Going to Comic-Con
Posted on March 5, 2012 Posted by John Scalzi 23 Comments
They’ve finally announced it, so I can finally announce it: This July I am a special guest at Comic-Con in San Diego. I’ll be there doing panels and other exciting excitingness, I’m sure, including some things I can’t tell you about yet but which you will be all, “Oh, dude, I am so there” when you find out about them. This will also be my first time at Comic-Con. Rumor has it that it’s not small in terms of attendance. Well, we shall see, my friends. We shall see.
In any event: July. Scalzi. San Diego. Now you know.
…And maybe a liitle w00tstock 4.0…?
hmm…putting on my Sherlock Holmes cap here…
Author not traditionally associated with comics going to San Diego Comic-con would be a little odd (not much since he’s a science fiction author)…however, once one recalls that said author is going to have a motion picture based on one (or more) of his books, add the fact that the movie studios love launching genre films at said convention, it becomes much less odd…
Alternatively (or additionally!), there may be some graphic novels adaptations of said author’s library in the works?
I hope you’re prepared… San Diego Comicon is a MAD HOUSE.
We used to go to ComiCon before it was cool. Nobody goes now it got too crowded. I do hear good things about Wootstock and am sure you will be dragged there knowing your friends…
I hear it is a homey smaller show with small but loyal following.
Let the fittings for your Slave Leia cosplay begin…
Would you mind if I asked the difference between being an author who is doing panels and signing at Comic Con and being a “special guest?”
No idea.
OK, that’s awesome. Looking forward to seeing you there!
The statisticians will be there in force two weeks later — the plan must be to allow San Diego to build up its nerd tolerance slowly before we arrive. I wonder who is in between (sound of Googling). Oh. It’s Advancing Science and Engineering Research in Nano, Solar, Organic Photonics, and Optics. Yes, that fits the hypothesis perfectly.
I just wondered why there were so few women listed as special guests. I hope there are more women participating that just aren’t listed as special guests. I understand that there aren’t that many women in comics, but boatloads in other media that should be participating in ComicCon.
I wonder if Donna above meant to paraphrase the famous Yogi Berra line, “Nobody goes there anymore because its too crowded.”
Attending Comic Con has gotten complicated. My first Comic Con was in 1996 and there were 60,000 attendees. My last Comic Con was in 2009 and there were 120,000 attendees. Between 1996 and 2006 I was able to lodge in the San Diego Lamplight District near the convention center. 2008 and 2009 I ended up out in Mission Valley about 3 miles away from the convention center. Up until about 2006 you could walk into most panels late with no lines. Now you stand in these ridiculously long lines for more than an hour and there’s no guarantee you’ll get into the panel. The past two years I’ve opted to attend Wonder Con in San Francisco, it sort of reminds me of the good old days at earlier Comic Cons.
John, consider your self lucky being a special guest. You don’t have to worry about the ridiculous badge purchasing system and long lines that wind throughout the convention center and out the doors.
Awesome, good sir, that you will be attending. It is quite the madhouse, but they take good care of the guess, or so I hear. Unfortunately I am one of those who is without tickets for the 3rd year running due to their tech difficulties.
And I will grudgingly agree with the many others who have said that Comicon is just too big for San Diego – what other conclusion can you bring when every single ticket is sold out for a 4 day event in under an hour? Not to mention the literally thousands of disappointed fans? (And the hotel situation is no better, selling out just as quickly.) In 2007 we stayed in a horrible hotel in the Hotel Circle area for only $279 a night plus parking, etc. Please have an off site meeting/signing so we unlucky few can get our Scalzi fix?
Checked out the link. Looks like Ben Edlund is there as well. Maybe you two can run into each other and then make plans to take over the world. The awesome that would be any Scalzi – Edlund spawn would be earth shaking!
Have fun. I know you like our little town that time of the year. We are glad to have you again.
What a coincidence. This July I’m a special guest at…my place of employment :(
Yay! I hope that I can make it into one of your panels. Are you going to do anything with or at Mysterious Galaxy?
Lastly, what are your thoughts on gender parity on con panels? Paul Cornell announced his new policy right before or during Boskone, when you were a tad busy. I’d love to hear your perspective.
Just in case anyone is interested, Paul makes his case here: http://www.paulcornell.com/2012/02/panel-parity.html
I think he’s right – con panels can be pretty testosterone-heavy affairs and fairly or not, SF/F fandom is often seen as a mass of poorly-socialized (and overwhelmingly white) man-children who get rather freaked out around people of colour and real live non-porn women. OTOH, I know an author who was told “oh, I thought of you because we’ve got to get a woman on this.” However good your intentions, that’s a pretty arseholish man-tronising way to make your event a more diverse place.
I hope you end up loving the “big” con experience so much you decide to come to Dragon*Con.
I have tickets to Comicon, but I’ll probably give them away.
Got a baby coming around that time!
Let me add my vote for a Mysterious Galaxy visit while you’re at Comic-Con.
And knowing is half the battle.
… Just had to say it, child of the 80s. ;)
*splutters*
You, Scalzi sir, are lucky. I was unable to buy tickets, so I look forward to living vicariously through you!