#SDCC letter of the day Q for Quiz

Quiz time. Apologizes to George Lucas.

What is SDCC? 

It’s an energy field created by all living things.  It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.

Where is SDCC?

Mos Eisley Spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.

How big is SDCC?

That’s no moon. It’s a space station.

SDCC is too big!

Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them.

How long has SDCC been running?

When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not, hmmm?

Isn’t SDCC magically?

Kid, I've flown from one side of this galaxy to the other. I've seen a lot of strange stuff, but I've never seen anything to make me believe there's one all-powerful Force controlling everything. There's no mystical energy field that controls my destiny. It's all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense.

SDCC is a way life isn't it?

Look, I ain't in this for your revolution, and I'm not in it for you, Princess. I expect to be well paid. I'm in it for the swag. (ED)

There are lots of hot fan girls, right?

I don't know, what do you think? You think a princess and a guy like me-

Weren’t you lucky to get tickets to SDCC?

In my experience, there is no such thing as luck.

With so much going on, should I try to pull all-nighters at SDCC?

What good is a reward if you ain't around to use it?  …ain't my idea of courage. It's more like... suicide.

Maybe I’ll try to go next year to SDCC…

Do or do not...there is no try

But what are the odds or getting tickets?

Never tell me the odds.

But there are these hassles...

Perhaps you think you're being treated unfairly?

With all of the chaos, how do I keep an even keel at SDCC?

Remember, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware: Anger, fear, aggression. The Dark Side are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.

What happens on Sunday at 5PM?

Let's blow this thing and go home!

AH

#SDCC letter of the day P for Poster tube

I see so many people walking around all day trying to hold posters rolled up on their hands or rolled up on their bag. It’s a shame.

Spent the $5 or $6 dollars and buy a poster tube.  The items you pick up will last longer.

In fact buy 2 tubes; one for walking around and the other one for your hotel room.  At the end of the day, transfer everything from the walking around tube to the other.  Then the next day you take the empty tube back the show.  This way if you lose your tube you haven’t lost everything.

Over the course of the convention I end up collection 5 to 10 singed posters or min-posters.  I would hate to lose all of that because I sat down and forget to pick it up again.

Fox Studios was giving away some very nice frees ones a few years ago. They were colorful and they had metal caps with a nice shoulder strap. You still see people using them.

One vendor toward the center of the floor and near the studio booths sells plastic ones with shoulder straps.

And if you head to the end of the floor and go to the movie poster vendor, he’ll sell you some nice cardboard one.

I usually make this the first thing I do on Preview night.  I recommend you do too. It's a small price to keep some values in good shape.

AH

SDCC letter of the day O for Observe

This is a no brainer but it bears mentioning as we all get caught up in our own tunnel vision.

Stop and look around.

If you are a newbie, it is sensory overload.  You are missing things 2 feet from you. If you are seasoned, then you might be missing the forest for the trees.  The crowds and constant distractions will cause you to overlook some interesting things.

Take a breath and slowly turn around.

This is ComicCon. You’ve been salivating all year for this. This is the Holy Grail for geeks and nerds all across the world. Savor the moment.

Now that you got that out of the way, look around for lines. Lines are good.  Lines can be your friend.  Embrace your Inner Cow and check it out. Why are people lining up?  It might be for the ATM or Starbucks but it might be something better. It might be the line for a cool bit of swag or for an ‘experience’ in one of the studio booths.

The studios will try to enhance the fanboy/girl experience but having interactive booths. Last year Walking Dead had a mock up set and let you pose for photos. The year before Alien had sleeper beds for you to lie down in.

Those lines are often separated from the booth because of crowd control. So when you see lines investigate.

Is there a mosh pit surrounding the WB booth?  Check it out. Either they are giving away their prized swag bag or they are giving away tickets for a booth signing. Those booth signings are incredible. They usually have the majority of a cast from shows like Big Bang Theory or Supernatural.

Look around, the crowd is like ants in a disturbed hill.  There is some order to the chaos.  You will find little eddies where you can walk quickly. You will find whirlpools that prevent you from escaping.  Remember these spots. It will save you time as you try to rush from one thing to another. 

Take a quick peek at the booths and tables you are passing.  Many of them will have guests there signing. Some are unannounced and very big names. 

Where else are you going to see so many people cosplaying?  Enjoy this chance to be exposed to so many different characters and storylines.

As you leave the convention center keep your eyes up. You will be passing by people handling out leaflets. Some of that propaganda is good and some is worthless but you don’t know until you check it out. It might be a screening of a movie you didn’t know about. It might be a discount to a place to eat.

Observing what’s around you will enhance your days at SDCC.

You’ll have more stories to tell when you come back home and your friends will be jealous.  Not that jealousy is good or anything but that’s a problem for them to overcome.

AH

Sherrilyn Kenyon B&N Frisco

I missed my first chance of getting Sherrilyn Kenyon’s autograph a few years back at ComicCon.  I don’t quite remember if Mysterious Galaxy was holding the signing or she was doing it herself or the publisher had arranged it.

I do remember getting a free copy of her book and being told to come back at a certain time and she would sign it.  As happens at ComicCon, something else came up and I missed the opportunity.

The next year, she was back but no free books were given out and the line was hundreds of people deep. I didn’t have the time to wait, which is also the norm at ComicCon.

When I found out she was coming to my home town for a signing I was very excited.  I knew she was doing a lecture or reading so I planned on arriving late (sorry Sherrilyn – nothing personal).

 It was obvious while I was standing in line she has a loyal following of readers.  People brought bags of books for her to sign. A few fan even dressed up.

I didn’t really belong. I haven’t read her books (again Sherrilyn – sorry) and her fans were mostly women. Surprisingly they were not young teens but adults; a sign that there is some depth to the characters and plot.

The line went fast and when I got up there I asked if she was going to be at ComicCon this year.  She asked if I was attending also and when I told her I hoped to and she gave me a high five.

AH

SDCC letter of the day N for Nerds

Nerds!  Orge from Revenge of the Nerds.

SDCC is a nerd heaven; it’s the place for one and all to get their geek on; young and old feel embolden to wear spandex whether it looks good or not.

It’s like Christmas for the geeks – it comes but once a year and filled with gifts and surprises.

And since SDCC is so pop culture - it’s moving geek-dom more and more into the mainstream and making it almost cool to be a nerd.

You’ll be surprised by the response you’ll get when you mention ComicCon to non-nerds.  First they size you up. They wonder if they should admit to know about this marvelous event. Then they bend toward you and quietly ask if you’ve been. Then they beg you for stories.

Where only hardcore fans would cosplay, now it’s a sizeable amount of the crowd. People are planning their costumes month in advance.  They are creating multiple costumes so they can wear something different every day.

SDCC is safe haven for the splinter cultures to gather without too much ridicule and San Diego embraces them.  You never know who or what you’ll see during the 5 days of SDCC riding on the bus, trolley, or crossing the street.

But nerds aren’t all cosplay. They are consumers of TV and movies, of books and graphic novels, of collectibles and bobbles. They come in droves and digest the weekend and go back home and spread the news and swag. They are making or breaking the hot shows or movies.

If you haven’t realized the power of the Nerd, you need to experience ComicCon. You will be amazed.

AH

SDCC letter of the day M for Manage

A lot of the previous posts are really about managing.

Manage your time.

Manage your money.

Manage your attitude.

If you were shooting Red Bulls all day long you could do SDCC activities 24 hours a day for the full 5 days.  Whether you were in the convention center or not far off you have a lot of activates to occupy your time.

Previous conventions had anime and kung fu screenings going on around the clock.

Theaters all over San Diego are doing late night screenings of movies.

The evenings at the convention center have the masquerade on Saturday night. It’s really something to see. I would recommend doing it at least once. Many of the costumes are amazingly complex. Expect to be up until after midnight if you are waiting for the results.

Often the Star Wars Awards are being presented on Friday Night. The presentation is always entertaining and you often get announced surprise guests. You are seeing the best of the best short films and they are very well done.

Your program book will have all of the details of the night and late night events.  Hang out by the entrance of the Gas Lamp and you will find out about the various movie screenings around town.   Surf the net and you’ll find listings of parties with celebs and without. Private parties and public abound during the week of SDCC.  And let’s give a nod to WOOtstock with Wil Wheaton and Adam Savage.

Manage your time well and you will do more than you thought possible.

Money is always a concern at SDCC. The admission badge is surprisingly affordable. WorldCon or the National Sport Collector’s Conventions are far more expensive. Just comparing the length of days and hours of operation to those other conventions makes SDCC even more of a bargain.

The rest of the SDCC experience is where you need to think about your finances.  A flight into San Diego needs to be done early (December?) to get a seat using your miles. Without a free seat you need to search for a cheap rate.  The seats into SD fill up fast.

Hotels are the bane of SDCC.  There are a plethora of rooms around the convention center but not enough. The rooms are booked through a travel agency and for most of us it’s a black box experience we have no control over. As the stomach acid rises, you hope one of the hotel choices you gave the agency will actually match their magic formula.  The rooms are expensive even with SDCC putting pressure on the hotels to lower the rates.  $200/night is a starting point. Then add in taxes and fees.

Many people rent a car. Something really not needed for the convention itself. But if you want to take a day and explore, think about parking fees and gas.

There are lots of restaurants that are easy to find around town. They are at all kinds of price points and quality.

The convention floor is where the money is spent for most fanboys/girls.  It’s a candy store for geeks. You will most likely find what you are looking for but it may not be at the price you want. The siren song of limited edition exclusives call many and crash their budgets.

Many people manage their budget by sharing rooms so they have more for the convention floor. 4 or more in a room is very common.   If your friends can’t make it, then you can look for the want ads and find someone easily enough.

I would start saving for next year’s convention now.  

Some math 5 night at $200 = $1000. Yuck. But if you are splitting the room between 2 or more…think of the savings!

Say you get a good deal on airfare $500.

How much do you eat?  Will $20 do? $30? $20 x 5 =$100

$125 for you badge.

That’s $1625 without buying a single thing on the convention floor.

Is $2K enough for you?  $3K?

Like I said – start saving now for next year. Or move to SD and save the airfare and hotel costs.

Manage your attitude.

My wife is laughing at me regarding this.  Really.  She thinks I’m a hypocrite.

I’m horrible about my attitude. I let my emotions control me all of the time. In fac,t today I was impossible to be with.

But not at SDCC.  I am the leaf on the wind.  I get knocked down but I get up again. (Who sings that?)

I’m told I can’t stand here…I go there.

I’m told the line is closed. Ok, I’ll try back later.

I missed out on the panel…I’ll pout for a few minutes but I’m checking my spreadsheet for my plan B or C while my bottom lips is sticking out.

While I’m at the show I manage my attitude.  My attitude may be horrid while I’m on the trolley or in the hotel room as I’m waking up and it’s still dark outside. When I get to the show regardless of how tired or grumpy I am I seem to manage my attitude pretty well. Will you see me down? Possibly but not for long.  That is the secret of my love of SDCC. I’m a better person there.

So mange your attitude and be a better person there too.

AH

SDCC letter of the day L for Line

I posted previously about lines.  I really do mean embrace your Inner Cow. SDCC has lines everywhere.

Just get used to the idea now. Yes, all of those local shows you’ve been to never had lines like these. You never had to wait so long with so many weird people. They won’t let you sit in line. They won’t let you use a chair. They won’t let you in or out of a line. They won’t…

It's San Diego ComicCon. Welcome to the Big Leagues. Those lines are from other people wanting to experience the same thing as you. They know how awesome SDCC is and they are willing to camp out all night to ensure getting into Hall H. They don’t think anything about a 3 hour line to see the panel in Ballroom 20.  Will your local show have the cast members of Lost while it’s still filming?  Will your local show sit 7000 for movie previews?  Will your local show hand out exclusive swag for that preview? 

So just think about that.  You wanted to be here. Now embrace your Inner Cow and prepare to wait.

Don’t let the frustration of being trapped in a line prevent you from enjoying yourself.  You are trapped with others. Chances are that you have some common interests since you are in the same line.

I’m bad. I listen in on others conversations all of the time. And I’ll join in while I’m in line.  It helps to make friends and to pass the time.

Lines are a great way to people watch. Keep your camera ready. A quick – can I take your picture? Will get people to stop and pose.  To quote Rachel Ray – How cool is that?  You are now multi-tasking.  That’s a valuable business skill you are practicing. Let your boss know you’ve been being training hard for the job.  I bet he’ll like those photos too.

Lines are hard to find the beginning and the end. I often ask people near the front what line they are in. Then after 50 people or so I verify again. Sometimes the line took a turn and you missed it. Or the people are lost themselves.

If you see a line queued for now reason – go find out. It might be something really cool and unannounced.

Standing in line for autographs or redemptions – if THEY say you need a ticket – you need a ticket. You can’t talk your way into a line or pass someone.  They have multiple people check for your ticket.  I have seen a few people get really upset that they couldn’t talk their way pass someone. And I’m happy they couldn’t. 

Realize you will be lines. Embrace your Inner Cow and enjoy the show.

AH

SDCC letter of the day K for Keep

It is so easy to bit off more than you can chew at SDCC. My advice is Keep it Simple. Level set your expectations.

Walking the floor takes hours.  That’s what is so cool about SDCC.  Even without the crowds you would be hunched over some table somewhere totally enthralled.  The variety of items displayed is amazing.  Regardless of what brings you to ComicCon, you will find something there to distract you on the convention floor.

If you have a preview night badge then I would spend that night walking the tables and learning the lay of the land.  The crowds are smallest albeit still large on preview night and as you get away from the corporate booths the crowds thin.  If you find something interesting, I will remind you to write down the booth number for later. It’s hard to retrace your paths and when the crowds increase it’s harder to find those landmarks.

Keep it simple when you walk up to your favorite artist or celeb. I know it’s hard when the adrenaline is pumping and you are finally meeting so-and-so for the first time. You have so much to tell them about how they influenced you or gave you a new perceptive on life.  You really want to tell them how you want to be just like them when grow up.  Try to keep it simple. Tell then the basics. Or ask one question.  See if they are responsive before jumping in.  They will let you know if they want to hear more. If worse comes to worse and they don’t have time or they aren’t intrigued by you, don’t take it personal.  They have places to be too or the might be having a bad day.

Keep it simple when packing for the big show. It’s tempting to bring every comic and book you have to get signed by that author or artist. First think about the wear and tear those items will take when you are traveling.  Then think about the wear and tear they will experience while you are walking around ComicCon.  Chances are you can buy those items at the show which might be the simplest thing to do.

Now think about the weight.  How close is your hotel or car?  Not as close as you want when you have 40 pounds of books.  If you really need them all signed then use the baggage check at the convention center until the time comes to get in line. Your back will thank you at the end of the day.

Keep your daily agenda fairly simple (and flexible).  Between the crowds and the size of the convention it takes more time than you think to get from Point A to Point B.  Don’t plan on going from Hall H to the Warner’s Bro booth within 5 minutes. If you at trying to get autographs at Warner’s or their swag, then plan on checking out the booths nearby to pass the time.

Keep a lot of buffer in your schedule and plan on delays. Again, you want to create a Plan A, Plan, and Plan C. I know that sounds like the antithesis of simple. It I and it ain’t.  It is complicated you need to make those plans. It’s simple when the time comes to change your horse mid-stream; you will already have your decisions made. You won’t be flipping through your program book trying to find something to do.

Keeping it simple will decrease the heartburn and let you enjoy more of the show.

AH

SDCC letter of the day J for Jealousy

You know it’s going to happen. You think you are too mature to get caught up in it but there you are. You missed out on something and you heard how great it was.  Now you are frustrated, covetous, envious, spiteful, and desirous.

A rose by any other name…you are jealous and that’s a negative emotion and will sap your strength and leave you distracted and you’ll likely miss out on something else or not enjoy some panel or encounter as much as you would have otherwise.

Take a deep breath and clear the mind and move on.

It is so much easier said than done.  I’m my own worst patient.  I get caught up in the ‘now’ and my emotions and can’t shake it off. it prevents from figuring out what my next step is. It happens all of the time.

True story – I’m in a line for the G4 cast signing. I’m one of the lucky ones that got a winning ticket.  The cast was interacting with the fans like they are all partying in Olivia’s house. I might be 100 people back in line.  I have another signing I need to be at in 90 minutes. 90 minutes have come and gone and I’m 20 people from the front.  I have to leave the G4 line.  The other signing was more important. (I think it was the cast of Resident Evil).  As time was ticking away and the Kevin and Olivia were passing someone’s baby back and forth entertaining the crowd, I was extremely frustrated. I realized I wasn’t going to get this set of autographs and my emotions were taking over.  I started fidgeting.  I was constantly checking the time hoping someone would notice and have the cast speed up. I wasted a lot of time being mad and jealous of the people that were in front of me.  I finally took my breath and left the line.  I was so close but I was also late for the other event. Luckily the other signing was a good 5 minute walk so by the time I arrived I was more composed and less frustrated.

Don’t let that be you. Don’t be the person with the Sherpa next to him carrying your emotional baggage.  Dump it somewhere.  Take a break and eat and drink some water.  Go and get some fresh air (it’s shocking how little time we spend outside in beautiful San Diego.). Look out over the waters of the marina behind the convention center.

This goes back to you can’t do everything you want to do at SDCC.  If your bump into Tom Cruise you miss out on Jessica Alba. If you get Stan Lee to sign your Spiderman you miss out on Seth Green and Robot Chicken. 

It happens.

As hard as it is to do don’t get caught up in the negative emotions.

AH

Stan Lee Dallas ComicCon 2011

I was excited to get a second chance at Stan Lee. I mean get an autograph of Stan Lee – not get him.

Last year at San Diego ComicCon a friend helped me get his autograph.  Stan had several free singings around the convention and I was striking out. She and her hubby won a ticket from the Marvel booth to get a signature.  She gave me her ticket.  Wow.  Think about that.  She gave me her ticket for a free Stan Lee autograph and her hubby wasn’t even mad.

I took the ticket and had him sign the book How to Draw the Marvel Way.   This signing was a big production at the Marvel Booth. They had built Odin’s Throne and Stan sat and posed for photos.  A couple of Marvel exec stalked briefly before letting Stan loose on the crowd of fans.

When it was my turn Stan shook my hand and looked at my book. He asked what I did for a living and I gave him the boring answer. I’m assuming he knew I wasn’t an artist as the book wasn’t dog-eared and ink spotted.

A few week back Stan Lee came to Dallas ComicCon. I was excited and really didn’t know what I would get signed. The convention created a reprint of an old Spiderman issue which would have been cool but it wasn’t me. I did see this photo and got it.

The line was long but fast. In some ways to fast as you could tell Stan wanted some interaction with the people but wasn’t getting it. It was my turn and I handed over my photo. He paused.  He told me he hadn’t seen that one yet today; amazing considering he signed hundreds of photos already. He pondered trying to remember where it was taken and he light up and said – that was at Universal!

Both experiences were short and harried because of his Rock Star status but both very memorable.

AH