San Diego Comic Con 2015 - Part 1

You know that joke: You're born cold, wet, and hungry...and then things get worse? That's kind of like Comic Con, but factor in some really great previews of your favorite movies and TV shows (many of which will be seen within 24-48 hours of all your friends who stayed home and slept in), some chance celebrity sightings (I will find you again someday soon, Misha Collins) some Storm Troopers, more Storm Troopers, cosplay (look that up here), a boat load of B.O., and a 1-3 day hangover illness. That, my friends, is Comic Con. But is it worth it? Well, that depends entirely upon you. I elect that every one should at least go once in their lives, and no matter how tired you are each day waiting in line, if you find yourself even a little sad on your trip back to the airport, I say that that's a sure sign you had some fun despite all the experiences I listed above, for good or ill.

While this year was probably the most lax I've seen (This is my 4th year having gone) I still had a great time, and considering I spent most of it in Hall H (or most of it waiting in line for Hall H) I still probably have a lot more to say for SDCC than some attendees who only got to wait in line for Hall H, but never actually made it in (yes, that happens).

Wednesday

Preview night seems to become more and more scarce by the year, yet it seems like more people turn up for that night in the Exhibition Hall than any other time. Maybe its the mass rush for exclusives from Hasbro, Mattel, and Lego, but I didn't even get to get in line for the Funko Pop booth because they hadn't opened it up to the general public yet. So even though Preview Night is the night to get all your freebees and exclusives before the common swill (just kidding guys!) get in line for their share, a lot of times the lines were capped well before you got to them.

We instead opted to see the screenings of all the latest TV shows, which meant we caught the pilot of Blindspot (looked promising) and by then, too tired to continue on, retired to our rooms for what was guaranteed to be the only bought of sleep we were going to receive. (More on this later)

Thursday

Bill Murray. Rock the Kasbah. 'Nuff said.

No but seriously, we somehow made our way into Hall H on Thursday with minimal line waiting. Considering that was the day that Mockingjay Part 2 was being shown I can honestly say I'm still more than a little surprised that we quite literally just walked into that line. (Doctor Who also wrapped up that show I believe, and its a long standing belief of mine that many fangirls no longer attend these panels because the Doctor is no longer "hot" - sucks for them because Peter Capaldi is quite the dapper Scottish gent in my opinion!)

Truthfully I had no interest in seeing anything concerning the Hunger Games. I tolerate Jennifer Lawrence at best, and while she's a decent actress, the woman in real life grates at my nerves. I honestly only went to hang out with my friend while at the same time keep myself from spending money in the Exhibit Hall and from wandering sadly through the Gaslamp District. I'll admit the trailer was cool, almost making me want to see the movie, but my immediate annoyance with the cult of JLaw was fueled once more when the cast walked up on set and began talking. 

Here's the thing, I am standardly not a starstruck individual. I will not go out of my way to catch a glimpse of Angeline Jolie, or her superiorly hot husband. I will not gawk outside of a restaurant for hours in hopes of catching sight of Robert DeNiro, nor will I scream or swoon over Johnny Depp. Don't get me wrong, I like all of these actors, but I just don't care if I ever meet them in real life or not. Why? Because they won't remember the experience, so why should it matter so much to me? Also, they're only people. They just happen to work in a field that specializes in putting their exceptionally enhanced by makeup and lighting techniques beautiful faces everywhere. Seriously. Congratulations folks, but you're still just people in the end.

So that being said, after the new footage is aired at these panels, my interest wanes. I don't care too much for what the actors have to say because they usually don't have anything of much interest to say. They're not involved with much of anything except delivering their lines. Sure, they carry the flow of the movie if they're good at what they do, but when it comes to Q&A's (and there are a lot of those at these panels) most of the questions from attendees are theoreticals on what they feel their characters might do, and I'm not interested in the unmade choices of fictional characters. 

So Thursday ended with being really irritated with Jennifer Lawrence wiping her nose on the San Diego Comic Con table cloth (which I'm not wholly sure if they ever changed) and with the gaggle of idiot girls and their bigger idiot mom behind my friend and I. 

So once most of Hall H cleaned out after the final Hunger Games movie panel, the real debate amongst my friends and I began. Friday was a big day for Hall H, if for nothing else: Star Wars. 

[Pro Tip: These talks must be had with your group if you are to see anything that you want to see.]

So how were we going to do this? The line was already all the way to the Marina, and it wasn't even 5PM yet. Naturally, we booked it to the end of said line and took shifts from there, making sure we all met back at our spot in line when they started handing out wristbands. Once obtained, we took sleeping shifts (shifts is a generous word, one member of our group took the brunt of this weight both nights and from what I understand his Con Cold is currently far worse than my own.

Friday

We start this day in line.

[Pro Tip: When at Comic Con, if your day doesn't start in a line, you're Comic Con-ing wrong. Just saying.]

Then we move with the line as it moves. It's like a mass exodus of Geekdom and we are slowly waiting for the Fire Marshall to permit us legal entrance into our folding chair filled Mecca for the next ten hours.

I will leave you here for now, but with a list of tips on how to tackle your first two days at Comic Con based on what I have learned.

• Bring more money than you think you'll need. 
• Also, if you owe anyone anything from your hotel costs, ticket cost, etc. pay them beforehand, because once you start to see those goodies on the Exhibition Floor its going to be much harder to part with that cash.
• Get your badge and get your guides ASAP. This gives you more time to plan your weekend and make the most of your experience. 
• Organize get together times.
• Organize your outings by who wants to see what. If you can, have people take shifts in line, it's the most fair way to ensure you all can see as much of what you want to see. Realize that you're going to have to make sacrificed, and if you want everyone in the group to be happy, you're going to have to let some things go. Just remember, there's always next year.
• Get groceries. If your hotel doesn't have a fridge, get one of those $2 foam coolers and some ice. Store perishables in that. You're going to get hungry in that line, and Hall H food isn't that good, and it sure isn't cheap. Ensure a healthy and cheaper meal option by planning ahead for yours.
• Pack light and pack smart. You're going to be doing a lot of walking, but you're also going to be doing a lot of sitting. Find a balance between entertainment and comfort in your bags when carting things around all day. At some point in time in all of this, your back and shoulders will begin to hurt no matter what, so try to stave that pain off for as long as possible. Besides, you're already guaranteed shin splints.
• That being said, if you're the one doing the overnight line sleep over, have some light camping equipment. Sidewalks aren't comfortable, or hygienic to sleep on, so be prepared.
• Bring a charging station/additional power supply. Whatever you're doing to entertain yourself, your battery will eventually, inevitably die. 
• If you don't have the best immune system, start taking autoimmune boosters a few days before, and continue to take then during the convention. You're going to be around a lot of people. A lot of these people are dirty. A lot of these people are ... well ... like this:

don't be like this guy. Get sanitizer and use it liberally. Get kleenex and blow your nose like a human being, and for gods sake cough or sneeze into your elbow. 

Part 2 Tomorrow