Here is a short list of arguably helpful tips to help convention goers weather the San Diego experience. Embrace or discard as you like:
If you live in LA, consider taking the train. The fare is reasonable and even popping for a seat in business class is less than a tank of gas. Besides, who really needs a car in San Diego?
If you see something you like in the dealer’s room, buy it immediately. Yes, it’s a hassle to drag it around, but chances are you will be swept along in the crush of the crowd and never see the treasured gewgaw again.
See the Quickdraw Panel. This year it’s Saturday at 11:15, and it again boasts a line-up of star cartoonists under the aegis of MC Mark Evanier.
If you visit the Zoo or Sea World, go early in the day before hitting the convention floor. If you go in the afternoon after putting in several hours on barely padded concrete, your feet will be toast.
Lightning round:
Shower.
With soap, please.
Bring Sharpies. Pros will bless you.
Drink lots of water and eat somewhere other than Krispy Kreme.
Don’t kick the Stormtroopers.
Finally:
Have fun, goddamn it.
Paul Dini is the Emmy and Eisner Award winning writer of Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Detective Comics, Countdown among many, many other things. You can find him online at either kingofbreakfast.livejournal.com or http://www.jinglebelle.com/.
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I wish I was going to SDCC this year, but it’s just not in the cards. Maybe next year. I’ll be sure to remember these tips though, especially the one about showering.
Heh heh, "Kick the stormtroopers"
Wait…
You said "DON’T" kick the stormtroopers? Well that’s no fun. 🙁
Goddamn, I can’t wait for the Con this year.
Plus, Dini, you’re awesome.
yes sir! short, sweet, and thorough.
Growing up in small-town Alberta I have never had the opportunity to go to many conventions. A fairly sheltered comic fan, not knowing many other fans, I was excited to learn about the Calgary Comic Expo last year. I packed my father into the car and drove off with a grin on my face. My father wandered aimlessly after growing tired of seeing me pick through the bins and racks of discount comics.
"Just a second." I told him. "There is one creator I want to talk to." That was you, Mr. Dini.
Sure, the guest list was fairly large for such a small and new convention, but not much excited me. You and Brian Wood. Well, Bruce Timm too, but I had no intention of standing in line for hours to put in my name for a sketch.
So I walked up with my copy of the "Dark Claw" bit of Amalgam Comics. In my head, it was funny. In reality, it wasn’t. You see, the book lists the creators as "Bruce Dini" and "Paul Timm", no doubt because of the similarities the character has to the Batman of your animated series. As I dwelled on this, I got to the second spot in line.
The two kids in front of me asked your wife, Misty, what kind of pizza she was eating, and she smiled and told them they could have the last slice. She wasn’t eating it, she was full. As if the pizza was handed down from the gods, they excitedly asked you to sign the pizza box and walked off. I was next.
"What is that? You didn’t have anything to do with that did you?" Misty asked you as I handed over my copy of Amalgam Comics.
"No, but I’ve seen a couple of them before." You said. I smiled and walked out of the con hall. Perhaps my joke could have landed, but I’m just too shy. I had fun anyways.
Anyways, thats my "first con" anecdote. Now, for my second con, I’m going to San Diego this year, with your tips in hand.
I love living in LA. Just 2 hours from San Diego. Never took the train though, May be this time I’ll do that. I live pretty close to the train station. Just kick back and chill with my crew on the train, taking swigs from our flasks and chatting up a geek storm.