General updates, or the lack thereof

15 MAY 2012


I've had people asking me where all the Comic Con news is. The answer is, there isn't much - yet.

I understand; two months from today we'll all be freshly home from the Con with aching feet and empty wallets. And any day now, the number of contests will begin accelerating and parties and celebrity appearances will be announced and (probably in late June this year) the daily panels will be posted.

But right now, assuming you've got your badge and your room, the best thing you can do is save your money. The Con is only two months away. If you're not used to walking, get ready now. (I can't emphasize this enough. You don't want to blow all that money going to the Con, then be in too much pain to enjoy it by the second day. The sidewalks and corridors of the Convention Center are littered with people who are too tired or sore to move.)

If you're going to the Comic Con with professional aspirations, it wouldn't hurt to start preparing now. Assess your collateral (business cards, profile sheets, sample product) and solicit feedback on whether they could be improved. If you're a hardcore cosplayer, you've probably been ready for months, but if you're just wearing a costume for fun - make sure it works now. I never thought I would mention LinkedIn on San Diego Comic Con Guide, but this is a good time to look up and connect with industry players and get to know them a bit if you intend on meeting them in July. The Con is a huge networking opportunity for many people and a "warm sell" is always better than a cold one.

One other idea - I know a lot of people are financially struggling right now. If this is you, and you have the space in your hotel room, invite an extra friend to come. It's one more person to split the room cost, and you can arrange to "share" your badge* in shifts. I know it's not ideal, but it will save money.

*ETA: CCI has put up a little threat on their site on beefing up security and checking badges/photo IDs at various entry points of the Con. I'd say the odds of this happening are absurdly small, given the bottlenecks it would cause if they did such checks in any kind of major way.