timer, you'll want to be judicious with your Con time - especially if Hall H turns out to be less than enthralling or (it happens) you snooze off during the panel. And sometimes people are forced to disperse after already investing hours in a line, or the official line is started elsewhere.

Ask around. Hall H is sometimes walk-in; smaller rooms sometimes have terrifying lines. Just ask your community and people will try to help. 

For the Exhibit Hall, it depends on how desperate you are to buy certain items. I haven't lined up for this in years so I can't speak precisely to this, but hardcore collectors line up early - especially since there are no other Con activities they're sacrificing. If you are dying to be in the first few hundred who get into Preview Night or the Exhibit Hall, you'll need to join these people.

The same applies to offsite lines. I know some of you enjoy spending 9 hours in line and whether that's worth it to you is your call. But every year people complain bitterly about waiting in standby only to never get in or find out the offsite was middling at best.

Don't get caught up in Exhibit Hall Fever...

...I say hypocritically, falling victim to it every year. But I'm not as bad as I used to be, and you can restrain yourself too; it's easier than ever to quickly check whether an item is available online or less "first edition" than the seller claims. 

Don't be afraid to ask for volume discounts but aggressive haggling isn't much welcomed. You can take it up a notch on Sunday, when vendors want to unload as much product as possible. Go ahead and ask about getting a deal if you don't see anything advertised. Just be respectful about it.

Be nice to cosplayers.

The general etiquette is to ask first. However, if someone is already posing for 6 cameras, there's no harm in jumping into the mix. In terms of taking pictures with cosplayers, give them some distance. You'll likely be in a humid, crowded environment and cosplayers may not want sweaty strangers pressing up against them. (Would you?) 

Start shipping things home mid-Con.

It keeps your room tidy and helps you pretend you haven't gone that much over budget. There's a FedEx in the convention center and at the Marriott next door, with some other options in the Gaslamp. 

Put yourself out there.

There's a common thread in first-timer reports: the ones who communicate with others tend to get invited to great parties, receive free tickets, take celebrity photos, and generally find doors swinging open for them. Extroverts really do win the race at SDCC.

Wherever you find yourself, there will be something to talk about. Attendees tend to be pretty friendly and laidback, so just turn around and get it started. Ask about a surprise offsite or live art show. SDCC is one nonstop information exchange. 

If you are looking to hook up, there's no real secret there. You'll go to events and bars and your hotel lounge/pool and  hit the apps just like you would normally. There are events around town that put the odds in your favor, but you won't necessarily meet a lot of Con people there. Most of us are sprawled on our hotel beds in the wee hours or soaking our aching feet.

Don't creep out celebrities.

Never in my life have I seen people obsessed with celebrities like SDCC attendees. It's like listening to a big family gossip about scandalous relatives, until you realize they've never actually met any of these people. If that's you, no judgement, (well, not much), but do restrain yourself from panting, gasping, following, begging, and petting them - all things I've witnessed to my abject horror.

Be polite and respectful and of course you already know this. I feel like the best celebrity encounters are drunken actors in Gaslamp bars, but I know many of you have well-honed tricks like waiting in certain areas of the convention center or lingering by certain booths after signings are over. Don't get arrested. 

Stay connected to news and media.

It feels delicious to simply step into the convention center and be enveloped by the beautiful chaos whirling around you. But you will want to stay connected to the outside world - social, Hollywood Reporter and Collider, other culture blogs and forums, and your favorite influencers. 

I know most of that coverage is for people who aren't there but it's your best bet for finding out about things you'd otherwise miss. Booths, screenings, parties, sleeper exclusives - you don't want to read about it all when it's too late.

Read the panel descriptions

One first-timer noted that a lot of great panels suffer from bad titles. This is true and I'll admit I am guilty of moving right past a boring panel title, only to be startled when my friends mention something amazing I missed in the programming. 

Finally, consider trying something new. 

You will never have an opportunity as rich as SDCC to explore a new hobby. If normally you're just into cosplay, sci fi, comics, anime, collectibles, indie films, writing, gaming, a certain fandom - jump the fence and try something different. The Con is a great place to get introduced to something you might normally bypass. So many people discover a whole new obsession this way.

Ultimately Comic-Con is what you make it - but preparation is your friend. Be open to adventure, be flexible enough to let go of whatever isn't working out, and make the most of what does happen. If you can do that, you'll have an incredible time.

What do you really want from San Diego Comic-Con?

 19 JULY 2026

Hopefully today is a lazy calm before the storm Sunday for you - everything organized, packed or semi-packed, prepared, listed, arranged, and understood. It's not like Comic-Con is a surprise so you should be in good shape at this point (though no judgement if you're not.)

But assuming you are, today is a good day to think deep thoughts about the Con. Namely - what do you really want out of it?

Not a specific Mattel item or conquering the standby line at the Lanterns offsite, but on a deeper level. I find that almost everyone gets something emotionally from SDCC. It might be time with friends (the usual answer) but it's often validation too - being admired as a cosplayer, being praised in portfolio review, or some kind of parasocial dream made real by interacting with a celebrity. Sometimes it's a more amorphous feeling like you're living at last in a city populated by your own kind. Sometimes you're able to make a connection that advances you professionally. Some people just go off leash away from their spouse and kids and indulge themselves in any way they can.

It's good to know what you really want from Comic-Con for 2 reasons:

1) You can stave off disappointment. Many of us who attended and loved it "back in the old days" (everyone's Old Days is different) felt a sense of loss when it changed. Most of my favorite creators stopped coming. Someone important to me who I met at SDCC and developed a deep two-decade friendship with stopped exhibiting. My ex who went with me for the first 10 years died. My favorite booths got priced out. I'd still go but a deep melancholy would descend on me every Preview Night afternoon. 

Finally, I got a grip and realized I had to let go of those ghosts. Once I accepted I wasn't going to ever have the same experience, I was able to accept SDCC for what it is. Sometimes it still feels like a funhouse mirror, showing me a grotesque reflection of my past, but it passes and I know how to focus on what feels positive and gratifying.

Other people go through something similar - not just complaints about "Why doesn't CCI do THIS anymore?" but a rather gutting annual revisiting of things they've lost. An ex-spouse, an abandoned career, a fandom that disintegrated around them - SDCC is important to attendees so it makes sense that we have to say goodbye to important things there. 

Every now and then a former attendee will email me to explain why they don't go anymore and they'll list all their grievances but also mention the things they loved at SDCC. I think those mixed feelings are pretty common among veteran attendees. Disappointment and bitterness can ride side by side with intrigue, curiosity, and fixation. 

If that's you, my advice is to be brutally honest with yourself about what you want to get psychologically and emotionally from the Con - even if the answer makes you squirm - and map out a way to get it. Not necessarily from SDCC, but in another way in another area of your life. After that, it's much easier to take SDCC for what it can offer.

2) You'll make smarter choices. I cringe whenever I see attendees passively drifting around the Con, following their friends' lead or letting social media tell them where to go. Especially when they then say they didn't get what they wanted from the Con - even though it was right there.

SDCC only comes once a year. Get clear with yourself on what you're looking for and go after it even if it's not what your friends want to do. They who travel alone travel fastest - and time is of the essence at the Con. 

SDCC is also a great place to take your first steps into a dream. There are creative workshops, advice on breaking into various fields, and meetups. No one knows you there - show up, take a risk, and put yourself out there. 

The same goes for meeting people. I used to get so many questions asking "How do I meet someone at the Con?" - mostly for dating, but often trying to make friends - and while I don't so much anymore, I think people are still keen to make some kind of connection. And for first-timers or anyone showing up alone, making friends is a major gift. On a practical level, it's someone to team up with in the pursuit of hotel rooms and badges but on another level, it's someone to share some of your most joyful experiences with.

What do SDCC first-timers dream of?

On your first go-round, I wouldn't expect you to correctly anticipate how SDCC will affect you emotionally - your job is to explore and discover and identify the potential you could have there. You'll be better prepared in 2027 but right now, keep your goals simple, listen to the buzz, and pay attention to the booths, panels, and events making waves. Be open to everything washing over you. 

But don't feel you have to approach Comic-Con a certain way - this is your Con and you can architect it exactly how you want. Sometimes people will groan, "You don't even do Hall H or Her Universe? You're missing all the good parts!" But there are a hundred little corners of SDCC precisely because we're all into different things. Every person who's glued to a tournament in a gaming hall or sitting through film after film or collecting every Peanuts item possible is just as valid as the people in Ballroom 20.  

Just some thoughts in our last moments of downtime before the mouth of madness opens wide and swallows us.  I apologize if this was depressing. I spent the afternoon watching a 1971 British occult cheesecake horror film I bought at the Bud Plant booth 12 years ago and my nostalgia and philosophizing kicked into gear.

And I do think a little pre-Con reflection is good for everyone. As Confucius said, there are 3 methods for gaining wisdom: reflection, which is noblest, imitation, which is easiest, and experience, which is bitterest. So it's not surprising that the wisest attendees do all 3. 

Packing for Comic-Con 2026

 18 JULY 2026

Our last weekend before San Diego Comic-Con feels like the right time to bring out that old chestnut of an article: what to pack.

Have you packed yet? Have you divided up what to pack and what to ship to your hotel? You still have time to get your hands on well, anything, so here goes:

The obvious:

Comfortable shoes. Plural. Shoes for hardcore Conning, shoes for wandering around the hotel and pool, shoes for going out at night - make sure all of them are kind to your feet.

The right clothes. Something for cool nights, hot days, a bathing suit, something comfortable enough to spend hours in line in. At least one nice outfit. If your hotel is far away and you're going to be at the Con all day and night without showering, bring non-wrinkling shirts that can roll up in your bag so you can change at some point.

Convention center prep. Hand sanitizer, blotting papers and makeup setting spray, wet wipes, band-aids and moleskin, compression socks. Those little neck fans can be nice but some of them eat long hair, as I learned the hard way.

Sunscreen. And if you're planning on a lot of time in line for offsites or Hall H, bring a covered chair, umbrella or other shelter.

A heavy-duty power bank. Or two if you're on your phone a lot or are bringing equipment. First-timers, do not count on finding an outlet and charging up. The convention center is a graveyard. Even going next door to the MMM lounges isn't the solution it used to be, because everyone is already sprawled about doing the same thing.

Cash. Big bills and little bills. Some dealers won't take cash but it's handy to have on you when they do, and you will likely be tipping people along the way. 

Some kind of sitting support. A portable chair, a collapsible stool, whatever feels comfortable to you.

A refillable water bottle. An absolute must.

Poster tubes, sketchbooks, sharpies. You'll want to be ready for that perfect signing or sketch.

The less obvious:

A durable, large, but navigable bag. Those enormous Warner Bros. bags have their purpose but they are not suited for frequently diving in and out of, and they can be cumbersome if you're short. Depending on how much you plan to buy, bring a tough canvas or nylon bag or one of those Baggu bags that can easily roll up.

A hard box that fits in that bag. Good for protecting easily-damaged items as you get jostled about on the floor. Consider a hard folder for stickers, sketches, expensive comics, etc.

A pop-up cube for the hotel room. You can shove every t-shirt, plushie, swag item, and exclusive into it to keep your room tidy and your stuff separate from your roommates' things. 

Electrolyte drinks. It's easy to get dehydrated at SDCC, even if you feel you're drinking enough water.

Earplugs, sleep mask, magnesium, melatonin, or white noise. Some hotels are super noisy all night long.

Pharmaceuticals. Ibuprofen for headaches, probiotics or laxatives for digestive issues, eye drops, Vitamin C, Emergen-C, and zinc lozenges, muscle rubs, deodorizing spray, extra tissue for restrooms, allergy medication.

Don't bother to pack these things

A bunch of different outfits and shoes. You can probably get by on your support shoes and one pair of going-out shoes.

An entire of suitcase of back issues and old action figures to sell. The vendors aren't interested unless you've got something super special. And you rarely get the best price buying or selling at SDCC.

A sky-high tech stack. Do you really need your laptop, GoPro, tripod, phone, audio mixer, and iPad at SDCC? For most of you, probably not. Don't weigh yourself down unless you have to.

It's hard to believe, but a week from tonight is our last night at Con. Are you ready? 

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On parasites, injuries, and viruses: staying healthy at SDCC

 15 JULY 2026

Just in time for our favorite week of the year, a disgusting new parasite is invading America's small intestine - and potentially, convention center restrooms. Unless you're one of those people who never watch the news, you've probably heard of cyclosporiasis by now. That's the illness and the little bugger that causes it is called cyclospore cayetanensis. Currently there are over 2000 cases in the States and they are mostly thought to stem from contaminated fresh produce. 

Bad news for everyone sticking to salads to make sure they fit into their Starfire cosplay.

I'm not telling anyone what to eat - although I did painstakingly pick every single bean sprout off my pad thai tonight - but it is a good idea to learn the basics of our new intestinal friends and form your own approach to protecting yourself. No one wants to confront a restroom line when diarrhea hits. And a lot of us will be dining out next week, with less control over our food prep than we'd normally have.

But parasites aren't even the big bad of SDCC. People get sick all the time at Comic-Con. It's just inevitable with thousands of people milling around up close and personal and touching books, escalator rails, elevator buttons, and other germ-friendly locations. But maybe Con Crud isn't the most common affliction either. Maybe that belongs to the mostly preventable overuse injury, which includes every throbbing knee, sore hip, stiff neck, and aching back, all boiling down to one reason: a lot of attendees walk and stand way, way, more than they're used to.

I know we're a week out but here are a few things you can do to protect yourself.

Rest up. 

Once, in my Comic-Con youth, I could carouse all night, hitting beach parties, Gaslamp bars, hotel room parties, and end it all by greeting the rising sun; now I absolutely need a decent amount of sleep. If that's you, rest up this coming weekend. If your hotel might be noisy, figure out a solution like soft earplugs or white noise. Once you're at the Con, try to set aside at least one night for a good sleep and don't be afraid to take naps.

Boost your immunity now.

Because I'm 60% hippie, I ingest quite a few supplements and swear by their powdery magic. Probably you have a different protocol - but whatever that is, zinc, echinacea, immunity boosters, a B-12 shot - start your regimen now. Not when you get there.

Protect your feet. 

So often people hear "bring comfortable shoes" and translate that to, "wear your old trainers you've had for years." But the shoes that feel comfortable on a lazy Sunday are not often the same shoes that will ferry you comfortably through days of 20,000+ steps and hours in line. 

If you haven't bought seriously supportive shoes yet, do that immediately and break them in each day so you're not in blister hell at SDCC. Or at least buy a nice pair of quality orthotics.

And if you are mostly sedentary, start walking every day. You actually can build up a moderate tolerance over the next week, if you walk and stretch every day. You'll be in much better shape come Preview Night.

On a nightlife note - you may be packing spike heels or dominatrix boots for nights on the town, but I would caution you to pack comfortable options too. Vanity is often the first casualty after Day 1 at Comic-Con. 

On that note, bring a collapsible stool, camping pad or some other support.

Even spry young things can suffer in a long line. It's truly horrible to work so hard to make it to SDCC and then miss a top panel because your bad back is screaming at you to go back to the hotel. There are some really convenient and portable options out there these days.

Eat well.

Maybe you love food trucks and Subway; maybe you already have a reservation at Nobu; maybe you have a taste for Exhibit Hall french fries. What matters is remembering that you can't always eat when you want to if you're going to be in long lines and panels, so account for that and don't skip too many meals or eat too much crap. Keeping your mood and blood sugar stable goes a long way at SDCC.

Bring a small pharmacy. 

Or order it when you get there - but do have the wonders of modern medicine on hand. Ibuprofen, eye drops, band-aids, sunscreen, back/knee/ankle braces, condoms, digestive cures, and other magic tricks can help you enjoy Comic-Con instead of suffering through a headache, constipation, or sunburn, or worse. 

  

Protect your mental health. 

If this is your first SDCC, you might be surprised at how emotional it can be. Not always in a positive sense - roommates fight, Holy Grail exclusives sell out, friends go to a party without you, the 24/7 bombast snaps your last nerve. It's a bit of a pressure cooker. Identify a retreat where you can have some quiet time. Maybe it's just a movie at the Marriott where you can sit in the dark for a while, or a local 12-step meeting, or a morning walk around the zoo. If you know you are highly sensitive, arrange in advance to have a friend on standby or a therapist or a telepsych appointment.

Ask CCI for help.

CCI offers rest areas, private areas for nursing mothers, a first aid team, wheelchairs, ASL interpreters, special seating, mobility and disability assistance. This is all there for you, the attendee, so go ahead and ask for it.

No one wants to be sick or injured - or a host to a parasite - at Comic-Con. It happens easily, but it can be avoided easily for the most part too.

1 week!

Don't skip the Exhibit Hall and Convention Center maps

13 JULY 2026

So many first-timer questions this year! Someone messaged me for advice in a way that revealed they had no clue as to the scale of the convention center - and why would they? It's hard to picture spatially until you're in it. And in a conversation that didn't involve me, I saw someone casually advise a first-timer to go with the flow and just have fun. But there's nothing fun about missing out on your dream exclusive or top panel, and both of those are likely if you throw all research to the wind and steer your SDCC ship by vibes alone.

The Exhibit Hall and all its wonders

Let's start with The Exhibit Hall maps. That includes the Small Press, Fan Tables, Exhibitors, and Artists' Alley. I know just looking at it all is a lot. But that's exactly why you need to tie it to your master plan. Dump dozens of thousands of people in there, add noise and blinking distractions, and the odds of you missing the things on your wish list keep going up. Looking at the map now increases your odds of getting the items/signings/encounters you want - and will (somewhat) spare you of that hellish moment when you get home from SDCC and realize you missed the perfect booth. 

I said earlier to develop a system now for your schedule and your wish list - you did that, right? Mark down the booth numbers you need to visit, the times and locations of signings, the artists and publishers you want to hit up, and figure out the most efficient way to nail every item.

The convention center and the city

If there's one common mistake newcomers make at SDCC, it's underestimating the travel time between events and panels. You just move from one room to the next - how bad could it be? But if you're leaving Hall H to be in room 6A for a 2:30 panel, and you want to stop by the Dark Horse booth on the way, you'll need to factor in some time. 

That includes leaving your hotel. If your hotel was labeled .4 miles from the convention center, it sounds like a brisk walk. But you'll be navigating through intense crowds, waiting to cross streets, and obeying unexplained commands from uniformed officials. There are cosplayers, there are vendors, there are strollers, and it can be so incredibly arduous to push through them all - politely, of course.

To prepare, I recommend watching this video to get a feel of how sprawling the convention center is.

And also: look at the convention center floor plan - and this one too.  Just seeing the room capacity can help you put lines in context. If 6BCF holds over 2,000 people, a line down the hall isn't that foreboding. But if you're trying to get into room 8, which doesn't even hold 500 people, then maybe that long line is telling you to go elsewhere.

The general layout is easy to navigate; you won't get lost. But if you can, give yourself some time to walk the convention center on arrival and get a general feeling for where things are. Locate the Omni and Marriott Marquis if you're attending events there. Note where you'll catch your shuttle. If you get into town early enough, walk around the Gaslamp before it gets nuts. 

SDCC is not a music festival where you can wander from stage to stage. You really want to put some thought, research, and planning into where you go, when you line up, what is realistic and what is a pipe dream. I know it sounds like I'm trying to drain all the fun out of it and turn it into an SAT study session, but it's the planning that allows you to go full hedonist (or partial) when you're there. Because you're not wandering around in a state of confusion or furious with yourself for missing a signing.

It's hard to believe we're only a week and two days away.

Panel announcements: the predicted, the intriguing, and the obvious heavy hitters

 12 JULY 2026

Think fast: what's your favorite, can't miss, #1 SDCC panel pick for 2026?

If your answer is that you're indifferent to panels, well, this isn't for you. Everyone else: what did you think? Did your existing SDCC plan get blown to smithereens? Or is it looking like more of a steady, enjoyable blend of interesting plans with free time for offsites, the floor, and your hotel pool?

What we already knew

That Marvel and Apple TV were going to make Saturday Hall H a beast. While Friday programming and Friday night events are appealing in their own right, many people will sacrifice both in favor of lining up for a wristband and organizing their battle plan for a front section seat.

We recently learned Kate McKinnon was coming but it was still exciting to see her name in a panel description.

Mike Flanagan bringing Carrie to the Con was something we knew - but why isn't there a bloody prom offsite? Or actual nerd prom, where you can vote for your most annoying hotel roommate to be crowned/dumped pig's blood on? Missed opportunity.

The animation panels weren't surprising - but it's comforting to see that continuity.

What we didn't know - at least, I didn't

The Midnight Universe. Did everyone know about this but me? I'm intrigued - I think we all need a new enthralling comic book world to disappear into right now.

Meow Wolf partnering with Titmouse. I'd heard MW was coming to SDCC but not that they were working with Titmouse. Their panel with AREA15 on creating immersive experiences sounds interesting too.

David Lynch's art getting a moment in the SDCC sun. I believe he sent a taped message for a Twin Peaks panel years ago, but this was unexpected and I'm really looking forward to it.

The screening of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. I don't think I realized it was at this stage already.

Batman: Knightfall Part 1 - I was surprised and thrilled to see this. I also didn't know Saucer Country was becoming a TV show but that's my failure to keep up with the news.

Overall verdict: a solid but not exceptional year. Not much in the way of jaw-dropping news but I think most of us who like panels will find enough to hold our interest. Most of the comic panels were predictable but still welcome news. Star Trek fans especially have some choice offerings, including a chance to celebrate the 60th anniversary (!) with George Takei - and I have to mention my friend's panel, Stars of Star Trek, which will revisit the actual stars and science of Star Trek. 

Me personally: I sensed in advance this year would not yield much on my wishlist - news about the Dark Shadows animated series, a sneak peek at Sex Criminals, literally anything about Other Mommy, the list goes on. But I'm at peace because I've attained an SDCC serenity in which it's really more about the experience and seeing friends and discovering new things than hunting down specific items and panels. 2009 me, who shapeshifted into a jaguar every Preview Night, would not have believed it. 

What about you? Are you more excited than ever? Do you have that one (or seven) top item or panel, the acquisition of which will drive your entire Con? Did you confirm your secret celebrity crush is coming?

I saw a mix of reactions online, so I'm curious. (Comic-Con is dying! Comic-Con is better than ever!) I'm ready for whatever - and I have to say again, as I do constantly, that often the best panels and parts of San Diego Comic-Con are unexpected. Looking back, it's very rare that I anticipated something at SDCC and then it turned out to be my new obsession. Often it's something I hear about late at night in a hotel bar, maybe catch it or not, and then hunt it down and fall in love with it. 

I love that inherent spontaneity and surprise of SDCC - and if you're new, I bet you will too. So organize your panels, make your plans, but be ready for the unexpected. It might be the best part of your Con.

2 more weeks! What to do if it's your first SDCC

 8 JULY 2026

2 weeks from tonight, the convention center doors will open to San Diego Comic-Con Preview Night. We'll experience it all - the crowds, the waits, the splendor, the booths, the bombast - and it's going to feel magnificent. Because it always does.

But between then and now, we have a few tasks set before us. If you're a wide-eyed first-timer, this goes double for you. Because if there's one thing I've learned about SDCC first-timers, it's that even the most diligent students often miss important things. Nothing will top a few years ago when 3 teenagers - who I'd been coaching - showed up, milled around the Exhibit Hall, and left. They didn't know there was anything else and they'd ignored every resource and recommendation I'd sent. Ah, youth.

Here's a quick summary of the updates to look out for between now and SDCC.

Panels and programming

Tomorrow kicks off 4 of the most exciting days of summer (for me) - the panel and programming announcements. This always feels like a gun firing at a race; everything gets so incredibly focused and real at that point. 

First-timers, here's what this means. Tomorrow, Thursday the 9th,  CCI will publish the programming for Thursday, July 23, on Friday they will publish the programming for Friday the 24th, and so on. 

The volume of panels will likely stun you a little. This is not a small-city Con where there are 2 panel rooms and hence 2 panels on the hour. You will have many, many options - educational and creative workshops, big Hollywood panels, screenings, nostalgic visits to shows of yesterday, intense discussions of gaming and comic characters, trivia contests, and a dozen other formats. It's a lot - and most of us miss things until we go through it a second and third time. 

What you need to do: come up with a system. CCI has an app. You can use an AI like Notion or build an agent. You can manage things manually. Just start your process now so you don't have to catch up later.

The Exhibit Hall map

The Exhibit Hall is the nerve center of the convention center - a massive space full of vendor booths as far as the eye can see. It's crowded, it's chaotic, and the merchandise on sale ranges from tacky trinkets to rare nerd treasures. 

What you need to do: study it. Even if you are focused solely on parties and screenings. CCI just published this and I will devote a post to it.

Guest and celebrity announcements

CCI has already announced rounds of special guests - but you'll hear about more actors, artists, writers, and creators who are confirmed to show up somewhere on the premises. Some will announce themselves on their socials, others barely acknowledge the Con until suddenly they walk onto a stage in front of you.

What you need to do: watch the socials of anyone you care about - especially smaller creators or exhibitors. Many of them will announce what they're bringing, invite you to enter a lottery for certain exclusives, take pre-orders and commissions, and generally offer useful information. It is devastating for an attendee to show up at a favorite artist's booth and learn that every item has already been allocated by lottery - so do your research.

Offsites

We've heard about the Lodge and a few others, but more will be announced. Almost always, the best ones are a surprise or fly under the radar, such as the Blade Runner activation or the Dungeons and Dragons one from a few years ago. Then everyone posts photos and they blow up. Fellow attendees are more trustworthy than a marketing campaign so join a group if you can. Pay attention early on; as word of mouth grows, the best offsites will grow longer and longer lines each day.

What you need to do: Follow the pages and socials of your favorite brands, and join their Reddit, Discord, and Facebook and IG groups. That's where tickets and lotteries get announced first in most cases. 

Shuttle map

SDCC shuttles go hither and yon, and it's good to know how and where you can leverage that free transportation - especially late at night when you wind up in unexpected parts of town.

What you need to do: look up the shuttle for your hotel but also for any bars, clubs, or attractions you plan on visiting. 

Lotteries and sign-ups

The exclusives portal is now open - but don't rush. Wait and see what else becomes available before you submit your picks. Be aware that photo ops, autographs, and exclusives aren't always easy to get but often people shoot themselves in the foot by not understanding how the process works. 

What you need to do: Study up on the process before you take your shot. 

SDCC Checklists

Every website in existence, including this one, will publish some kind of "17 things to bring to Comic-Con" list. These are helpful if repetitive. What really matters is making your own list and staying organized rather than throwing a bunch of stuff into a duffle bag on the night of July 21.

What you need to do: figure out now what to bring and steadily make your stockpile. Think about things like cosplay repair kits, comfortable shoes, portable stools. I'll post more about this later this week but the best wardrobe advice I can give you now is 1) Most people don't cosplay, they dress for comfort and 2) Some people pack their best sex kitten stilettos but quickly realize they want to dress for comfort. So... pack for comfort.

The last, remaining hotel rooms

Your hotel room is almost certainly settled by this point - right? I wound up canceling a Pali room no one wanted and I was given a 2-bed room at Hilton Bayfront no one wanted. That was a first. So I think most everyone has their accommodations locked down - but if you're looking, we will see a few people cancel or shorten their trips over the next few weeks. Sometimes Sunday panels are a snoozer and people decide to leave Saturday, or they trim off a night to use that $$$ on the floor. Some people will get ill or have a crisis at work. This means a few A-list hotel rooms will flicker back to life, but you'll have to be quick to grab them. 

And sometimes you'll luck out. Last year - not that this could ever be repeated - I checked in too early at the Hyatt before my room was clean (not their fault, I was just early) and they gave me a massive apartment-sized suite with a kitchen, office, bedroom, living room, and dining area that sat 12, as that reservation had been cancelled. Comic-Con magic is real!

What you need to do: Stalk CCI's site but also look at the hotel sites. Last year I saw a top 6 hotel have a room drop from 1K+ to $700ish. And if you've decided to arrive early or stay an extra night, it's pretty easy to grab those nights.

Essentially - San Diego Comic-Con starts now. Put your work projects, new flames, job hunts, and home remodels on ice and turn your full attention to Comic-Con prep. Over the next 2 weeks, you'll be engulfed in information. Some of it will be trivial, some of it meaningful, but you'll have to wade through it all to capture what is personally relevant to you. 

Again - if you haven't yet, create your system where you immaculately document your wish list, schedule, friends' contact information, etc. I can't stress this enough. Don't think you'll just embed it in your mind. That's like tucking a seashell in the sand before the tide comes in.

2 more weeks! 

Comic-Con is more than offsites.

 7 JULY 2026

Let's talk about offsites! Today's Lodge tickets sold out in a nanosecond, leaving some people elated and others despondent and bitter. 

But where jaded old veterans like me can roll with it, some first-timers are getting a wrong and dismal impression of SDCC: that offsites and exclusives are the main attractions of Comic-Con. That they have now been shut out of what's most glorious and intriguing about SDCC. 

As Comic-Con grows less competitive - yes, each badge sale leaves casualties in its wake, but it's much easier to get badges than it used to be - more first-timers wash ashore. I genuinely love that. What I don't love is how many get their first impressions from Reddit, Facebook, etc., where people talk about offsite tickets like they're the ne plus ultra of SDCC.

They're not - not for everyone. For many of us, they're a waste of time and, I'd argue, a mass delusion for others where they buy into the hype, beg for tickets, bake in the sun for hours, and then go through a boring 8-minute experience that may or may not bestow a cheap t-shirt upon them.

But that's my cynical take - and I know a lot of you, first-timer or not, really like offsites. So here are a few things to remember.

San Diego Comic-Con is more than offsites and exclusives.

Believe it or not, Comic-Con used to be about comics! It's how it got started! Comics and science fiction fans came together in a nuclear fusion of Detective Comics, Star Trek, Stan Lee and other fevers, and Comic-Con was born. People milled around meeting Ray Bradbury and hunting for back issues and adding to their Famous Artist Sketchbook. No one expected corporations to set up big glamourous marketing promotions called offsites and parties were largely just friends getting together.

In recent years, yes, offsites and parties have become a star attraction for many people, but there is still so much else to do. Like panels and the Exhibit Hall and film festivals and networking and gaming tournaments - you know, all the original bricks of the Comic-Con house.

But I don't think first-timers know this because I see bitter laments that say things like, "Apparently I've been shut out of everything so I don't even know why I'm going." If you've never been to SDCC, you might think offsites are the point since they dominate the conversation - or at least, share supremacy with "What time should I line up for Marvel in Hall H?"

But there's so much more magnificence you haven't heard about. Once you're there, you're going to forget all about the offsite you didn't get picked for because you'll be dazzled by other things.

Also, the Con proper has little to do with offsites - so stop blaming CCI.

Again, I don't blame first-timers for this but when people call the Con "badly run" and "mismanaged" and "elitist" because they couldn't get tickets to an event - it's just unfair. Chances are, that event or attraction has zero connection to CCI, who runs Comic-Con. 

That's right: most of these fancy little events with dazzling graphics are wholly owned and run by some company with a fat marketing budget. They come to SDCC to promote to you, but CCI has zero power over them. (In most cases. There are exceptions and sometimes the lines blur.) 

So please stop blaming CCI because a media company's offsite didn't pick you in a lottery. These activations were never intended to accommodate a hundred thousand people passing through them. They are fringe offerings, not part of SDCC programming. No one guaranteed access to any of this when you bought a badge.

Sorry to sound heartless, but I've seen too many people blame CCI for something that has nothing to do with them. I've even seen people say they feel deceived, that SDCC is unfair by selling so many badges when only a few people can get into the top attractions. CCI sold you a badge for official Con programming. Not an ancient Roman chariot race organized by a subsidiary of NBCUniversal Media Group.

Obviously some lotteries are a little different, but you still have to be realistic.

The Wolverine screening a few years back in Hall H turned into an epic fail - mostly due to wily scammers reproducing winning emails - but anything with limited seating and big interest will likely disappoint you. And if you do get picked, you may have to make the Sophie's choice of choosing which friend to invite.

Exclusives lotteries just went live, and they are typically a source of deep bitterness. First-timers, thrilled with their badge, assume they can buy from any booth on the floor. Being shut out can hurt, especially for die-hard collectors. Is there a way to make everyone happy? Probably not.

If offsites and parties are all you care about, maybe SDCC isn't for you - but I bet you will find other things to fall in love with.

If more things move to a lottery methodology, people who only care about offsites and parties may ask themselves if they still want to go to SDCC. It's probably a pertinent question in those minutes before the badge sale: if you get into absolutely zero events, do you still want to attend? Is there a more experiential Con that would be worth your while?

But right now, for this year, give the rest of the Con a shot. I've seen for years the split between the nerds and the fans, who somewhat cross over but not always. If comics, gaming, anime, science, cosplay, books, collectibles, science fiction, and fantasy don't interest you, give them a shot this summer.

Expand your interests. Maybe some of that is for you and maybe it isn't.

Everyone remembers their happy SDCC memories - not the things they didn't do.

I feel safe in saying this. Of course, we all remember a stinging injustice or sadistic booth worker, but by and large, SDCC is so immersive that upon entering, we are swallowed up in a sensory overload that drowns out all other thoughts. 

If this is your first Con, you will find plenty to occupy yourself, on and off the convention center grounds. That will probably include some currently unannounced offsites but also other events and Con programming. Just enjoy the mystery of that and not the July mania over tickets and exclusives.

Yes, this is a Darwinian process where the organized and highly skilled come out on top. At the very least, you have to be proactive.

Nothing tugs at my heartstrings like seeing a first-timer say plaintively, "I can't find any of this stuff listed on the site. How do you all know about these events?"

Again, I get it - they scored a Comic-Con badge, they assumed that everything is listed and linked somewhere on the CCI site. A lot of companies spoonfeed everything to you these days through nurture campaigns and UX-dream websites built on intense buyer research. 

So if you're new, you probably have no idea of how many companies and studios you need to follow and the communities you need to join. Instead, you may stumble across social media like bison across a wintry tundra, starving and desperately hunting for food. And if you realize that most of this stuff is dominated by super-attendees who tend to band together to conquer, you may get very pissed off.

Yes, preparing for Comic-Con is almost a second job. It's one I've mostly abandoned because my priorities have changed, but it's still required if your eyes are on the prize. I don't see this changing, so find your own group of warlords to join or make your peace with the intensely competitive nature of this Con. 

Hopefully this wasn't too harsh. I just hate seeing bitterness spread like a cloud over what should be a month of excitement and anticipation. I understand being disappointed - a little failure rains down on all of us on Planet Con. But don't let it ruin your Con because once you're there, everything will look very different.

The hotel lottery is Wednesday and it will be brutal

 13 APRIL 2026

Okay - we knew it was coming and we knew it would be a Wednesday in April, most likely. Last year was short notice too. So why was everyone falling onto their fainting couch this morning? This is how CCI rolls. We know this.

The hotel lottery is April 15, on Tax Day to make it extra fun, and I suspect it will be extra disappointing. I'd love to be wrong. But remember that it's different this year! - and that could mean several new ways to lose your mind.  Or possibly get lucky.

The inventory is live.

Let's start with the positive. You'll know right away how you did. You won't be waiting for the email that announces your fate while you keep checking social: Did anyone get the Omni yet? You won't have to wait another week after that. You won't be subject to those tedious bitchfests about how he got in at 9:02 and got Residence Inn while she got in at 9:05 and got Hilton Gaslamp and he has screenshots, goddammit, and he's going to email CCI right now. 

So yes, there is an upside. But you will have to make life-altering - well, Con-altering - decisions on the fly. You'll go right to your first pick and if it's sold out, go to your 2nd, and so on down the line. And if you successfully put a room in your cart, it could vanish before you've checked out, so now you'll have to go back and grab another.

This means you'll have to decide if you want to hedge your bets. If you see a Hilton Bayfront room available, do you grab it or do you go for a slightly less alluring room knowing it's more likely to stay in your cart? I think a lot of this could be mitigated with signifiers like low inventory so let's hope they do that. And hopefully they make the sale go sloooowwww.

You have to pay right away - and that money is gone forever.

Your two-night deposit gets paid right then and there. And it's nonrefundable. And it has to be paid on a credit card good until August. 

Some people think this could free up rooms - that people are less likely to grab a safety room, knowing they can't release it later. (Not easily, at least.) But what it definitely means is that you must communicate clearly and in real time with your group. If you book 2 rooms, assuming your friend wants that 2nd room and you pay for it and then you learn he already booked his own - well, you're permanently out that deposit. If it's a good hotel, though, you'll probably find someone to take it.

You can only book 2 rooms. 

I like this, selfishly, because I know some people would book massive quantities of rooms in one go. But I know it's going to break up a lot of friend groups, which is tough.

It's all going to feel more permanent in a faster timeframe, upending our usual SDCC hotel sale culture.

Okay, some of you have the good sense not to participate in this. But if - and I am in the thick of this every year - you are one of those people who starts texting and calling and begging and seeing who you can trade with and is it true that Olivia has an extra Hard Rock room, and okay, you're #3 on the list, did anything change yet? You may be swiftly out of luck this year, with less room to wheel and deal. Usually there's a swirl of room trades and transfers and rumors and phone calls to OnPeak. But I think a lot of that will vanish this year. 

Paying on the spot nonrefundably will force people to accept their room and make peace with it. Not everyone, of course - some will squirrel their way into a better situation. But we'll see a much lower volume.

I also think we'll see fewer rooms released - again, because of the deposit. In the past, if you really, diligently stalked the site, you might see a Hyatt room pop up in May or June. I think that will still happen but it will be rare.

All in all, I think Wednesday will be brutal for many of us but we'll have to see how it shakes out. I'll be around, sharing whatever I hear. Good luck - and if you haven't put a strategy together, I'd do that now.

Returning Registration is this Saturday and CCI wants you to be prepared

 29 SEPTEMBER 2025

This weekend, we jump into battle for our 2026 SDCC badge - we being any attendee who attended Comic-Con this summer. 

That means we've all been through a badge sale before, but CCI has valiantly launched a battalion of guides to help us. That includes:

• Returning Registration General Info
• The Essentials
• Buying for Friends
• A Prep Guide
• Survival Guide

Surely some of those could have been consolidated? 

Here's what you need to know:

Log into your Member ID account and put your credit card information back in. Yes, even if you put it in last year. Confirm that you are eligible for Returning Registration.

Speak to your buying group about buying order, who wants what days, etc. Review Member IDs - this is where a critical badge-buying moment can turn dire, when someone's Member ID doesn't validate and you end up screaming "Is that a number 1 or letter 1?" over Discord voice chat.

Be sure your tech is in order. They go through that here - browsers, power save settings, VPNs, etc. (This page has an unnerving waiting room graphic that somehow replicates the anxiety of a badge sale, but maybe it's just me.)

Stop any planned shenanigans or you could be banned from SDCC for life. Or something. Okay, I made up the "for life" part but CCI does include a warning about this. If you travel in Comic-Con circles, you've no doubt heard of the bots and other high-tech trickery people claim are getting them the best badges and hotel rooms. I won't travel that road so I can't attest to its efficacy, but you should know that there are real consequences for getting caught.

Last year, RR wasn't too bad. I don't have numbers to back this up, but it does seem demand has lightened just a bit. So try not to be too nervous Saturday morning. Just lay the groundwork for a successful sale and remember that even if the worst happens, you'll get a second bite at the apple in November.

Good luck and I'll talk to you Saturday.