Yes, we're in an SDCC lull. Enjoy it.

5 MARCH 2015




Several people have asked me this week where's all the Comic-Con news? We've  actually had an average amount of updates for these post-registration weeks; we got the Souvenir Book cover, the Early Bird Sale and we know that Hotel Day is right around the corner on 24 March.

But it feels quiet after the intense fever of Open Reg, so I understand where they're coming from. Here's the reality - you're not going to learn a whole lot about SDCC over March and April. And while that might feel frustrating right now, it's actually kind of nice. Once the tumultuous river of Comic-Con news starts roaring through the Internet, it colonizes your whole brain and induces a biological excitement/anxiety that doesn't stop until Sunday night of the Con. You'll be scrambling to make sure you hear about all the exclusives, buy tickets for the best events, are informed of all those thrilling offbeat corners of SDCC that seem tailored just for you.

So enjoy this relative calm while we have it. Here's what's coming up:

Hotel Day: March 24.  I'll share my guerilla tactics over the next few weeks.

The Ace Parking Sale: not sure when it will be yet. "We are still working with CCI and the locations to lock in the date and rates for this year's sale." Last year's parking sale was the worst pre-SDCC event of the entire year; while I'm hoping they rectified the system weaknesses behind the crashes, it's still going to be extra tight this year given the loss of several hundred parking spots. Join Ace's Twitter feed to stay on top of developments; I'd investigate other transportation methods in the meantime.

Signing up for Portfolio Review, Comic Creator Connection, other stuff: this usually comes closer to the Con. Start looking for these announcements in June.

Buying tickets for outside events: These have been getting announced earlier and earlier, probably to beat out all the other events. In the past, events like this have been the Nerdist shows, the Zombie Prom, San Diego Summer Pops concerts, various band shows - you get the idea. I would say we'll start seeing announcements and live sales by May, if not sooner.

The intense rush of news regarding exclusives, celebrity appearances, panels and clips: June is going to be a nonstop SDCC media circus, but May should offer a good number of announcements as well. The drumbeat will be palpable by late April.


So as eager as you might be for SDCC to happen right now, there's not a whole lot to do.  I already suggested the basics, like saving money, getting in shape and selling off your old back issues and collectibles to make way for the new.  I also strongly suggest that first-timers review the old programming - I know it's a ton of information, but that's why it's good to get familiar with it. You're going to have to digest the same amount of information for this Con, and it's helpful to understand in advance what kind of options are available and how you might prioritize them. Otherwise you'll be overwhelmed once everything hits.

Comic-Con starts four months from Sunday night. It might sound like a long ways off - but trust me, it'll go fast.