Originally I had thought of making this a multi-part epic of how to do a ComiCon right but as i went over my notes it went from a 5 parter to a 2 or 3 parter depending on how I break it all down. My main parts of thought are:
1. What do before it.
2. What to do while your there.
3. Buying Comics.
I've also lumped in my review of this years' Con into the mix but that won't happen until the later half of April 4th: I find that if I don't review it on the day I'll forget most of what happen. To read about what happened last year: See Entries 34-37 (under May 2008).
So, back in Entry 70 I said
[I have] Been to various Proto-Cons / "Swap Meets" over the years (Don't understand those terms, come back for Part 1 & I'll tell you).
So, the term "Proto-Con" & the use of "Swap Meet" is my own. I have a few ways of separating out which is which (Proto-Con vs. ComiCon):
- Time: Proto-Cons are normally held every few months where as ComiCons are annual, once a year, events.
- Length: Most Proto-Cons are held for a few hours & that's it. ComiCons are multi-day events.
- Location: I've been to Proto-Cons in school gyms, meeting centers, basically anywhere there is a large room. ComiCons are held at Convention centers. Many of the early ComiCons were held in the places Proto-Cons (hence the name).
- Events: Most Proto-Cons don't have any, they are just people gathered together to buy & sell comics (hence the "swap meet" name). ComiCons have multiple events like panels, costume contests, gaming, etc.
- Guests: Proto-Cons normally don't have any but I've been to a few that did have some. ComiCons have long lists of famous people attending them.
Now that is over with on to the Guide proper.
Tickets: Buy them early. Normally cheaper & you might be a special gift for doing so. I got a special edition of a comic book for doing so when I went to Wizard World.
Website: Check it frequently, especially as the Con you want to attending gets closer & closer. This should be your main source for info. On there look over:
- Location: see where it is, how big it is, where things are going to be (Panels, Bathrooms, ATM, People, etc.)
- Programming: To me this mainly means Panels, every year is about 2 or 3 panels that I think sound interesting. I find when they are & plan around them.
- Guests: Normally there are at least a hand full of people I'd like to see & meet.
Attire: most of the people who are going to be there will be dressed like they normally are. I do but make sure to have a comic book centric shirt on (not sure which I'll wear this year). You will see people in costumes milling about. Make you to wear comfortable socks & shoes: you will be standing & walking a lot. A jacket is nice given you can never be all that sure of the temperature of the location. If it's hot: you can take it off. If it's cold, you can but it back on. Temps some time vary from place to place. But the Con are a bit hotter in place since you have a whole bunch of people all together in one place.
Bag: Normally they will give you a free bag of goodies at registration but I've found that they don't hold all that much so have a bag to hold all your stuff. Also, if you are bringing items to have signs by people there you need somewhere to hold those items until that item. SPECIAL TIP: Bring a pen. A black Sharpe works for everything. Sometime people might not have everything out at the time you meet them so there could be the awkward few minutes to look for a pen & they might not have one in the end so no signature for you! :( So, if you have a pen: no awkwardness at least over the pens. :)
Camera: Bring one & take pictures of your experience. Most places around the Con's I've been to don't mind the present of still photography. Not sure about Video but you might need permission for that.
Money: Most everything there cost money. I bring all the money I've going to spend with me & once I'm out of dough I stop buying. I have an ATM card & mostly likely there will be an ATM machine there at the Con or somewhere close but the in Con ATM would mostly likely have a line & I don't want to wait in a line I don't have too.
Be Early! I'd say be at the Con least a half hour to an hour before the doors open so that you can check in & get in line for entrance. SPECIAL TIP: Normally the pre-sale tickets check in line in a whole lot shorter then the "Buy your tickets now line" & it's basically you give them the ticket you get a snazzy badge to wear for the day or more (depends on how longer you be attending the Con).
Stand & Wait: This is what you'll be doing with a chunk of your time no matter wear you are at the Con.
Walk: This is what you'll be doing with another chunk of your time.
Schedule: Use the plan you set up before hand to know how to use your time. Know what time the Panel/Gaming/Event you want to go to is at & allow for travel time. If you are not at least 10-15 minute early you might not get in or have to stand. SPECIAL TIP: For panels, to make your you have a seat for a panel you can go to the one before to one before it & then just not get up. Sometime it works & sometimes it doesn't, depends on the line outside the door. For the meeting of people I try to do that first thing when you get in the door. Get the person before they wonder they decided to show up to this thing.
Sketchbook: I have a pad of 11 by 4 paper that I have yet to use but bring with me. It's what I'm calling a sketchpad, the page are easily tear out-able. Not because i want to tear them out but because you might have to since if you want your sketch by so & so you might be on a list & rather them leave the whole book there, just leave a page so that you can get other sketches in the mean time. Some artists charge money, some don't. Prices vary by person & what the sketch is (Larger the sketch, larger the cost). Some will just be simple pencil drawings, some will be inked & ready for being put in comic book. SPECIAL TIP: Now what you want. Don't say "whatever you want" since that might not mean anything. Also, bring references because they person might not know who your talking about. Bring multiple copies just in case.
Freebies: Every Proto-Con & ComiCon I've been to has a Free table or tables. 3/4th of the the stuff is not worth picking up but that 1/4th is awesome! Do not pass it up. Go by it before the later half of the day to get the good stuff.
Travel: know how you are going to get to here from there. Make sure it's reliable. Always save enough money to get home/hotel or at least enough money for a phone call.
Accommodations: If the Con is near to you then don't worry about this but if it's far away have a place to stay before hand & make sure it's close. Sometimes nearby hotels will make deals to offer up cheaper rooms to Con goers. The Con you want to attends' website would most likely have info on that.
Food: Food outside the Con will always be cheaper then in the Con. Eat before you go. Maybe bring something to munch while your there. Maybe brings some water to drink, walking/waiting/standing/talking/searching for that one book can take a lot out of a guy.
Hygene: Do so before you go. Small space, lots of people; you get my drift.
Consideration: This for you & your fellow Con goers. Also you & the guests of the Con. Don't be a hog. Don't ask for too Much. Don't ask for something inconsiderable. Don't be a Jerk. Don't smell. Fellow the Golden Rule.
This is a big part of why I go to ComiCons & the main part of why I go to Proto-Cons.
The List: I keep a running list of comics & related things that I would like to add to my collection. I bring this list with me. Every year I cross a few more things off but then I always had more to it.
Set Limit & Price: My Limit is always the money I have on me. I have set limits on comics. The older a comic is I'll pay more for it but most of the time I won't go over 5 bucks for a book.
Talk to people: The people who run the booths will now what they have & what they don't have. This can save some time. But don't just write off a booth just because it doesn't have anything on your list. The people at the booth might look at your list & suggest something to you might of not known about.
Be open to the Search: most of my time is spent doing this. I've found a lot of cool stuff but doing this. I get turned to all sorts of stuff this way.
Move from Booth: Don't spend all your rime at one booth, The Con is a big place & there are booths from places you might not get access to otherwise. By the end of the day I have made at least one go around of the Con floor. I don't always have a set starting point, I just start in & move from there.
The What The? purchase: every ComiCon & Proto-Con I make one What The? purchase: that one book that is so odd, so strange, so out of left field, so bad it's good, you weren't looking for it but you know that you must have it. That is the What The? purchase. You don't plan what it is, it will just present it's self to you in the search.
Went to stop: There are 3 main factors for me of knowing when to stop: Time. The Con is over, you must now leave. Money. You out of money. You can continue to look but what's the point if you can not know buy? Weight. Your bag is now too heavy. The third reason most often wins out in the end. I've almost always left with a chunk of my money still on me & a few hours of the Con still to go.
Bargain Bins: Almost every booth has these, they are the discounted comics that the dealer is just trying to get rid off for what ever reason. I sometimes find things on my list in there & sometimes I find my What The? purchase in there. Sometimes you will have to wait to get a look at these. I sometimes skip these if the crowd around is too big.
Now I haven't down these but have seen this & think it's a good idea: The Group Search. The greater number of eyes searching for a book the greater chance that book will be found. Know what your friends & have them now what you want. Help each other out.
One more tip: Some venders will give you a discount on your books the more you buy from them.
That's it. That what I had thought up for my guide to doing a ComiCon right. I probably left out a whole bunch of stuff. But it's now down on screen.
In one week it will be ComiCon Eve & then COMICON!!!!!!!
Until next time as always: Stay Jazzy!
- Brian
1 comment:
This - is useful.
Post a Comment