A word on the exclusives portal

 4 JULY 2023

Happy Independence Day! I apologize for being MIA but my last week has been death, food poisoning, and other grisly obligations. 

Things are about to get real this week with the panels being announced. Right now, though, I know many of us are struggling with the exclusives lottery. If you're having trouble with the portal or you're dismayed at what's currently on offer, here's my advice:

Wait.

There is zero point to committing yourself right away. Last year, if you'll recall, some vendors were added after we allocated our points - and we weren't able to reassign them. That was a bitter pill. Hopefully that won't be the case this year but I wouldn't rush in, just to be safe. The portal is open until 16 July. Wait and see.

I actually got picked for my favorite exclusive last year (alas, for a time slot during my favorite panel) so don't conclude this is hopeless, as many attendees will insist. I know it's difficult, I know the user interface is terrible, and right now the exclusives on offer aren't appetizing or abundant. But more will be added. I think we're all trained to launch into action the nanosecond something goes live, but this is one time when it pays to hang back.

For now, keep checking it out and focus more on the exciting information we're about to get:

• The Souvenir Book cover. This is always a fun reveal that signals Comic-Con magic is in the air. Last year it was announced the day before the programming went live, which means we might get it tomorrow. Or maybe not.
• Panel and programming announcements. If you're new - panels and such are announced 2 weeks in advance to the day. Thursday panels will be announced this Thursday, Friday panels on Friday, etc. We'll also officially find out Preview Night pilots and some other stuff. 

After that, we'll get the Exhibit Hall map and other useful information, but I think it's the panels that will really set the tone for how attendees feel about this San Diego Comic-Con. So don't get too frustrated over the exclusives panel - good things are on the way.

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!

The SDCC Souvenir Book cover is everything we want but can't have

23 JUNE 2020

Today CCI did something cruel and beautiful: it reminded us of the Comic-Con we'll never have this year, but it also depicted what might happen to nerds after we die - Ray Bradbury riding up on a dinosaur to welcome us to the afterlife.

I'm talking about the 2020 Souvenir Book cover. This is always a sizzler of a reveal - sometimes with less than enthralling art, but still signaling an important pre-SDCC milestone. It says, Comic-Con is almost here. But this year it's bittersweet. I think we can all agree that nothing satisfies like "a long section devoted to Ray Bradbury" - but there's also a special section for Ray Harryhausen, which is almost more than my deprived quarantined heart can take.

CCI also promises it will feature "amazing ads, featuring exclusive products that would have debuted at Comic-Con, that you can order directly from the exhibitors!" In other words, we can go on a spending joyride while reading. The SDCC 2020 Souvenir Book is truly the issue of my dreams.

So it's a bit upsetting to read that this will be a free PDF but not necessarily available in print. We all want a print Souvenir Book, right? It will make late July a little less melancholy to have at least one physical piece of SDCC in our hands. Hopefully CCI will spot an income stream and make print copies available for purchase. (Yes, these are covered in the cost of our badge but our 2020 badges now cover 2021, including the 2021 Souvenir Book, so I'd expect to pay for this one.)

We'll see. They may not want to bother, which would be a shame, but understandable. Stay tuned as we get closer to Comic-Con@home.

And on another topic - remember that 1 July is the deadline to request a badge refund. If you don't want your 2020 badge to transfer to 2021, request a refund now. But remember that the next SDCC you'll probably be able to go to will be in 2022 - and at our current global pace, a new pandemic/doomsday cult/leviathan may have swallowed us up by then.

Stay safe, stay nerdy, and stay tuned. We can still make (parts of) this year a good one.

What do you think of the Souvenir Book cover?

18 JUNE 2019

Courtesy of Comic-Con International

One of the final mysteries of San Diego Comic-Con 2019 has been unveiled: the Souvenir Book cover. Because this is SDCC #50, it was a safe bet that CCI would themselves go with a safe bet and they did: a bunch of DC characters flying out of the convention center like spandex-clad bees to fight evil. Actually, I'm not really sure of the back story.

The artist/penciller is - Jim Lee! How unexpected. Alex Sinclair provided the vibrant color magic and Scott Williams the inks. You can see it above, complete with the watermark CCI slapped on to stop sleazy little bloggers like me from sharing it.

What do you think? Will you buy a print? Can we look forward to a Snapchat-type filter that just shows one character at a time disturbingly morphing into others?

First-timers, you may wonder what a Souvenir Book is. It's a thick paperback of articles and art that you'll receive when you get your bag and guide. It's something to read when you're back home and not distracted by a million Con-squirrels.

Sounds like we're in for a DC year. But I think we all knew that, right?

It's lottery time for SDCC Souvenir Book prints

1 JUNE 2018

It's June, which means it's time to turn our sights onto the looming beast that is San Diego Comic-Con. If you're a first-timer - of which there seem to be a smaller than usual crop this year - then you may be wondering when all the good announcements start. While a few exclusives have been flashed around, now is when we'll begin to hear about the parties and shows and panels that will comprise your Comic-Con days and nights. And because SDCC is going to come up faster than you can imagine, I'll post a list of ways to start preparing this weekend.

Let's start by talking about this latest lottery SDCC is offering us. The cover of the 2018 Souvenir Book is out and it's a depiction of Marvel film characters by Matt Taylor. But what's different this year is that 1000 limited edition Mondo prints are being sold; and you can only buy one by being picked in a lottery.

Entering the Mondo Print Lottery


You can "submit interest" in CCI's words by logging into your Member ID account and visiting the Exclusives tab. This is for attendees only; no exhibitors, pros, press or other Comic-Con species are eligible to enter. Yes, probably all of those people know an attendee they can maneuver through, but I still like the way this is being handled. Being last in line is a long-standing attendee complaint. Using Member ID accounts to sort the attendees from everyone else is a good jumping off point for fixing that.

The deadline to enter is Thursday, 7 June, at noon PST. "On or around" 12 June you'll get an email telling you how to log into your account and find out if you were selected. Why can't the emails just tell you that directly? Because it's Comic-Con.

And if you don't get picked? A few more prints will be available through the Comic-Con museum in Balboa Park, so save your $$$$. Because those will definitely cost way more than the $70 you'll spend buying one as an attendee.


I know some of you dislike lotteries while others feel they are the closest thing to "fair" that we'll get in our Comic-Con world. It does seem to be the general MO for most of our endeavors, from hotel rooms to badges to autographs. Will Hall H move to a lottery system one day? That's not for me to opine on since I avoid it entirely, but I'm sure you devout campers have fierce opinions on it.

Back to first-timers. You can find out more about the Souvenir Book here. You'll get it for free when you enter the Con, a journal of articles and art that delve into specific pop culture topics and anniversaries. It's something to settle onto the sofa with when you're back home and have time to actually sit down and read. (You won't have that time at the Con.) And while all this hullabaloo about the Mondo prints might convince you they are absolutely indispensable to your SDCC experience - don't get too hung up on this lottery. Your chances are slim and it's healthy to work that into your perspective now. So don't be too sad if you don't get a print - you'll find a few other thousand things to spend your money on at Comic-Con.

47 days until Preview Night! Start prepping now, nerds.

Celebrate your dark side for the 2018 Souvenir Book

29 JANUARY 2018

CCI has once again solicited your creative genius for the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con Souvenir Book - and this year's anniversary celebrations go in one of my favorite directions.

If you're new to SDCC, the Souvenir Book is a paperback keepsake of art and articles you'll receive upon arrival. You are welcome to submit your work for it (art, content or both) as centered around the important nerd anniversaries of the year.

Last year wasn't exactly rich with anniversaries; this year is all about the goth nerd in you. Consider what we're celebrating:

• 10th anniversary of the Marvel cinematic universe. You could go in on a thousand angles on this one. Obviously it will be a competitive category so be insightful. 

• 25th anniversary of Hellboy. I feel like Hellboy fans don't get nearly enough chances to stretch their creative legs, so this should be a welcome door to walk through.

• 25th anniversary of Vertigo. From Swamp Thing to The Invisibles to Sandman, you could fill 66 Souvenir Books on this topic.

• 25th anniversary of the X-Files. Wait, 25 years? Really? Don't I feel geriatric. I'm guessing a lot of people will go for the "Scully inspired me as a woman of science" narrative but personally I'd work the alien angle so hard.  

• 200th anniversary of Frankenstein. There's really no end to the possibilities here. Your Villa Diodati/Lord Byron musings, your essay on the godmother of science fiction being a teenage girl, etc. As someone who owns a full set of Frankenstein-themed serving trays, I can't wait to see what people produce.

In case your fingers are already itching to write a story about Cigarette Smoking Man bumming a smoke off John Constantine - you can't write fan fiction and you can't commingle universes. (I mean, you can, but not for the Souvenir Book.) CCI specifies that "articles should be of a historical non-fiction nature" which is an awkward way to say "essay."  You also need to follow a range of formatting and submission guidelines, which you can see here.

Deadline is 13 April; CCI points out that's Friday the 13th so put a lodestone in your conjure bag and hope for the best. Good luck.

Jack Kirby is enthroned on the Souvenir Guide cover

31 MAY 2017

100 years ago, someone named Jack Kirby was born to co-create the world of comic books and superheroes as we know them. To acknowledge his spirit birthday - and honor another famous comic book cover - Bruce Timm and Todd Klein offer us a Souvenir Book cover that's markedly different from past covers.

You can see the original cover they drew inspiration from below: #141 Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen, on sale for 25 cents! I love old comic books so I'm down with this.  What do you think?

 

First-timers, you may be wondering what a Souvenir Book is. The "Souvenir" part sounds a bit frivolous, as if this is just a glossy keepsake, but the annual Souvenir Book is something you'll enjoy reading - full of interesting articles and art. You'll receive your copy when you arrive at the Con.

We're finally past the aggravating part of Comic-Con season and into the good part. Can you feel it?

Submit your work for the Souvenir Book

2 FEBRUARY 2017

Much like Punxsutawney Phil, I'm going to make a prediction: I think this year's San Diego Comic-Con is going to be great. I just have a feeling. That doesn't mean we'll all get rooms at the Marriott Marquis, or be carried to the front row of Hall H on a palanquin, but I do feel like the programming, the guests, the surprises, the overall experience, will be exciting and satisfying for most attendees.

Yet one place this year falls oddly short is the anniversaries being celebrated. Each year CCI notes important dates - a famous artist's birthday, the anniversary of a character or comic book - and those themes guide art and narrative work submitted for the Souvenir Book. That's the thick, pretty journal full of articles and artwork you receive at SDCC. Some years are just ripe with these anniversaries. Last year was an abundance of riches.

This year, though, is slim pickings. That isn't to cast shade on anyone or anything being celebrated. It's just a smaller number of opportunities around which to center your work:

The 100th birthdays of Jack Kirby and Will Eisner. Obviously there's a wealth of their characters and achievements to be inspired by. In addition, CCI wants you to share any memories or personal encounters you may have had with these gentlemen. You could be featured in their "Close Encounters of the Kirby/Eisner Kind" series.

Weirdly, CCI says, "This year's book will also salute a number of other comic creators with milestone anniversaries in articles." Um... like who? Tell us so we can write/draw/paint about it, CCI.

Then there's the 50th Anniversary of Batgirl. If last summer's Killing Joke gargoyle-dominated sex scene left you deeply unsettled, this is your chance to reimagine our Barbara in happier surroundings. There's a lot of creative potential for this one, I'd say.

And finally we have the 25th Anniversary of Batman: The Animated Series. Again, this should be a fun basis for creating something - but the trick will be to rise above the pack of Joker and Harley Quinn art submissions. The Ventriloquist or the Clock King would be my choice, but I'm sure you creatives will come up with something novel.

As always, you do not need to be a pro in any sense of the word to submit for the Souvenir Book. Give it a shot. You do need to follow specific formats and requirements, so review this carefully. Then submit your work by 14 April. Who knows - maybe everyone at Comic-Con will be admiring your genius this July.

Souvenir book cover is out

1 JUNE 2016

Our favorite Amazon princess with the invisible airplane and bondage skills is having quite a moment, isn't she? From Grant Morrison to Jill Thompson, it seems everyone wants to create Wonder Woman stories - and now Babs Tarr has depicted her for the souvenir guide cover.

First-timers, this is a pretty decent book, just so you know. It's not some flimsy pamphlet full of ads and fluff; CCI solicits high-quality art and essays, and many attendees save theirs. (I've had mine borrowed by friends.) So if you're wondering why the cover release has been so highly anticipated - it's a big deal. One reason being that it signifies to many that San Diego Comic-Con is almost here.

Will you be in the Souvenir Guide this year?

21 JANUARY 2016

Writers and artists, your chance is here. Submissions are open for the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con Souvenir Guide, that annual paperback full of articles and fan art that you receive alongside your program guide.

Here are the anniversaries being celebrated this year that you'll want to reflect in your work.

• 100th birthday of Forrest J Ackerman
• 75th anniversary of Aquaman
• 75th anniversary of Archie
• 75th anniversary of Captain America
• 75th anniversary of Green Arrow
• 75th anniversary of Plastic Man
• 75th anniversary of Wonder Woman
• 50th anniversary of the Batman TV show
• 50th anniversary of Black Panther
• 50th anniversary of the Silver Surfer
• 50 years of Star Trek
• 25th anniversary of Bone
• 25th anniversary of Deadpool

 
This may be too much of a good thing. Will you draw Julie Newmar's Catwoman in all her sultry glory or write about your childhood fantasies of Spock returning you to your Vulcan birth family? Will you pen a Marxist analysis of Veronica Lodge as capitalist swine or paint a brooding Aquaman throwing down with the Silver Surfer in Atlantis?  Hard choices, hard choices. Unfortunately we only have 1 Souvenir Guide, not 10, to do justice to all these themes.

If this is your first Souvenir Guide rodeo, there are rules to follow regarding formatting; be aware that no gore or smut will be tolerated, as this book goes to an all-ages audience, and you can only submit 1 piece of work per anniversary. You can study up on the whole submission process here. But the most important thing you should know is the deadline is 15 April, which isn't that far away. Get cracking on your submission now - and your taxes, always an exercise in brutality for creatives, so you won't have to worry about both deadlines come spring.

CCI has thoughtfully provided all of the past Souvenir Guide cover art to jumpstart your Muse. I can't wait to see what gorgeous work you nerdy geniuses produce.

Souvenir Book now includes The Inhumans

18 MARCH 2015

We're just a month out from the deadline for Souvenir Book artwork submissions, and most of you have probably started on if not completed your projects. However, there's been a late addition to the celebrations previously listed: The Inhumans are now available to serve as your muse.

To refresh your memory, we already had the 50th anniversary of Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D and 75th anniversaries for:

• Will Eisner's The Spirit
• Catwoman
• The Joker
• Robin
• Shazam!
• The First DC Comics Heroes: Flash, The Atom, The Spectre, Hawkman, Doctor Fate and Green Lantern

Now, to add more Marvel love into the mix, we have the 50th anniversary of The Inhumans. So if you weren't previously inspired, maybe now you'll feel it.

The deadline is 17 April.

SDCC Souvenir Book cover is out!

5 MARCH 2015

                                                                      courtesy of Toucan

The cover by Michael Cho was shared last night at the Eisner event in New York. With vivid colors and a vintage Sunday funnies feel, it's a nice change from the past few covers.

San Diego Comic-Con doesn't feel 4 months away. It feels right around the corner.

SDCC Souvenir Book submissions are open

26 JANUARY 2015

It's here: the chance to show off your art and writing chops by submitting work for the SDCC Souvenir Book. You don't have to be a professional, whatever that word means to you, but you do have to be good. You also have to tailor your work to reflect one of this year's anniversaries, which are....

The big 75 for:

• Will Eisner's The Spirit
• Catwoman
• The Joker
• Robin
• Shazam!
• The First DC Comics Heroes: Flash, The Atom, The Spectre, Hawkman, Doctor Fate and Green Lantern

...and the 50th anniversary of Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

In other words, DC fans should be able to go full-tilt crazy with stories. Marvel fans - well, this isn't your year so much, but you should find something to write or draw about. Everyone, don't let the fact that there will be an avalanche of Joker-Catwoman work submitted stop you from exploring the same.

Also, be aware that you can't commingle characters from different companies/universes and that you have to keep it clean. So if it was your dream to write a steamy Catwoman-Nick Fury takedown-turned-hookup, keep your filthy thoughts to yourself. Oh, and you can't insert your own characters or try to promote your own company. This is about pure fan-fevered imaginings.

(Random suggestion: It would be beautiful of CCI to post a digital magazine of runner-up work that doesn't make into the book, or just post it on their Toucan blog. I'm sure the pool of work that doesn't get selected each year has some high-caliber pieces in it. Seriously, I think a lot of people would appreciate that as much as looking through the cosplay galleries.)

If you're new to Comic-Con, the Souvenir Book is a very pretty color trade paperback handed out to all attendees. In addition to fan articles and art, it features information of Eisner winners and nominees and is generally a nice keepsake people like to collect.

The deadline for submissions: 17 April 2015. Make sure you read all the rules and regulations on formatting and such before submitting.

Souvenir Book cover is out!

18 JUNE 2014

 

 

 

The long-awaited Souvenir Book cover has been released. Jim Lee + Batman = a cover we can all be in love with.

Friday is the Souvenir Book submission deadline

23 APRIL 2014




If you wanted to submit artwork or articles for the Comic-Con Souvenir Book, the deadline is this Friday, 25 April.

You don't have to be a pro to contribute; you can see the rules here. As a reminder, the themes are:

Batman - 75th anniversary
Marvel Comic - 75th Anniversary
Daredevil - 50th anniversary
Hellboy - 20th anniversary
Usagi Yojimbo - 30th anniversary
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - 30th anniversary

Good luck.

Souvenir Book update

1 MARCH 2014


As you already know, the Souvenir Book celebrates major anniversaries and solicits articles and artwork accordingly. For this year, we have:

Batman - 75th anniversary
Marvel Comics - 75th Anniversary
Daredevil - 50th anniversary
Hellboy - 20th anniversary
Usagi Yojimbo - 30th anniversary


Now, due to the cries of outraged fandom, CCI has added the anniversary that really matters: the 30th anniversary of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 

So if you were previously disinterested in submitting your work, but now feel a zing of inspiration (or just disbelief at how old you are) go ahead and cook up a dazzling portrait of Raphael battling Shredder. You can read more about how to submit your work here.

Contribute your genius to the Souvenir Book

9 FEBRUARY 2014

It's official; Comic-Con season is upon us.  I know this because it's time to submit your visual and narrative brilliance for inclusion in the Comic-Con International Souvenir Book.

If you haven't been to SDCC before, this is a paperback full of articles, photos and artwork about special guests and the anniversary celebrations. Every attendee receives one. (Above is the beautiful Dave McKean Morpheus cover from last year's.) You don't have to be a pro to submit your work, so if you have compelling ideas for the below themes, take a shot:

Batman - 75th anniversary
Marvel Comic - 75th Anniversary
Daredevil - 50th anniversary
Hellboy - 20th anniversary
Usagi Yojimbo - 30th anniversary
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - 30th anniversary (how is that possible?)

Not quite as many options as last year but still pretty inspiring. No fictional stories, no "adult situations," no commingling characters from different universes, so save your steamy Catwoman-Scarlet Witch fanfic for Smashwords. (Or you can send it to me.) Also make sure you understand the rules in terms of formatting and application because they are legion.

The deadline is 25 April.

Dave McKean's stunning Sandman-inspired Souvenir Book cover

24 JUNE 2013


Somehow this makes it all real: San Diego Comic Con is just a few weeks away.

Submit your work for the Souvenir Book by 19 April

4 MARCH 2013

Two things of note for artists and writers.

Artists - if you'd like to exhibit your work at Comic Con, consider entering the Art Show. This is not the same thing as Artist's Alley, nor does it refer to the various paintings, prints and jewelry you'll see in the Exhibit Hall. This is an organized show up in the Sails Pavilion that features a broad display of items, including the works nominated for this year's Eisners, and a special exhibit for the Will Eisner Hall of Fame. You can see the rules and entry form here.


Onto the Souvenir Book. That is the thick journal you get when you check in that's full of articles and artwork; CCI describes it as "a huge, full-color trade paperback featuring bios and photos of all of Comic-Con’s special guests, plus special articles and art built around Comic-Con’s themes and anniversary celebrations." 

Maybe you were unaware of this, but anyone can submit work for this. The deadline this year is 19 April; all artwork must be in color and articles must be based on the themes celebrated this year. Those would be....

75th anniversary of Superman
50th Anniversary of Marvel Superheroes - The Avengers, X-Men and Dr. Strange
50th Anniversary of Dr. Who (seriously)
35th Anniversary of Elfquest
25th Anniversary of Sandman 
25th Anniversary of The Tick
20th Anniversary of Bongo Comics
20th Anniversary of Milestone Comics
20th Anniversary of Strangers in Paradise
10th Anniversary of Aspen Comics

Three guesses which categories will inspire fervent fan-fiction. (Just kidding, no "adult situations" are permitted. You also can't commingle characters from different companies, which is just a travesty considering the possibilities in an adventure starring Death and the Doctor.) 

You can see the full submission rules here. Your award for getting published in the book: a free copy. Which you get anyhow if you attend, so apparently this is an extra copy to autograph and sell on Ebay once you're famous. Or to just give to your mom.