Serious question: how do people go to comic-con? I'm a local

>>9117624
It's very hard to get SDCC tickets. And people fight for them on the Internet. There have been many people who have queued up to hopefully get at least one day and missed for years. I was lucky that two years ago I got three days after four years of battle of the waiting room. But after you get one day, you can get full event passes next year when the preorder process goes up. Preorder is only for those who have had passes before and want to renew them. But if you don't renew, you lose you ticket and it goes into the open registration bank. If you want to go and didn't renew, you have to fight the waiting room again.

Now that certain conventions have more media coverage, it is going to get harder and harder to get in. Much of SDCC is online merchants who buy up all the exclusives so they can resell the items for triple the prices online. It's how the convention scene is and sucks but it just means you got to really take what you can get.

>>9117647
>Preorder is only for those who have had passes before

wew

>how do people to to comic con
Luck
Blowjobs
More money than sense

Etc etc

>>9117721
>>9117647
Yeah, it's really bullshit. I was able to go for years, some times every other year, but then when it went fully online, it became a lottery if you miss out once. Previous pass holders as stated get first dibs, which meant they had early access to four-day passes before everyone, even if they only went one or two days, which screwed people over that actually could go all days, even preview night. I'm glad they got rid of it and made people buy singles, but its still no help. No new people can manage to get in unless they grasp at Sunday or Thurday just to get that previous passholder place holder for the next year. I used to say I fucked myself over because I didn't renew one year, but that's really on the convention itself and not the people. It shouldn't be so damn difficult, they need to get their shit together and have better crowd control and systems to have the con flow better.

I, too, am a local OP, and it's been a pain in the ass to try to get passes that I've officially given up. I reason that any trailers and things will be on youtube soon enough, having to weigh the options of being able to see x y or z while missing out on a b and c, waiting in line to just to sit through one or two panels before the one you want to see. It's a bigger pain in the ass than its worth. I haven't even bothered to go to the Gaslamp area for the outside events/spaces because that's another level of hell. Not even the always lured stops down there could sway me.

>>9119300
>I haven't even bothered to go to the Gaslamp area for the outside events/spaces because that's another level of hell. Not even the always lured stops down there could sway me.

Err wait, why not? I don't follow.

I know the after-events at all nerd cons can tend to devolve into a last-minute attempts at scoring a lay, though. Who the fuck goes to a meetup primarily for fat sweaty nerds...in hopes of finding love?

>>9119361
The things companies have outside, like South Park that one year and whatever else they have. It's just too many damn people, being out in the damn sun, especially the fact it was one of the hottest weeks.

Never went to after event bullshit either, Gaslamp is shit up because of fratbros during non-con season and it's just more of a fuck up during it. Con colds are bad enough, I don't want con stds on top of it.

>local
>been going since 2010
>got passes easily the first year just before it became a Massive Shitshow
>been able to preorder ever since
>feels good

Though since I've had friends not in this situation, I'd say the answer now is a) luck and b) once you get lucky once, stay in. preorder for each year. if you can't make the con? preorder anyways so you can save your spot for next year. It's bogus and I can't say it'd be worth it if coming to San Diego is difficult or expensive but for me, since I don't need a hotel and its a cheap bus/trolley ride from my place, I preorder even if I'm not sure if I'll be able to attend that year or not.

If you can only get one day's badge, still make a whole weekend out of it. There's so much free shit to do around town whether its big industry set-ups outside or the game room or other hotel-based events, or even just people watching. I never pay for a 4-day I only ever get one or two days and spend the rest just mozying around downtown.

>>9121212
When I went they told you that if you renewed you have to shop up and pick up your badge the next year. If you don't pick up your badges you will be forfeited your tickets.

>>9121212
>>9121216
Yep. you do have to use your pass to be allowed to prereg

i have friends that came just sunday this year in order to remain in the pool for next year's prereg

they lived relatively close (about an hour north) but if they were any farther, i can't say i think it would be worth the time and money considering the one-day pass, gas expense, $15+ parking, and crowds just to walk the exhibit hall on sunday and stay eligible for prereg

>>9117624
Normies happened. People say it's a meme but it's true. Every convention in general has become more family friendly. They've cut down on 18+ events, 18+ merchandise, and amateur panels. The convention environment might be less smelly and weird, but it's definitely enthusiastic. I'm sure they're a lot of small cons where this stuff never happened, but those aren't much fun anyway.

>>9117624
>In fact conventions IN GENERAL seem to be way more crowded and exclusive nowadays

If the only cons you go to are the top 5 biggest cons, then sure, I guess, but i'm not sure how most cons are like that.

>>9123126
definitely less enthusiastic*

>>9117624

Legit, it's super hard to get into SDCC. One thing that might help is having a corporate job. I work in insurance and as a seasonal freebie I've been offered 2 tickets to SDCC many times in the past. It helps that no one in the office is interested in it, but that's one way of getting in as a local.

>>9123126

A lot of people also equate this to the popularity of movie franchises. Basically, more surface level people are wanting to get in and it pushes out the rest of us.

>>9117624
It's because they've basically become giant industry expos. To hell with comic books.

It's possible that it may die down in a few years. Disney & Fox have already moved stuff to their own events. (Warner is also apparently looking around for a venue)

As a bucket list thing I want to do an SDCC at least once, but I'm totally fine with my local C2E2 and Wizard World Chicago. I just better venders and Panels would happen at them.

>>9117624
I got my ticket for free this year from work. It was sweet. But, I used to get tickets from one of many of my friends that scalped them. They typically charged double, but refered people to them so i got it for less.

Luck
Spending a ton of cash to get into the system (buy comp badges from people)
Become a pro
Become press
Become a vendor
Volunteer for a booth
Volunteer for SDCC itself
Work for SDCC
Borrow someone's badge
Buy someone's badge
Get a badge from work/giveaway

>>9117647
>>9117721
important to note that it's not a guarantee and that you can come out emptyhanded during the returning member registration

I miss the first come first serve days but people got salty as fuck about it and now you have the raffle bullshit

>>9123126
>normies
basically true

lots of people-watchers now who don't participate. but small cons are still pretty fun.

this is due to marketers realizing the nerds have money and suddenly making 'geek' cool, and the explosion of popularity in comic book movies and vaguely supernatural teen thrillers. i mean, before iron man 1, comic book moves (besides spiderman, kinda) were seen as a joke. now they're blockbusters that command top-tier sales.

>>9123151
true, mostly applies to the biggest con of each region

>>9123288
California native here, my bucket list con is D*C but I have an uneasy suspicion that the 'old-school vibe' there is pretty much gone, too.

It's way easier to work at SDCC in some capacity than to try to buy tickets. Lots of booths need volunteers, you gotta network your way in or apply to do a panel on something. That's how I've been going.

>>9123704
Nah DragonCon is still plenty old school, totally worth going imo