Comments on: San Diego Dreamin’? Dream on!

by: Rich

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:27:40 +0000

With all the stress of travel, getting a hotel room (expensive), buying your badge (sold out), running into huge lines for events, signings, panels (and getting turned away out on some of them). commuting while at the event (shuttle service takes a long time with traffic or trolley full of people), and lack of parking, will the San Diego Comic-Con ever solve these or move to a city with a larger convention hall that can handle huge evets?

by: ~chris

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:58:59 +0000

… and Saturday is now sold out.

My only problem with the Hollywood booths is that they’re placed between the comics publishers in the west end, and comics creators in the east end. It takes forever to get from one end to the other, even when using the faster method of exiting the exhibit hall and walking through the lobby.

by: Blog@Newsarama » Blog Archive » The Lightning Round

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:40:51 +0000

[…] – Heidi at The Beat talks to David Glanzer, PR director for Comic-Con International, about four-day passes selling out and other show topics, like if airfare prices will affect people’s travel plans: GLANZER: That’s a great question and one I have mixed opinions about. I would think anyone coming to the show from a distance great enough to fly will have already secured their accomodations and badges. With the cost of travel these days I can’t imagine anyone deciding at the last minute to travel via plane. But I know that I have limited some of my own personal travel this year because of fuel coss, but now that I think of it, I tend to cut the things I don’t mind cutting out. But the really big things, the really fun things, I try to save up for so I can be sure and do them. […]

by: Michael Grabois

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 08:05:39 +0000

Does anyone know of a message board or whatever where people who have a hotel room can post that they are looking for a roommate for the con? With hotels as expensive as they are, it’d be nice to cut the cost for that in half.

by: mat d.

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 01:25:50 +0000

as an attendee who uses this as one of his two weeks of vacation, i started planning to attend back in November….it is a zoo, but I still love it…

the smaller panels are the best ones…

by: Tom Spurgeon

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 20:59:05 +0000

That’s a horrible thing to call the Lost panel.

by: Dave Knott

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 20:51:10 +0000

I think that it is possible to greatly enjoy the San Diego convention without getting too caught up in the huge mess of crowds and the constant inundation by light and noise.

My recommendations based on previous recent visits:
* Visit the show floor on Thursday and/or Sunday, when crowds are lightest. Unless your favourite artist/celebrity is making a special appearance, there is no advantage to going in there on Friday and Saturday, when you’ll be crushed by crowds of nerds.
* Avoid the large movie/television-centric panels. Most of these involve a lot of PR that you can get caught up on later by internet. Do you really need to wait 2 hours in line to see “exclusive footage” from a movie that’s coming out in a couple of months?
* Check out some of the smaller, special-focus panels, particularly those involving foreign or older artists that you may very well never have another chance to see.
* Take it in small doses. There is no good reason to be at the convention centre all day, every day. There’s lots of other interesting stuff in San Diego. I myself am going to the wild animal park this year.

by: nvigneaux

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 17:33:23 +0000

Truth and honesty have no place in public relations. (yes, I am aware that you were being sarcastic)

In fairness, I’ve been to the show 3 times in the last 5 years, and each subsequent time I’ve attended I’ve noticed improvements overall. It’s a great show, but it’s the most expensive to attend and the most exhausting.

by: Tom Spurgeon

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 11:24:30 +0000

You should write PR copy for the show.

by: nvigneaux

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 03:21:52 +0000

I’m not going this year. It’s amazing how something can be so great and so awful at the same time. I just don’t need to spend a few thousand dollars to spend my weekend frustrated and uncomfortable. Maybe next year if I’ve forgotten the horrors of previous years.

by: » Blog Archive » Comic Con ticket needed?

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 21:46:11 +0000

[…] Want to go to Comic-con? But haven’t got your ticket. Publishers Weekly asks David Glanzer allthe revelant questions about tickets to this years show. […]

by: pulphope

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 13:26:21 +0000

I modestly propose– that as with stocks on the NYSE when they get too big– the San Diego Comic Con split into two southern California media shows.

by: Pia Guerra

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 11:11:33 +0000

Been going to this show since 1990 and I’m beginning to wonder why we still do it. It’s nuts. You can’t get into any of the fun panels without standing in a line for hours and even then it’s no guarantee the room won’t fill up before you get inside. And last year the whole one-way-only directions upstairs was a HUGE pain when you’re running to get to a room on time. You lose your hearing from the constant roar of noise both in the hall and at the bars after the show. it’s nowhere near the intimate, fun show it used to be but then I’m just old I guess.

Bleh, I’m going to the zoo this year. Screw it.

by: Jimmie Robinson

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 06:18:55 +0000

Has there been any thought about “stand by” for professionals on the artist alley table list? Or will this be another year of walking by empty artist alley tables of no-shows. A show of this caliber should have a cut-off date for them, too. Empty tables just look tacky and it makes those on the waiting list weep.

by: Tom Spurgeon

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 01:51:26 +0000

Stupid stinky fans — we are superior to you!

by: Bill Cunningham

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:46:37 +0000

I just remembered being in line for some event behind folks who thought deodorant or even bathing was optional.

(shudder)

by: Scott Bieser

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:13:36 +0000

My understanding is that the number of exhibitor slots has been reduced from last year, in order to make the aisles wider and thereby avoid the human/furry traffic jams. Back in February the waiting list was 400 names long.

I’m wondering, 1) How long the list is at this point; and 2) Whether we’ll be able to get in for 2009 if we apply right after the last day of SDCC 2008.

by: Cary Coatney

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:01:30 +0000

When will pros who just barely made the deadline - (mine was postmarked two days before the cut off date ) know if they made the cut this year?

And will they be notified by mail or e-mail?

Coat

by: Lawson

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:54:35 +0000

I’ve been a comics fanboy my whole life, but the San Diego SuperMegaMaxiComicCon sounds like 10 times more fanboyishness than I could possibly endure.

For me, mid-sized shows like Baltimore and Charlotte are plenty, thanks.

by: Lea Hernandez

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:45:32 +0000

I’m only in for two days (I enjoy SD in small doses), but they’re two important days, which is why I asked about on-site pro fees.

by: Jackie Estrada

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:44:19 +0000

In rereading Torsten’s post I see he was specifically asking about the Exhibit Hall. If you do a follow-up with David Glanzer, he could no doubt fill you in on any changes that have been made in the Exhibit Hall this year and elsewehere in the Convention Center to improve traffic flow and crowd control.

by: Mark

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:36:42 +0000

As a person who had a bad time last year I’m going this year with no expectations. I’m there for only one day. I’ll just cruise in buy some books and talk to some creators. Then chill out until it’s time to leave, this time with a new exit plan.

by: Jackie Estrada

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:34:05 +0000

Well, I can’t speak for Comic-Con, but I did hear at a meeting that many aisles in the Exhibit Hall have been widened for this year. Since Comic-Con is a lot more than the Exhibit Hall, I was just wondering what specifically Torsten was referring to, since I seem to recall he didn’t attend last year.

by: The Beat

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:26:44 +0000

Well, I can’t speak for Torsten, but the gridlock that ensued whenever a Slave Leia started posing for pictures in front of a giant booth was astonishing.

I can’t speak for anyone else but I think we’ve all come to expect these conditions as part of the fun and frolic that only San Diego brings.

by: Mark Engblom

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:53:50 +0000

Man, what a king-size pain in the ass that show is turning into. I went in ‘03, ‘05, and one day in ‘07, and I think that’ll be it for me for awhile….at least until the Con evolves into something more manageable and…frankly…pleasant.

by: Jackie Estrada

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:47:21 +0000

What “conditions of last year” are you referring to Torsten?

by: Torsten Adair

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:18:03 +0000

Wow. If the number of tickets hasn’t decreased, that means about 125,000 attendees. How will SDCC accomodate the crowd without repeating the conditions of last year?

Has the exhibit floor acreage been reduced? Are there fewer exhibitors?

by: Lea Hernandez

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:34:23 +0000

Did David say, or can you follow up on, what the on-site pro fee will be? (Says the person who completely missed the cutoff, which is what happens when you bin updates unread.)

by: Savage

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:28:41 +0000

Thanks for this useful and informative info. I’m watching their graph daily. It was a great idea!

It is too bad Wil and TokyoPop won’t be there. That will be strange.