Why you should care about the Exhibit Hall map

20 JUNE 2019

Happy summer solstice. Today - a year to the day they last published the Exhibit Hall map and other list - CCI announced:

Artist's Alley
Fan Tables
Exhibit Hall
Exhibitors List
Small Press List 

I know a lot of you are only concerned with Hollywood news, and some of you don't even set foot in the convention center except to swipe your badge.  And some of you think the Exhibit Hall map is dizzying just to look at and you'll figure it all out on arrival. But I do recommend studying it a little, especially for first-timers. Because there's no way to anticipate the impact of entering the beating heart of San Diego Comic-Con and how it can feel like you just walked into a beautiful but disorienting cult.

Here are a few reasons you want to be clear on your goals and figure out in advance where you'll achieve them:

You'll forget what you wanted to buy. Same with what you promised to pick up for your friends and coworkers. There's just so much to be dazzled by. It really helps to keep a list on your phone, with booth numbers of where you need to go.

The aisles are too crowded to notice everything. I'm pretty astute and even so, I constantly discover new things on my third pass down an aisle. Sometimes there's just too much to take in, sometimes it's too crowded to see everything, or a collection of Sith lords are posing for a shot and you have to detour around them.

You can discover great new artists and work. I definitely agree that SDCC is not the comic nerd's paradise it was once, and other Cons better fill that niche. A lot of what you'll see is the same stuff you've already picked through at Barnes and Noble. (RIP.) But if you put the effort in, you can find  some creators who are really talented but just aren't household names. Be open-minded and see what you discover.

You can close in on your prey much faster. Some attendees can get sour about how many event tickets, exclusives and other targets are gone seemingly even before attendees are let into the hall. They're not wrong - it happens. But there are still times you'll need to sprint to a vendor to get the last one or two items, or to line up for a popular photo op before it gets insane. It helps to know exactly where you're going.   

And it's just nice to read through all the vendors and see what's going to be there. For me, I can plot my path from NASA and the Ray Bradbury Experience Museum to the comic sellers. Collectors wanting something from Dark Horse or someone wanting to pick up a commission from their favorite artist can understand where they need to go. But reading through your options can also spark ideas and take you somewhere new.

ECCC panels, artists and exhibitors are live

24 JANUARY 2019

Emerald City Comic Con STILL has tickets available for every day but Saturday - and if you buy by tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 25, you can still get your tickets mailed to you.

On the fence? Lucky for you, ECCC published their list of exhibitors, artists and panels today - so take a look and see if you're swayed.

Here's my quick panel assessment:

Thursday: Heavy on cosplay and comics. That's traditional for Thursday. Since I may not roll into ECCC until Friday, I was relieved not to see anything I couldn't miss - but there are definitely some good choices, especially for creatives.

Friday: This day is more mixed, with still plenty of creative panels, creator spotlights, paranormal stories, LGBTQ+ this and that, cosplay and science. And you get to bask in the splendor of Boy Meets World, George Takei and Ian Somerhalder.

Saturday: Another mixed day, with plenty of fandom panels for Doctor Who and Star Wars and other fans, sci-fi, cosplay and some random panels celebrating cats in comics, goths and other niche nerdness. I'm here for it, but I still like Friday better.

Sunday: Stranger Things kicks off the day on the Main Stage but overall it's kind of a light day. A sprinkling of comic content, cosplay and nerd culture, pretty much. And of course there are panels for little nerds as well.

Overall ECCC seems to be sticking with the diversity, comic and creative panels that have made them so popular in the past - but there's plenty of other fan, cosplay and science material as well. My day of choice is Friday but YMMV.

Now. Let's talk about your nocturnal Con life. You'll be in Seattle so obviously you can find something to do by just walking outside your hotel. But you have a few official options open to you as well:

• A Star Trek lecture involving "rare photos, memos and footage" (Thursday)
• A Battlestar Galactica discussion involving the same (Thursday)
• Guardians of the Sexy burlesque show (Friday and Saturday)
• Kracklefest 9 with rappers and bands (Friday)
• ECCC Western Championship of Cosplay (Saturday)

Finally, don't forget the photo op and autograph sales are live - and you can sign up for the Funko lottery on 4 February.

Emerald City is just weeks away!

The Exhibit Hall Map is live

20 JUNE 2018

Today CCI released one of the most important parts of San Diego Comic-Con: the Exhibit Hall map and Exhibitor List. First-timers, this may sound dry - but you shouldn't skip it.


Tell me if this is you: you hate reading directions, you'd rather be spontaneous and roll with your own personal Tao than follow a roadmap, and you believe in Comic-Con serendipity. Yeah, me too. But I still study the Exhibit Hall map - and you should too.

This is what CCI just published:

The Exhibit Hall map

The list of exhibitors

The list for Artists' Alley

The list and map for Small Press

The Fan Tables map


Why This Matters

The Exhibit Hall is a maelstrom of noise, crowds and visual stimulation. You won't accomplish your goals - buying certain exclusives, hitting certain booths - if you try to wing it. It's just too distracting.

"But I don't have any goals," you might be saying. To which I say: "Hogwash" and point out you'll wind up shuffling along zombie-like with the crowd if you don't have some kind of plan upon entering.

I mean, you can just trudge around and see what there is to see. But if you have certain books or collectibles or signings in mind, it helps to look up vendors in advance. You don't have to memorize everything, that would be impossible, but you will get a little more organized and learn some new things. And you won't be on a flight home Sunday night and realize you never did see that amazing Walking Dead photo op everyone else is posting on Instagram.

A few myths and realities of the Exhibit Hall:

You can see everything by walking up and down every aisle. The crowds are too thick and the booths too crowded for you to spot every single item. I've walked right past favorite artists doing signings because there were just so many people around.

You'll remember everything on your list. First of all, you'll have your own list and the wish list from coworkers, roommates and friends - and much of the latter will take the form of "If you see a Zatanna figure" or "Any Black Panther kid's shirt" etc. And once you're on the floor, with video games thundering in your ears and Darth Vader blocking your path and footage flashing on multiple screens, a lot of thoughts will fly right out of your head.

It's all overpriced crap that's available cheaper on Amazon anyhow. No, it's not. Well, okay, some of it is. But you will see unusual gizmos you can't find anywhere else and if you have even a few nerd molecules in your blood, you'll probably spot some weird item you can't live without.

Artists' Alley and Small Press are just indie people who don't have much commercial appeal. No a thousand times. While SDCC can no longer compare to ECCC in this regard, it's still worth going through if you have any comic/art/lit interests.

The Exhibit Hall is all Hollywood studios, with nothing for comic book geeks. Not true. Yes, there is plenty of studio bombast. There are also aisles offering books from Fantagraphics, Image, Dark Horse, Boom, Drawn and Quarterly, Oni Press and others. Lots of back issue dealers. Graphic novels that get cheaper every day. Again, SDCC is no longer a Mecca of comic finds but this comic nerd always finds a few treasures to take home.

You don't want to get lost in heaven. Take a look at the maps and use them to shape your agenda.

ECCC Artist Alley is open to newcomers again

1 APRIL 2016



A lot of emerging artists were annoyed with Emerald City Comicon this year for shutting them out of Artist Alley. ECCC is known as a very prestigious place to exhibit and the fact that 2016 had no applications for newcomers was a sore point in the industry - especially since it's supposed to be friendly to indie creators. At the same time, its very prestige is the reason table space is in such high demand, putting ECCC in a tough spot.

So this is good news: Emerald City Comicon will accept Artist Alley applications for 2017. It doesn't mean you'll get in, necessarily, but they are making more space available (and fewer double tables) so you definitely have a shot.

Applications are open from 30 May to 1 August. Applying sooner rather than later is probably smart, though veterans and those artists who've been wait-listed for a while will get priority. Good luck.

ECCC's Monster & Dames book looks beautiful

9 FEBRUARY 2016

Two months from today you're going to be immersed in the glory of Emerald City Comicon. Maybe you'll be competing in the ECCC Western Championships of Cosplay; maybe you'll be prowling Artists' Alley after two days attending the Schoolism Live Workshops; maybe you'll be in a gaming tournament or bathing in the celebrity glow of the Main Hall.

Two months is not long at all. At the same time, the final weeks before your favorite Con can feel interminable when you just want to be there already.

So here's one way to enjoy an advance taste of Emerald City. The Monsters & Dames book is back to dazzle you with work from 70 top artists. Take a look at the talent involved and you'll get a glimpse of the beautiful art awaiting you in April.

If you're not familiar with the book, it's a hardcover, limited edition, full-color book that's raised over $95,000 for Seattle Children's Hospital. Only 1,000 copies are available so don't hesitate if you want to get your hands on one. Order now and you can pick it up at the Con.

Pro applications & other ECCC updates

17 NOVEMBER 2015




We've had another burst of Emerald City news, both for attendees and pros.

Pro half table applications are open. If you're wondering what a half table is, it means you get 3 feet of a 6 foot table in Artist Alley. You also get access to discounted hotel rooms for exhibitors and an Artist Alley badge. Deadline: 5 pm PST on 11 December.

Professional applications are also open. This is for entry to the show and includes "the full spectrum of the Pop Culture industries." Which, practically speaking, is huge so it helps that they list these categories: librarians, writers, producers, publishers, licensers, artists, buyers, editors, creators and retailers. The deadline here is 11:59 pm PST on 26 February but they caution you to apply early - once these badges are gone, they're gone.

Minion information (volunteering) will be posted soon.

The ECCC team wants to know which fandoms should be represented at ECCC for meetups, so go ahead and tell them on Tumblr.

And as a reminder: you can still keep requesting the celebrity and comic guests you want to see. Just check to see if they've already been requested.

Start plotting your Exhibit Hall domination now

10 JUNE 2015

One of the most exciting days of Comic-Con season is here: the day the Exhibit Hall map goes live.

You can also see:

The Exhibitor List
The Fan Tables List
The Artist Alley list
The Small Press Area list


First-timers, none of this may mean much to you. It may also look rather overwhelming. And guess what? It IS - especially when you're there in the thick of it, surrounded by thousands of people with a giant zombie statue looming over you, a gaggle of Disney princesses trying to push past you, and the sounds of a video game demo booming in your ears.

Which is why you actually should spend some time on the Exhibit Hall map. As we get closer, you'll compile a wish list of treasures to collect - variant covers, an Adventure Time collectible for your sister, a signed edition from your favorite author. If you have a good memory as our kind tends to have, it's easy to assume you'll remember all of this and notice each item when you pass by it.

You won't. You won't have that kind of visibility, for one. The crowds will be too thick. (Yes, even on Preview Night which used to be reasonable and is now ungodly. The most uncrowded times are first thing in the morning for about 3 minutes and early evening before the hall closes.) And even if you can see everything a booth has to offer, it's likely they'll have a colorful circus of items on display, making it hard to notice your specific item.

Smart collectors know this and have their Exhibit Hall conquest down to a science. They know what booths are their priorities and where they are and the exact route they're going to take to obtain each item one by one. They are that methodical.  You don't have to be that anal about it, but you should know the booth numbers you need to visit and where they are.

Fair warning, you're going to hear me harp incessantly on the need to be organized going into your SDCC experience. It's not because I'm a super-organized, mapped-out list maker to end all list makers. (Although I am.) It's because I constantly hear attendees express surprise and dismay that they "couldn't find" any of the exclusives and shirts and books they wanted to get. It really is best to make your Exhibit Hall shopping as navigable as possible, even if it feels like doing your homework on the front end. Because once you have that mapped out, you can relax and follow wherever the Tao of Comic-Con takes you and still get everything you want.

Apply now for SDCC 2015 exhibit space

24 AUGUST 2014



It's hard to believe that a month ago today we were all at Comic-Con. It seems long in the past, doesn't it? And in fact it's already time to start preparing for 2015 - if you want to stake your claim on the Exhibit Hall floor or appear in Artist's Alley, that is.

If you'd like to be an exhibitor or showcase your work, now is the time to apply. You can find both applications here - just remember that applying doesn't guarantee you a space.

San Diego Comic-Con 2015 will be held 8-12 July, 2015.

The Exhibitors list is back up

30 JUNE 2014




After a brief midnight appearance a few weeks ago, the list of exhibitors is back up. Same with fan tables, the Artists' Alley and Small Press Area.

As I said before, these might not seem that interesting to first-timers, but looking through the exhibitors at the very least is a good idea. Look for publishers, toy companies and other booths you want to visit and write down their numbers. Don't assume you'll notice them as you pass by, or that you'll pass by them at all.

And don't assume Comic-Con buzz will notify you of everything relevant or exciting while you're actually there. All too often you wind up in a weird insularity that's kind of like being trapped in the belly of the beast - and it's not until you're spit out again that you find out what was actually happening around you. Seeing all the "best of San Diego Comic-Con" lists that come out the week after, and realizing everything you missed, is truly a galling experience. So consider this my first of several exhortations to map out your plan and take a look at all the vendors and promotions that'll be vying for your attention on the floor.

Exhibitors, Small Press, Artist's Alley and Fan Tables are published - or they were

11 JUNE 2014




If you think you can't possibly make it through the 42 days until Comic-Con, CCI has come through for you and released a motherlode of information to tantalize you.

The Exhibitors list was released last night, letting you craft your Exhibit Hall battle plan; there's also the start of the Fan Tables list; and finally, the Artist's Alley and Small Press lists have also been published. (ETA: CCI took these down. I don't know why. Let's hope they go back up soon.)

First-timers, this may not mean much to you. But it's worth at least scrolling through the list of exhibitors and seeing if any names jump out at you - comic book artists, studios, toy companies, etc. It'll give you an idea of what you can expect to see in the Exhibit Hall and what booths you want to hit up first. If you've been stalking the exclusives, make a note of where those companies are. Don't think you'll just wander through the whole thing and eventually find what you need to. The Exhibit Hall is too crowded and overwhelming for that.

If CCI follows their tradition of publishing the programming 2 weeks before the Con, we'll have that 4 weeks from Thursday. Am I the only one who feels like Comic-Con season has accelerated? I think it's the late-season badge and hotel sales.

ETA: If you gave up on following CCI's Toucan blog because it didn't seem to post much of interest, you may want to start again. They announced today that they will be unleashing almost-daily updates on things like this year's official t-shirts, Souvenir Book cover (done by Jim Lee), film festival schedule, restaurant guide and so on.

Applications due September 23 for Artist's Alley

17 September 2011


The madness is months away, but exhibitors and other professionals need to be thinking about next summer now. The deadline for Artist's Alley applications is 23 September; the deadline for Exhibitor applications is 31 December.

You can download both of them here.