What does one DO at a Comic Con?
Jan. 20th, 2011 02:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
captain_slinkyI was recently asked "What does one DO at a Comic Con?" and really, is there a single answer to that?
My shortest answer is that it's like Church; you'll get out of it everything that you put in to it. If you treat Church as a weekly nuisance or a chore that you HAVE to go do, then that's all you'll get out of it. But if you get involved? Listen to the words, discuss the sermons, participate in the bake sales, go to the Church Socials? Church can be awesome and may even become your whole reason for living!
So here's the shake-down of what happens at a the Emerald City Comic Con, as far as I know. There may be more stuff, there may be less stuff based on your experience.
First up, there is THE LINE. Your position in line will help mold your experience at the convention. If you wait there starting at 5am like me and my crew do, you'll end up swapping nerdy stories with the other early-risers. You'll do trivia, you'll swap Monty Python and Family Guy quotes, you'll answer questions for those who come later ("Yeah, to be here in line we got here at 5 in the morning... your part of the line is WAAAAAAY back there" and "Yeah I *am* pretty dedicated" are the most used answers). You'll most likely receive some free swag just for being early - comic books, calendars, posters, T-Shirts, books... I even got in to the convention an hour early last year just for being so darned friendly! You'll also get "Red Carpet Paparazzi" viewing of all the guests as they show up :) Of course, further back in the line will get you plenty of nerdy interaction as well, just no free stuff and no celebrity gawking :)
Once they open the doors and start letting folks get theri badges (your official entry to the convention), you'll get a bag of swag that will include (at the very least) the official ECCC Program of Events. Now is your time to plan out *exactly* what you want to do.
The events happen on an hourly basis and there are usually 3 or 4 different events going on at any one time; choose wisely. Events will ALWAYS include "State Of The Union" type panel discussions with major publishers, individual interview discussions with each of the celebrity guests (they each get their own hour), and then a great big "MISCELLANEOUS" category. This includes stuff like panel discussions about how to get in to publishing your own Web Comics, how to break in to the comics biz, Portfolio reviews by professionals, Comic Book Movie Cross-overs, playing Rock Band with Wil Wheaton, Nerdy Improv Comedy, Interviews with the big names in Comics, Star Trek genealogy, Video Game cross-overs, new game demonstations, game tournaments... too much stuff for one person to do, but enough stuff going on that you'll never be bored.
So then the doors open; you've usually got 2 hours in the Dealer's Room before any of the events start. This is your time to scope out any spending you may choose to do. Old comics, new comics, cheap comics, expensive comics, original artwork, toys, merchandise, collectables... if it's nerdy, it's probably for sale here. Worth the price of admission just for the trip down memory lane! This is also where you'll go to get lots more free stuff, enter cointests, sign-up for drawings, pick up free movie tickets, get your autographs, take pictures and get a general feeling of being lost :)
After the show, if you're lucky (and everybody is lucky at Comic Con), you'll have been invited to no less than 3 different "After Show" parties. Either aspiring podcasters, up-n-coming publishers, established companies or famous artists will all be hosting SOME sort of event at one of the down-town Seattle area meeting places that will last till the wee hours of the morning. You just might end up playing Dungeons & Dragons with the Editor of Marvel Comics and a guy dressed like Darth Maul!
Comic Con is different for everybody. My own personal answer, what THIS "one" does at Comic Con, is different from anyone else. I go there to stock-up on cheap comic books to last me the rest of the year. I go there to meet my favorite comic book artists and legendary idols, get their autograph and maybe a picture or two. I go there to meet and hear from my favorite comic-relative actors and actresses. I go there to unavoidably bump in to and hang out with Neal Bailey. I go there to meet-up with and hang out with Jeremy Ballenger, Jon Coates, Troy Svennes and a fist-full of others who I meet on a yearly basis. I go to learn from collectors who have been collecting longer than I have and to hear their stories. I go to learn new games and get swag that will eventually get sold on Ebay. I go to win prizes and get name-checked by Brian & Jim, the organizers of the convention. I go for the bragging rights of being the first in line and being the guy who spent under $100 to get a couple thousand dollars worth of stuff.
YMMV.
My shortest answer is that it's like Church; you'll get out of it everything that you put in to it. If you treat Church as a weekly nuisance or a chore that you HAVE to go do, then that's all you'll get out of it. But if you get involved? Listen to the words, discuss the sermons, participate in the bake sales, go to the Church Socials? Church can be awesome and may even become your whole reason for living!
So here's the shake-down of what happens at a the Emerald City Comic Con, as far as I know. There may be more stuff, there may be less stuff based on your experience.
First up, there is THE LINE. Your position in line will help mold your experience at the convention. If you wait there starting at 5am like me and my crew do, you'll end up swapping nerdy stories with the other early-risers. You'll do trivia, you'll swap Monty Python and Family Guy quotes, you'll answer questions for those who come later ("Yeah, to be here in line we got here at 5 in the morning... your part of the line is WAAAAAAY back there" and "Yeah I *am* pretty dedicated" are the most used answers). You'll most likely receive some free swag just for being early - comic books, calendars, posters, T-Shirts, books... I even got in to the convention an hour early last year just for being so darned friendly! You'll also get "Red Carpet Paparazzi" viewing of all the guests as they show up :) Of course, further back in the line will get you plenty of nerdy interaction as well, just no free stuff and no celebrity gawking :)
Once they open the doors and start letting folks get theri badges (your official entry to the convention), you'll get a bag of swag that will include (at the very least) the official ECCC Program of Events. Now is your time to plan out *exactly* what you want to do.
The events happen on an hourly basis and there are usually 3 or 4 different events going on at any one time; choose wisely. Events will ALWAYS include "State Of The Union" type panel discussions with major publishers, individual interview discussions with each of the celebrity guests (they each get their own hour), and then a great big "MISCELLANEOUS" category. This includes stuff like panel discussions about how to get in to publishing your own Web Comics, how to break in to the comics biz, Portfolio reviews by professionals, Comic Book Movie Cross-overs, playing Rock Band with Wil Wheaton, Nerdy Improv Comedy, Interviews with the big names in Comics, Star Trek genealogy, Video Game cross-overs, new game demonstations, game tournaments... too much stuff for one person to do, but enough stuff going on that you'll never be bored.
So then the doors open; you've usually got 2 hours in the Dealer's Room before any of the events start. This is your time to scope out any spending you may choose to do. Old comics, new comics, cheap comics, expensive comics, original artwork, toys, merchandise, collectables... if it's nerdy, it's probably for sale here. Worth the price of admission just for the trip down memory lane! This is also where you'll go to get lots more free stuff, enter cointests, sign-up for drawings, pick up free movie tickets, get your autographs, take pictures and get a general feeling of being lost :)
After the show, if you're lucky (and everybody is lucky at Comic Con), you'll have been invited to no less than 3 different "After Show" parties. Either aspiring podcasters, up-n-coming publishers, established companies or famous artists will all be hosting SOME sort of event at one of the down-town Seattle area meeting places that will last till the wee hours of the morning. You just might end up playing Dungeons & Dragons with the Editor of Marvel Comics and a guy dressed like Darth Maul!
Comic Con is different for everybody. My own personal answer, what THIS "one" does at Comic Con, is different from anyone else. I go there to stock-up on cheap comic books to last me the rest of the year. I go there to meet my favorite comic book artists and legendary idols, get their autograph and maybe a picture or two. I go there to meet and hear from my favorite comic-relative actors and actresses. I go there to unavoidably bump in to and hang out with Neal Bailey. I go there to meet-up with and hang out with Jeremy Ballenger, Jon Coates, Troy Svennes and a fist-full of others who I meet on a yearly basis. I go to learn from collectors who have been collecting longer than I have and to hear their stories. I go to learn new games and get swag that will eventually get sold on Ebay. I go to win prizes and get name-checked by Brian & Jim, the organizers of the convention. I go for the bragging rights of being the first in line and being the guy who spent under $100 to get a couple thousand dollars worth of stuff.
YMMV.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-21 09:30 pm (UTC)The sketchbook has really, super, super smooth (but not shiny) paper. Any implement you're using will feel really smooth. Won't catch on the paper at all. And it doesn't bleed. It's also nearly as thick as bristol. If you can find that, you'll get appreciation from more artists. I last found it at Kinokuniya. Very hard to come by in a full-sized 9x12 sketchbook.
I like to hit up the artists selling original art near the end of the con, because sometimes you can get good deals. One piece I have I got for around $100, signed by inker and penciler, then went and got the signature of the artist. From what I can tell, lesser pieces from the same timeframe, subject, and artists, when signed by all three key figures go for over $600. Now that it's finally signed, I'm debating getting it framed or selling it to get something I think I want more. Not the best time to be selling, though.