GeekTyrant Comic-Con 2011 Survival Guide!
The Tyrants are about to invade San Diego! Comic-Con 2011 is upon us and we can't wait to enjoy the awesomeness. 2011 is shaping up to be another great year. We were a little worried when we heard a lot of the studios were backing out of the Con this year, but it looks like it turned out to be another exciting year for everyone.
The GeekTyrant team will be at Comic-Con in full force, giving you the best maximum super rad coverage you will find. We couldn't be more pumped up to cover the event for you, and we're gonna have a hell of a fun time doing it as well. There are a ton of great panels and events to check out.
If you were lucky enough to get a pass and make it out to Comic-Con, then we'll see you there! If this is your first year at the con, there are a few things that you need to know about attending Comic-Con. If you've already been to the ultimate geek convention, then you know the insanity that awaits you. Comic-Con is such an amazing event, but the amount of people that are attending these days can cause the fun to become frustrating and hard at times.
Here is a little survival guide that I put together to help you in your Comic-Con adventure.
If You Didn't Get Tickets… Sorry:
If you didn't get your tickets way in advance, then you're screwed my friends. Passes are selling out faster than they ever have. This year's convention is going to be completely packed to capacity. However, if you don't have a ticket, there are ways of getting them… illegally. Thankfully, we will be there to cover everything for those of you who won't be making it.
Wear Comfortable Shoes:
You will be doing an insane amount of walking. Unless you've already been, I don't think you realize the amount of walking you will do. Every year I have gone, I have dropped weight. It's quite an incredible workout session. So if you're out of shape, I hope you've been training. If not, then just know your feet are going to hurt. Wear comfortable shoes! They will save your life... I promise. This year I invested in the Reebok Reeflex shoes, and they're amazing.
Plan out Your Geek Adventure:
Comic-Con will be extremely overwhelming. Try and plan as much as you can before you get there. It's a lot harder to plan in the middle of the madness. Make a list of everything you want to see, including panels, autographs, movies, and at least 3 or 4 backup plans to fall back on. You most likely won't get in every panel you want to see, unless your insanely hardcore. We will spend the night in line if necessary.
You Won't See Everything You Want:
Like I mentioned above, there is so much going on that you will most likely not get to see and do all the things that you want. Make sure to make back-up plans in case you don't make it into an event or panel. Make several back-up plans just to be safe. If all else fails go grab some food. The big panels and events will fill up fast. And unfortunately, not everyone will make it in.
Insanely Long Lines:
Comic-Con is home to the longest lines you have ever seen or will ever stand in! The line for Hall H (pictured above) is literally miles long! It also runs off to the side and behind the convention center. I can tell you that if the line is as far as the Marriott Hotel and Marina you will still get in Hall H when it first opens up. It holds 6,000 people. But if you really want to get in Hall H then you have no choice but to wait in line, and you will need to get in line a few hours before the event to make sure you get in. You will spend so much time waiting line, make sure to bring some snacks, reading material, and an ipod, iphone or ipad. As I said above, we usually have a couple of GT team members spending the night in line to make sure we get in. That's just how we roll.
Be Social:
Since you'll be spending a lot of time in line, make some new geek friends! Don't be afraid to talk to people standing around with you. Chances are you'll meet some great people and have some great conversations. Remember, you have a lot in common with the people attending Comic-Con, so you will have a lot to talk about. You never know who you will meet either, you might be surprised by who is standing in line with you.
Don't Scare the Celebrities:
They'll be all over the place. If you happen to run into one of your favorite actors or directors, it's OK to geek out. Just be polite, have a manners, respect their privacy, and don't follow them around the convention like a stalker. They will know you are following them. Sure, you can talk to them! Just be cool about it, you know what I'm sayin'? Don't drool on them, and make it quick, they are busy. Celebrities are people too. Respect.
Respect the Booth Babes:
Don't stare at the booth babes. I know they are there to look at, but if you linger around way too long (staring at them for an unreasonable amount of time), this means that you are scaring the shit out of them. These girls have a hard job, and it is a job for them. There's no need to make them more uncomfortable than they already are. Be cool, guys!
Bring Cash:
Cash is king at the con, especially if you want to drop it down on some sweet ass toys. Some places will take debit and credit cards, but it costs them money to use it, so if you bring cash, everyone wins.
Bring Beverages and Snacks:
You will be glad you did. So much to do, so little time to eat. I find I only eat one good meal a day while up at the con, and that's at about 10 or 11 in the evening. There's just so much stuff to do, but you still gotta eat to keep the energy level up, and drink to stay hydrated. Try and do a little more healthy than the picture above.
Free Swag:
Take it, it could be something cool, if not you can easily pass it along to someone else. There have been many times these free swag handouts ended up taking us to free food, and some really awesome movie screenings. There are also free comic books, t-shirts, and posters. If you play your cards right you could be swimming in free swag by the end of the convention.
Free Movie Screenings:
Why the hell not? It's fun and it's free. There are a lot of movie screenings going on around the Gaslamp District for films that you may not have heard of. Definitely hit up the free movies if you have some time to kill. Every year I've gone, I've attended a screening that turned out to be awesome. This year we've got a few bigs ones like Cowboys & Aliens, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Fright Night. There are also a ton of little ones that you won't know about until you get there.
Take a Shower:
We've been around some pretty stinky people at Comic-Con. Please take a shower and keep yourself clean. I understand you can't smell yourself, but other people can. Thank you.
Be Patient, Don't Stab People:
You will need patience at the Con. Last year a Harry Potter fan got Stabbed in the face by an impatient person. That person went to jail. You will be waiting in line for a long ass time, you will be trying to find seats for Panels and dealing with a massive crowd of people. Just keep an eye on that patience meter of yours. If you find yourself ready to explode, enter into Zen mode and just calm the frak down.
Comic-Con Costumes:
Maybe some of you have some awesome costumes to show off at the Con. If you do, be prepared to be stopped by a lot of people so that they can take pictures of you, especially if you are going as Slave Leia. I've seen some pretty incredible, badass costumes over the years, and they seem to be getting better and better, so I will stop you for a photo.
Ghirardelli Chocolate Ice Cream Shop:
This is a must-go for everyone who goes to Comic-Con! It's so freakin' good! We will be here every night getting wasted on ice cream. So if you miss us at the meet up you will be able to catch us here every night where we unwind. We will throw out a Tweet letting you know when we will be there.
Look for the people wearing GeekTyrant T-Shirts!
If you see us walking around, stop us! We'll be happy to talk to you and hang out! Maybe even give you a free shirt while supplies last. If you see us in line, maybe we'll let you hang out with us while we are waiting to get in (if you know what I mean), we're all friends right?
Most Importantly… Have fun!
If you're not going to have fun then there's really no point in coming.
GeekTyrant Meet-up:
We've planned a meet-up event with our readers so come and hang out with us! We would love to meet you!
When: WEDNESDAY JULY 19th 8:00 - 10:00PM
Where: The ODYSEA LOUNGE at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront - (Right Across the Street from Hall H and San Diego Convention Center)
Address: 1 Park Boulevard, San Diego CA 92101
You can also find all this information and RSVP on the Event Facebook page that we set up!
Follow us and our team on Twitter:
So you are up to date on where we are at and to keep up to date on the latest and breaking news. And you will know where we are at in case you want to hang out with us.
We will be bringing you the best Comic-Con coverage on the net! We're excited to be going and it will be great to hang out with all of you! We hope to see some familiar faces, and we hope to meet some of you for the first time! See you at Comic-Con 2011!