My First San Diego Comic-Con: The Good, The Bad, and The Blisters
My first year at San Diego Comic-Con is in the can, and I have a few tips from my experience to pass on to anyone who may need it. My husband, Billy, and the other GeekTyrant originals, Joey and Free, have been going to Comic-Con for over a decade, so when I finally decided I could leave my kids and come to the convention and help carry the writing and editing load, Billy was gracious enough to try to prepare me. But this is where my first tip comes into play:
There is no preparing someone when it comes to San Diego Comic-Con:
I have attended the Phoenix Fan convention a few times, I have even attended Wonder-Con in Anaheim. There is nothing like this convention. It is larger in scope that I can describe. With well over 100,000 people in attendance, and a room (Hall H) that holds 7,000, it’s just bigger and crazier than one can imagine until you see it for yourself. And due to the amount of people, the lodging situation is a crap shoot. We stayed one mile from the convention, and after just the first night, walking 7 miles, I Ubered to and from the convention the remaining days, and I still walked 24 miles.
Shoes:
This is also something I was warned about. Billy tried. But I let time slip away from me, then I thought I couldn’t buy new shoes so close to the event because it would be miserable breaking them in. So, since I live in Arizona and wear flip flops 99% of the year, I dug out an old pair of slip on shoes that I hadn’t worn in a long time, but I knew were plenty broken in. Between those and my sandals, I had quarter sized blisters after the first half day, and by the end of my trip, my slip on Airwalks had literally broken in half. My sweet husband Ubered with me, and walked ever so slowly with me as I hobbled through the streets of San Diego, and I am literally on the hunt now for good, expensive, adult walking shoes that I can start wearing ASAP to be ready for next year.
Make a plan, and be prepared to abandon it:
I had my whole convention schedule planned out, but as time went on, I had to make choices, and some choices were made for me. The number one thing I was excited for was interviewing the cast of Cobra Kai, which was amazing. But when I committed to that, I had to pass up interviewing the cast of Impractical Jokers. I was super bummed! I also didn’t make it to the Brooklyn Nine-Nine panel, and I was really sad about that. But you just have to roll with the punches at Comic-Con.
Pack snacks and lots of water, and prepare to wait like you’ve never waited before:
The snacks and lots of water is pretty self-explanatory, but I’m really serious about it. I’m type 1 diabetic, so I have to be more prepared than the average bear with insulin, supplies, snacks and drinks, but it’s imperative for anyone really, because you never know when you’ll be stuck in one place and not able to venture far. Each day we were there, some part of our group was in line for wristbands to get into Hall H for the following day. We have an incredible group of people who help each other out, camp outside overnight, make food runs, and keep each other entertained. But you are at the mercy of the convention. They pass out wristbands when they are good and ready, and you better just be in line and be ready for it.
It’s as amazing as it sounds, and I’ll definitely be back:
Just like no one can prepare you for the walking and the crowds, no was can accurately describe how it feels when you are sitting in a room of thousands of people who are all fans of the same thing you are, and you get to see the first footage from an upcoming film, hear the director give exclusive information, and see the stars right in front of you. I cried off and on at all the overwhelming moments, like the Terminator: Dark Fate panel, seeing Linda Hamilton, and hearing Arnold Schwarzenegger do impressions of himself, when Tom Cruise showed us the Top Gun: Maverick footage, seeing the cast of The Walking Dead, taking a picture with my celebrity crush William Zabka, and interviewing him and the cast of Cobra Kai. Seeing a favorite author, Rainbow Rowell, and asking her a question, listening to Patrick Stewart tell stories of his life in the panel for Star Trek: Picard, Westworld, and the giant that was Marvel, where we got to sing Happy Birthday to Benedict Cumberbatch, and see footage from the amazing Black Widow, while hearing all the news right from Kevin Feige and the stars themselves.
I am so lucky that I get to write for this awesome site, GeekTyrant, and that I get to experience these moments that are straight out of my dreams. I learned a lot this year, and I am already looking forward to San Diego Comic-Con 2020! Check out a few photos from my trip below, and let us know if a trip to Comic-Con is in your future.
