It was Comic-Con 2010.  My first.  Overwhelming to say the least as my wife and two kids (5 months and almost 3) navigated our way through the exhibits, went to panels, and had a blast.  Since 1990, it was a dream for me to attend comic-con and I was living out a dream to be in attendance at the Con.

My friend and colleague Ryan let me know that Comic-Con was reaching out to college educators.  I registered my family for tickets and we were ready to go!  During the Con, we took Ryan out to dinner to thank him for helping us go to Comic-Con.  As we sat at dinner that Thursday evening at Comic-Con 2010, we looked at each other and knew.  We could TOTALLY present at Comic-Con.  We could talk about higher education and geekdom.  We knew it was possible as we’ve presented at conferences before.  Both of us had won awards for presentations given in our own field at our regional conference.  My wife came up with the name – “what about geekEd. ?”  It was a play on “geeked” but was a blending of our passions – higher education and geek life.  Then and there, Ryan and I agreed that we would put in the proposal when it came out to present at Comic-Con 2011.

In January, the forms for professional registration came out.  We read through it, and I saw the program form.  I filled it out, and asked two other colleagues to join our panel team.  I knew they had been to Comic-Con in the past, and at the time I am sure they thought we would have no chance of being selected for a Comic-Con panel.  They agreed and connected me with someone I didn’t know who was a colleague of theirs who had been to 13 comic-cons previously, Alfred.

We knew our topic – how do you use your “geekness” to succeed in Higher Education.  From a staff perspective, student perspective, etc.  “Geek Week Programming.”  The UC Santa Cruz “Social Fiction Conference.”  Free Magic Cards for college students from Wizards of the Coast marketing/distribution. But most of all, I knew they (CCI) were reaching out to us – and I submitted a cover letter saying we wanted to give back – which we did.  We also had a diverse panel – 5 different higher educational institutions represented, I had all the confidence in the world we could present at Comic-Con – I just wondered whether we’d get the chance.  People in the know suggested we start at Wonder-Con.  I felt like Comic-Con was the place for us and submitted the proposal in January.  I knew it was a long shot, but still, I thought we had a good chance.

I didn’t hear a thing for six months.  And then, the email came the first week of June.  We had been selected, and we were presenting Friday night at 8pm.  I was in shock, and as I forwarded the confirmation to our panel, we were all in disbelief.  Less than two months to plan and we had questions.  Only three members of our five panel team currently had registration for SDCC 2011.  Would our other panelists be given registration passes?  We had no money – how would we market the panel?  What to do?

I emailed the SDCC blog with questions.  I emailed the program person with questions.  I emailed people I knew who had comic-con experience questions.  And I got helpful answers.  Here is what we did/learned/would do differently:

First, Logistics:

• If you are selected to present at Comic-Con, you are given full four day badges for your panelists.  Each Panelist can bring a guest for free with them.  Kids under 12 are also free and do not count toward your quota.  You are also allowed to purchase additional tickets for assistants and such
• Lodging.  This is not covered.  Fortunately, one of our colleagues worked at CSU San Marcos and they were willing to house us on Campus.  This was a huge benefit.
• Parking.  This is also not covered.  If you are thinking about putting together a panel, you may want to get parking passes for each day of the conference in advance.  You won’t know which day you will be placed on.  For us, to give us the best chance of being selected, we let the program committee know we were willing to present whenever they’d like us to.
• Video taping: We were allowed a videographer badge in addition to the badges for panelists and guests.  We were responsible for our own audio/visual equipment as well.

Second, Marketing

• We set up a facebook page and a twitter account.  One issue we ran into is people wanted to know a website connected to our twitter page.  We linked ourselves to one of the blogs written by one of the panelists.
• We created a logo.  Fortunately, I have some experience in marketing and we worked to make something simple, yet visual.
• We designed a press release.  People may not know this, but you can ask for a list of all the press attending comic-con about 3 weeks prior to the conference.  We sent an email blast to all the press listed, with our cool logo and what our panel was about.
• We immediately got a few requests for interviews.  If you are able, you may want to have someone to coordinate the interviews.  Being the panel coordinator, on the panel, and the person coordinating the interviews was a LOT of work.
• We tried our best to set up times for interviews prior to the conference.  Some worked and some didn’t.  One problem we ran into was figuring out  location to hold the interviews.  The industry lounge will not allow press into the room, which worked against what we thought would happen.
• We created marketing materials to hand out during the conference.  While we were in line, on the exhibits floor, etc.  We made cheap buttons – one of our panelists had access to a button maker and made about 150 buttons with our logo and various sayings like “Buffy Slayed Vampires in College” or “Even Superman went to College.”  We also made half sheet post card flyers to hand out.
• We searched for someone to sponsor t-shirts and SWAG.  I will have a separate section on SWAG in a bit, because we got REALLY lucky with SWAG.  Ultimately, one of our panelists’ host institution paid for 50 t-shirts at $5 a piece.  This was a huge thing.
• Finally, we emailed all sorts of folks to try and develop interest in our panel.  Put our name out on twitter, blogs, etc. We didn’t want to be “skeevy” so we tried to do this as naturally as we could.

Third, SWAG

• Being that we were college educators, we had a lot of access to SWAG.  We got lucky because our panel was the last one of the night, and there was no pressure to get us out of the room.  We put down in our registration in January that we wanted to hand out swag, but no one contacted us about it.  My recommendation would be to contact the program committee a week or two prior to make sure SWAG distribution is taken care of.
• We had a “helper” handing out t-shirts to people who asked questions and at the end of the panel, they started handing out various SWAG to audience members.  This made for a very organic panel, but probably wouldn’t be repeatable in the future (especially if there was a panel coming in after us)

Fourth, planning the panel itself:

• Visuals:  We created an intro video – simple yet effective.  It was 2 minutes (probably the max time you’d want a video for) and had audio with it.  It was a cool way to start us off.
• We also had two other short videos to break up the presentation.  This worked REALLY well.  It allowed our audience to take a break from hearing us talk, and kept them engaged.  We tried to be funny, and made sure to keep things short.  At one point, one video was 4 minutes long.  Our long time Comic-Con attendee on the panel shared he thought it was too long.  We cut it to two minutes and it was great.
• We are all Mac folks on the Panel, however, I use a PC at work.  I kind of defaulted to creating everything on the PC, and it ended up working without a hitch.  The tech person in our panel room ended up appreciating that we used a PC.  They had been having mac issues all day.  Mainly it’s knowing the connectors you need to connect the Mac to the AV plug ins.
• One final thing about visuals.  At the end – give your audience a link to twitter and/or facebook.  Encourage them to follow you so you can continue to connect with them.
• Moderator:  This was, by far, the most difficult thing to figure out.  We knew our backup was that one of us on the panel would do it.  I emailed famous people, people on twitter, press agents, everyone I could think of.  We got no hits.  I did get some positive feedback.  I asked agents who responded to me if we were on the right track.  They said we were.  Because our panel was Friday night at 8pm, and we were new and virtually unknown, no one wanted to moderate.  We went into our own industry to find a keynote speaker from our conference who was also a “geek” and she agreed on short notice to moderate.  In the future, I might try to secure a potential moderator earlier.  I don’t think the moderator is critical other than keeping the flow going, and we could have done it ourselves, but it is a nice touch.
• You need to have a moderator script/question sheet ready so they know what questions to ask.  We developed this over a few weeks among the panel, and made sure we had it set before we had our moderator.
• One thing to know – you can add your registrants up until the day before Comic-Con, so even if it is a last minute add, you can get your panelist a badge.
• Knowing the audience:  We took time to introduce ourselves at the beginning of the panel.  But we also planned to ask who was there in the audience.  This would help us tailor our info to who was in the room.  More on this later.
• Special guests?  One of the things we tried to do is contact companies we planned on talking about in our panel.  We knew Gowalla, and Wizards of the Coast were companies we had worked with that had Comic-Con presence in the past.  Gowalla was not going to have a big presence at Comic-Con, so that left us with Wizards of the coast.  I connected via email the person in charge of their  booth in the exhibits hall when they sent out their press release.  I stopped by the booth with one of my colleagues and we talked to them about a special guest for our panel, and they came through with the “DM to the Stars” and Wizards exec, Chris Perkins. It was a pretty cool last minute addition.

Fifth, the Con itself

• Our panel was on Friday.  We spent Wednesday, Thursday and Friday giving out buttons, talking up our panel, etc.  Standing in line for panels allowed for opportunities to talk to people about our panel.
• We decided to be at our room an hour prior to the panel.  This way we could strategize prior to the panel.

Finally, the panel (and pre-panel)

• We started getting excited when a line started forming for our panel immediately once the doors closed on the panel prior.  We knew the people waiting for our panel were for OUR panel since we were last.  We passed out buttons to people waiting in line.  I think this helped to connect to people before the panel.
• Security:  We ran into an issue because security wasn’t ready for a line for our panel in room 9, and certainly not a line that extended three different walls.  We tried to make friends with the security, giving them buttons and some smaller SWAG to encourage them and let them know we appreciated their efforts.  We also explained we were  glad they had the issues since it meant people wanted to see us. By the time our panel started, we were pretty full with a few empty seats.  For an 8pm panel in Room 9 on Friday night, we were stoked that people came to see us.
• The panel was great – I was able to be on the panel AND work the powerpoint.  The plug in was on the panel tables, which made it easy.
• We learned early on we had a lot of people like us in the audience (college educators) as well as college students.  This helped us know where to take the panel.
• Prior to the panel, we had a list of 7-8 questions, but we actually only got to 3-4.  Time flies in the panel, with 5 people each talking it ends up taking a lot of time.
• Q&A – we were fortunate that we were allowed to go long because we were the last panel of the night.  This allowed for 20 minutes of questions, and we probably could have kept going, except they needed us out of the room.  The questions were awesome, and we really saw that we impacted the people there

So there ya have it – that is what we did/learned/would do differently in the future.  We were thrilled to accomplish a dream for each of us.  Some final tips:

• The program key contact can check in and get badges for everyone else in the group.  To check in, you do not need to stand in the professionals line, you can ask the Comic-Con people to direct you to the Program Participant booth directly – they were in the lobby in front of Hall D.
• For your videographer: They not only need a badge, they needed a “hang tag” in order to have permission for videotaping.
• Reporters:  We had two reporters at our panel.  One took video and stills during the panel.  Afterwards, he asked for our business cards.  Make sure you have info to hand out.

If you have further questions for Tyler about hosting your panel at Comic-Con in the future, you can contact him directly via Twitter @geekEd1 or Email.

First off, let’s talk about the camera types. Phones with cameras are usually the least quality and have the fewest options. They aren’t much use during panels unless you can shoot video. Point and shoot cameras come in a variety of types, from the $100 pocket camera to the $500 super-zoom. P&S cameras have options, but how many depends on the price, and you can’t change the lens. DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) cameras used to be for the pros, but they are cheap enough for most these days. DSLRs have multiple modes from fully automatic to fully manual and have interchangeable lenses.

But which camera to choose? I could write a whole blog just on that subject. The simple answer is 1) How much money do you want to spend, and 2) What are you going to shoot? Just like most things in life, the more you spend, the better the product. I will say that once you are looking at spending up to $500 on a super-zoom or high end point and shoot, shift over and check out the lower priced DSLRs. You will get more for your money.

Now on to actual photo tips. After asking for what you wanted to have me write about on Twitter, I have a good idea what to talk about. We’re going to at least mention all of the following: accessories, panel settings, show floor settings and the best places to shoot inside and outside the con.

Before I get to specific settings, let me go over something most people miss: white balance. Every camera has it and most people never use it and just leave it on auto. This works most of the time. If you are ever getting a photo that looks off, too blue outdoors or too red indoors, take some time to change the white balance setting. Take a shot or 2 as a test before a panel on different settings and see what happens. If you are ever unsure, just leave it on auto. Another thing to mention is for those cameras that can shoot in RAW format. White balance and a few other settings can be changed in RAW even after the fact. It will take up a lot more room on your memory card, but you’ll have a lot more editing freedom when you get home.

Accessories

The first thing most people wonder about is a tripod. When you’re sitting in a panel and taking photos without one, your arm gets tired or your shots are blurry. The problem is that most tripods are big, bulky and heavy. If you plan to camp out in a panel room all day every day, this won’t be a problem and a tripod would be a good buy. There are two other options, though. A monopod is the best compromise for steady shots and ease of use. You won’t have to bother people around you with the legs or have something bulky in your bag. Most weigh up to 2 pounds and condense down to 20 inches or less. A monopod will also make low light and night shots a lot easier. Another option for those with lighter cameras (under 3 pounds) is a fold-up tripod like this. It’s not as sturdy as a regular tripod, but it’s light, compact, and will get the job done.

Panel Settings

This is the most common question I got asked. How do I get better shots during a panel? The first thing you have to do is check out everything you can change on your camera. For those with DSLRs, everything is adjustable. For those with P&S cameras it may be anywhere from very little to everything.

The best thing you can do for better panel shots is to make sure your shutter speed is fast enough to freeze the panelists. This means 1/100 of a second or faster, with 1/250th as your target speed. Faster is always better.

The problem is, when you speed up the shutter, you let in less light and your photos are dark. So you have to adjust either the aperture or the ISO. On most P&S cameras, you can only adjust the ISO, so let’s talk about that. A lot of people don’t know what ISO is and just set it to auto. ISO is essentially how fast your camera processor takes the available light to generate a photo. Low ISO equals more processing, which equals longer time needed, which equals better looking photo (less grain). So upping the ISO means you will get a grainier photo but you will need less shutter time to get it. ISO is probably the only setting you can change to help you get a less blurry shot when nothing else will work. Especially when you’ve already lowered your aperture as far as it will go. Yes, your photo will have more grain in it, but you will have something to work with instead of a bunch of blur.

Aperture (the f-stop) is a lot easier to figure out for panel settings. Whatever your lowest setting is, make it so. On most P&S cameras, there is no way to change aperture itself, but you may have themed settings such as “sport” or “night scene”. If that is the case, sport or any other setting that is for fast shutter/low light should work. Do some tests at home with the different settings to see which will be best for you.

DLSR owners have the bonus of being able to switch lenses. What this will allow you to do is get a lens specifically for panels. If you want to spend the money, a 70-200mm f2.8 lens will do wonders for low light photos. If you have to get something less expensive, go for one of the 70(or 75)-300mm lenses. These will be higher aperture, and you’ll have to raise the ISO and/or lower the shutter speed, but you’ll be able to get better close-ups of the panel guests. If you want a lens that you never have to change, check out the 18-200mm ones. Both Canon and Nikon make one, but be warned that they do have drawbacks. Check out online reviews to see if the pros outweigh the cons.

If you’re going to shoot with a DLSR, I recommend figuring out your settings and going full manual. While the new cameras are very smart, they can sometimes mess up on semi or full auto. If you have one of the regular zoom lenses I mentioned above, you’ll have f5.6 as your lowest aperture when fully extended. Depending on your camera, your ISO will top out at 1600 or 3200 (6400 on mid-range cameras), and will also look very grainy at those settings. I try to always stay one setting below the max ISO whenever possible. The photos below are examples of both Ballroom 20 (Jim Parsons) and Hall H (Olivia Wilde).

On each of these my settings were 1/100th shutter, f5.6 aperture, ISO 400 and 250mm using the 55-250mm Canon lens and a Rebel XSi. I was in the front row for each photo, which is why I was able to get such close shots. As you can see, Ballroom 20 came out better; brighter and less grain than the Hall H photo due to more light and a white background. I also edited these to get them to look this way. The originals were darker and I increased the brightness in post-processing. If you do this, be careful that you don’t let the photo get too dark, or you’ll have a lot of grain and less detail. One thing to be aware of is that black and white is much more forgiving when this happens, so don’t be afraid to try that out for darker photos.

Finally, the use of flash at panels. Personally, I don’t like using flash 99% of the time. It not only makes most photos look washed out, but it bothers the panel guests. It also is ineffective for most cameras unless you’re within 25 feet of the subject. If you are within range, and feel like using it, set your ISO at 400 and (if you can) your aperture around f8. This should help the flash fill as much of what you want to capture as possible.

Show Floor/Outdoor Settings

The con floor is an odd lighting area. There is light everywhere, but it’s just not quite enough to get photos easily. Whenever I shoot on the floor, I put ISO at 400 and put my camera on aperture priority and set it as low as possible (f3.5 on my kit lens, 18-55mm). This lets the camera choose the shutter speed. Usually I can get a shot I like, but there is always the chance the shutter will be too slow and I’ll get something blurry. The easiest way to combat this is to up the ISO more, or revert to a scenes mode like I mentioned for the panels. The higher end cameras will look better at higher ISO, so this won’t be a problem for those. For most P&S cameras, this will cause noisy/grainy photos. The other way to combat this is with a flash, but again, this tends to wash out your subject. No matter what you choose, make sure you get that shutter speed fast enough. I’ve kicked myself many times when a shot of a cosplayer is too blurry to use because I was too stubborn to up my ISO one more level or use flash.

When you are outside, a lot of these concerns go away and others come into play. Sunlight is harsh except in the early morning and late afternoon/evening. I suggest setting your ISO down to 100 and putting your aperture around f8-11 for most shots. These are typical outdoor/generic settings. If you know about bokeh and the depth of field effect of aperture, then you’ll know when to change your aperture for them. If there are shadows falling on your subject and you can’t move away from them, the best thing to do is turn on your flash. This will fill in the shadow areas while keeping the rest of the shot as it was. You may need to increase ISO to extend the reach of your flash. If you have problems getting a good shot this way, you might need to spend a few minutes playing with the settings, or just put the camera on full auto.

Where to get the “best” photos

This is not an easy one to answer. How many times have you been wandering the con and happened across a split second moment of awesome? How many times have you seen someone else’s photo of a great moment and wished you could have been there? The sad truth is that you won’t be able to get every awesome moment, or even most of them. You can just be prepared for those moments when they happen. Most cameras have a power save feature. I always keep my camera on and let it go to sleep. It might only be a split second faster to start up, but you never know when that can make the difference between getting the shot or not.

For the last few years, I have been either working behind the table at the Browncoats booth, or attending panels, so I don’t have much first-hand knowledge of where to go for photos. I do know for cosplay shots there are two good areas to hang out (if you know more, let us know in the comments). The stairs in front of the con between hall C and D, and the mezzanine level, both outside and inside near the fan group tables, in the back of the convention center seem to attract a lot of people in costume. Keep an eye out for announced group photo shoots, such as the Avengers Initiative Friday morning at 11 AM on the back steps behind the Mezzanine Level. You should also pay attention to when companies announce a contest or other gathering at their booth. I’ve seen both Marvel and Dark Horse post announcements this week.

You can try to get shots of actors on the show floor if you miss the panels. A significant number of them now do signings at the studio booth for their show/movie. Most of the time security tries to keep you moving, so you have to plan ahead. Keep moving when you aren’t taking a shot, and don’t take too long when you are stopped. Or find a good spot with line of sight, but out of a walking area. It takes a lot of patience, a quick shutter finger and the willingness to fight the crowds to get these photos.

I hope something I’ve gone over will help you get the photos you want during the convention. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask me on Twitter, Facebook or in the comments below. I’ll try and answer everything I see before Comic-Con starts. I may even be able to answer some stuff while waiting in line during the con.

Best of luck on getting those photos!

With everything going on after the doors to the convention center close for the night, you’ll want to be close to all of this action. If you’re one of the thousands staying within walking distance to the con, your transportation needs are basically how comfortable your sneakers are. But the popularity of the weekend has pushed thousands more to stay farther out into the city.

For the past several years, CCI has been offering a shuttle service to get people to and from their hotel. They’ve just updated their official site with a PDF of the shuttle schedule, and you’ll want to keep this handy and know when you need to catch the bus to make your don’t-miss panels. The shuttles run at regular intervals and well into the early morning for those who just don’t want to leave. Keep this one on your smartphone so you’re never stuck looking for a cab home. The shuttle is also free, by the way, for all con ticket holders.

The MTS trolley is another way to get to the Convention Center, if for some reason the shuttle service isn’t going to work for you. A one-way fare is $2.50, but a one-day pass is $5 and a four-day pass is $15. Check out the San Diego MTS website for more information.

Chuck website WeGiveAChuck has arranged a deal with SuperShuttle to offer a 10% discount to all Chuck fans. Which we know all of you are, of course. Here’s the deets from the website:

Visit SuperShuttle’s website to book your shuttle (you will also find iPhone and Android apps for those fans who are always on the go). When booking your trip simply type CHUCK into the discount code box and your discount should be automatically applied. This offer is valid in all SuperShuttle locations throughout the US (including San Diego!). It can be used for any shared ride or ExecuCare private sedan service.

This is a great deal for long-distance travelers needing to get from the airport and back. The discount is valid through July 31, so be sure to book your round-trip service to save some cash for the SDCC exclusives!

Thanks Wendy for the tip!

This is Part 4 and the last post in a series. You can read Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here.

Yes, the convention center is an amazing place. If you can run off Starbucks and Mrs. Fields you should feel free to stay there all day. Hey, if you can find a dark and concealed corner you could stay there all night. We’re assuming neither of those will happen though, so this is the guide for when you leave the convention center and journey into San Diego!

Eating Out -

Most attendees will find that eating outside of the convention center yields the best results. Sure, packing snacks can help you through the times when you have a ton of panels in a row, but I find that a real dinner or lunch each day will go a far way to restoring one’s energy. The great thing about this is that right across the street from the convention center is the awesome Gaslamp District. There are restaurants everywhere and people looking to avoid lines can even go a little bit farther into San Diego and find restaurants that aren’t very crowded. The big warning for eating out is that fast places such as Subway are going to be packed. Lines can take up to 30 minutes so I find that choosing a sit down place will get you better food and barely take longer.

Here is the official dining guide to the Gaslamp. This is a great resource if you want to plan out your meals and find a specific restaurant that suits your tastes. Here is another good guide that labels each restaurant by their prices. Remember, Urbanspoon and Yelp on a mobile phone can be great for finding a restaurant quickly.

Though the above tips apply to lunch and dinner, breakfast is an important meal to many attendees. For some people’s needs, a hotel buffet will work fine as they are moderately quick and their food is of decent quality. The majority of attendees will most likely want their breakfast really fast though, and an emerging hotel trend caters to that. Many of the premiere hotels (including the Hard Rock and the Hilton Bayfront) have started selling breakfast boxes. These include a drink, bagel. and probably some fruit. They come in portable boxes and you can take them to wherever you plan to wait in the morning. They’re not delicious, but they are really useful and great if you plan to line up early for Hall H or Ballroom 20. Ask your hotel if they sell any and if not then you can look around for one at nearby shops or hotels.

Offsite Events -

A guide to offsite events is pretty self-explanatory. Just leave the convention center and do something. There are some really important tips when heading to these events though, so it’s best to be ready. Here are the top three things to remember.

• Don’t Lose Your Badge – Without your badge it’s impossible to be let into the con. Keep it in a safe place when outside the convention and whatever you do, don’t lose it or have it stolen.
• Don’t Forget Things at the Bag Check -The bag check hours can be found here. Though the normal end time of 2 AM seems late, you’d be surprised at the times many events will end. Don’t knock on the convention center doors at 4 AM hoping to get that suitcase. It’s even worse since Security will probably stand inside and laugh at you. And if you know SDCC Security, you can imagine how embarrassing that would be.
• The Con has Awesome Night Activities Too – Don’t feel like you have to leave the convention center to have a good time. There are usually awesome panels and screenings that go late into the night.

Hotels/Shuttles -

Much like the offsite events, hotels are mostly standard operating procedures when you’re at the con. Here are a few SDCC-specific tips to make sure your stays go smoothly.

• Find Out Exactly Where the Shuttle Stops – Don’t be that guy on the wrong end of the street when the shuttle pulls in. If that happens, you deserve to be mocked.
• Know Your Shuttle Route Color – Getting on the shuttle at 1 AM and ending up at the Hark Rock ready to go to sleep is awesome. Unless you’re staying at a Sheraton.
• See if Your Hotel Has Anything Going On – Many of the bigger hotels have awesome events/deals that center around Comic-Con. Asking at the front desk when you check in can result in savings and good times.

And that’s it! I hope the guide helped you get ready for Comic-Con.

This is Part 3 in a series. You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

This is the reason that people save their money up. This is the reason people invented wallets. This is the reason you cleared out an entire shelf in your house. So that you can walk into Comic-Con and spend $3,000 on a collectible bust of your favorite character.
Shopping at SDCC is an integral part of almost every attendee’s experience and whether you’re looking for all the free stuff you can grab or a wildly expensive Con exclusive, the Exhibit Hall is the place to go. In this post we will cover tips on navigating, buying, and staying alive.

Navigating the Hall -

• Pace Yourself - Within 20 minutes of entering the Hall you’re probably going to feel a bit tired. Sit down somewhere (around the edges or out in the hallway), play a video game at a booth, or take a food break. Most people try to consolidate their time spent in the Hall by moving quickly but this strategy will leave you tired or burnt out. Splitting up your Hall time is a good way to avoid this.
• Don’t Push – Yes, you want a free Iron Man flash-drive. That doesn’t make it okay to elbow people out of the way to get it. Be kind to your fellow attendees and try to keep things in a line. It’s a lot faster and more comfortable then fighting it out with your light-saber replicas.
• Don’t Be Afraid to Wait – Within minutes you’ll start to notice almost everything awesome in the Hall has a line. Don’t be afraid to stand in one if it’s for something you really want. Smaller booths can yield cool stuff without the line though, so be aware of that first time comic publisher with the free shirts.

Buying Stuff -

• Cash – Yes, you will want some. $2,000 is not some. If a booth is selling things that expensive you should just use a Credit Card or Check. Walking around with that much cash is dangerous and nerve-racking. Still, $50-100 is a good amount in the event you spot a Con collectible you really want.
• Wrapping + Shipping – When purchasing something that’s expensive, large, or breakable, ask the booth about their wrapping and shipping options. Telling Southwest that your life-size Hellboy bust is a carry-on never turns out well. If the booth doesn’t have these options your hotel probably will.
• Bag Check – New at this year’s con is a bag check. This is awesome for people that want to shop and then check their bags while they go to panels. Also convenient for attendees hoping to drop off their stuff as they head for lunch/dinner outside the convention center. Just don’t forget to pick it back up.

Free Stuff -

• Be Grateful – Don’t just grab the stuff and run. Actually acknowledging the booth or the people giving it away is always the courteous thing to do.
• Don’t Waste – Don’t pick up something if you know it will end up never used or in the trash. Hundreds of people picked up life-size 300 shields a few years back. How many actually used them? Probably only 2/3. That’s a lot of wasted awesomness.
• Don’t Haggle – Just get something if it’s free. Don’t ask for 100 to bring back to your friends at home. Asking for one extra is usually fine, but be wary of demand (no one asked for two of those life-size 300 shields).

Staying Alive -

• Avoid the Clumps – Whenever something free and hard to get is being given out, a clump will form in about half a second. Unless you really want whatever is in the center, it’s usually better to wait for it to dissipate a bit or just avoid it completely. Running under people’s legs might get you some cool swag, but it will also mean a lot of bruises in the morning.
• Don’t Stand In The Center – There are a few main aisle. There are thousands of people constantly walking through these aisles. Take the picture from the sides of the aisle and avoid being trampled.
• Strollers/Walkers/Wheelchairs/Children=Bad – Going head-on against any of these will probably end with bruised knee-caps.

Come back tomorrow for a guide to stuff outside the convention center!

Part 2 in a series. You can read Part 1 here.

My favorite part of Comic-Con and the aspect that takes up most people’s time is the panels. With subject matter ranging from the biggest movies in Hollywood to the smallest indie web-comics that you’ve probably never heard of, SDCC panels are where the magic happens. In this post I will guide you through how to have an awesome time at every Q+A, discussion, and footage premiere at the con:

How to Make Your Panel-Going Experience Awesome:

• Get There Early – Any attendee hoping to hit up a panel in Hall H, swing over to the next panel in Ballroom 20, and then head back for the last one in H is going to end up a sad and angry attendee. No, this doesn’t apply to the super small panels where the room won’t even fill up, but as SDCC grows these are quickly disappearing. People wanting to get into big rooms or popular panels should line up at least an hour in advance if not two. Each person will have to judge on a panel by panel basis, but I’ve definitely learned to expect everything to be packed.
• Have Something To Do Beforehand – Two hours in the Hall H line doesn’t fly by, no matter how excited you are for the Tron footage. A book, iPod, DS, PSP, iPhone, or someone to talk to are all good ways to pass the time while you are waiting for next event.
• Bring A Camera – No one wants Hugh Jackman to show up two feet away and all you have in your hands is a schedule and a power bar. Don’t feel like you have to rush out and buy a $3,000 camera to get your picture with Jim Lee though. Unless you’re a serious photographer, a cellphone camera will probably be fine to capture the best stuff.
• Decide Early if You Want to Ask Questions – Even the smallest panels will have a lot of audience members that want to ask questions of the panel and unless you think early and act fast, you’ll probably end up at the end of a thirty-person line when they’re only accepting five. Decide before you sit down if this is the panel to ask that burning question and plan your seat so it’s near the microphone.
• Applaud Everyone – Even that television producer you’ve never heard of put in the effort to fly out, go in front of a crowd, and accept that every person on the panel will get more love then him. That deserves a clap. Same goes for everyone on a panel.

How Not To Ruin Other People’s Panel-Going Experiences:

• Be Courteous To Others Around You – Control your elbows, don’t yell across the room, and don’t wildly wave your hands in the air so ferociously that they hit the person next to you in the face every time Ryan Reynolds looks in your direction.
• Don’t Ask Stupid Questions – No, you can’t be in their next movie. No, they don’t want to go drink with you. No, they won’t take you to prom. Don’t be that person everyone boo’s when they go up to the microphone.
• Don’t Tell Your Life Story – Tim Burton doesn’t care how much Sweeney Todd changed your life. Peter Jackson doesn’t want to hear about your college project based around him. It’s questions and answers. The answers shouldn’t be “thank you.”
• Don’t Try to Videotape Exclusive Footage – The security people may not be rocket scientists, but they can see the flip cam hidden in your lap. Don’t cause a scene.
• Learn To Hold The Applause – Denzel Washingtion deserves a big round of applause. Every sentence Denzel Washingtion says does not deserve a round of applause.

Come back tomorrow for the guide to shopping and the exhibit hall!

Description: With hundreds of Comic-Con tips floating around the web I’ve decided to mix ours up. It is divided into four parts (Packing + Arriving, Panels, Shopping + Exhibit Hall, and Outside the Convention) and one will be posted daily. In each part I won’t just list out some tips, I’ll also give a strategy of sorts to that part of the convention and provide commentary. Enjoy!

After months of scheduling, packing, and anticipating you finally get off the plane in San Diego and think “what now?” Do you rush out to get passes, relax in your hotel room? Eat? And what if you forgot something important? Let’s just relax and start at the beginning.

Packing For Your Trip:

Though it seems simple, this is one place where many attendees make mistakes. Even if you’re planning to attend SDCC for only one day, you are going to need a lot of stuff. Sure, people will remember their clothes and toothbrushes (hopefully), but what makes Comic-Con packing different? Well here are some essential packing items that many attendees might forget about:

• Poster Tube – Many free and exclusive posters are given out during the con and unless you plan to purchase a tube there or risk having to fold your new posters, bringing one of these tubes is a must.
• Deodorant – Sure, the stereotype of every attendee being  a stinky mess is over-exaggerated. When you’re packed in a room with thousands of sweaty attendees though, you’re not going to come out smelling like flowers.
• Good Shoes – Walking from panel to panel, out to get food, and through the exhibit hall can get mighty tiring without proper footwear.
• Money – Unless you’re super short on cash, there’s probably something that you’ll just have to have. Be prepared for it.
• Back Up Batteries for Every Gadget You Bring – Heck, even books need batteries these days (Paperbacks? Pshh. Try a nook).
• Food – Planning to snack on the convention food? Bring some Tums. Or you can just save yourself trouble and money by bringing your own snacks.
• Headache Medicine – Even without the Twilight panel, Harry Potter fans will get mighty rowdy.
• Sun-Screen – If you plan to walk around San Diego or wait in the Hall H line this is essential. People who plan to beat the heat and stay inside can probably skip it though.
• Suitcase – I just listed a lot of stuff. Plus all the free swag you will probably get. Make it a big suitcase.

Arriving in San Diego for the First Time:

4-Day Attendees -
I would suggest arriving Wednesday afternoon/morning. This makes it super easy to head over to your hotel (most have an airport shuttle) and just kick back. Unpacking, a swim in the hotel pool, or a nice meal are all awesome ways to prepare you for the madness that is about to begin. Though Preview Night won’t begin until 6 or 7ish (once the doors open it becomes a haze), it’s good to be there at least 20 minutes before you want to get in line just in case badge pickup takes a long time. People who want to get a lot of free stuff or purchase a very limited item during preview night usually arrive hours in advance but if you just want to stroll around and don’t mind coming out somewhat empty-handed, feel free to not arrive early.

1-Day Attendees -
If you’re flying/driving to the con for only one day it is better to try and park somewhere not-too-close to the convention center and walk or take a taxi over. Unless you buy a parking pass in advance, the limited parking close the con is insane. Also, try to get to the convention as early as you can to pick up badges and get in line for panels. Since the 4-day’ers don’t have to pick-up passes they have a time advantage.

Arriving at the Con Each Day:

People looking to jump right into the lines for Hall H or Ballroom 20 should head straight over to them as early as they can. Unless you arrive at 2 AM there will already be people waiting to get in so don’t expect a spot in Hall H if you get there 15 minutes in advance. Ask security guards if you don’t know where these lines are and then head to the mass of people to sort out where the end is. I would suggest getting to Hall H or Ballroom 20 at least an hour in advance to get a seat, if not more. If you’re looking to head straight into the exhibit hall or one of the smaller rooms you can go to one of the main doors outside the convention center. The ones where security and large groups of people are forming is where you will probably find an entrance. Once the con starts all of the doors will open, but if you arrive early they usually open a select few first. Like I said earlier, just follow the crowds. Sometimes security will usher people into a large hallway to wait for the doors to open but it is pretty random and still best to get there early so you can figure out the opportune spot to get in based on what room you want to go to.

Come back tomorrow for the guide to panels!

1. Comfort is a must: Comfortable clothes, shoes, backpacks, anything you can think of. Just make sure it’s comfortable. You’re going to be walking and standing for many hours each day and even the littlest pain can really hurt your con!

2. Traffic is crazy: If you plan to use a taxi or car to get to the convention center, expect massive delays! Easier ways are walking, pedicabs (pretty cheap and everywhere), or trolleys. All can help you avoid the massive traffic throughout San Diego.

3. STAY CLEAN: Whether it’s deodorant, showers, body spray, or all three, make sure people will be okay cramped up against you. This can be a major problem at the con and you can help end it by doing your part to smell nice!

4. Tag-team lines: If you are in a group you can have different people in different lines. Just make sure your line holder doesn’t get into any room without you because once they get in there’s no way for you to get in without going to the back of the line. Though this can help parties it can also be a major problem if the line holder gets into the room before the rest of the party. Hey line holder, with great power comes great responsibility!

5. Take a break: If you get tired there’s tons of things to see all around San Diego. Visit the Gaslamp District, see Chinatown, sit by the harbor. San Diego’s a great city and its all within walking distance. Enjoy it!

6. Do not forget your badge: Once you get your badge never lose it or forget it at your hotel/house. Without the badge you can get into nothing and that pretty much ruins the con. DO NOT forget your badge!

7. Pick up the comic-con newsletter: A much over looked part of the con is the well produced newsletter for each day of the con. Inside will be a great summary with photos of the last days activities and highlights of what’s coming up that day. It’s great to read while standing in line and it’s available at almost every entrance.

8. Make Reservations: If you know of a restaurant you want to go to, make reservations! San Diego is packed during the con and if you don’t make reservations you could get shut out of your favorite restaurants!

9. Advertise: If you have a business involving comics or entertainment then the con is a great place to advertise. A business card is a cheap and easy solution but swag can really get you noticed. T-shirts or buttons are favorites but if you are creative with your swag then you’ll really get noticed.

10. It’s never to early to buy your tickets for 2010! They’ll be available at the con and you can always return them if you end up not being available, better safe then sorry!

Reader Tips From Twitter:
11. Bring rubber bands to help with the poster tubes – @GeekFilter
12. Bring at least $100 a day not including food – @slasherbernie
13. Leave the strollers/Crying Babies at home – @tguard
14. Wear new socks each day – @vorear
15. Purchase high demand items on preview night, for others wait for Sunday bargains – @salaciouslq
16. Bring Sunscreen for the Hall H Line and always have backups for anything you’re attending – @scarletcat
17. Be patient and courteous – @jmiewald
18. Look for signs on where to line up and make sure you’re in the right line – @saramckinniss
19. Sheet protectors in a hard notebook are a must for autographed pictures – @TNgirlinWA
20. Don’t bring your pets, be courteous when typing/twittering, and if you’re cosplaying bring a change of clothes – @eccentriclee

Hope the tips helped and get packing!

1. Plan out your time: I’ve found that with the thousands of hot sweaty people crammed in their all day I can’t stay in their for more than an hour at a time without a break. You might be stronger but it still can get overpowering fast. Don’t plan to stay in there for 3 hours without a break, plan your time wisely.

2. Keep in mind the time: Keep in mind on thursday, friday, and saturday the exhibit hall closes at 7. That means don’t plan to go there late after all your panels are done. If you really want to explore it put some breaks in your schedule for “Exhibit Hall Time”.

3. Make a game plan: Decide whether to start on one end and go to the other, or split the hall into different days. Just randomly walking around is fun if you have free time, but doing that all of con can make you miss really good booths.

4. Be on the lookout: If you’re just walking through the hall be on the lookout at all booths around you. Just looking around you could probably find tons of booths that are giving out free stuff. You can get a lot of free stuff by just being observant.

5. Ask Questions: Ask people at booths when their next giveaway or signing is. Sometimes they wont tell you, but much of the time they will and it can really help plan out your day.

6. Bring Cash: Pretty self-explanatory. A lot of small business only take cash and you don’t want to be left in the cold if you find that thing you need to have!

7. Be aware of the food: Though there is a food vendor in the exhibit hall, most of the stuff it sells is pretty gross and could make you feel sick. Unless your just buying a pretzel or a drink it’s a lot better to eat offsite.

8. Bring the camera: There’s a ton of great photo-ops in the hall. Whether its with a giant lego Vader or a life-size twilight standup, there’s going to be a lot of times when you want to take a picture!

9. Bring Water: Like I said earlier it gets really hot, so unless you want to spend $7 on a bottle of water every time you go into the exhibit hall, bring your own!

10. Soak it in: The exhibit hall is an amazing place. Look around every once and a while at the awesomeness. It only happens once a year so try to savor the moments. Overall have a good time in it!

Hope the tips helped you!
Tomorrow is 10 tips for every con attendee!