San Diego Comic Con badges on sale in "early" 2013

14 DECEMBER 2012


Apparently the Mayans were right and the apocalypse really is nigh, because CCI has redesigned their website and seems to have hired some decent communications consultants. Part of this includes letting us know that badges will go on sale in early 2013. Early meaning... January, I'm guessing, and February at the latest. Those of us with Member IDs will be emailed the exact date in advance. So once again, get a Member ID if you don't have one, get it now, and even if you do have one, make sure your email address is current.

The details are on their new Badge Purchase FAQ page, which is actually helpful and direct. The same nervous caveats are there - Although Comic-Con has taken efforts to test the EPIC registration system, it is possible that you will not be redirected to the EPIC waiting room immediately after clicking the link - but on the whole, they are moving in a good direction.

If you've been through the badge-buying process before, the FAQ page isn't going to tell you anything new, but you might still want to visit the site to see how it's changed. Here's hoping that whoever hired their new web developer made other improvements as well.

There's also a new SDCC blog called Toucan which of course will never be as magnificent and honest with you as this blog, but seems like it has potential. It officially starts 1 January, will be penned/typed by weekly "columnists" (CCI hasn't yet caught on that we're called bloggers), and won't just be about the Cons, but about comic books as well. And it will offer interviews with comic book writers, archive footage, and other "exclusive content." I'm not sure what a toucan has to do with comic books or conventions, but I'm probably missing something obvious.

So there you have it. Happy Holidays, fellow nerds. And watch your email.



ETA: Here's who can buy a badge - anyone with a Member ID. That includes those of you who pre-registered in August and got a badge then. Yes, if you are unhappy with your badge - say, you got single-day badges for Thursday and Sunday, but would prefer a four-day badge - you can jump into the fray and try again. If you do successfully procure a four-day badge, that automatically cancels out the earlier single-day badges you have now.

And because pre-registration was restricted to 2012 attendees, I suspect many currently badged people are going to participate just to buy badges for friends who weren't eligible in August. I know I'll be in the mix, trying to get a badge for my best friend in NY who's never been to San Diego Comic Con. If this is you, and you have first-time friends who'd like to go, get their Member IDs squared away now.