Comic-Con 2010: Your Guide to San Diego’s 40th Comic Convention

Comic-Con is approaching fast, folks, and for those of you who are attending, it is highly recommended that you take into consideration this pieces of advice: plan ahead! With the large crowds, the rush to meet authors, directors, and celebrities, and the overwhelming exposure to the “geek” world, winging your experience at Comic-con may not be the best idea. What to think about in advance:

1. Mode of transportation: every year, tickets sell out, hotels become completely booked, and parking becomes an impossible task. There are many modes of public transportation (including walking) that will save you the frustration and inconvenience of having to park your car. Decide on how you plan on getting to and from Comic-con prior to the convention.
2. Plan your day: anyone who has taken a look on the program online can testify that Comic-con simply offers such a plethora of exhibits, screenings, and workshops that one simply can not have it all. Take a look at the program and decide what events are most important to you—what you absolutely MUST take part in—and plan the rest around those.
3. Make sure you bring proper equipment: not only will you want to bring a fully charged camera to document your adventure, but you will also want to bring with you a notebook and writing utensils in case you want a quick sketch from a favorite artist or a signature from your life-long celebrity crush. In addition, make sure you bring snacks and drinks so that you can re-energize yourself throughout the day!
4. Create a budget: it’s easy to get carried away with the money at a place like Comic-con as there is so much merchandise every direction you look. Resist the urge to splurge ahead of time by drawing cash prior to attending. That way, you know that you have control over your wallet and that you won’t be facing any overdraft fees.

At the convention itself, you will need a strategic battle plan to make it through the crowds and past the competition to get to your desired destination.The most glorified place of Comic-con, also known as Hall H, this year will host special guest stars such as Angelina Jolie, Will Ferrell, Jeff Bridges, Ryan Reynolds, Bruce Willis, and Helen Mirren. Rumor has is that Brad Pitt may also make a surprise appearance (Note: all star appearances are subject to last minute change). With a guest list like this, you can expect to encounter long lines and waits. Consider waiting in line a couple hours in advance for the panels of your choice.

In addition, make sure to check all of the schedules and plan your visits to your desired booths and exhibits accordingly. You will want to be time efficient and allocate a certain amount of time to spend at a particular booth and make enough time to make it to the next one: get as much out of one day as you can! For more detailed information on the convention programming, visit http://www.comic-con.org/cci/ .

Tickets have been sold out and hotels have been booked for months now, a sign that we will be hosting a large crowd of out-of-town visitors. With this extra population, San Diego will be more packed than usual, meaning that public transportation, restaurants, and the streets will be as well. During these four days, expect traffic to be immobile and to see superheros and movie characters parading around the streets of San Diego. If you are not attending and plan on getting anywhere in a hurry, try to take routes that avoid the San Diego Convention Center vicinity because hurrying will become impossible.

The projected programming of Comic-con gives us a promising preview of what’s to come. With all the special star guests, artists, and producers that will be present, there’s no way that this convention can disappoint any comic or superhero fan!

Photos from tostie14, Mild Mannered Photographer via Flickr and CoolKid1993 via Wikimedia Commons