Should Hall H be a line, a lottery, or both?

 15 JULY 2024

The general consensus so far is that San Diego Comic-Con 2024 is looking as ripe and juicy as a pre-pandemic Con - or pretty close, at least. I feel like that was confirmed by today's sizzling announcement of a "Deadpool & Wolverine Celebration of Life" Hall H lottery event. The fact that it's stretching for several hours hints heavily that it includes the movie. So if you weren't enticed enough by the Thursday night riches of Her Universe, Kung Fu, or Methgator, here is an even splashier option. In fact, I feel safe in saying it will be the #1 pick for many people.

But it's a lottery! So we all signed up here at this link: event.twdc.com/ultimatedpw and now we wait.

And it brought up a recurring debate: should all of Hall H be a lottery or a line?

Advantages to a lottery

It eliminates cheating and takes away the advantage from people with massive, well-organized friend groups. It's also kinder to people who aren't disabled enough for the ADA line but have the kind of physical ailments that make it impossible to stay in a long line. Ditto for volunteers who can't break away from their assignments to wait in line or panelists or parents or vendors - you get the idea. A lot of people who would love to get into Hall H but can't hack the lines would finally have a chance without having to give up other Con events.

What's not great: it would break up groups and families, where only some could get in and others wouldn't. (Can you imagine being the 1 person who gets in and having to pick your +1 without pissing off your friends? You'd have to hold another lottery.)  And some attendees would have to pay for badges and hotels without knowing if they could even get into their raison d'etre.

Advantages to a line

It puts control back in attendees' hands - especially the most determined, passionate fans willing to sacrifice all else. If they buy badges specifically to see a certain panel that's almost certain to be there, they can somewhat guarantee access as long as they're ready to spend hours in line. And as I've said before, many people actually enjoy being in line - that's part of the event for them.

What's not great: all the problems we have now - having to make Sophie's Choice between different parts of the Con, the physical difficulty in staying in line so long, time constraints and professional responsibilities, and the bitter fights over cheating.

Advantages to combined

In this scenario, half the room is a lottery, half is a line. Best of both worlds, right? My first impulse is to vote for this but I recognize it would create even greater competition and divisiveness amongst the line warriors. 

I know you all have opinions on this. I don't think there's a perfect solution. I do think we need to try other options - I don't understand why we can't have Hall H on Sunday, for instance (we used to) so please explain in the comments if you know. Holding the most popular panels twice or simply having Marvel/whoever hold court for four hours and have different groups come in and out would be dreary for the panelists but would accommodate a much larger number of people. Again, it wouldn't accommodate everyone (and the room would have to be cleared) but I can't think of anything that would.

So where do you fall? Line, lottery, or both? Or do you have a genius idea no one has tried? If so, you should definitely bring it to the Talkback panel.

Are you ready for the Hall H Survival of the Fittest?

 8 JULY 2024

If any aspect of San Diego Comic-Con has attained mythical status, it's the Hall H line. Farflung fan boys and girls have heard of it; other Con managers have tried to sell me on their not-San-Diego Con by saying, "And we have <celebrity> and <attraction> - so you don't need to camp in the Hall H line!"

Here's what they don't get: camping in the Hall H line is part of the fun.

It's also forbidden, according to the careful wording of CCI's latest blog post. "Camping is not allowed," they say firmly and go on to ban tents, canopies, cots, inflatable, space heaters, large umbrellas, open flames, etc. What you are permitted: one chair of "relatively normal size" and a banket or sleeping bag.  Isn't camping built into the definition of a sleeping bag? I guess the other option is "slumber party" so maybe we'll go with that: the Hall H line is the biggest slumber party on the West Coast.

How the Hall H line mutated into an ungodly monstrosity

In a word: us. We did this. 

When I was a wee Comic-Con kitten, I casually strolled into Hall H in the middle of a Neil Gaiman panel. (Ahem). A few years down the road and I was groaning about the terribly unreasonable 2-hour wait for a LOST panel. Shortly after that, I looked out of my room at the Hilton Bayfront and saw a shanty town with tents and blankets and tiny grills: the Twilight fans.

Sometime after that, I said, "I'm done with Hall H."

There are just too many people who carry Hall H in their hearts. They are willing to sleep outside for multiple nights, deceive and scam, sacrifice all other aspects of the Con. It takes a skilled and collaborative group to successfully obtain good seats and still enjoy the rest of Comic-Con. 

I've only endured it once in recent years. But I do understand its magnetic powers and it's not just the panels themselves that attract people; some people really enjoy the line itself. Organizing line shifts with color-coded spreadsheets; enjoying the shivery San Diego nights as you congratulate yourself on being the Con version of punk as fuck; getting deep into 3 a.m. conversations with the people in front of you and exchanging numbers though you'll never talk to them again: it can be a deeply memorable, soul-stirring experience.

But it can also be sheer hell. Fake wristbands, line cutters, discovering that you are now 1100 people back even though you were in the first 300 a few hours ago; the Hall H line can turn you into one of those people screaming online that the Con is dead and you are never going back!

Should you and if so, how so?

Look, thousands of you are convinced you will beat the Hall H line with your superior cunning and massive network. And a lot of you are probably right. But if you're not a Hall H ninja, you should know...

Sometimes Hall H is quite accessible. Certain days will be crazy. Once Friday was the best day IMO but generally speaking, Thursday-Saturday will have a line. Even so, sometimes you can show up later in the day and walk in. So don't write off the entire room. If you don't want to put in the time for a wristband, you'll need to monitor the situation online and see what people are reporting.

You actually can camp, in the sense of sleeping outside overnight. The bathrooms in Lobby G will be open overnight for when nature calls. Bundle up as the nights get cool and bring a sleeping bag or blanket and camping pad.

 

Wristbands are handed out the night before at 7:30 pm for Thursday and Friday and at 8:00 pm for Saturday. You must be there in the Next Day Line in person; your friend can't pick up an extra for you. CCI assures you can go home and get "a good night's rest" but if you are maniacal about getting a top-notch seat in the first panel, you'll probably stay. And if you don't care about the first panel? Go ahead and snooze in the back sections, then work your way to the front for ensuing panels. Just be warned that everyone will be doing this. Your best bet is to work in groups and designate an overnighter to hold your spot.

Once you're in Hall H, you'll have access to drinks, snacks, and restrooms without leaving - so you can comfortably make it an all-day event.

I highly advise reading their full instructions here.

Once panels are announced this week, we'll have a reasonable idea of the "best" days and most competitive lines. This is easy for me to say but that doesn't make it untrue: maintain a healthy detachment over Hall H. It's caused sorrow in the past: one attendee stabbed another with a pen over a saved seat, a fan was hit by a car and killed running across the street because she saw the line moving. Bitter fights over line management practices and groups accused of cheating are rife.

I've not yet seen an easy and perfect solution that will satisfy everyone. People are doing their best to impose some kind of order and fairness on a situation that's been rife with line-cutting, rage, and many wasted hours for many attendees. Once the panels come out, figure out now how much blood you want to spill on this and then make peace with your decision. Because even if Hall H is a deeply meaningful experience, Comic-Con offers other memorable experiences too.

 

Do you have any information about the Hall H fake wristbands?

26 JULY 2017

As you all know, it's believed that a group of people made or obtained fake Hall H wristbands and used them to gain access to panels - leaving legitimately wristbanded attendees shut out after waiting for 20 hours or more. CCI would understandably like to get to the bottom of this. If you saw, heard or know anything, please email me at sdccguide@gmail.com or contact CCI directly.

People who traditionally skip Hall H may consider this a trivial matter, but it's not. Many attendees invest considerable time and money traveling to SDCC specifically for Hall H. They were robbed.

We have a great community - hopefully we can come together and share what we know. Please ask your friends if they observed anything as well. Thanks.

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.

Comic-Con news so far

22 JULY 2017

After a prolonged period of no Wifi, I'm back online. So what have we learned?


COMICS

Biggest news: Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham are doing Arkham Asylum 2, featuring an adult Damien Wayne.

We're also getting The Tempest, another League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, from Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill. This is a year away.

And there's this: Frank Miller is going to take on Superman and give him the Dark Knight treatment. What is in the water this SDCC?

Joelle Jones will tell us what happens when Batman proposes to Catwoman.

SEGA will publish New Sonic comics through IDW - not Archie. Also getting IDW series: Transformer Unicron and female Ghostbusters.

Marvel is bringing you a new Thanos series.

Archie and DC announced a crossover that everyone will want: Betty, Veronica, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. Weird combination, but compelling. Out this fall.

I'm less certain about this crossover: Doom Patrol and JLA. Could be good, I guess.

Very big news: we may be getting new Invisibles, Sandman.

TV

Stranger Things was a major offsite and a major panel for attendees - and we found out that while Barb will not be returning, she will be "avenged."

As a Halloween lover and stop-motion fan, I can't wait for the SpongeBob Halloween special "The Legend of Boo-kini Bottom."

Krypton is coming and reactions are mostly meh.

99.9% of us were not allowed to enter the Westworld experience but we did see the season 2 trailer, which features Dolores on horseback, gunning down humans. There was no definitive word on how much we'll see of Samurai World.

The Tick is one of those shows that got a lift from SDCC. Not many people I know thought twice about it before this weekend, but there's reasonable interest now.

The Defenders also is getting positive buzz. Everyone I know had only good things to say about it.

The next season of Archer will be Danger Island, set in the South Pacific in 1939. I'm ready for it.

It looks like Riverdale's second season will continue Jughead's melodramatic voiceover. Who shot Fred Andrews? Etc.

iZombie shared a sizzle reel and season 4 news about new zombie rules and wars. I feel like this show is running out of steam.

I heard The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones panels were lackluster, but we did get an interesting look at elderly Rick and found out the show will never try to cure/solve the zombie issue. For GOT, we got some intriguing hints about Dany partnering up with Melisandre. Maybe.

MOVIES


We're getting Wonder Woman 2. Of course we all knew this, but the official announcement is nice.

Thor: Ragnarok seemed to wow everyone with its trailer.

Were you expecting Michelle Pfeiffer to be in another superhero movie? Me neither, but she'll play Janet Van Dyne in The Ant Man and the Wasp.

DC always delivers news of its next animated feature but this year they announced four: Gotham by Gaslight, Suicide Squad/Hell to Pay and the two-part Death and Return of Superman. I was surprised by the eye-rolling that greeted this news; I'm all for it.

Black Panther got a standing ovation in Hall H.

We saw the first footage of Ready Player One and reactions were .... mixed. People who hadn't read the book seemed more into it than readers.

The reaction to Justice League was more positive, although I think all of us are pretty much dying for Aquaman to come out already.


CON DEVELOPMENTS

There's no shortage of talk here. We'll start with Conan, where something went drastically wrong this year:  on multiple days, people with tickets were sent home or received emails telling them not to show up. The Spreckels Theater was extremely hot - two people next to me on Thursday night got up and left before the show started. Overall, it was a very different experience from the previous 2 years. It's been suggested that demand surged this year, so everyone actually did show up for the tapings - where before they could count on a certain percentage never claiming their tickets. Not sure if it's true but hopefully next year will be smoother.

Offsites have been a main attraction for a few years now, but I've never known quite so many people to focus on them so intently - sometimes to the point of skipping the entire Con. I think Blade Runners takes the honors here because it partnered so many good elements - great VR, a t-shirt, shots of Johnnie Walker, free food, an atmospheric experience - while the line was much more reasonable than Game of Thrones. Netflix was also in high demand and then we had the Westworld experience, which only admitted 120 people a day.  I still maintain that the Tech Pavilion at the Omni is worth a look, but of course most attendees are skipping it. Even though I think some of the VR there was as good as Blade Runner.


Now - onto the Hall H line. My, my. Just when you think you've lived through every type of Hall H line drama possible, 2017 happens. From a line being forced to disperse, while new people took their places, to attendees getting wristbands and not getting in, this year was a mess. Apparently some people report waiting 30-40 hours, only to have so many others cut in front that they wound up with D wristbands or nothing at all. Staff pretty much shrugged off complaints.

But the biggest issue - reportedly - is that some people created fraudulent wristbands to get in. Everyone is reporting this as fact but I haven't seen it verified. At any rate, 2 full chutes of wristbanded attendees got left out in the cold after waiting upwards of a day. The good - and unprecedented - news is that CCI actually gave them 4 day badges for next year!

I have to admit I didn't expect that one. But while it was a nice gesture, it's obvious CCI has to do something about Hall H. The wristbands were a step, but now attendee madness has incorporated them into their desperation. CCI has to take stronger measures. I think assigned sections, handed out via lottery, would be one way to do it, but there are others.

Anyhow. Tomorrow is the final day of the Con. Hopefully the Hall H line will go a little smoother for Supernatural fans. And if you're one of those only-offsite people? Put your badge to use and give the actual Con a try. You may never get to go again.

Your new SDCC obsession: merit badges

3 MARCH 2017



Sometimes the best thing you find at a Comicon isn't a graphic novel or action figure but a token that's more offbeat and meaningful. So it's no surprise that people have been flipping out over something very small, tucked away at the far end of the Emerald City Comicon show floor: Comic-Con merit badges.

                                                                     

The set includes badges for getting into Hall H, covering every aisle of the Exhibit Hall, sharing a badge, eating an emergency hotdog, a phone staying charged all day, and eating outside the Gaslamp. (What should be added: surviving an SDCC badge sale.)

                                               
     
If you're at Emerald City Comicon, you can find these at booth 1237. The artist is Claire Hummel and yes, she'll be making them available online at some point - follow her @shoomlah to find out when they're available.

Coming to terms with the reality of Hall H

7 AUGUST 2016

Now that we've had a few weeks for our San Diego Comic-Con experience to settle inside us, some of our perceptions have probably shifted a bit. Decisions like: how excited are we really for that new show or upcoming movie? Just how good, or mediocre, was that much-anticipated new graphic novel? How often have we returned to admire our most hard-won exclusive, or did we put it in a display case and forget about it?

(What doesn't get questioned as much: if we're going back in 2017. Most attendees just assume they should, even if they complained to no end about the lines and lotteries and raw deal they got in the Exhibit Hall. If that's you, consider going to another Con - but that's for another post, coming soon.)

Studios and the media are changing their perceptions too: namely of us and our box office power. Are we worth marketing to? How come we act so excited over Hall H trailers for movies that go on to tank at the box office? Why aren't we showing up and bringing all our friends?

Screen Crush noticed that Hall H isn't a surefire guarantee of big ticket sales and put together the above infographic to illustrate this reality. One number that's missing: the fewer than 7,000 seats in that auditorium. It seems a bit unfair to use the small number of Hall H viewers as some kind of cinematic bellweather - especially since, let's face it, we're an enthusiastic bunch who are then further hyped up just being at SDCC and will cheer for pretty much anything. You can't even count a full house as indicating a high level of interest in something, since any given panel probably contains attendees waiting for the panels that come after it.

In that light, it's kind of irritating that anyone even bothered to correlate box office draws with Hall H presence. Are attendees expected to have some kind of social media superpowers that can make every movie a hit? Regardless, it's true that the ensuing dismal performance of some Hall H movies has led some studios to back off. As Screen Crush says: "That's not exactly the sort of success that inspires movie studios to spend thousands of dollars on filmmaker accommodations and specially prepared trailers on top of all the money for booths, staff and the assorted swag Comic-Con attendees have come to expect as part of the San Diego experience." In other words, Hollywood is the date who took us to a fancy dinner and then got mad because we didn't put out.

This article also seems to think SDCC has 160,000 attendees so take its final point with a grain of salt, but here it is: a prediction that more and more studios will host their own events like Star Wars Celebration and D23. To which I say, possibly, but those events are hugely expensive compared to a Hall H panel - so no, I don't think Hall H and Hollywood are breaking up for good. And it's not like Comic-Con is the only place where TV makes a better showing than movies. It's been a few years now that everyone's noticed we're in a golden age of television and ongoing stories get better traction with social media and fan loyalty. So if Hollywood wants to boost their box office, maybe they should stop blaming poor marketing decisions and make better movies.

Will Hall H reveal mystifying new techology?

11 JULY 2016

As you know, studios hate it when you surreptitiously film their special SDCC footage and then share it with the undeserving public. So far the effort to combat this has taken the form of, "Stop doing that." Which isn't terribly effective.

Recently - like in the last few weeks - Apple announced a tech patent for a tool that would disable your device's camera. Which sounds like a studio dream, but again, it's quite recent.

So it's hard to imagine we'd already see this in Hall H, but it sounds like we might see something; James Gunn made an interesting comment on Facebook. "Well, you might see something if you're in Hall H on July 23 with me and the Marvel panel. Or if someone secretly films that - which is less likely to happen because of new technology, but I still know sometimes happens - then you'll see it right after. If not, then it will be a short while."

What new technology?? We need details, stat. Obviously James was purposefully vague, but he must have an idea that something is afoot. More will be revealed, I suppose.

And speaking of reveals: Gunn also said they'd have "something special for you" in the panel. Just in case you needed more motivation to get into Hall H Saturday.

We may be facing a Foxless Comic-Con

28 APRIL 2016



Remember last year's furor over Marvel "skipping" San Diego Comic-Con? (For those of you who are new to our ways: when people speak of a brand sitting out or skipping SDCC, they're usually referring to its big splashy Hollywood panels, not comics and action figures, etc.)

Well, now Fox is allegedly too delicate to come join us this summer and the reason is piracy.  "The studio feels it cannot prevent the piracy of custom trailers and exclusive footage routinely screened for fans in attendance." No, not that! Why, the very idea of a Hall H trailer making its way onto YouTube.

So that's the problem; studios are outraged by their "carefully prepared" SDCC trailers leaking into the public, as happened with Suicide Squad and Deadpool. And CCI is disappointed too; David Glanzer says, "This leak not only violates the trust of Comic-Con and the studios but each of the attendees who respect the bond we have long held." Raise your hand if you feel violated.

I guess we'll just see about all of this. With SDCC coming up fast, studio panel and marketing plans are indeed solidifying so we should have a firmer idea soon of who will and won't dazzle us. (Rumor has it Disney will be gone too or at least scale back.) The Fox panel is always hotly anticipated and I know plenty of attendees will be bummed at its absence. Smaller plans will still proceed, it sounds like, but if you were yearning to see 131 seconds of Assassin's Creed footage, you may be out of luck. No word yet on if you'll be able to bounce around its huge obstacle course again.

Everyone can see Hall H panels.... kind of

13 APRIL 2016

Today unleashed one of those announcements that was so deeply SDCC; exciting news laced with a disappointing caveat. Here it is if you missed it: that very special Con streaming service we've all anticipated WILL include Hall H panels - but not live.

Are you excited about this? Do you care terribly if the streaming is delayed and not in the moment? If the footage and trailers are missing, is it still worth it? Or will you head for YouTube to see someone's sneaky recording?

From Seth Laderman of Comic-Con HQ: "We're not going to be live streaming anything because we really don't want to take away that experience of people who are the first to see and be there for it, but we can put things up shortly after."

At first glance, I can agree with that. Ride or die attendees who sacrifice meals and comfortable beds to wait for Hall H panels should definitely be rewarded. But... isn't the experience of being there live enough? Hearing the deafening applause and hollers and watching those exciting trailers? Why do you need to exclude people at home to make that feeling more special?

(And let's be honest - for many attendees, the waiting in line IS an enjoyable part of the experience. They can bond with their friends, people love meeting the attendees around them, and it can be a welcome opportunity to just plunk down and relax for a while.)

io9 takes another stance, saying that if the panels are streamed live, "standing in line (and paying money for tickets and hotels) starts to feel like a waste.)" Anyone who's experienced that incredible rush of Hall H energy will probably disagree with that, I would think. But what do I know? I've been skipping Hall H for a few years now so I'll wait to hear what its devotees think.

Comic-Con HQ's free beta goes live on 7 May; maybe that will take away some of the lingering sting of the hotel disaster. Because there's no doubt about it - we are definitely entering San Diego Comic-Con season.

Masterminding your Hall H strategy & campout

30 JUNE 2015

The Twilight Years. There's a life-size wax statue of Edward Cullen in that picture.

 

 

If any aspect of the Con has attained mythical status, it's the Hall H line. Nerds all over the world know about it; I've had conversations in New York, Seattle and Chicago where people have rolled their eyes and said something disparaging about SDCC and added, "and the Hall H line? Forget it."

 

Along with other veterans, I've watched the Hall H line mutate into an unspeakable monstrosity over the years. I remember casually strolling into Hall H to see Neil Gaiman, no line at all; I remember waiting for two hours in line for a LOST panel and groaning about it; I remember the night I looked out of my room at the Hilton Bayfront and saw the Twilight campers with their tents and blankets and tiny grills, like a refugee camp settled down for the night. And I clearly remember the moment I said "Eff it, I'm done with Hall H."

 

But I know many of you are all about its hallowed walls. So let's dig into the latest rules and regulations offered by CCI. First, though, let me make a point - Hall H is sometimes quite accessible. Obviously Friday (day) is going to be crazy. Other days will have rabid fans as well. But depending on the day and time and panel, you can sometimes get in with a minimal wait. So don't just write off the entire room as a choice between an overnight campout or bust. It's better to monitor the situation visually, ask on Twitter and see what people are reporting.

 

Onto the wristbands and regulations.

 

In terms of camping, it's the same as before:

• "Camping is not allowed." But you can sleep outside overnight. Tomato, tomahto.
• No "tents, canopies, inflatables, cots, beds" - anything big, essentially. You can have 1 chair of "relatively normal size." And a sleeping bag or blanket.
• You can't have open flames, so no s'mores.
• The bathrooms in Lobby G will be open overnight, if you were wondering how to take care of your needs.

 

Okay, all that's pretty doable.

 

Now onto the wristbands.

 

Wristbands are handed out the night before Hall H panels in the Next Day Line. See the distribution times below. You'll need your badge or barcode confirmation AND a photo ID to get a wristband. Hall H is serious business! So you'll line up with all of your friends - one wristband per person, you can't ask for an extra for a friend arriving later, and you must all be together to ensure ending up in the same color zone. Then you'll receive your wristbands and...

 

1. Either you can bounce at that point and return in the morning, knowing you'll get some type of seat in the first panel - but it might not be a good one. That said, if you don't care about the first panel, you can snooze in the back sections and then work your way to the front for ensuing panels.

 

2. Keep waiting competitively in line, angling for some front row action.

 

3. Install a placeholder in line and swap out with them before 7:30 am. I really feel this is a valid income stream for San Diego residents looking for extra cash.

 

 

Here's what a wristband gets you.

 

It guarantees you a seat in Hall H for the first panel. Wristbands are only distributed for that first panel. So if you didn't get a wristband, you could still get into later panels - as earlier panel attendees exit, more people will be let into the room. There are visual line markers that help you estimate how many people need to leave Hall H for you to get in, which will reduce the chance of you spending 8 hours on a fool's errand.

 

 

Onto distribution times.

 

For Thursday panels: Weds, 8 July at 10:00 pm - the general Hall H line in Plaza Park.

For Friday panels: Thurs, 9 July at 8:30 pm - the front of the Next Day Line. (NDL.)

For Saturday panels: Friday, 10 July at 9:45 pm - the front of the NDL.

For Sunday panels: Saturday, 11 July at 11:00 pm - the front of the NDL.

 

All of this applies to the disabled seating line as well, which will be behind the NDL.

 

 

Remember that these distribution times might sound great - but those are the times that staff will distribute the wristbands, NOT the time attendees will get in line for them. If you show up 30 minutes before distribution time, you're going to be unhappily surprised at how many people are already there ahead of you.

 

Wristbands have sparked a lot of disagreement in the attendee community, as has anything to do with Hall H. This year probably won't be much different, given that each day will appeal to serious (and multiple) fandoms. Whatever your opinion is on the wristbands, or CCI's line management practices in general, try to remember that this is a situation that has gone wildly out of control in the last few years and no one really has an easy and perfect solution that will satisfy everyone. People are doing their best to impose some kind of order and fairness on a situation that's been rife with line-cutting, accusations and many wasted hours for many attendees. My advice: figure out now how much blood you want to spill on this and then make your peace with your decision. Obviously Hall H is a deeply meaningful experience for fans, but Comic-Con offers other memorable experiences too.

 

Hall H wristbands are back

24 JUNE 2015



Buried way toward the end of a Toucan blog post on panel attendance is this little nugget: Hall H wristbands are back. These were introduced last year to cut down on a specific problem: people joining long lines via cutting or "saved" spots.

In other words, you might join a Hall H line at sunset for the next morning's panels. You're about 200 people back. Yet more and more attendees keep joining their friends ahead of you. By midnight you're about 500 people back, even though you've been waiting longer than most of the people in front of you. By daybreak, you're 1200 people back from the front of the line. You get the idea.

So last year they passed out wristbands at a certain hour - either you got one or you didn't. Joining your friends later wouldn't help you if you didn't have a wristband.

Feelings were mixed; some people said they didn't help and others did. I skip Hall H most of the time so I can't weigh in on their efficacy. The reality is that we have no perfect solution to the Hall H line at this time and CCI is trying to institute some order amongst the chaos. As for how the wristbands will operate - we'll find out more about them next week when they are a featured Toucan tip.

Hall H goes high tech

14 JULY 2014



Over the past few years, CCI has really stepped up their game in some areas. (Those of you who lost out in the registration lottery may feel differently.) Now they've gone above and beyond by developing a tool to help everyone cope with the madness that is the Hall H line.

The wristbands, called Toucan Trackers, will be passed out to people waiting for the first panel of the day. They show you your chances for getting into that first panel. The data collected will be used to place color-coded markers along the line route, so everyone knows what percentage of the room will have to clear for them to get in. It's not going to be super accurate, obviously, since we can't predict who will decide to exit after what panel, but it at least will help you decide if you want to continue waiting.

How it will work:

• Wristbands will be passed out as people get in line but will stop at 1 am and resume at 5 am. I'm curious what it will be like to be a Hall H wristband volunteer.

• You'll have to show your wristband to get into the first Hall H panel of the day. But you don't need it for the other panels.

• There will be four colors/sections, for 25%, 50% and so on to communicate where you fall in the room's capacity.

• The disabled seating line will also have wristbands.

• If you leave your line, you can't just rejoin it based on your color of wristband - someone needs to be saving your spot, just like before.

• If you get in line for that first panel and there are no more wristbands to be passed out, you probably won't get in. There's a tiny chance you could, but probably not.

• This is interesting: you can't just go get in line and request 3 wristbands for you and your 2 friends who will show up later. One person, one wristband. Your friends need to be there right then or they'll have to go to the back of the line. That's harsh.

Okay, colored wristbands may not be the most sophisticated devices to calculate your Hall H chances. When I first saw the Toucan post, I thought they were going to bring out a giant digital scoreboard with percentages on it, like they had that last horrible year of on-site pre-registration. Not so much. But this will be somewhat helpful. The classifications are an improvement over the status quo of wandering past an endless line, joining the end of it and then just waiting for hours with no real idea of how many people are ahead of you.

The rules of Hall H lines are pretty much the same

7 JULY 2014

Back in the Twilight days

It's that time of July when CCI provides you with guidelines on if and how you can wait in a Hall H line. It's the same as the last two years, right down to the mystifying references to "work" that will be completed the exact day before. I know they did have a team doing work in that area a few years back, but I can't tell if this is a convenient excuse to ward off early Hall H zealots or if they put up the canopies anew for us every summer. Probably the latter.

Anyhow, here's what you can do. First of all, no lining up until the aforementioned work is completed. I don't think this is a big concern, based on what I saw last year. Twilight seemed to be the force driving the insane pre-Con camping ground that filled the grass 2008-2012; last year, as of Thursday daybreak, there was barely anyone in the Hall H line. Of course, we can't make an educated guess on this year's madness until we see the programming in 3 days.

• Once again, no camping - although you can sleep overnight and use the restrooms in Lobby G from 9 pm to 7 am.
• No tents, large coolers, large umbrellas, open flames, etc. You can have a chair of "normal" size and a sleeping bag or blanket.
• Don't litter.

The Hall H lines for Friday (Walking Dead and 20th Century Fox for sure and probably Game of Thrones) will be intense, and with the DC blowout scheduled for Saturday, that'll probably be just as bad. Supernatural is always a big draw for Sunday but with Doctor Who gone, that could lessen the Sunday line a bit. (ETA: Never mind, we have Sons of Anarchy, the Strain and the Following also in there on Sunday so the line will be hellish.) Thursday, I don't know yet. Regardless, the era of multi-day lines seems to be over and you shouldn't need more than your CCI-approved chair and blanket.

If you've never done Hall H before, and are wondering what the lure is, this is where the biggest panels are. It's a huge room (holds 6500 people) which means if you're seated near the back, you end up watching the stage action on a screen, rather than watching the actual people. There are restrooms inside and some snacks, and they don't clear the room after panels so many people park themselves in there from beginning to end each day. This is important to know, in case you incorrectly assumed that a new 6500 people will get into each panel; they won't. That's not to dissuade you from trying to get into the room - but you should know what to expect so you can decide if the wait is worth it.

DC's monster Hall H Saturday night panel

30 JUNE 2014


If you're not following my 2014 page, this is where I'm posting gossip, news and panel information. However, today a panel announcement came out that's such a nerd-media monstrosity I feel obligated to talk about it here.

DC will take over Hall H Saturday night for 3 hours. They will show:

• The world premiere of Gotham.
• The full pilot of The Flash.
• Exclusive scenes from Constantine.
• A teaser from Arrow.
• Q&A with cast from all four shows.

I know most of us have mixed feelings about Gotham, from "Ivy Pepper" to the possibility of this being pure CW-level teenage silliness - but we all still want to see it, right? Which makes it an especially bitter pill that a huge portion of us have already allocated Saturday night to the Zombie Walk and Prom, Gam3rCon, Star Trek Symphony and Thrilling Adventure Hour/Welcome to Night Vale.

Then again, most of us couldn't have endured the line for this anyhow. Those of you who do have the fortitude to make it inside are going to enjoy one of the best panels this summer.

Metallica playing "secret" concert Friday night

9 JULY 2013


As if you needed another reason to get into Hall H Friday: Metallica will announce the location of their secret concert that night. As will Twitter two seconds after they say it, so no, you don't really have to be in Hall H just to find out. But you will get a chance to win tickets if you're there.

If you were wondering why Metallica is at Comic-Con to begin with, it's because they have an IMAX movie coming out in October. It's described as "half concert/half narrative," like a cinematic centaur, and their Hall H panel will show you the trailer, footage, etc.

The panel is Friday at 6:30 pm. This is the day of Veronica Mars, Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, so be aware of what you're up against if you decide you've got what it takes.

Your official Hall H camping trip guidelines

4 JULY 2013

It's that time of year when CCI weakly attempts to exert some kind of control on the rabid campers outside Hall H. You may remember from last summer when they ran an almost identical message about "work" being completed and how you could camp but not really, but if you did, here was what was allowed. 

They're delivering the same message this year; they "discourage" advance lines yet if you somewhat accidentally "find yourself" in one, they want you to obey their rules. The strongest one being the no-tent rule - you can have a blanket and a chair, that's it. Apparently they're trying to crack down on the unsightly shanty town that tends to spring up on the grass. And even though they discourage camping overnight, they're still making their restrooms in Lobby G available from 9 pm to 7 am. 

(Also, they're now referring to that area between the convention center and Hilton Bayfront as "Plaza Park." Is that new? As an ex-New Yorker, it's a weird visual.)

Something to remember: last year a Twilight fan was killed when she left the Hall H line to go get food, then saw the line was moving and ran through traffic to reclaim her spot. So it's natural that CCI wants to keep the chaos to a minimum. And let's face it, as a group, we can be a collective pain in the ass.

You can read all of the rules here.