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.

You'll want to check out the Exhibit Hall map and other lists

 8 JULY 2025

It's that time of year when you desperately scour your screens for Comic-Con news - well, good news, instead of the "Studio X snubs San Diego Comic-Con, Geeks Weep" headlines that seem a bit prevalent these days. You want to know if your favorite actor will be there, if Hall H Friday is in reach or the impossible dream, and just what is the best exclusives lottery strategy.

I get it. And compared to all that, you might find The Exhibit Hall maps both overly detailed and trivial - the whole thing is experiential, after all, perhaps the ultimate SDCC in-person, dazzling, immersive activity.

But CCI released those very details today and they are worth studying, especially if you're a tender SDCC fledgling. If you're thinking, "But I'm a spontaneous cowboy who doesn't do plans and maps, I ride where my instincts take me" - trust me, you still want to look at the floor map.

It won't suck all the mystery out of the Con. It won't tether you to a boring itinerary. It will prepare you to get the items/signings/encounters you want the most. And it will (somewhat) spare you of that hellish moment when you get home from SDCC and realize you missed the perfect booth.

Here's what may or may not happen in the Exhibit Hall, depending on your prep level.

You forget what you wanted to buy. There are just too many distractions. You'll want to keep a list on your phone with booth numbers of where you need to go. 

The aisles are too crowded to notice everything. It's frustrating to make what you think is a thorough pass through the entire Exhibit Hall, only to read about some amazing booth/item that you completely missed. Sometimes there's just too much to take in, sometimes it's too crowded to see everything, or an author's line or group cosplay is blocking something important.

You discover great new artists and work. SDCC is not the comic nerd's paradise it was once, and - let's be frank - walking through the Exhibit Hall can feel like walking through a spacious Barnes and Noble. But there are still some interesting creators and weird little booths afoot. 

You close in on your prey much faster. The Exhibit Hall, like most of the Con, is a killing field. You have to be fast, cunning, and organized to land your quarry. Knowing where to go can mean getting your hands on the last item or getting in a line before it's capped.   

It's reassuring. Okay, this is for veteran attendees, not first-timers. But after the fade of so many beloved booths from the floor, it's always comforting to see old favorites.

So. Take a look at the Small Press, Artists' Alley, Fan Tables, and Exhibitors - and at least decide if there's a strategy to be had there. Because there probably is.

Happy Comic-Con Eve

 23 JULY 2024

The Exhibit Hall is taking shape. Big thanks to volunteer Ace for these tantalizing photos!

See you tomorrow!

What do you think of San Diego Comic-Con so far?

 20 JULY 2023

So we're here, in the thick of it, and all questions have been answered as to what kind of Comic-Con we've been dealt. Some of the answers being....

Yes, Hall H turnout is paltry. 

The photos are out there. It actually makes me a bit sad, and also reminds me of my tender youth when my girlfriend and I casually walked in and took a seat to see Neil Gaiman promoting Stardust. 

Allegedly, as I type, there is a healthy line for the afternoon. Listen: Hall H will be back with a vengeance. I'm sure of it. This is just a weird year. Speaking of....

Turnout overall seems slightly less than pre-pandemic levels, but still good.

That's my perception, at least. All those attendees announcing they weren't coming apparently weren't big enough a group to make their absence felt, not really. I did think last night felt a little too calm in the Gaslamp and there was less late-night activity around the convention center when I walked back to the Marriott. But I think the turnout overall is decent. I also think people may be overestimating it because...

The Exhibit Hall IS the Hall H of 2023.

Yowza. Very, very crowded. Preview Night has been more crowded for years - if you recall years ago when only a portion of attendees got a PN badge, you'll remember how it used to be - so last night didn't faze me in any way but people seemed shocked at the crowds. That's a trend that started pre-pandemic and is now continuing.

Even Exhibit Hall lines have morphed into Hall H lines somewhat. Remember when everyone used to crowd in front of the doors and then swarm in? Now the pre-dawn line is so intense that everyone is forced to form into a snaked line, which invariably merges into one messy crowd right before they open the doors. Lots of complaints about that this morning. I saw one attendee meltdown and one staffer running up and down a roped-off area like a rat on meth and attendees persistently asking why why why do we have to stand in line to which another staffer cuttingly replied: "To keep you civilized." Zing!

The efficiency level of organization, management, and control does seem to have dipped.

And it wasn't great to start with. From certain observations, I think there used to be security and volunteers who returned year after year, or maybe there were training facilitators who returned year after year and now those people are gone. This whole class of people just seems very inexperienced this year. More so than other years, which also featured new recruits to the world of SDCC management.

The offsites aren't getting quite as much buzz this year but it's still Thursday.

I'm about to head out to the Interview with a Vampire one, which was praised highly to me. For others I haven't heard a whole lot of raves; Jurassic Park turned in mixed reviews, though those might be from pre-Con experience. If it's the same here, it's nothing  that would inspire me to do the standby line, though I would do it if guaranteed access. 

By tomorrow morning, we should have a clear buzz winner. What offsites have you done and what did you think?

Finally, I have encountered more first-timers than I expected. They seem baffled by SDCC culture and practices, so here are a few tips:

A lot of things won't seem logical or make sense. You can protest all you want but you're pissing in the ocean. I think people who are more dominant or authoritative by nature tend to balk at their powerless in the Comic-Con flow of things, but it's just an adjustment you have to make. The way lines, exclusives, lotteries, panels, swag, signings, cancellations, etc. are handled can be mysterious and maddening, I agree. But getting angry and belligerent about it will get you nowhere.

If you do run into a roadblock, be gracious and tenacious at the same time. Stay polite but ask if there's a solution. Sometimes there just isn't. Sometimes someone will suggest a workaround or do you a favor, like the guy yesterday who let me join a capped line. The exhibitor selling my #1 wish list thing this year got sick and didn't show up BUT I nicely asked the people who took over her booth about it and they texted her and she asked me to DM her and we worked something out. Advocate for yourself and you might get a break.

Don't get swept away by the grandeur and bombast of the Exhibit Hall and the Con in general. A first-timer last night at dinner gave me one word: overwhelming. Heard that before! We talked about how easy it is to miss things in the Exhibit Hall because there's so much to look at. Go ahead and enjoy that dazzled feeling, but ultimately you'll want to study booths and really look at what they've got, find out on social what other people are buying, and map out some kind of strategy.

And also - look into other parts of the Con. The Exhibit Hall isn't everything. Go check out the awesome gaming and pinball arcade in the Marriott, or the offsites, the screenings, the library panels, the film festival. You might have ignored the events guide but you really should look through it and get an idea of where to go.

Finally, on lines - yes, there are lines for everything. I had lunch at Lou and Mickey's and some people next to me were expressing disbelief that there were lines for restaurants. Yep, those were 2 people who did not grasp what SDCC is really like. There's no shame in that but do realize you are in a small area of the city with more than two hundred thousand people all competing for resources. So bake that into your plans - if you want to eat lunch before a 2:00 pm panel, for instance, account for waiting in line instead of thinking you can easily search for a restaurant at 1:00 pm and make your panel.

I hope everyone is enjoying themselves on the first day of SDCC. We're just getting started, right?

It's Programming Eve and we've got announcements

 6 JULY 2022

                                      

Like a last-minute Santa Claus, CCI showered us with announcements today. Let's review.

Souvenir Book Cover

If, like me, you still think wistfully of the Ray Bradbury-riding-a-dinosaur cover that never made it to print in 2020, you might have had high hopes for this year. I really love holding the Souvenir Book in my hands every summer and I know some of you do too. Alas, this year's will be a PDF - "filled with lots of full-color articles," CCI says, like that makes up for no print version. 

I get it, they're trying to save money, it's the Digital Age, and so on. And this year's Souvenir Book does promise to have some good articles. But as a literary dinosaur who loves print, I will miss the physical copy.

International Film Festival Schedule

At some point in the thunder and sweat of the Exhibit Hall, you might feel like you're going to snap - which is the perfect time to go somewhere quiet and dark. Like the Marriott next door in Grand Ballroom 6! This is where you can take in 50 movies from filmmakers from all over the world working in every genre you can think of. This is a competition of sorts, with awards passed out on Sunday, but it's also a nice opportunity to take in some real creativity at the Con. Take a look at the schedule and see if something catches your eye.

The Exhibit Hall Rules and Regulations and MAP - Pandemic Style

The map of your future credit card debt has landed. I know there's been a lot of gloomy theories about how good vendors might not be around this year, so I think we can now put that to rest. Forget the DC Warner booth we're not getting - you won't miss it. There's plenty of old favorites returning. Check out the map of the Exhibit Hall - and Small Press and Artist's Alley and such - and correlate it to the exclusives you want to buy.

Also - don't just breeze past the rules they list. They actually help create a more pleasant Comic-Con for everyone. Things like not taking 5 minutes to photograph 1 cosplayer and keeping to the right really do restore some order to an inherently chaotic situation. And make sure your mask fits their guidelines.

You might have to help me with this one: 'We have established designated lounge areas throughout the Exhibit Hall to use at your leisure - feel free to use these areas to meet up with friends or just chill out for a bit!"

Is this new? I don't recall a "lounge area" in my almost-20 years of SDCCing. I've been lucky to find two contiguous square feet to get some breathing room. Or are they referring to the tables where people eat the Cafe Express food? "Lounge area" sounds like it should be decked out with luxurious sofas and low lighting like a 19th century opium den.

The CLEAR App to Prove Your Non-Infected Status

I know a lot of you didn't go to Special Edition in November. I did and showing my vaccine card (in Hall H, which was weird) was a non-issue. However, that was a much smaller population than we'll have this summer. So it's a good idea to make showing your negative test result or vaccination status as easy as possible The CLEAR app lets you create an SDCC Health Pass to make this quick and easy. Once you've got your pass, you'll show it to get your wristband - you don't have to even bring your vaccine card.

Tomorrow the Preview Night pilots and the Thursday programming should be released. Exciting!

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.

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.

SDCC 2017: Did you have a good time?

24 JULY 2017

By now most of us are home from San Diego Comic-Con: doing our laundry, organizing our piles of comics and t-shirts and exclusives, and maybe contemplating what we should have done differently. 2017 was not the smoothest year by any yardstick - and while every summer brings a crop of attendees who swear off SDCC forever, this year seemed to move even more people across that line.

So how did this year go?

Hall H

Let's just get right to it. The Hall H line is always a tour through hell, but this year it reached new levels.

The initial scandal was a dispersed line that was replaced by a later line. Unfair! We thought that would be the Hall H line scandal of 2017; little did we know that someone apparently made fake wristbands to let other people cut in ahead of the people who were legitimately wristbanded.

Right now different stories are still coming out so I'm going to report pure hearsay and gossip:

• My friend's friend saw someone let in a massive crowd of people ahead of him.
• Someone else reported seeing an actual bag of the fake wristbands - though I'm a bit dubious of this story.
• People believe it was an inside job, aided by a volunteer or staffer.

What we do factually know: that  roughly 400 people with wristbands were locked out of Hall H. They were given 4-day badges for 2018 in compensation, but this still caused an uproar. In the talkback session, attendees suggested RFID wristbands (see all those happy faces below); I kind of doubt this will happen but it's obvious something has to be done.

I think CCI has stepped up its game in many ways over the last 5 years - the smoother badge sales, the Toucan blog - but the issue with lines is an area they need to tackle more adeptly. The wristbands aren't enough. I know no one wants a  Hall H lottery but I do think that would be the fairest and most peaceful way of allocating access. In general, there is no easy answer that will make attendees happy. Often attendees have a rather childish attitude here; they know we have 30,000 people who feel entitled to entering a room that holds 6,000 but they expect CCI to develop a system that can painlessly cater to their individual needs. Hall H can't accommodate everyone, it's that simple, and as long as it's a battle of wits and tenacity, we'll see more crime and deception in the mix. Just my opinion; I always welcome hearing ideas for fair and efficient Hall H access.

Offsites

This year set a record in the number of people I know who never set foot in the Con. They were all about offsites and events. I kind of love these people because I'm the exact opposite and it keeps them out of my panels and lines - but I do question how long this population can increase. Attendees who come solely for that purpose must realize that offsite lines are becoming the new Hall H lines, with people lining up earlier and earlier. Eventually we'll have attendees battling the badge and hotel sales to spend a grand total of maybe 2 hours all weekend in actual offsite participation.

While the Game of Thrones experience delivered with its little videos, more people seemed impressed by Blade Runner (below). The Westworld experience also wowed, but ultimately left a sour taste in many attendee mouths, give how it was open to fewer than 500 people the entire Con. After sending out elaborate invitation emails, it felt like a tease. I thought the Netflix offsite was better than Blade Runner, though I'm not sure who agrees with me. I didn't do anything with the Tick and haven't heard much about it either - it might have been great, but it was overshadowed by Blade Runner and Netflix buzz.

The Tech Pavilion was my favorite offsite, but ignored by most attendees. While the robotics weren't all that impressive, some of the other technology was worth checking out. Not only did it offer better VR than Blade Runner (and let attendees chill out on beanbags while watching 360 dome films of trippy Vedic mythology and Neil deGrasse Tyson cosmology lessons), it was easily navigable, involved no lines and actually offered something you can't get at home. The kind of offsite would have been the dream of SDCC attendees 15 years ago; alas, most of today's attendees would rather spend 6 hours in the sun hoping to see Barb from Stranger Things.

Changes

As always, I chatted with other old-timers about the changes at the Con. Most seemed resigned and adaptive, but two told me they decided this was their last Con. (A thought I entertained at length on Preview Night.) Several pros I know couldn't afford to come; the Archie booth was gone; the big Bud Plant booth, one of my top 3 favorites, shrank to the tiniest size possible. I bought armfuls of books from Fantagraphics and Prism and a few other comics/books and that was about it.

I thought both Preview Night and Sunday were more crowded than last year, while Saturday was more manageable. The entry processes weren't great, with some confusion on what kind of lines people should stand in and how they should be let in. I feel this should have been more smoothly organized.

This isn't exactly a change, but the demographic this year felt less geeky than ever. Another veteran attendee and I agreed to stop referring to attendees as nerds, because the vast majority are celebrity hounds and mainstream fans. I don't mean that to sound elitist (as I'm sure it does) but maybe 1 out of 12 people I meet at SDCC can talk comics, science, anime or gaming. That sense of nerd community has become faint. I realize we live in an era where people think watching "Rick and Morty" makes them a nerd but I'm not willing to evolve on that language point yet.  

In terms of what didn't change: Several people made a now-recurring complaint that the same panels are offered year after year. I think CCI is trying to stay current by bringing us panels on AI and diversity and LGBTQ rights, and people like Roxane Gay, but I also think there's a reason we see so many "How to Break Into Comics" and "Women in Comics" panels - people go to them.

Otherwise, while there were a few switcheroos here and there, it mostly felt like business as usual. I don't view the Hall H debacle as a change but the next logical development in an ongoing dysfunction.

Attendees and Staff
Most of the staff were just fine - but I did encounter some aggressive security and volunteers. Some seemed legit ready to snap. One actually barked in my face when he blocked my path to a women's room and yelled at me to use the restroom behind me, which was a men's room. Long day, I guess. A first-timer couple I know were shaken by a bad experience with a staffer, who they felt overreacted to them asking why they couldn't enter a certain area. In general, people just seemed exasperated and defensive this year.

However, what bothered me more was the change in some - not most, but enough - attendees. Is it me or is there a new ruthlessness in our ranks? It's not just the Hall H fake wristband issue. And yes, I know we've always had those cutthroat attendees who would sell their grandmother to get into a Marvel panel. But there seemed to be more people willing to use more underhanded tactics to get what they wanted. It was very disheartening. I posted a few months ago about an increase in people who contact me to demand extra tickets, badges and hotel rooms without so much as a "Hello" - I don't know what laboratory this strain of attendee is being bred in but they need to be discontinued.

I also ran into more people who seemed unable to handle the crowds, lines and general inconvenience of Comic-Con. Were they first-timers? I don't know. On Sunday, one guy was literally pushing my back in the Exhibit Hall and almost toppled me onto a stroller with a baby in it. I turned and told him I couldn't go anywhere and to stop shoving me. He griped about how slow-moving the crowd was. You think? Welcome to Comic-Con.  Another guy snapped at a little girl so harshly her father stepped in. Usually everyone is polite and understanding about the claustrophobic swarm that is the Exhibit Hall, so I'm hoping I just saw the few exceptions.


I thought the cosplay was average. My favorites were a Sid and Nancy couple, a refreshing change from the 437 Wonder Women strolling around. Most of what I saw was fairly traditional. Of course there's always world-class cosplay at SDCC, but I feel like Dragon Con and Emerald City are becoming the destinations for the really innovative cosplayers.

Announcements and Trailers

Two people said to me they thought this year was "weak" in terms of bombshell announcements. Was it shocking to find out that Wonder Woman 2 was happening? That American Horror Story's new season would be called "Cult?" Not really. I don't think DC announcing a "Shazam" movie rocked anyone's world either.

The most controversial announcement was "Confederate," the new series helmed by the GOT team that will focus on what would have happened if the South won the Civil War. Ben Affleck hinting that he may be leaving his Bruce Wayne days behind wasn't exactly lamented. And we found out Doctor Who actually can be called Doctor Who and not just The Doctor, which settled a long-standing debate.

Matt Groening's "Disenchantment" coming to Netflix was well received. What we saw of CW's Freedom Fighters, featuring a gay superhero in a Nazi-victorious world, got mixed reviews. I think most people are wary of potential Supernatural spin-off Wayward Sisters. And I know people are extremely wary of the new Netflix Death Note, and not just because of whitewashing. (Though I maintain that Willem Dafoe as Ryuk is perfect.)
 
I thought some of the comic book announcements were good, especially the resurrection of old favorites like Sandman, Arkham Asylum and The Invisibles. Harley and Ivy Meet Betty and Veronica will be a surefire hit. Especially intriguing: Andrew Aydin (of John Lewis's "March") may be writing more graphic novels about the civil rights movement, and one could just possibly concern Maxine Waters.

DC admitting its sales troubles was interesting. They announced a new strategy of evergreen stories that sit apart from the monthly titles; we'll see if they help. The Gerard Way Young Animal crossover with mainstream DC could be invigorating - and I'm fairly optimistic about DC's new The Terrifics (cough, not at all like The Fantastic Four, I'm sure) who will be part of their Dark Matter imprint.

I'm still collecting reports from first-timers, which I'll publish in a few days. I might also do a post on their questions, as I heard from many people who were stunned at the lines and chaos (despite being warned.) And news will continue to flow out all week: who got the best buzz, who failed, deals that were made and problems that arose.

If you came away from San Diego Comic-Con with a feeling of something unfinished, my advice is what it's always been:

• Be more proactive about shaping your Con destiny, instead of waiting for it to be delivered. I don't just mean getting in line early enough or doing the right research. Think about what you really want out of Con (more parties, more career advice, more art and media discoveries, etc) and dedicate yourself to making it happen. Often that means sacrificing other parts of the Con. 

• Identify what bothered you and find a new Con where it's not as much of an issue. If you want more of a focus on comics, go to Emerald City with me next March. SDCC may be the most hyped Con but it's not the only game in town by any means. Also consider other types of conventions. I know former attendees who now spend their time at cons for anime, books, death, science and specific fandoms and they're much happier.

• Think about stepping away from Con life in general. SDCC is right smack in the middle of summer. It can be hard to plan other vacations or summer travel with so much time and resources flowing to Comic-Con. Maybe it's time to put it to the side and go see the world.

But I know most of you are committed to next year. You're already hunting down hotel rooms, deciding which of your friends to initiate, and planning your Returning Registration strategy. The next badge sale might be months away but SDCC life is never really over - because most of us don't want it to be.

Q&A on San Diego Comic-Con lines

14 JULY 2017

It's our last weekend before Comic-Con. By now you know the top exclusives on your list, who you want a signing from and which days will be your busiest. But you've also probably realized that many of your choices swing on whether you even can get into a certain panel or room.

Lines are - after getting badges and hotel rooms - the biggest grievances at San Diego Comic-Con. You'll hear people say that it's not even worth going anymore or that it's impossible to get into Hall H. The first is a matter of opinion, the second is flatly untrue. You can triumph over most line situations - it's just a matter of what you're willing to give up. You might want to sacrifice smaller game for one big kill, or opt to keep your time free.

Here are some of the questions I get on lines.


What kind of thing will I have to stand in line for?

Many things. It's not just Hall H; there could be a line to pick up pre-sale exclusives, to get an autograph, to enter a gaming tournament, to go to a screening at the Horton.

Why are the lines so long?

Because we're all barking mad. We've gotten to the final round of the journey that is trying to attend San Diego Comic-Con and nothing will stop us from obtaining our panel, toy or film of choice.

And there's the fact that SDCC doesn't clear rooms - so instead of waiting in a line to see the first panel of the room, you'll be waiting with people there to see a panel four hours from now.

Can someone hold my place?

To an extent. Definitely work with partners, but don't install one person to hold places for 10 people who show up at the last second. When this happens over and over, you can wind up with an extra 200-300 people ahead of you who didn't wait like you did. This has been a huge source of contention in recent years. Huge as in, causing bitter and longstanding feuds.

Does standing in line mean I'll definitely get access?

Not always, not in a guaranteed way, no. There have been situations when thousands of people spent the night in line for a panel they would never get into. It is very difficult to assess how many people in a line snaking around the back of the convention center will fit into a room. Most often you just have to guess.

And some lines - for drawings, say - are a crapshoot. If only 1 out of 3 people in that line will get the exclusive or autograph, you need to weigh the odds against what else you'll miss out on.


Hall H is a slightly different story. The wristbands provide some guarantee and have mitigated - though not eliminated - the unpredictability and disappointments of the Hall H line. The 4-day campouts, people cooking on tiny grills, that woman getting hit by a car and dying because she was so afraid of losing her spot, the fight where one attendee stabbed another in the eye with a pen  - it was anarchy for a few years. Things are more orderly now, but you'll still need to dedicate effort and time to getting a good wristband.




What time will I need to get in line?

Early. It's unusual to make back-to-back panels in different rooms unless they're fairly small. Accept the need to spend time in line and plan your day accordingly.

Some panels are walk-in. Yes, even Hall H. Do a drive-by if you can a few hours ahead of time; check Twitter and ask; play it safe if the panel is important. It's really easy to overestimate the line time (like when I spent 12 hours in line for an X-Files panel and sat next to someone who'd waited about 90 minutes) and underestimate it - the first NASA panel at SDCC had people lined up 3 hours in advance but a ton of attendees showed up within 30 minutes and were shocked to find they couldn't get in.

Also consider the context of other lines. Let's say Hall H is having a highly popular day Saturday and a not so in-demand day Thursday. Saturday will draw more people out of your Indigo Ballroom line - but on Thursday, your line could be more crowded and competitive.

If you're deciding when to get in line for some kind collector/exclusive invent involving Hasbro, Mattel or some other behemoth - do your research on the specific company you're targeting. As I said in my most recent exclusives post, almost every "regular" collector I know has come away from SDCC in the last 4-5 years angry and empty-handed because it's so difficult to triumph over what can feel like a rigged system. You'll do best to seek guidance from attendees experienced in that particular domain.


Offsites are best done early on in the Con because the lines grow throughout the weekend. But I did hear about some people getting lucky on Sunday, so apparently it just depends. As with many things at Con, early morning or early evening can be prime time for minor drawings and events.



Why do people get so frustrated with lines?

It's not just a matter of waiting. A lot of people actually like sleeping outside and waiting in long lines. It's a chance to rest and catch up with friends or make new ones. It also makes people feel hardcore and gives them bragging rights.

However, it doesn't always go smoothly. See the aforementioned dynamic where dozens or even hundreds of people join their friends in front of you at the last second, shoving you way back in line.

Exhibit Hall lines can get really ugly. Remember - rules and guidelines can change on a dime, the staff isn't always prepared for demand, and the whole melee is supervised by different types of staff and guards. So attendees can get conflicting directions for where to line up, be told they can't line up, told to line up but not given the right ticket to actually purchase something, be forced to disperse while a difference staff member lets new people in, etc. There's also the horror show of when a line is moved, and a bunch of attendees take advantage of the confusion by jumping in at the front.

There's no surefire trick here. Be polite with staff, even if they're belligerent, and plant seeds of doubt by telling them that a different staffer gave you permission to line up/buy/enter the drawing. Form solidarity with the people around you in line. But when all is said and done, there will possibly be times you get screwed and you can't do anything about it.


When is a line worth it?

This is highly individual. But you need to ask yourself if:

• You would be okay seeing the panel on YouTube or in the Playback room
• You'll feel let down if your favorite cast member only speaks once, while the director and star dominate the panel
• You'll be disappointed if you get stuck so far back in the room you have to watch the panel on a screen anyhow
• You haven't gotten a chance to thoroughly explore the Exhibit Hall
• There's anything else going on at the same time that you really want to see.

If you answer yes to most of those - I wouldn't spend more than a few hours in line.

What are common mistakes with lines?

Randomly joining a line is always a mistake. Check which line you're in. It's easy to be told the wrong thing and spend 90 minutes in a line for something you don't care about.

If you can't find a line, don't accept "I don't know" from a staffer. This happens with autographs, smaller events, Horton panels and other events. Keep asking, keep waiting, ask online. (See my Horton panel advice.)

Other times people wait in line long after they lose any hope of getting in. Follow logic over what a volunteer tells you. I've told this story before about a Neil Gaiman panel where the room filled, the door closed, the panel started, but the volunteer kept telling us we were getting in. People dutifully waited long after it was clear we were not getting in. Take control of your destiny at SDCC; there's a lot of confusion flowing around and you'll need to dig for the truth sometimes.

While it's hard to tell precisely when a line will be admitted to a room, you should play it safe in terms of going to the bathroom or out for coffee. If you think there's any chance your line will start getting ushered into the room - and this can happen well before your panel or screening starts - do not leave the line. If you come back from the restroom and your friends are already in the room, you can't jump to the front of the line unless those people are willing to take you at your word that you were just in line.



Is it possible to do SDCC without lines?

Yes. Remember that the big room panels usually have their panels shown in the Playback Room. If you only want to see 1 panel and don't want to wait 4 hours to get into the room and then sit through another 3 panels, this is a good option. I know everyone wants to be within the physical presence of their favorite casts, but when there's 4,000 people between you in the room, it's not going to feel that physical anyhow.

Or you can just opt for multiple smaller panels instead of blowing your energy and time on that one Game of Thrones or Stranger Things Hall H panel. This is how I roll and for me it's a happier strategy. If one panel is dull, no big deal - I didn't invest an entire day in it. It also frees me up to eat or go back to my room or meet up with someone on the fly.

But I am going to do a long line campout. How can I make it more bearable?

Obviously you want to share line duty with a partner. If you don't know anyone, ask around - you'll find someone else intent on the same panel/line.

Bring whatever you need for the long haul - snacks, water, blankets, air hammock, chair, phone battery, ipod. Also do research into local 24-hour coffee shops, stores and restaurants (limited) so you can go on a run whenever you need to. Yes, some actors will come by and hand out donuts or pizza but it's nothing to bank on.

Talk to the people around you. This isn't like getting stuck on a plane listening to someone's stories about their knee surgery. You're with people who share your interests, it's a relief to exchange hotel or badge sale war stories, and you'll hear all kinds of great Con news and gossip. Your new pals will also save your spot while you hit the loo or go get breakfast. This really is one of everyone's favorite parts of the Con. Last year I chatted up two people in a Syfy line and this year I'm driving down to the Con with one of them.

If you lived through the 2017 badge and hotel tumult, then you know in your heart that this Comic-Con could be your last. The demand is just too dire these days to feel certain of being there next summer. Consider that when you're deciding how to spend your days and hours. You want to live your Comic-Con at maximum enjoyment - so think hard before you spend all of it in a line.

Comic nerds and Comic-Con

26 JUNE 2016

Heidi MacDonald is in Publishers Weekly, talking about how San Diego Comic-Con is "evolving." Unlike other articles that ponder is Comic-Con still about comic books? or the ever-popular headline Hollywood glitters at Comic-Con, her article actually shares some changes you can expect to see in the comics section this year.


For those of you who just set foot on Planet Con for the first time, the show used to look quite different. It really was a comics convention, with aisles of back issues and artists signing their work and comic book nerds frantically pawing through boxes to find their Silver Age dream. Today that aspect is still there - but it's much smaller, as if some nefarious studio head pointed a shrink ray at it and said, "We'll be taking over from here." That's why when you step onto the Exhibit Hall floor, you'll find the biggest crowds swarming through the middle section carnival of movie-themed exclusives and trailers and merchandise, and then over toward the right, more spacious aisles of comic publishers. Where depressingly, you can often see some top artists and writers sitting behind their tables looking bemused as attendees pass them by.

Full disclosure: I didn't witness the glory days that were seriously comic-centric. By my arrival in 2002, Hollywood already had its celluloid claws firmly in the convention center. It wasn't as dominant as today, though. I remember my then-girlfriend being stunned in 2003 that Angelina Jolie was there to promote Tomb Raider. (Now it's more surprising when a major star doesn't show up.) And the attendees weighted more heavily on the comic book nerd end of the scale - they looked different, they bought different things, they went to different panels. I could have an excellent discussion in any bar about Love and Rockets or Action Girl Comics.

That is no longer the case. I don't begrudge you new fans. (Well, sometimes I do, like the Google employees who scoffed at Grant Morrison's panel last year because they were impatient for the Pixar panel to start. SDCC etiquette: if you sit through a panel you don't like to get a good seat in the panel you do, at least be respectful.) However, it is disquieting when smaller pubs pack up and leave SDCC because they just can't afford to come anymore. True, we comic nerds are soaking up their great work at Cons like Emerald City but I fear a day when SDCC is all big publishing houses displaying the same books I can see at Barnes and Noble.

Enough of my melancholic ramblings. Here's what the article said:

• DC will roll out its usual bombast and glory, and this year that will include a Wonder Woman temple of worship and a whole lot of promotion for Young Animal, the Gerard Way-headed new imprint. The Suicide Squad cast will show up too. Wait, does that mean DC comics and DC movies will commingle? Yes: "This year's DC booth will showcase the integration of the studio DC Entertainment, its publishing division." 

• Top Shelf won't be in its normal spot; it was acquired by IDW and will be part of their booth. They promise "amazing things" so don't skip it. And yes, John Lewis will be back at the Con for those of you still inspired by last year's Bloody Sunday reenactment.

• Drawn & Quarterly calls exhibiting at San Diego "incredibly taxing" and points out that the marketing benefits aren't what they used to be; that sending 1 author can make more sense than setting up an entire staffed booth.

• NBM is gone, saying "It's too hard to stand out" and that their literary graphic novels aren't what attendees are looking for. In contrast, their YA sister company Papercutz will be afoot - and they'll offer both the 1st volume of Jessica Abel's new SF series and a free 96-page anthology. But they've scaled back too, saying "We'll just have our major books there this year."

Just a few tidbits, but enough to convey that yes, the comics aisles have become the shrinking polar ice cap of the Con. Which isn't terribly surprising, given how many people - artists and writers who earn their daily living via comics - tell me that other Cons are far more profitable for them. (And often more emotionally gratifying, as they connect with a higher number of passionate comic readers there.)


One thing I like about CCI: they are committed to comic book culture. I think some people blame them for SDCC's Hollywood invasion when in fact they're just trying to accommodate fan interests and balance their economic survival with their cultural mission. Their focus on comic art galleries, a possible museum and other comic channels shows that San Diego Comic-Con still values comics. But the influence of fan spending and attention still has a direct impact on who shows up each year.

The SDCC Daily

28 JUNE 2016

Orphan Black wants you to join them in a Final Season Farewell at Comic-Con. The cast will be at BBC booth 4129 on Friday. They're also having a 4:30 panel on the same day in 6BCF - which means you'll have a tough time doing this panel and iZombie/getting in line for The Killing Joke.

BBC is also showing off Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency on Saturday at 4 in 6BCF. But will they reveal anything about The Living and The Dead, their spooky ghost story coming to America this fall? We don't know yet.

It's your big break, Sharknado fans: an audition to be on a Syfy Sharknado game show at Comic-Con. Yes, this is real even though the page looks weird. You will need to submit a photo and video, and have a valid SDCC badge. You don't need to be beautiful, but you do need to be "fun and outgoing" - i.e., be entertaining to watch on TV.

Let's talk exclusives. Entertainment Earth is giving us a really great-looking C-3PO. In the category of more unusual exclusives: Purridge the kitty doing his business in a litterbox. Mattel wants you to race these Death Star Hot Wheels on a racetrack far, far away. And there are only 100 of Archer's Enormous Package - so if you're coveting this box of Archer goods, maybe it's best to order now.

The 501st Legion is having an SDCC party Friday night, 22 July, at Maz's Place. This is a ticketed sit-down dinner with dessert and bar so you can't just roll in on a whim.

You can get a sneak peek at Luke Cage (and star Mike Colter) at the Con.

Nickelodeon wants you to relive your 90s childhood with a booth extravaganza that will feature:

• a Legends of the Hidden Temple virtual reality experience
• Hey Arnold! photo ops
• Trivia games
• Autographs with various cast members

Shows mentioned include Rugrats, Double Dare, Real Monsters, Catdog, Rocko's Modern Life, Invader Zim and "others." Fingers crossed that "others" will mean Are You Afraid of the Dark? and Action League Now!


Today's Toucan post about the updated Marriott facility might seem like a snoozer, but it can actually help you understand where to go. First-timers, Comic-Con in general is bigger than you expect it to be - and while attending a tournament or event at a hotel sounds like it would just involve walking into the lobby and following a sign, it can be more complicated than that.

Your nerdiest dog is probably dying for you to take him to PAWmicon so he can explore his cosplay passion.

Will CCI's friendship with Lionsgate help bring Hulu's Dimension 404 to SDCC? I hope so. This sci-fi anthology "aims to evoke that 3 a.m. feeling of wandering onto the weird side of the web, stumbling upon stories that cannot be explained in the world we know. Each episode will explore a different bizarre mystery, including an obscure cartoon that may hold the secret to time travel or energy drinks perhaps causing a global apocalypse." And Constance Wu is in it.

If you've been pining away for either Tom Hiddleston or Skull Island, you're in the luck: both will be gracing Hall H. Does anyone else remember when Skull Island was announced at Comic-Con a few years back and 2017 sounded so far away? And now the release date is less than a year out.

Oh and if you're headed for Orlando this summer, here's a sneak peek at the Skull Island attraction.

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.

Be a Comic-Con explorer

27 JULY 2014

Comic-Con is almost over.  Hopefully you got to buy and visit and experience all the things you wanted.

You might even have hit the point where you achieved your objectives and now have some time on your hands today. In which case, I want to make a case for exploring an area that isn't one of your interests. There is no better entry point in the world to get into gaming for the first time, or pick up a comic book, or try anime. Maybe you want to see if you like science fiction or find out about self-publishing. So many people have a "first time" story at Comic-Con that opens up a whole new avenue for them.

My point is, this is a giant, multi-dimensional resource vibrating around you - take advantage of it. Boldly go where other nerds have gone before. And on that note, I'll sign off with pictures of several of my favorite Comic-Con explorers who were gracious enough to let me take their pictures: space engineer Bobak Ferdowsi, comic book legends and first-time Eisner winners Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez, and visionary genius Grant Morrison.

Exhibit Hall assessment

25 JULY 2014

For most attendees, the Exhibit Hall is a huge part of Comic-Con. I actually remember when it only took up part of the floor (which seems incredible now, but it was just a few years back) and while the booths have changed somewhat, the general experience has stayed mostly consistent. Here's what I've noticed this year.

For a few years, it seemed that many of the smaller vendors were vanishing.  Booths that sold random products, long-lost childhood artifacts and bizarre gimmick merchandise just didn't return. But I haven't seen much attrition the last 3 years and many of the small vendors seem on solid footing.

That said, there's still a reduction in indie artists and writers. I do see more variety in books on display tables, which I appreciate deeply. But the days of seeing your favorite obscure creator seem mostly done. I come here mainly as a passionate reader, and I still find plenty of new titles to buy - but I rarely have that feeling of discovering something rare and weird here I won't find on Amazon.

The A section is a gaming explosion. It's a good option for people who aren't hardcore enough for Gam3rCon, but still want hands-on play for upcoming releases.

Photo ops are better than ever. The Bates Motel, the Walking Dead/Terminus, the T Rex head, the White Walker - you can find something to make every single one of your friends jealous. Some of the activities, like the Adult Swim game of luck or the multiple virtual reality stops, cause bottlenecks but such is SDCC.

Now. On the topic of etiquette, a few things.

* It's crowded and we all eventually get pushed, stepped on or bopped in the eye by a foam sword. Be gracious about it.  No one is trying to deliberately annoy you.

* Yes, it's slow. I'm a fast walker and getting trapped behind people who are just sort of ambling aimlessly makes me crazy. Strollers, giant bags and wheelchairs also take up room. But snorting angrily or complaining doesn't magically make the crowd part and let you by. I heard several people go on a tirade about the crowds and slowness - I'm not sure what they expected, but this is how Comic-Con is. It's not clean and easy and convenient. It's a sweltering frustrating snarl of an obstacle course, and you have to really love it here to put up with it.

* Don't take 10 minutes to frame your shot.  Snap 2-3 pictures and move on. And don't get mad when you're trying to pan the Exhibit Hall while shooting your personal documentary and then a Wookie walks in front of your phone and ruins it. Not a sound stage, the Exhibit Hall.

* Don't stop in the middle of an aisle to hash out where to have lunch with your friends. Go out in the halls for that kind of powwow. Some of the smaller aisles are downright claustrophobic, yet twice today I saw groups of people block them completely just to have a conversation.

* Don't harass cosplayers. Yes, this topic has been beaten to death but apparently it needs to be said again. Today I heard a guy explain his reformation: "I really didn't get it, but then So&So pointed out that those girls work really hard on their costumes. So it's not cool to say shit to them and you know, he's right." That is an actual quote, generated by someone who doesn't understand that it's "not cool" to harass anyone, regardless of what they're wearing or whether they sewed it by hand or bought it off Ebay.

* Don't be mean to booth workers or security guards just because they can't give you the answer you want. I know it's hard to swallow your gall sometimes but unloading on an innocent person is not The Way.

* Practice situational awareness when it comes to people behind you and around you. If someone is waiting to pay or ask a question, or take a picture, don't stand there flirting with the vendor for 10 minutes. If you're super tall, don't step right in front of a shorter person trying to take a picture of the Walking Dead zombies. I know we all do these things on accident, but that is why it helps to stay aware of the attendees around us.


Okay, I'm done lecturing.  I just felt it necessary to say that because I've seen so many loud and crabby people in the Exhibit Hall today, all feeling persecuted by what is the essential Comic-Con experience. Sorry, everyone, this is just how it is. If you really can't deal, come back shortly before closing time when the aisles thin out.