This past weekend, I upheld a grand tradition in my life; I wasn’t able to go to Comic Con. For someone who loves entertainment as much as I do, and was raised around comics for her entire life, I’m actually surprised at my ability not to go. Every time a con rolls around I either have no money (those tickets are expensive!), it’s too far away, or I already had some type of plan. It’s not as if I haven’t tried, it’s just that the pieces never seem to quite line up. For instance, I had an exam the exact time NYC Comic Con tickets came out last spring. By the time I was finished, they had sold out. However, as someone obsessed with pop culture but without a Con ticket, I've learned a thing or two about experiencing it from afar.
Now I can’t give you advice about sneaking into Comic Con because I've never tried. That security is heavy. I mean, we can’t have anyone attacking Natalie Dormer, can we?
Follow Social Media
This may seem like a no-brainer if you already spend the majority of your downtime on social media, but it really is the biggest tool you have. Comic Con is basically one large promotional tool for the industry side of things. As fans, we’re there for fun, but for the creators, actors, writers, artists, and production companies are there to work, and they’re gonna tweet the hell out of it. Live tweeted. First look at a new show? Live tweeted. New incarnation of a Marvel character being written? It will be on the internet before they’re done announcing it. Find an entertainment reporter who’s got Twitter and press access and concentrate your efforts on hitting that refresh button.
Follow Entertainment News Outlets
Speaking of reporters, there are a lot of news outlets at Comic Con. Sites like Vulture and Entertainment Weekly usually have comprehensive rundowns of the weekend, if not after every day. Entertainment Weekly also has a very active instagram which they’ll either update themselves or give to a celebrity guest. If it’s a bigger con like SDCC (San Diego Comic Con), companies like MTV or E! will send reporters, mostly for online content that’s uploaded quickly, including interviews.
Hang Around
Sounds like great advice right? Well, I mean it. Go see what there is to see around the con. There will be tons of people cosplaying and general displays to get the fans and public excited. If you’re in NYC, playing guess that cosplay on the subway is really fun.
Scour Youtube
One of the biggest draws to Comic Con is the many panels with topics that range from blockbuster movies to talks with comic book artists. At SDCC people camp out for days in the Hall H line, the line that lets you into the big panels for Marvel, DC, and TV shows like "Game of Thrones." After the fact, most panels will be uploaded to Youtube. Whether they’re in HD or covert shaky cam is up in the air. If you’re like me and watch panels for fun in your free time being able to watch over and over is fantastic, even if you didn’t get to go to the actual event.
